《I Can Enhance My Talents Using Unlimited Skill Points》


 Chapter 1 - The Beginning

    East Lake City, Yangtze River Delta, Daxia Kingdom.


    The sky was grey and hazy. A cold wind was roaring as a light rain fell.


    At the West entrance of the city, a black metal gate separated it from the wilderness. A group of soldiers in green uniforms were checking the identity of the people entering and exiting the city.


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±


    In the distance, a green off-road vehicle blared its horn as it sped through the city gates. The soldiers stationed there made no move to stop it, and just let it pass.


    On the side of the car was an emblem of an eagle with its wings outspread.


    This was the symbol of the Zheng family, one of the seven martial clans in East Lake City. In this era of alien invasion, the clans were equivalent to the nobles of the past. They governed over their own territory, welding great power in the area.


    The pedestrians on the street hurriedly made way for the vehicle to pass. Some were unable to dodge in time, and were splashed with muddy water from head to toe. However, no one dared to say a word until the off-road vehicle disappeared from sight.


    ¡­


    In a village to the East of the city, there was a courtyard that was much bigger than the surrounding houses. Above its main entrance hung a plaque that read ¡°Mantis Snake Sword School¡±.


    This was a branch opened by the Mantis Snake Sword School in the East of the city. Trainees who had just entered the school were assigned to the branch school for training. Only those who were accepted as core disciples by the branch head were able to go to the headquarters in the city center for their training.


    The Mantis Snake Sword School was well-known in East Lake City. It was one of the 13 martial arts schools with a warrior presiding over it.


    Wan Rong, the head of the school, had a strength that was exceptional even among the warriors. He once used a borrowed sword to consecutively defeat three of his fellow warriors.


    At this moment, sounds of labored breathing echoed from the courtyard.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Led by a black-clothed youth, a group of young men in loose-fitting white training robes were practicing sword techniques by imitating the murals on the surrounding walls.


    Following the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, they began with the standard opening stance, keeping calm and steady. They would then leap up and slash or stab at the wooden target a few meters away in a rhythmic fashion. The sudden changes between stillness and movement were fast and fierce.


    On the steps of the courtyard, Chen Yiming sat quietly at the top, carrying a few sets of takeaway for the trainees.


    The trainees did not pay him any heed. Instead, they continued to follow the youth¡¯s lead, repeatedly practicing the opening stance of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    After three rounds, many of the students began to tire. Their breathing became unstable, and their movements lost form. Showing no expression, the black-clothed youth announced a break. He sheathed his sword and retired to a room.


    The trainees started to sit down and loaf around. Those who had placed orders headed over and collected their food from Chen Yiming, who no longer had any reason to stay.


    Chen Yiming left the courtyard and got on his bicycle. He cycled along the cemented main road for about 10 minutes, then turned into a street that had long since fallen into disrepair. He soon reached a small restaurant, the place he called his home in this world.


    The house consisted of two floors. The second floor was residential, while the first floor was a restaurant. There was also a small courtyard.


    The road in front of the door was around a meter wide, and the people passing by were all residents living nearby. There was not much traffic, and the local residents often cooked in their own homes. Thus, the Chen family¡¯s restaurant mainly dealt in the takeaway business.


    ¡°Mum, I¡¯m back!¡± he shouted, parking his bicycle at the corner of the entrance.


    At the cashier¡¯s counter in the restaurant¡¯s main hall, Mother Chen ¡ª Liang Xiumei ¡ª was noting down an order. Without looking up, she said, ¡°Every time you deliver to the Mantis Snake Sword School, you spend more than half an hour. The customers after them are going to complain again. Have you made up your mind yet?¡±


    Chen Yiming passed the money he had collected to Mother Chen and explained, ¡°I¡¯ve decided on the Mantis Snake Sword School. I¡¯m just observing them for a few more days. The tuition fee is very expensive, so I don¡¯t want to have any regrets after making the choice.¡±


    Mother Chen took the money, put it into the drawer, and locked it. Then she looked up and glared at him.


    ¡°So you do know how expensive it is. You have to train hard and take it seriously when the time comes. Don¡¯t behave like you did in school, slacking off every other day.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I promise I won¡¯t waste the money from my family this time,¡± Chen Yiming pledged loudly as he thumped on his chest.


    It had been more than two months since he had been transmigrated into this world. The memories of his previous life were slowly pushed to the back of his mind as he adjusted from the initial discomfort and integrated into his new life.


    He was now a high school student who had dropped out of school to help in the family restaurant because of his poor grades. He didn¡¯t have the skills to help his father with cooking and could only take on the delivery work that Mother Chen was originally responsible for.


    Fortunately, he was young and healthy, so he could cycle much faster than Mother Chen. The restaurant¡¯s business thus increased.


    Chen Yiming also had a younger sister called Chen Yingying who had just entered middle school. She had good grades and was very hardworking. She was also very obedient, unlike his body¡¯s owner who was mischievous and did not study hard.


    Mother Chen saw how serious he was and how he seemed to have truly made up his mind. She threw the new order slip at Chen Yiming and waved her hand dismissively.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so full of yourself, I still remember clearly the boasts you made in the past. Your father has already finished preparing the food. Hurry and pack it up in the kitchen, then deliver it to the customers.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    He was in high spirits now, walking with a spring in his step.


    It was not a spur of the moment decision to register as a trainee at the martial arts school. He had absolute confidence that he would succeed.


    However, he could not reveal the fact to anyone that he had transmigrated from another world, gaining a special ability. Not even his family could know. He could only keep it to himself.


    His special ability was a martial arts talent system. It would display in front of his eyes in a way that was visible only to him when he called it in his heart.


    After he transmigrated, the system had automatically imprinted the detailed instructions for using it into his mind.


    Its function was very simple. As long as one was not someone who had never played games before, they could understand it at a glance.


    The entire system only had one function.


    Skill points could be obtained by regularly practicing martial arts, then used on martial arts talent.


    The speed at which skill points were obtained was related to the level of the technique used and the duration of training.


    At this moment, he had zero martial arts talent, and he only had two skill points.


    These two skill points were obtained after he transmigrated ¡ª after nearly two months of hard training, following the basic sword techniques taught in his body¡¯s owner¡¯s school.


    The current speed at which he obtained skill points was about one skill point per month. He needed three skill points to obtain level one of the martial arts talent, so it would take about a month for him to meet the requirements for level one.


    Although there were no restrictions on the martial arts schools in East Lake City, which were openly recruiting trainees, there were still some requirements to be met. The basic techniques for the type of martial arts taught in the school had to be completely mastered to enter the school.


    This was to prevent children who did not even have a good foundation from squandering money to enter the school. Without even grasping the basic moves, it would be akin to a primary school student skipping middle school, and directly studying the high school curriculum. Most would be unable to complete this style of education.


    This was also the reason why Chen Yiming didn¡¯t register at the martial arts school immediately after he transmigrated.


    His previous body¡¯s talent in martial arts was mediocre. After practicing for several years, he still stumbled over the most basic sword moves. Since he had transmigrated and retained his original talent, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be any better. In fact, due to his unfamiliarity with his current body, his performance was even worse than his body¡¯s owner.


    Therefore, he urgently needed the enhancement from a Level-1 swordsmanship talent, and to quickly master the basic sword moves.

 Chapter 2 - Learning in secret

    Chen Yiming placed the packed food into the storage bag on the back of the bicycle, then cycled away.


    The street was not far from the main road.


    ¡°One, two, one¡­¡±


    Continuous chanting could be heard from afar as a group of East Lake City soldiers marched over.


    They were dressed in dark green military uniform, each holding a rifle in their hands. Long bayonets were attached to the barrel of the rifles, shining with an unusually dazzling light.


    Such a design was made to allow the rifles with bayonets to be used as spears near the space-travel passage. This was necessary as the rules governing the alien world caused advanced weapons to become ineffective.


    Even though the soldiers were still far away, Chen Yiming moved his bicycle onto the sidewalk to give way to them. The people around him also did the same. No one was fool enough to block their way.


    At the entrance of the convenience store, a middle-aged man looked at the soldiers marching past him and cried out,


    ¡°I just rented this shop! And it needs to be closed down again.¡±


    The middle-aged man was the owner of the convenience store, and was wearing a blue uniform. At this moment, tears were streaming down his face as he stood rooted to the ground.


    A middle-aged woman walked over to the shop entrance and asked, ¡°Owner, can you get me three pots of oil, 10 packs of salt, and 50 kilograms of rice?¡±


    Her expression revealed traces of anxiety. Before the owner could reply, she hurriedly took out the money from her pocket. It was as if she was afraid that the owner would reject her request.


    At this moment, a young girl came along behind the middle-aged woman. As she walked, she grumbled, ¡°Mum, we still have a lot of rice at home. Why are you buying so much?¡±


    The girl was the daughter of the middle-aged woman. She wore a floral dress and her hair was tied up in a ponytail. She was pouting and mumbling, openly expressing her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Okay, just a moment¡­ Sorry, we¡¯re closed for today.¡±


    The middle-aged man came back to his senses and turned her down, then wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He went back into the store and pulled down the shutters.


    ¡°Mum, this uncle is so strange. He clearly agreed to your request but went back on his word. How does he expect to get any business?¡± The young girl stomped her feet and pouted angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, let¡¯s go quickly. We¡¯ll go to the farmers¡¯ market to buy some things. If we¡¯re late, there¡¯ll be nothing left.¡± The middle-aged woman urged her daughter as she pulled her into a jog.


    ¡°Mum, slow down. I¡¯m wearing a new dress¡­¡±


    The middle-aged woman was in her forties. She had experienced first-hand the war more than ten years ago, where alien beasts had laid siege to the city. When she saw the assembled troops, her first reaction was that something big had happened.


    Once the war started, transportation would be cut off easily. Common daily necessities such as oil, salt, firewood and rice may run out of stock. Taking advantage of the fact that not everyone would receive the news immediately, they should make good use of the time and stock up on these necessities.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s bicycle was parked just two to three meters away from the convenience store. He had witnessed everything that had happened in front of the store.


    ¡°I need to join the school soon!¡±


    He felt a sense of urgency and silently urged himself to take this seriously.


    Once the world was in chaos, being a trainee under the school would act like a talisman in the village. It could help his family by intimidating would-be thieves.


    The troops disappeared quickly from the end of the road, and the pedestrians dispersed. Chen Yiming got back on his bicycle and resumed cycling along the main road.


    Along the way, the entire city behaved as though it had received some news. It was filled with pedestrians rushing along somewhere.


    It took him more than 10 minutes to reach the central business district.


    This was where the headquarters of the major martial arts schools and corporations were located. Because of their strong combat ability, they were not afraid of ordinary flying beasts. Therefore, they built many tall commercial buildings of twenty to thirty floors.


    The main target customer base of the Chen¡¯s family restaurant was the ordinary employees who worked in the business district. Their salaries were not high, and it was not worth it to eat in the restaurants nearby.


    The Chen¡¯s family restaurant offered free delivery, and their food was cheap and filling. They also had a good reputation, and their business had always been good.


    He paid a dollar and parked his bicycle in a demarcated area that was guarded by people. He then carried seven to eight takeaway packets in each hand, checking the address written on the takeaway boxes. He boarded the elevator to deliver the takeaway to the customers who had ordered the food.


    After more than half an hour, Chen Yiming finally delivered all the food.


    Instead of going straight home, he rode his bicycle to a courtyard that had been renovated from an old gymnasium.


    This was the headquarters of Mantis Snake Sword School. As one of the 13 martial arts schools in East Lake City, it occupied a piece of land in the central business district.


    Chen Yiming went up to the reception, intent on expressing his desire to register as a trainee under the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    The receptionist was a young lady. Written on her badge was her name: Gu Manni.


    She was wearing a pale yellow dress and had large, watery eyes, red lips and white teeth. She wore light makeup on her face. When she stood up, she was only half a head shorter than Chen Yiming, who was close to 1.8 meters tall.


    Her figure and face were sufficient for her to debut as a celebrity in his previous world. It was no wonder that she was able to work at the headquarters of the school.


    ¡°Hello sir! Are you here to inquire about the registration of trainees?¡±


    She cast an uninterested glance at Chen Yiming, who was dressed in ordinary clothes. He didn¡¯t look young and definitely didn¡¯t have much potential or talent. However, she had a job to do and still greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Can you show me around?¡±


    Chen Yiming pointed at the core disciples who were training at the center of the courtyard.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gu Manni agreed with a smile.


    She was wearing high heels and walked in front of him to lead the way. The two of them walked one after another and stopped about 20 meters away from the core disciples.


    Along the way, Gu Manni followed the standard procedures and informed Chen Yiming of the school fees and various conditions for registration as trainees, such as the required level of swordsmanship.


    At the center of the courtyard were three core disciples, two male and one female.


    The two young men were busy competing with their sword-fighting skills. Their silhouettes were elusive ¡ª at one moment, they appeared in a corner, and at the next moment, they re-appeared at the center of the courtyard.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes were fixed on the two men at the center of the courtyard. He wasn¡¯t listening to the sales pitch of the lady next to him at all.


    He had pretended to ask about the registration to secretly learn the sword-fighting techniques because his original body¡¯s grasp of the basic techniques was unbearably bad.


    In the first month after he had transmigrated, Chen Yiming had practiced the basic sword moves according to the methods he had used in his original body. This way, he had earned 1 skill point in a month.


    In the second month, Chen Yiming would often find opportunities to watch the practices of the trainees in the school while delivering food. After correcting some mistakes that could be easily seen when performing basic sword moves, he managed to obtain one skill point in just 20 days.


    From then on, Chen Yiming knew that his original body had not grasped the basic sword moves properly and his training speed was not at its maximum. Therefore, whenever he had a chance, he would secretly learn from the schools that were teaching swordsmanship.


    The two of them stood at the side and watched for more than 10 minutes. Chen Yiming could find no reason to stay on any longer, and returned to the sofa in the reception area when Gu Manni prompted him.


    Gu Manni poured a glass of water for Chen Yiming and sat down beside him. She placed a contract on the table and pointed at the promotion terms on the document.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, we are currently running a promotion. If you can pay the deposit today, we can give you another 3,000 yuan discount. This is a promotion for your first visit.¡±


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Chen Yiming cursed in his heart. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time he had gone to observe and learn the techniques. However, he couldn¡¯t go to the same martial arts school too often. On his previous visit, he had been received by a lady called Shen Jia.


    He finished the water in his cup in one gulp, and pretended to consider it.


    ¡°I understand the general situation, but I still need to go back and discuss it with my family. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he pretended not to see the bitterness hidden in the lady¡¯s eyes. He resolutely stood up and walked out of the main door of the martial arts school.

 Chapter 3 - Gaining a Skill Point

    On the way home, the bicycle went on a path along the riverside.


    In the distance, a ship of more than 10 meters in length was headed in this direction. Many people were crowded on the bow of the ship.


    Both the men and women had pallid faces and disheveled hair. Each of them carried more than one bag, and many of them had their children with them.


    ¡°These must be refugees from outside the city.¡±


    Chen Yiming stopped the bicycle by the roadside and carefully observed the ship.


    The top of the ship was covered with a large sheet of tarpaulin. If the refugees did not gather at the ship¡¯s bow, it would be impossible to tell what was in the ship¡¯s cabins by just looking at it.


    The ship dropped anchor along the shore near an empty area not far from Chen Yiming.


    The refugees at the bow of the ship jumped onto the shore. After that, more refugees exited from the ship¡¯s cabin one after another. Following the lead of those in front, they made their way onto the shore.


    Chen Yiming estimated that there were about fifty of them.


    Watching the ship turn back, Chen Yiming felt a sense of urgency.


    ¡°I have to inform my family about this situation quickly.¡±


    With the refugees sneaking into the city and the troops gathering, something big must have happened. The village in the city would definitely be the first place for the refugees to settle down, and his home just so happened to be in the village.


    He got back on his bicycle and sped home.


    ¡­


    When he got home, it was already dark out.


    Dinner was already served on the dining table ¡ª a total of four side dishes and a soup.


    Father Chen ¡ª Chen Jindong ¡ª was lying on a chair smoking a pipe. Mother Chen was sitting at the dining table, ledger in hand, tabulating the day¡¯s earnings.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s younger sister, Chen Yingying, was doing her homework at the dining table to save on the electricity bill.


    Seeing that her son had returned, Mother Chen put away the ledger and called the family over. Chen Yiming obediently went to help with the dishes.


    At the dining table, everyone ate in silence.


    When everyone had finished eating, Father Chen stopped Chen Yingying, who had wanted to go back to her room to continue studying. He had a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°I just got the news from the farmers¡¯ market today ¡ª there might be another war in the west. There are rumors that alien creatures appeared in the lake. From now on, you all have to be careful when you are outside.¡±


    He paused for a moment before cautioning Chen Yingying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come back on your own after school anymore. Wait for your brother to pick you up.¡±


    Then, he briefed Mother Chen.


    ¡°In the future, the restaurant will only accept orders until 4 pm. Yiming will pick Yingying up directly after delivering the last order.¡±


    Chen Yiming waited for Father Chen to finish before hastily interjecting, ¡°I have some news to report as well. On my way out today, I encountered soldiers already assembled into troops. At the riverside on the way back, I also came across refugees hiding aboard a ship and sneaking into the city.¡±


    Outside the house, it had started to drizzle again. The temperature seemed to have become exceptionally cold.


    ¡°Refugees entering the city. Refugees entering the city. Refugees entering the city.¡± Father Chen said to himself, repeating it thrice.


    He fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.


    After a while, Father Chen continued, ¡°The scale of this war might not be small. Right from the start, it isn¡¯t possible to survive outside the city.¡±


    When Madam Chen heard about the refugees entering the city, she started to feel frightened and worried.


    ¡°Should we just close the restaurant and reopen it after all this is over?¡±


    Father Chen¡¯s heart sank. He thought for a long time before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a few more days and see how much the situation worsens. Moreover, Yiming is going to the martial arts school to train, and we will have recurring expenses.¡±


    Then, he turned to Chen Yiming and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for your registration to the Mantis Snake Sword School?¡±


    Chen Yiming thumped his chest and promised, ¡°No problems here. I¡¯m confident that I can completely master all the basic sword moves over the next few days. After that, I¡¯ll go and register immediately.¡±


    Father Chen looked at Chen Yiming solemnly and said heavily, ¡°This is no joking matter. You had better not be lying to us.¡±


    Then, he instructed Madam Chen, ¡°Once Yiming becomes a trainee at the school, remember to hang the training robes up high right after you have washed them. Hang them high enough that even those passing by our door can see it.¡±


    Mother Chen was delighted to hear this.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I can also sew a few more replicas so that the people passing by will see them clearly.¡±


    The martial arts trainees were worlds apart from the warriors, and it was not for certain that even one in a hundred trainees would become a warrior. Even so, it would be easy enough for a trainee to win in a fight against several ordinary people, not to mention the refugees who were in poor physical condition.


    As long as Chen Yiming could successfully become a trainee at the Mantis Snake Sword School, the Chen family would not have to worry about anyone causing trouble for them. They would be able to deter any would-be troublemakers with just the title of a martial arts trainee.


    ¡­


    The next day, the Chen family¡¯s restaurant continued its business as usual.


    Chen Yiming woke up early in the morning. Since there were no orders in the restaurant in the morning, he made good use of the time by practicing his basic sword moves.


    Father Chen handled the ingredients by himself while Mother Chen visited the neighbors to find out the latest news. Chen Yingying went to school as usual.


    Life still had to go on. The workers had to work and the students had to attend school. During the day, order in the city was still guaranteed.


    Near noon, Chen Yiming stopped his training and started to go on deliveries.


    As he cycled across the bridge, he realized that the situation had worsened. Some refugees had already started to set up their homes under the bridge.


    As he approached the central business district, countless middlemen appeared on the roadside, raising sign boards to recruit people. All the sign boards had the same message: ¡°XX project, mass recruitment. Meals included, accommodation not provided.¡±


    The laborers at the construction site were only provided three meals a day. With these terms, it was almost impossible to recruit anyone under normal circumstances. Clearly the situation was much worse than Chen Yiming had expected.


    When Chen Yiming arrived at the central business district, he saw a large number of white-collar workers walking out of the office towers with their personal belongings. Most of them had tears in their eyes. It was clear they had just been fired from their jobs.


    His heart sank. He desperately hoped that he could obtain the last skill point soon.


    ¡­


    Another two days passed.


    Everyone in the city knew that there was going to be a war in the west. The streets that used to be lively were now deserted.


    East Lake City started to prepare for war.


    The farmers¡¯ market was forced to close down as everything was sold out. Ordinary citizens could only go to the designated rationing stations, collecting half a kilogram of rations every three days with their identity cards.


    A large number of government corporations began to hire logistics personnel for the war.


    The Chen family¡¯s restaurant was closed for business. The door was locked tight and the whole family stayed in the house all day.


    The only fortunate thing was that the restaurant owners, Father Chen and Mother Chen, had already taken countermeasures. They had a vacuum packing machine at home, and they often made smoked meat and dried vegetables, sealing them in vacuum packs.


    Thus, there was enough food stored in the basement of the house to feed the family for a whole year.


    ¡­


    On the night of the fifth day, the drizzle that had been falling continuously for several days finally stopped. The stars were shining in the sky again.


    Chen Yiming was practicing his basic sword moves in the courtyard on the first floor. Since restrictions were being imposed on electricity usage, he could only light a kerosene lamp.


    He practiced his moves again and again. A shadow was reflected on the wall, changing continuously along with his movements.


    The martial arts talent panel suddenly appeared in front of him, catching him unaware.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Pale gray skill bar


    Skill points: 3


    He obtained another skill point, and the total skill points on the panel clearly displayed the number ¡°3¡±.


    Without any hesitation, Chen Yiming added three skill points to swordsmanship on his skill bar.


    The pattern representing swordsmanship lit up.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship¡ªLevel 1


    Skill points: 0


    The next moment, he felt as though something had cracked open in his mind, and a powerful force surged through him.


    He began to practice the basic sword moves again.


    In the first round, he was able to execute all the basic sword moves perfectly.


    In the second round, all the moves were connected, flowing smoothly from one move to the next.


    In the third round, the combination of basic sword moves such as stab, strike, taunt, provoke and slash automatically appeared in his mind. He could swiftly adapt his moves according to the situation.


    With the enhancement from his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, all the moves seemed as though they had been imprinted in his mind all along. Before the move he was executing had ended, he already had a plan for his next step.


    His speed of thinking had exceeded his body¡¯s movement speed. The speed of his body seemed to have slowed down, and he could just go by feeling to steadily execute the sword moves without the slightest mistake.


    A breeze blew past and the flame flickered. His figure kept still, sword in hand.


    His eyes were shut tight as two figures appeared in his mind. One of the figures was constantly switching between different weapons, holding a sword at one moment and a saber at another.


    The other figure held a long sword in his hand, using only combinations of the basic sword moves to counter the other¡¯s moves. In an instant, the two figures seemed to have fought many times, and various ways to counterattack automatically appeared in his mind.


    When he opened his eyes, he could not help but clench his fists. The grievances he had built up in his heart were released all at once.


    After enduring for nearly three months, it was finally his turn to shine.


    These combinations of sword moves were not some profound technique, and were only flexible usage of the basic sword moves. But just with these, his current self could easily win against 10 of his original selves.


    A sense of security started to grow in him, and he felt full of confidence.

 Chapter 4 - Showcase

    The sky was starting to lighten.


    Chen Yiming tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.


    In his mind, a small figure was continuously practicing the basic sword moves one after another, unable to stop. Eventually, the figure even started to execute bits and pieces from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    These were the parts he had secretly learned while he delivered food in the past. These were only scattered moves from the technique and did not form anything substantial.


    ¡°Could this be the legendary technique of training through dreams?¡±


    He opened his eyes and sat up abruptly.


    At this moment, he was no longer sleepy. He threw off the blanket, picked up the wooden sword from the table, and began to practice the incomplete Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    As soon as he raised his hand, he realized that the training in his dreams was real.


    On his first try, he could completely replicate the moves he had seen in his memory.


    On his second try, he subconsciously incorporated his understanding of the basic sword moves to fill in the missing moves. He created a complete set of moves forming a modified sword technique.


    ¡°This¡­ is the incomplete, modified version of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.¡±


    He did not know how powerful his modified sword technique was, but at least for now, he could smoothly execute the finishing moves within the technique.


    This boosted his confidence, so he practiced several more times, only stopping when his stomach growled.


    After finishing his training, he went to the bathroom to take a shower. He changed into a clean set of clothes before heading downstairs.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen were already waiting for him. On the table was a bowl of piping hot noodles, and next to it was a thick envelope containing the registration fee of 30,000 yuan.


    Mother Chen picked up the envelope and stuffed it into his pocket, then buttoned up his clothes.


    ¡°Keep the money away properly. Don¡¯t forget it later.¡±


    Chen Yiming pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. He used his chopsticks to pick up the piping hot noodles and stuffed them into his mouth. He finished the bowl of noodles in no time.


    Looking at the way he was eating the noodles, Father Chen couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Slow down. You have to do things steadily and not be impatient. During the test later, don¡¯t be too concerned about the result. Even if you fail this time, it doesn¡¯t really matter. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford the registration fee, you can still try again next time.¡±


    Chen Yiming realized that his parents didn¡¯t have much confidence in him, and put down the bowl of half-drunk soup. He picked up the wooden sword, intending to show them the power of the talent system.


    Mother Chen quickly stopped him, putting a hand on his arm.


    ¡°Your father just doesn¡¯t know how to say anything nice, don¡¯t take his words to heart. Don¡¯t waste your energy now, save your strength for the test.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself that if he didn¡¯t show off his skills today, he wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe freely. His parents would always think that he was only boasting.


    He simply picked up a chopstick that was still dripping with soup. Using them as long swords, he executed the spiral-style finishing move (which he didn¡¯t know the name of) from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    The end of the chopstick momentarily appeared as though it had a propeller added to it. It spun and shot towards the large metal door at the entrance of the house.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A loud sound rang out, and the metal door shook back and forth.


    A large hole appeared in the middle of the metal door, and there was a pile of wood splinters on the ground. The chopstick had fallen by the door, and half of it had disappeared.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen stood up in shock. Chen Yiming was also shocked by the commotion.


    This power was comparable to a bullet from a pistol. If it hit a person, it would probably kill them instantly. Fortunately, no one was unlucky enough to pass by the door just then.


    ¡°When¡­ when did you become so strong?¡±


    Mother Chen¡¯s mind was buzzing. If she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that her son had done it.


    Her impression of her son practicing martial arts was still stuck on his lousy swordsmanship which was similar to radio calisthenics.


    ¡°The metal door was destroyed by the chopstick. Were the sword moves taught at your school always so powerful?¡± Father Chen also had a hard time believing what he just saw.


    He had previously watched Chen Yiming practicing martial arts with his friends and the neighbors¡¯ children. It had seemed like they were just playing around. Compared to that, wielding a hammer would have been more effective.


    ¡°This should finally be enough to convince you.¡±


    Chen Yiming clenched his fists and pretended to be calm. To tell the truth, he didn¡¯t know that it would be so powerful either. He had thought that it would just leave a mark, and that would have been enough to satisfy him.


    Mother Chen stepped forward and looked out through the hole in the door. The hole was so big that a fist could fit through it. Troubled, she said,


    ¡°What should we do about this? Are there still shops open that sell doors now? With such a big hole, others can look into the house from outside.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stick a piece of paper over it.¡±


    Chen Yiming stammered, realizing that the situation was not too good. He had broken the door due to his recklessness.


    Father Chen walked over and examined the hole.


    ¡°The hole is right in the middle of the door. Why don¡¯t we just install a peephole? It might look a little strange and ugly, but it¡¯s better than covering it with paper,¡± he suggested.


    ¡­


    The first rays of sunlight lit up the dark street in the village.


    ¡°Dad, Mum, I¡¯m going out.¡±


    Chen Yiming got on his bicycle and turned a few corners before cycling onto the main road.


    From the street in the village to the main road, he was being watched by many people. However, no one dared to stop him openly in broad daylight.


    He noticed that refugees had already set up tents and settled down in many of the street corners. Pots and pans had been laid out, and whole families were huddled up in the corner.


    The refugees did not dare to set up tents on the main road, as the city patrols were patrolling there. If they were caught, they would be chased out of the city.


    Along the main road, the middlemen were giving out recruitment fliers on every street. They were hiring those who were truly struggling to survive and bringing them out of the city to do high-risk jobs like moving and transporting goods.


    However, there were very few people inquiring about the jobs. Perhaps it was because the war had just begun and each family still had sufficient food, so it was not the time to risk their lives for survival just yet.


    He rode on, passing by the city park square.


    Placed in the middle of the square was a stage of more than 10 meters wide. A yellow-robed girl and a white-robed youth were on the stage, competing with their sword-fighting skills. The surrounding area was filled with many youths who were watching the display. The venue was even playing music, making it very lively.


    This was the place where people usually took a stroll after tea and meals. However, ever since the war in the west had started, not many people came to the park.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. Thinking that there was still plenty of time before the registration, he rode the bicycle to the square to join in the fun.


    With the experience of practicing swordsmanship in his dream last night, he became more and more interested in learning secretly from others. A sword-fighting competition in public was a rare opportunity for him to observe sword techniques openly. Whatever he could learn would add to his own ability. In addition, he was severely lacking in martial arts experience and had never fought with others before. Thus, he urgently needed to learn from others¡¯ experiences.


    He parked his bicycle in an open area and locked it, ensuring that he could always keep it within his line of sight.


    Now that the world was in chaos, there were more thieves than usual. If he encountered a thief stealing his bicycle, he would be able to notice it quickly.


    When he came to the side of the stage, he was just in time to see the yellow-robed girl wielding a green longsword and executing a series of footwork that made it difficult to differentiate between illusion and reality.


    The yellowy-green figure was everywhere on the stage. At one moment, it appeared behind the white-robed youth. At the next moment, it appeared at his side. When the white-robed youth turned to the side, it appeared behind him again.


    The white-robed youth was attacked from all directions. He could only defend with his sword and try his best to predict the attacks of the yellow-robed girl.


    However, a long defense was bound to crack eventually. The white-robed youth messed up his footwork, and the opening did not go unnoticed by the yellow-robed girl. She took the chance to strike his sword hand while he could not make a quick turn. His sword instantly fell to the ground.


    The white-robed youth did not give up and wanted to switch to his fists to continue the competition. However, his fists were no match for a sword. As soon as he raised his hand, the green longsword was pressed to his throat, blocking off any further movement.


    Seeing the white-robed youth¡¯s defeat, the audience erupted into enthusiastic cheers.


    Clearly, the yellow-robed girl was very popular, and many of the youths in the audience were her fans.

 Chapter 5 - Competition

    A young man in the crowd caught Chen Yiming¡¯s attention.


    He was wearing the uniform of the East Lake First High School, and was using all his strength to bang together the thunder sticks in his hands. He was cheering so enthusiastically that his face was red.


    Chen Yiming patted the young man¡¯s shoulder and pretended to sigh unintentionally.


    ¡°Competing this way is quite meaningless. She could have easily defeated the white-robed youth, but she used her footwork to toy with him.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? She¡¯s giving him pointers!¡±


    The young man turned to glare at Chen Yiming as he retorted.


    The yellow-robed girl was his goddess. In his eyes, everything she did had a good reason behind it.


    ¡°Even this¡­ can be rationalized.¡±


    Chen Yiming was left speechless.


    The young man saw that Chen Yiming did not know what to say. He forcefully introduced, ¡°Liu Qingqing from our First High was accepted as a core disciple by the head of the Flowing Cloud Sword School when she was only in junior high. Do you know what a core disciple is? That¡¯s a level higher than a martial arts trainee. Impressive, right?¡±


    ¡°Core disciple?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Of course he knew the status of a core disciple, because he was preparing to register as a trainee at the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Becoming a martial arts trainee was already a great honor for most youths of 17 or 18 years old. In the eyes of their classmates and friends, they would be someone to curry favor with.


    The core disciples could not be compared to ordinary trainees. They were the real core members of the school,equivalent to the elders of the sects in novels from his previous world. Their friends and relatives would directly become related to the school. When one person attained such a status, all their relations would also reap the benefits.


    Seeing his reaction, the young man was even more pleased with himself. Gesticulating excitedly, he said,


    ¡°Now you know how amazing our Liu Qingqing is. In this friendly competition, other martial arts schools have also sent many trainees. But how can ordinary trainees compete with core disciples? Across all of East Lake City¡¯s high school students, only our Liu Qingqing is a core disciple.¡±


    ¡°Could my eyes have deceived me?¡±


    Chen Yiming wavered in his judgment.


    Every core disciple that emerged from the trainees would definitely have top-notch talent and strength, and he was still far from this level. Perhaps he was truly mistaken.


    At this time, the sword-fighting competition ceased temporarily, giving the victor, Liu Qingqing, three minutes to rest.


    Now that he had started, the young man couldn¡¯t stop talking. He asked Chen Yiming, ¡°Dude, you¡¯re not wearing a uniform. Which school are you from?¡±


    ¡°From Thirteenth High.¡±


    Chen Yiming scratched his head awkwardly.


    He had already dropped out of school and could barely be considered a high school student, but who would willingly admit such an embarrassing thing?


    When the young man heard that, he immediately lost interest and curled his lips.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not from the top three high schools. No wonder you didn¡¯t understand anything. You guys don¡¯t even have a martial arts class, do you?¡±


    Chen Yiming was unable to say anything.


    There was indeed no martial arts class in his previous high school. Because the school ranked last among all the high schools in the city, very few martial arts talents would be willing to attend the school.


    As for the establishment of a martial arts class, they would need to hire a martial arts teacher, who would demand a high salary. The school board felt that it was not worth it and did not approve of it from the start.


    After some of the other high schools became known for their martial arts, the matter of starting martial arts classes was even more unlikely.


    Three minutes passed quickly.


    The yellow-robed girl, Liu Qingqing, tapped her toes and lightly leaped back onto the stage.


    Her long hair fluttered in the wind. Due to her winning streak, the supporters of the next challenger were completely silent.


    The referee at the side of the stage looked at his watch to confirm the time, then raised his hand and announced, ¡°Jiang Jinshi from Second High, please come to the stage.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a youth from the first row of the audience stood up and walked up the steps to the stage.


    He was dressed in martial arts training robes, with a fist symbol on his chest representing the Tongbeiquan School. From his shoulders to his fingers, both arms were covered by a layer of protective gear.


    This was the most commonly used weapon for trainees of the Tongbeiquan School. All of their abilities were focused on their arms, and with the help of protective gear, their attack and defense were improved.


    When he stepped onto the stage, the cheers of a few girls could be heard from the audience.


    There were quite a number of students from Second High who had come to the venue to cheer for him. Most of them kept silent, afraid that they would lose face if he lost too badly.


    Liu Qingqing was legendary in the high school world, and while Jiang Jinshi was also a martial arts trainee, he was a new face. This was the first time he was participating in a competition.


    ¡°Brother Xiaobai, look at the rookie from Second High. He¡¯s the iron-headed type. I¡¯m sure our Liu Qingqing will defeat him thoroughly in a few minutes. Do you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Our Liu Qingqing is proficient in many techniques like the Phantom Sword Technique, Thousand Shadow Steps and Three Body Illusion to counter slow opponents. She is most proficient in dealing with these kinds of inflexible opponents.¡±


    The young man had bumped into Chen Yiming, a student who wasn¡¯t from any of the top three high schools. Somehow, he felt a sense of superiority. He started a non-stop commentary and even gave Chen Yiming the nickname of Xiaobai.


    ¡°Er¡­ this is a competition. If the competitor¡¯s defense is high enough¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming had just voiced his opinion when the young man interrupted him.


    Chen Yiming, who had obtained a Level-1 swordsmanship talent, could understand the principle of balance without being taught. Every technique had two sides to it.


    Cultivating a brute-force, high defense type of technique would definitely result in highly developed muscles. This would definitely bring about greater strength and stamina than others of the same level. Cultivating a high agility, adaptive type of technique would inevitably require giving up on gaining more muscle to maintain a flexible body. Only then would one have better agility.


    If a person using a high agility type technique were unable to break through the opponent¡¯s defense, a person using a high defense technique would be able to take advantage of their high strength, defense and stamina to turn the tables on their opponent.


    ¡°You guys from a high school with no martial arts background don¡¯t know anything. Our Liu Qingqing¡¯s understanding of martial arts is number one across all the high schools. She has mastered many techniques to deal with different types of opponents. In all the competitions up till now, there were only times when she forfeited a match because of her lack of stamina, but never a time when she lost a match.¡±


    The young man lectured Chen Yiming and used her past achievements to prove his point.


    Chen Yiming and the young man had only exchanged a few words when the two people on the stage started to move.


    Jiang Jinshi was a rookie in the high school martial arts world. As expected, he spread out his arms in a defensive stance from the start and did not rush to attack.


    Liu Qingqing raised her hand and started with the Phantom Sword Technique that she was good at, charging straight at Jiang Jinshi. She made a feint and quickly switched to a position behind Jiang Jinshi, stabbing her sword at his back.


    The Phantom Sword Technique made use of light and sense of sight, and was very useful against opponents who were not familiar with it. It was very easy for opponents to make a wrong judgment due to the illusion.


    As the two of them exchanged blows, some students in the audience took the lead and started to beat the thunder sticks, cheering them on.


    The loud cheering drowned out all other sounds. Most of the cheers were for Liu Qingqing, and the scattered cheers for Jiang Jinshi were drowned out and could not be heard at all. The situation created an overwhelming atmosphere.


    Most of the students of the Second High School knew about Liu Qingqing¡¯s past achievements and did not expect much from the rookie from their own school.


    As long as he did not get completely cornered, they felt that it would already be acceptable. After all, Liu Qingqing was a core disciple and could experience more advanced cultivation techniques. Jiang Jinshi, on the other hand, was said to be a new trainee who had joined the martial arts school for less than a year.

 Chapter 6 - Dark Horse

    In a short time, Liu Qingqing and Jiang Jinshi had exchanged several blows.


    With his nimble movements and the protective gear on his arms, Jiang Jinshi was able to reliably block Liu Qingqing¡¯s Phantom Sword Technique.


    Liu Qingqing¡¯s movements were still hard to ascertain, but the Phantom Sword Technique was mostly advantageous for playing tricks on one¡¯s sense of sight. Its attack power was the same as a normal stab, equivalent to A-level.


    Going against Jiang Jinshi, who was able to keep up with her attacks, each of her hits landed on the hard shell-like protective gear covering his arms. Other than leaving a white mark on them, there was not much effect.


    Under this stalemate, Liu Qingqing was still pressuring Jiang Jinshi with her attacks. However, the specialty of Liu Qingqing¡¯s technique was to create opportunities through rapid movements, so her stamina was depleting much faster than Jiang Jinshi, who was defending from the same spot.


    In this kind of battle, if it became long and drawn-out, the situation could easily change.


    Chen Yiming watched the two of them in a daze. Half of his consciousness remained rooted in the outside world to receive information, while the other half entered his mind.


    It was as if he had left his body. The cheers around him were automatically blocked off.


    Two figures appeared in his mind, one imitating Jiang Jinshi, and the other imitating Liu Qingqing, their movements only half a beat slower than in the outside world.


    The secrets of Liu Qingqing¡¯s Phantom Sword Technique, through imitation by the figure in his mind, were revealed to Chen Yiming. He understood everything about the technique, such as the stances, movements and weaknesses.


    The two figures initially followed the movements of Jiang Jinshi and Liu Qingqing exactly. After repeating the same moves two or three times, the figure automatically optimized the execution of the Phantom Sword Technique and corrected any mistakes.


    At this point, the balance immediately shifted.


    After optimization, the Phantom Sword Technique fully displayed the advantage of an advanced technique. The figure who only knew how to block with its two arms was completely unable to withstand it.


    Chen Yiming immediately understood that no matter how advanced a technique was, its effects depended on the ability of the user.


    With his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, he undoubtedly had a better understanding of sword-fighting techniques than Liu Qingqing. Therefore, the figure who optimized the Phantom Sword Technique could instantly crush the other figure.


    As the stalemate continued, the deafening cheers gradually died down and everyone became nervous.


    ¡°Could it be? Will Liu Qingqing lose?¡±


    Liu Qingqing¡¯s supporters felt as though their hearts were in their mouths.


    The performance of the two people in the arena was completely unexpected. Liu Qingqing actually didn¡¯t know how to deal with the other party.


    ¡°Is this Jiang Jinshi that formidable?¡±


    On the other hand, the supporters from Second High started to feel hopeful.


    Jiang Jinshi wasn¡¯t very fast, and he hadn¡¯t mastered any special techniques like the Phantom Sword Technique. However, his combat awareness was very good, and he could follow Liu Qingqing¡¯s rhythm for every move. Together with the high defense from his arms, he perfectly countered Liu Qingqing¡¯s style.


    After a long time, the stalemate was still not broken.


    Liu Qingqing was the first to change her strategy. She gave up on the Phantom Sword Technique and switched to the Three Body Illusion.


    This was a technique that she had never used in competitions and had been saving as her trump card.


    This technique allowed one to move quickly and create two afterimages. The original body, together with the two afterimages, attacked the opponent from three directions ¡ª front, left, and right.


    If the opponent¡¯s reaction speed was not high enough, he would not be able to identify the two afterimages. There was a two-thirds chance that he would misjudge the direction of the attack.


    At this moment, Jiang Jinshi had already gotten used to Liu Qingqing¡¯s style. With his outstanding combat awareness, he immediately launched a counterattack.


    He didn¡¯t stay put or wait for his opponent to change to a new move. Instead, he jumped up and landed near the corner of the stage, directly taking on Liu Qingqing¡¯s attack.


    Since they were battling on the stage, at positions near the four corners, there was only a little space to the side and behind him. Liu Qingqing¡¯s style was to move quickly and agilely, so she wouldn¡¯t trap herself in such a narrow space. Thus, Jiang Jinshi only needed to deal with attacks from the front.


    Chen Yiming finally snapped out of his daze.


    When his consciousness split into two, it was equivalent to doing two things at the same time, such as drawing a circle with his left hand while drawing a square with his right.


    It took some getting used to, but now he could manage both sides at the same time. The figures continuously copied the moves he was watching, and his own movements were not affected.


    Chen Yiming surveyed the students around him.


    The atmosphere at the venue was no longer as relaxed as when Liu Qingqing fought her previous opponent. Most of Liu Qingqing¡¯s supporters were tense and sweating.


    This was especially true for the young man who had been bragging that Liu Qingqing was the best across all the high schools. At this moment, his face was pale and he bit his lips while gripping tightly at the corners of his shirt with both hands.


    Chen Yiming patted the young man on the arm. Startled by the sudden contact, the young man shuddered.


    ¡°Liu Qingqing is going to lose if she doesn¡¯t use her finishing move. Her opponent¡¯s defense is too high, she can¡¯t do any damage to him.¡±


    Chen Yiming stated his judgment as a matter-of-fact. His words pierced the young man in the heart.


    The young man glared at him and said stubbornly, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. Anything is possible.¡±


    His words were a little hesitant. As a hardcore fan, he could recite by heart every single piece of information about his goddess. Jiang Jinshi¡¯s current move seemed to be perfect for sealing Liu Qingqing¡¯s moves.


    ¡°The stage is only so big. Although Liu Qingqing is faster than her opponent, if this continues, she will soon run out of stamina. When it¡¯s Jiang Jinshi¡¯s turn to counterattack, he can knock Liu Qingqing down in one blow.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have any protective feelings towards Liu Qingqing, and didn¡¯t try to hide the fact that Liu Qingqing was in a difficult situation.


    Liu Qingqing switched strategies, and used another technique that also made use of the sense of sight ¡ª the Three Body Illusion.


    Since it was not a sword technique, Chen Yiming could not learn it secretly. Even so, he could easily tell that the Three Body Illusion was based on principles similar to the Phantom Sword Technique.


    The reason why Liu Qingqing couldn¡¯t do anything to her opponent was because her own strength was average, and she lacked a lethal move that allowed her opponent to have no scruples. This wasn¡¯t something that could be changed by changing the same type of sword technique into a movement technique.


    The situation quickly moved according to Chen Yiming¡¯s analysis.


    In the area where the students from Second High were gathered, some students began to take the lead to cheer for Jiang Jinshi. They banged the thunder sticks together with all their strength, breaking the silent and tense atmosphere.


    After Jiang Jinshi found out the details of Liu Qingqing¡¯s abilities, he started to move. He saved 30% of his strength for defense, and used 70% of his strength to counterattack.


    His arms were powerful and heavy. Even though he only used 70% of his strength, the impact of each move could be felt through the air.


    The difference in strength between Liu Qingqing and her opponent was too much. She didn¡¯t dare to receive her opponent¡¯s powerful attacks head-on and could only rely on her agile movements to dodge them.


    This way, she had to look for the gaps in her opponent¡¯s defense while dealing with his sudden counterattack. Her stamina was being depleted even more quickly.


    Soon, her breathing became erratic and she started to sweat. profusely.


    Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and gradually soaked her collar, leaving behind a sweat stain that was faintly visible.


    Liu Qingqing had always liked to wear traditional clothing made of silk. This way, she looked like a fairy. However, the silk material had a flaw; it would stick easily when drenched in sweat and get stuck to the inner layer of clothes.


    She had entered the Flowing Cloud Sword School as a core disciple in junior high. Although she was later proven to be unworthy of the status, she had the advantage of experiencing advanced cultivation techniques as a core disciple and had never met her match on the high school stage.


    This was the first time she found herself in such a situation.


    Knowing that she did not have any chance of victory, she did not choose to fight till the end. Instead, she decided to jump off the stage and gave up the fight, resulting in her first defeat on the high school stage.


    ¡°Jiang Jinshi!¡±


    Someone shouted.


    The students from Second High were in an uproar, and all of them joined in to chant the winner¡¯s name.


    All along, due to the reputation of being the top school, the best students would be enrolled in the First High School. Second High and Third High could only take their pick from the remaining students.


    This time, an unknown newcomer suddenly appeared from Second High and immediately defeated First High¡¯s top martial arts student. Such a situation had not occurred for many years.

 Chapter 7 - Registration

    Jiang Jinshi stood on the stage with both hands raised high. With one fight, he became famous across all the high schools of East Lake City.


    He was only considered average among the trainees of the Tongbeiquan School. Apart from his outstanding combat awareness, his strength, reaction, and stamina were not the highest of those in the same level.


    His grasp of martial arts was average as well, and he had yet to master the finishing moves in the Tongbeiquan Technique. In actual combat, he would still rely heavily on basic punches.


    If he did not happen to compete against a fighting style he could seal off, and his opponent was from a different martial arts school, he might not have won.


    Chen Yiming watched Jiang Jinshi who was on the stage, then looked at Liu Qingqing, who had found a shawl to cover her shoulders. He thought to himself, ¡°This Liu Qingqing is too sensitive. According to the bragging young man, she has mastered many cultivation techniques. Why didn¡¯t she try a few more? It¡¯s impossible for her opponent to deal with all of the different techniques. In the end, I could only secretly learn the Phantom Sword Technique.¡±


    He felt a little dissatisfied. With his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, he wanted to enrich his knowledge of sword techniques as soon as possible. If he could master many different styles of swordsmanship, he would have many strategies to choose from when facing enemies in the future.


    The competition continued.


    The remaining contestants from First High gave their all when they faced off with contestants from Second High, especially when they competed against Jiang Jinshi.


    After Jiang Jinshi won another round, he faced an opponent from First High who also specialized in fist fighting.


    Because he had already competed in two matches, he was at a disadvantage when it came to stamina. His opponent directly met his punches head on, and in the end, his stamina was depleted and he lost.


    This gave the students of First High a sense of relief. Jiang Jinshi was not really stronger than Liu Qingqing, he only found instant fame because of his luck.


    Chen Yiming watched the entirety of the competition for nearly two hours. Other than stealing Liu Qingqing¡¯s Phantom Sword Technique, he had nothing to show for it.


    This was the true level of martial arts in high school. Most of them were at the level of learning basic moves.


    Those who had mastered the basics and joined a martial art school had yet to master the school¡¯s techniques, and could not use them in combat.


    He felt a sudden impulse to mask his face and find an opportunity to intercept Liu Qingqing as she went on her way.


    He could pretend to be a robber and pick a fight with her, then secretly learn her other sword techniques.


    But after careful consideration, this plan was too idealistic and difficult to execute successfully.


    If Liu Qingqing found that she was no match for him, she would definitely think of escaping instead of switching to another sword technique to fight him.


    Furthermore, he didn¡¯t really want to become a robber. When Liu Qingqing returned with reinforcements from her school, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could leave no traces behind so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to track him down.


    At this point, Chen Yiming lost interest in watching the competition.


    As he was about to leave, he noticed from the corner of his eye that a short man was trying to sneak over to his bicycle from beside the wall.


    ¡°You thief, stop right there.¡±


    Chen Yiming cursed and sprinted towards the man. He pulled out the wooden sword on his back in one smooth motion, and swore to finish off his opponent with one strike. He wanted to have a fight to his heart¡¯s content as his first battle.


    The short man was very experienced. When he saw Chen Yiming charging at him, he turned and fled into the forested area in the park.


    Chen Yiming was forced to stop the chase when he reached the wall.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with the woods in this area. He didn¡¯t have much confidence if he continued the chase, and the thief might not be alone. He could have an accomplice hidden in the crowd around him.


    Once he continued the chase, the accomplice could easily steal his bicycle.


    In his very first battle, he let the enemy escape.


    Chen Yiming mounted his bicycle in frustration and continued to head towards the registration venue.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming arrived at the parking area at the side of the martial arts school.


    There were many more people than usual coming for the registration today. Other than the cars of the core disciples and the school¡¯s head, there were also two unfamiliar cars.


    A car was no longer something that an ordinary family could afford. It had returned to being a status symbol for the rich.


    There were already more than ten bicycles parked in the parking lot.


    Chen Yiming had been to Mantis Snake Sword School many times. He knew which vehicles belonged to the people from the martial arts school.


    He found an empty spot to park his bicycle and headed back to the main entrance.


    The moment he entered, he saw a few groups of people sitting on the sofa in the reception area. They were asking the female receptionist one question after another.


    All of them had come in with their whole family, and many people were talking at once. It was very noisy.


    Several female receptionists were holding fliers in their hands, chatting non-stop and introducing the school to the families. They had no time to attend to new customers.


    Chen Yiming had no choice but to go over and wait at the side.


    After waiting for nearly half an hour, one of the families finally left.


    The female receptionist Shen Jia headed over to attend to Chen Yiming without even taking a break for a sip of water.


    She led Chen Yiming to one of the sofas and smiled.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, you were here before. For today¡¯s visit, have you made your decision?¡±


    If a customer came for the second time, the chance of making a transaction was very high. If she was lucky enough to seal the deal without spending much additional effort, it was as though she received a free commission.


    ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t have to provide any more introductions. Just let me sign the contract.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at her and took out the envelope from his pocket.


    The envelope contained the registration fee for becoming a trainee. He had already found out the registration fee and the relevant requirements.


    ¡°Alright, sir, please wait a moment. After signing the contract, we will arrange for a standard test.¡±


    Soon, Shen Jia returned with a blank contract.


    After Chen Yiming signed the contract, Shen Jia led him to a room on the second floor.


    There were already a few youngsters waiting in the room. They were all prospective students who had already paid the registration fee.


    The day¡¯s test was scheduled to happen around noon. Everyone waited silently. All of them were competitors and none of them spoke.


    Before the test started, several more people were brought in. Including those who were already in the room, a total of eight people had registered.


    Shortly after, a burly man entered the room. He looked at the prospective students and announced, ¡°My name is Wang Bowen. All of you, follow me. The head is already waiting for you.¡±


    The burly man was nearly two meters tall, and he had bulging muscles all over his body. His loose training robes fit tightly around his muscles. This was completely different from the speed- and stealth-based style of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique that Chen Yiming knew of.


    If Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t seen this burly man training with the head of the school previously, he would have thought that he had entered the wrong martial arts school.


    All of them followed Wang Bowen to a wide room.


    In the room, there were all kinds of long swords hanging on the wall. A white-clothed elder was leisurely sipping tea.


    Wang Bowen knocked on the door and walked over to the school head Wan Rong. Stopping in front of the head, he bowed.


    ¡°Master, the applicants from today are all here. When do you want to start the test?¡±


    The white-clothed elder looked at each of them and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you understand this already, but I¡¯ll make it clear once more. Even if you don¡¯t meet the requirements, the test fee cannot be refunded. It¡¯s not too late for anyone to back out now.¡±


    ¡°We know. We understand this clearly,¡± Chen Yiming replied together with the other seven.


    The test fee was a total of 5,000 yuan. Just for demonstrating the basic sword moves in front of the school head and receiving feedback from him, it was quite expensive.

 Chapter 8 - Elder

    The white-clothed elder pointed at the leftmost person in the group and instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s start with you. Each of you should take turns to perform the basic sword moves. Let me see what you¡¯ve grasped.¡±


    The leftmost person in the group was a youngster with a naive-looking face. He seemed to be around 14 or 15 years old and was wearing blue sports attire.


    He took a few steps forward and went up to the open area.


    Before he even started, his body was already shaking non-stop. He accidentally dropped his sword on the ground and quickly bent down to pick it up, but almost fell over due to the excessive force used.


    The other applicants held their breaths when they saw this. They were infected by the tense atmosphere and subconsciously clenched their fists.


    Chen Yiming, on the other hand, was not affected. With his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, he could easily execute the basic sword moves. He was fully confident that he could pass the test.


    A short while later, the white-clothed elder spoke. ¡°Stop, next.¡±


    The youngster in blue sportswear awkwardly sheathed his sword and returned to the team with a dejected expression.


    He had only managed to execute two basic sword moves before he was told to stop. He knew that he had failed without waiting for the result.


    The next applicant stepped forward to take the test.


    The second applicant¡¯s performance was worse than the first, perhaps due to the influence from the previous applicant.


    He didn¡¯t even have the courage to raise his hand to perform any moves. He stood there for several moments before giving up and returning to the group.


    Chen Yiming was the sixth to perform. The first five contestants didn¡¯t perform well, and their movements were far from the required standard.


    This made him heave a sigh of relief. He was initially worried that the school would limit the number of students recruited. If many people could meet the standard for all the basic sword moves, there was a chance he might not make the cut.


    It was clear that there were many people who had registered without proper preparation. Seeing that the world was about to be thrown into chaos, they were just grasping at straws and throwing their money away.


    ¡°Next.¡±


    The moment the white-clothed elder spoke, Chen Yiming raised his sword and charged forward more than half a meter in one smooth move.


    The explosive power from using his entire body was channeled into the sword, which instantly pierced through the air barrier, creating a loud vibrating sound. He made use of inertia from the previous move and followed up with a jump slash¡­


    The entire set of movements was smooth and natural, without the slightest bit of stiffness. Compared to the previous applicants, the difference was obvious.


    ¡°You pass.¡±


    The white-clothed elder didn¡¯t wait for Chen Yiming to display all the basic sword moves before giving his evaluation.


    Chen Yiming returned to the group reluctantly. He had planned to show off the combo he had created, but the head didn¡¯t pay him any special attention or ask him to display more of his skills.


    All the tests had ended.


    As expected, the two people after him had failed. Chen Yiming was the only one who had passed.


    The other seven people had basically spent 5,000 yuan to let the owner evaluate their mastery of the basic sword moves.


    The seven of them were very depressed. Since they could not become trainees, they would not be able to rely on the backing of a martial arts school in this soon-to-be chaotic world.


    The white-clothed elder had remained very calm from the start to the end. At the end of the session, he commented, ¡°Everyone can master the basic sword moves by putting in the time and effort into training. Those who did not pass this time can still try again, especially those who are 14 or 15 years old and are new to martial arts.¡±


    He paused for a moment so that the applicant could take in his words before continuing,


    ¡°There is a limit to a person¡¯s time and energy. It is impossible to be proficient in everything. The most important thing when starting out in martial arts is to settle on one direction. If you encounter any difficulties, you must overcome them. When you suffer setbacks in training your sword skills, you must not switch to using a knife or fists. If you split your time and energy across different types of martial arts, you will not be able to master anything.¡±


    Finally, he emphasized, ¡°The Mantis Snake Sword Technique is also formed from a combination of basic sword moves. Newcomers need to patiently build up their foundation at this stage. When you have a strong foundation, you are welcome to join us any time. I hope that next time, more of you will pass.¡±


    The white-clothed elder¡¯s words were incisive and cut straight to the core of the nature of cultivation. The seven who had failed immediately regained control of their emotions, and his words reignited hope in several of them.


    Chen Yiming thought that the elder¡¯s words made sense, but after some deliberation, he felt a little puzzled.


    According to the head, his body¡¯s owner also had a chance to enter the school.


    However, from the memories of his body¡¯s owner, he had also started practicing the sword when he was about 14 or 15 years old. However, by the time he transmigrated, this body was almost 18 years old, and his mastery of the basic sword moves was still slow.


    For example, his body¡¯s owner had practiced the stabbing movements for a few years, but he just couldn¡¯t stab accurately, no matter how much he practiced.


    Using another example, his body¡¯s owner was unable to grasp the distance of each step or the rhythm. As a result, he would either go too far or move too short a distance.


    These were all due to a lack of talent. It was far from what the white-clothed elder had said, that patience and perseverance could overcome everything.


    ¡­


    The storage room on the first floor


    was the place where daily consumables and miscellaneous items were stored.


    Chen Yiming was wearing a brand new set of loose-fitting white training robes with an emblem of a golden sword on the chest. On his feet, he was wearing a pair of shoes made from the skin of the alien beasts.


    According to his senior brother, Wang Bowen, there was no need to worry about damaging these specially made shoes. He could use as much force as he wanted.


    The receptionist Shen Jia¡¯s eyes lit up as she brought over two more sets of training robes. She stood beside Chen Yiming and fussed over his clothes in front of the mirror. She was standing so close that it was as though she was glued to him.


    She was the one who had handled Chen Yiming¡¯s contract and knew his contact number. It was first come, first served.


    Senior Wang Bowen glanced at Shen Jia and leaned against the wall and scoffed.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, don¡¯t take Master¡¯s words too seriously. He was just trying to be nice.¡±


    ¡°Which words are you referring to?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around, a look of confusion on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s just some heartwarming words for the applicants who didn¡¯t pass. It¡¯s to trick them into coming here to register again the next time they think they¡¯re good enough.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s jaw dropped.


    He didn¡¯t expect his suspicions to be proven true. The head was just trying to trick people into wasting their money.


    Wang Bowen thought nothing of it, and continued,


    ¡°Don¡¯t leak this to outsiders. There are some things that only the Master can say. You¡¯ll just cause trouble for yourself.¡±


    ¡°This sort of thing is an unspoken rule for those in the know. The test fee is 5,000 yuan each time. Accumulated over the years, that¡¯s a lot of money. No martial arts school will let go of such easy money.¡±


    ¡°You have to know that martial arts relies most on talent. If you can do it, you can do it. If you can¡¯t, you can¡¯t ¡ª unless you have been eating the alien beasts¡¯ meat since a young age to improve your physical ability. However, ordinary people don¡¯t have the means to buy such things.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming confirmed his prior suspicions. He said sincerely, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯ll be in your care from now on, Senior Brother.¡±


    Wang Bowen gave a little wave and replied, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. We¡¯ll be spending a lot of time together in the future. It seems like you live in the eastern part of the city, so you will be assigned to the eastern branch for training. Another junior brother and I are in charge of that place.¡±


    ¡°You have a solid foundation. Although you are entering the school at an older age, you still have a future in the path of cultivation.¡±


    ¡°However, I¡¯ll say this first. My requirements for cultivation are very strict. Do what you should. Don¡¯t slack off and play around just because your foundation is good. I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±


    Wang Bowen was one to first use some honeyed words to cajole the trainees who were about to join his branch school. Then, he would use strict words to establish his authority.

 Chapter 9 - : Celebration

    After bidding farewell to his senior brother, Wang Bowen, Chen Yiming rode his bicycle home under the intense gaze of Shen Jia.


    Wearing the training robes of the Mantis Snake Sword School, he felt more at ease than he had ever felt before. Shen Jia¡¯s flirtatious actions made him understand even more about the influence of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Being able to handle the reception duties at the headquarters of the school, Shen Jia was naturally a first-rate beauty. Her looks and figure were both top-notch, and her salary was much higher than that of ordinary jobs.


    However, when dealing with an official martial arts trainee, she completely let go of her reservations.


    On the way home, he passed by the city park square again.


    The stage in the center of the square had already been demolished. The students participating in the competition had already left, and the square had once again become deserted.


    At the side of the road, a group of students had yet to leave and were still chatting.


    The bragging young man was also one of them. He was talking non-stop as he discussed the outcome of the matches with his classmates.


    As Chen Yiming rode past them on his bicycle, the golden sword emblem on his training robe attracted their attention and they raised their heads.


    The bragging young man was dumbstruck when he saw the golden sword emblem on Chen Yiming¡¯s chest. His jaw dropped as he stared at him, his face an expression of disbelief.


    The others, unaware of the cause for his disbelief, just looked envious.


    This was their dream.


    To become a martial arts trainee, regardless of which martial arts school they entered, was what most high school students yearned to do.


    When Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared from the end of the street, the students finally snapped out of their daze.


    From the martial arts classes of East Lake City¡¯s First, Second and Third High School, only a few talented students were able to become trainees every year. Occasionally, there would be batches of students with poor performance, and there would be none from Second and Third High.


    ¡°What are you being so cocky for? A newcomer who just joined the school will definitely not be as good as our Liu Qingqing,¡± the bragging youth said coldly.


    He was secretly jealous. A student who was not from the top three high schools could actually join the martial arts school, and even acted like he knew nothing in front of him earlier.


    A short, fat youth beside him replied, ¡°That¡¯s true. Although he¡¯s much stronger than us, our school¡¯s Liu Qingqing joined the martial arts school several years earlier than him. He¡¯s definitely no match for her.¡±


    After some deliberation, he hesitated and said, ¡°However, the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s ranking is much higher than the Flowing Cloud Sword School¡¯s. In a fight¡­ What if it¡¯s another rookie who¡¯s like Jiang Jinshi?¡±


    The bragging young man¡¯s face tightened in embarrassment as he said, ¡°That¡¯s only because Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s head is powerful. What has that got to do with a rookie like him? Besides, Jiang Jinshi only won against our Liu Qingqing because of the rules of the matches.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The bragging young man could only allow his goddess to be seen as the strongest, and continued, ¡°Even if that rookie had dared to go on stage, the Mantis Snake Sword School doesn¡¯t have the high defense style of the Tongbeiquan School. I think he would have been beaten to a pulp in less than three moves.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Dad, Mum, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Chen Yiming parked his bicycle outside the house and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Coming, coming.¡±


    The sound of a key being inserted into a lock could be heard.


    Mother Chen opened the door, and he walked into the house in his training robe with the golden sword emblem.


    Mother Chen looked at her son¡¯s brand new training robe and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°This outfit is¡­¡±


    ¡°I passed. Of the eight applicants, I¡¯m the only one who passed.¡± Chen Yiming puffed out his chest and proclaimed loudly.


    At this moment, he spoke with great confidence in a clear, loud voice. This was the benefit of having achieved a prestigious status.


    Hearing this, Mother Chen¡¯s sniffled and said tearfully, ¡°Son, you did well. I didn¡¯t dote on you for nothing, I knew you¡¯d be successful.¡±


    Father Chen coughed and said in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that our son definitely wouldn¡¯t stand a chance? You¡¯re bluffing if you say you had confidence in him. You were even discussing with me how we should comfort him.¡±


    Being exposed by Father Chen, Mother Chen was very angry and shouted,


    ¡°Damn old man, why did you have to say that? It wasn¡¯t easy for our son to become successful. Who talks like that? Hurry and book a table at a restaurant, we should celebrate tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Son, rest. Leave the rest to me.¡± Father Chen slipped out of the house after he spoke.


    Chen Yingying stood quietly by the side and waited for everyone to finish before she spoke.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    She had been an obedient girl since she was young. She had never competed with Chen Yiming, and she had always given in to her family.


    ¡°Ha ha! I may not be good at studying, but I might be good at martial arts. Before this, I was just laying the foundation,¡± Chen Yiming said cheerfully.


    Since a young age, his body¡¯s owner had hardly ever been praised. Not only was his academic performance poor, but he was also unwilling to help out with household chores. It was a rare situation for him to be praised in front of his family, and it made him very happy.


    ¡­


    In the evening, a banner hung above the main entrance of the East Lake Hotel.


    It read, ¡°Congratulations to Chen Yiming for becoming a trainee at the Mantis Snake Sword School.¡±


    This hotel was the largest in East Lake City and belonged to a subsidiary of Dahe Group.


    Dahe Group was one of the 23 companies hiring martial artists in East Lake City, and they had always been on good terms with all the martial arts schools. When the restaurant manager heard that a banquet was being hosted for a new trainee at the Mantis Snake Sword School, he generously gave them a huge discount.


    Nearly three tables of people had come to the private room on the second floor. There were two tables for Father Chen and Mother Chen¡¯s relatives and friends, and one for Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying¡¯s classmates.


    Second uncle Chen Zhipeng stuffed a red packet into Father Chen¡¯s hand and raised his wine glass.


    ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯ve taught him well. The Chen family has made a name for themselves. In the future, everyone can rely on Yiming to take care of them.¡±


    Chen Zhipeng worked in the department that managed the city¡¯s archives. He often attended social gatherings and drinking parties, and had a broad outlook. He had always been the announcer for the Chen family.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s all the child¡¯s own effort. We didn¡¯t help much.¡± Father Chen also raised his glass and dismissed the claim.


    Chgen Zhipeng clinked glasses with Father Chen and continued, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re being humble. We watched Yiming grow up. Since he was young, we could tell that he was different from the other children.¡±


    Chen Zhipeng continued to drink and told Chen Yiming that everyone thought highly of him.


    Chen Yiming, who was sitting at another table, frowned when he heard his second uncle¡¯s words.


    ¡°This body¡¯s owner is outstanding? Second Uncle sure knows how to talk big.¡±


    From his memories, he learned that after his body¡¯s owner dropped out of school, his relatives were unwilling to let their children interact with him. They were afraid that he would lead them astray.


    Second aunt Li Qingping also raised her glass and said to Mother Chen, ¡°Yiming is really capable. If our Shaojie had a tenth of Yiming¡¯s ability, we would be satisfied.¡±


    Li Qingping was an accountant in a company and often attended functions with Chen Zhipeng. She naturally understood the importance of connections and drew Mother Chen into her family¡¯s affairs as if they were biological sisters.


    Compared to the tables with the Chen family¡¯s friends and relatives, Chen Yiming¡¯s table was much quieter.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s high school classmates ate in silence. No one knew what to say, so they merely exchanged a few awkward words with each other as they handed over red packets.


    After dropping out of school for more than a year, he had already drifted apart from his former classmates. They were only classmates from the memories of his body¡¯s owner.


    This time, they came over for the celebration mostly because of their parents.


    On the other hand, his younger sister¡¯s two middle school classmates were sitting in a corner with Chen Yingying. They were whispering about topics between girls.


    Chen Yiming had joined the martial arts school, so he was already a big shot to them. However, they were Chen Yingying¡¯s classmates, so they didn¡¯t have any direct relation with Chen Yiming. Thus, they didn¡¯t feel awkward.

 Chapter 10 - Cultivation Technique

    The first rays of sunlight lit up the dark village.


    Chen Yiming got up from the bed and put on his brand new training robe. He washed up and tidied his hair, making himself look even more neat and clean.


    Today was his first day at the branch school. In order to leave a good impression on his senior brothers and sisters at the school, he, who had never paid much attention to his personal image, also adjusted his appearance.


    Chen Yiming checked himself in the mirror before heading downstairs.


    In the living room on the first floor, breakfast was already served on the dining table. Chen Yingying was sitting on a chair reading a book.


    Breakfast was leftovers from last night. Father Chen and Mother Chen were not around, so Chen Yingying got up early to heat it up for him.


    ¡°Where are Mum and Dad? I didn¡¯t see them around,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at his sister and asked casually.


    ¡°They¡¯re still sleeping,¡± Chen Yingying answered quietly, her voice as soft as a mosquito.


    Chen Yiming pulled a chair over to sit at the table, then started to eat his breakfast.


    With such an obedient and sensible sister, he felt relaxed. His appetite had also increased by quite a bit, and he finished most of the leftovers.


    Before he left, he told Chen Yingying to inform his parents that he had gone to the martial arts school when they woke up. Then, he got on his bicycle and left.


    ¡­


    The Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s eastern branch wasn¡¯t far from Chen Yiming¡¯s house. It took him less than ten minutes to reach the entrance of the courtyard.


    It was only 7:30 am. There was still time before the morning training session at 9 am.


    The lock on the courtyard door had already been released, and the sound of swords piercing through the air could be heard. Chen Yiming stepped forward and pushed open the door, and saw that Senior Brother Wang was already doing his morning training.


    Wang Bowen did not stop because someone came in. He did not even spare a glance for the person who came in. Instead, he continued his morning training.


    Every muscle in his body was tense at times, and relaxed at others. Every time he waved his sword, there seemed to be some kind of special rhythm pulsing through his body. His body seemed to be weighted down by an invisible force, and every movement was trying to break through the restraints imposed by the force.


    Chen Yiming recognized that his senior brother was executing the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    The small figure in his mind automatically broke down the technique into the individual sword moves, and he instantly saw through all the moves of the technique.


    It was not until the entire set of sword moves was completed that Wang Bowen sheathed his sword and called out, ¡°Good, you¡¯re here early.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Senior Brother,¡± Chen Yiming greeted Wang Bowen.


    Wang Bowen picked up the cup of water by the corner of the wall and took a gulp. He steadied his breath and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s still early, let me teach you how to practice the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.¡±


    Chen Yiming was overjoyed. He quickly brought over a chair for his senior brother.


    Wang Bowen glanced at him, seemingly satisfied with Chen Yiming¡¯s actions. He sat down and continued, ¡°After watching from the side for so long, did you understand the sword technique I used?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, are you referring to the Mantis Snake Sword Technique being a combination of the basic sword moves?¡±


    Chen Yiming replied uncertainly. He followed his intuition and expressed his thoughts.


    Wang Bowen¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right. It looks like I don¡¯t need to tell you how to practice it anymore. You can learn it by following the murals on the wall. I¡¯ll just go straight to telling you what lies at the core of cultivation techniques.¡±


    ¡°Right now, the martial arts techniques that are known to the world are actually formed by the combinations of basic sword moves. Thinking of it this way, don¡¯t you find it very puzzling? The moves in these techniques don¡¯t seem to be complicated. What if others see through them during a fight?¡±


    Chen Yiming said, ¡°Senior Brother, please enlighten me.¡±


    Wang Bowen flexed his biceps and showed off his figure.


    ¡°In a battle, the true deciding factor is your physical strength. The moves are only to help you bring out the strengths of your body, so the core of the cultivation technique is to temper our bodies.¡±


    Upon hearing his senior brother¡¯s words, Chen Yiming thought of Liu Qingqing, whom he had met previously. She had mastered many techniques, and each of her moves was polished. However, it was obvious that her physical strength was lacking. According to his senior brother, she must have missed the point when cultivating the techniques.


    ¡°Every move of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique involves the integration of physical strength in the corresponding body parts. It uses the power generated by the body to temper the body in turn.¡±


    Chen Yiming knew what he was trying to say, and expressed his understanding.


    ¡°I get it now. Cultivation techniques essentially integrate our body¡¯s strength and use this force to develop and strengthen our bodies. Therefore, the moves mainly teach us how to temper our bodies. Executing the moves beautifully is not the point of practicing the technique.¡±


    Wang Bowen felt like he had met a bosom friend. He patted his chest which had filled out his clothes, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The first stage of cultivation is to temper the body. As long as my body is stronger than yours, no matter how fancy your moves are, it¡¯s useless since you can¡¯t break my defense. I just need to land one hit on you.¡±


    Wang Bowen¡¯s muscular strength had been extraordinary since he was young. When it came to fighting, even those two or three years older than him were not as strong as him. When he grew up and entered the martial arts school, although his swordsmanship and understanding of sword techniques were average, his body improved faster than anyone else. His strength ranked second among the core disciples and he was the second senior brother of the school.


    Chen Yiming asked again, ¡°Senior Brother, I understand the matter of tempering the body, but how should the strength be divided across the body? After tempering the body to the limit, what¡¯s the next step?¡±


    Wang Bowen frowned and said slowly, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be telling you this now, but since you asked, I¡¯ll give you a rough explanation.¡±


    ¡°According to the standards of the martial arts world, the body of a disciple will undergo nine transformations. The third transformation will have the special effect of becoming impenetrable by blades and bullets. The sixth transformation is to become as hard as steel. The ninth transformation is to become invulnerable to fire and water. After that, it will be at the Master¡¯s level, which I¡¯m not sure of either.¡±


    There were nine invisible shackles protecting one¡¯s body. Every time one shackle was broken, the body would undergo a transformation. After nine times, the body would reach its limits.


    Chen Yiming wanted to ask more, but Wang Bowen interrupted him.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all I have to tell you about cultivation. Let¡¯s start with practicing it once and I¡¯ll help you with some pointers. You¡¯ll have to rely on yourself after that.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and walked over to the empty space. He pulled out the wooden sword from his back and stood still.


    He closed his eyes and calmed himself down. He tried his best to recall the movements his senior brother had executed during his earlier practice. Suddenly, a small figure appeared in his mind, practicing the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    Every move and stance of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique was automatically broken down and imprinted in his mind. As fast as lightning, he repeated them over and over again, and in an instant, he completely mastered them.


    When he opened his eyes again, he already had a clear understanding of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. This gave him plenty of confidence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± Chen Yiming encouraged himself silently.


    He executed a simple opening stance and took a step forward. An opposing force was transmitted upwards from the bottom of his feet, and he received it at his core in the abdomen.


    Then, he instinctively twisted his upper body, and layers of accumulated force ran up his arm. Going with the flow, he drew his sword, releasing the force from the tip of his sword.


    Before he had the time to reflect on whether he had performed it correctly, the air around a meter in front of Chen Yiming was repelled by the force, creating a loud explosion.


    The intensity of the sound was comparable to the explosion from firecrackers, and was extremely powerful. If it landed on an ordinary person, their body might be blown to pieces.


    Chen Yiming silently compared this with the hole in the door at home. He realized that the simple addition of the force had resulted in a larger explosion, but the destructive power was lower than with the spinning force.

 Chapter 11 - Newcomer

    Wang Bowen¡¯s eyes widened and he gasped. He thought to himself, ¡°To be able to do this on his first try, could this guy be a talent that Master nurtured outside of the school?¡±


    When he first joined the academy, his physical strength was much greater than his peers. Practicing for one day was equivalent to two days of practice for others. Even so, it took him three months to gather the force within his body without letting it dissipate.


    ¡°Senior Brother, the force just now might have been too comfortable. It was like stretching my back. It went through my body from the bottom to the top. I don¡¯t know if I did it correctly,¡± Chen Yiming sheathed his sword and asked humbly for guidance.


    Wang Bowen tried hard to control his expression and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not bad. In the future, you should just practice like this. Just take note of the duration of your training and stop when your movements start to lose form. Otherwise, you might injure yourself.¡±


    He noticed that Chen Yiming was about to ask more questions, so he hastily stopped him.


    ¡°Train by yourself first. I¡¯m drenched in sweat, so I¡¯ll go and change first.¡±


    With that, he ran indoors, leaving Chen Yiming behind in a state of confusion.


    He was a little shocked. If he wasn¡¯t a talent that his master had nurtured outside, junior brother Chen¡¯s understanding of martial arts was truly extraordinary.


    Just by practicing the basic moves that were freely disseminated to the public, he could already grasp how to gather the force. If the speed of his body¡¯s tempering was also high, there might soon be another core disciple.


    Chen Yiming watched Senior Brother Wang leave and struck himself in the head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t trouble my senior brother and ask him too many questions at once. I have to know when to stop.¡±


    Of course he understood such a simple principle. His senior brother did not have any prior relationship with him, and it was already very fortunate that he was willing to guide him personally. He could not ask too much of him.


    He thought about it carefully a few more times before resuming his training by following the murals on the wall.


    With the help of the small figure in his mind, he quickly filled in the missing parts of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    During this process, he unintentionally discovered that the level of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique was completely within the grasp of a Level-1 swordsmanship talent. He only needed to look at it once to easily master it.


    He practiced it for another three or four times. Only when his body felt numb from the tempering, and his muscles began to tremble slightly did he stop to rest.


    Chen Yiming knew that this was an instinctive reaction of his body to protect itself after he suddenly increased his strength. It was an exhilarating feeling. If it wasn¡¯t for the limits of his physical body, he would have continued training.


    ¡­


    Around 9 am, the other trainees started to arrive at the courtyard one after another. Including the newcomer Chen Yiming, there were a total of 14 people ¡ª 9 males and 5 females.


    The management style of the school was just to provide guidance for the trainees, and there were no strict requirements. The trainees usually trained in the school for one to two years, and the school fees were 30,000 yuan per year.


    During this period, those who had no hope of becoming a core disciple would leave the martial arts school to find a job, which was equivalent to graduating. Only core disciples formed the foundation of the martial arts school. They would receive the attention of the head and be trained personally by him, and could get free training resources from the school.


    ¡°Hello, newcomer. My name is Zhang Youde.¡±


    Seeing a new face among the trainees, Zhang Youde walked over to greet him.


    He had a mechanical watch on his wrist and was wearing a white shirt paired with jeans, instead of the training robe issued by the martial arts school. It was clear that he came from a special background.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Chen Yiming.¡±


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Yiming found out that Zhang Youde came from a small martial arts clan. He had already undergone two transformations, and there was an expert in his clan who had undergone six transformations.


    In East Lake City, other than the warriors at the very top in terms of power, those who had undergone six transformations would already be considered above average. This was enough to secure them a high-level executive position in a large corporation.


    Wang Bowen took a headcount. After confirming that everyone was present, he announced that the morning¡¯s cultivation class would begin.


    The morning cultivation class started at 9 am and ended at 12 pm, lasting for a total of three hours. This was the time when the core disciples led the students to train together.


    Wang Bowen had arranged for Chen Yiming to sit by the side and observe the training for his first day.


    This was a process that every newcomer had to go through. All the other trainees had the same experience.


    Soon, under Wang Bowen¡¯s lead, the trainees practiced the Mantis Snake Sword Technique from start to end.


    Chen Yiming was surprised to discover that only a small number of trainees were able to execute the Mantis Snake Sword Technique properly. Most of the trainees made mistakes during their training, and were not even comparable to him, a newcomer on his first day.


    This gave him a new understanding of the martial arts trainees¡¯ abilities.


    Although it was only his first day in the school, if he was only using the Mantis Snake Sword Technique as a comparison, none of the trainees were better than him ¡ª at least in the eastern branch school.


    ¡­


    He took a nap for an hour at noon.


    When Chen Yiming woke up, he realized that his body had miraculously recovered. The soreness and aches from his morning training had completely disappeared. He was amazed.


    The Level-1 swordsmanship talent not only greatly enhanced his understanding of sword techniques, but also greatly improved his body¡¯s adaptability to swordsmanship training.


    The trainees were all resting on the couches indoors.


    Training for an entire morning was very taxing on the body. Coupled with the cool weather, everyone wanted to sleep a little longer.


    Wang Bowen grabbed his watch and urged everyone to get up at exactly three o¡¯clock.


    The afternoon cultivation class lasted for three hours, from three in the afternoon to six in the evening, just like the morning session.


    After the group was organized, he started with a demonstration.


    The first stance ¡ª Emerging from a cave, the second stance ¡ª Fleeting Shadow¡­ the twenty-fourth stance ¡ª Unstoppable.


    Occasionally, a thunderous sound filled the air, and the falling leaves were crushed into bits as the force swept by.


    The longsword in his hand moved as swiftly as a viper¡¯s attack. Only an afterimage of the sword could be seen, and his body moved lightly, as though it was a blade of grass. He could advance and retreat at will, completely unlike what would be expected from his strong, muscular body.


    Wang Bowen finished a complete set of movements and steadied his breathing before saying, ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡±


    The trainees were still sleepy and did not show much interest. Many of them did not put in any effort, and their sword thrusts were soft and weak, relying only on the strength of their arms.


    Such demonstrations were performed once every afternoon. Sometimes it was Senior Brother Wang Bowen, sometimes it was Senior Brother Zhang Xingfeng. What needed to be understood had already been understood, and what remained was to work hard at training.


    However, the vast majority of people had average talent. They would soon reach a bottleneck in their training. After that, they would be unable to progress for a long time.


    After losing the freshness of a new experience, coupled with the stagnation of their level of cultivation, most of the trainees¡¯ treated their cultivation classes as a chore and carried out their training perfunctorily


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming automatically joined the group after his body had fully recovered.


    The wooden sword in his hand moved as nimbly and naturally as his arm would. Every move and stance was 99% similar to Wang Bowen¡¯s. Other than the loss of power caused by the difference in their physical strength, no one could find any fault with it.


    Most importantly, as Chen Yiming trained, the special rhythm also started to pulse through his body.


    An invisible force was weighing down on his body, and every movement of his was trying to to break through the imposing restraints.


    This was a sign that he had grasped the essence of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. Under this rhythm, his body would be thoroughly tempered.


    After executing the whole set of moves from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, the training robes on his body were completely drenched in sweat. His whole body was flushed red and his skin felt hot to the touch.


    This effect meant that every part of his body had been thoroughly tempered.


    Due to their improper forms and movements, the other trainees could only temper the easy-to-reach parts of their bodies, even with repeated practices. Some of the harder-to-reach parts were not fully tempered.


    Therefore, they were stuck at a bottleneck and the level of their body¡¯s tempering had stagnated and not improved.

 Chapter 12 - Transformation

    Chen Yiming¡¯s performance was quickly noticed by the other trainees. They soon started talking about it.


    A male trainee widened his eyes and exclaimed, ¡°Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is he a rookie? He¡¯s so powerful! Is he the second Lin Yixuan?¡±


    Lin Yixuan was the eldest senior brother of the Mantis Snake Sword School. He had been accepted as a core disciple the same year he joined the school.


    Another trainee beside him let out a breath, and said in disbelief, ¡°This kid is truly terrifying. If you say that he is a core disciple, I won¡¯t even doubt it. That special rhythm is exactly the same as Senior Brother Wang.¡±


    The trainee from earlier spoke up again. ¡°Zhang Youde is in trouble. His swordsmanship was originally the best. Now that such a strong rookie has appeared, do you think there will be a clash between the two of them?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? However, Zhang Youde is an old-timer who has been in the school for over a year. In the future, this rookie might be stronger than him, but I think Zhang Youde is still the better of the two for now.¡±


    In the crowd, a female trainee named Liang Lele teased a tall female trainee beside her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? Weren¡¯t you the one who spoke up earlier?¡±


    The tall trainee, Zhao Jingru, blushed as she replied in a soft voice, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I was just saying it lightly. Let¡¯s observe the situation first.¡±


    Everyone in the courtyard were martial arts practitioners, so their ears were sharper than the average person¡¯s. Zhang Youde heard every word the other students said clearly.


    His expression was gloomy as he spoke fiercely in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    When Zhang Youde was chatting with Chen Yiming in the morning, he learned from Chen Yiming that he didn¡¯t come from any martial arts clan, but from an ordinary family. He had trained for several years before meeting the entry requirements for a martial arts trainee.


    One of his lackeys saw this and was afraid that Zhang Youde would vent his anger on him. He thought for a bit to come up with a reason and explained, ¡°Brother Zhang, don¡¯t be worried. How could a rookie who can learn once he was taught not be directly accepted as a core disciple by the schools¡¯ head, but sent to the branch school instead? He might be a fake like Liu Qingqing of the Flowing Cloud Sword School.¡±


    Zhang Youde calmed down. That was indeed the case. His judgment was very reasonable.


    However, there was something else that he did not understand. Even if the lackey did not understand, he knew that the special rhythm was a sign that the technique was close to the stage of accomplishment.


    The lackey raised his voice and continued, ¡°No matter how good your swordsmanship is, if your body isn¡¯t as good as ours, it¡¯s still just for show.¡±


    When the other trainees heard his analysis, they also thought that it was reasonable. They shouldn¡¯t blindly flatter the rookie, since there was an example of Liu Qingqing.


    Zhao Jingru, who was blushing earlier, regained her composure and said to her friend, ¡°You just can¡¯t keep your cool. I meant that when Senior Brother Lin Yixuan entered the school back then, he was immediately accepted as a core disciple.¡±


    Wang Bowen found it both amusing and infuriating.


    None of these students, including Zhang Youde, had reached the requirement of becoming a core disciple, so they had no idea about the gap between a beginner and true accomplishment.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique was categorized into the beginner, mastery, and accomplishment stages. Every stage required a different degree of tempering for the body. As those below the accomplishment stage could not completely temper every part of the body, they could only rely on a special concoction to complete the third transformation of the body and obtain the first qualitativeimprovement in cultivation.


    Ordinary trainees could only afford to buy this type of secret concoction by risking their lives in the wilderness to earn money before their physical condition deteriorated at 27 or 28 years old. However, buying the special concoction only increased the chances of a breakthrough, but could not guarantee that everyone who used it could achieve a breakthrough.


    Therefore, reaching the accomplishment stage of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique basically separated the potential core disciples from the ordinary students.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Hurry up and train!¡±


    Wang Bowen walked to the middle of the trainees and berated them. He was truly disappointed in these trainees who only knew how to be jealous of others.


    Liu Qingqing¡¯s matter had been spread by people with malicious intentions. There were countless hurdles on the road of cultivation, and no one could guarantee that they would be able to unlock their full potential. This kind of misjudgment happened every year.


    Lin Yixuan had been found by the head, Wan Rong, and nurtured from a young age. That was why she was accepted as a core disciple as soon as she entered the school.


    When the trainees saw that Senior Brother Wang had gotten angry, which was a rare sight, they quickly dispersed and returned to their positions to resume their perfunctory training. No one dared to disobey Wang Bowen.


    ¡°The trainees are not very harmonious. Displaying just a little bit of talent will attract suspicion.¡±


    Chen Yiming practiced his swordsmanship a few more times before sitting on the ground to rest. He sighed to himself.


    As someone who could split his consciousness into two, the whispers of the other students could not escape his ears. However, as someone who was living his second life, he did not care about what others thought.


    But it also made him alert. He had to hide his cultivation progress and not show off too much.


    The him who was ten years old in his previous life had read countless novels where the protagonist did not hide the fact that he had a special ability. As a result, enemies came at them one after another, but the protagonist could always overcome the dangerous situation and kill the enemies.


    However, reality was definitely not like that. Even if he brought the system with him when he transmigrated, he would really die if he was killed.


    He planned to train peacefully in the school and minimize his involvement in the matters between trainees. He would wait until his body underwent the third transformation and obtained the first qualitativeimprovement before deciding based on the situation.


    ¡­


    Time flew by.


    Just like that, Chen Yiming started his daily life as a trainee at the martial arts school.


    When the sky started to brighten, he woke up and headed out. There were cultivation classes in the morning and afternoon. When the sky turned dark, he returned home. This was his routine, rain or shine.


    During this time, a trainee contacted him and invited him to work in a small gang. He had refused on the spot.


    For ordinary trainees, the school would only impart cultivation techniques and provide a place for them to train. They would have to rely on themselves to find the resources needed for their cultivation.


    Many trainees would work part-time ¡ª firstly, to make money to buy cultivation resources, and secondly, to improve their quality of life.


    However, Chen Yiming was different from the others. What he needed the most was Skill Points. As long as he had enough Skill Points, he could use the points to upgrade his swordsmanship talent. Everything else was secondary.


    To accumulate Skill Points, he would need to continue training daily over months and years.


    His daily training had changed from the basic sword moves to the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. The Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s level was far above the basic sword moves, and the speed at which he obtained Skill Points had also increased from one point per month to three points per month.


    A month passed.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s cultivation had undergone a tremendous change.


    After his second day as a trainee, he dragged his tired body home and had a simple dinner before going to bed early.


    That night, he slept like a log and had no memory of what had happened. When he woke up for breakfast the next day, he accidentally broke his chopsticks.


    He was acutely aware of the changes in his body. His strength, reaction, stamina, and other physical aspects had been greatly improved.


    He understood that he had unknowingly completed his first transformation in his sleep.


    This made him secretly happy. Not only did his Level-1 swordsmanship talent increase his understanding of sword techniques, the tempering effects from cultivating sword techniques were also greatly enhanced.

 Chapter 13 - Cousins

    The effect of his body¡¯s first transformation was akin to increasing his score from 60 to 90 in examinations from his previous life. This allowed him to maintain his passion for cultivation and continue to train without slacking off for even a moment.


    Before long, he had been practicing Mantis Snake Sword Technique for a full week.


    It was another night where he collapsed in exhaustion, and while asleep, he unknowingly underwent his body¡¯s second transformation.


    On the night just before the end of his first month at the martial arts school, his body underwent the third transformation, again while he was asleep.


    In just one month, Chen Yiming had broken through three of his body¡¯s shackles and undergone the third transformation. He had become something of an expert and was now impervious to blades and bullets.


    The speed of his training was somewhat terrifying. Judging from the information he learned from his daily conversations with other trainees, his training speed was unprecedented among all the disciples in East Lake City.


    If this was made public, the entire East Lake City might be shaken by the rise of the talented new star of the martial arts world.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t dare to let anyone know about it. He didn¡¯t even tell his family the truth. It wasn¡¯t easy to be known as a martial arts genius, and he had to be ready to deal with the potential danger.


    He pretended that nothing had happened and continued to be a diligent and hardworking ordinary trainee, sticking to his established routine.


    At this point, his original plan had been perfectly executed. There were no incidents along the way, and his cultivation had reached the level of the third transformation.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship¡ªLevel 1


    Skill points: 3


    He did not use the three new Skill Points thoughtlessly, but saved them for his Level-2 swordsmanship talent.


    The Level-2 swordsmanship talent required 30 Skill Points, which was 10 times more than Level-1. According to the current speed at which he was acquiring Skill Points, it would take around half a year.


    ¡­


    The pale white moonlight shone on the ground, illuminating the entire courtyard.


    A shadow was dancing on the courtyard wall. The door to the Chen family¡¯s restaurant was wide open, and the neighbors passing by only took a quick glance before hurriedly going on their way.


    After dinner, Chen Yiming was practicing diligently in the courtyard. He didn¡¯t want to waste any time.


    Now that his body had undergone three transformations, the surface of his skin seemed to have grown an additional layer. Ordinary weapons would only leave a white mark on it.


    A typical knife-wielding hooligan would not even be able to break through his skin, so he simply left the door open to intimidate the would-be thieves who were watching him in secret.


    Father Chen had just come back from a meal at Second Uncle¡¯s house, where he had consumed a fair amount of alcohol, becoming a little drunk. He was sitting in an armchair and smoking a pipe.


    The bamboo armchair was quite old, and quite a few parts had started to come loose. At this moment, there was a creaking sound coming from it.


    Mother Chen talked to Father Chen while washing the dishes. They talked about what was mentioned at that night¡¯s dinner ¡ª her cousin had been specially recruited as a member of the city patrol.


    The city patrol was an enviable job for ordinary people.


    Every day, they patrolled their corresponding areas at the allocated time to maintain the security of their assigned area, and to drive away illegal peddlers. There was not much danger involved and they had a stable income.


    Chen Yiming learned from the conversation that this time, they were hiring official full-time staff and not temporary workers who could be fired at any time.


    This made a huge difference. For an official full-time position, if one did not make any major mistakes, they would be employed till retirement. In the past, there would usually be hundreds or thousands of people competing for such a position. As for temporary workers, they were similar to employees at private companies, and could be fired at any time due to various reasons.


    When Chen Yiming finished his training, Father Chen and Mother Chen had yet to come to a conclusion.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming had completed his training, Father Chen blurted out, ¡°Yiming, your uncle wanted me to ask you how the city patrol¡¯s work is. Is it alright to do it?¡±


    Now that the world was becoming chaotic, the work of the city patrol had become more dangerous, so his uncle¡¯s family were feeling hesitant.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a war going on in the west? Why would he suddenly think of joining the city patrol? Isn¡¯t it better to stay at home like Yingying?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. His uncle worked in the city department, so he should have known about this.


    Father Chen puffed on his pipe, then continued, ¡°This is an official job. Who would have thought that Shaojie would be selected? Although there is a war in the west, your second uncle¡¯s family thinks that if he missed this opportunity, it may be difficult for Shaojie to find a better job in the future.¡±


    Chen Shaojie was a year younger than Chen Yiming. Since classes were suspended, he was staying at home like Chen Yingying.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point asking me about this. I am only going between the school and our house every day, so I¡¯m not too sure about other matters,¡± Chen Yiming replied helplessly.


    Hearing this, Father Chen also revealed the true intention of Second Uncle¡¯s family.


    ¡°Actually, your second uncle wanted me to ask if you could help your cousin enter the martial arts school as a trainee. If he can get into the school, then he won¡¯t join the city patrol.¡±


    Chen Yiming nearly choked when he heard this.


    ¡°How would that work? I¡¯m only a trainee, and I¡¯ve only met the head once. I don¡¯t have the power to admit people to the school.¡±


    Father Chen smoked on his pipe and sighed.


    ¡°I said the same thing, but your second uncle insisted that I ask you.¡±


    Mother Chen put down the bowl she was washing and turned to scold Father Chen.


    ¡°I told you not to bother. Our son has only joined the school for a month, how could he make such an unreasonable request? If he left a bad impression on the school, your son is the one who will be affected.¡±


    Father Chen quickly tried to appease Mother Chen.


    ¡°His second uncle was just asking. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, we can just reject him. Shaojie is younger than Yiming, so it¡¯s only right for him to take care of his younger cousin.¡±


    Hearing this, tears welled up in Mother Chen¡¯s eyes. She brought up a matter from the past, saying, ¡°Why didn¡¯t his second uncle think of helping Yiming back then? Back when Yiming didn¡¯t do well in the middle school examination and needed his connections to pay his way into the top three high schools. I still can¡¯t forget how his second uncle evaded the issue.¡±


    Seeing that the situation was getting from bad to worse, Father Chen tried to defend his brother¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there some special circumstances? Back then, it was a critical moment for his second uncle¡¯s career. He was afraid that others would have something to use against him if he helped us.¡±


    Mother Chen wiped her tears and shouted, ¡°Then how did Shaojie get in? Shaojie¡¯s score was lower than Yiming¡¯s by more than 10 points. Stop finding excuses for your brother. If he didn¡¯t want to help, then so be it. Why bother looking for excuses?¡±


    To Mother Chen¡¯s, her son¡¯s future was the most important. Now that her son was successful, their relatives started to ask favors of him shamelessly without considering how her son¡¯s future may be affected.


    Chen Yiming looked at his parents who were arguing, and understood the meaning of the saying:


    In times of prosperity friends will be plenty. In times of adversity, not one in twenty.


    Second Uncle and his family lived in a commercial district in the city center. They had never thought much of Chen Yiming¡¯s family and had never interacted much outside of visiting each other during the Lunar New Year.


    Chen Yiming had learned from the memories of his body¡¯s owner that he had grown up in the village in the city. His friends were all children from the village, so he was naturally rather mischievous.


    Every time he visited Second Uncle¡¯s family, although the family didn¡¯t say anything openly, he could feel the distance from their expressions.


    Chen Shaojie didn¡¯t allow Chen Yiming to play with his toys either. He would always lock his toys in the drawer before the visit.

 Chapter 14 - Advice

    A new day had begun.


    When he woke up, Chen Yiming hid his joy at having undergone three transformations deep in his heart. He ate some simple food and headed to the martial arts school.


    When he arrived at the school, he saw that Senior Brother Wang had already started his morning training.


    He relied on his special ability to constantly monitor his own progress. It was like playing a game and leveling up by killing monsters ¡ª increasing the stats of the character was his motivation to continue playing.


    Senior Brother Wang, on the other hand, relied entirely on self-discipline. Every morning, he would practice on his own before the cultivation class. Ever since Chen Yiming entered the school, he had never seen Senior Brother Wang slack off.


    Chen Yiming had come in his training robe, so he didn¡¯t need to change and joined in the training straightaway.


    The content of their morning training was the specialty of the school, the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. They practiced it over and over until they were thoroughly exhausted. Then, they stopped to let their bodies rest and recover before starting again.


    This was what the two of them did every morning. Throughout the entire process, the two of them did not speak but remained focused on training. They did not let a single moment go to waste and worked to squeeze out every bit of potential from their bodies.


    Because of their similar attitude towards cultivation, their friendship had grown. The more Senior Brother Wang saw of Chen Yiming, the more he liked him.


    It was almost nine o¡¯clock. There was still some time before the morning cultivation class.


    The two of them stopped their training and sat side by side on the stone steps. They chatted and relaxed while resting.


    Wang Bowen wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and took the initiative to ask about his junior brother¡¯s cultivation status.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, you seem to have improved a lot during your training today. Have you undergone your first transformation?¡±


    The third transformation was accompanied by a qualitative improvement. The enhancement was even greater than the previous two transformations combined. Chen Yiming had yet to bring his new body fully under control, so Wang Bowen noticed something had changed.


    Chen Yiming scratched the back of his head to hide his nervousness.


    ¡°Ha ha, I managed to break through last night. I didn¡¯t expect Senior Brother to be able to tell at a glance.¡±


    This was the excuse he had prepared since he had achieved the first transformation. He did not want his performance to attract too much attention.


    Wang Bowen patted Chen Yiming¡¯s chest and laughed.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t treating me as your brother, you didn¡¯t even tell me that you had a breakthrough. The transformation can be thought of as having taken a step into the first realm of being a martial arts disciple. There are many things you should take note of.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Senior Brother has already taken care of me a lot, I am truly grateful,¡± Chen Yiming thanked Wang Bowen from the bottom of his heart. He knew nothing about the path of cultivation, and was very lucky to have met a senior brother who was willing to guide him.


    Wang Bowen placed a hand on his shoulder and praised him.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. You¡¯re only slightly slower than I was back then. Compared to the other trainees, your progress is considered fast.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother, you are too humble. You are an expert who has achieved eight transformations. I¡¯m still far from that.¡±


    Wang Bowen was one of only two core disciples in the Mantis Snake Sword School who had undergone eight transformations. The other was his senior brother, Lin Yixuan.


    He was only in his early twenties and was currently at peak physical condition, and he had a good chance to break into the realm of warriors. Based on Chen Yiming¡¯s supposed cultivation speed, he couldn¡¯t compare to Wang Bowen¡¯s level of talent.


    Wang Bowen thought seriously before saying, ¡°Your understanding of swordsmanship is extremely good, while your body tempering speed is considered average. Compared to me, with my extremely fast speed of tempering, and above average understanding of swordsmanship, you might achieve your breakthrough a little slower at the beginning. But you might not be inferior to me in the future.¡±


    ¡°I suggest that from now on, you should eat the nourishing mutant beast meat for a prolonged period to improve your physique as much as possible. This will make it easier for you to achieve the sixth transformation in the future.¡±


    In the disciple realm, the level of body tempering was the only criteria being considered. At this stage, the body¡¯s innate ability was valued even more, and strength and speed were used as benchmarks.


    ¡°Mutant beast meat?¡±


    Chen Yiming had only heard of it, but had never seen it before.


    When Wang Bowen saw that his junior brother did not possess this knowledge, he immediately explained, ¡°Mutant beasts refers to beasts that evolved under the influence of the Yuan Qi from the otherworld. The mutant beast meat that you can buy is usually from beasts that were brought from the blue planet into the otherworld and raised there. The meat produced will be transported back to the blue planet for cultivation purposes.¡±


    ¡°Is this mutant beast meat sold on the market? Why haven¡¯t I seen it before?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    He had been delivering food to the business district for several months, but he had never seen a store that sold mutant beast meat.


    Wang Bowen chuckled and said smugly, ¡°Mutant beast meat is a strategic resource. How can it be sold directly in the market? The martial arts forces rely on this to survive. Ordinary people don¡¯t have the means to obtain it.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt that he was being teased and asked anxiously, ¡°Please enlighten me, Senior Brother.¡±


    Wang Bowen pointed one hand at the ground and the other at the sky, then said, ¡°It¡¯s right in front of you. As long as you become a core disciple of the school, you can receive a certain amount of mutant beast meat every month. You can also spend money to buy more from the school.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming was a little disappointed and sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m far from being a core disciple.¡±


    To become a core disciple, other than being accepted by the head, one also needed to reach the level of three transformations. However, he was not willing to reveal his true cultivation progress.


    He did not come from a martial arts clan, and if his performance was too outstanding, the school would not be able to protect him completely. A tree that is taller than the forest will be blown over by the wind.


    Wang Bowen shrugged and offered another suggestion.


    ¡°If you join one of those companies that specialize in transporting supplies between the otherworld and the blue planet, you could also purchase it from them.¡±


    Chen Yiming widened his eyes in shock.


    ¡°Transporting supplies?¡±


    He was more inclined to progress steadily. He was unwilling to take the risk and leave the city unless absolutely necessary, and he didn¡¯t mind if his progress was slow.


    Because sooner or later, he would be able to accumulate enough Skill Points to upgrade his talent. The hurdles on the path advancing through the realms was not a problem for him, as long as he had the corresponding cultivation technique for it.


    Wang Bowen took one look at Chen Yiming¡¯s troubled expression, and decided not to toy with him any further.


    ¡°I was just teasing you just now. At your current strength, any mutant beast in the wilderness can easily kill you. You¡¯re not even qualified to be cannon fodder.¡±


    In the wilderness outside the city, the wild beasts on the blue planet had evolved into mutant beasts over the generations. This was due to the influence of the Yuan Qi from the otherworld that seeped out via the space-travel passage. Now, most of their bodies had undergone at least three transformations.


    The beasts who had undergone three transformations were impervious to blades and bullets. Even a dozen trainees who had undergone one or two transformations would be unable to deal with them.


    Therefore, in a team transporting supplies, ordinary guards were required to have three transformations, and the leader of the team usually needed to have six transformations. Otherwise, the failure rate would be too high, and the loss of personnel on each journey would be unsustainable.


    ¡°My clan has a contact we specially use to get it. I¡¯ll give you an address later. Find time to go and buy it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how to express his gratitude.


    Mutant beast meat was something that could not be bought with just money. This favor was not a small one, and he could only look for an opportunity to return it in the future when he had the ability to do so.

 Chapter 15 - Robbery

    During lunch break, Chen Yiming rode his bicycle to the address given by Senior Brother Wang.


    The address was somewhere in a village in the north of the city, more than ten kilometers away.


    Now that he was limited by the circumstances and did not have a GPS navigation system, it was very troublesome to go to unfamiliar places. If he had not undergone three transformations, he would never have dared to go.


    Chen Yiming rode his bike back and forth between the main road and the streets. He checked the apartment numbers as he went and followed the sequence of the numbers towards the address.


    The village in the northern part of the city was even more desolate than the Eastern part. There were very few pedestrians on the streets, and many of the shops along the streets looked like they hadn¡¯t been open for a long time, feeling very run-down.


    Suddenly, Chen Yiming braked hard and came to a stop in front of a street entrance.


    He couldn¡¯t see the end of the street in front of him. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, hair ties, and other miscellaneous items littered the street.


    These items were still clean and could not have been discarded carelessly. It was obvious that something bad had happened here, and that the items had fallen as people escaped.


    He went forward to check the apartment numbers on the houses at the intersection and found that this street happened to be the one leading to the address. If he didn¡¯t pass through this street, he would have to restart his search at the next intersection.


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome with any navigation,¡± Chen Yiming cursed.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with the northern part of the city. There were densely packed streets in the city, and once he lost his direction, he would have to spend a lot of time finding his way again. He didn¡¯t have the time to waste on that.


    ¡°Right now, I have the power from three transformations. Most of the people in the village are ordinary people, even if someone tried something on me, they won¡¯t be on the same level.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s really no other way, we can just react according to the situation and find a chance to run away,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself. He was confident in his own abilities and did not believe that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to escape.


    He got back on his bike and sped down the lane.


    Along the way, he observed his surroundings so that he could react quickly if something happened.


    However, there were times when whatever one was afraid of would come to pass.


    At a bend in the street, a rock blocked the way.


    The rock was about a meter wide, and it was right in the middle of the street. It wasn¡¯t visible from the road before the bend. If Chen Yiming tried to force his way through, his bicycle would definitely be damaged even if he did not get injured.


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    Chen Yiming had to brake hard once again. Coming to a sudden stop, he pulled out the wooden sword on his back.


    The wooden sword was usually used for practice. He did not expect to engage in a real battle so soon, so he did not spend any money to buy a metal sword.


    About seven or eight meters ahead, the door of a house opened and two burly men walked out.


    The men were each over 1.9 meters tall. They wore tattered leather cloaks and held thick, meter-long machetes in their hands.


    One of the men had a scar on his face that ran from his right forehead to the corner of his mouth. The other man¡¯s right eye was covered with a black cloth, and there were bloodstains on the blade that had not been wiped clean. A bloodthirsty aura was being emitted from his entire body.


    Before Chen Yiming could turn his head, footsteps sounded from behind. Another burly man walked out.


    Unlike the men in front, the burly man in the back was not only holding a machete, but also a wooden shield. It was clearly used to prevent people from escaping.


    The one-eyed man noticed the golden sword symbol on Chen Yiming¡¯s chest and turned to the scarred man.


    ¡°Big Brother, he¡¯s a student from Mantis Snake Sword School.¡±


    The Mantis Snake Sword School was one of the 13 martial arts schools in East Lake City. It was a big power that they could not afford to offend. The one-eyed man did not make any rash moves, and waited for his elder brother¡¯s orders.


    The scar-faced man sneered. ¡°What are you afraid of? Even if it¡¯s the Mantis Snake Sword School, what can a trainee with a wooden sword do? We¡¯ll treat him well today.¡±


    When the man at the back heard his brother¡¯s decision, he cracked his neck. Revealing his yellow teeth, he smiled and said, ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, the two of you stay at the side and rest. This kid is so soft and weak. Let me cut off his feet first.¡±


    The man at the back was the weakest of the three. Usually, all three of them would attack at the same time. In this rare case where they were facing a weakling, he wanted to experience the satisfaction of scoring his own kill.


    The scar-faced man glared at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around, beat him up first. Don¡¯t let him escape.¡±


    The three of them were not in any hurry to make a move. From their words, they seemed to be sure that they would defeat Chen Yiming, since the wooden sword in his hand was hardly any threat.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to fight the three of them. He said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m a trainee of the martial arts school. How about we just mind our own business? I don¡¯t have anything valuable on me either. Why don¡¯t we just pretend this didn¡¯t happen?¡±


    He did not have any actual combat experience. Furthermore, he was trapped in the street. Although he was confident in his own strength, he did not want to fight if he could avoid it, just in case the other party had any dirty tricks that could harm him.


    The scar-faced man became more confident when he saw Chen Yiming holding back.


    ¡°Your little tricks won¡¯t work on us. You think that because you¡¯re a trainee, we should think twice before beating up a small fry like you since the big fish would come after us? Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll fall for it so easily. If we let you go today, we might lose our heads tomorrow.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw that the negotiation had failed.


    ¡°So that means we¡¯re going to have to fight to the death today.¡±


    He did not want to fight, but that did not mean that he was afraid of these bandits. Their raw strength would definitely be worlds apart from his, regardless of whether they had undergone a transformation.


    The scar-faced man laughed wildly. ¡°You¡¯ll die here, while we live on. The school will not care about the life and death of an ordinary trainee. Did you think we wouldn¡¯t know?¡±


    The scar-faced was the strongest of the three and was also the eldest brother. When he was young, he had joined a gang and had interacted with many martial arts trainees from the gang. Therefore, he was very knowledgeable about the inner workings of the schools.


    When he was young, he had learned a knife technique. With much difficulty, he had completed one transformation. He was fierce and decisive in battle, while most martial arts trainees had no combat experience and were not his match.


    When he got older and his strength fell drastically, he brought along his two younger brothers and got by in the village by collecting protection fees.


    Due to the war in the west, a large portion of the elites in the city patrol were deployed to the front line. The remaining city patrol was rather powerless and could not maintain public order in the village.


    The three of them became bolder. No longer satisfied with collecting protection fees, they openly committed crimes and killed anyone who opposed them.


    Chen Yiming stood his ground and held his sword horizontally in front of his chest to defend himself. He waited for the men to attack first.


    His first battle was to be a fight to the death. His heart was pounding in his chest. He planned to rely on the raw strength of his three transformations to launch a defensive counterattack.


    When the scarred man saw this, he laughed loudly. ¡°Third Brother, this little guy is going to fight you to the death. Hurry up and make your move!¡±


    The man in the back started to laugh wildly as he charged at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Kid, aren¡¯t you going to run? Die!¡±


    The burly man weighed nearly 200 kilograms. When he charged forward, he was like a small tank. He brandished his machete, which weighed several tens of kilograms, making as if he was going to cut Chen Yiming in half.

 Chapter 16 - Thoughts

    Chen Yiming widened his eyes and tensed up his muscles, trying his best to see the burly man¡¯s movements.


    He was facing the weakest of the three men, who didn¡¯t even have the power from the first transformation and was relying on his ferocity in fights. In the eyes of Chen Yiming, who had the power from three transformations, his movements were as slow as a child¡¯s.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t use any techniques, and just relied on his superior reaction speed to dodge the incoming attack. He then countered with a simple slash which brushed past the burly man.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The shadow of a sword flashed past.


    A man¡¯s head flew over the wall, both eyes bulging from their sockets, and landed in the courtyard next to it.


    Chen Yiming was even able to move aside and avoid the blood that was splattering out. He turned to glare at the remaining two burly men, his eyes burning fiercely.


    At this moment, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew past, the chill penetrating deep into the hearts of the two burly men.


    Silence fell over the street. A headless corpse was lying in the middle of the three men.


    A ghastly expression appeared on the scarred man¡¯s face. He secretly gathered his strength and thoughts of retreat came to his mind.


    He was getting on in years, and he was no longer the rash young man he used to be. Once he saw that Chen Yiming moved faster than he could react, he realized that his opponent was stronger than him.


    The one-eyed man¡¯s face had turned pale. Unlike the scarred man, he didn¡¯t have the power from even one transformation. He had only learned a few knife techniques, and was just a little stronger than their third brother.


    If they tried to escape, he knew that he would definitely not be able to outrun his elder brother who was stronger than him.


    ¡°You guys are so weak!¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his wooden sword, blood dripping from the tip.


    The difference in raw strength between one that had undergone three transformations and one that had not even reached the first transformation was absolute. There was no doubt about it.


    The scarred man gritted his teeth. Pretending to be calm, he said fiercely, ¡°Well, well, well. You dared to kill my third brother! Second Brother, let¡¯s fight him together and avenge Third Brother!¡±


    The one-eyed man¡¯s eye lit up. Thinking that his elder brother had decided to go all out against their opponent, he followed up with some tough talk.


    ¡°Brat, how dare you kill our brother? Have you thought about how you¡¯re going to die?¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, the muscles of the two burly men started to bulge, a sign that they were gathering their strength. They could close in on Chen Yiming at any moment.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming was also secretly gathering his strength, and kept his eyes fixed on the two burly men.


    He had already figured out their rough strength, but he had yet to finish his preparations for dealing with both of them at once. A safe method would be to dodge the first round of attacks from the two men, then wait for an opportunity to make his move.


    Both parties moved into position, as though they would fight it out in the next moment.


    Close combat was often about fighting fiercely, and the two burly men had plenty of experience. They had the upper hand when it came to their imposing aura.


    The situation suddenly changed. The scarred man and the one-eyed man had both turned around and were running in the opposite direction.


    Both of them had wanted the other to bring up the rear. Hence, they shoved each other, hoping that the other party would be tripped up by an unforeseen attack and hold up Chen Yiming so that they could escape.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t going to let them off so easily. The burly men were only pretending to be strong and bullying those weaker than them. Although they looked fierce, they didn¡¯t have much substance.


    ¡°Swish! Swish!¡±


    In a flash, Chen Yiming caught up with the one-eyed man and stabbed him straight in the chest. In the next moment, he caught up with the scarred man and stabbed him in the chest in one swift motion.


    His speed was too fast, taking only a few seconds to reach them. The two burly men did not even realize that he had caught up so quickly. They had run less than ten meters when they were stabbed from the back by the wooden sword and fell to the ground.


    Both of their hearts were blown to bits by the force from the wooden sword. After struggling for a few seconds, they stopped moving. Clearly, they were already dead.


    Chen Yiming looked at the three corpses on the ground. Drops of fresh blood dripped from the tip of his sword.


    The two men, one who had undergone the first transformation, and the other who had never undergone a transformation, were not even able to escape in the face of someone who had undergone three transformations.


    He understood how great the disparity was between them. He then thought of the expert martial artists leading the transportation of supplies in the wilderness, who had undergone six transformations.


    He had just completed three transformations, and didn¡¯t even dare to become too high-profile in the city, much less leave the city for no good reason.


    He decided to continue cultivating under a low profile. Glancing at the bloodstained wooden sword, he turned to enter the courtyard the burly men had hid in, planning to find some water to clean the sword.


    As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was greeted by the sight of a living room in a fearful mess. The iron door to the living room had been broken open by force.


    There were torn pieces of clothing scattered on the ground, and on the table were leftover food and wine. Several broken chairs were carelessly thrown to the ground.


    The family had already been targeted by those three burly men, and their house was ransacked by them.


    Having witnessed this scene, Chen Yiming was extremely grateful that he had brought a special ability with him to this world that he could use to ensure the safety of his family.


    Without the strength to protect themselves, a small incident could result in the death of the entire family in this chaotic world.


    He did not enter the living room, and instead found a tap in the corner of the courtyard.


    Fortunately, the bloodstains on the wooden sword were still fresh, so the blood had not hardened completely. Using a brush from beside the tap, he managed to brush it clean.


    When he got up to leave, he saw a scene in the living room that he did not notice earlier.


    A young girl was lying motionlessly on the bed, with no clothes covering her body. Her long legs were covered in bruises.


    There were signs of strangulation on her neck, and her eyeballs were bulging abnormally. It was clear that she was suffocated to death by someone strangling her neck.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s heart sank when he saw this.


    Without sufficient strength for defense and protection, beauty could easily bring about disaster in these troubled times.


    In the end, the village could not be compared to the districts with proper management. The people were not truly under control and no one knew when a disaster would happen.


    Chen Yiming recalled that his family consisted of his parents and sister, who were all ordinary people.


    He had to go to the martial arts school for training every day, and could not protect his family at all times.


    Although he had his identity as a martial arts trainee to intimidate potential troublemakers, he could not guarantee that none of the bandits would take the risk and rob them. After all, there was a high chance that the family of a trainee was relatively wealthy, and they would definitely be able to obtain a lot of supplies.


    As long as the war in the west continued, the supplies in the city would become more and more limited every month. Since only one month had passed, public order was still not completely undermined. In the future, when people started to starve to death, the Chen family would definitely be targeted when Chen Yiming went out.


    ¡°We need to buy a house!¡±


    A strong urge welled up in his heart.


    The district developed by a large corporation was specially equipped with a certain amount of security. Although it wasn¡¯t very powerful, it was enough to fend off ordinary robbers.


    For the Chen family, this would be enough to make Chen Yiming feel at ease when he went out.


    ¡°Next, I have to think about how to make some money,¡± Chen Yiming muttered under his breath. He added a new item to his original plan: Earn money.


    He needed money to buy mutant beast meat. He needed money to buy a house. He also needed money to buy equipment. Basically, money was required for whatever one wanted to do.


    However, Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t thought about how he could earn some cash. He planned to find an opportunity to brazenly ask Senior Brother Wang for his opinion.

 Chapter 17 - Drugstore

    The rest of the journey went smoothly. After ten minutes, he arrived at the village indicated in the address from Senior Brother Wang.


    This village was different from the other villages he had encountered along the way.


    At the entrance, many villagers and vehicles carrying goods were entering and exiting the village. It was bustling like a farmers¡¯ market.


    Past the village entrance, both sides of the street were lined with supermarkets, bakeries and other shops that sold daily necessities. All the shops were open for business.


    This scene was just like when there was no war in the west, as if the village was completely unaffected by the war. It was like a paradise.


    Chen Yiming wandered around the village and finally found the address given by Senior Brother Wang. It was a drugstore called Jihe Hall.


    The space in the drugstore was not big. It was about five meters wide and less than ten meters deep.


    There were not many items on the shelves, with only a few common drugs scattered around. It looked like business was very bad.


    An old man with gray hair, dressed in a black cloth robe, was using an abacus to do his accounting at the counter.


    He was probably getting on in years, and was farsighted. He had to get close to the account book from time to time to read it clearly.


    Chen Yiming had just entered and was about to speak when two figures appeared behind him, blocking out the light from outside. The interior of the shop darkened significantly.


    Two brawny men had followed him into the shop and blocked the entrance completely.


    The man on the left had a round face while the man on the right had a long face. They were both about two meters tall, and were a head taller than Chen Yiming. Their bodies were completely covered with well-defined muscles, unlike ordinary villagers.


    The old man looked up at him and asked, ¡°Young man, you look unfamiliar. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Chen Yiming from Mantis Snake Sword School. Senior Brother Wang introduced me to you,¡±


    Chen Yiming blurted out.


    At this moment, he realized that his actions of checking the apartment numbers had been noticed by someone, and they suspected that he had bad intentions.


    Before the old man could verify his identity, the round-faced man interrupted, ¡°So it¡¯s Brother Wang who introduced you to us. We¡¯re on the same side.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he laughed out loud. He was no longer as fierce as before, and a strange sense of joy appeared instead.


    The thin-faced man turned to him angrily and punched him in the chest.


    ¡°Foolish little brother, don¡¯t believe everything others say. First, let¡¯s see what Old Man Zhang has to say.¡±


    The old man adjusted his reading glasses and sized Chen Yiming up.


    ¡°Soft and weak, about 1.8 meters tall, white training robe, wooden sword, basically matching what Grandson Wang said.¡±


    The round-faced man touched his swollen chest and looked unconvinced.


    ¡°I told you he was one of us. Big brother, you always overthink things. You didn¡¯t have to punch me so hard, it still hurts.¡±


    The thin-faced man glared and lectured him.


    ¡°You deserved it, you don¡¯t ever learn your lesson. Why are you talking so much? That¡¯s not part of your job.¡±


    The round-faced man and the thin-faced man were twin brothers, but their personalities were completely different. The round-faced man was loud and boisterous, and he had a one-track mind. The thin-faced man, on the other hand, was calm and rational, and he took things seriously.


    ¡°Little brother, don¡¯t take it to heart. This is the Wang clan¡¯s village. These two brothers are from the village¡¯s patrol team. Grandson Wang has already told me about you, just come with me,¡± the old man said as he walked out from behind the counter.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Senior Brother Wang¡¯s family. No wonder all of them are so muscular. It must be a talent shared by everyone in the clan,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The old man slowly walked to the corner wall and took out a bunch of keys to open a secret door in the wall. Then, the two of them entered the hidden room of the drugstore one after the other.


    The air was filled with the pungent smell of Chinese medicine.


    A U-shaped cabinet as tall as the ceiling stood with its back against three walls. Each of the drawers was labeled with the name of its contents.


    Other than that, a few large wooden boxes were placed on the ground, each more than a meter wide.


    The old man pointed at the cabinet and said, ¡°The left side of the cabinet contains dried mutant beast meat that can help increase one¡¯s power. Those in the right side of the cabinet can help increase one¡¯s physical strength. And those in the front part of the cabinet can help increase one¡¯s speed.¡±


    ¡°Using these three types of dried meat can make up for the limitations of the physical body to a certain extent.¡±


    ¡°We have a special document that proves that these dried meat are produced by the otherworld farms. We will definitely not trick you by selling a fake product.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction that the old man was pointing.


    Dried black ringed snake meat, 3,000 yuan per kilogram.


    Dried snow deer thigh meat, 4,000 yuan per kilogram.


    Bengal tiger tail, 100,000 yuan each.


    The prices were too high for him. He was not like many other trainees who had been going out to work for a long time. All his expenses had to be paid with his family¡¯s money, and he could not afford such a huge expense.


    Seeing that the old man had gotten impatient, Chen Yiming asked quietly, ¡°Is there anything cheaper?¡±


    The old man was taken aback and replied with some confusion, ¡°Of those that suit the style of the Mantis Snake Sword School, the black ringed snake meat is probably the cheapest. This snake meat can not only nourish the body, but also make the body more flexible.¡±


    ¡°But you have to know that the human body is a system. It¡¯s impossible to just strengthen one aspect, so it¡¯s best to eat these different types of meat in combination.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s face turned red as he shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know which is the cheapest type of mutant beast meat here.¡±


    The old man glanced at him and immediately understood the situation. He squatted down and opened a wooden box.


    ¡°Black pork, smoked and dried. 200 yuan a kilogram.¡±


    The black pork, which had been cut into pieces, was tied up with ropes and placed neatly in a wooden box. The surface of the meat was black, and the oil on it had not completely solidified.


    At first glance, Chen Yiming thought that it was just ordinary cured meat.


    The pigs were brought to the otherworld and raised there, then the cured meat was transported back. The journey there and back had increased the price by seven or eight times.


    In his previous world, athletes were forbidden from eating pork. Even if they were raised in the otherworld, since the price was much cheaper than the other dried meat, he wondered how effective it would be.


    The old man seemed to notice his hesitation and continued, ¡°You get what you pay for. This is already the price offered to the Wang clan. It¡¯s at least double the price for outsiders.¡±


    ¡°The stronger you are, the more energy you will use up. If you rely on ordinary meat, your body will suffer a deficit and you may injure yourself, which will make it harder for your future breakthroughs.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the other aspects of this black pork. In terms of replenishing the body¡¯s energy, many other types of dried meat that are way more expensive cannot even compare to it.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. The main function of the black pork was to replenish his body¡¯s energy, which was exactly what he needed. He had his special ability to boost his martial arts talent, so the types of mutant beast meat that made up for his physical limitations were not important to him.


    Recently, when he was training, he could feel more and more clearly that ordinary meat could no longer replenish his energy fast enough to keep up with the intensity of his cultivation.


    Just as the old man had said, if he continued to rely on ordinary meat to replenish the energy consumed, it was really possible that his body would be injured.


    He made up his mind and immediately paid up for a piece of the meat to test its effect.


    It weighed over three kilograms and cost nearly 700 yuan.


    After leaving the drugstore, he hung the smoked black pork in front of his bicycle. He was not afraid that other people would be concerned with something that cost several hundred yuan, and cycled back the way he came.

 Chapter 18 - Sparring

    In the afternoon, back at the school, Chen Yiming was brimming with energy.


    After he returned home in the afternoon, he cut a small piece of black pork and made a plate of stir-fried pork with green pepper.


    This was his first time eating mutant beast meat. Although it was the cheapest type, his body had felt warm all this time as though he had lit a fire inside.


    Wang Bowen changed to a wooden sword and came to the front of the trainees.


    ¡°Today, another trainee has completed his first transformation. He is Chen Yiming, who has just joined for one month. The rest of you have to work hard too. We will be having a sparring session in the afternoon¡¯s cultivation class.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Youde versus He Jiasheng.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Jingru versus Liang Lele.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Chen Yiming, you have just broken through. You need to get used to your new body, so I will pair up with you.¡±


    The weather was bright and sunny.


    The trainees were basking in the sun in the open space in the courtyard, enjoying a sliver of warmth during the cold winter.


    Upon hearing Wang Bowen¡¯s arrangements, many people felt a pang of jealousy in their hearts. Senior Brother Wang had never sparred with any of them before. Other than the usual cultivation classes, he rarely interacted with them.


    Zhang Youde glared at his underling, a dark expression on his face. He kept silent and did not say a word.


    Those like him who were from martial arts clans were not the best at their own cultivation, but excelled in making friends and expanding their social circle instead.


    His underling had offended a core disciple by his presumptuous actions. Although neither party held a deep grudge, it would be difficult for them to become friends.


    The underling trembled, his face full of fear.


    The speed at which Chen Yiming had completed his first transformation had hit him hard.


    His earlier analysis, which he thought was reasonable, had not only humiliated Zhang Youde but also offended all the trainees.


    Some of the trainees were frustrated and blamed themselves for not sticking with their own judgment once they were taunted.


    As fellow trainees, most of them under the age of twenty, they cared about their reputation and would not be thick-skinned enough to apologize. At most, they would avoid crossing paths in the future.


    The female student, Liang Lele, smiled widely and teased Zhao Jingru.


    ¡°So it turns out that I was right. Although Chen Yiming can¡¯t be compared to Eldest Senior Brother, he¡¯s still a bit of a genius. He has a high chance of becoming a core disciple in the future. Females can also take the initiative to pursue the males, why don¡¯t you just go for it?¡±


    Zhao Jingru maintained her calm and aloof exterior.


    ¡°If you want to go, go by yourself. My body has also undergone a transformation, and I¡¯m not even twenty yet. Cultivation is my main focus.¡±


    She was actually quite regretful, but her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to make a move, unless it was someone handsome and strong like Senior Brother Lin Yixuan.


    Of course, if Chen Yiming took the initiative to pursue her, she could forget about the unhappiness between them and test his patience before deciding whether to be his girlfriend.


    For ordinary trainees, the evaluation criteria were different from those who came from martial arts clans, since the former would only start to cultivate after entering the school.


    Chen Yiming had completed his first transformation in a month. If nothing went wrong, he would probably be able to achieve his third transformation after a year or two.


    Undergoing the third transformation when one was in their twenties would undoubtedly be considered outstanding among the trainees. Even among the younger generation of martial artists in East Lake City, they would definitely be considered the new stars in the second tier, although they could not be compared to the geniuses of the top tier.


    Zhang Youde was born in a martial arts clan, and had access to cultivation resources from a young age. He had started cultivating since he was 15. At 16, his body transformed for the first time. At this rate, his body would undergo the second transformation at 19. His third transformation should happen around 24.


    And before his third transformation, his body would completely stop developing at the age of 23 or 24. From then on, his physical condition would start to worsen, making it even harder to break through in the future.


    In other words, with his potential, Zhang Youde could only reach three transformations at most. If he encountered a hurdle that delayed him for a year or two, he might not be able to achieve his full potential.


    Zhao Jingru, an ordinary trainee, entered the school when she was in her first year of high school at the age of 16. It took her three years to complete her first transformation at the age of 19, and she was still far from her second transformation.


    The other trainees in the school were in a similar situation. Other than Zhang Youde, who had undergone a second transformation, most of them had undergone only the first transformation. There were a few who had just joined the school for a short period of time and had yet to undergo their first transformation.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen stood facing each other with their swords drawn. The other trainees also found their opponents and started their sparring practice.


    Wang Bowen did not start sparring immediately, but spoke first. ¡°Junior Brother Chen, I was in a rush this morning, and didn¡¯t have the time to tell you all the details.¡±


    After organizing his thoughts, he carefully said, ¡°After completing the first transformation, the body¡¯s energy requirement is no longer the same as before. I believe you have realized this on your own. Generally, if possible, the main dish for each meal will be changed to mutant beast meat. Otherwise, the intensity of cultivation must be controlled to prevent damaging the body through excessive cultivation.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming mulled over his situation.


    ¡°Other people feel that the energy provided by ordinary meat is insufficient after the first transformation, but I only felt this way after the third transformation. Is my experience different from others?¡±


    ¡°Does this mean that after upgrading my swordsmanship talent, my body will also evolve towards a constitution suitable for swordsmanship?¡±


    There was no corresponding explanation in the martial arts talent system. He could only guess that the Level-1 swordsmanship talent was just that good.


    Although it mainly increased his comprehension of swordsmanship, his body should also have been strengthened to a certain extent. His body¡¯s ability to digest and absorb the nutrients from meat must be higher than others.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming¡¯s sense of urgency to earn money intensified.


    According to what his senior brother had said, if he wanted to maximize the efficiency of his cultivation, he would need to replace ordinary meat with mutant beast meat.


    The cheapest was black pork, which cost 200 yuan per kilogram. Based on his appetite, he needed at least 3.5 kilograms a day to fill his stomach.


    Under normal circumstances, the Chen family¡¯s restaurant made a monthly profit of slightly over 10,000 yuan. In the short term, his family could just barely afford to pay for his daily expenditure on the black pork.


    However, after witnessing the tragedy of the young girl¡¯s family in the afternoon, he had the idea of moving his whole family into the residential district. There were more and more areas that he needed to spend money on.


    Wang Bowen glanced at the trainees who had begun sparring and added, ¡°If a person does not get enough rest after a long period of cultivation, it is very easy for them to develop mental issues. In serious cases, they might even develop psychological barriers and add more hurdles to their cultivation process.


    ¡°You can consider lighting a stick of Spirit Calming Incense when you are resting. It can help you clear your mind and quickly fall asleep.¡±


    The Spirit Calming Incense was made from the excrement of a creature from the otherworld. The Ambergris Incense from the blue planet had similar effects, but its effectiveness was much lower than the Spirit Calming Incense.


    This excrement was originally used as an ingredient for sedatives for those above the warrior rank, and was specially used to capture and kill large creatures from the otherworld. However, if only a small amount was used as an additive, it could be used to make incense.

 Chapter 19 - : Change

    ¡°Spirit Calming Incense?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know there was such a thing. It worked just like the sleeping pills in his previous world.


    However, he did not need such things for the time being. Daily cultivation was the way for him to accumulate Skill Points. He could clearly see the effects of his training, having obtained Skill Points every once in a while.


    Wang Bowen gestured for him to look at the trainees who were practicing and sighed.


    ¡°Most of the trainees did not start out treating their training the same as going to work. Instead, they are feeling limited by their innate abilities. They have been stuck at a hurdle for a long time without making any progress, and are slowly feeling lost and losing their confidence.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only joined the school for a month. At the early stages, you can easily overcome the hurdles and achieve a breakthrough. But sooner or later, you¡¯ll be stopped by a hurdle like them.¡±


    ¡°When faced with such a situation, everyone has their own way of dealing with it. Others can¡¯t teach you how to overcome the hurdle, in the end, you will have to rely on yourself.¡±


    Wang Bowen admired Chen Yiming¡¯s attitude towards cultivation, which was similar to his own, so he told him about the things to take note of after breaking through.


    He flicked his wrist, testing out his sword. He smiled and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t used a wooden sword in a long time. It¡¯s light and I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    ¡°I will suppress all aspects of my body¡¯s strength, speed, and reaction to the level of the first transformation. You can use all your strength.¡±


    Chen Yiming appreciated his kind intentions and announced as he drew his sword, ¡°Senior Brother Wang, I¡¯m starting.¡±


    He stepped lightly on the ground and used less than a tenth of his strength to attack first with a stab.


    Wang Bowen swung his wooden sword horizontally and blocked perfectly, easily deflecting the impact of the stab. He took a few small steps back as he defended against the stabbing attacks that were coming in waves.


    ¡°Your strength, speed, and attack rate are just above the level of the first transformation. Can you go any faster? Don¡¯t worry about hurting me.¡±


    Wang Bowen was still able to divert his attention to make a comment as he defended.


    His body had undergone eight transformations and was as hard as steel. Other than his eyes, ears, and a few other parts of his body, Chen Yiming¡¯s attacks wouldn¡¯t even be able to break his skin.


    The two of them switched between attacking and defending rapidly. One moment, Chen Yiming was attacking, and the next moment, Wang Bowen was attacking. Chen Yiming increased his power slightly, by about 1%.


    In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged dozens of blows. In the end, they even used the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    After dodging the Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s eighth move, Shadow Stab, Chen Yiming stumbled to pretend that his stamina had depleted and quickly pulled back.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, let¡¯s rest for a while. I can¡¯t go on,¡± Chen Yiming panted and raised his hand, indicating a pause in their fight.


    He had calculated the duration his body could last for him to show that he had only just achieved a breakthrough. Wang Bowen was forced to stop before he could have a good fight.


    The two sheathed their swords and stopped. Wang Bowen praised him, saying, ¡°Not bad, your body is just above the level of the first transformation, but your swordsmanship is exquisite.¡±


    The two had exchanged dozens of blows, and what surprised Wang Bowen was that he had gradually raised his power beyond the limit of the first transformation, but there were still no changes in the power balance. They still managed to trade blows.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that Senior Brother is suppressing his power, so his hands and feet are tied down. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be his match,¡± Chen Yiming said humbly.


    Of the two wooden swords, there was clearly a greater number of marks left on Wang Bowen¡¯s sword.


    This meant that when the two of them fought at the same level, Wang Bowen was at a disadvantage in terms of swordsmanship. Chen Yiming was in control of the tempo most of the time.


    Wang Bowen did not think much of it. He believed that because he had suppressed his power, his body was unable to adapt in such a short period of time. This resulted in him not being able to perform as well.


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming had figured out the level of Senior Brother Wang¡¯s swordsmanship. Both of them had reached the level of accomplishment in their mastery of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. However, there was a huge gap between Senior Brother Wang¡¯s swordsmanship talent and his Level-1 swordsmanship talent.


    This allowed Chen Yiming to easily gain the upper hand at the same cultivation level.


    He suddenly recalled a joke from his previous life about the difference in scoring 100 points.


    You scored 100 points because you could only score 100 points, while I scored 100 points because the total score was only 100 points.


    Taking advantage of the break, Wang Bowen calmed his mind and reflected on the fight several times. He realized that something was amiss.


    His talent in swordsmanship was not the best, and could only be considered average in the school. To be able to achieve his current achievements, it was mainly due to his top-notch physical ability. The hurdle of body tempering was simpler to overcome for him than for others.


    However, he shouldn¡¯t have been at a disadvantage when competing with Chen Yiming at the same cultivation level. Chen Yiming had only joined the school for a month, while he had been in the school for almost ten years.


    This meant that Chen Yiming¡¯s talent in swordsmanship was higher than he had expected. If that was the case, he would have to treat Chen Yiming as someone of the same level.


    A thought suddenly surfaced in Wang Bowen¡¯s mind.


    In order to further strengthen their relationship, he could consider recommending him to the Master so he could go through the core disciple assessment earlier.


    There were a total of nine core disciples. Not all of them got along, and instead, they were divided into three factions.


    Wang Bowen was the leader of one of the factions. Chen Yiming, who had the potential to become a core disciple, had been assigned to him. Their relationship had been close since the beginning.


    While Wang Bowen and Chen Yiming sparred, the other trainees were no longer focused on the cultivation class. They were secretly observing the fight.


    Zhang Youde¡¯s sparring partner happened to be his underling.


    At this moment, he could no longer suppress his anger. He could no longer maintain the confident and steady image of a leader, and beat his underling until he begged for mercy.


    On the surface, Chen Yiming¡¯s performance was on par with Wang Bowen, who had suppressed his power to the same level. In that case, he would be able to hold his own against ordinary trainees who had undergone the second transformation, or even overpower them.


    After all, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference in raw strength between the first and second transformations. It wasn¡¯t like the third transformation, which brought about a huge improvement.


    The purpose of Zhang Youde joining the martial arts school was to make friends with capable people outside his clan, and to expand his connections so that he could secure his position in the clan.


    Now, an opportunity had fallen from the sky, but it had been destroyed by his underling. How could he not be angry?


    He had a feeling that if he could become sworn brothers with Chen Yiming, he might even be able to work his way to the position of clan leader in the future.


    In a corner of the courtyard, Liang Lele was fighting Zhao Jingru so fiercely that she was forced to retreat.


    Taking advantage of the other party¡¯s lack of focus, she experienced the thrill of overpowering her opponent. After all, Zhao Jingru was slightly stronger than Liang Lele, and Liang Lele would usually be on the losing end.


    Zhao Jingru¡¯s heart felt empty, as if she had lost something important.


    She came from a small merchant family and had more or less come into contact with information about the upper class since she was young.


    She had an attractive appearance and a talent for martial arts. She had been the center of attention until she entered the martial arts school.


    She, who was already so outstanding, naturally thought that only men who were more outstanding than her were qualified to be her partner.


    Thus, her eyes had always been fixed on a genius like Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Yixuan.


    However, she also understood that she stood almost no chance with a genius like Zhang Yixuan who had already made a name for himself. Her true goal was those rising new stars who were full of potential.


    Chen Yiming had completed his first transformation in just a month and was able to fight on par with Wang Bowen at the same cultivation level. Chen Yiming met her standards perfectly.


    However, Chen Yiming had risen too quickly. Every time he made a move, it would change everyone¡¯s impression of him. While she was still maintaining her cold and aloof goddess image, the other party had already risen to a position that she couldn¡¯t reach.

 Chapter 20 - Cooperation

    It was around 9 pm at night.


    In a barbecue restaurant on the sixth floor of a shopping center in the city center, Chen Shaojie, Zhong Chaofeng, and Lin Yongxin sat around a table and chatted.


    On the table, skewers of meat and wine had been laid out. In the oven, charcoal was burning red. Clearly, the three of them had been waiting for some time.


    Chen Yiming lifted the curtain to enter the shop, and saw his cousin with two of his colleagues.


    His cousin, Chen Shaojie, had invited two colleagues from his city patrol team out for a small gathering. He had specially invited Chen Yiming over to protect him from being bullied at work.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to come, but since they were from the same family, he didn¡¯t want his parents to be the target of gossip among their relatives. Therefore, he had forced himself to accept the invitation.


    ¡°Cousin, over here!¡±


    When Chen Shaojie heard a sound behind him, he turned around and saw Chen Yiming as he entered the restaurant. He hurriedly stood up and waved him over.


    He was still wearing the city patrol¡¯s uniform and looked very young. However, he no longer had the air of a student and looked much more authoritative.


    This was the effect of wearing a uniform.


    Chen Yiming walked to Chen Shaojie¡¯s side and sat down.


    There were four seats, and the table was full once Chen Yiming joined.


    ¡°These are my colleagues from the city patrol team, Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin,¡± Chen Shaojie said as he introduced them to Chen Yiming. He took a bottle opener and poured everyone a glass of beer.


    Chen Yiming sized up Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin.


    Although they had already gotten off work, the two of them were still wearing the city patrol uniform just like Chen Shaojie. It was as if they were afraid no one knew of their status.


    But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was a form of protection for them.


    At night, the outside world was not as safe as during the day. Dressed in the uniform from a government department, there was a better chance of ensuring one¡¯s personal safety. Typically, criminals would not quite dare to attack civil servants if they were aware of their status.


    After all, the weakening of the city patrol was only limited to East Lake City. The strength of the entire department was not something that ordinary people could scoff at.


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯ve heard about you from Shaojie. It¡¯s good to finally meet you in person.¡±


    ¡°Brother Chen, I¡¯m Lin Yongxin, Shaojie¡¯s colleague. Nice to meet you.¡±


    Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin stood up and took the initiative to shake hands with Chen Yiming.


    They had already heard from Chen Shaojie that he had a relative in the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Upon seeing Chen Yiming dressed in the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s training robe, they knew that Chen Shaojie was not bragging. They started to treat Chen Shaojie with more respect, and knew that he was not a newcomer that they could just bully.


    The Mantis Snake Sword School was a top faction with a warrior presiding over it. As for the city patrol team, although it was a government department, the person in charge had only undergone nine transformations. The gap between the disciple and warrior realms was insurmountable. The difference was like that between heaven and earth.


    As a martial arts trainee, Chen Yiming had a status on par with the captain of a small team in the city patrol. His true power could even be higher than the captain of the team the three of them were in.


    They were very happy to be able to get to know a capable martial arts trainee like Chen Yiming through Chen Shaojie.


    After getting to know each other, the four of them sat down and chatted while barbecuing the meat.


    From their conversation, Chen Yiming learned that Chen Shaojie had another motive for inviting him to dinner.


    It turned out that his cousin was planning to let him work with their team and take on the job of checking the household registers. They could then help the various villages in East Lake City to get rid of unsavory types dwelling within.


    ¡°Cousin, can you give me a hand? The timing of this job is very flexible. Our team can fully cooperate with your availability. The payment will be split 50-50 with you,¡± Chen Shaojie asked quietly, a sliver of hope shining in his eyes.


    If this worked out, his position in the team would be elevated to a level similar to that of the team¡¯s captain. After all, his cousin would only be helping the team because of him, and it would have been impossible if he had not been there to pull the strings.


    He was faced with such a good opportunity when he had just started working. With a martial arts trainee as his cousin to support him, he could not help but be tempted by the opportunity.


    ¡°If you are just checking the identities of the villagers, your team¡¯s captain should have no problem handling the job. Why did you have to invite me as well?¡± Chen Yiming asked after some deliberation.


    He did not understand what was going on. The team clearly had the ability to complete the job, yet they were trying to split the profits with him.


    Although he urgently needed money, he didn¡¯t want to get involved before he understood all the details of the job. It would be troublesome if something went wrong.


    ¡°The situation is like this. The city patrol team transferred a lot of elites to the front line because of the war, resulting in a shortage of manpower and strength. That¡¯s why they allowed us to reach out to external parties for help.¡±


    ¡°Also, our captain was injured during a job some time ago and is now hospitalized. He won¡¯t be able to fight for a while.¡±


    ¡°The team currently does not have anyone who has undergone even the first transformation. There are some strong bandits hiding in the village, so our team doesn¡¯t have the ability to accept the job,¡±


    Chen Shaojie told him all the details and didn¡¯t dare to hide anything.


    ¡°Will your captain agree? Will the other team members agree?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his doubts. He looked at Chen Shaojie, then stared at Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin.


    Logically speaking, no one would be willing to let an outsider interfere with their team. Chen Shaojie¡¯s team¡¯s captain and Chen Yiming were not acquainted, so there was no reason to let him benefit from this arrangement.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Actually, the main reason I was specially recruited was because you joined the Mantis Snake Sword School back then, Cousin.¡±


    Chen Shaojie looked troubled and he spoke hesitantly.


    After mobilizing the elites, the city patrol no longer had the ability to control all the streets of East Lake City. As a result, there were many creatures hiding in remote villages far away from the city center.


    Every department under the jurisdiction of East Lake City was overwhelmed, and they didn¡¯t have the ability to mobilize additional manpower for deployment to the city patrol. The higher-ups in the city patrol were forced to turn to external parties to complete their original work.


    That was why Chen Shaojie, who seemed unlikely to get hired, was unexpectedly recruited.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave this matter to me. Once I go back, I¡¯ll immediately suggest this to the captain and give you an answer as soon as possible.¡± Chen Shaojie patted his chest as he gave his promise. His tone was full of confidence.


    He was doing all these based on the instructions he had been given by his father, Chen Zhipeng. As a student who had not even graduated from high school, he could not have known how to play his cards.


    This included using Chen Yiming¡¯s status to stabilize Chen Shaojie¡¯s position in the city patrol team.


    Finally, they would divide the profits properly to keep everyone satisfied, successfully completing the job and gaining influence within the team.


    ¡°Alright then. Go ask your captain for his opinion first,¡± Chen Yiming agreed.


    Initially, he did not want to be involved in such matters and only wanted to focus on his cultivation. However, the world seemed to be thrown deeper into chaos, forcing him to think of ways to earn money so that he could protect his family.


    ¡°Cousin, just wait for my good news.¡±


    ¡°Brother Chen, please take care of me in the future.¡±


    ¡­


    Chen Shaojie raised his wine cup. Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin also raised their wine cups, and they downed the wine in one go.


    There were already many precedents within the city patrol, so the matter could probably be settled just like that.


    After that, the city patrol team would have to rely on Chen Yiming to take care of them. Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin unconsciously became more respectful and treated Chen Yiming as though he were on the same level as their captain.

 Chapter 21 - Decision

    It was another day at the morning cultivation classes.


    The atmosphere was a little strange.


    There were originally a total of 14 students, but only 13 were left. Zhang Youde¡¯s underling was absent for some unknown reason.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t that guy, Hu Shixin, here today? Doesn¡¯t he usually follow Zhang Youde wherever he goes?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? He was pretending to be smart and offended someone again. He might have been punished and sent off somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! These nobodies are just sad. When something goes wrong, they are abandoned immediately without any compassion.¡±


    ¡­


    In the courtyard, the trainees whispered to each other with different expressions on their faces.


    Hu Shixin had spoken carelessly and caused Zhang Youde to ruin his relationship with Chen Yiming.


    If Chen Yiming was just an ordinary trainee, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if their relationship had worsened. However, who would have thought that Chen Yiming had the potential to be a core disciple?


    Zhang Youde came from a martial arts clan led by a master who had undergone six transformations. There were many ordinary trainees like Hu Shixin who had done everything they could to suck up to him.


    Zhang Youde wouldn¡¯t care at all if an insignificant underling like Hu Shixin was taken as a sacrifice and chased away. At the very least, it would ease his relationship with Chen Yiming and prevent their relationship from worsening.


    It was time for the class to begin.


    Wang Bowen announced to the trainees that Hu Shixin had left the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Wang Bowen did not give any explanation, but everyone knew the reason for his departure. It was clear that Zhang Youde had asked him to leave.


    ¡°Why did he chase him away for no reason? I wasn¡¯t even thinking of holding it against him.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt helpless. He wasn¡¯t a child that couldn¡¯t let go of such a small matter. He didn¡¯t even feel the need to ask for an apology from him.


    However, Chen Yiming¡¯s silence caused Zhang Youde to be unable to figure out what he was thinking. That night, he decided to inform Hu Shixin not to return to the school any more.


    Hu Shixin had learned most of what he needed to learn in the Mantis Snake Sword School anyway. He could only blame it on his bad luck when he was faced with Zhang Youde¡¯s unreasonable request.


    ¡­


    During lunch break, Wang Bowen and Chen Yiming sat side by side on the steps as they ate.


    Both of them had brought their own boxed lunch, and these included cooked mutant beast meat. The difference was that the ingredients in Wang Bowen¡¯s lunch box were much more expensive.


    Ever since Wang Bowen had gotten a better understanding of Chen Yiming¡¯s swordsmanship talent from the sparring session, they had grown even closer.


    Chen Yiming needed someone knowledgeable to guide him through the martial arts world. Wang Bowen, on the other hand, would be able to improve his swordsmanship through sparring with Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of something and asked Wang Bowen, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen Senior Brother Zhang lately?¡±


    The Senior Brother Zhang he referred to was the black-clothed youth he often saw when he delivered food to the school in the past. His name was Zhang Xingfeng and he was a core disciple stationed at the Eastern branch, just like Wang Bowen.


    However, ever since he entered the sect, it had always been Wang Bowen leading the trainees for their training. He had not seen Zhang Xingfeng again.


    At the mention of Zhang Xingfeng, Wang Bowen immediately grumbled, ¡°That guy is trying to achieve his sixth transformation. The Master brought him out for training and threw all the work he was responsible for to me.¡±


    The branch schools usually had two core disciples stationed there, taking turns to guide the trainees. Since Zhang Xingfeng had something to do and left, the other core disciple had to stay. Therefore, Wang Bowen was in charge of the Eastern branch every day.


    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want to talk about him. But speaking of which, you¡¯ve had the black pork for several meals. What do you think of the effect? If it¡¯s not suitable, you have to change it quickly. Otherwise, you¡¯ll lose more than you gain if it interferes with your cultivation,¡± Wang Bowen said with concern.


    When it came to food, he had so many experiences to share that it would not even be enough for him to spend a whole night talking about it. After all, he was from a martial arts clan and had tried all kinds of mutant beast meat in all sorts of combinations.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes dimmed at the mention of food. ¡°The effect is much better than ordinary pork. It fills me up and makes me feel warm and energized after eating it. It¡¯s just a little expensive.¡±


    He had gone back to the old man¡¯s place to buy black pork a few more times. Each time, he spent a few hundred yuan. If he didn¡¯t earn more money, he would soon become unable to make ends meet.


    Wang Bowen agreed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Back then, I could really eat a lot, so I went through the same thing as you. Before becoming a core disciple, it does pose some trouble for a trainee, having to obtain cultivation resources on your own by earning money.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m very troubled now. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any job that can allow me to afford the expense of mutant beast meat without affecting my cultivation.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the opportunity to pour out his grievances.


    For now , there was still no news from his cousin, Chen Shaojie. And Chen Yiming could not rely solely on him either. After all, even if he completed this job by working with them, he did not know how long their arrangement would last and how much money he could earn.


    Wang Bowen said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s simple. Why didn¡¯t you tell your senior brother earlier if you were troubled? Your body has already undergone the first transformation. I can help to arrange an easy job for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming immediately expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡±


    After going round and round, Senior Brother Wang was still the most reliable. He could easily resolve any difficulties Chen Yiming was facing.


    Very quickly, Wang Bowen gave him a few options.


    The first was to find a small gang and act as their support. This way, he could earn quite a bit in fees every month. The disadvantage was that it was easy to get caught up in the feud between gangs.


    The second was to join a trading company and be a guard. The money was pretty good, but it would take up a lot of time. It was no longer a part-time job, but equivalent to a full-time job.


    The third was to go to the martial arts training class and teach the middle and high school students the basic moves. The pay would be lower than the first two choices, but it was a safe and stable job.


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose the third option,¡± Chen Yiming said without hesitation.


    At his current stage, he didn¡¯t want to be too high-profile. He didn¡¯t want to risk his life fighting others, nor did he want to spend too much time on his job. which would affect his own cultivation.


    Wang Bowen wiggled his eyebrows and joked, ¡°It¡¯s not bad to go to the martial arts training class. Not only is the working environment good, but there are also many young female students.¡±


    Chen Yiming said nothing.


    Wang Bowen clearly had experience with this. He continued, ¡°However, you should remember that your cultivation is the most important.¡±


    ¡°The third transformation is the one with a qualitative improvement. After that, you will be impenetrable by blades and bullets from head to toe. There will be more jobs you can do to earn easy money.¡±


    ¡°Next year, there will be a friendly competition at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. Come with me to attend it then.¡±


    ¡°Friendly competition?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly for young people to showcase themselves and gain experience,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    Martial arts was not something that could be done in isolation. One had to fight different types of opponents to accumulate actual combat experience and develop a style suitable for oneself.


    ¡°At that time, there will be many professional scouts from various companies observing the competition. If you¡¯re lucky, there will be a sponsor who will favor you. You won¡¯t have to worry about the resources for your cultivation till your third transformation, you just have to sign a contract for official records. You can think about it and make a choice for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Chen Yiming said as he nodded.


    Senior Brother Wang really was his benefactor in the martial arts world. He didn¡¯t expect Senior Brother Wang to help him solve all his problems through a simple chat.


    Having secured a job through which he could earn money, he would be able to purchase a house and afford the mutant beast meat. After all, as long as the job involved martial arts, it would pay much better than ordinary jobs.


    As for signing a contract with a sponsor, Chen Yiming planned to take a look at the situation when the time came. He could consider it if there were not too many conditions.

 Chapter 22 - Probe

    On his way home, Chen Yiming rode his bicycle along the street.


    His physique was very different from before. His whole body had grown a lot stronger, and his martial artist aura could not be concealed by his training robes.


    This was especially true for his eyes. It was not clear whether it was because he had mastered the concept of swordsmanship or due to some other reason, but those who looked into his eyes felt that he was piercing right through them.


    It was evening time, and every household along the way had already locked their doors. From time to time, the sound of tires pushing against the mud road caused the dogs within the houses to bark.


    Dogs, traditionally viewed as the guards of the house, were once again being held in high regard.


    As he approached an intersection near his house, Chen Yiming spotted Zhang Youde in the middle of the road.


    Zhang Youde¡¯s hands were in his pockets, and he was pacing back and forth. From time to time, his breath would mist up in the air.


    If he was in the middle of the road at this time, he was obviously waiting for someone.


    After this intersection was Chen Yiming¡¯s house. It was clear who he was waiting for.


    Chen Yiming had no idea what Zhang Youde was up to, but since the other houses had all locked their doors, he couldn¡¯t hide from him.


    He could only pretend to be calm and collected as he continued to cycle along the road, stopping when he was around a meter away from Zhang Youde.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, could you spare me a few minutes?¡±


    Zhang Youde held out his hand to stop him and took a few steps forward.


    ¡°Senior Brother Zhang, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to be clueless as though they had bumped into each other coincidentally.


    He planned to see what Zhang Youde had to say first. As long as it wasn¡¯t a life or death sort of grudge, the elders of the martial arts clans wouldn¡¯t interfere in the matters of the juniors.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal, calling me senior brother. Just call me Youde,¡± Zhang Youde said as he laughed awkwardly. It was hard to tell that they had been in conflict before.


    ¡°Hu Shixin always has a foul mouth. I¡¯ve already sent him to the warehouse as punishment.¡±


    Zhang Youde revealed where Hu Shixin had gone.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming felt that others would think that he had forced Hu Shixin to leave. Hence, he magnanimously said, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. I really didn¡¯t blame him at all. Besides, it¡¯s not easy to join a martial arts school. Let Hu Shi Xin come back.¡±


    He did not want to be thought of as a petty person.


    ¡°Some rules have to be followed. One needs to be punished for their wrongdoings. Hu Shixin left because he felt too ashamed to continue staying in the martial arts school. When he left, he even asked me to apologize to you, and let the unhappiness between the two of us be resolved.¡±


    Zhang Youde rejected Chen Yiming¡¯s request for Hu Shixin to return to the school, and gave an apology to Chen Yiming on Hu Shixin¡¯s behalf.


    Whether Hu Shixin had gone willing or was driven away, no one would pursue the matter. After all, he only had the potential to be an ordinary trainee.


    ¡°Since Hu Shixin said so, then so be it. Help me to pass on a message to him when you have the time, and tell him I didn¡¯t blame him at all. If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be going first.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to be embroiled further in Zhang Youde¡¯s matters, so he prepared to cycle past him.


    That Hu Shixin had felt so embarrassed that he left willingly was something that sounded completely untrue.


    However, this allowed Chen Yiming to better understand the disciples of the martial arts clans. They were overly pragmatic, and were able to treat anything as a bargaining chip.


    Zhang Youde hastily extended his hand to stop Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, don¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave. Now that we have cleared the air between us, why don¡¯t we trade a few blows by having a sparring session?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t achieved his objective for the visit, so he couldn¡¯t let Chen Yiming leave.


    ¡°A sparring session?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°What is Zhang Youde up to? Is he trying to test my abilities or does he have some other motive?¡±


    Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, he decided not to think too much about it. In any case, the power from his third transformation was more than enough for him to protect himself without any trouble.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Chen Yiming knew that avoiding the issue wouldn¡¯t solve the problem, so he parked his bicycle by the wall and drew the wooden sword on his back.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zhang Youde joined his hands in salute, then pulled out his sword.


    He was half a head taller than Chen Yiming, and his frame was a size bigger. This was the physique that he had developed from eating mutant beast meat since he was young. He had unearthed more of his potential than an ordinary trainee.


    However, strength was not simply determined by one¡¯s muscles.


    Both sides stood still and neither took the initiative to attack.


    Chen Yiming was being forced into a fight, so he didn¡¯t have any intention of making a move to begin with. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to attack. Instead, he wanted to conceal his strength as much as possible, and get it over and done with.


    Zhang Youde, on the other hand, believed that he was one level above his opponent. Even if his swordsmanship and talent were inferior to the other party, he still had the advantage in terms of strength. He did not want to take advantage of his opponent by attacking first.


    The stalemate lasted for several minutes.


    Seeing as neither side had the intention to make the first move, the match would end in an anti-climatic manner if he did not try to attack. Thus, Zhang Youde had no choice but to take the lead and attack first.


    Once he made his move, he executed the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, immediately using his full strength.


    Zhang Youde had no intention of starting with the basic sword techniques. This was because in terms of sword techniques alone, Zhang Youde knew that he was inferior to his opponent. He could only rely on his cultivation to defeat his opponent.


    In his heart, he thought that Chen Yiming was only at the level of just completing the first transformation. He was thus a level higher than Chen Yiming. If Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t withstand his attack, he would suppress his power to that of the first transformation to continue the fight.


    Chen Yiming focused his attention and managed to block easily, dissipating the impact of the attack.


    Both of them had different thoughts regarding the fight. Chen Yiming actually had to suppress his physical abilities and behave as though he was at the level of the first transformation to prevent himself from being exposed.


    After one move, Chen Yiming understood Zhang Youde¡¯s abilities. He was probably at the initial stage of the second transformation, which meant that he had completed the second transformation not too long ago.


    He adjusted his body¡¯s strength slightly and used the same Mantis Snake Sword Technique to launch a counterattack.


    The two swords clashed, and only flashes of their figures could be seen.


    After the transformation, their speed and reaction were far above that of ordinary people. Ordinary people could not observe the real situation in their fight at all.


    Not far away, by the window on the second floor of the Chen family¡¯s restaurant, Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying looked on anxiously as the two sparred.


    They were not able to hear the conversation between the two. Furthermore, Zhang Youde didn¡¯t wear a training robe as he preferred to be dressed in shirts and jeans. Therefore, they thought that Chen Yiming was facing an enemy.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen talked in low voices from time to time.


    They didn¡¯t go out and interfere, because they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to help even if they tried. They might even create more trouble for Chen Yiming.


    After a few dozen moves, Chen Yiming thought that he couldn¡¯t appear too strong, but he couldn¡¯t afford to seem weaker than his opponent either. Otherwise, he would lose the initiative in their future interactions.


    The gap between the first and second transformation wasn¡¯t as insurmountable as the third transformation.


    Thus, he made use of Zhang Youde¡¯s relatively poor grasp of swordsmanship, and repeatedly attacked his weakness.


    Very quickly, Zhang Youde made a mistake in the thick of things. He couldn¡¯t take care of both his front and back, and Chen Yiming¡¯s sword managed to strike his hand. His grip loosened due to the pain, causing the sword to fall out of his hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s actually a genius capable of fighting someone of a higher level than him.¡±


    Zhange Youde confirmed the guess he made earlier. Due to inertia, he only came to a stop after taking a few steps forward.


    Previously, Chen Yiming had been able to hold his own against Wang Bowen, who had suppressed his cultivation level to match his opponent. Zhang Youde had guessed that Chen Yiming was the kind of person who could fight on par with someone stronger than him.


    However, he did not know if Wang Bowen had deliberately gone easy on Chen Yiming. Only by fighting him personally could he be certain of his judgment.

 Chapter 23 - Arrangement

    ¡°Amazing! Junior Brother Chen really isn¡¯t an ordinary person.¡±


    Zhang Youde wasn¡¯t feeling dejected at all, despite his defeat. Instead, he praised Chen Yiming.


    ¡°I was just lucky! I only have the advantage in terms of the sword technique. When Senior Brother completes the third transformation and I am only at the level of the second transformation, I will definitely not be your match,¡± Chen Yiming replied humbly. He didn¡¯t brag or anything after having defeated Zhang Youde.


    It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. He just wanted to get it over and done with quickly since they were not close to each other.


    When he heard Chen Yiming¡¯s words, Zhang Youde realized that he was looking for an excuse to leave again. Hence, he quickly revealed his true motive.


    ¡°Junior Brother, have you heard of the Mutual Aid Association?¡±


    ¡°Mutual Aid Association?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been in the martial arts world for a long time, so you don¡¯t know how it works behind the scenes. At the top of the martial arts world in East Lake City, the martial arts warriors use their power to control everything. The middle and lower levels are controlled by the big clans and corporations. All these powers have a tacit agreement to work together and turn away outsiders. Without connections, it¡¯s very difficult for you to find a suitable job and buy the resources needed for cultivation.¡±


    ¡°The Mutual Aid Association is an organization jointly established by the juniors of small and medium-sized martial arts clans in the eastern region of the city.¡±


    ¡°Are you inviting me to join this organization?¡± Chen Yiming probed.


    At this point, he already vaguely understood Zhang Youde¡¯s true objective.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s unrealistic for one person to fight alone in the world of martial arts. They will waste a lot of time on trivial matters and delay their own cultivation progress, missing out on the best years for their cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother, you should be the type that is considered a pearl lying in the dust. At the age of 14 or 15, you were unable to discover your talent in time and wasted a lot of time studying in school. It was only after you joined the martial arts school that you quickly unlocked your potential.¡±


    ¡°You must know that the first transformation is only the beginning. The further you go, the less you will be able to rely just on your talent alone. You still need the corresponding cultivation resources.


    Zhang Youde was in no hurry. He explained the situation bit by bit.


    ¡°A pearl lying in the dust? So that¡¯s how everyone sees me.¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    All along, no matter how he tried to conceal it, his body¡¯s martial arts talent was extremely poor and this could not be changed.


    He could not transmigrate to the past and use the martial arts talent system to increase his swordsmanship talent from the moment his body came into contact with martial arts.


    ¡°With the martial arts talent that Junior Brother Chen has displayed so far, if you join the association, we will definitely arrange the best resources for you so that you can focus on your cultivation without any worries. We can provide support for you up to the sixth transformation.¡±


    Zhang Youde was confident that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t reject his offer.


    The advantage of having access to cultivation resources wasn¡¯t very attractive to Chen Yiming. He didn¡¯t need them since he had a special ability, but he pretended to be interested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what conditions there are for joining this association. I want to understand it fully before I make my choice.¡±


    Chen Yiming was a cautious person. There were too many conditions, he wouldn¡¯t consider it even if there were many benefits as well.


    ¡°Mutual aid. The organization¡¯s purpose is to help each other. Therefore, it won¡¯t use rules to restrict the members. You only need to allow the organization to use your name. It¡¯s equivalent to you being affiliated with the organization. When it needs members to contribute, it will announce them in the form of tasks. The organization will provide generous rewards for completing the tasks.¡±


    Zhang Youde didn¡¯t hide anything, directly stating the relevant conditions.


    ¡°So my name will be used to get things done?¡±


    Chen Yiming immediately understood the core of how the organization operated.


    The organization called the Mutual Aid Association was a group of second-generation martial artists from the clans. They roped in a group of commoner disciples and then used these people¡¯s names to control various businesses in East Lake City.


    ¡°You can go home and think about it. Just give me an answer in a few days.¡±


    Zhang Youde had achieved his objective, so he didn¡¯t say anything else and quickly left.


    ¡­


    After Zhang Youde disappeared, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think too much about it. He got back on his bicycle and cycled for 10 meters to reach his house.


    ¡°Son, are you hurt? Why did you get into a fight with someone at our doorstep?¡±


    The moment they entered the house, Madam Chen rushed over before Chen Yiming could even take a sip of water.


    Father Chen and Chen Yingying followed behind with worried expressions.


    ¡°Mum, if nothing much, don¡¯t worry. That person is my senior brother from the martial arts school. He was looking for me to discuss some private matters.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want his family to worry too much, so he told them everything.


    ¡°You call this fine? The two of you were fighting.¡±


    Madam Chen didn¡¯t believe him and waited for Chen Yiming to explain further.


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t hide anything from your family. We¡¯ll bear the burden together. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we can just move.¡±


    Father Chen also spoke at this time. As the head of the family, he had to step up and keep the morale high.


    ¡°Brother, are you hurt?¡± Chen Yingying asked softly.


    She did not care about what had happened. She only hoped that her brother was not injured.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That was just my senior brother testing my strength. He wanted to invite me to join an organization.¡±


    Seeing that he smooth over it, Chen Yiming explained some of the details.


    ¡°Testing you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like trying out for a part-time job.¡±


    Chen Yiming tried his best to explain in a way that they could understand.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. We were worried that you might have made enemies outside and someone might come knocking on our door.¡±


    Madam Chen told him what they had thought.


    The world was in chaos, so they had to be worried about Chen Yiming¡¯s safety.


    ¡°By the way, Dad, Mum, I¡¯ve already reached the stage of the first transformation. In the future, I can rely on my martial arts skills to earn some money. Dad, if you have time, ask around about the houses in the city center and see how the prices are. If there¡¯s really no other way, we can rent a house to stay in first.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to talk to his family about the organization, so he brought up the plan to move to a new house.


    ¡°What does the first transformation mean?¡±


    Madam Chen didn¡¯t understand any of this and waited for her son to explain.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first stage of martial arts, the first stage of the disciple stage. You won¡¯t understand if I go into too much detail. Anyway, we have to move to a residential area in the city center as soon as possible. The village isn¡¯t safe,¡±


    Chen Yiming briefly explained the basics of martial arts.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go out tomorrow morning and see what I can find out.¡±


    Father Chen knew that his son was more knowledgeable than ordinary people, so he promised to do it as soon as possible.


    Madam Chen suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°Old man, I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow. I have a relative who works at a real estate agency. We can ask her directly.¡±


    Then, Father Chen and Mother Chen left Chen Yiming behind and began to discuss their plans for the next day.


    When Chen Yingying saw that there was nothing else to say, she turned around and went to the kitchen. She used a damp cloth to bring out the black pork that had been simmering over a small fire.


    The black pork was made by Madam Chen who had added some soup ingredients and simmered it in a small pot for more than an hour.


    ¡°Smells good!¡±


    Chen Yiming inhaled the fragrance of the black pork from the pot and his stomach rumbled.


    Usually, he would have already eaten by this time. Today, he had been delayed by Zhang Youde for nearly half an hour and was extremely hungry.

 Chapter 24 - Tool

    The next day, before the morning cultivation class, the atmosphere had returned to normal as everyone quickly forgot about Hu Shixin¡¯s incident.


    A few male trainees gathered together and discussed the interesting events that happened last night.


    Ordinary trainees in the school were considered mediocre in the school. However, in society, they were thought of as the elites.


    Zhao Jingru pulled Liang Lele to a corner of the courtyard and asked about Chen Yiming in whispers.


    When she returned home last night, she could not find a way to break out of the situation no matter how hard she tried. She had no choice but to tell her parents the whole story of what happened and to seek their help with a red face.


    Zhao Zhengming had been engaging in business for dozens of years. Due to his clan¡¯s limited power, his business had been restricted to one city. However, he was very experienced. He hinted to his daughter that she could consider approaching Chen Yiming¡¯s family if she could not deal with him directly.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the cultivation class started.


    After Wang Bowen led the trainees to complete one round of training in the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, he instructed them to practice on their own before leaving in a hurry.


    The trainees quickly dispersed. It was rare that there was no one to supervise them. One by one, the trainees found a place to rest. There were even two who decided to skip class and just left.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, let me spar with you.¡±


    Zhang Youde took the initiative to approach Chen Yiming. He didn¡¯t mention what had happened the previous night. Instead, he suggested that they trade a few blows.


    He was in the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s special training robe which he rarely wore. Coupled with his physique that was honed from eating mutant beast meat from a young age, he looked radiant.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Chen Yiming had intended to practice his swordsmanship anyway, and he couldn¡¯t think of any reason to refuse.


    For some reason, Zhang Youde seemed to have become a completely different person from the day before. Chen Yiming was overwhelmed by Zhang Youde¡¯s combination of attacks.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, you probably hardly come into contact with other martial arts and lack the experience of dealing with different opponents. Coincidentally, my clan¡¯s secret technique is also a sword technique. Although it cannot be compared to the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, it still has many merits.¡±


    Zhang Youde did not attack immediately. Instead, he expressed his intention to use another sword technique to press his attack.


    ¡°Your clan¡¯s secret technique?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow, and suddenly became excited.


    Zhang Youde was a perfect tool. When he realized that Chen Yiming was not interested in the cultivation resources, he immediately tried a different method to test his needs.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had to keep his ability to secretly learn techniques hidden, he would have told Zhang Youde directly to help him contact other sword masters so he could spar with them.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. My family¡¯s Long Rainbow Sword Technique is different from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. The technique¡¯s distinguishing feature is that it is good for pursuit. Each move occurs in continuous succession.¡±


    Zhang Youde didn¡¯t hold back at all, and he immediately revealed the selling point of the Long Rainbow Sword Technique.


    ¡°Good for pursuit?¡±


    Chen Yiming was secretly delighted.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s distinguishing features were its stealth, speed, and attack power. It specialized in explosive linear attacks. If he encountered a situation where he needed to chase after the enemy, the effect would definitely not be as good as the Long Rainbow Sword Technique, which was good for pursuit.


    Gaining more skills would do no harm, and it would be a waste not to learn the sword technique that was presented to him on a platter. As long as he did not use it openly in front of others, no one would know that he had secretly learned another clan¡¯s secret technique.


    As the two of them traded blows, the other trainees gathered around and watched the commotion. From time to time, they would whisper and discuss the two of them.


    Zhang Youde was the strongest trainee in the East District before Chen Yiming rose up.


    Chen Yiming, on the other hand, was a rising star. He had only revealed himself to be a talented trainee recently.


    This was the first time that the two of them were competing publicly. Many students were looking forward to seeing if Chen Yiming would unseat the previous champion or if Zhang Youde would be able to protect his position as the prevailing champion.


    ¡°Lele, Zhang Youde is one level higher than Chen Yiming. No matter how good his swordsmanship is, Chen Yiming isn¡¯t a match for him in terms of raw strength.¡±


    With a clear goal in her heart, Zhao Jingru had calmed down. She purposely lied to provoke Liang Lele and see if she could gather any useful information.


    ¡°That might not be the case. In my opinion, Chen Yiming is a genius who can fight beyond his level. His potential is definitely more than what we have seen. This is because he joined the school at a relatively old age. He was delayed for a few years previously and no one discovered his talent.¡±


    Liang Lele disagreed with her judgment.


    Like Zhao Jingru, she came from a merchant family. The difference was that her appearance was ordinary, and their characters were complete opposites. She liked to gossip and paid attention to various news.


    ¡°Do you know what Chen Yiming was like before he entered the school? Did you hear any rumors about that? Though if you ask me, rumors like this are just wild guesses. The more they spread, the more ridiculous they become.¡±


    Zhao Jingru opened her mouth slightly, showing a look of disbelief as she waited for Liang Lele to reveal what she knew.


    ¡°To be honest, I have a middle school classmate whose family background isn¡¯t very good. Thirteenth High gave her a scholarship, so she went to study there. I spent some money to get some information from her.¡±


    Liang Lele curled her lips and revealed a portion of the information she had obtained to prove that she was not just listening to rumors.


    ¡°How can you believe that? The school is so big. There are so many classes and students. Even within the same school, it¡¯s mostly hearsay. It¡¯s not trustworthy at all.¡±


    Zhao Jingru maintained her doubtful attitude and tried to get Liang Lele to talk.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid. My classmate happened to be in the same class as Chen Yiming. That¡¯s why I spent money to ask her about it. Chen Yiming was a delinquent in high school. Not only did he have poor grades, but he also loved to fight. I heard that he dropped out of school because of fighting,¡± Liang Lele whispered in Zhao Jingru¡¯s ear.


    She was afraid that others would hear it and cause trouble for her. She was unwilling to become the second Hu Shixin.


    Zhang Youde and Chen Yiming continued to exchange blows.


    ¡°Watch carefully.¡±


    With this reminder, Zhang Youde raised his hand and used the first move of the Long Rainbow Sword Technique, Sun Vessel. His entire person turned into a long shadow.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Chen Yiming also struck out at the same time, using his basic sword moves to defend himself.


    His true goal was to secretly learn the sword technique, not to compete with Zhang Youde.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s level was obviously higher than the Long Rainbow Sword Technique. If he defeated Zhang Youde in a few moves, what he could secretly learn would only be an incomplete version of the Long Rainbow Sword Technique.


    In the blink of an eye, Chen Yiming and Zhang Youde exchanged dozens of moves.


    What surprised the surrounding trainees was that Chen Yiming was able to match Zhang Youde¡¯s Long Rainbow Sword Technique with just the basic sword moves.


    Zhang Youde¡¯s moves changed extremely quickly. He could twist and attack from all directions.


    This was the unique characteristic of the Long Rainbow Sword Technique. The variations of the moves were endless, and the opponent could not predict the next strike.


    Unfortunately, he was facing Chen Yiming.


    Although this was the first time Chen Yiming had encountered the Long Rainbow Sword Technique, he had undergone three transformations and was one level higher than Zhang Youde.


    Their vision wasn¡¯t on the same level, so Chen Yiming handled the situation with ease.

 Chapter 25 - Gratitude

    The more Zhang Youde fought, the more shocked he felt. No matter how he switched between the moves in the Long Rainbow Sword Technique, Chen Yiming would always be able to find a suitable countermeasure.


    The trainees at the side couldn¡¯t understand the shock in Zhang Youde¡¯s heart. It was as if he had been completely seen through by his opponent. However, he had never displayed his clan¡¯s Long Rainbow Sword Technique in front of Chen Yiming before this.


    Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t expected that his actions would inadvertently cause Zhang Youde¡¯s evaluation of him to rise to another level, leading to a series of events later.


    Chen Yiming was able to split his consciousness into two easily. Half of his consciousness was focused on fighting with Zhang Youde while the other half entered his mind.


    There were two figures in his mind. One was imitating Zhang Youde, while the other was Chen Yiming himself, perfectly replicating the fight between Zhang Youde and Chen Yiming.


    Each move of the Long Rainbow Sword Technique was recorded, then analyzed and optimized by the figure representing Chen Yiming. He swiftly mastered the technique.


    By the time Zhang Youde had used up all his moves and started to repeat them, Chen Yiming had already completed his goal of secretly learning the technique.


    Zhang Youde¡¯s grasp of the Long Rainbow Sword Technique was lacking, and Chen Yiming was able to see through all the mistakes that he had made. Conversely, Chen Yiming was completely capable of teaching Zhang Youde about the Long Rainbow Sword Technique.


    Accumulate resources and fortify the defense.


    Chen Yiming resisted the urge to teach Zhang Youde about the Long Rainbow Sword Technique instead.


    The two of them exchanged another round of blows. Zhang Youde had used up his strength, so he took the initiative to retreat and widen the distance between them. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t close in, and in the eyes of the bystanders, it was a draw.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Zhang Youde took several deep breaths to recover from the dizziness caused by the lack of oxygen.


    He had already depleted all his strength and only stopped when he was completely exhausted.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ve roughly thought of a way to deal with such techniques if I face them in the future.¡±


    Chen Yiming hugged his knees and took in deep breaths of fresh air just like his opponent.


    Early on, he had noticed that Zhang Youde was about to reach his limit, so he had made preparations in advance and acted exactly like his opponent. The surrounding trainees could not tell whether it was real or fake.


    At the same time, he was sincerely grateful to Zhang Youde. After all, Zhang Youde had freely allowed him to secretly learn his clan¡¯s secret technique.


    ¡°Those of us who have truly embarked on the path of martial arts cannot avoid fighting with others. At this time, it is very important to have experience in dealing with different types of techniques. Once you join the Mutual Aid Association, you can spend your contribution points to get others to teach you different special techniques,¡± Zhang Youde told Chen Yiming how joining the association could help him.


    ¡°Contribution points?¡±


    Chen Yiming remained expressionless.


    In his heart, he thought to himself that the benefits of this association were not that great. Not only did they have to use his name to get things done, but he also had to work hard to buy what he needed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you complete the tasks issued by the association, not only will you receive remuneration, but you will also receive contribution points. Contribution points are the currency for internal transactions.¡±


    Afraid that Chen Yiming would misunderstand, Zhang Youde added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Most of the ordinary tasks are for companies related to the association. It rarely requires one to be at the level of disciples, so there¡¯s no danger.¡±


    He waited expectantly for Chen Yiming¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time. I think the association is not for me. I¡¯m sorry for wasting Senior Brother Zhang¡¯s time.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t that interested in the association and didn¡¯t want to drag things out any further. Hence, he rejected the offer.


    Senior Brother Wang had already agreed to help him find a job, and the arrangement with his cousin Chen Shaojie would probably be able to get him more money in the future. The only avenue he urgently needed to spend money on was the new house. However, he could rent a house first and think of ways to earn money to buy one later.


    After settling his worries about his family, he would still prefer to develop himself in the martial arts school and not get involved with any external factions.


    ¡°¡­Won¡¯t you think about it for a few more days?¡± Zhang Youde asked in a low voice.


    He had high hopes for Chen Yiming and wanted to strengthen their relationship. If he wanted Chen Yiming to become one of his connections, they would definitely need something from each other. Otherwise, no matter how close they got, their relationship would fade with time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already troubled Senior Brother Zhang a lot. I¡¯ve really thought it through.¡±


    ¡­


    The afternoon cultivation class was about to end.


    Wang Bowen approached Chen Yiming and passed him a piece of paper with an address written on it.


    ¡°This is the address of the martial arts training center that I¡¯ve found for you. The class starts from 8 pm tonight, every Monday to Friday, two hours per night.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the note and read it carefully to memorize the address before putting it away.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, I know swordsmanship, but I¡¯ve never taught anyone else. I don¡¯t know how to start,¡± Chen Yiming voiced his worries.


    He had many friends who were teachers in his previous life, so he knew that even if he could study well, he might not be able to teach well.


    The swordsmanship talent of the students in the training center was likely to be many levels lower than his Level-1 swordsmanship talent. There would often be situations where he felt that there was no need to think, but the students would not be able to understand what to do.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? Practicing martial arts isn¡¯t something that can be achieved through just hard work. Talent is what determines a person¡¯s potential. Just follow the standard sword moves and teach. How much they can learn is up to the students¡¯ personal abilities,¡± Wang Bowen said with a laugh.


    It was an unchanging principle since time immemorial that one had to rely on oneself for cultivation.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming knew what to do.


    Of course, he understood the importance of talent. Otherwise, why would his body¡¯s owner have achieved nothing after practicing for a few years, while he managed to surpass the achievements of others who had been practicing for years in just a few months?


    His previous worry was mainly because he was afraid that he would embarrass Senior Brother Wang if he did not teach well.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, Zhang Youde wants to get me to join the Mutual Aid Association. I want to hear your opinion about this.¡±


    Chen Yiming had already troubled Wang Bowen with many things. The relationship between the two of them had developed towards that of sworn buddies, so he brazenly asked him about this matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m a member of a martial arts clan. Of course, I know about everything happening behind the scenes here, but¡­¡±


    Wang Bowen chuckled and kept Chen Yiming in suspense for a few seconds before he continued.


    ¡°How should I put it? There are advantages and disadvantages to joining such an organization. The advantage is that you can directly buy cultivation techniques, mutant beast meat, equipment, potions, and other cultivation resources from the organization.


    The downside is that you will be getting involved with them for a long period of time. It is easy to join them but difficult to leave. After all, you will have quite a lot of insider information about the organization. They will not be willing to let you leave for no good reason.¡±


    Wang Bowen hit the nail on the head and listed the pros and cons in a succinct manner.


    ¡°Regarding cultivation techniques, the Mantis Snake Sword Technique can allow one to reach the warrior realm without having to switch to something else. It¡¯s not necessary to have a second or third technique. Furthermore, I have the ability to secretly learn techniques. As time passes, I will definitely be able to secretly learn all kinds of sword techniques.


    Regarding mutant beast meat, the black pork was more than enough to replenish my energy. As for the other mutant beast meat that could enhance strength, reaction, and speed, I can make up for it by upgrading my talent using Skill Points.


    Regarding the equipment and potions, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to shamelessly trouble Senior Brother Wang.¡±


    Chen Yiming broke down the situation and analyzed each point in his head.


    He realized that he had made the right decision. The association would not be able to help him much.

 Chapter 26 - Teacher

    ¡°Dad, Mum, I¡¯m going out.¡±


    Chen Yiming went home and filled himself with a meal of black pork mixed with rice. He informed Father Chen and Mother Chen about his new job and rode his bicycle to the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center.


    The Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center was located in the central business district, in an office building that was more than twenty floors high.


    The fees here were quite expensive, equivalent to an extracurricular class. His body¡¯s owner had once thought of signing up, but after seeing the fees, he immediately gave up the thought.


    Chen Yiming exited the elevator on the 12th floor where the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center was located, and saw a promotional poster of himself hanging on the wall.


    The poster was nearly two meters long and wide. On it was a picture of him wearing the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s training robe. At the side was an introduction of him, including details like his name, age, cultivation level, martial arts school, and so on.


    One line was specially written in bold and in a larger font, saying that he had ranked 87th in East Lake City.


    ¡°What the hell is this!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s face darkened as countless questions filled his mind.


    Unexpectedly, the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center had started promoting him without his permission. This was in direct conflict with his desire to keep a low profile.


    He did not want to become famous. If he did, there would be people coming to challenge him and hoping to defeat him to become famous. Furthermore, if he fought too many times, it was hard to guarantee that no one would notice something was amiss. His true cultivation progress might be exposed.


    At that moment, at the entrance of the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center, a beautiful lady in a black silk dress was waiting for him. When she saw Chen Yiming walk out of the elevator, she smiled and welcomed him.


    She was more than 1.7 meters tall and had a figure that was slim but curvy. Coupled with her professional attire, her overall appearance was not bad.


    Chen Yiming sized up the lady in front of him without batting an eyelid. Compared to the receptionist at the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, she was at least one level lower. He instantly lost interest in her.


    The two of them greeted each other briefly, and Chen Yiming found out that the lady¡¯s name was Xie Xuejiao. He was then brought to one of the large rooms on the same floor.


    The Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center had rented the entire 12th floor. There were more than 10 rooms for classes, and each room was about half the size of a basketball court.


    Once he entered the room, Chen Yiming saw a total of 25 students already waiting for him.


    ¡°Students, let¡¯s welcome Teacher Chen.¡±


    Xie Xuejiao led the group in a round of applause.


    The group of high school students applauded, eyes lit in anticipation.


    They had all heard that the new swordsmanship teacher was a genius from the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    The Mantis Snake Sword School was ranked first in East Lake City in terms of swordsmanship. There were less than a hundred students in all four branches, so it was not easy to find such a good teacher.


    Hence, the swordsmanship class that Chen Yiming taught charged 300 yuan per hour, which came to a total of 12,000 yuan per month for 40 hours of lessons. The fee per hour was 100 yuan higher than the other classes.


    Amongst the students, a youngsterin First High¡¯s uniform was hiding among the crowd. He used the students in front of him to block Chen Yiming¡¯s line of sight.


    The youngsterwas the braggart that Chen Yiming had met a month ago.


    Chen Yiming had recognized him as soon as he entered the room. The three transformations he went through had enhanced his five senses till they were extremely sharp. The more abnormal his behavior, the more he couldn¡¯t escape Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes.


    However, he did not behave any differently. In his mind, the boastful youngsteronly left a faint impression. He was not too different from any other passerby.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t waste any time and started the lesson immediately.


    He first used the wooden sword to demonstrate one of the basic sword moves, the stab. As he demonstrated, he explained,


    ¡°Today, I want to start off by teaching you the basic sword moves that form the foundation of swordsmanship. Stabbing is a commonly used attack move. The key to this move is the coordination of hand and eye, and the connection between the lower limbs and upper limbs. You have to be decisive when making this move and focus your energy¡­¡±


    He combined his own understanding of swordsmanship with some of the content from the stabbing moves in the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. He taught all of this to the students, and how much they could learn depended on themselves.


    The wooden sword in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand was like a snake, ready to strike at any moment. It moved as fast as lightning.


    With the coordination of all the muscles in his body, he executed the stab dozens of times in the span of a few breaths, like dozens of snakes attacking at the same time.


    The gazes of all the students at the side were drawn by the sword in his hand, and their mouths formed a circle as they exclaimed from time to time.


    Although they couldn¡¯t understand it fully and didn¡¯t know the reason, they felt that there was something missing in their previous teachers compared to Chen Yiming.


    Xie Xuejiao blinked her large eyes. She immediately took out her notebook and flipped to the page that recorded Chen Yiming¡¯s information, then quickly wrote down her latest assessment of his abilities.


    On the surface, she was a receptionist, but at the same time, she was also a part-time scout, helping the factions backing her gather information about talents with high potential.


    After teaching the stabbing move, Chen Yiming quickly changed to another move and continued,


    ¡°Next is another commonly used attack move in sword techniques a€¡±slash. It¡¯s different from the single point explosive power of the stab. Slash emphasizes on the cutting motion.


    Slashing requires more coordination from your whole body than stabbing. It requires you to concentrate all your strength on the blade. A simple slash using just arm strength is only for show.¡±


    Chen Yiming exerted some force on the soles of his feet, and his body charged forward half a meter. He used less than one percent of his strength to execute two slashes in the shape of a cross in front of him.


    ¡°Swish! Swish!¡±


    Light flashed off his sword and two black shadows appeared.


    Within the range of the two slashes, the air was instantly split into four segments.


    The students in the first row could clearly feel the wind brushing past their skin.


    In their hearts, they were shocked by the might of this slash attack, and were instantly stunned. This had completely surpassed their expectations of basic sword moves.


    Xie Xuejiao couldn¡¯t stop smiling. In her eyes, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure had turned into a bag of money.


    All she had to do was submit Chen Yiming¡¯s latest information to the faction backing her. After verification, she would receive a hefty reward.


    After demonstrating the slash, Chen Yiming stopped and sheathed his sword.


    He only intended to teach so much for the day¡¯s class, and he felt that this was enough information for the students to digest.


    Xie Xuejiao put away her notebook and led the applause to thank Chen Yiming for his exciting lesson.


    She had been doing this job for three years. With her good looks after putting on makeup, and knowing how to read people from their body language, she had always done well at her job.


    Even part-time teachers like Chen Yiming were very satisfied with her service, and hardly anyone complained about her.


    In an instant, the room was filled with the sound of applause, and the atmosphere was stirred up by Xie Xuejiao.


    This was the first time Chen Yiming had enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention. He wasn¡¯t quite used to it, and he pretended to be nonchalant about it.


    The students saw how Chen Yiming appeared to be an expert, and felt that he was truly skilled. He was much stronger than their previous teachers.


    The applause that was about to die out immediately started up again.

 Chapter 27 - Salary

    Amidst the intense applause, many students started whispering to each other.


    ¡°This new teacher is too amazing. I could only see his afterimage and couldn¡¯t react at all.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s justified for this class to be expensive. Although I don¡¯t understand it, I just feel that Teacher Chen is awesome. As expected of a trainee from the Mantis Snake Sword School, which is ranked first in swordsmanship in East Lake City.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, those who can make it into the rankings are truly of a different caliber. When will I become so strong?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you think too much. You can only realize it in your dreams.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Jiaqi, Teacher Chen is so young. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s much older than us.¡±


    ¡°Jiaqi¡­ Hey! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Meiling, Teacher Chen is so good-looking. What should I do when he teaches me personally later¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Behind a tall male student, the boastful youngster used the former¡¯s shoulder to block Chen Yiming¡¯s line of sight.


    At this moment, his face was pale and his body was stiff. He trembled slightly as he tried to recall what happened a month ago.


    When the friendly competition ended, he and a few other classmates were sitting by the roadside and chatting. They saw Chen Yiming, who had just passed the registration test.


    He had said on impulse that Chen Yiming would be beaten to a pulp by Liu Qingqing within three moves.


    ¡°When I said that, he¡¯d already disappeared down the street on his bicycle. The street was so noisy, and he was so far away, it was impossible for him to have heard it.¡±


    The boastful youngster recalled the incident bit by bit. After confirming that Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t have heard what he had said, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Who would have thought that in just a month, a trainee who had just joined the martial arts school could already become a teacher in a swordsmanship class?


    He was just an ordinary high school student. He could talk behind others¡¯ backs, but he did not dare to belittle a martial arts trainee to his face.


    The applause lasted for nearly a minute before it slowly stopped.


    Chen Yiming coughed to ease the awkwardness. Then, he followed the training flow of the center and announced that it was the students¡¯ turn to practice freely. He would go around correcting their mistakes.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed the gazes of a few young female students, which were burning with the flames of passion.


    He put on the serious air of a teacher and pretended not to have noticed.


    Without being noticed, Xie Xuejiao left quietly, leaving the entire class to Chen Yiming.


    The students quickly organized themselves into groups and began to practice their basic sword moves.


    Chen Yiming paced back and forth among the groups, correcting the students¡¯ mistakes from time to time.


    Most of these students were at the level of his body¡¯s owner, and their execution of the basic sword moves was similarly unsightly.


    Other than a few who had a small chance of joining the martial arts school, the rest of them had very little talent. Even their execution of the basic sword moves were very far away from the standard.


    When Chen Yiming corrected a female student named Lin Jiaqi¡¯s posture while holding a sword, the student turned her head away, not daring to look at him. He couldn¡¯t help but recall a celebrity who was also known as Teacher Chen in his previous world.


    He shook his head, dismissing the wild thoughts.


    These female students were not his cup of tea at all, and they were too young. After all, he was someone who had rejected Shen Jia¡¯s invitation several times.


    Nothing was more important than accumulating Skill Points.


    As he walked past the boastful youngster, his stiff body and shoddy swordsmanship put him at a complete loss about where to start teaching him. He casually pointed out a few mistakes before walking towards the next student.


    The boastful youngster heaved a sigh of relief. In his heart, he was thinking how lucky he was that Chen Yiming had not heard anything.


    Two hours passed quickly.


    The students were all very satisfied with Chen Yiming¡¯s guidance. The only thing they weren¡¯t satisfied with was how quickly time had passed.


    With his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, Chen Yiming could easily learn an advanced technique like the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, let alone a basic sword move.


    He could see the mistakes of the students at a glance and demonstrate the correct moves step by step. His eyes could catch more mistakes than other teachers.


    Chen Yiming was holding a thick envelope when he left the training center.


    This was given to him by Xie Xuejiao. It contained the monthly basic salary and bonus that the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center had paid him in advance.


    The basic salary was 30,000 yuan per month, since the tuition fees were split 50-50 between both parties. The total amount was 180,000 yuan.


    Chen Yiming swore that he had never received such a high salary in the entirety of his two lifetimes.


    This way, he might still need to save up to buy a house, but if they rented a house, the salary was more than enough to pay for the rent.


    In addition, he could afford to eat as much of the black pork as he needed to, and still afford the expense.


    ¡­


    Back home, his family was still awake and waiting for him.


    ¡°Dad, Mum, look. This is my advance salary.¡±


    Chen Yiming placed the bulging envelope on the table.


    The envelope was custom-made. It was a few sizes bigger than the average one, but it was still filled to the brim. It made one feel satisfied just looking at it.


    ¡°How much is this!?¡± Mother Chen asked as she tore open the envelope and took out the money from the envelope.


    ¡°180,000 yuan. Do you believe me now? I told you before that I can earn money using my martial arts ability now,¡±


    Chen Yiming patted his chest confidently.


    ¡°Hey, old woman. Why did you tear the envelope? Tomorrow, Yiming will have to take it to the bank to deposit it.¡±


    Father Chen couldn¡¯t help but speak when he saw Mother Chen tear open the envelope.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. With so much money, we wouldn¡¯t dare to bring it out. I¡¯ll find glue to seal it up.¡±


    Madam Chen also realized that she had done something wrong and was about to look for some glue.


    ¡°Mum, it¡¯s alright even if it¡¯s torn. I¡¯ll just put it in my pocket tomorrow. No one will dare to steal my money. This amount of money is considered a lot for ordinary people, but it¡¯s only a month¡¯s salary for me.¡±


    Chen Yiming hurriedly stopped Madam Chen.


    Madam Chen was relieved to hear that and turned to glare at Father Chen.


    ¡°Old man, what did you call me just now? Say it again.¡±


    ¡°No, you must have heard wrongly. I¡¯ll go find a cloth bag for you to keep it in. It¡¯s more convenient for Yiming to carry it.¡±


    Father Chen found an excuse to smooth things over, then got up and ran to the storeroom.


    This was how a middle-aged couple interacted with each other. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t get involved.


    ¡°Yingying, keep this. Buy whatever you want with it.¡±


    Chen Yiming took out a small stack of notes from the table. Without counting the notes, he stuffed it into the hands of Chen Yingying, who was sitting quietly to the side.


    ¡°Brother, why are you giving me so much money? I don¡¯t need that much money,¡±


    Chen Yingying asked quietly.


    She had always been a good child who had high morals and excelled in her studies. She didn¡¯t compare herself to others, and her clothes and shoes were all bought by Mother Chen. There was nothing much for her to spend her money on.


    ¡°Be good. I gave it to you, so just accept it.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s tone was unyielding as he shoved the money to her, not letting her reject it.


    He was not the immature child his body¡¯s owner was. If he had the ability, he would naturally give the best to his family, let alone his dear little sister.


    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll find a place to keep it safe,¡±


    Chen Yingying answered quietly as usual and ran upstairs to her room.

 Chapter 28 - Chance Encounter

    At the eastern branch of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, have you had breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, this is a special product my aunt brought from the provincial city. Try it.¡±


    ¡­


    Many senior brothers and sisters took the initiative to greet Chen Yiming before the morning cultivation class.


    Ever since Chen Yiming had fought on par with Wang Bowen, who had suppressed his cultivation level, and stood his own against Zhang Youde¡¯s Long Rainbow Sword Technique, even the slowest student had reacted.


    This new trainee who had just arrived a month ago was about to soar into the sky.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s rise in the martial arts world, there were many things that they would need to rely on him for in the future. If they didn¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity to build a good relationship with him, he would have no reason to help them even if they needed his assistance in the future.


    Zhang Youde greeted Chen Yiming briefly before finding an empty spot to train on his own.


    He did try to convince Chen Yiming again, and behaved as though nothing had happened the day before.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Zhang Youde would not give up and would invite him to join the organization again and again. He did not know how he could keep rejecting him.


    From the looks of it, he had been overthinking. Zhang Youde was not that kind of person.


    The rays from the rising sun were warm.


    Chen Yiming also found an empty spot and continued to practice his swordsmanship.


    Now that he had received the advance salary from the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center, the price of black pork was considered very cheap to him. He no longer had to worry about his body going into an energy deficit.


    He constantly squeezed out the potential in his body and practiced the Mantis Snake Sword Technique again and again, tempering every muscle in his body.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s tempering effect on the body was far superior to the Phantom Sword Technique and Long Rainbow Sword Technique that Chen Yiming had secretly learned from Liu Qingqing and Zhang Youde.


    As he came into contact with other sword techniques, with his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, he quickly extracted the essence of the sword skills he had mastered.


    For example, the Phantom Sword Technique focused on making use of the loopholes in the line of sight. There were very few parts that involved tempering the body.


    Chen Yiming guessed that this sword technique was probably a part of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, or even a simplified version.


    As for the Long Rainbow Sword Technique, it was Zhang Youde¡¯s clan¡¯s secret technique. The key lay in the variations of the moves and its strength in pursuit. It was much better at tempering the body than Phantom Sword Technique.


    However, it was a sword technique passed down within a small martial arts clan. It was far inferior to the Mantis Snake Sword Technique in terms of tempering the body, so it was not of much use to Chen Yiming.


    He took some of the useful moves of these two sword techniques and made them into his trump cards. Under special circumstances, he would use them. His main focus for cultivation was still the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    ¡­


    During lunch break, Chen Yiming went home first. He took out a small portion of his salary from the previous night, then wrapped the rest in a cloth bag Father Chen had prepared beforehand and went to the bank to deposit the money.


    Keeping too much money at home was not a good thing for the family. A man¡¯s wealth was his own ruin by causing another¡¯s greed.


    It would be bad if the information was leaked and someone was spying on them. There would definitely be times when Chen Yiming would not be home.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I buy a metal sword?¡±


    As Chen Yiming walked out of the bank, a thought struck him.


    In the end, wooden swords were only suitable for practice. The last time he encountered bandits, there was no problem because the difference in strength between them was too great. Even if he was empty-handed, there would not have been much of a problem.


    However, if he were to encounter an enemy of the same level, the wooden sword would be unsuitable. If he was not careful, it might break. Once the sword in his hand was gone, to a swordsman, his strength would immediately drop by more than one level.


    There was no time like the present.


    Chen Yiming turned around and walked towards the Aegean Sea Shopping Center beside the bank.


    Previously, when he was delivering food, he remembered that there was a shop on the sixth floor that specialized in selling all kinds of knives, swords, gloves, and other equipment.


    The equipment used for practicing martial arts was different from mutant beast meat. As it involved a large number of martial arts practitioners below the disciple realm, ordinary equipment could still be purchased from the market.


    ¡°Power-doubling Martial Artist Equipment.¡±


    Chen Yiming walked around the sixth floor of the Aegean Sea Shopping Center and found a store with a familiar-sounding name.


    Power-doubling Martial Artist Equipment was from the same corporation as the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center where he was a part-time teacher.


    Chen Yiming had a good impression of the Power-doubling Group. They had known that he went there to work as a part-time teacher for money, so he was paid a month¡¯s salary in advance.


    Thinking that it would be the same wherever he went to buy a metal sword since he did not have high expectations for it, he went straight into the shop.


    He had only been browsing for a few minutes, when a light voice rang out. ¡°Chen Yiming.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned towards the voice and saw a strange yet familiar figure at the cashier counter.


    She was wearing a pure white down jacket with a colorful crystal pendant around her neck. Her long black hair was let down and tied with a pink bow.


    ¡°Zheng Xiaoli?¡± Chen Yiming replied hesitantly, unsure if he had gotten the person¡¯s name right.


    In the memories of his body¡¯s owner, there was indeed such a person. It took Chen Yiming a lot of effort to call up the memory of this person.


    Zheng Xiaoli was his body¡¯s owner¡¯s high school classmate. She used to be the object of his affection. It was not because his body¡¯s owner truly liked her, but an impulse born from her beautiful appearance.


    However, his body¡¯s owner could only fantasize about beautiful women in his dreams, and did not dare to take any action in reality.


    ¡°Yiming, long time no see. I almost couldn¡¯t recognize you. You¡¯ve changed so much.¡±


    Zheng Xiaoli walked out from behind the cashier counter and greeted him with a smile.


    As she spoke, a dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth. She had a sunny disposition.


    ¡°You too. I didn¡¯t even recognize you when I walked through the door. Do you work here?¡± Chen Yiming asked in return.


    ¡°Yeah, school is still suspended and there¡¯s nothing to do at home, so I found a job to earn some pocket money,¡± Zheng Xiaoli answered softly, clearly feeling a little embarrassed.


    This wasn¡¯t a well-respected job, and she didn¡¯t want Chen Yiming to look down on her.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that you joined the Mantis Snake Sword School. When I received the news, it had already been a few days. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t attend your celebration banquet.¡±


    Zheng Xiaoli mentioned what had happened in the past.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I didn¡¯t want to publicize it.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled. He didn¡¯t care about these formalities.


    ¡°When we were studying, no one could have known that you would be so powerful now. You actually dropped out of school and joined a martial arts school to become a trainee. It¡¯s like you¡¯re acting in a television drama.¡±


    Zheng Xiaoli stared at Chen Yiming as she spoke, trying to decipher his expression.


    ¡°Me too¡­¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could finish speaking, he was interrupted from behind.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuanfeng asked.


    He was sitting on a stool at the entrance of the shop, waiting for Zheng Xiaoli to get off work. Suddenly, he saw that his girlfriend was chatting with an unfamiliar young man, so he entered the shop and interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°His name is Chen Yiming. He was my high school classmate,¡± Zheng Xiaoli stammered, seeming a little upset.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zheng Xiaoli¡¯s boyfriend, Zhao Yuanfeng.¡±


    Zhao Yuanfeng didn¡¯t look too happy either. He extended his hand, wanting to shake Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 29 - News

    Chen Yiming chose not to shake Zhao Yuanfeng¡¯s hand. He glanced at Zheng Xiaoli and said, ¡°I still have something to do, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and continued to browse through the wares in the shop.


    He did not want to get involved in other people¡¯s relationships. He would not do something like trying to steal someone¡¯s partner.


    In addition, Zheng Xiaoli was merely the girl that his body¡¯s owner had fantasized about. To be precise, she was his body¡¯s owner¡¯s classmate, not his.


    The shop was selling all kinds of commonly-used martial arts equipment.


    On the shelves, various equipment like weapons, shields, armor, and shoes were arranged neatly.


    From the wooden products used for practice to the metal products used in actual combat, everything was available.


    Chen Yiming examined all the swords on the shelves and realized that most of them didn¡¯t meet his requirements.


    The equipment sold here were mostly for those who were below the disciple realm and those who had yet to learn martial arts properly. Most of them were used for training.


    Chen Yiming considered the available options and settled on a black iron sword.


    According to the description on the sword, it was made from a common ore from the alternate world.


    This type of ore did not increase the sharpness of the sword. It only greatly increased the hardness of the sword itself. However, its weight also increased by a lot, so it was not a rare item.


    His true level was that of the third transformation, so this weight was not a problem for him. As long as it was durable, it would satisfy his requirements.


    He looked at the price on the sign. 13,000 yuan.


    The price wasn¡¯t high. It was considered average in the store and was within Chen Yiming¡¯s means.


    When Chen Yiming returned to the cashier to settle the bill, he discovered that Zhao Yuanfeng had disappeared. Zheng Xiaoli was sitting alone at the cashier.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend, Zhao Yuanfeng?¡± Chen Yiming placed the black sword on the counter and asked.


    He had wanted to leave for a while so that the two of them could clear things up and avoid any misunderstandings.


    ¡°I told him to go back first.¡±


    Zheng Xiaoli forced a smile. As she spoke, she took out a scabbard and sheathed the sword. Then, she placed the sword and the scabbard into a box.


    Finally, she packed the box into a bag and passed it to Chen Yiming, saying quietly, ¡°Zhao Yuanfeng is just a little jealous, don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t too happy with Zhao Yuanfeng¡¯s behavior earlier. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to finally have a classmate who had a promising future, and she was just about to have a good chat and exchange contact details when she was interrupted.


    Chen Yiming took the sword box and took out his bank card. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s good that you managed to clear things up. I didn¡¯t bring any cash, just let me pay with my card.¡±


    Chen Yiming quickly entered his password on the machine and it printed out a receipt. Chen Yiming signed his name on it.


    After the transaction was completed, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t stay any longer. Zheng Xiaoli walked him to the door and watched him leave.


    It was only after Chen Yiming had disappeared that she realized she had forgotten to ask for his contact details.


    ¡°Seriously! How could I forget the most important thing?¡±


    Zheng Xiaoli stomped her feet on the ground, annoyed at herself for being careless.


    They weren¡¯t close to each other, and they hadn¡¯t interacted much even when they were in the same class. Naturally, she didn¡¯t know where Chen Yiming lived or what his phone number was.


    ¡­


    Exiting the Aegean Sea shopping center, Chen Yiming glanced at the time and realized that it was still early for the afternoon cultivation class.


    With his cycling speed, it would take him less than half an hour to go anywhere within East Lake City. Therefore, he hung his bag in front of his bicycle and took a detour home.


    ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re finally back. There¡¯s good news.¡±


    Chen Yiming entered and saw Chen Shaojie waiting for him at home.


    ¡°Did your captain agree to your proposal?¡±


    Chen Yiming parked his bicycle at a corner of the courtyard and turned around.


    Looking at his cousin¡¯s excited expression, he could roughly guess the result. It was exactly the same as when he received the advance salary from the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It took me two days to convince the captain.¡±


    Chen Shaojie smiled proudly.


    The matter was finally settled. This meant that he could not only receive a fixed salary every month, but also take on additional jobs to earn more money.


    ¡°Here, this is a cell phone we specially use for communication.¡±


    Chen Shaojie recalled the things he had prepared. He reached into his pocket and took out a rectangular object that was bigger than his palm.


    ¡°This is a cell phone?¡±


    Chen Yiming received it and took a look. His eyes widened in surprise.


    Wasn¡¯t this an outdated model from his previous world?


    It had been a few months since he transmigrated to this world. This was the first time he saw a cell phone. Usually, his family would use a landline for calls.


    ¡°Yes, this is the latest technology. You can¡¯t buy it on the market. It¡¯s specially made for internal use only. You have to return it after the job is completed. Cousin, don¡¯t lose it,¡± Chen Shaojie instructed him carefully, afraid that his cousin would not take it seriously.


    This world was limited by its reliance on manual labor. Due to the tight restrictions on electricity, raw materials, and other factors, the development of the cell phone did not progress as rapidly as Chen Yiming¡¯s previous world. In that world, the cell phone had become an entertainment device that most people could not live without.


    The main method of contact for an ordinary family was still a landline.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t interested in the cell phone, so he casually flipped it over and checked it before pocketing it.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. I¡¯ve discussed the reward distribution with the captain. You¡¯ll get 50% of the reward while the captain gets 30%. The rest of us will get 20%. Cousin, are you able to accept this?¡±


    Chen Shaojie laid out the proposed distribution that the city patrol team had discussed and sought Chen Yiming¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°You guys are taking quite a big risk, and you will split only 20% of the reward among many members. Are the others alright with that?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully after hearing the proposed distribution.


    He had previously passed by a village in the North of the city and was intercepted by robbers in broad daylight. Therefore, he knew that the task of checking the household register was not so simple for the city patrol team.


    ¡°Sigh! There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Even without you, our captain and team members would split the reward 70-30. Since we are seeking assistance from external parties, as team members, it is already a good deal if we only need to lose out on another 10%.¡±


    Chen Shaojie sighed. Clearly, he was unhappy with the distribution.


    However, if they didn¡¯t agree to this distribution, the captain would not agree to it. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to continue with the job.


    Their captain didn¡¯t really care if that happened. His income would be a little lower for the time being, and he could recuperate in peace. For the team members, they would lose their additional income and could only receive the basic salary.


    ¡°Since your team members have no objections, I have no objections either.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and announced his decision.


    He was already very satisfied that he could get 50%. After all, this job was quite risky for the team members, but for him, who had undergone three transformations, it would be no big deal.


    In addition, he could find out how bad the situation in the city had become through performing the job of checking the household register. This would help him make his future plans.

 Chapter 30 - House Prices

    After discussing the distribution of the reward money, Chen Shaojie quickly left.


    Chen Yiming entered the living room from the courtyard and asked Father Chen about the matter of finding a house.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the situation regarding the houses that you and Mum went to look at?¡±


    Chen Yiming saw several fliers advertising housing on the table. He picked one up at random and glanced at it.


    ¡°One of your cousins took your mother and I around all the buildings downtown with units for sale. She took down most of the prices for us. We can¡¯t decide on one, why don¡¯t you take a look?¡±


    Father Chen took out a piece of paper filled with information about the various properties and handed it to Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming took the paper and started reading through the information.


    Skyline New City, Building 3, Room 402. The floor area was 125 square meters, and the cost was 78,000 yuan per square meter.


    Dragon Light Century City, Building 8, Room 1411. The floor area was 113 square meters, and the cost was 82,000 yuan per square meter.


    Starry Sky Garden, Building 4, Room 803. The floor area was 186 square meters, and the cost was 67,000 yuan per square meter.


    ¡­


    ¡°Why did the prices increase so much?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked in disbelief.


    He remembered that when he had just transmigrated, Mother Chen had mentioned in a conversation with Father Chen that she wanted to buy a house in the city for him to live in after he got married.


    At that time, the price mentioned was only slightly over 10,000 yuan. It had only been a few months since then and the prices had already increased by seven or eight times. The level of inflation in housing prices was way too high.


    ¡°I miscalculated. If it was a few months ago, I would have gritted my teeth and paid the down payment. Now, it seems like the price fluctuates by the day, and loans are not accepted anymore. They are only accepting full payment upfront. Our family¡¯s savings can¡¯t even afford a toilet.¡±


    Father Chen shook his head, obviously very regretful.


    Such a price was completely out of the reach of ordinary households, and the speed at which one could earn money could not keep up with the rate at which house prices were rising.


    Chen Yiming made a calculation of the amount he could earn every month.


    Working as a part-time teacher at the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center paid him a total of 180,000 yuan for one month¡¯s basic salary and tuition fees.


    There were a total of 25 students in the swordsmanship class that he was teaching. There was still more than enough space in the arena, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to double the number of students. He could earn an additional 100,000 yuan or more.


    On his cousin¡¯s side, the reward for the task of verifying the household register would not be less than his salary from the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center. After all, it might involve a fight at the level of the disciple realm.


    With just these two sources of income, he could earn between 500,000 to 1,000,000 yuan a month. In the short term, he would not be able to earn enough money to buy a house, so he could only consider renting one.


    ¡°What about the cost of renting a house in the residential district?¡± Chen Yiming asked Father Chen once he understood the current prices for purchasing a house.


    ¡°The cost of renting has increased even more than the housing prices. The monthly rent has already increased to more than ten times the previous amount, and they don¡¯t accept annual payment. The rent is charged monthly and adjusted according to the market price each month.¡±


    After saying that, Father Chen looked distressed. He couldn¡¯t accept the high cost of renting.


    It was hard to find a house in the city center, and renting a house was even less worth it than buying a house, since they would be paying the rent at peak prices.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming quietly calculated the monthly rent.


    According to the previous estimates, a three-bedroom apartment cost about 5,000 yuan a month. The monthly rent should now be between 50,000 to 100,000 yuan, which was still within his means.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s rent a house in the residential district as soon as possible. I¡¯ll think of a way to buy a house later. I can earn at least a few hundred thousand yuan a month, so it won¡¯t be a problem to pay for the rent.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think too much about which neighborhood had a better price point and just told Father Chen his decision.


    From the information he got from Father Chen, the city center and the suburbs were two completely different worlds. The city center had naturally become the only safe area in East Lake City.


    It was not just property prices, but the living costs had also risen exponentially.


    He had no choice but to move to the city center for the safety of his family. He had to fork out the money no matter how expensive it was.


    ¡­


    In the evening, after the afternoon cultivation class ended, Chen Yiming headed to a teahouse in the south of the city to meet up with Chen Shaojie¡¯s team.


    It was said that the teahouse was opened by a relative of some big shot, so it could still operate normally even under such circumstances.


    As soon as he entered the teahouse, he discovered that there were quite a few customers inside. It was clear that their business was quite good.


    Chen Yiming found his cousin¡¯s table and sat down.


    Other than Chen Shaojie, Zhong Chaofeng, and Lin Yongxin, there was also a female team member. Altogether, there were a total of four members.


    ¡°This is my cousin, Chen Yiming, Consultant Chen, an expert who has undergone the first transformation. This is He Chunping, the only female member in the team.¡±


    Chen Shaojie introduced He Chunping and Chen Yiming, who had never met before, to each other.


    Chen Yiming was helping the team and was assigned the role of a consultant.


    ¡°Hello, Consultant Chen. Please take care of me in the future.¡±


    He Chunping smiled as she stood up and took the initiative to shake hands.


    Chen Yiming sized up He Chunping, who had not attended the previous gathering.


    She was dressed in a dark blue tight-fitting uniform and black leather boots, accentuating her curvaceous figure. She looked exactly like the person in the pictures of policewoman one would expect to see on the Internet in his previous world.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Chen Yiming.¡±


    Chen Yiming shook her hand lightly and quickly let go.


    The skin on her hand was very soft, completely unlike his impression of what a member of the city patrol team should be like.


    After the introductions, everyone sat down. Chen Shaojie poured tea for each of them.


    ¡°Cousin, this is the area we will be checking later.¡±


    Chen Shaojie took out a map from his bag and placed it on the tea table.


    He had addressed Chen Yiming as his cousin instead of Consultant Chen, deliberately hinting repeatedly that they were related.


    Chen Yiming glanced at where Chen Shaojie was pointing.


    The area that they were about to check had already been marked in red on the map. It was very eye-catching and could be understood at a glance.


    He was a little surprised. His cousin, Chen Shaojie, seemed like he knew more than just using his name to get things done. He did not know if Chen Shaojie had come up with this himself or if he was following the instructions of someone behind the scenes.


    ¡°This is my plan. Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin will guard the intersection and end of the street. Cousin, He Chunping, and I will be responsible for checking every house.¡±


    Chen Shaojie waited for Chen Yiming to take a look at the map before continuing with his plan.


    In this plan, Chen Shaojie had schemed to get the other team members to do the risky work. He had Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin guard the entrance and end of the street. Then, he had arranged for He Chunping and Chen Yiming to follow him.


    If they found people who could not be verified, and were too strong and could not be restrained in time, the team members guarding the ends of the street might face life-threatening danger if they stepped up to block the way.


    If he stayed by Chen Yiming¡¯s side, even if there were any emergency situations, Chen Yiming would be able to quickly protect him.


    He Chunping was the only female member in the team. She was young and pretty, so it would be enjoyable to work with her.


    This was his second uncle, Chen Zhipeng¡¯s, arrangement.

 Chapter 31 - Job

    Chen Shaojie had assigned the tasks that each of them would be responsible for. Although Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin were secretly unhappy with it, they didn¡¯t dare to mention it in front of him.


    They did not stay in the teahouse for long and quickly set off.


    The area that needed to be checked on the same day was a village called Mingxiang Village near the teahouse.


    The village was not big. There were a total of a few hundred households, and only three roads led into the village.


    ¡­


    Soon, they arrived at the north entrance of Mingxiang Village.


    At this moment, there were very few people at the village entrance. Most of the villagers who worked outside during the day had rushed home before it got dark.


    Looking down the street from the village entrance, every household had their lights on.


    ¡°Lin Yongxin, let¡¯s follow the usual rules. The one who guesses correctly will get to choose first,¡± Zhong Chaofeng suggested as he took out a coin from his pocket.


    The street at the village entrance extended all the way to the center of the village. As to which end of the street was relatively safer, each had their own judgment. Therefore, they usually flipped a coin to decide.


    ¡°Sure, toss it. I¡¯ll guess it¡¯s a heads,¡± Lin Yongxin said casually. Anyway, the probability of guessing right or wrong was the same.


    Once Lin Yongxin agreed, Zhong Chaofeng tossed the coin into the air and caught it before it fell to the ground.


    Opening his hand, the coin in his palm was revealed to be tails-side up. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s tails. Looks like I¡¯m in luck.¡±


    Lin Yongxin didn¡¯t show any disappointment. He usually preferred to guard the end of the street facing outside as he felt that it was safer there.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, I¡¯ll enter the village first and stand guard at the other end of the street,¡± Zhong Chaofeng informed Chen Yiming and immediately set off into the village.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Chen Yiming patted Chen Shaojie¡¯s shoulder and urged him to take action.


    He still had to work part-time at the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center at night, so he hoped that their inspection would go as fast as possible.


    ¡°Okay, Cousin.¡±


    Chen Shaojie took the lead and walked to the door of the first house. He knocked on the metal door and shouted,


    ¡°Open up! Open up! The city patrol team is here to check the household register.¡±


    ¡°Coming, wait a moment.¡±


    The sound of a middle-aged man¡¯s voice was heard, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The bolt on the metal door was pulled open and a middle-aged man appeared in front of them.


    He was wearing a tattered jacket and white washed jeans. His clothes and pants were conspicuously covered with a layer of dust.


    ¡°You three are here to check the household register, right? It¡¯s cold outside, come in quickly.¡±


    The middle-aged man invited Chen Yiming, Chen Shaojie, and He Chunping into the house.


    These villagers had long received notice that there would be city patrol team members coming to check the household register and arrest those whose identity could not be verified.


    At this moment, the family was having dinner.


    At the dining table sat the middle-aged man¡¯s parents, wife, and three children.


    Of the three children, the older one was a girl, about 14 or 15 years old. The younger two were both boys, about seven or eight years old, just starting school.


    The three children were afraid of strangers, and when they saw Chen Yiming and his group, they hid behind the middle-aged woman.


    ¡°Here, we have prepared the documents.¡±


    The middle-aged man invited Chen Yiming and the other two to sit on the sofa. He bent over and took out a plastic bag from under the coffee table. He took out his identification card and household register and placed them on the table.


    Chen Shaojie picked up the identification card on the table and looked at the photo. Then, he looked at the middle-aged man to verify whether they were the same person.


    Next, they verified the identity of the rest of the middle-aged man¡¯s family in the same way.


    Finally, they checked the information in the household register to see if it was the same as their address.


    After completing these tasks, Chen Shaojie stood up and walked around the house to make sure that there were no other people in the house.


    The inspection of this house was completed.


    The three of them did not stay for long and went out to check on the next house.


    ¡­


    They checked ten houses in a row, but there were no unidentified persons.


    ¡°Cousin, I was too naive. News of the city patrol team¡¯s investigation has already spread throughout the city. I reckon our targets have already been informed and hidden away. We¡¯ve wasted a lot of your time, making you come here for nothing.¡±


    Chen Shaojie sensed that something was amiss as things did not go as expected, so he apologized to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It seems that the reward isn¡¯t that easy to get. Otherwise, why would the city patrol team loosen the restrictions and allow external assistance?¡±


    Chen Yiming said in a low voice as he nodded.


    Unidentified persons were the targets that Chen Yiming and the team had set out to capture. The city patrol team¡¯s reward was based on the number of such people they captured.


    The more they captured, the higher the reward. On the other hand, if they couldn¡¯t capture anyone, they would have worked for nothing.


    ¡°From the next house onwards, we don¡¯t need to bother you to follow us in. I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s anything suspicious. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem since you¡¯ll be close by.¡±


    The more Chen Shaojie thought about it, the more he felt that he had burdened his cousin. He was very upset, so he made this suggestion.


    Without waiting for Chen Yiming to respond, he added, ¡°He Chunping, stay with my cousin and chat with him. I¡¯ll do the verification work alone.¡±


    As he spoke, the three of them had reached the next house.


    Chen Shaojie knocked on the door and said a word to Chen Yiming before entering alone.


    By that time, the sky had already turned dark. The temperature dropped very quickly in winter. He Chunping stomped her feet from time to time and stuffed her hands into her pockets. From time to time, she would breathe out a cloud of white smoke.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, you are so young. How did you cultivate to achieve so much at your age?¡±


    When He Chunping saw that Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t taking the initiative to speak, she started the conversation since she would still need him to take care of her for the rest of the job.


    ¡°Um¡­ I just practiced on my own,¡± Chen Yiming replied awkwardly.


    He never knew how to answer questions that others asked him about how he cultivated. He couldn¡¯t possibly say that he relied on the martial arts talent system to increase his talent. In any case, what he said matched well with what he presented to others.


    ¡°Geniuses like you always make others envious. You¡¯re able to learn it easily, unlike me who took over ten tests trying to get into the martial arts schools, but failing each time.¡±


    He Chunping spoke about her past, biting her lips slightly as she blushed.


    She was going all out. In order to continue the conversation, she would say whatever came to her mind.


    ¡°I see. I passed the test in one try, and I don¡¯t have much experience with tests. I really don¡¯t know how I can help you.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation, so he just voiced his thoughts.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He Chunping¡¯s heart suffered a critical hit of 10,000 points.


    ¡°Alright, can you tell me about life in the martial arts school?¡±


    He Chunping didn¡¯t dare to confront Chen Yiming about his tactless reply. Instead, she changed the topic.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing much to say. It¡¯s just a group of people cultivating in the same place every day. The content is the same every day without even the slightest change,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Oh, I guess there really isn¡¯t anything much to talk about.¡±


    He Chunping could not continue the conversation even if she wanted to.


    Just like that, the two of them made some small talk to kill time while waiting.

 Chapter 32 - Trouble

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look flustered,¡± Chen Yiming asked when he saw Chen Shaojie run out of the house.


    Chen Shaojie exited the house and turned to close the door. He only heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the door shut fully.


    ¡°Cousin, there¡¯s something strange about this family,¡± Chen Shaojie whispered into Chen Yiming¡¯s ear without even taking the time to catch his breath.


    Chen Yiming fell silent and did not ask for the reason immediately. Instead, he shut his eyes and tried to recall the couple who had answered the door.


    Soon, he discovered some clues.


    This couple¡¯s pace of walking was different from ordinary people. The muscle memory that martial arts practitioners had developed over the years was not something that could be completely erased with a simple disguise.


    They could deceive Chen Shaojie and He Chunping, who had yet to learn martial arts. However, if they wanted to deceive Chen Yiming, they had to be experts in the art of disguise.


    ¡°Tell me the details.¡±


    Chen Yiming gestured for Chen Shaojie to continue.


    ¡°This family has two children. I didn¡¯t see them, so I asked where they had gone. They said the children had gone to play at a relative¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°When I compared the photos on their identity cards, I felt that it was a little strange. They were only 90% similar, and in particular, they had a completely different air about them.¡±


    ¡°Did you check the rooms?¡±


    ¡°I did. I even touched the bedsheets in their children¡¯s room. There was a layer of dust on them. It didn¡¯t feel like people had been living there.¡±


    Chen Shaojie told him everything he knew.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Chen Yiming combined all the information from his cousin and the clues in his memory, and made a guess at the truth.


    It was highly possible that this couple had killed the whole family and disguised themselves as them.


    ¡°Shaojie, this couple might be quite strong in martial arts. If I can¡¯t control my strength well and accidentally kill them, will the reward be affected?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Previously, Chen Shaojie had only told Chen Yiming that the reward would be based on the number of people caught. Chen Shaojie had not mentioned whether the reward would be affected if he broke their limbs or accidentally killed them during the arrest.


    ¡°Look at my memory, I forgot to tell you something so important.¡±


    Chen Shaojie slapped his head and said, ¡°These unidentified persons, after being captured by the city patrol team, would actually be sent to the logistics department. Then, they would be assigned to work on the front line. It¡¯s said that they would specially be assigned to dangerous tasks.


    For those that we capture, if they are completely unharmed, we can receive the full reward. If they are disabled, we will only receive half the reward, and if they are dead, we won¡¯t receive a single cent.


    The department will also conduct a blood test to determine the strength of the person captured. I heard that someone in the disciple realm would be worth as much as ten times the reward of an ordinary person.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming finally understood.


    It turned out that this household verification mission was not purely to deal with the chaos in the village. The main purpose was to have an excuse to arrest the outsiders who had sneaked into East Lake City. Then, they would deal with the criminals according to the law and specially assign them to dangerous jobs that no one else would be willing to do.


    Chen Yiming shuddered at the thought.


    ¡°Is it possible that the city patrol teams would capture innocent villagers by treating them as unidentified persons to earn a quick buck? Then, the department could just turn a blind eye in order to complete the job.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if we move out tomorrow.¡±


    Chen Yiming was even more determined to move.


    After making up his mind, Chen Yiming instructed, ¡°The two of you wait for me outside. I¡¯ll go in alone and restrain that couple. If I can¡¯t restrain both of them at the same time and one of them escapes, you guys protect yourselves and don¡¯t try to stop them. After I capture one of them, I¡¯ll go after the other.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t confident that he would be able to restrain the two of them if he had to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t harm or kill them. However, since he had undergone three transformations, he would just need to spend some time chasing after them in the worst case.


    As for the couple, it was almost impossible for them to have undergone three transformations. This was because most of the mutant beasts in the wilderness outside the city had only reached the third transformation. It would not be a problem for them to escape from the beasts even if they could not defeat them if they were at the same level. In that case, they would be able to live in the wilderness for a long time and there would be no need for them to hide in the village in the city.


    ¡°Okay, we promise not to act rashly. We¡¯ll follow your arrangements.¡±


    Chen Shaojie nodded.


    This was the reason why he had asked Chen Yiming to work with him instead of anyone else. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t be used as cannon fodder since they were relatives.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, you have to be careful too.¡±


    As a girl, He Chunping was concerned.


    After coming up with a plan, Chen Yiming took a few steps forward. He planned to catch the couple off guard and break through the door.


    Suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded.


    There were two sources of the sound. One was at the corner of a house in front of them, and the other was at the corner of a house behind them.


    In the next moment, the street that Chen Yiming and the other two were in was blocked by the two unknown persons.


    The man had completely changed from earlier. He was over two meters tall with long hair draped over his shoulders, and his eyes were as big as bells. In addition, he was wearing short sleeves even though it was winter, revealing his muscular arms.


    In contrast, the woman had not changed much. Her figure was still the same, but she no longer had the same face as earlier. Instead, it was the face of someone no older than 30 years old. She held a dagger in her hand, which reflected the streetlight with a blinding white flash.


    The man was Zhao Baolong, and the woman was Dong Fen. Both of them had already undergone their second transformations, and were originally members of a group of bandits living in the wilderness.


    The leader of the bandits, who had undergone three transformations, had died in an accident in the midst of the chaos from the war in the west. Naturally, the robbers couldn¡¯t live in the wilderness anymore, so they split up and found their own ways to survive. The couple was forced to sneak into the city and hide in the village while waiting for the war to end.


    ¡°Cousin, what should we do?¡± Chen Shaojie said nervously as he looked left and right, his entire body starting to tremble.


    Their path was blocked from both the front and back. It was completely different from the situation in the plan they had made previously, and there was nowhere to hide.


    ¡°Consultant Chen¡­¡±


    He Chunping¡¯s voice came out in bits and pieces. She was obviously panicking.


    As a girl, even if she had a little martial arts foundation, she had never experienced any actual combat. She only had a little experience of fighting in the ring.


    The two of them were different from Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin. They were newly recruited members and had only received simple training. This was the first time they had encountered such a situation.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply. He wanted to observe the situation first.


    It would be best if one of the couple was on guard against the three of them escaping while the other attacked. This way, he would be able to restrain one of them quickly and then deal with the other.


    Otherwise, if he made the first move, there was a high chance that the two defenseless people beside him would be taken as hostages and he would lose control of the situation.


    If Chen Shaojie was held hostage, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t take the risk of getting him killed. It would be difficult for him to explain himself to his relatives.

 Chapter 33 - Tactics

    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s just mind our own business. Why are you trying to make things difficult for the two of us, who are just a pitiable couple?¡±


    Zhao Baolong¡¯s face was clouded as he spelled out the words one by one. Coupled with his two-meter tall figure, he appeared fierce and sinister.


    The aura surrounding him was honed by his many years of fighting. Chen Shaojie and He Chunping felt their hair stand on end even though they were separated by ten meters.


    ¡°Then who will pity the family you killed?¡± Chen Yiming refuted, seemingly unaffected by Zhao Baolong¡¯s aura.


    His calm demeanor made Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen hesitate. They couldn¡¯t tell if Chen Yiming was actually confident or just pretending to be calm.


    ¡°What a sharp-tongued young man. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still be stubborn in a while.¡±


    Dong Fen shifted her attention from Chen Shaojie and He Chunping to Chen Yiming. She didn¡¯t take any rash actions and merely used her words to taunt him.


    Chen Yiming turned around to face Zhao Baolong.


    ¡°The two of you are talking too much. If you don¡¯t act now, you may not have another chance.¡±


    He deliberately left his back to Dong Fen to see if he could lure the woman into launching a sneak attack.


    Chen Yiming was confident that he would be able to counterattack in time. Once he defeated Dong Fen, Zhao Baolong wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to escape.


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The longer this dragged on, the worse the situation would be for Zhao Baolong and Dong Fengyue. They did not know if Chen Yiming was working with anyone else.


    ¡°Little brother, it seems like you are very confident in your own strength.¡±


    Zhao Baolong had been living in the wilderness for a long time. After failing to sound him out, he quickly changed his mind and continued to speak aggressively.


    As he spoke, he moved forward slowly, secretly gathering his strength. His gaze was fixed on Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes as he used his aura to probe his opponent¡¯s strength.


    Suddenly, a change occurred.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Chen Shaojie¡¯s legs went weak and he fell to the ground.


    He had been afraid when Zhao Baolong was still separated from them by ten meters. With Chen Yiming by his side, he had barely been able to hold on.


    However, as Zhao Baolong moved closer, he couldn¡¯t hide the fear in his heart. He was afraid that he would be treated as a weakling and killed off first, with Chen Yiming unable to protect him in time.


    ¡°Consultant Chen.¡±


    He Chunping subconsciously grabbed the corner of Chen Yiming¡¯s shirt.


    If not for the fact that she still had a shred of rationality, she would have hugged him tightly like a drowning person clutching onto a piece of wood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Chen Yiming grabbed He Chunping¡¯s hand and held it in his as he comforted her.


    He was not trying to make use of the dangerous situation to take advantage of her. Instead, he was afraid that Zhao Baolong would suddenly attack him. If that happened, he would need to react quickly.


    He Chunping¡¯s weight, which was about 90 kilograms, didn¡¯t pose any resistance to Chen Yiming. On the contrary, the impact from a sudden explosive power of his counterattack may injure her.


    Just as everyone¡¯s attention was on Zhao Baolong, Dong Fen, who was guarding the rear, suddenly launched a sneak attack from the back.


    She instantly kicked hard at the ground with the soles of her feet.


    ¡°Ping!¡±


    The sound of stones breaking sounded from the ground where her shoes had been. Using the force to push herself up, her entire body quickly rose into the air like an arrow. With a dagger in hand, she moved to stab Chen Yiming¡¯s heart from behind.


    The setting of the streets in the village was very advantageous for Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen. Chen Yiming¡¯s side had three people, but only one of them could be considered their opponent.


    Whether it was Zhao Baolong or Dong Fen who made a move, Chen Yiming could only deal with their attacks from one direction.


    Therefore, from the moment Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen revealed themselves, they had not intended to let the other three go. Their previous attempts to feel them out were made merely to weaken their resistance and to reduce the risk of injury to themselves.


    They would never have thought that they would be so unlucky as to encounter an expert who had undergone three transformations, but was disguising himself as someone who was only at the level of the first transformation. This was because in normal situations, it was impossible for an expert who had undergone three transformations to be interested in the reward from a job at the level of verifying the household register.


    The distance of less than ten meters was covered in the blink of an eye.


    The dagger in Dong Fen¡¯s hand was surrounded by streams of air. These were the manifestations of the spiral force which was affecting the flow of air.


    This was a common dagger-based technique. The spiral force could greatly increase the penetrative power of the dagger, and those at the same level would find it almost impossible to defend against.


    At the moment that Dong Fen made her move, Chen Yiming immediately reacted and gently pushed He Chunping away. He then turned to face Dong Fen and prepared to knock her down with a punch.


    The reason he planned to use his fist wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t have time to draw his sword.


    Sword techniques were known for their lethality, and it was difficult to control one¡¯s strength. He was afraid that if he did not control it well, he would kill or severely injure his opponent, and the value of his captive would be greatly reduced.


    The moment Chen Yiming turned around, Zhao Baolong smirked. He sped up his movements and leaped into the air, aiming his fist at Chen Yiming to corner him in a pincer attack together with Dong Fen.


    This was a tactic that Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen often used. By relying on their tacit cooperation, it was impossible for others to determine which of the two would really attack and which would be a feint, which could be used to mislead the opponent.


    Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen had already sentenced Chen Yiming to death in their hearts. Everything was going according to their plan.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A powerful explosive force landed mercilessly on Zhao Baolong¡¯s abdomen, accompanied by a loud bang.


    Both of them were fighting with their bare fists. At the last moment, Zhao Baolong saw Chen Yiming turn back after he correctly deduced that Zhao Baolong was the one who would actually attack.


    At that time, his body could no longer make any changes to his attack. He could only brace himself to see whose fist would land first, but his fist had completely missed the mark.


    A figure flew out and crashed heavily into the wall, creating a hole half the size of the wall.


    Zhao Baolong struggled a few times on the spot, but he could not get up. Not only did he feel a sharp pain from his abdomen, but he was also feeling dizzy.


    ¡°Baolong!¡±


    Dong Fen let out a heart-wrenching cry.


    As the one making a feint attack, when she was still one meter away, she kicked off from the ground again and nimbly changed the direction she was charging in to prevent any accidental injuries from occurring when both of them attacked at the same time.


    The mutual trust between the pair, combined with their flexible tactics, had never failed them.


    At most, their opponent would be lucky and correctly judge which was the actual attack. Even then, Zhao Baolong would be able to use his punches to engage their opponent, and she could turn back to deliver a fatal blow at the right time.


    ¡°An expert who had undergone three transformations!¡±


    Dong Fen instantly realized the reason for their failure.


    Only by having the enhancement from the third transformation would he be able to quickly counterattack during the gap between their combined attacks.


    The couple was extremely unlucky to have met someone who was pretending to be weaker than he actually was.


    Dong Fen stood rooted to the ground in a daze. She did not try to fight Chen Yiming or to flee.


    As a former member of the bandit gang living in the wilderness, she knew very well how strong the leader who had undergone the third transformation was.


    Only by splitting up at the start and making use of the densely packed houses in the village would one of them have even a small chance of escaping with their lives. Now, there was no chance of escape.


    She could already foresee the tragic life that awaited her.


    Rather than betting on an impossible escape right now, she might as well surrender and preserve her strength so that she could find a chance to escape in the future.

 Chapter 34 - The Woman

    The residents on the north side of Mingxiang Village were alarmed by the commotion. The sound of many windows opening could be heard.


    Many people stuck their heads out of the windows and saw Zhao Baolong, who was wailing on the ground, and the half-collapsed wall. The villagers wore many different expressions on their faces. Some were happy, some were shocked, and some were fearful.


    ¡°Tsk, what happened over there?¡±


    ¡°Old man, come over quickly. There are people fighting in the village.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the city patrol team. They¡¯ve caught some outsiders that were hiding in our village.¡±


    ¡­


    When Chen Shaojie saw Zhao Baolong who had gradually stopped struggling, the fear in his heart receded like a tide. He regained the strength in his body very quickly, and got up on his own.


    He Chunping was the same. She didn¡¯t dare to confront Chen Yiming for pushing her away violently and stood up on her own.


    ¡°Cousin, that woman hasn¡¯t been knocked down by you yet¡­¡±


    Chen Shaojie patted the dust off his body and looked at Dong Fen who was standing not far away. He could not help but remind him quietly.


    Hearing this, He Chunping instinctively hid behind Chen Yiming, who was still standing far away from Dong Fen. She was afraid that Dong Fen might suddenly attack.


    ¡°What are you panicking for? Can¡¯t you see that she has given up on resisting capture?¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at his cousin.


    At this moment, the dagger in Dong Fen¡¯s hand had fallen to the ground. She was no longer holding any weapon in her hand.


    ¡°What should we do now? Should I go over and handcuff her?¡±


    Chen Shaojie looked troubled. He stood rooted to the ground and stopped himself from saying anything else.


    ¡°The other party has undergone two transformations. Are you sure that handcuffs will work?¡± Chen Yiming asked without thinking.


    He still remembered the ordinary iron handcuffs that the police used to restrain criminals in his previous world. He felt that such handcuffs would not be able to restrain a person at the level of the second transformation.


    ¡°Of course they will work. I¡¯ve brought some handcuffs specially made for this purpose. Once someone is cuffed, they won¡¯t be able to get out of it no matter what.¡±


    Chen Shaojie regained his senses and patted his chest as he reassured his cousin.


    The special handcuffs were made from ores with increased hardness from the alternate world. They were specially used to restrain criminals with a certain amount of martial arts prowess and force them to work obediently.


    ¡°Then hurry up and pass them to me. Or would you dare to handcuff them yourself?¡±


    Chen Yiming stretched out his hand and gestured at Chen Shaojie, who was still standing dumbly at the same spot.


    Chen Shaojie quickly snapped out of his daze at Chen Yiming¡¯s urging. He cursed himself for being so slow-witted from the scare earlier.


    He took out two sets of black handcuffs from his right pocket and handed them to Chen Yiming. Then, he briefly explained how to use them.


    The special handcuffs were different from ordinary ones. They were visibly much thicker and had a shiny black finish.


    Holding them in his hands, Chen Yiming estimated that each pair of handcuffs weighed about ten kilograms. It was indeed specially made for its purpose, and was much heavier than normal.


    He took a few steps over to where Dong Fen was.


    Chen Yiming sized up the female bandit who had been hiding in the village.


    At this moment, she had already changed out of her plain cotton clothes and put on a set of dark red armor. The armor was somewhat tattered, revealing some of the skin beneath.


    Beneath the armor was a pair of long legs. The shape of the muscles on them were clearly visible, and they gave off a feeling of wildness.


    As expected of a woman who could survive in the wilderness, she did not look like a weak and frail lady at all.


    ¡°Sir, as long as you let us off, I can give you everything I have, including myself. How about it?¡±


    When Dong Fen saw him approaching, she recovered her senses and spoke.


    Her voice was crisp and clear, like a bell ringing in his ears. He subconsciously felt attracted to her.


    Chen Yiming remained silent. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to handcuff her. Instead, he considered her offer in his heart.


    Without a doubt, these bandits had lived in the wilderness for many years. The value of the things they had on them could not be compared to those from hooligans in the city. However, the problem was how to make them give up the items. The other party already knew that he would not take their lives and only wanted to exchange them for the reward money.


    In the face of such a situation, what was the best solution, and what was the taboo that should not be broken?


    Chen Yiming turned around and used his eyes to signal for Chen Shaojie to come over and deal with the situation.


    ¡°Cousin, there are many people around who have already seen them. If we let them go, it¡¯s likely that our actions will get reported by someone. I¡¯ve heard that in the past, when the team encountered such situations, they would just search their bodies. We¡¯ll have to make do with what we can find.¡±


    Chen Shaojie took a few steps forward and spoke in a low voice so that the people watching from the shadows could not hear him.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Shaojie noticed a murderous gaze.


    Although Dong Fen didn¡¯t hold much hope at first, when Chen Yiming had hesitated, it was like finding an oasis in the desert. She had seen a glimmer of hope.


    However, Chen Shaojie¡¯s words had killed that possibility. Now that he was standing only a short distance away, she really wanted to beat him to death.


    However, when she thought of Zhao Baolong, who was still wailing at the side, she resisted the urge to kill him. Instead, she stared intently at Chen Shaojie and committed his face to her memory.


    ¡°Cousin, the Chen family is going to stay in East Lake City for a long time. We better not cross the line.¡±


    Chen Shaojie was frightened and quickly continued to persuade him.


    At this moment, he realized that he had become the villain, and he could not let the other party escape.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, I think¡­¡±


    He Chunping also joined in the persuasion. She also did not want to get involved in such matters for no reason. She, as a team member, would not get much benefit from letting them escape.


    ¡°When did I say I was going to let them off? Chen Shaojie, go search the man¡¯s body. Woman, you go with He Chunping to the corner of the courtyard and let her search your body. Don¡¯t play any tricks.¡±


    Chen Yiming grabbed Dong Fen¡¯s hands and handcuffed her as he gave out the instructions.


    ¡°Cousin, how is that man now? Can I handle him?¡±


    Chen Shaojie didn¡¯t move from his spot, pointing at Zhao Baolong as he questioned his cousin.


    The fright that Zhao Baolong gave him was still lingering in his heart. It was fine if he stayed far away, but if he was to search his body, he had to get close to him. What if the other party had not completely lost the ability to resist?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The punch I gave him just now looked like an ordinary punch, but in fact, I threw more than ten punches at him in an instant. Now, his whole body has been injured by my punch. He won¡¯t be able to move a muscle without first taking a few days to heal,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    He had modified part of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s sword moves and incorporated them into his punches, using high frequency attacks to injure the opponent without crippling him.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There was no longer any fear in Chen Shaojie¡¯s eyes. Instead, he was excited. He grabbed the handcuffs from Chen Yiming and walked towards Zhao Baolong.


    As the few of them entered the courtyard one after another, the villagers who were secretly watching also dispersed.


    ¡°That young man is so violent. I don¡¯t even know if the man is dead or not. I didn¡¯t see him get up at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but the two lackeys beside him are far inferior to him. They have been watching the show from the beginning to the end and were completely useless in the fight.¡±


    ¡°They have already captured the outsiders. Why are they still bringing them into the courtyard? Do you think something unspeakable will happen?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? What are you thinking? They must be searching for valuables on those two people. It¡¯s not good for others to see.¡±


    ¡­


    Separated by the wall of the courtyard, no one could see what was going on inside. However, not many people dared to get close to continue watching what they were doing. Ordinary people were naturally afraid of the officials.

 Chapter 35 - Body Search

    In a house in the northern district of Mingxiang Village, the air was filled with smoke and the atmosphere was tense. No one was speaking.


    There were three burly men dressed in rough hempen clothes, each with a lit cigarette in their mouth. They puffed smoke continuously, lighting up a new cigarette each time one was burnt out.


    They were bandits who couldn¡¯t continue to live in the wilderness after the war started in the west.


    Suddenly, a figure rushed in.


    ¡°Big Brother, that couple from the Red Moon Clan has fallen!¡±


    Ye Changrong¡¯s face was filled with fear. He was weak at the knees and his voice was trembling.


    ¡°How many times must I tell you before you learn your lesson? What¡¯s the use of panicking? You¡¯ve caused such a huge commotion. If we¡¯re discovered, we can¡¯t escape.¡±


    Lu Jinyi glared at Ye Changrong and took a deep drag of his cigarette as he scolded the other man.


    As their leader, he had to maintain a dignified image in front of his subordinates at all times. He could only use smoking to hide his anxiety.


    ¡°Fourth Brother, calm your nerves with a cigarette and tell us what you saw.¡±


    The third brother, Han Jingfei, picked up a box of cigarettes from the table beside him and took one out. He stood up and offered it to Ye Changrong.


    Ye Changrong took the cigarette and dug out the lighter he always carried with him from his pocket. However, he couldn¡¯t light it even after several tries. He even dropped the cigarette from between his fingers.


    Seeing this, Han Jingfei had no choice but to help Ye Changrong light the cigarette.


    ¡°Big Brother, it looks like things aren¡¯t looking good. Should we just escape through the tunnel?¡±


    The second brother, Jiang Yisheng, suggested as he looked at Ye Changrong who had lost his composure. He was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape in time if they stayed any longer.


    Lu Jinyi glanced at him and thought for a few seconds before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not the first day that the city patrol team has come to check the household register. They¡¯re not that fast. Let¡¯s hear what Fourth Brother says first.¡±


    He was secretly very dissatisfied with Second Brother¡¯s behavior. Among the four of them, he was ranked second in terms of strength. However, when he saw that the situation wasn¡¯t looking good, his first thought was to escape. How could he rely on such a subordinate?


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    After smoking through half a cigarette, Ye Changrong pulled himself together and stopped trembling.


    ¡°Today¡¯s city patrol team consisted of five people in total. Two of them are responsible for blocking both ends of the street while the other three are responsible for checking the houses.¡±


    Ye Changrong recalled what he had seen carefully and explained the situation.


    ¡°With so few people, they can¡¯t seal off the entire Mingxiang Village, right?¡±


    Lu Jinyi heaved a sigh of relief. His worries were mostly gone.


    ¡°Yes, they sealed off the road from the north to the center of the village today. I took a look at the other two exits, but I didn¡¯t see anyone from the city patrol.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. Get straight to the point. How strong are the members of the city patrol team?¡±


    When Lu Jinyi heard this, he no longer had the patience to listen to the full story from Ye Rongchang and urged him to hurry up.


    ¡°Oh, I saw that Zhao Baolong was sent flying by a young man with a single punch, and half the wall was destroyed. I don¡¯t know what happened after that.¡±


    Ye Changrong immediately skipped to the outcome of the battle.


    ¡°Hiss!¡±


    Lu Jinyi sucked in a breath of cold air. He had felt relieved earlier, but was anxious again.


    At this moment, he wanted to beat Ye Changrong up immediately.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of running back so quickly? What happened after that? You didn¡¯t even see which side won in the end. What are you even doing?¡±


    Lu Jinyi smacked his head and covered his face, cursing his subordinate. As he cursed, he suddenly thought of something and his voice gradually became quieter.


    His face was red with rage. Clearly, he was infuriated by Ye Changrong¡¯s actions. If he didn¡¯t see the most important situation clearly, the information he brought back wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Ye Changrong was shocked by Lu Jinyi¡¯s reaction and stammered, not daring to reply.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about now. Big Brother, let¡¯s go out via the tunnel and hide for a while,¡± Jiang Yisheng suggested again.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way. Next time, Ye Changrong, you won¡¯t be in charge of investigating the situation. Han Jingfei, you go instead,¡± Lu Jinyi instructed without even sparing him a glance before he went into his room to get his luggage.


    There was not much luggage to bring along. There were only two bags filled with some important items.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Big Brother. If Ye Changrong isn¡¯t in charge of gathering information, what else can he do?¡±


    Han Jingfei immediately shirked the responsibility. He no longer looked as concerned about Ye Changrong as before.


    The four brothers quickly packed their luggage and left through a secret tunnel that they had dug in advance.


    At the entrance of the secret tunnel was a thick growth of grass on the east side of the village. They had deliberately piled a lot of miscellaneous items on top of the entrance. They had even used weeds that were about half a meter tall to hide the entrance.


    ¡­


    In the courtyard with half of the wall destroyed, Zhao Baolong was still lying on the ground. Dong Fen was half-squatting beside Zhao Baolong as she quietly comforted her dejected husband.


    Chen Shaojie and He Chunping placed the items they had found from the body search on the ground for Chen Yiming to examine.


    ¡°Have you searched the room?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked through the items on the floor as he questioned Chen Shaojie and He Chunping.


    He had not learned any knowledge relevant to the situation, so he might be no better than Chen Shaojie and He Chunping in this aspect. He could only choose to trust the two of them to get the job done.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, Chen Shaojie and I have searched the room carefully three times. We have searched every corner. Everything we can find is here,¡±


    He Chunping answered seriously. She was glad that she was not just a bystander throughout the whole incident.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the woman hasn¡¯t been searched thoroughly,¡± Chen Shaojie added quietly.


    The two colleagues at the scene were both people who were doing their jobs seriously. He Chunping was too embarrassed to do anything too untoward to Dong Fen in front of everyone else, but she also did not have the guts to enter a room alone with Dong Fen to conduct a more thorough search. She only did a simple body search on the spot.


    When Zhao Baolong heard this, he momentarily felt short of breath. A mouthful of phlegm was caught in his throat, and his eyes were bloodshot, the killing intent in them becoming almost tangible.


    Dong Fen quickly helped Zhao Baolong sit up and tried to help him breathe properly, and cough out the phlegm in his throat.


    ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t you bring that woman to the room for a checkup? He Chunping and I will wait for you outside.¡±


    Chen Shaojie thought that both sides had already formed a deep grudge, especially the woman who had given him a look as if she couldn¡¯t wait to kill him. Thus, he started to have some wicked thoughts.


    Zhao Baolong was already furious to begin with. With this, he could no longer suppress his anger and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    When Dong Fen heard this, her face was filled with shame and anger. She was completely in shock and completely forgot about Zhao Baolong who was vomiting blood beside her.


    Although bandits in the wilderness like the Red Moon Clan valued strength above all else, women who had lost their husbands would usually be quickly taken by other powerful men.


    However, there were also exceptions and some women were forcibly taken away by men who were stronger than their husbands.


    However, there were also exceptions, and some women were forcibly abducted by men who were stronger than their husbands.


    Her heart was already wavering. Should she abandon Zhao Baolong? Even if she could only be a mistress, at least she could escape the fate of being sent to the front lines as a criminal.


    She knew exactly how dangerous the wilderness was.


    The leader of the Red Moon Clan, who had undergone three transformations, had died in an accident. The group of bandits were then forced to disband on the spot, and each tried to find their own way to escape into the city.


    The alternative of fighting against mutant beasts would be much more dangerous. With her ability from the second transformation, she was probably not even able to serve as cannon fodder. It would be almost impossible for her to survive.

 Chapter 36 - Chance Encounter

    A gust of cold wind blew in through the gap in the wall.


    The atmosphere froze as everyone waited for Chen Yiming¡¯s decision.


    Chen Yiming felt that if he continued to remain silent, things would get out of control.


    He originally wanted to take on the job to earn some extra money, and didn¡¯t have any other plans. It was all Chen Shaojie¡¯s random guesses that was ruining his image.


    ¡°Shaojie, you should know when to stop.¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes and reminded him.


    After saying that, he squatted down and tied up the cash he found with a thin piece of string. It was less than 50,000 yuan, and he put it all into his pocket.


    He then placed two small booklets in a bag and asked He Chunping to help him hold on to them first. The booklets were not about swordsmanship, so he planned to sell them for money when he got the chance.


    Finally, he gave the dagger to Chen Shaojie and asked him to use it for self-defense. He could return it to him later.


    Dong Fen heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Chen Yiming¡¯s words. There were many people around her, and it wasn¡¯t just the two of them. However, she was still on tenterhooks.


    Sometimes, a moment of hesitation would reveal one¡¯s true thoughts, causing cracks to appear in the layers of trust that the couple had built up over the years.


    Both of them were bandits, and they were not good people. In the past, they had been involved in murder and robbery. Dong Fen was worried that her husband would not be able to keep the grudge in his heart for now and wait for a chance to get revenge in the future.


    Dong Fen made up her mind. She suddenly let go of her husband and stood up. She walked over to Chen Yiming and said, ¡°We hid some things on the east side of the village. This includes a map drawn by the Red Moon Clan detailing the information we have gathered over the years. I wonder if you are interested in it?¡±


    Maps were often more valuable than mutant beast meat and weapons. This was because the various factions would not share them easily. Even if one had money, one could not buy them.


    Zhao Baolong¡¯s internal injuries worsened, and he fell to the ground once again, howling in pain.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the woman in front of him and didn¡¯t reply immediately. He didn¡¯t know why she had suddenly given up her secret. Was she plotting something?


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of dried mutant beast meat inside too. They will all be yours.¡±


    Dong Fen saw that Chen Yiming had fallen silent again, so she added more information to entice him.


    Chen Yiming suddenly remembered that he had to work part-time at the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center, so he had no choice but to agree.


    Chen Yiming arranged for He Chunping to call Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin over. Dong Fen was unwilling to help Zhao Baolong, so Chen Yiming had no choice but to arrange for Chen Shaojie to go.


    Soon, after everyone had arrived, Dong Fen led the way, and the group headed to the hidden treasure on the east side of the village.


    ¡­


    On the east side of the village, in a thick bush by the roadside, four strong men were lying on the ground. There were tires, chairs, shelves and other abandoned items lying around them.


    Hidden by the darkness in the night, and camouflaged by the weeds and trash around them, no one would be able to spot them hiding there from a distance.


    Chen Yiming and his group took a detour to the east side of the village.


    Everyone was talking and laughing along the way. They were obviously very satisfied with the result of their first day on the job.


    Among them, Zhong Chaofeng and Lin Yongxin had barely made any contributions and would still be able to get their hands on their share of the reward. In order to make up for it, they pestered Chen Yiming along the way and heaped praises on him.


    Dong Fen was at the head of the group and stopped not far from the bushes.


    ¡°Sir, the hiding place is near the grass patch in front of us.¡±


    Dong Fen raised her hand and pointed in the direction that the four burly men were hiding.


    The bush was much more hidden than when Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen hid their things there due to the miscellaneous items around it.


    ¡°You guys wait here. Dong Fen and I will go over.¡±


    Chen Yiming instructed Chen Shaojie, He Chunping, and the other team members.


    If there was a trap, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem even if he relied only on his own strength. However, the others in the team might not be able to deal with it.


    In the bushes, the four of them didn¡¯t even dare to meet the gaze of Chen Yiming¡¯s group. They didn¡¯t even see Dong Fen pointing out their hiding spot to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Big Brother, what should we do? It¡¯s those people from the city patrol team.¡±


    Cold sweat broke out on Ye Changrong¡¯s forehead. He suddenly felt the urge to pee and could not help but whisper.


    He had seen with his own eyes that Zhao Baolong was sent flying with a single punch. He did not have any confidence even in the strongest of the four brothers, their big brother who had undergone teo transformations.


    Lu Jinyi ignored him, continuing to lie on the ground without moving, but rage was already burning in his heart.


    Ye Changrong had found out the wrong information and was even causing trouble now. If it wasn¡¯t because the situation didn¡¯t allow it, he really wanted to strangle Ye Changrong to death.


    The second brother, Jiang Yisheng, and the third brother, Han Jingfei, were also drenched in cold sweat due to Ye Changrong¡¯s actions.


    They cursed him loudly in their hearts. This useless fellow was dragging everyone down at the critical moment.


    Fortunately, a car coincidentally was driving over from a distance. The car honked to signal to the pedestrians on the road to make way, the sound masking Ye Changrong¡¯s voice.


    This allowed the people hiding in the grass to let out their breaths instead of having to immediately turn around and escape.


    On the roadside, Chen Yiming, who appeared to be rather relaxed, had been sweeping his gaze across the bushes to prevent Dong Fen from setting a trap for him.


    Ye Changrong¡¯s voice was only as loud as a mosquito flapping its wings, but it still caught Chen Yiming¡¯s attention.


    ¡°So someone was lying here in ambush.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought he had seen through Dong Fen¡¯s plan, so he felt relieved.


    Regardless of whether Dong Fen wanted to take the opportunity to escape or join forces with her remaining accomplices to deal with him, if worse came to worst, he could just fight with all his might. The reward would just be reduced by a portion.


    Dong Fen led the way while Chen Yiming followed behind her. The two of them walked down a mud path into the grass, but their direction did not head towards the four people in hiding.


    Dong Fen came to the corner of a house and dug through the weeds. She took out a small knife from somewhere on her body and slashed at the mud wall a few times. She broke the surface of the mud and a hole the size of a dog appeared before her, leading into a tunnel.


    Chen Yiming stood at the side and glanced at it under the moonlight.


    At the same time, he became even more cautious towards Dong Fen. He couldn¡¯t easily believe that she didn¡¯t have any other weapons on hand.


    The space underground was not big. It was about a meter wide and less than half a meter high. Three stuffed sacks took up the entire space.


    Dong Fen didn¡¯t say anything else. She crawled in and retrieved one of the sacks, then untied the rope around the top for Chen Yiming to take a look at the contents.


    ¡°The three sacks contain maps, dried mutant meat, and medicine for treating injuries respectively.¡±


    Dong Fen pointed at the sack that she had already opened and turned around to explain.


    With that said, she bent down and took out a few small bottles from the sack containing medicine. She continued, ¡°I just need a little to use on myself. I¡¯ll give you everything else.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Chen Yiming tied up the sack and grabbed all three sacks with one hand. He threw them over his shoulder and walked back the way they came from.


    On the way, Chen Yiming was puzzled. He needed to carry the sacks with one hand and had his back facing the ambushers. However, they had yet to make a move.


    What exactly went wrong? He did not agree to let Dong Fen off, so there was no need for her to give their treasures to him so easily.

 Chapter 37 - Different

    Chen Yiming returned with three sacks on his back.


    Chen Shaojie, Zhong Chaofeng, and Lin Yongxin hurried forward, each person helping to carry a sack.


    ¡°Take it carefully. The things inside are very precious,¡± Chen Yiming reminded them.


    The sacks contained maps, dried mutant beast meat and medicine. Any one of these items would be worth far more than the cash they had found through the body search earlier.


    Some types of dried mutant beast meat were rare and hard to find. He had already planned to get Chen Yingying to start practicing martial arts once he got back. These dried mutant beast meat would be saved for his sister.


    With the maps, the conditions for the next step of his plan were met.


    While Chen Yiming was talking to the three of them, Dong Fen walked to Zhao Baolong¡¯s side.


    ¡°If you must blame someone, then blame yourself for being useless.¡±


    Dong Fen squatted down and quickly took out a few red pills from the medicine bottle she had kept.


    ¡°You damned woman.¡±


    Zhao Baolong¡¯s eyes widened. Ignoring the pain from his muscles being torn apart, he struggled and tried to get up.


    The red pill was a type of slow-acting poison that targeted the heart. If one did not take the antidote for a long time after ingesting the poison, the ability of the heart to supply blood to the body would gradually decrease. Eventually, it would reach the stage where just walking a few steps would cause one to feel thoroughly exhausted.


    Dong Fen held Zhao Baolong down with one hand and patted his chest with the other. Zhao Baolong opened his mouth reflexively and she quickly fed him the pill. Then, she covered his mouth and made him swallow the pill.


    After making sure Zhao Baolong swallowed the red pill, Dong Fen bid farewell to Zhao Baolong.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I was afraid of leaving behind future troubles? This way, you will definitely not be able to come out of this alive.¡±


    Dong Fen did this to prevent any future troubles. It was all Chen Shaojie¡¯s fault for coming up with such crooked ideas. Her survival instinct revealed her true thoughts.


    If she did not act mercilessly now, and if the war ended soon and both of them were lucky enough to survive, Dong Fen, who was weaker than Zhao Baolong, would have to pray that Zhao Baolong would not try to settle the score with her later.


    By the time Zhao Baolong was sent to the front line to work, there would not be enough medicine for the soldiers. Zhao Baolong would not be able to receive the necessary treatment and would only be able to work till he passed on from exhaustion.


    Chen Yiming had also noticed the situation on Zhao Baolong¡¯s side. However, Dong Fen had acted too quickly, and no one had expected her to do something like this.


    Dong Fen stood up and explained to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. That slow-acting poison won¡¯t work immediately. I just don¡¯t want Zhao Baolong to have any chance of getting out of this alive.¡±


    After hearing her explanation, Chen Yiming immediately understood why this woman was willing to give up her treasures so easily.


    These bandits were indeed cold-blooded. Once she found out that the situation could not be salvaged, she could do anything even if the other party was her own husband.


    ¡°What about those people in the bushes?¡±


    Chen Yiming immediately thought of the people hiding in the bushes. They must have been scared off by his fight with Zhao Baolong and ended up escaping here to hide from him.


    ¡°You guys wait here, especially Dong Fen. Don¡¯t think you can escape.¡±


    Chen Yiming gave his instructions and set off at full speed.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished before everyone¡¯s eyes in the blink of an eye. Dong Fen saw that his speed was even faster than when they fought earlier, and she quickly extinguished the thought of fleeing that had briefly surfaced in her mind.


    From the roof of a house near where the four men were lying, a voice rang out.


    ¡°The four of you, it¡¯s already so late. Were you hiding here waiting for me?¡±


    Chen Yiming was in a good mood and couldn¡¯t help but taunt them.


    How unlucky were these four men to run into him? Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t gone to look for them, but they had delivered themselves to his doorstep.


    A few minutes later, the four of them obediently followed Chen Yiming back to the roadside.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, in the west of East Lake City, at the entrance to a group of three- to five-story buildings.


    The city patrol office was just inside the entrance.


    It was almost 7:30 pm. From time to time, the city patrol teams would enter and hand over their captives after keeping a record at the guardhouse.


    The other city patrol teams usually captured two or three people, most of whom were refugees who were pale and thin.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s team was different. Other than the dispirited Zhao Baolong, the other five were muscular and had a ferocious aura.


    It was obvious that they were martial arts practitioners, which attracted the attention of the other city patrol teams.


    When it was their turn to register, the old guard looked them over a few more times.


    ¡°Three people who have undergone two transformations, and three people who have reached the first transformation. Is that right? If you deliberately make a false report, your team will be disqualified.¡±


    Chen Shaojie stepped forward to smooth things over. He took out a cigarette and passed it to the old man.


    ¡°Old Man Zhang, our consultant is a genius trainee of the Mantis Snake Sword School. Please do not worry about the records. We are not trying to trick you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The old man could tell that the captives were all martial artists. However, what could be seen on the surface might not be accurate. They would have to be tested by professionals to get an accurate assessment.


    Not far away, the team queuing behind Chen Yiming was in disbelief when they heard Old Man Zhang¡¯s words.


    How could there a single city patrol team capture so many people at the level of the first and second transformation? Even if it was possible, how could they capture so many at once?


    It must be understood that most of the captains of the ordinary city patrol teams had only undergone a single body transformation. Only a few of the more powerful ones had reached the level of the second transformation.


    In the villages in the city, the unidentified persons who had undergone one or two transformations were basically bandits who had sneaked into the city from the wilderness.


    At the same cultivation level, the captain of a city patrol team, who had been maintaining order in the city for years, was no match for the bandits who had lived in the wilderness.


    When they encountered a tough opponent, the city patrol team would usually pretend that they didn¡¯t see anything even if they sensed that something was wrong. The bandits also didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary trouble, so both sides maintained a certain level of tacit understanding.


    The city patrol team¡¯s main target was the refugees who had sneaked into the city. Compared to the city patrol team, the refugees did not have enough strength to put up a resistance. In reality, the city patrol team¡¯s captain rarely made a move and usually let his subordinates deal with the captives.


    The old man quickly let Chen Yiming¡¯ group pass. Chen Shaojie walked to the front and continued leading the way. They arrived at a building that was designated for the teams to hand over their captives.


    Ten minutes later, Chen Yiming and his team exited the building.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, you¡¯re really amazing.¡±


    Zhong Chaofeng was the first to suck up to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Consultant Chen. The team beside us was completely dumbfounded and they all had a look of shock.¡±


    Lin Yongxin was a tactful person who had been working for many years, and also tried to curry favor with him.


    ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t we book a table at a restaurant to celebrate the success of our first day on the job?¡± Chen Shaojie suggested.


    Chen Yiming glanced at them without saying anything.


    In his previous life, he had worked for many years after graduation. He knew that they wanted to continue working with him to earn more rewards from the job, so they deliberately tried to please him.


    ¡°Pass all the items to me. I still have something to do, so I have to leave first.¡±


    Chen Yiming still had his part-time job at night, so he rejected his cousin¡¯s suggestion and left with the items he had collected earlier.


    At this moment, there was still more than ten minutes before the swordsmanship class started. With his current speed, he could return home first before going to teach the class.

 Chapter 38 - Proposal

    The Chen¡¯s house was brightly lit.


    The whole family sat around the dining table. No one touched their chopsticks, and they waited in silence.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hide it from his family, so they already knew that he would be working on a job with Chen Shaojie for the first time that night.


    Although Chen Yiming had repeatedly emphasized that there wouldn¡¯t be any danger, his family was still worried. They had heard about the chaos in the village from their neighbors.


    The son was a rookie who had just joined the martial arts school for a little more than a month. What if he ran into some fiendish bandits? Just the thought of it was terrifying.


    At 7:52 pm, Chen Yiming rushed home with his hands full of the night¡¯s loot.


    In order not to cause too much trouble, he did not choose to enter through the front door. Instead, he jumped down from an angle such that no one could see him, landing in the courtyard from the roof.


    Mother Chen was startled when she saw Chen Yiming suddenly appearing in the courtyard.


    ¡°What have you done, Son? Why are you sneaking around with so much stuff in your hands?¡±


    ¡°Brother, you look like a thief now,¡± Chen Yingying whispered.


    When the family members saw that Chen Yiming had returned safely, the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. Father Chen stepped forward to help take the things from him.


    ¡°Dad, there are important things inside. Help me put them in the basement first,¡± Chen Yiming said to Father Chen.


    ¡°What are these?¡±


    Father Chen tried to lift them up and found that they were not light, especially the sack containing the dried mutant beast meat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain all the details, I have to go to class now. Chen Yingying, come with me,¡± Chen Yiming explained to Father Chen simply.


    ¡°Brother, why should I go with you?¡± Chen Yingying asked.


    She was very satisfied with her current life. She stayed at home every day reading her books, and did not have to go out.


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing you to observe the class. From now on, I¡¯ll teach you martial arts,¡± Chen Yiming blurted out the decision he had made earlier.


    The world was unstable now, and only martial arts could offer protection for oneself. Even though he knew that Chen Yingying did not like to exercise and preferred to study quietly, he had no choice but to force his sister to walk the path of martial arts.


    This was his responsibility towards her and his family.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough for our family to have you? Besides, I don¡¯t have the talent for it,¡± Chen Yingying reflexively refused.


    Every year, the junior and senior high schools would conduct a standardized test to select students with martial arts talent. Chen Yingying¡¯s martial arts talent was similar to that of Chen Yiming¡¯s body¡¯s owner. They were both of the type that was not worth nurturing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, son. You should spend all your money on your own cultivation. Your sister isn¡¯t particularly talented in martial arts, so she can just continue studying in the future,¡± Mother Chen said from the side. She was unwilling to let Chen Yingying practice martial arts.


    ¡°Yingying, go change your clothes and get ready to leave with me. Listen to me. I have my own judgment. Yingying won¡¯t need to spend much money practicing martial arts.¡±


    Chen Yiming rejected Mother Chen¡¯s suggestion and stuck with the arrangement he had made for Chen Yingying.


    ¡°Oh, wait for me, I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    Chen Yingying had a weak personality, so she gave in to Chen Yiming.


    The night in the village was quiet and only the occasional barking could be heard.


    Mother Chen helped Father Chen move the things that Chen Yiming had brought back to the basement of the house. Chen Yingying returned to her room and changed into sportswear.


    Chen Yiming made Chen Yingying sit on the back seat of the bicycle, and the two of them set off for the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center.


    ¡­


    At 8:05 pm, Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying arrived at the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center.


    Due to the fact that he was carrying Chen Yingying, his speed was much slower than cycling alone, so they were a little late.


    At the waiting area of the training center, Xie Xuejiao and Luo Yafang were chatting in low voices.


    Both of them had a pair of long legs. At this moment, they both had one leg crossed over the other leg. Their high heels were hanging off their toes and swaying in the air, revealing their small feet in black stockings.


    ¡°The young man you were in charge of receiving the last time is too unreliable. How can he be late on the second day?¡±


    Luo Yafang had nothing to do and just said whatever came to her mind.


    ¡°Maybe something happened on the way,¡± Xie Xuejiao said uncertainly.


    ¡°If you ask me, when he comes later, you should directly warn him about how he shouldn¡¯t be late. Otherwise, your bonus for next month will be deducted by god knows how much.¡±


    Luo Yafang thought about the bonus and helped her colleague to come up with an idea.


    ¡°Come on, what nonsense are you spouting? If I dare to do that, the company will probably fire me first.¡±


    Xie Xuejiao laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. We get our money deducted for no reason and we¡¯re not allowed to complain even in private?¡±


    Luo Yafang rolled her eyes in response.


    There was a rule within the company that the person in charge of receiving the teacher would have a certain amount of bonus deducted according to the number of times the teacher was late or absent.


    On the other hand, if a martial arts teacher failed to complete the company¡¯s mandated teaching class, the senior management of the company would discuss whether to dock their pay. Generally, it would be left unsettled.


    Chen Yiming brought Chen Yingying out of the elevator. He wanted to go straight to the class, but he remembered that he had something to discuss with Xie Xuejiao, so he headed straight to the reception.


    At this moment, Xie Xuejiao had no time to chat with Luo Yafang. She hurriedly put on her high heels and went forward to receive him.


    ¡°Teacher Chen, who is this?¡± Xie Xuejiao asked Chen Yiming when she saw a young girl beside him.


    ¡°This is my sister, Chen Yingying. I asked her to come and observe the class.¡±


    Chen Yiming made the introductions. Out of respect, he decided to inform the people at the training center. Otherwise, he would appear too high-handed.


    ¡°Teacher Chen, your sister is really pretty,¡± Xie Xuejiao praised, not daring to mention the matter of the registration fee.


    Chen Yingying remained silent. Her face had turned red after hearing the compliment.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else I want to discuss with you. Can I increase the number of students in the swordsmanship class? After all, there¡¯s still plenty of room in the class,¡± Chen Yiming shared his thoughts.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll arrange it for you immediately,¡± Xie Xuejiao agreed.


    She had a smile on her face the entire time and maintained a respectful attitude, but her heart was already blooming with joy.


    In need of money? She immediately added a new piece of information to her notebook. She believed that she could sell it for a good price.


    Chen Yiming had finished telling Xie Xuejiao what he wanted to say. Seeing that he was late, he did not continue chatting and brought Chen Yingying to the class.


    In the classroom, the students of the swordsmanship class had already lined up in preparation for the class. However, Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t arrived even though it was after 8 pm. Thus, they had dispersed and were sitting by the wall, bragging.


    Chen Yiming pushed open the door and entered the room. All the students stood up reflexively and lined up in rows within half a minute.


    They heard some rumors today that someone was trying to get into the class.


    If the total number of students remained the same, someone would have to leave to make room for the new student. Chen Yiming was an outstanding trainee in the martial arts school, and it wasn¡¯t easy to meet such a teacher.

 Chapter 39 - Plan

    Two hours passed quickly.


    Chen Yiming was a person who was extremely serious about cultivation. Naturally, he would not reduce the duration of the class. After ten o¡¯clock, he extended the lecture by another ten minutes since he started the class late.


    A dejected Chen Yingying followed Chen Yiming out of the training center.


    Her performance today was terrible. It was hard to believe that she was Chen Yiming¡¯s sister.


    At the start of the class, Chen Yingying was sitting alone in a corner, watching Chen Yiming¡¯s lesson. The students of the swordsmanship class were curious about what connections she had to allow her to join the class so quickly.


    During the practice session, Chen Yiming wanted to learn more about his sister¡¯s swordsmanship, so he let her join the group to train together.


    With this, Chen Yingying¡¯s identity was exposed. The students of the swordsmanship class knew that the new girl was the teacher¡¯s sister.


    However, what happened next took everyone by surprise. Chen Yingying¡¯s performance was completely beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. Her performance revealed that she had just started practicing martial arts for a few months and had yet to master all the basic sword moves.


    ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t I just stay at home after all? I¡¯m really not good at martial arts,¡± Chen Yingying lowered her head and whispered.


    The gazes of the surrounding swordsmanship students had made her feel extremely uncomfortable earlier. She felt that she had embarrassed her brother.


    Chen Yiming walked ahead and thought to himself, ¡°Indeed, in the novels from my previous world, the setting of having a useless brother and a genius sister was just a lie. They were born from the same parents, and their physique was inherited from the previous generation. How could there be such a huge difference?¡±


    ¡°Yingying, there¡¯s no need to be anxious. The first stage of martial arts is the disciple realm. You can rely on cultivation resources to get through this stage. Coincidentally, I got quite a lot of good stuff from my job earlier,¡± Chen Yiming turned around and consoled her.


    He was not too worried about Chen Yingying getting through the first disciple realm, since it was only concerned with tempering of the body.


    By the time Chen Yingying started tempering her body, he might have already broken through to the warrior realm.


    By then, he might be able to obtain many rare items that could help her to break through the first and second transformations.


    Chen Yingying finally felt better after hearing what her brother had said. Her brother was so powerful now, he would definitely not say anything just for show, so it must be as he said.


    ¡­


    At the same time, on another street, Wang Junyi and Yu Weisheng were walking along the road and chatting about the interesting things that happened that day.


    They were both students from Chen Yiming¡¯s swordsmanship class.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you always feeling envious of He Tianli? He eats the mutant beast meat like a staple. Now, the opportunity is right in front of you,¡± Wang Junyi joked.


    Yu Weisheng rolled his eyes and said coldly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go? I¡¯ll help you come up with ideas behind the scenes. Once you succeed, you can take care of me, your brother.¡±


    ¡°Then forget it. I¡¯m afraid her brother will break my leg. Besides, why would she like me? I¡¯m not handsome,¡± Wang Jun said with a smile.


    ¡°Then why are you still urging me to go? Do you want me to die? You don¡¯t have good intentions,¡± Yu Weisheng said unhappily.


    ¡°I was just kidding, don¡¯t mind it too much. But honestly, you¡¯re different from me. Girls like pretty boys like you. Are you really not going to try?¡± Wang Junyi tried to persuade him again.


    In the eyes of the male students, Chen Yingying was just a girl from a rich family. If they were lucky enough to chase her successfully, they would be able to solve the problem of their lack of cultivation resources.


    The reality was just that dark. Many people had already started to secretly observe and collect information about Chen Yingying, looking for an opportunity to capture her heart.


    ¡­


    It was almost 10:30 pm when they left the training center.


    In the dead of night, there was no one on the streets. It was so quiet that only the sound of the wheels rolling along the road could be heard.


    Chen Yiming carried Chen Yingying on his bicycle and did not say a single word throughout the journey. In his heart, he was formulating a martial arts plan for Chen Yingying.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one to supervise her at home during the day. Father and Mother definitely won¡¯t be harsh to their own daughter. The cultivation environment is not good.¡±


    Chen Yiming remembered that he had to go to the martial arts school during the day, so he had no time to watch over Chen Yingying¡¯s training.


    The scene of his body¡¯s owner dropping out of school and practicing martial arts at home was still vivid in his mind. His martial arts talent was not good to begin with, and there was no one to supervise him. Very quickly, he got discouraged by the lack of progress.


    When his parents saw this, their hearts ached for him. They constantly persuaded him to rest before resuming his training. In the end, the training time became shorter and shorter, and the number of breaks increased until he gave up completely.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I bring her to the martial arts school to train together?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought of an idea, which was to bring Chen Yingying with him.


    Very soon, he realized that it was not suitable. Firstly, he was not a core disciple of the school. Unlike the training center, where he was working as a teacher, he could not bring a beginner straight to the school.


    Secondly, Chen Yingying was a far cry from even the worst students in the school. If she stayed in such an environment for a long time, she would easily lose confidence.


    Chen Yiming thought about it and realized that there was only one solution. He would have to help Chen Yingying sign up for swordsmanship classes from morning until afternoon, and get other martial arts teachers to supervise her training.


    ¡°The second problem is that I don¡¯t know anything about building one¡¯s foundation in martial arts.¡±


    Chen Yiming was frustrated. He had relied on upgrading his talent through the martial arts talent system to progress on his cultivation journey. He had never cared about such knowledge before, and only realized the problem when he needed to use it.


    Although he had gotten a lot of dried mutant beast meat from Dong Fen, he could not even name most of them. How would he dare to let Chen Yingying eat them without any information?


    Initially, he thought that it was enough to help Chen Yingying build her foundation and improve her physique. However, after careful analysis, he realized that he was too naive.


    After thinking about it, there was only one solution. Tomorrow, he would bring Chen Yingying to the Wang clan¡¯s village and ask Old Man Wang to help him choose a combination of mutant beast meat that was suitable for Chen Yingying to build her foundation.


    Then, he would find a way to exchange the meat he could not use for the meat that would be suitable for Chen Yingying.


    ¡°Lastly, there¡¯s the problem of Chen Yingying¡¯s main cultivation technique. Should she follow me to cultivate sword techniques?¡±


    Chen Yiming pondered this question.


    He could either choose the cultivation technique that was most suitable for Chen Yingying, or she could cultivate sword techniques along with him.


    If Chen Yingying chose a cultivation technique that was suitable for her, he would still be able to help with the basic moves. As she progressed further in her cultivation, he would gradually lose the ability to guide her and she would have to rely on herself.


    Considering Chen Yingying¡¯s poor martial arts talent, even if she had an endless supply of cultivation resources, Chen Yingying could only remain in the disciple realm forever.


    On the other hand, if she were to cultivate sword techniques together with him, even if the sword techniques were not compatible with Chen Yingying, he would have a way to help her break through when he reached a higher realm in cultivation.


    At most, he would let Chen Yingying be the weakest among those of the same cultivation realm. His purpose for letting Chen Yingying practice martial arts was to give her the strength to protect herself and her parents.


    Chen Yingying did not have a martial arts talent system like him. Even if he tried his best to help her, she would not be able to catch up to him.

 Chapter 40 - Rumor

    At 6 am, at this time in winter, the sky was still dark.


    Chen Yiming knocked on Chen Yingying¡¯s door and urged her to wake up for morning training.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s too early. The sky is still dark.¡± Chen Yingying opened the door with sleepy eyes. She was still half-asleep and had a reluctant expression on her face.


    ¡°You have to start your morning training at this time from now on. Don¡¯t be lazy,¡± Chen Yiming said sternly.


    Since he had already decided to let Chen Yingying embark on the path of martial arts, he could not be soft-hearted. He would help her develop a good habit from the first day. If he gave in to her now, he would give in to her countless times in the future.


    ¡°I have to wake up so early every day?¡± Chen Yingying pouted and her eyes widened.


    All of a sudden, she was no longer sleepy. The thought of waking up so early every day in the future made her want to cry.


    Soon, she washed up and tied her hair into a ponytail. Chen Yingying then followed Chen Yiming to the courtyard for their morning training.


    Chen Yiming waited for Chen Yingying to stand in position before he said, ¡°I taught you the slashing and sweeping sword moves last night. Practice it and let me see if there are any improvements.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll start then.¡± Chen Yingying could not refuse, so she had no choice but to step forward.


    ¡­


    Half a minute later, the veins on Chen Yiming¡¯s head were bulging.


    ¡°How could I have such a stupid sister?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    At the same time, he confirmed one more thing. Chen Yingying probably needed external help to break through in her cultivation.


    After Chen Yingying demonstrated all the content that he had taught the previous day, Chen Yiming patiently pointed out all the mistakes she had made. He then guided her to execute the moves correctly step by step.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a new worry from now on,¡± Chen Yiming sighed to himself as he watched his younger sister practice.


    He recalled that during the entrance test of the martial arts school, the school head Wan Rong had encountered such a situation and directly called for a stop.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming arrived at the school at 8:30 pm.


    Today, the school was more lively than usual. Many trainees gathered together to chat, their faces filled with excitement. Clearly, something worth discussing had happened.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, we heard about what happened last night.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, you became famous overnight.¡±


    ¡­


    As soon as Chen Yiming stepped into the school, many trainees broke off their conversations and ran over to greet him. They had many questions for him about the events from the night before when he captured the bandits.


    ¡°I was lucky I didn¡¯t meet them all at the same time. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been their match.¡± Chen Yiming used the excuse he had thought of beforehand to answer the trainees who asked him about the incident.


    He had expected that the other trainees would definitely ask him about how he took down three bandits who had undergone two transformations and three who had undergone the first transformation.


    If it turned out to be true, Chen Yiming would be recognized by everyone as a first- or second-tier genius of East Lake City¡¯s new generation of martial artists.


    Other than those who were present at the scene, no one else knew the details of the arrest. Chen Shaojie and his colleagues were not even of the disciple realm, so they could not judge his actual ability.


    As for Zhao Baolong and Dong Fen, who would believe the words of the captured bandits? They would probably think that the bandits were inexperienced and had never encountered a genius who could fight beyond their level.


    Liang Lele joined in the fun and said, ¡°That¡¯s already very impressive. Even if you took them down one by one, it¡¯s still not something any trainee at the level of the first transformation can do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Martial arts trainees like us can easily crush those bandits within the same realm, but Junior Brother, you faced opponents who were one level higher than you, and you even took down multiple people,¡± Zhao Jingru praised.


    She knew that if she didn¡¯t take the initiative to get close to him, Chen Yiming might not even remember having been in the same batch as a trainee like her.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, have you broken through to the second body transformation? There¡¯s a rumor going about now that there is a consultant who has undergone three transformations in the city patrol,¡± a trainee asked.


    The trainees of the martial arts school didn¡¯t believe the rumors that Chen Yiming had undergone the third transformation.


    Ordinary trainees from a faction like the Mantis Snake Sword School would definitely be considered elites to outsiders. It would not be difficult for them to fight multiple people of the same level at the same time. Most of them guessed that Chen Yiming had broken through to the second transformation.


    ¡°How can that happen so quickly? I¡¯m still at the level of the first transformation. It¡¯s just that I have improved a little recently.¡± Chen Yiming denied the rumors.


    ¡°Then Junior Brother Chen is going to rise up very quickly. Maybe you can become a core disciple earlier,¡± a trainee pointed out and sighed.


    They were trainees of the same martial arts school, but the difference between them was greater than expected.


    Zhang Youde did not go with the ordinary trainees to congratulate Chen Yiming. He was not as simple-minded as the ordinary trainees. He knew that just congratulating him was useless.


    ¡°These bandits look fierce, but in reality, their cultivation level is among the lowest of those within the same realm. Fighting against weaker opponents, numbers are not a problem. Even I can do it,¡± Zhang Youde thought to himself.


    Chen Yiming was stronger than him, so he didn¡¯t think it was strange for him to deal with a few bandits. After all, he hadn¡¯t encountered any bandits who had undergone three transformations.


    If someone at the level of the second transformation could defeat an opponent at the level of the third transformation, then he would not be just a genius, but a genius of the first tier among the new generation of martial artists.


    Chen Yiming simply answered the students¡¯ questions. They were too embarrassed to continue pestering him and quickly dispersed to prepare for the cultivation class.


    Wang Bowen waited for the students to leave before walking out to the courtyard.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, why are you so late today?¡± Wang Bowen greeted him.


    Chen Yiming had never been this late. He wasn¡¯t used to not seeing him earlier that day.


    ¡°My sister has just started practicing martial arts. I have to supervise her myself on the first day of her training,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    ¡°I see,¡± Wang Bowen expressed his understanding. ¡°By the way, I have some good news for you.¡±


    ¡°What good news?¡±


    ¡°I contacted the head and reported your situation. From now on, you are a core disciple candidate,¡± said Wang Bowen with a smile.


    ¡°Core disciple candidate?¡± Chen Yiming was confused.


    He only knew about core disciples, but he had never heard of core disciple candidates.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the head specially approved you to receive the treatment of a core disciple two years in advance. After two years, if you can¡¯t break through to three transformations, this status will be revoked,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to thank Senior Brother for all your help,¡± Chen Yiming said gratefully.


    The head of the school did not personally pay attention to the situation of ordinary trainees. Even if they performed well, without the help of the core disciples, they could only wait until their bodies reached the third transformation before they were promoted to core disciples.


    Cultivation had a golden age. A core disciple candidate would receive the treatment of a core disciple two years in advance, so the probability of breaking through three times was much higher than ordinary trainees.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your thanks. Beating a few small fries who have undergone two transformations isn¡¯t anything big,¡± Wang Bowen said sternly to prevent Chen Yiming from becoming arrogant. ¡°When you can defeat someone on the level of the third transformation, I can help you apply to become a core disciple directly.¡±


    For people at his level, what they saw was potential. For someone at the level of the first transformation to defeat an opponent who had undergone two transformations, the difficulty level was very different from someone at the level of the second transformation defeating an opponent at the level of the third transformation.

 Chapter 41 - Moving House

    Chapter 41 Moving House


    Near noon,


    Chen Yiming got Wang Bowen¡¯s permission to take the afternoon off and brought Chen Yingying to the Wang clan¡¯s village.


    The Wang clan¡¯s village was still as lively as before. Pedestrians were coming and going at the village entrance, a unique sight in the northern part of the city.


    They entered the Jihe Hall drugstore.


    ¡°Kid, why did you bring your little girlfriend here this time?¡± Old Man Wang asked jokingly as he adjusted his reading glasses.


    ¡°Elder Wang, you must be kidding. She¡¯s my sister,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    Since he had a favor to ask of him, he did not care about saving face.


    ¡°I say, she looks like a middle school student. Do you know what you are doing?¡± Old Man Wang said with a frown.


    Chen Yiming was introduced by Wang Bowen, so he could partially be considered as one of them. Old Man Wang didn¡¯t have to hide anything


    ¡°I have something to trouble you with. My sister has just started practicing martial arts, can you give her some pointers?¡± Chen Yiming asked brazenly.


    ¡°If she¡¯s a beginner, isn¡¯t it enough if you teach her yourself? What can I help with?¡± Old Man Wang asked doubtfully.


    As an apprentice, it should be easy for Chen Yiming to teach a beginner the basics. ¡°It¡¯s about my sister eating the mutant beast meat to build up her body¡¯s foundation,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°I see, but the money that you spend on the black pork won¡¯t be enough,¡± Old Man Wang said hesitantly.


    Chen Yiming had only bought enough black pork for a few days each time he came over. He had never seen anyone so miserly. ¡°Please choose the most effective combination. Money is definitely not a problem,¡± Chen Yiming promised, thumping his chest.


    Previously, he did not have the pressure to earn money, so he made do with the cheapest black pork. However, Chen Yingying¡¯s situation was different. It probably would not work out unless he spent a lot of money.


    ¡°Alright then, you are the one who said you don¡¯t care about the price. Brat Chen¡¯s sister, come over here.¡± Old man Wang waved Chen Yingying over.


    Chen Yiming used his eyes to signal for her to go quickly, and Chen Yingying obediently followed his instructions.


    Old Man Wang grabbed Chen Yingying¡¯s hand and touched it all over. Then, he took a ruler and took some measurements from her head to toe, jotting them down in his notebook.


    Then, he took out a book from somewhere, its pages tightly packed with words. After flipping through it for a few minutes, he stopped at one of the pages and carefully compared it with the figures recorded in the other book. ¡°I¡¯ve come up with three combinations for your sister. The prices are divided into three levels,¡± Old Man Wang said as he glanced at Chen Yiming, ¡°The daily consumption of mutant beast meat would cost 32,600 yuan, 21,700 yuan, or 14,300 yuan.¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could speak, Chen Yingying¡¯s mouth formed a large 0.


    Chen Yingying tugged at the corner of Chen Yiming¡¯s shirt and whispered, ¡°Brother, this is too expensive. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just follow my arrangements.¡± Chen Yiming gave Chen Yingying a look and turned to Old Man Wang. ¡°I want the 32,600 yuan combination.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not finished yet.¡± The old man didn¡¯t expect Chen Yiming to be so generous. He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The 32,600 yuan combination involves some rare mutant beast meat. You can¡¯t just buy it with money. You have to exchange it with mutant beast meat of the same value.¡±


    ¡°Are all types of mutant beast meat acceptable?¡± Chen Yiming asked. He happened to have a lot of dried mutant beast meat that he could not use on hand.


    ¡°Anything is fine. There¡¯s one more thing I have to make clear. Ordinary mutant beast meat can only be traded in at 90% of the price. Of course, if it¡¯s relatively rare, I¡¯ll buy it at a premium,¡± Old Man Wang quickly replied. When it came to transactions involving mutant beast meat, he did not look like a feeble old man at all. Instead, he looked like a shrewd businessman.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say, Elder Wang.¡± Chen Yiming agreed without any hesitation.


    At the moment, the connections from Senior Brother Wang were the only ones he could trust and rely on. By exchanging common goods for rare goods and only settling for a 10% difference in their value, Old Man Wang was already treating Chen Yiming very well.


    After leaving Jihe Hall,


    Chen Yingying did not look too happy.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s a waste to spend so much money on me,¡± Chen Yingying said with a pout.


    The cost was 32,600 yuan a day, which would add up to one million yuan a month. In the past, this would have been enough to buy a house in the city center.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough that you know it¡¯s expensive. Don¡¯t you slack off in the future,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    He had deliberately chosen the most expensive combination in front of Chen Yingying. Firstly, he wanted to give his sister the best, and secondly, he wanted to use this to push Chen Yingying.


    He had already spent so much money on her, how could she not work hard?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll work hard,¡± Chen Yingying promised.


    The money belonged to Chen Yiming, so it was useless no matter how much Chen Yingying objected to the expenditure.


    Chen Yiming had just gotten Old Man Wang to resolve the problem of establishing a good foundation for his sister, but he was not yet done. Without stopping, he next brought Chen Yingying to the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center.


    When he exited the elevator, he saw that there were teachers and students having classes in every room. Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Teacher Chen, what brings you here at this time?¡± Xie Xuejiao quickly stood up and walked out to greet him. ¡°I have something to ask you,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Xie Xuejiao realized that it was something that they needed to discuss in detail, so she invited the two of them to sit on the sofa at the reception.


    ¡°I want to know more about the swordsmanship classes,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°Swordsmanship class? Our training center has arranged for teachers to conduct classes from 8 am to 10 pm,¡± Xie Xuejiao replied uncertainly, not quite understanding what Chen Yiming was asking about.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. I want to help my sister register for the swordsmanship classes in the morning and afternoon. I wonder if there are any more slots,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    ¡°There¡¯s already no more slots,¡± Xie Xuejiao answered in her heart. She changed the topic and said, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll help Teacher Chen to make the necessary arrangements. What timing is your sister looking at for the swordsmanship classes?¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if it¡¯s from 8 am to 12 pm in the morning, and from 2 pm to 6 pm in the afternoon,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Then do you have any specific requirements for the swordsmanship teacher?¡± Xie Xuejiao asked again. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the swordsmanship teachers here. You can arrange for the ones that charge more for their lessons,¡± Chen Yiming replied. Without understanding the situation, they could only use their money to decide. After all, there was usually a reason why it was more expensive.


    ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll help you choose the most expensive swordsmanship teacher for every class,¡± Xie Xuejiao said.


    He swiped his card and paid the fees before heading to the entrance of the training center.


    After seeing the high price of more than 30,000 yuan a day for the mutant beast meat, then seeing the tuition fee of close to 100,000 yuan a month, Chen Yingying was already a little desensitized.


    Chen Yiming brought Chen Yingying to the Jinghu district.


    Jinghu district was located near the central business district, and was less than a kilometer away from the training center. The rent there was now as high as 100,000 yuan per month, and it was one of the most expensive districts in the city center.


    This was a house that Father Chen and Mother Chen had just rented after careful consideration.


    Chen Yiming had taken an afternoon off not just to help Chen Yingying settle her future cultivation matters, but also to help his family to move house.


    Fortunately, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t short of money. He spent some money to hire a moving company to help with the move. Most of the items were transported to Jinghu district by car, and they only needed to bring their personal belongings to the house.

 Chapter 42 - Secret Talk

    Chapter 42 Secret Talk


    Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying stopped at the entrance of the Jinghu district.


    The entrance of the district was heavily guarded. More than ten security guards were patrolling the area, and each of them was carrying a weapon.


    One of them was obviously the leader. From time to time, he would give out commands to the others. His figure was clearly bigger than the other security guards by a full size, and one could sense a fierce aura just by looking at him.


    In addition to the security from the guards, the exterior wall of the residential district was also extraordinary. It was more than ten meters tall, and there were metal barbs on the top that could effectively defend the wall. This would prevent ordinary thieves from climbing over the wall and entering the district.


    The two of them headed to the guardhouse to register as new residents.


    ¡°Show me your identification cards,¡± the guard said.


    The guard responsible for registering the visitors was a man in his thirties. He had well-defined muscles and a pair of sharp eyes.


    Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying took out their identification cards from their pockets and handed them over. They had already been informed by Father Chen and Mother Chen that they needed to register before entering the residential district, so they had brought their identification cards with them when they left in the morning.


    The guard took out the information he had prepared from under the table, and compared the photos on the identification cards with their actual appearance.


    ¡°Sign on this book and you can enter,¡± the guard said after confirming that there were no abnormalities.


    Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying entered the residential district and followed the address Mother Chen had given them. They quickly found their house at Building 6, Unit 1203.


    ¡°Are you done settling your matters? Come in quickly.¡± Mother Chen heard a knock on the door and looked through the peephole to see her son and daughter outside. She then opened the burglar-proof door. ¡°Everything has been arranged.¡± Chen Yiming took off his shoes and entered the house.


    ¡°The living room here is so much prettier.¡± Chen Yingying wandered around the living room as soon as she entered the house.


    The house¡¯s layout was made up of three bedrooms and two living rooms. It had been undergoing renovation in the past two years, and the furniture was all new, so it looked quite trendy.


    ¡°The landlord didn¡¯t rent out the house yet after the renovations were completed. It¡¯s basically brand new, of course it¡¯s beautiful,¡± Mother Chen said with a smile. She turned around and held Chen Yingying¡¯s hand. ¡°Come with me, I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±


    Chen Yingying followed Mother Chen to her room happily. Soon, Chen Yingying¡¯s laughter could be heard.


    ¡°Yiming, there¡¯s a really large balcony next to the living room. Do you want to use it for your morning training?¡± Father Chen asked.


    The balcony was designed to be especially large, and was nearly ten meters long and almost two and a half meters wide. There was a door leading to the second bedroom and living room. When Father Chen was looking at the house, the large balcony immediately caught his eye.


    Chen Yiming walked across the living room to the balcony and estimated the suitability of the space for exercise.


    ¡°Let Yingying use it. I¡¯ll wake up early and go to the martial arts school for my morning training,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    The space in the balcony was sufficient for a beginner like Chen Yingying, but it was too small for him. He might end up breaking something if he was not careful.


    ¡°Then let Yingying use it,¡± Father Chen said. Seeing that Chen Yiming had something on his mind, he said, ¡°If you have something else to do, go ahead. Leave the matters here to your parents.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll leave first,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    The afternoon was very short, and it had already taken him quite a while to settle his sister¡¯s matters. Zhang Youde had also suddenly invited him to tea, saying that he had something interesting to share with him.


    Chen Yiming felt that since they were trainees from the same batch, it would not be good for him to reject him all the time. He had planned to join him after he was done with the move.


    ¡­


    At Ming Yuan Teahouse, Zhang Youde had booked a private room and was deep in thought as he sipped his tea.


    There were a lot of tea dregs in the trash bin by the table. Clearly, he had been waiting for a long time.


    Chen Yiming entered the private room and sat down opposite Zhang Youde.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly inviting me out, is something the matter?¡±


    ¡®¡±Don¡¯t be anxious. Have some tea first before we talk,¡± Zhang Youde said calmly.


    He poured out the old tea and brewed a new pot for Chen Yiming.


    Even though Chen Yiming had rejected his invitation to join the Mutual Aid Association, he hadn¡¯t been too upset. They had had some misunderstanding before that, so it was normal for the other party to not trust him.


    Chen Yiming finished his tea patiently and waited for Zhang Youde to speak.


    ¡°I wonder if you know about the Li clan in the south of the city?¡± Zhang Youde asked directly.


    The Li clan in the south of the city had a martial arts expert who had undergone seven transformations presiding over them. Their businesses covered all of East Lake City, and they were a martial arts clan that was one level lower than warriors.


    ¡°I spend my time training at the martial arts school every day. I don¡¯t know anything about the martial arts clans,¡± Chen Yiming admitted.


    The only martial arts clan he had interacted with was the Wang clan of his Senior Brother Wang. Even so, he only knew a few superficial things about them. ¡°News has just spread that the Li clan¡¯s head died in the wilderness due to an accident. He was an expert who had undergone seven transformations,¡± Zhang Youde said slowly.


    After he spoke, he downed a cup of tea in one gulp. ¡°What about it?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Zhang Youde glanced at him and continued, ¡°Rumor has it that the Li clan¡¯s head relied on an incomplete martial arts technique to break through the hurdle of the sixth transformation. However, after him,none of the clan members were able to break through the hurdle. The highest they could achieve was five transformations.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that we should seize their sword technique?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Our cultivation levels are not high enough for us to participate in the fight for the sword technique. That¡¯s something we should consider after we reach the sixth transformation,¡± Zhang Youde explained.


    ¡°What I mean is that I will work with you to split a portion of the Li clan¡¯s businesses. In any case, the Li clan no longer has the clan head who has undergone seven transformations to lead them. They will give out their businesses to any takers,¡± Zhang Youde continued.


    The businesses in East Lake City were divided between the various martial arts factions according to the strength of the experts within each faction. Once a clan fell in power, in order not to be wiped out, they would usually take the initiative to give up parts that were beyond their power.


    ¡°I see. One of us has only undergone one transformation, while the other has undergone two transformations. Will they consider us?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. I will represent the Zhang clan as one of their members. You are also a core disciple candidate in the Mantis Snake Sword School. Together, we can just barely be considered to have the power of three transformations.


    As for the martial arts clans that are in decline, in order to protect themselves, they will definitely split their businesses into as many portions as possible and give them out,¡± Zhang Youde said in a low voice.


    The other purpose of cutting off their businesses was to exchange the related benefits for an equivalent level of support to help re-establish the clan¡¯s network of connections.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Chen Yiming replied. Then, another question came to his mind. ¡°What¡¯s so good about an incomplete sword technique? Can¡¯t the techniques taught by our school be cultivated to the level of the warrior realm?¡±


    The head of the school had a cultivation level at the warrior realm, and his main cultivation technique was the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. Chen Yiming naturally thought that he could rely on this sword technique to reach the warrior realm.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The techniques taught by the school do not include the part about breaking through to the warrior realm from the disciple realm. For the missing parts, you have to become a core disciple to have the chance to learn them from the head,¡± Zhang Youde explained.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. No wonder people are fighting over the missing parts.¡± Chen Yiming nodded in understanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Besides, even if you have a chance to become a core disciple, if you are not among the top few core disciples who have the potential to break through to the warrior realm, the head would not teach you the part about breaking through to the warrior realm,¡± Zhang Youde added.

 Chapter 43 - Banquet

    Chapter 43 Banquet


    Hearing Zhang Youde¡¯s words, Chen Yiming suddenly realized that he had made a mistake in his plan.


    He had originally planned to stay in the Mantis Snake Sword School and completely unearth the potential of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to reach the same level as the school¡¯s head.


    Now, if he only relied on the position of a core disciple, he would be stuck at the level of nine transformations, facing the predicament of not being able to learn the rest of the technique. Only by being recognized as a potential successor of the martial arts school could he be taught the missing parts to allow him to break through to the warrior realm. Those who displayed the potential of a genius below the level of the third transformation were similar to the high school students in his previous world. Even the top scorer of the college entrance examination was not such a big deal, and was quickly forgotten. Once he reached the level of the sixth transformation and displayed the potential of a genius, he would be like a young doctor with a certain amount of fame. He would start to attract a lot of attention.


    As for the level of nine transformations, as long as he successfully broke through to the warrior realm, he would become a rising power. It would be similar to a famous scientist in their field of expertise in his previous world. If he was not careful, he might be assassinated by a foreign power. In the future, unless he was willing to expose himself, he had to think of ways to find a technique that could allow him to break through to the warrior realm. ¡°What should we do?¡± Chen Yiming asked with interest.


    Working with Zhang Youde did not mean he wanted to involve himself in the competition for the swordsmanship technique. Instead, the incident with the Li clan had attracted many sword masters, so Chen Yiming wanted to take the opportunity to find out his true combat strength by fighting them. ¡°Since you¡¯re interested, if you are free, we can go straight to the Li clan and see the situation for ourselves,¡± Zhang Youde suggested.


    Chen Yiming nodded. Zhang Youde called the waiter to settle the bill, and the two of them set


    off.


    Soon, Zhang Youde brought Chen Yiming to the Li clan¡¯s estate.


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s the Li clan¡¯s manor,¡± Zhang Youde said as he pointed to a spot not far away.


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a group of two or three-story buildings.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a terrace house?¡± he thought to himself.


    The manor was about ten mu wide, and the overall design was in a traditional style. Several guards were stationed at the entrance.


    ¡°Take a look at those people over there.¡± Zhang Youde pointed in another direction.


    Several people clad in leather armor and equipped with sharp weapons were brazenly observing the situation near the Li clan.


    ¡°The shops on the street near the manor are mostly controlled by the Li clan,¡± Zhang Youde explained.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the shops nearby and realized that most of them were open for business. Clearly, due to the Li clan¡¯s presence, this area could still operate normally. ¡°What is our goal?¡± Chen Yiming asked quietly. ¡°Houses, shops, companies. Do any of these hold particular interest for you?¡± Zhang Youde asked Chen Yiming instead of answering his question directly.


    Chen Yiming fell silent as he analyzed the situation in his heart.


    He thought for nearly a minute.


    ¡°We should probably go for the shops. It¡¯s best if they are in the city center,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    The shops in the city center were generally not affected by any incidents unless it was serious enough to affect the entire East Lake City.


    ¡°We might not be able to get the shops in the city center, since our actual strength is not that much. We are only making use of the reputation of the faction backing us, so I can only try my best,¡± Zhang Youde said seriously.


    Zhang Youde then brought Chen Yiming around the manor. Chen Yiming took note of the situation nearby as he walked past each place.


    ¡°Around 6 pm tonight, the Li clan will hold a banquet to discuss the division of assets. Do you want to join me and attend it together?¡± Zhang Youde asked.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the time. It was almost 5 pm. ¡°How about we meet here at 5:30 pm? I¡¯ll go home first,¡± Chen Yiming suggested.


    He planned to buy a new set of clothes first, so that he could use them when he had the chance.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s meet up at 5:30 pm. I¡¯ll get someone to inquire about the Li clan¡¯s businesses.¡± Zhang Youde nodded.


    After separating from Zhang Youde, Chen Yiming went home first. He told his family that he had something to do that night and asked them to have dinner without him. Then, he rushed to the central business district and bought a black suit.


    At 6 pm, in the main hall of the manor, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, and tasteful porcelain decorations were placed in every corner. The wooden flooring was made entirely from high-quality wood.


    Li Tiancheng looked at the people gathered in the courtyard with a dark expression.


    He was the eldest son of Li Changhe, who had undergone seven transformations and recently died in an accident. He was originally the top candidate for the next clan head. Who knew that on his first day as the clan head, he would have to lose most of the clan¡¯s businesses?


    Chen Yiming and Zhang Youde were chatting quietly in a corner.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, I¡¯ve already told the Li clan about the shops that I¡¯ve chosen. In principle, they agreed to it. The venue is near the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, but there are only a few of them. There are only three in total,¡± Zhang Youde whispered. ¡°Three shops? That¡¯s fine too. I have no objections,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Why are there so many people this time? No matter how many properties the Li clan has, they can¡¯t give them out to so many people,¡± Chen Yiming asked quietly.


    Nearly a hundred people were in the hall. The hall, which was originally large enough to host a performance, seemed a little packed. They did not even dare to speak too loudly for fear that others would hear them.


    Zhang Youde pointed at his third uncle, Zhang Ziyi, and said, ¡°There are probably more than ten factions. Many of them brought the junior members to observe the situation. My clan is one of them.¡±


    ¡°Will the Li clan be able to protect their sword technique by giving out most of their businesses?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, he wanted to learn some insider information from Zhang Youde.


    ¡°Of course not. Giving out most of their businesses would only earn the support of over ten medium-sized martial arts clans, allowing their clan to have a stable footing among those at the level of three or five transformations.


    As for their incomplete sword technique, the Li clan plans to hand it over to Zheng Qiming of the Zheng clan from the south of the city, in exchange for the protection of the Zheng clan,¡± Zhang Youde continued.


    The Zheng clan was one of the seven big martial arts clans in East Lake City. They had an expert from the warrior realm and many others who had undergone nine transformations. Every one or two generations, new warriors would emerge to ensure the continuation of the clan.


    ¡°In that case, they have found a backer and also determined the allocation of their businesses. There¡¯s nothing much to see.¡± Chen Yiming was a little disappointed.


    He had thought that it would be like what he read in the novels whereby a competition would first be held and the order of selecting from the businesses would be determined by the victor, until the distribution was completed.


    ¡°The distribution of the assets has basically been settled. There might still be a good show to watch later,¡± Zhang Youde said as he chuckled.


    ¡°What show?¡±


    ¡°Even if the martial arts technique is incomplete, it still has a possibility of being used as a reference. There will always be some martial artists stuck in the disciple realm who are willing to make a move even if they risk offending the Zheng clan.


    You have to know that after breaking through to the seventh or eighth transformation, one needs to consider the problem of breaking through to the warrior realm. It will be too late to spend time searching for it after the ninth transformation.¡± Zhang Youde informed him.


    In the path of cultivation, there was an age limit for every realm. In the disciple realm, nine transformations would only slow down the aging and weakening of the body. If one exceeded the golden age for cultivation, there was almost no chance of breaking through to a higher realm.

 Chapter 44 - Watching the Show

    Chapter 44 Watching the Show


    It was 6:30 pm.


    Half an hour had passed. Many of the guests who had come to attend the banquet started to get impatient. If not for the fact that their elders were still present, they would have wanted to leave.


    Li Tiancheng¡¯s heart was bleeding as he looked at the members of other clans who appeared to be disinterested despite profiting without having done anything.


    He was already feeling a little regretful. He did not know if the Li clan taking the initiative to retreat would invite a pack of wolves with a bigger appetite.


    Not long after, heavy footsteps sounded from outside the hall.


    A frail figure of about 1.75 meters walked into the hall.


    The person who entered had a soft expression and a head of long hair. He was wearing a traditional white robe and a purple sword hung from his waist.


    This person was not tall, but he gave off a sharp aura the moment he entered the room.


    His sharp gaze swept across the room, and no one dared to look him in the eye.


    When everyone in the hall saw the main guest arrive, they grew attentive and waited to see how the Li clan would deal with the troublesome issue of their sword technique.


    ¡°Lord Zheng, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Li Tiancheng hurried over to welcome him.


    ¡°Cut the crap. Where¡¯s the manual for the sword technique?¡± Zheng Qiming did not give him any face and cut straight to the point.


    Li Tiancheng held his breath, and his body swayed. He almost embarrassed himself in public.


    They had originally planned to use Zheng Qiming¡¯s name to knock some sense into the clans who came to split the assets of the Li clan, so that they would not be too greedy after gaining those assets. However, Zheng Qiming did not seem to be cooperating.


    ¡°Third Brother, go get the manual.¡± Li Tiancheng turned around and gave out instructions.


    ¡°Big Brother¡­¡± Li Tianwen said in a low voice.


    ¡°Just do as I say!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Tianwen replied and quickly left the hall.


    In a corner of the hall, Chen Yiming asked Zhang Youde in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Zheng clan famous for their fist techniques? Why does it seem like Zheng Qiming practices swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you secretly. Don¡¯t spread this when you¡¯re outside,¡± Zhang Youde said. ¡°Rumor has it that Zheng Qiming is actually female and has been disguising himself as a man since he was young. His body is thin and weak, so he isn¡¯t suitable for fist-fighting, that¡¯s why he switched to swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Can such a thing be real?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Zheng Qiming is a genius in the way of the sword. He¡¯s only 22 years old now, and is already an expert who has undergone six transformations,¡± Zhang Youde explained. ¡°If he can really break through to the warrior realm in the future, the Zheng clan might have a lineage that is able to go straight to the warrior realm based on swordsmanship. No one would be willing to see such a situation happen.¡±


    They would have one more option, and there would always be a suitable candidate in the clan. In the long term, the clan¡¯s foundation would definitely strengthen.


    Before long, the manual was brought over.


    ¡°Young Master Zheng, the sword manual.¡± Li Tiancheng passed the sword manual over with both hands.


    Zheng Qiming took the sword manual and flipped through it page by page. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he stuffed it into his clothes and turned to leave.


    ¡°Young Master Zheng, you promised¡­¡± Li Tiancheng quickly stepped forward to stop him.


    If Zheng Qiming left without saying anything, he would have given the manual away for nothing.


    Zheng Qiming stopped when he saw this. He glanced at Li Tiancheng and announced, ¡°The sword manual is already in my hands. From now on, the Li clan will be under my protection.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he left.


    This time, Li Tiancheng did not stop him and finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    As long as Zheng Qiming did not try to play dumb and just leave with the sword manual, the Li clan would probably be safe.


    This was because sword technique, even if it was incomplete, was left behind by those above the warrior realm. The most valuable part of breaking through the warrior realm was not something that ordinary disciples could replicate.


    To the Li clan, although giving away the sword manual was equivalent to getting rid of a troublesome issue and drawing away the experts who were spying on the sword manual, it also meant that they would lose this sword technique forever.


    When the people in the main hall saw that Li Tiancheng had handed over the sword manual, they quickly followed Zheng Qiming out of the main hall. Zhang Youde and Chen Yiming also joined the crowd. The only people who didn¡¯t move were the Li clan members.


    Everyone was waiting to see a good show. They wanted to see if anyone dared to offend the Zheng clan and attack Zheng Qiming openly. They wanted to see if Zheng Qiming was as powerful as the rumors said and if he could withstand all the attacks by himself.


    Sa


    ¡°Why do I feel that something is amiss? Isn¡¯t the Zheng clan worried about Zheng Qiming?¡± Chen Yiming asked Zhang Youde as they walked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. There must be experts from the Zheng clan nearby all the way,¡± Zhang Youde replied.


    ¡°Then who would dare to make a move? At the expense of their lives?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    ¡°It should be the Zheng clan doing this on purpose. The Zheng clan¡¯s experts will only intercept assassins above the level of the ninth transformation. It can be considered a form of training for Zheng Qiming,¡± Zhang Youde explained.


    Chen Yiming finally understood.


    His body had undergone three transformations, six transformations, and nine transformations, which were the three stages of qualitative improvements in the disciple realm.


    Those who needed the incomplete sword technique were all below the ninth transformation. No matter how strong they were, they would not surpass Zheng Qiming by much. It was just right for Zheng Qiming to use the opportunity to verify his true combat strength. By the time the crowd arrived at a bridge by the river, Zheng Qiming had already started fighting with someone in front of the bridge.


    The first to make a move was a masked man who was over two meters tall. He held a large sword in his hand, and it was clear that his fighting style relied on his strength.


    The two sides had only just started to exchange blows. Before anyone could see clearly, the taller masked man was sent flying by a kick from Zheng Qiming. From the start to the end, his sword had remained at his waist, unsheathed.


    Chen Yiming and Zhang Youde stopped with the rest of the crowd and maintained a certain distance from the fight.


    ¡°The masked man who was the first to attack was defeated without even taking one move?¡± Chen Yiming exclaimed.


    He had thought that even if it wasn¡¯t a fierce battle, at least they should have exchanged a few blows at the start.


    ¡°This is a common occurrence. Those who rush to make a move are all weak and just want to launch a sudden attack to try and snatch the sword manual,¡± Zhang Youde said with a smile.


    ¡°That masked man probably hasn¡¯t even undergone six transformations. Otherwise, why couldn¡¯t he withstand even a single blow?¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are always reckless people who are not afraid of losing their lives. After all, this incomplete sword technique is still much stronger than ordinary sword techniques. Using it can also increase one¡¯s strength,¡± Zhang Youde replied. As the masked man was defeated in one move, the audience erupted into cheers.


    Unlike the others who were focused on Zheng Qiming, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes were fixed on the masked man who had been kicked away.


    The collar of the masked man¡¯s shirt was stained with blood dripping out from the corner of his mouth. As he walked, his body was swaying a little. Clearly, that kick had not been easy to withstand, and he had suffered internal injuries.


    Should he follow? Chen Yiming started to weigh the pros and cons in his heart. His opponent¡¯s level was at most at the fifth transformation, and he had yet to reach the sixth transformation. His entire body had undergone a qualitative change to become as hard as steel, and he was severely injured.


    Although he had only undergone three transformations, the third transformation to the fifth transformation only involved increasing strength. With his opponent injured, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to retreat even if he couldn¡¯t defeat him.

 Chapter 45 - Sneak Attack

    Chapter 45 Sneak Attack


    Chen Yiming re-evaluated his motive for agreeing to Zhang Youde¡¯s request.


    He did not care much about how much money he could earn from the shops that they could obtain. Instead, he thought that there would be a competition for the distribution of assets, and the victors would make their selection until the distribution was completed.


    The suit he had prepared in advance was for intercepting suitable opponents who fought with sword techniques after the competition ended, so that he could determine his true combat strength and also secretly learn a sword technique. It would be akin to killing two birds with one stone.


    So far, he had learned a total of three sword techniques.


    The level of the Phantom Sword Technique was too low. It was barely sufficient for those who had just entered the disciple realm and at the level of the first transformation. However, his true level had already reached that of the third transformation, so it was considered a useless sword technique to him.


    The Long Rainbow Sword Technique was Zhang Youde¡¯s clan¡¯s secret technique. It would be useful at least up till the level of the sixth transformation. Its distinguishing feature was that it was good for pursuit. No one knew that he had mastered it, so it was very suitable for when he was hiding his identity.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique was useful up till the level of the ninth transformation. The technique was good for assassination, but it was best not to use it in secret to prevent suspicion from landing on him.


    He still lacked other types of sword techniques like those for head-on confrontations, defense, speed enhancement, and so on to deal with different kinds of opponents.


    Cultivating multiple sword techniques at the same time could increase one¡¯s combat ability, but to others, it might be a detour that would delay their own cultivation progress.


    However, he was different. With his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, he could learn these techniques secretly just by fighting others.


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming made the decision to follow and observe the situation. The moment Zheng Qiming defeated the second masked man, he quietly left the group.


    On a street near the Li clan¡¯s manor, Tang Zhenfeng was holding his stomach and stumbling every few steps. He was an independent martial artist who had not joined any faction. He used to be a student at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, but after graduation, he was not able to become a teacher there.


    He had taken on various temporary jobs to earn money for his cultivation. By chance, he managed to break through the hurdle of three transformations with much difficulty and progressively struggled till he made it to the fifth transformation.


    He knew very well that people with ordinary martial arts talent could not waste a single moment. In order to have a chance of breaking through to the warrior realm in the future, he had to switch to a cultivation technique that could allow him to break through to the warrior realm as soon as possible.


    Suddenly, Tang Zhenfeng turned around and shouted, ¡°Who is it? Come out!¡±


    There was no discernible change in the street behind him. It was still shrouded in darkness, and it was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.


    This was the retreat route he had specially chosen. For some reason, all the people in the street had moved out. If someone was tailing him, he would easily be discovered.


    ¡°Crunch!¡±


    The sound of stones being crushed rang out.


    Next, a figure suddenly appeared from the darkness.


    The figure, who was also masked, charged straight at Tang Zhenfeng like a sword being unsheathed.


    This person was Chen Yiming, who had changed into a black suit.


    Without a word, Tang Zhenfeng swung his sword horizontally to block Chen Yiming¡¯s sneak attack. His movements were smooth and natural, and he didn¡¯t look like he was injured at all.


    Chen Yiming used the force from the impact to retreat to a safe distance. He stopped and looked at Tang Zhenfeng, without continuing with his attack.


    After seeing how easily he blocked the sneak attack, he began to doubt whether Tang Zhenfeng had really been injured or was just pretending to be injured.


    On the other hand, Tang Zhenfeng¡¯s heart was in turmoil.


    Having been hired for jobs outside of the city for many years, he had accumulated experience dealing with all kinds of dangers. This made him on guard against such sneak attacks. He had endured the pain and defended against the sneak attack, but before he could counterattack, the opponent had quickly retreated. ¡°Who are you?¡± Tang Zhenfeng narrowed his eyes as he asked calmly. ¡°The one who will kill you.¡± Chen Yiming remained calm and didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary. The atmosphere instantly froze. Several moments passed, but neither of them made a move.


    ¡°What exactly is your goal? Could it be that you were hired by someone who has a grudge against me?¡± Tang Zhenfeng asked.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply. The fact that the other party hadn¡¯t made a move meant that he was really injured. He just didn¡¯t know how much strength he had left.


    ¡°Have you thought it through? Although I¡¯m injured, if you really want to fight me to the death, there may still be others waiting to finish you off later,¡± Tang Zhenfeng threatened.


    He was currently injured, and it was best if he did not make a move. Otherwise, even his light injuries could easily become serious. Even if he defeated his opponent, it would not be worth it if he ended up with incurable injuries.


    OIL


    ¡°Then tell me, what is the worth in keeping you alive?¡± Chen Yiming probed. He had a rough idea of what was going on.


    A gust of wind blew into the street, causing the cloth on their faces to quiver. Parts of their real faces were revealed from under the cloth.


    ¡°It seems that you can¡¯t be reasoned with. If you want to kill me, you have to pay the price,¡± Tang Zhenfeng said fiercely.


    Chen Yiming had probed him repeatedly, making it clear to Tang Zhenfeng that his opponent had never intended to let him off. He had been testing him to check the extent of his injuries and to see if he dared to take the initiative to counterattack.


    His main cultivation technique was the Mountain Breaking Sword Technique, which emphasized the accumulation of strength from all the muscles in one¡¯s body. The moves were wide and powerful, and were good at using one¡¯s strength to suppress others. He wasn¡¯t afraid of fighting others head-on, but was wary of encountering someone faster than him.


    When Chen Yiming launched his first sneak attack, he hadn¡¯t been able to make an effective counterattack. This meant that his opponent was an agile enemy and wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with. But it was impossible for him to just sit back and do nothing.


    Tang Zhenfeng took a sudden step forward and raised his sword, slashing it in Chen Yiming¡¯s direction. Before the sword even reached him, the raging power emanating from it could already be felt.


    If one was struck by the force from the heavy sword and the force accumulated from the user¡¯s body, it would be almost impossible for one at the same level to withstand the blow.


    Chen Yiming had no intention of taking the attack head-on. He used the Long Rainbow Sword Technique to continuously dodge the attacks in the narrow street.


    If the opponent was faster and stronger than him, then he should consider how to make his escape.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A wall was struck by the large sword, and crumbled into dust.


    Chen Yiming easily dodged the attack, and quickly moved behind Tang Zhenfeng. Tang Zhenfeng ignored his internal injuries and turned around, charging through the dust cloud and swinging his sword at Chen Yiming.


    The two of them exchanged dozens of blows at lightning speed. Tang Zhenfeng used all his strength in each move, hoping to crush Chen Yiming before his internal injuries worsened.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s Long Rainbow Sword Technique was good for close combat, and there were many variations in its moves. In addition, Tang Zhenfeng¡¯s cultivation technique specialized in strength, so his agility was relatively lower.


    For a time, the situation was completely in a stalemate. Tang Zhenfeng couldn¡¯t keep up with his movements and changes in rhythm, so he repeatedly wasted his energy and destroyed several walls around them.


    Tang Zhenfeng couldn¡¯t defeat Chen Yiming within a short period of time. The figure in Chen Yiming¡¯s mind quickly imitated the Mountain Breaking Sword Technique.


    Chen Yiming saw through how the moves worked and all the weaknesses in the Mountain Breaking Sword Technique.


    After another ten moves, Chen Yiming handled the situation more leisurely, and observed how Tang Zhenfeng became more and more agitated.


    By fighting with this injured opponent who had undergone five transformations, he had a rough idea of his true combat strength.

 Chapter 46 - Explosion

    Chapter 46 Explosion


    With his Level-1 swordsmanship talent, his body was almost on the same level as Tang Zhenfeng, who had undergone five transformations.


    Tang Zhenfeng specialized in strength-based techniques, so he had more power. Chen Yiming specialized in the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, so his agility was higher. They both had their own strengths.


    The reason why Tang Zhenfeng had been unable to defeat Chen Yiming was because of the restriction of his cultivation technique. This showed a clear path for Chen Yiming¡¯s originally hazy plan.


    He could mainly cultivate one type of sword technique and constantly learn other types of sword techniques secretly, integrating them to form his own unique sword technique. Such a sword technique would encompass various types of techniques, and could be used to counter all kinds of opponents. Other people would only be wasting time and slowing down their progress when cultivating this way. Only he could make it work with his special ability to secretly learn different techniques.


    He could not even touch the corner of his shirt.


    Tang Zhenfeng started to panic. After failing to land an attack again, he spit out a mouthful of blood that he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. He then stood his ground, unmoving.


    ¡°You only know how to run around. Do you dare to fight me head-on like a real man?¡± Tang Zhenfeng tried his best to calm his pounding heart and cursed loudly.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure also stopped, and he observed Tang Zhenfeng from more than five meters away.


    ¡°Are you unable to suppress your internal injuries any longer?¡± Chen Yiming asked anxiously.


    When Zheng Qiming kicked Tang Zhenfeng in the stomach, he had suffered quite a serious injury. He had suppressed his injuries and taken action within a short period of time, so his injuries had probably worsened.


    ¡°Come closer if you have the guts. Let¡¯s see if I can beat you to death,¡± Tang Zhenfeng threatened.


    ¡°Then why did you stop? I was just warming up,¡± Chen Yiming retorted.


    Chen Yiming was in no hurry. The sword technique he used was not the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. Even if he failed to defeat Tang Zhenfeng, they would not be able to find out anything from him.


    ¡°You!¡± Tang Zhenfeng was infuriated. He really wanted to rush over and kill Chen Yiming.


    Suddenly, he felt as though the world was spinning around him. His head swayed uncontrollably, and his entire body visibly froze¡­


    Chen Yiming immediately noticed the change in Tang Zhenfeng¡¯s expression.


    Without any hesitation, he kicked off from the ground and charged forward.


    He now used the Phantom Sword Technique, a sword technique that he previously thought to be useless, in an attempt to trick Tang Zhenfeng.


    When Tang Zhenfeng realized that he was feeling dizzy due to excessive blood loss and wanted to use his sword to defend himself, he misjudged Chen Yiming¡¯s true position.


    The large sword he was using to defend himself was only blocking the air.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming stabbed his sword into the right side of Tang Zhenfeng¡¯s lower back, and twisted the blade around the wound.


    Tang Zhenfeng instantly became fully alert from the intense pain, and used his elbow to try to counterattack. However, his elbow only hit the air as Chen Yiming, who was playing it safe, had already retreated.


    ¡°Good¡­ Very good!¡± Tang Zhenfeng pressed on his new wound with one hand, flustered and exasperated.


    He had already been forced into a corner. Not only had he received internal injuries from Zheng Qiming to his abdomen, but he now had an additional stab wound in his lower back.


    The lower back was an important part of a person¡¯s strength. Once that was injured, their strength would be greatly reduced.


    Encountering an enemy like Chen Yiming, who was as slippery as a loach, whom he couldn¡¯t touch or escape from, would make even a clay person feel angry. His opponent wasn¡¯t giving him a chance to live, so he wouldn¡¯t let his opponent off either. Tang Zhenfeng took a deep breath, his face suddenly turning red as his body enlarged by a full size.


    ¡°You forced me to do this. Neither of us will survive!¡± He raised his sword and charged forward like a rhinoceros, completely unaffected by the injury to his lower back.


    As Tang Zhenfeng moved, he left behind footprints that were half an inch deep in his wake. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the street. The distance of several meters was covered in the blink of an eye.


    The wind from the approaching sword was stronger than before.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s hair stood on end as he quickly tried to dodge the attack. He had no intention of blocking it at all.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The blow from the sword landed on a tree by the roadside.


    The entire tree was blown apart and broke into two.


    Even though Chen Yiming had completely understood the Mountain Breaking Sword Technique and knew the attack patterns of the technique, the large sword had almost hit him.


    At this moment, Tang Zhenfeng was clearly stronger than Chen Yiming. ¡°This is fortunate. If he had been so powerful right from the start, I would have been in danger.¡± Chen Yiming was shocked.


    His cultivation speed was too fast, and he was still a rookie in the martial arts world. There were many skills that he had not seen before.


    Even though he was clearly at a disadvantage, he still managed to dodge the attack somehow. Relying on his understanding of the Mountain Breaking Sword Technique, he could predict the attack path of the sword each time. However, Tang Zhenfeng didn¡¯t know this. After a few rounds, Chen Yiming broke free from the pressure of a life and death fight.


    On the other hand, Tang Zhenfeng had completely lost the powerful aura he had previously. His face was pale as he stood rooted to the ground and continuously vomited blood.


    It was clear that he was already severely injured. Even if he used that explosive power again, it would not last long.


    His heart was filled with despair. He wanted to continue, but his body was unable to muster the strength to do so.


    The sword in his hand felt heavier and heavier, and he thought of letting it go.


    This secret technique that allowed him to unleash his power for a short period of time was something he had learned from one of his companions when they met with a dangerous situation in the wilderness.


    The principle of the secret technique was to use the force from his muscles to put additional pressure on his heart, causing the blood to flow faster in his entire body. This would temporarily increase his strength and speed in all aspects.


    Under normal circumstances, it would take months for him to fully recover from the injuries caused with each use. Now that he was already injured, using the secret technique was equivalent to risking his death at any moment.


    Tang Zhenfeng didn¡¯t give up his last strand of hope, so he turned and ran.


    He tried to sprint the whole way, but he could no longer move quickly, and was only slightly faster than ordinary people.


    Chen Yiming hung behind not too far from him and didn¡¯t make any move.


    He had already achieved his goal, so there was no need for him to take any further risk. After all, no one knew if Tang Zhenfeng would be able to deliver another blow using his explosive power in the face of death.


    Just like that, the two of them melted into the darkness one after another.


    Near the entrance of the street, Tang Zhenfeng saw that the main road was right in front of him, and a glimmer of hope lit up in his heart. Suddenly, his legs went weak and he fell to the ground, coughing non-stop. After more than ten seconds, he tried to stand up, but failed several times. He tried to crawl forward, but after moving forward by just one step, he was unable to support himself and collapsed on the ground.


    Chen Yiming stood by the corpse and waited for another two minutes.


    During this time, the corpse struggled once more. It could have been Tang Zhenfeng¡¯s last-ditch counterattack, but Chen Yiming was cautious and didn¡¯t fall for it.


    When Tang Zhenfeng finally stopped breathing, Chen Yiming used his sword to disarm his opponent, then beheaded him in one clean move.


    With this, Tang Zhenfeng should be completely dead.


    Chen Yiming started to loot his body.


    In the fight with Tang Zhenfeng earlier, he had to rely on his fighting style to seal his opponent¡¯s attack, his ability to secretly learn sword techniques, and the fact that Tang Zhenfeng had already been injured quite severely, to obtain a victory.


    Digging deeper into the underlying reasons, the first was that he had always trained in the school, so his combat experience was no match for someone like Tang Zhenfeng who had been dispatched on jobs for many years.


    The second was that the sword techniques he knew were not comprehensive enough. If he mastered enough types of sword techniques, he would definitely be able to use them flexibly and have ways to completely restrain his opponent.


    Fortunately, the result was good. Tang Zhenfeng, who was clearly injured, was no match for Chen Yiming, who was in good physical condition.


    Chen Yiming also took advantage of the fact that his opponent was injured, which meant that he wouldn¡¯t fight him with all his strength right from the start. He could then decide whether to continue or retreat based on the situation.

 Chapter 47 - Rules

    Chapter 47 Rules


    ¡°This guy is just too poor,¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    The loot that he found on Tang Zhenfeng¡¯s body was


    tens of thousands of yuan in cash, some rations, a bottle of water, and a small porcelain bottle.


    It was understandable that he didn¡¯t have much cash on him. After all, he just needed some small change to use. However, although this person was a martial arts expert who had undergone five transformations, other than a bunch of pills in the porcelain bottle that he did not recognize, there was nothing that seemed valuable.


    Chen Yiming looked at the large sword on the ground and seemed to have understood something


    Tang Zhenfeng had been injured in front of everyone, but no one other than him was interested in this person.


    After completing his search, he dragged the corpse to a courtyard.


    The windows and doors of the house were broken, and it was clear that no one had lived there for a long time.


    Chen Yiming chose a spot filled with soil that was used for growing flowers. Using the large sword, he quickly dug a huge hole in the ground.


    After burying the corpse, he turned back the way he came and covered the bloodstains along the way with mud.


    This way, as long as no one sent out professional detectives to investigate, it would be a long time before it was discovered that this person had gone missing.


    Chen Yiming checked carefully to see if he had missed anything. He then found a piece of cloth to wrap up the large sword. Instead of returning to where Zheng Qiming was to join in the commotion, he went straight home.


    The next morning, at the eastern branch of the Mantis Snake Sword School, a group of trainees gathered together and discussed the hot news from the night before.


    ¡°Last night, Zheng Qiming from the Zheng clan fought more than ten experts all by himself. He killed them all and no one else dared to attack him. I heard that blood was everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so many people were trying to get involved? In my opinion, it¡¯s completely a trap the Zheng clan made on purpose to let Zheng Qiming have a chance to experience actual combat.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, the Li clan is in a really sorry state. The sword manual passed down in their clan is gone just like that. The clan might even fall into decline.¡±


    en


    ¡°I think there must be a conspiracy here. Otherwise, how could all these coincidences occur together? Once something happened to the Li clan, they immediately turned to the Zheng clan for protection.¡± Chen Yiming practiced his swordsmanship alone in the corner. He split his attention between the two tasks and eavesdropped on the conversations to gather information from the other trainees.


    From their discussions, Zhang Qiming had successfully broken through the attackers and returned to the Zheng clan unscathed the previous night. This was likely to be true.


    The other information might not be true. There might be some discrepancies as the rumors spread, and they could not be trusted completely.


    Near the time of the morning cultivation class, Zhang Youde entered and immediately approached Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, when did you leave last night? I wanted to find a place to hold a celebration with you,¡± Zhang Youde called out.


    ¡°I thought it was rather pointless, so I left,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    He did not reveal any details about his departure to prevent himself from saying anything wrong. ¡°That¡¯s true. Their level is still far from us. I couldn¡¯t make out much even after watching for a long time,¡± Zhang Youde said with a smile. ¡°But Zheng Qiming is really amazing. He defeated all his opponents in just a few moves.¡±


    ¡°Has the matter regarding the shops been settled?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He changed the topic.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem. I couldn¡¯t find you last night, so I went straight back to the manor to settle the matter. My uncle has undergone six transformations after all, and is on the same level as before the Li clan before the incident. They wouldn¡¯t dare to go back on their word,¡± Zhang Youde replied.


    Chen Yiming understood immediately.


    Previously, he had said that others would give face to a genius student like him and the second generation of the Zhang clan, but that was only an excuse. The main reason was because they were giving face to an expert who had undergone six transformations from the Zhang clan. ¡°I see. How should we deal with the three shops in the future?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°I plan to set up a company directly and put the shops under the company¡¯s name. What do you think?¡± Zhang Youde asked.


    ¡°I have no objections.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. If we continue to work together in the future, we can just use that company¡¯s name,¡± Zhang Youde added. As the two of them became partners, the small conflict between them due to Hu Shixin would naturally fade away.


    Chen Yiming also had to slowly step out of the school and make more friends in the martial arts world.


    Zhang Youde had the same thought.


    During lunch break, Wang Bowen brought Chen Yiming to the library at the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters. The library was located on the third floor of the headquarters. The small room was the only one that was guarded. Only core disciples could enter and access the information stored there.


    Inside the library was a large number of notes left behind by the seniors from the martial arts school. It was the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s most precious treasure.


    Wang Bowen explained the rules of the library to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°You can enter the library four times every month, for up to three hours per visit,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a time limit?¡± Chen Yiming was shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly to prevent disciples from relying too much on their predecessors¡¯ experience, so it was deliberately set up,¡± Wang Bowen explained. ¡°After all, there¡¯s no path that¡¯s completely the same in martial arts. If you try to solve all the problems you encounter by reading these notes, what can you do if you encounter problems that even your seniors did not experience?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    In terms of martial arts, others¡¯ experience could only be used as a reference. It was mainly up to oneself.


    After the two entered the headquarters, they went straight to the library.


    ¡°Granny Wei, he¡¯s a core disciple candidate, Chen Yiming,¡± Wang Bowen introduced. ¡°Got it. Go on in,¡± Granny Wei said as she glanced at Chen Yiming.


    This was Chen Yiming¡¯s first time here, so he followed Wang Bowen and didn¡¯t dare to speak carelessly.


    After the two of them signed in, they entered the library.


    The library was divided into two rooms on the left and right. On the left were the notes left behind by the seniors of the school and some miscellaneous information. On the right was the collection of martial arts techniques.


    Wang Bowen led Chen Yiming into the room on the left.


    There was only a female disciple reading through the information inside, and she ignored the two who had entered.


    ¡°The books in this room can be used freely. If you have time, you can come over and read through the information to supplement your knowledge of martial arts,¡± Wang Bowen said softly. Chen Yiming nodded.


    Next, Wang Bowen brought Chen Yiming to the room on the right.


    Wang Bowen pointed at the bookshelf and said with a smile, ¡°Martial arts cultivation techniques are different from the books over there. On the bookshelf are only the introduction to the cultivation techniques. One needs to pay to read the actual books on the techniques.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming tried to flip through a few thin booklets.


    Sure enough, there was only some basic information about the cultivation techniques recorded on them.


    ¡°The price isn¡¯t too high. This is just to prevent disciples from biting off more than they can chew. Typically, one would reach their limit after learning one to two additional cultivation techniques,¡± Wang Bowen continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken note of all this, Senior Brother,¡± Chen Yiming said with a nod.


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested, take a look first. I¡¯ll wait for you outside,¡± said Wang Bowen with a smile.


    After Wang Bowen left, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up as he stared at the various martial arts techniques on the bookshelf.


    In order to let the trainees concentrate on practicing the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, the school established a good foundation for the first three transformations. Students who were not core disciples were not allowed to enter the library.


    Even though Wang Bowen and Chen Yiming had gotten close, he had never told him about this.


    The Water-drop Sword Technique cost 10 million yuan. Thunder Movement Technique, 7 million yuan.


    Red Sun Saber Technique, 9 million yuan.


    Cloud-Treading Technique, 12 million yuan.


    ¡°This is too expensive,¡± Chen Yiming lamented in his heart.


    This wasn¡¯t a high price for core disciples of the school who had undergone at least three transformations. However, right now, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t afford it.

 Chapter 48 - Quota

    Chapter 48 Quota


    Chen Yiming skimmed through the swordsmanship introduction booklets on the bookshelf.


    There were all kinds of sword techniques.


    Strength, assassination, defense, speed¡­


    Even though they were not high level swordsmanship techniques and were only suitable for the disciple realm, this was enough for him.


    Chen Yiming turned back to the room next door.


    Mu Yuerong had just finished reading a senior¡¯s notebook and was feeling a little tired.


    She was the only one in the room, so she stretched lazily, revealing her beautiful curves.


    Chen Yiming happened to see this as he entered the room.


    ¡°Hello, Senior Sister. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± Chen Yiming said awkwardly.


    ¡°I remember now, you¡¯re a new junior brother. I¡¯m your fifth senior sister,¡± Mu Yuerong said calmly, her eyes expressionless.


    ¡°Senior Sister, I¡¯ll go read up on some information,¡± Chen Yiming said softly.


    Without waiting for Mu Yuerong to reply, he turned his back on her and randomly picked out a notebook from the bookshelf.


    Mu Yuerong glared at Chen Yiming, who had his back facing her. He pretended to flip through the notes in his hand for a few minutes.


    The notebook he picked out was on a senior¡¯s experience with food combinations to meet his nutritional needs during cultivation. It was not something he was interested in.


    Chen Yiming realized that his senior sister had also found a new notebook to read. Therefore, he put down the notebook and searched for the book that Senior Brother Wang had mentioned about common knowledge of martial arts.


    The library management was very thoughtful.


    Many of the notes did not even have a cover, but a bookmark was stuck on the first page with a brief summary of the content.


    Chen Yiming quickly found what he was looking for.


    This was a book that introduced the general situation of East Lake City. It detailed the distribution of power among the martial arts factions, the situation of various businesses, the living areas of mutant beasts, and the strength of the human forces.


    An hour passed quickly.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s attention was completely focused on absorbing the knowledge. After flipping to the last page, he suddenly remembered that Senior Brother Wang was still waiting for him.


    Thinking that there would be many more chances to come again in the future, he resisted the urge to continue reading and left quickly.


    Hurrying from the third floor to the main hall, Chen Yiming saw Senior Brother Wang sitting on the sofa and chatting with someone.


    Wang Bowen waved his hand and called out, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, over here.¡±


    Chen Yiming walked over and observed the man who was chatting with Senior Brother Wang.


    The man was more than 1.9 meters tall and was dressed in tight-fitting clothes. His figure was well-proportioned, and he matched the style of the Mantis Snake Sword School very well.


    ¡°I am your third senior brother, Teng Zhihui,¡± Teng Zhihui introduced himself.


    ¡°I am Chen Yiming. Please take care of me in the future,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    The three of them sat down on the sofa.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, your Third Senior Brother isn¡¯t a brute like me. You should have a lot in common. You can seek his guidance in the future,¡± Wang Bowen said.


    ¡°No, Junior Brother Chen, don¡¯t listen to your Second Senior Brother¡¯s nonsense. We should all learn and improve together,¡± Teng Zhihui said humbly.


    ¡°Third Junior Brother, I¡¯m not kidding. Junior Brother Chen¡¯s talent in swordsmanship is extraordinary. The two of you will definitely have good chemistry,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    ¡°I see.¡± Teng Zhihui glanced at Chen Yiming again.


    Wang Bowen chatted briefly with Teng Zhihui before leaving with Chen Yiming. On the way to the supplies department, Wang Bowen emphasized, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, Teng Zhihui is one of the core disciples, and is one of us. You can ask him for guidance without any worries.¡±


    ¡°I understand. What else should I take note of?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. On the surface, we¡¯re all fellow disciples. It¡¯s only because of internal competition for resources that we automatically split into different factions,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    With a few steps, Wang Bowen led Chen Yiming to the supplies area.


    Unlike the place where he had collected the training robes when he had just joined, the venue for collecting the dried mutant beast meat was at the back of the main hall.


    ¡°This is Elder Yin. He is in charge of the monthly distribution of the eggs of the gold-eating bug,¡± Wang Bowen introduced.


    The eggs of the gold-eating bug were a monthly fixed benefit for core disciples from the Mantis Snake Sword School. Eating them in the long term would improve one¡¯s physique and increase the speed at which one¡¯s body could instantly unleash their power.


    ¡°A new core disciple?¡± Elder Yin asked.


    ¡°Elder Yin, I¡¯m still far from a core disciple. I¡¯m only a core disciple candidate now,¡± Chen Yiming quickly explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that different. Remember to come every month to collect your share. In addition, you can spend money to buy the dried mutant beast meat from here,¡± Elder Yin said.


    With that, Elder Yin turned around and entered the room. He quickly came out again.


    Chen Yiming received a plastic box containing the eggs from Elder Yin.


    ¡°These are worm eggs?¡± Chen Yiming opened the box and took a look.


    The eggs were the size of rice grains and were translucent, with golden flecks on the surface. There were less than a hundred eggs in total.


    ¡°Remember, take one in the morning, afternoon, and evening before your training,¡± Elder Yin instructed.


    Chen Yiming nodded in gratitude.


    After receiving their share for the month, the two of them did not stay for long.


    After leaving the headquarters of the martial arts school, the two of them rushed back to the eastern branch.


    Suddenly, it started to drizzle.


    Chen Yiming remained silent and fell into deep thought about his plan to improve all aspects of his swordsmanship.


    As he became a core disciple candidate, he obtained the right to enter the library in the headquarters to buy and learn martial arts techniques. However, Senior Brother Wang had mentioned that one would usually only choose one or two additional martial arts techniques to learn.


    Even if he earned enough money to buy and learn the techniques, he would reach the limit of learning two to three sword techniques from the school. Any more than that would make him stand out too much.


    In addition, he was pretending that he was still at the stage of building up his foundation to break through to the third transformation.


    If he did not focus on practicing the Mantis Snake Sword Technique and instead went to learn other sword techniques, others would find it very strange.


    If he wanted to perfect his plan, he would have to rely on himself to resolve it privately.


    In order not to have any repetition, it was best for him to learn a few different types of sword techniques outside the school before purchasing the ones he couldn¡¯t find from the school.


    Just as he was thinking about it, a fleet of vehicles suddenly drove past them. The fleet was made up of more than ten off-road vehicles. The side of the vehicles was painted with the symbol of a mountain. This was the symbol of the Yue clan, one of the seven main martial arts clans in East Lake City.


    Chen Yiming instinctively stopped and looked at the vehicles driving into the distance.


    Wang Bowen realized that Chen Yiming had suddenly disappeared from his side and quickly turned back.


    ¡°Those are martial arts clan members who were recruited to the front line,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    ¡°Conscription?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The war at the front line is tense. The military has been putting pressure on the martial arts clans in the city recently, forcing them to send people to the front line,¡± Wang Bowen continued.


    ¡°What about the martial arts schools?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same. The head isn¡¯t around, so there¡¯s a high chance that Lin Yixuan will represent the Mantis Snake Sword School and go to the front line. At most, he will choose one or two core disciples to go with him.¡±


    Chen Yiming withdrew his gaze, his expression grave. ¡°What are you worried about? If he has to choose, he would pick someone who has undergone at least three transformations,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile. ¡°Nothing much. I was just imagining what the battlefield would be like,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that complicated. The military will assign tasks to various factions to get them involved. Each faction only needs to complete the corresponding tasks every month,¡± Wang Bowen explained.

 Chapter 49 - 9 Trouble

    Chapter 49 Trouble


    When he returned home that night, Chen Yiming took out the plastic box containing the eggs of the gold-eating bug.


    He opened the box and poured out one of the eggs, then threw it into his mouth.


    The egg was quite tough, and it took a lot of chewing to break it up.


    It was soft inside.


    It tasted a little sweet.


    Unfortunately, just one was too little. Before he could truly savor it, he had eaten it all. He did not know if it would have any effect on him.


    Time flew by.


    In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. During this time, Chen Yiming returned to his life traveling between the school and his house.


    The reason was that Zhang Youde was assigned to the front line just a few days after he became a core disciple candidate.


    Through Zhang Youde, he had finally gained access to a way for him to secretly join in the disputes of the martial arts world in East Lake City so that he could secretly learn different types of sword techniques.


    When Zhang Youde left, no one could replace him.


    Among the people he knew, Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui¡¯s cultivation levels were too high. Other than giving him occasional pointers, they did not bring him along with them because the difference in their cultivation levels was too great.


    In the eyes of Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui, he should be working at the martial arts school to build his foundation at this time instead of thinking about other things.


    Chen Yiming was unable to do anything. The other martial arts trainees were of too low a level.


    At most, they were like Liang Lele and Zhao Jingru, whose families were small merchants, and they would not be able to help him learn sword techniques as he wished.


    The matter of secretly learning sword techniques was temporarily put on hold.


    Chen Yiming could only rely on working as a part-time teacher at the Power-doubling Martial Arts Training Center, occasionally going with Chen Shaojie to check the household registers, and renting out the three shops in the city center to build up his finances.


    However, trying to use the money earned from jobs below the level of the third transformation to buy cultivation techniques that was available to core disciples who had typically undergone at least three transformations was akin to working in a small city and trying to buy a house in a big city in his previous world. It was impossible to achieve this in a short period of


    time.


    As for leaving the city and entering the wilderness alone to become a hunter and hunt mutant beasts to earn money, the risk was too high for someone like him, who had only undergone three transformations. Ordinary mutant beasts were already at the same level as him. Even if he had high combat strength, there was strength in numbers. If he was targeted by multiple mutant beasts, it would be very difficult for him to defend himself.


    He had not planned to leave the city before his sixth transformation.


    Life returned to when he first entered the school.


    One day, Chen Yiming suddenly realized that since he couldn¡¯t achieve his plan of gathering many sword techniques to create a well-rounded sword technique for the time being, he might as well try to create a brand new sword technique based on what he knew now and see if it would work out.


    Since he thought of it, he might as well just do it.


    When he returned home that night, he tried to combine the moves of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, the Phantom Sword Technique, the Long Rainbow Sword Technique, and the Mountain Breaking Sword Technique into one technique for his cultivation.


    He only practiced it a few times before he created a brand new sword technique based on his intuition.


    He was secretly grateful for the enhancement from his Level-1 swordsmanship talent. He could learn all these sword techniques from the disciple realm in mere seconds.


    After that, he continued to cultivate the Mantis Snake Sword Technique at the school during the day. At night, he returned home and worked on the brand new sword technique he had created.


    In a few days, he discovered that the speed at which he obtained Skill Points was different from normal. His speed increased from 3 points per month to 4 points per month. This made him extremely excited. It meant that the brand new sword technique he had combined was even stronger than the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    So he gave a name to the new sword technique ¡ª Chen Style Sword Technique.


    Chen Yiming wished he could just stay at home and train all day. However, since he didn¡¯t have a good reason, he had no choice but to go to the martial arts school during the day.


    He estimated that if he practiced the Chen Style Sword Technique all day, the speed at which he could accumulate Skill Points would reach 5 points per month. During this time, he successfully broke through to the fourth transformation on a quiet night.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 1


    Level: Disciple realm, 4th transformation


    Skill points: 12


    He was one step closer to the 30 Skill Points required for the Level-2 swordsmanship talent.


    However, his life did not change much.


    The war on the front line had not seen much change, and just a month ago, Lin Yixuan had brought two core disciples with him to the front line.


    The atmosphere in the school suddenly became much more serious. The eldest senior brother in the school had been forced to go to the front line. Everyone could feel the pressure from the ongoing war, and they did not return to the attitude of treating their training as a chore.


    These days lasted for nearly half a year.


    It was another quiet night.


    Chen Yiming Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 2


    Level: Disciple realm, 6th transformation Constitution: Basic physique for swordsmanship Skill points: 3


    The latest martial arts talent panel had an additional section on constitution.


    Basic physique for swordsmanship? Before Chen Yiming could study it carefully, he was interrupted by his second uncle, who had suddenly come to visit.


    In the living room of the Chen family¡¯s house, the coffee table was filled with fruits, and Chen Yingying¡¯s unfinished mutant beast meat was left on the dining table.


    Because of Chen Yiming, the Chen family was living a carefree life. Father Chen and Mother Chen no longer had to work and would stroll around the residential district every day to kill time.


    Second aunt Li Qingping fell to the ground and started wailing the moment she entered the house.


    ¡°Please, let Yiming save Shaojie.¡±


    Mother Chen hurried over and helped Li Qingping to the sofa.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Father Chen asked directly.


    ¡°Shaojie isn¡¯t back yet. It¡¯s already close to midnight.


    We headed to the city patrol to ask around. We saw many families like ours there, but we didn¡¯t find any answers. We were just told to go home and wait.¡± Chen Zhipeng told them the whole story. His voice trembled as he tried hard to hold back the tears in his eyes.


    When he heard the commotion, Chen Yiming had opened the door and exited his room.


    After hearing Chen Zhipeng¡¯s words, Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Is there no news at all? Have you looked for the captain of Chen Shaojie¡¯s team?¡±


    Chen Yiming and Chen Shaojie had only worked together on the household verification job for three months before the cooperation ended when Chen Shaojie¡¯s team¡¯s captain made a full recovery.


    ¡°We can¡¯t find him. We¡¯re guessing that the entire team went missing,¡± Chen Zhipeng replied.


    ¡°Did Shaojie tell you what he was going to do tonight?¡± Chen Yiming asked again.


    ¡°During dinner, he said that it was his normal job,¡± Chen Zhipeng replied. After gathering all the information he could gather at the moment from Chen Zhipeng, Chen Yiming fell silent.


    Chen Yiming and Chen Shaojie had done the household verification job many times and he was very familiar with it.


    The job usually started in the evening and ended at 8 pm. Even if it ended late, it would usually be no later than 9 pm.


    One reason was that those who had gone out to work would have just returned home at that time. Those who were supposed to be at home would all be there, which made it suitable for them to check the household register.


    Another reason was that as they continued to capture more unidentified persons in the village, the difficulty of subsequent arrests would increase.


    Those who had yet to be captured were mostly really strong and not easy to deal with. After Chen Yiming and Chen Shaojie took on the job for more than a month, the city patrol team had arranged for multiple teams to check the village at the same time.


    The teams were helping and looking out for each other. After 9 pm, since the other city patrol teams had basically finished their work, individual teams would not dare to stay any longer.


    Therefore, if Chen Shaojie was still nowhere to be found even after midnight, something must have happened.

 Chapter 50 - Clues

    Chapter 50 Clues


    After calming down his second uncle¡¯s family, he told them to wait for news at the Chen family¡¯s house.


    Chen Yiming left alone.


    He first headed to Xu Yuanzhao¡¯s house to find out where his cousin had gone for his job that night.


    Xu Yuanzhao was a member of another city patrol team. He had worked in the same village as Chen Yiming¡¯s team on several occasions, so they were considered close.


    Soon, he found out that the location of the incident was a village on the east side of the city called Ma Village.


    Ma Village was nearly 15 kilometers away from the city center. It was not truly considered a village in the city.


    Then, he returned to the city center and paid a huge sum of money to hire a private detective to go along with him to investigate the location of the incident.


    In Ma village, which was a small village near the fringes of the city wall, there were no street lamps in the area. It was pitch black and one could only rely on the moonlight to see the road.


    The dense forest was in the distance, and there were patches of lush vegetation nearby. It was like a scene from a farming village, without the slightest hint of a city.


    At the fork in the road leading to Ma Village, a middle-aged man carrying a bag was accompanied by a well-proportioned young man in tight-fitting clothes.


    The two of them stood side by side and observed the nearby Ma Village.


    For some reason, there was no sound coming from the village, not even the barking of dogs. It was too quiet.


    ¡°There have been too many cases of people mysteriously disappearing from villages in the city recently. Generally, they have remained unsolved,¡± Deng Hu said.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The Chen family no longer lived in the village in the city, and he had not taken on the job of checking the household register for a long time, so he did not know anything about the current situation.


    ¡°They even dared to make a move on a city patrol team. To be so brazen, the ones behind it are probably not ordinary,¡± Deng Hu explained.


    Chen Yiming turned serious when he heard Deng Hu¡¯s words.


    When he was at the level of three transformations, he had been able to fight against Tang Zhenfeng, who had undergone five transformations, although he had taken advantage of the fact that his opponent was injured.


    His swordsmanship talent had increased by another level. He had even created a style of swordsmanship that was more suitable for him than the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    He had also reached the level of the sixth transformation. Coupled with the basic physique for swordsmanship that he had yet to figure out, no matter how he looked at it, he should be stronger than those at the level of eight transformations.


    As for how he would compare himself to someone who had undergone nine transformations, it was something that he had never encountered before so it was difficult to guess.


    One who had undergone eight transformations would already be considered a powerhouse in East Lake City.


    Therefore, he wasn¡¯t worried about his safety when he headed to the village for an investigation.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? If you can find any clues, I¡¯ll add another 100,000 yuan to the reward,¡± Chen Yiming suggested.


    If he did not use some money to tempt him, he was afraid that Deng Hu would back off the moment they encountered any trouble instead of investigating further. ¡°Master Chen, you¡¯re so frank. For this additional 100,000 yuan, I have to find out everything about this person tonight and give you a satisfactory explanation,¡± Deng Hu accepted it gladly.


    With that, he walked towards Ma Village.


    Chen Yiming nodded and followed suit.


    Deng Hu and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t enter the village from the entrance. Instead, they walked for half the distance and reached the grasslands.


    There were many cornfields in the grasslands, and the tall corn stalks could block the line of sight and conceal their movements.


    At the side of the village, by the wall of a house,


    Deng Hu leaped over the wall and landed lightly on the ground.


    Chen Yiming followed closely behind.


    At that moment, the village was silent. Every household¡¯s light was turned off, and it was impossible to tell if anyone was in from a distance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make any sound even if you have any questions later. I¡¯m going to start,¡± Deng Hu instructed.


    With that, Deng Hu fell to the ground.


    After a few seconds, his nose suddenly became visibly bigger.


    ¡°Is this the legendary Dog Snout Technique?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The Dog Snout Technique was naturally a martial arts technique that specialized in tempering the nose, making one¡¯s nose as sensitive as a dog¡¯s.


    Deng Hu sniffed around in the direction of the village.


    Then, he crawled to the third floor of a house and looked down at the village.


    The door and windows of this house were already broken, and it was obvious that no one lived there. Deng Hu was not afraid of alarming the villagers.


    After making preparations, Deng Hu returned quickly. ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t make a sound,¡± Deng Hu whispered.


    The two of them went along one after another to look for clues in the village.


    Soon, Deng Hu led Chen Yiming over the wall into the courtyard of a house.


    ¡°This is the first place that may hold a clue since there is the smell of blood,¡± Deng Hu said.


    Chen Yiming surveyed the courtyard and found nothing out of place. Deng Hu laid down again and walked around the courtyard before stopping at a corner.


    He took out a shovel from his bag.


    He quickly dug through the mud.


    The items were quickly unearthed by Deng Hu. Two long knives, two long swords, an axe, a pistol, and some torn pieces of clothing.


    ¡°A pistol?¡± Chen Yiming asked quietly.


    This was the first time he had come into contact with firearms outside of the army since he had transmigrated.


    ¡°It should belong to the team¡¯s captain. If you are interested, you can keep it,¡± Deng Hu whispered.


    ¡°Forget it. I was just a little surprised that something would happen to them even though they had a firearm,¡± Chen Yiming replied. ¡°It¡¯s not that strange. In an environment like the village where there are obstacles everywhere, a pistol might not be better than a traditional weapon,¡± Deng Hu explained.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Martial arts practitioners had extraordinary movement speed and reaction speed.


    With many obstacles nearby, dodging bullets would indeed not be difficult.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go straight to the next place,¡± said Deng Hu.


    Deng Hu led Chen Yiming to two other locations where something must have occurred.


    Using the same method, he dug out the items from the team in the mud.


    ¡°My initial judgment is that they should still be alive.¡±


    Deng Hu squatted by the hole in the mud and looked at the items he had dug out.


    Chen Yiming nodded. He thought so too.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Chen Yiming asked again.


    They knew that the team was still alive, but they did not know where they were being held.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look around the village,¡± Deng Hu decided.


    The two of them left the village quietly and searched the surrounding grassland for clues.


    Deng Hu¡¯s judgment was very accurate.


    It did not take long for the two of them to find traces of human footsteps. ¡°They are no longer in the village. They have been brought to another place.¡±


    Deng Hu squatted down in front of a cornfield that had a track cutting through it. He squatted down and examined it carefully.


    Chen Yiming looked at the cornfield in front of him as his thoughts drifted away.


    As long as they were still alive, he would have a way to save them.


    The current him was no longer the person he was half a year ago, the person who needed to consider things carefully even if he was making a sneak attack.


    vas


    Now, he was considering which identity to use to rescue the team.


    Should he save them openly or in secret?


    After he reached the sixth transformation, he had already planned to find an opportunity to reveal the strength of the third transformation.


    This was because he discovered that those below the third transformation were categorized as those who had just started on the path of martial arts and were at the foundation stage. The disputes of the martial arts world rarely involved people at this level.


    Only those who had undergone at least three transformations were qualified to participate openly, and those who had undergone at least six transformations were the main characters in many disputes.

 Chapter 51 - Blessed With Luck

    Chapter 51 Blessed With Luck


    At this moment, a few kilometers away from Chen Yiming and Deng Hu, a woman in a black dress and three male subordinates were on the hillside looking at the path below.


    There were many man-made fish ponds surrounding the path, which was the only road through the area.


    ¡°Big Sister, it¡¯s already late. Why don¡¯t we leave? There are too many mosquitoes here,¡± one of the men suggested.


    It was midsummer, and there were many mosquitoes in the wilderness. If one stood still just for a short while, they would be bitten a few times.


    ¡°He San, what kind of bad idea did you come up with? What if you ruin the professor¡¯s plan? Do you still want to become a bloodline warrior?¡± Another man berated him on the spot.


    ¡°Long Sheng, I was just kidding. Why are you so serious? It¡¯s been so many days, but no one has appeared,¡± the man quibbled.


    The forest was silent. Their conversation suddenly disturbed the peace and a few birds flew away.


    ¡°Alright, all of you quieten down and do your jobs,¡± the woman in the black dress said.


    Once she spoke, both He San and Long Sheng shut their mouths and did not dare to retort.


    The woman in the black dress had undergone four transformations and was not afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes.


    She was the person in charge of the three of them, and they were responsible for intercepting and killing anyone who came to investigate the missing persons.


    The other three men were also martial arts practitioners at the level of the second transformation, and were outstanding among their peers in the organization. Therefore, they were assigned to the team to intercept and kill any meddlers.


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps breaking fallen branches and leaves rang out.


    The woman in the black dress was the first to notice the commotion and glared at He San and Long Sheng


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and check out the situation,¡± the woman in the black dress instructed.


    The three male subordinates did not dare to make any objections and moved out in unison.


    In the woods, Chen Yiming and Deng Hu stopped for a while after walking a small distance.


    After Deng Hu used his Dog Snout Technique to verify the direction, they continued moving forward.


    Thus, the two of them did not move quickly, and the long journey gradually started to seem rather boring.


    Before he knew it, the two of them were no longer as cautious as they were at the start, and they began chatting quietly.


    ¡°Let me make this clear first. I¡¯m only a detective, and I¡¯m only responsible for finding the clues for you. When we arrive at the location, I¡¯ll have completed my assigned job as promised, and I¡¯ll leave directly,¡± Deng Hu emphasized. Since he cultivated the Dog Snout Technique, which had the lowest combat strength among those of the same level, he was unwilling to participate in any combat.


    ¡°What if the people aren¡¯t there? How can the job be considered completed? Besides, if we fight, you still can rely on me,¡± Chen Yiming said in surprise.


    He was unwilling to let Deng Hu leave just like that.


    If he fought his way in and could not find the team there, without Deng Hu¡¯s sharp nose, he did not know how he would be able to find Chen Shaojie. ¡°Mister Chen, this is how a detective works. You¡¯re just making things difficult for me,¡± Deng Hu said pitifully.


    ¡°Alright, but this way, you can only receive the deposit. You can forget about the rest of the money,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    The deposit was half the price and had already been given to Deng Hu.


    Deng Hu had a bitter expression on his face and was unable to say a word.


    Previously, many ordinary families had offered a better price than Chen Yiming, but he hadn¡¯t dared to take on such cases because he was afraid that the risk would be too high.


    When Chen Yiming contacted him, he had revealed that he was a core disciple of a martial arts school. After three transformations, he could directly be promoted to a core disciple.


    He only accepted the case after ensuring that Chen Yiming would be in charge of the combat.


    However, he wasn¡¯t as stubborn as Chen Yiming, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to get the rest of the money.


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The two of them did not continue chatting, and Deng Hu focused on speeding up the search.


    At the entrance of the forest, four figures were blocking the path of the two who were rushing over.


    The leader of the group was the woman in the black dress. Her eyes flashed coldly, and she held a red longsword in her hand. The longsword was more than a meter long. The blade reflected the moonlight, and there were intricate patterns on the hilt.


    Seeing this, Deng Hu hid half a meter behind Chen Yiming in fright.


    ¡°Mister Chen, you promised to keep me safe. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    Deng Hu¡¯s voice was trembling as he spoke.


    He had only dared to take on the case because he felt that Chen Yiming had combat strength. Now that they were really faced with a fight, he could only hope that Chen Yiming was a trustworthy person.


    Of course, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t go back on his word. He didn¡¯t even spare Deng Hu a glance.


    At this moment, he felt that he had suddenly been blessed by Lady Luck.


    Just when he had achieved a breakthrough and was preparing to go out and execute his grand plan to secretly learn sword techniques, someone delivered himself right to his doorstep.


    The team responsible for guarding the entrance would not be stronger than he had expected, no matter how strong they were. He planned to openly display himself at the level of three transformations.


    This saved him a lot of trouble.


    The woman in the black dress didn¡¯t say anything else. She directly gestured for her three subordinates to take down the opponent.


    ¡°Kid, my back hurts from sitting here. Why didn¡¯t you come earlier?¡±


    He San took the lead and charged at Chen Yiming.


    The black saber in his hand glowed with a white light as he charged forward. ¡°Who asked you to be so nosy? Are you uncomfortable staying in the city? You¡¯re just courting death,¡± Long Sheng muttered.


    His figure followed closely behind He San as he charged at Chen Yiming from another direction.


    With each step, he cracked open the surface of the ground. He carried a gigantic axe on his shoulder, the blade bringing with it a tremendous force.


    The remaining man said nothing.


    ar


    He raised his fist and charged forward like an arrow, aiming straight for Deng Hu, who was standing behind Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    The sounds of three slashes rang out.


    Chen Yiming suppressed his speed to the level of the third transformation and took care of the woman¡¯s three subordinates at lightning speed.


    The woods fell silent again.


    The person who had been speaking arrogantly earlier fell to the ground. He died without even being able to fight back.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want their painful cries to disturb his plan of secretly learning sword techniques. Therefore, he had pierced right through their hearts.


    Deng Hu¡¯s pale face regained some of its color, and he took a few steps back to retreat to a safer distance.


    ¡°Mister Chen, quickly finish off the remaining girl,¡± Deng Hu urged.


    The crisis had yet to be completely resolved. He was worried that the woman in the black dress would do the same thing as Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t make a move directly, unlike what Deng Hu had expected. Instead, he stood his ground and waited.


    He was afraid that he would scare the woman off if he made the first move. If she turned and ran away, what would happen to his plan? After all, he couldn¡¯t just force others to fight him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the woman in the black dress asked.


    ¡°Chen Yiming.¡± Chen Yiming announced his name.


    His tone was blunt and arrogant.


    ¡°¡­¡± The woman in the black dress was infuriated. He was taunting her.


    This was the first time in so many years that someone had replied to her in such a manner. It felt like he didn¡¯t even care about her.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± The woman charged forward at lightning speed and slashed horizontally with her sword.


    Water Splitting Sword Technique.


    A blinding red light flashed past, as though it was going to cut through everything. A sharp cutting force surged towards him.


    The speed that Chen Yiming had displayed earlier was at the level of the third transformation.


    This made her feel that even if he had held back, he would at most be on the same level as her, who had undergone four transformations. There was no need for her to retreat immediately.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Chen Yiming cooperated with her and shouted.


    Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    He suppressed his strength to the same level as his opponent and launched a counterattack.


    The two of them exchanged more than ten blows in the blink of an eye.


    From the looks of it, they were evenly matched.

 Chapter 52 - Dungeon

    Chapter 52 Dungeon


    Under the stalemate, the air was filled with dust.


    After each failed attempt, the woman in the black dress did not stop, but turned around and charged at him on the rebound.


    All the force from the charge was focused on the blade. The force was spread along the thin edge of the blade, greatly increasing its cutting power. Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged. With a focused gaze, he raised his sword to meet the attack. ¡°Clang!¡±


    The two swords clashed.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t take the attack head-on. Instead, he withdrew his sword and dodged to the side.


    The woman in the black dress brushed past him and slashed at the tree behind him.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    A beam of light flashed past.


    The tree was cut in half, and the top half slid off, landing horizontally in the middle of the road.


    It was his turn to attack.


    ¡°Watch me,¡± Chen Yiming reminded his opponent. His figure shot forward, and the ground was pressed down by the force of his foot, creating a footprint half an inch deep.


    Chen Yiming used the Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s short-range explosive move. All the force was focused on the tip of the black sword, as though it was trying to pierce through the woman.


    The distance of less than ten meters was covered in the blink of an eye.


    With the enhancement from the fast and explosive style of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, his speed was even faster than the average person who had undergone three transformations.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± The woman¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    She instantly exerted strength from under her feet and leaped up, her figure moving to the side.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s counterattack, which he had intended to use as a warning, had naturally failed.


    The black sword struck a rock by the roadside, and the rock was instantly blown to bits. It was as though a bomb inside of it had exploded.


    After exchanging more than ten blows, the woman in the black dress felt more alarmed the more they fought. The Mantis Snake Sword Technique, which combined speed and lethality, was undoubtedly superior to the Water Splitting Sword Technique, which only enhanced the lethality of her attacks.


    Even if Chen Yiming suppressed his speed to the same level as his opponent, the speed boost from his moves increased the pressure placed on the woman in the black dress.


    Both of them were using agility-based fighting styles. Their difference in speed would cause the advantages and disadvantages they had over one another to be enhanced.


    The faster side only needed to land a critical hit to immediately win the fight.


    The slower side had almost no chance to launch an effective attack.


    Chen Yiming had a calm expression, and his face revealed no signs of anxiousness.


    as


    Using the small figure in his mind, he was secretly learning the Water Splitting Sword Technique.


    The moves of the Water Splitting Sword Technique were simple and straightforward. The core of the technique was in how one used the force to increase the cutting power.


    It was different from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, which involved the combination of speed and penetrative force making the moves much more complicated.


    Deng Hu, who was waiting in the distance, paced back and forth.


    ¡°Should I leave or stay?¡± He was feeling very conflicted.


    Initially, when he saw Chen Yiming finish off the three subordinates of the woman in the black dress, it seemed like everything was under Chen Yiming¡¯s control.


    But from the current situation, Chen Yiming and the woman in the black dress were evenly matched. Neither of them could do anything to the other even after such a long fight.


    It was hard to say who would win or lose.


    Chen Yiming dodged another attack.


    The woman turned around and retreated to widen the distance between them.


    She felt that if she continued to fight with him, her life would be in danger once her stamina decreased.


    There was no need for her to risk her life fighting the opponent, so she planned to slowly make a retreat while they fought.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming kicked off from the ground and charged at the woman in the black dress.


    His true level was at the sixth transformation, and his vision was even better than the woman in the black dress.


    He had noticed all the movements of the woman¡¯s intentional retreat.


    He had already secretly learned the Water Splitting Sword Technique, so there was no value in keeping his opponent alive. Even if she had no intention of retreating, he was also preparing to get rid of her immediately.


    ¡°You¡¯re good,¡± the woman in the black dress said.


    As she quickly retreated, she raised her sword to block Chen Yiming¡¯s attack.


    The two of them were too close, so it was not easy to retreat.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Suddenly, the woman in the black dress widened her eyes in disbelief.


    The black sword in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand pierced through her chest.


    The force from the black sword instantly destroyed all her internal organs.


    ¡°How could this happen?¡± The woman in black dress wanted to ask, but she couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Was her opponent still hiding his strength? Why would he do that?


    In an instant, countless questions flashed through her mind like lightning.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The woman in the black dress fell to the ground with countless questions in her mind.


    Blood spurted from her chest, quickly dying her black dress red.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming had already sheathed his sword and retreated a few meters away to avoid the blood that was splattering out.


    ¡°Mister Chen.¡± Deng Hu ran over when he saw that the woman in the black dress had been stabbed to death.


    In his heart, he was glad that he did not escape immediately.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply. He squatted down and started to loot the bodies.


    Soon, he found a sealed document on the woman in the black dress.


    ¡°This should be the details of the job assigned to the team led by her,¡± said Deng Hu.


    Chen Yiming tore open the envelope and took out the document. He flipped through it page by page.


    He learned that the woman¡¯s name was Wen Mengyu and that she had been assigned to the vicinity of the transfer point to the east of the city. She was in charge of guarding the transfer point for a week.


    ¡°The transfer point should be the place where the captives are temporarily detained.¡± Deng Hu quickly analyzed the situation. Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°We have already wasted a lot of time. It will be troublesome if they get transported somewhere else. Let¡¯s hurry up,¡± Chen Yiming urged.


    His tone unconsciously carried the killing intent from when he fought the woman in black.


    Deng Hu shuddered and shut up.


    Only then did he remember that the person in front of him had mercilessly killed his opponents.


    Hence, he quickly led the way.


    Deep in the forest, there was a cave entrance with a mud slope behind it.


    The entrance was as big as a door, and there were guards patrolling around it with torches in their hands.


    There were a total of more than ten guards, and all of them were equipped with weapons. Clearly, the defense was not weak.


    Chen Yiming and Deng Hu saw the flames from afar and took a detour behind a large tree to observe the situation.


    At the bottom of the hole was probably a temporary dungeon where people were being held captive. It was impossible to tell what was going on inside from the outside.


    ¡°How do you think we should go in and rescue them?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Deng Hu was a detective and should have some experience in this aspect. He wanted to hear what ideas the other party had.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if we capture a guard first and find out the exact situation inside the cave. Then, we can come up with a detailed rescue plan,¡± Deng Hu replied.


    This was the safest and most reliable way to rescue someone.


    ¡°In the end, we still have to go in and rescue them. Why waste the additional time?¡± Chen Yiming rolled his eyes. ¡°Er¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± Deng Hu did not know how to refute him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you capture someone to interrogate first, Mister Chen? At the very least, you can get a rough idea of the situation down there to prevent us from falling into a trap,¡± Deng Hu suggested.


    Chen Yiming thought about it carefully and observed the situation at the cave entrance.


    The guards were about a meter away from each other, and it was almost impossible to capture one of them without being noticed.


    If he followed Deng Hu¡¯s plan, he would waste at least ten minutes.


    What if the other party had somehow discovered that the woman in the black dress had been killed? Then, the other guard teams would surround and attack him.


    At that time, he did not know if he could deal with the situation just by using his strength at the level of the third transformation.


    Rather than causing more trouble for himself, he might as well charge in and rescue them directly.


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go over alone,¡± Chen Yiming said as he made his decision.


    Once he finished speaking, he vanished from sight.

 Chapter 53 - Abnormality

    Chapter 53 Abnormality


    In front of the cave entrance, the guards talked in low voices from time to time. Some of them even took out snacks from their pockets.


    It was a dreary duty to stand guard at midnight. It was easy for one to feel sleepy, so they had to find something to do to pass the time.


    Chen Yiming quietly approached the cave entrance. As the guards chatted, he changed his position and finally stopped about 10 meters away.


    This was the closest he could get without the guards noticing him.


    Chen Yiming used his feet to lightly push against the ground, creating a small disturbance.


    The leader of the guards heard the noise and instructed, ¡°Li Qingmin, the few of you go over and check out the situation.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Qingmin replied. He quickly called for the two guards beside him and they walked towards Chen Yiming¡¯s position.


    Under the moonlight, Chen Yiming saw that only three people had come. They were obviously small fries, so he was a little disappointed.


    He thought that he could lure a few more guards over and kill as many as possible with one sneak attack.


    Otherwise, if the guards scattered and escaped, he might not be able to get all of them.


    They were surrounded by forests. In the dark night, as long as they got far enough, it would not be difficult for them to hide for a short period of time.


    Suddenly, a white light flashed past.


    Li Qingmin¡¯s attention was still on the spot where Chen Yiming had made a disturbance when his companions fell to the ground.


    He was just about to shout for help when he felt a chill run down his neck. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.


    This dark environment was the best place for using the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to launch a sneak attack.


    Chen Yiming finished off the three guards in less than a second.


    The guards at the entrance had just noticed something was amiss when they saw a figure charging out of the darkness.


    The figure was Chen Yiming.


    The three guards who had been killed were still standing in their positions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Form up and stand guard. There¡¯s only one of them,¡± the leader of the guards shouted.


    The guards immediately hid behind the leader and raised their weapons, forming a semicircle to deal with Chen Yiming¡¯s sneak attack.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    If the guards scattered and escaped, it would be troublesome for him to chase them one by one.


    Now that they were huddled together, he could completely unleash his full strength without fear of others discovering his secret.


    Deng Hu, who was the only one who could see all of this, was also very far away. Coupled with the dark night, he could not see anything other than that the guards had been wiped out.


    In the blink of an eye, a thin red line appeared on the necks of each of the guards who were standing in formation around their leader, and their bodies lost all their strength and fell to the ground.


    Chen Yiming stood a few meters away from the leader and watched everything unfold. This was the first time that he had used the Chen Style Sword Technique in combat, but it had already revealed its extraordinary aspects. The illusion from the Phantom Sword Technique was combined with the high speed, explosive power of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique at a short distance.


    It was as though the guards had all just stood still waiting for him to kill them.


    ¡°F*ck, who on earth managed to provoke a God of Death of this level?¡± The leader of the guards cursed in his heart and turned to escape into the cave.


    He couldn¡¯t even see Chen Yiming¡¯s speed clearly, so he didn¡¯t have the courage to fight. The sword flashed again. The head of the leader of the guards flew into the air, and his body continued moving forward a few steps due to inertia before collapsing in front of the cave entrance.


    ¡°Too slow,¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered as he walked straight into the hole.


    Behind him, not far from the cave entrance, the head of the leader of the guards wore a fearful expression on his face. His eyeballs were bulging so much that his eyes could not be closed.


    Upon entering the cave, a staircase leading underground came into view.


    At the end of the stairs was a rectangular space with stone chambers on both sides. There were a total of eight chambers.


    On the walls outside of the stone chambers, lit torches were hung every few meters.


    It was clear that the space beneath the hole was a dungeon to hold captives.


    At this moment, a few chairs in the space were still swaying back and forth.


    Chen Yiming took a quick look and walked down the stairs.


    Until he reached the open space, he did not see any traps along the way, nor did he encounter any guards to block his way. ¡°%$%*¡±


    Various sounds rang out from within the stone chambers.


    When the people inside heard the disturbance at the entrance and realized that the guards in the open space had disappeared, a commotion broke out.


    Chen Yiming looked at the noisy stone chambers that were like a wet market and felt frustrated.


    If he just opened the doors and let all the people out, things might get chaotic.


    He could only walk to the metal window of each stone chamber one by one and search for Chen Shaojie.


    Not long after, he finally found Chen Shaojie in the fifth stone chamber. Chen Shaojie was in an abnormal state. His body was curled up into a ball.


    He was trembling and twitching non-stop, as though he was enduring intense pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What did the people here do to Chen Shaojie?¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression changed. This situation was beyond his expectations.


    In just a few hours, the situation had gotten this bad.


    ¡°Hurry up and let us out,¡± the people locked up inside shouted.


    The group quickly moved to the metal window and banged on it. Most of them were dirty and ragged, and looked like beggars. Even through the metal window, a bad smell wafted over to him. He didn¡¯t have time to think too much about it. Chen Yiming took a few steps back and walked around to the front of the metal door. He kicked it open in one move and quickly stood to the side and waited.


    A few seconds later, more than ten prisoners rushed out of the stone chamber through the metal door. Without saying a word of thanks to Chen Yiming, they ran towards the cave entrance.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes, sensing that something was amiss.


    Only after everyone in the stone chamber had escaped did he enter the chamber.


    ¡°Cousin¡­¡± Chen Shaojie raised his hand with much difficulty.


    His voice was hoarse and his breathing was weak, as though he could die at any moment.


    Chen Yiming walked over and helped him up. He then carried him on his shoulders and walked out of the stone chamber.


    Before leaving, he kicked down all the metal doors in succession then quickly brought Chen Shaojie away.


    While Chen Yiming was rescuing Chen Shaojie, on a high ground a few kilometers away from the dungeon, a tall muscular man questioned the guard who had run over to ask for help, ¡°Is someone invading the dungeon?¡± They were at the highest point in the surrounding terrain, allowing them to intercept any intruders at any time.


    The tall muscular man was in charge of an intercepting team, like the woman in the black dress, except that he was assigned to watch another direction.


    ¡°Yes, the intruder killed Lord An Qingshan, who was at the entrance of the dungeon. I saw that something was amiss and immediately ran out of the emergency passage,¡± the guard who had come to ask for help explained.


    ¡°All right, you go back and continue observing the situation. I will go find the other two intercepting teams to regroup and support you,¡± the taller man replied.


    ¡°This¡­¡± The guard didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    If he went back to observe the situation, he might run into the intruder along the way.


    When he thought of this, he shuddered.


    ¡°Alright, you guys have to provide support as soon as possible,¡± the guard who asked for help replied after thinking for a few seconds.


    He turned around and quickly rushed towards the dungeon.


    After walking for about a kilometer, it was impossible for the people behind to see him. He immediately changed direction.


    A few minutes passed.


    ¡°Big Brother, aren¡¯t we going to provide support?¡± a subordinate beside the tall man asked.


    ¡°Are you stupid? If you want to go, go by yourself,¡± the tall man said. ¡°An Qingshan was the last line of defense for the dungeon, but even he couldn¡¯t stop the intruder. Do you want us to die?¡±


    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t believe that guy will really go back and investigate the situation,¡± the tall man added. ¡°After this, we¡¯ll all pretend not to know what happened.¡±

 Chapter 54 - Giant

    Chapter 54 Giant


    It was 2 am at


    East Lake City¡¯s public hospital.


    In the corridor of the ward, several doctors and more than ten nurses were surrounded by the families of dozens of patients. The group of people were asking questions about the patients¡¯ conditions non-stop. These patients were the same as Chen Shaojie, and were all imprisoned in the stone chambers in the dungeon. Chen Yiming let everyone out before he left. After most people escaped, the first thing he did was to go to the public hospital to get a physical examination for his cousin.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s second uncle and aunt, Father Chen and Mother Chen, were also in the crowd of family members, hoping to hear about Chen Shaojie¡¯s situation as soon as possible.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen stood by the window on the stairs of the emergency passage.


    Chen Yiming had called Wang Bowen over.


    Since it concerned his cousin¡¯s life, he could only brazenly use all the connections he had.


    Wang Bowen was silent for a long time before he made his judgment. ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that Professor Fu¡¯s laboratory was involved in this.¡±


    ¡°Professor Fu?¡±


    Wang Bowen explained, ¡°He was a figure who rose to fame in East Lake City several years ago. His influence even exceeded that of a warrior.¡±


    Wang Bowen then told Chen Yiming about Professor Fu¡¯s past in detail.


    Professor Fu used to work at a research institute in East Lake City.


    Although his martial arts talent was not good, his desire to embark on the path of martial arts had never been extinguished. With his talent in scientific research, he was able to hold up the banner of research for the bloodline warriors in East Lake City.


    Since the invasion of the otherworld, scientists from all over the world had tried all kinds of methods to research the bloodline warriors, but they had yet to achieve any substantial breakthroughs. Most of the current bloodline warriors had directly implanted organs from mutant beasts into their bodies.


    The success rate of such a method was very low. The bloodline warriors created this way were only able to survive by luck, and the result could not be effectively replicated.


    Such cruel experimentation on the human body was naturally taboo and forbidden. Professor Fu was carrying out this type of human experimentation in secret, and he escaped from East Lake City after it got exposed.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Since Professor Fu doesn¡¯t have any martial arts talent, how could he have escaped so easily? He could even set up a laboratory in the wilderness,¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Wang Bowen said in a low voice, ¡°This is a very complicated matter. There are many people who have a stake in this. You just need to know that the original intention of a bloodline warrior is to keep the martial arts practitioners in check.¡±


    As he spoke, he was carefully observing if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation.


    This was a very sensitive matter and had not been disclosed to the general public.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°What about my cousin? How did he get involved in the human experiments in just a few short hours? The dungeon doesn¡¯t seem to be a suitable environment for conducting experiments, does it?¡± Chen Yiming asked. In his previous life, he was a university student who had completed his undergraduate studies, so he still had some basic knowledge.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they should have only undergone the early stages of the human experiments. They might have been injected with some kind of drug extracted from mutant beast blood.


    For such tests, as long as he was fine back then, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to survive,¡± judged Wang Bowen.


    Chen Yiming was still worried after hearing this.


    In the stone chamber that Chen Shaojie was imprisoned in, the rest of the people were in a completely different state from Chen Shaojie.


    Chen Shaojie was still unconscious. What else had happened to him? They could only ask him when he woke up.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Suddenly, a loud sound rang out.


    The entire ward was in an uproar. Regardless of whether they were a member of the hospital staff or the patient¡¯s family, all of them were in a mess and looking for a place to hide.


    Many people wore fearful expressions, thinking that the hospital had been attacked. They hurriedly ran towards the emergency passage.


    ¡°I will go take a look.¡±


    Hearing the commotion, Chen Yiming rushed over to where Father Chen and Mother Chen had been.


    He exerted force through the soles of his feet and quickly stepped across the floor. In the blink of an eye, he had exited the stairwell and the emergency passage. Wang Bowen followed closely behind. Exiting the stairwell, they were greeted by the sight of a group of people running wildly in a panic.


    Chen Yiming saw Father Chen and Mother Chen in the crowd.


    At this moment, Father Chen and Mother Chen looked rather pale and their clothes were all intact. Clearly, they had not been harmed in any way.


    He immediately felt relieved.


    Then, he looked towards the source of the loud noise.


    A figure of about three meters tall was standing at the door of the ward.


    The top of his head was almost touching the ceiling, and his clothes and pants were torn open, leaving only a few shreds of cloth hanging from his body.


    The wooden door that he had destroyed lay in pieces around him, scattered all over the corridor in the ward.


    As he looked at the figure¡¯s face, a sense of familiarity welled up in him.


    Wasn¡¯t this his cousin, Chen Shaojie?


    Although his face had gotten a little bigger, he could still recognize his familiar face.


    ¡°Son, we finally found you. Should we continue running?¡± Mother Chen asked. ¡°Yiming, why don¡¯t we retreat with the crowd?¡± Father Chen suggested. The two of them left the crowd and walked to Chen Yiming¡¯s side. They were still short of breath.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he gestured for Father Chen and Mother Chen to look in Chen Shaojie¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Is this Shaojie?¡± Mother Chen turned around and asked in surprise. ¡°I think so. From the face, they look 99% alike,¡± Father Chen replied. Chen Shaojie was still a little confused.


    Due to the memory of being pressed to the ground and captured by someone the previous night, he instinctively wanted to escape the moment he woke up.


    With just a light pat, he had broken the wooden door of the ward into pieces.


    When he came out of the ward and saw a few figures in white coats among the panicking crowd, he realized that he was in the hospital.


    At this moment, he did not dare to move around recklessly. He was afraid that he would cause greater destruction, so he could only stand rooted to the ground and stare blankly.


    Chen Yiming walked over and called out, ¡°Shaojie.¡±


    When he spoke to his cousin, he needed to look up. He wasn¡¯t used to it.


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Chen Shaojie lowered his head and looked at Chen Yiming.


    In his eyes, the other party was very short, like a child.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the ward. Everyone had left.


    He went straight in and grabbed a white bedsheet, then came back to pass it to Chen Shaojie so he could cover himself up.


    Chen Shaojie¡¯s face turned red, and he almost tore the bedsheet in his haste.


    This was a sign that his strength had increased drastically in a short time, and he could not control his body.


    ¡°What happened? How did you become like this?¡± Chen Yiming asked his cousin after he had covered himself with the bedsheet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I woke up like this,¡± Chen Shaojie replied as he scratched the back of his head.


    His huge hand, which was more than twice the size of an ordinary person¡¯s, almost hit the ceiling.


    Chen Yiming looked up. Chen Shaojie realized this and carefully lowered his hand.


    ¡°Do you remember what happened after you were captured and thrown into the dungeon?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ everyone was locked up in the stone chamber. Not long after, someone came in and gave each of us a shot in the arm. A few people wanted to resist and were beaten up badly,¡± Chen Shaojie described the situation back then.


    Wang Bowen walked over and said, ¡°You should be considered extremely lucky. You didn¡¯t even need to go through the human experiments and directly became a bloodline warrior.¡±


    ¡°Bloodline warrior? Human experiments?¡± Chen Shaojie had countless questions in his heart.


    He had not even finished high school when he joined the city patrol.


    With his limited knowledge, he could not understand a single word that Wang Bowen said.

 Chapter 55 - Test

    Chapter 55 Test


    Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen had no intention of explaining all the details to Chen Shaojie.


    Bloodline warriors.


    Wang Bowen only knew some basic information from the books passed down in his clan.


    Chen Yiming, on the other hand, had a rough understanding of what was going on after integrating the knowledge of genetics he learned in his previous world.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, can you help Shaojie test his strength?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The reason he didn¡¯t do it himself was because he didn¡¯t know the strength of a bloodline warrior.


    If Chen Shaojie was too strong and caused him to expose his true level, it would be troublesome.


    ¡°Sure. To be honest, this is the first time I¡¯m seeing a bloodline warrior in person,¡± Wang Bowen said with interest.


    He twisted his wrists and flexed his muscles to warm up, making cracking sounds.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very suitable to do it here, right?¡± Chen Shaojie looked around hesitantly.


    His entire body was filled with explosive power, and he felt the urge to crush anything he saw.


    Previously, when he woke up and wanted to escape, his first thought was not to open the door normally. Instead, he had wanted to knock aside the door blocking his way.


    The pieces of the wooden door around him were evidence of this.


    ¡°Big guy, don¡¯t be too confident. I¡¯m at the level of eight transformations. Let¡¯s directly test the power of your fist,¡± said Wang Bowen with a smile.


    Becoming a bloodline warrior could indeed change a person¡¯s martial arts talent by allowing one to possess certain abilities that originated from mutant beasts.


    However, as an ordinary person, no matter how big one¡¯s muscles were, if he did not know how to gather all the strength in his body, the combat power that he could display was limited.


    ¡°Alright, then ready yourself,¡± Chen Shaojie reminded him. He felt a strange sense of frenzy and wanted to punch his opponent to a pulp.


    With that, he clenched his fists and raised his


    arms.


    The muscles in his biceps and shoulders bulged instantaneously, and veins as thick as ropes appeared on the surface of his skin. It was clear from a single glance that tremendous strength was hidden within his body.


    ¡°I am going to throw a punch,¡± Chen Shaojie shouted and used all his strength to attack Wang Bowen.


    The moment he swung his fist, he remembered that the other party was his cousin¡¯s senior brother, so he subconsciously held back 30% of his strength.


    His big fist, which was wider than two people, produced a powerful wind and pressure with its own movement. It seemed to be filled with an explosive power.


    Wang Bowen licked his lips and raised his hand.


    Compared to his opponent¡¯s fist, his palm was actually a little smaller.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The fist and palm came into contact.


    His palm caught the fist that was even bigger than his own, and there was no sign of him being pushed back by the attack.


    Chen Shaojie¡¯s face instantly turned red. His mind was filled with rage, and all he could think of was how to crush his opponent.


    He pulled back his fist and gathered his strength again, his expression becoming ferocious.


    This time, he did not hold back.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Between the two of them, who were about a meter apart, the afterimages of countless punches suddenly appeared. At the location where the punches landed, there was only a palm that remained motionless.


    He threw out dozens of punches in a row.


    Suddenly, Chen Shaojie¡¯s legs gave out and he fell to his knees.


    His whole body was drenched in sweat and his muscles were trembling non-stop.


    His entire body shrank from about three meters tall to about 1.8 meters tall. The large, bulging muscles on his body had disappeared.


    ¡°Oh? You changed back,¡± Wang Bowen said in surprise. He lowered his raised hand, still not fully satisfied.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, what¡¯s the situation now?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°The ability of a bloodline warrior has a time limit.


    You can take the bloodline ability as a secret technique in martial arts. The difference is that secret techniques can cause harm to the body, while the bloodline ability can be used repeatedly,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    ¡°How strong is my cousin after using his bloodline ability?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    This was what he was concerned about.


    If his bloodline ability could greatly enhance his body, he could try to guide his cousin Chen Shaojie onto the path of martial arts.


    Perhaps Chen Shaojie could rely on his bloodline ability to continuously achieve breakthroughs.


    ¡°It¡¯s roughly equivalent to the level of three transformations without any knowledge of how to use the force. He can just barely rely on his defenses to withstand the attacks from an opponent who has undergone three transformations for a few minutes,¡± Wang Bowen said directly.


    ¡°Also, when your cousin uses his bloodline ability, it¡¯s very easy for him to become enraged. This is a hidden peril,¡± Wang Bowen reminded him.


    ¡°I could also tell by observing the fight. After his first attack failed, he lost all rationality and only knew how to use his full strength repeatedly to attack,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Chen Shaojie¡¯s bloodline ability was currently of little use. The main problem was that his martial arts level was too low. He had all this strength but did not know how to use it.


    Once the duration of the bloodline ability was up, Chen Shaojie would become a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.


    Just as the two of them were talking to the exhausted Chen Shaojie lying on the ground,


    a group of security guards working for the hospital led by their captain rushed in from the staircase with sharp weapons in their hands.


    ¡°Where is the giant?¡± the captain of the security guards asked.


    The security team behind them moved closer to Chen Yiming and the others, looking rather imposing.


    ¡°Giant? It¡¯s him.¡± Chen Yiming moved aside to reveal Chen Shaojie, who had fallen to the ground and had yet to recover.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± the captain of the security guards said sternly. He had undergone two transformations and was in charge of the security of the entire hospital. His tone carried an air of authority.


    Chen Yiming had no choice but to step forward and explain the situation in detail. He also promised repeatedly that he would be responsible for the full compensation.


    No matter what, the Chen family was in the wrong.


    Not only did it affect the order and security of the hospital, but they also caused damage to the property. Along the way, Wang Bowen even revealed the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s golden sword token.


    The golden sword token was something only core disciples had, and it represented the status of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    The captain of the security guards didn¡¯t believe Chen Yiming¡¯s words at first. After seeing the token, he instantly lost his authoritative air and quickly left with his team.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, it¡¯s a good thing you were here. Otherwise, things would have been troublesome,¡± Chen Yiming said gratefully.


    ¡± wouia


    If not for Wang Bowen showing his token, the captain of the security guards would definitely have done more to verify the truth of the matter. It was unknown how long it would have taken for them to come to a conclusion in that case.


    ¡°Did you secretly break through again? Otherwise, how could you have saved your cousin so easily? Your clothes are not even damaged,¡± Wang Bowen suddenly asked as he swept his gaze over him.


    ¡°As expected, nothing can escape your eyes, Senior Brother Wang. I just broke through not long ago,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    He immediately revealed the excuse he had planned beforehand, taking advantage of the incident in which his cousin had been caught.


    The identity of the woman in the black dress would soon be revealed by others. Furthermore, he had saved so many people imprisoned in the dungeon.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long for the outside world to verify that Chen Yiming was the one who had killed the woman in the black dress and the intercepting team that she had led.


    The woman in the black dress had undergone four transformations, so it could be surmised that Chen Yiming had at least undergone three transformations.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. The two-year deadline is less than half gone, and you¡¯ve already broken through to the third transformation. In the future, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to break through to the sixth transformation,¡± Wang Bowen praised.


    ¡°Remember to come to the martial arts school tomorrow. I need to tell you in detail about the core disciples,¡± Wang Bowen instructed. ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 56 - Discovery

    Chapter 56 Discovery


    The sky was starting to lighten.


    Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying arrived at an empty spot by the riverside.


    In the morning, he had to meet up with Wang Bowen at the headquarters of the school. Since it was still early, he wanted to take advantage of his free time to check on his sister¡¯s cultivation progress.


    ¡°Brother, is Cousin Shaojie alright?¡± Chen Yingying asked with concern.


    The previous night, Chen Yiming, Father Chen, and Mother Chen didn¡¯t return home until 3 am. They had not allowed her to go to the hospital with them.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine now,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Brother, can you tell me what happened last night?¡± Chen Yingying asked curiously.


    Chen Yiming glared at his sister.


    ¡°I came out today to check on your cultivation progress. We can talk about other matters later,¡± Chen Yiming said in a strict tone, leaving no room for compromise.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chen Yingying did not dare to ask further. She unsheathed her sword and ran to an empty spot far away to put down the scabbard.


    She was meticulous through the entire process, taking every step seriously, with the same attitude as she had towards her studies.


    At this moment, she was wearing a short-sleeved training robe, revealing her fair and slender arms. She did not look like a martial arts practitioner at all, but like a rich young lady.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of caring so much about such details?¡± Chen Yiming was perplexed, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    The preparations were completed.


    Chen Yingying stood not far from Chen Yiming and started to practice the basic sword moves one by one.


    Stab, slash, raise, swing, lunge¡­


    Every move she made was exactly as described in the martial arts texts, without any deviations. It could be said that she had grasped the standard basic sword moves. Chen Yiming folded his arms across his chest and watched quietly from afar as he considered the future arrangements for his sister.


    His sister¡¯s situation was a little special, similar to some second-generation martial artists.


    Typically, beginners would first master the basic moves and then cultivate martial arts techniques.


    After tempering their bodies during the cultivation process and reaching a certain level, they would complete the first transformation and officially enter the disciple realm.


    Chen Yingying, on the other hand, relied on eating the mutant beast meat every day to supplement her cultivation along with practicing the basic sword moves. She would complete the first transformation before mastering the basic sword moves.


    This greatly reduced the level of difficulty for her to master the basic sword moves.


    ¡°Your movements are perfect. Keep it up,¡± Chen Yiming said. He wasn¡¯t exactly surprised or disappointed.


    To be able to master the basic sword moves in just more than half a year meant that she had practiced every day according to his instructions. She had not been slacking off secretly.


    Chen Yingying sheathed her sword and said softly, ¡°Brother, am I too bad at this? After spending so much money, I only managed to master the basic sword moves.¡±


    Her face was filled with guilt as she spoke.


    ¡°When I was practicing martial arts at the martial arts school, I met many senior brothers and sisters. My situation back then was similar to yours,¡± Chen Yiming said, trying to console her. ¡°At first, I was just building my foundation. Spending more money now is for the sake of spending less in the future.¡±


    He was not lying to Chen Yingying. Many second-generation martial artists had the same experience.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯ll continue training then.¡± A smile reappeared on Chen Yingying¡¯s face as she picked up her sword and continued her morning practice. ¡°The expenditure will only increase in the future,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    After checking on his sister¡¯s cultivation progress, Chen Yiming went to an empty spot in the woods by the river.


    Basic sword body.


    What effect did it have on his body? How did it affect his cultivation level? What changes did it have on his swordsmanship?


    He planned to take advantage of the free time he now had to investigate it thoroughly.


    Chen Yiming started from the foundation and practiced the basic sword moves.


    His figure in the forest changed continuously, making a stabbing move at one moment and a slashing move the next moment.


    His movements were akin to teleportation, and he appeared several meters away in the blink of an eye.


    If anyone was watching him, they would find it hard to believe that this was just a basic sword move.


    After one round, Chen Yiming stopped and stood rooted to the ground, looking back on his performance.


    Each move and stance had no qualitative change from before. The only difference was that he had already undergone six transformations, so his physical strength was greater and his attack speed was higher.


    Chen Yiming started to practice his martial arts techniques again. From the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to the Chen Style Sword Technique, he tested out each and every move.


    His figure started to move through the forest again. His speed was even faster than when he was practicing the basic sword moves earlier. When he struck out with his sword, it was accompanied by wind pressure, causing the grass on the ground to continuously sway with his movements.


    The principle of a martial arts technique in the disciple realm was to combine the strength of all the muscles in one¡¯s body to generate a force. The force was equivalent to increasing one¡¯s physical strength. Therefore, a martial arts technique was much more powerful than basic moves.


    Ten minutes later, he stopped again.


    He could not help but feel a little frustrated.


    He had already gone from the beginning to the end, testing out everything he had learned.


    However, he still could not find the right method.


    There was something lacking in the panel of the martial arts talent system. There was no built-in artificial intelligence to help him address his queries, so he had to figure it all out on his own.


    Just as he stood rooted to the ground in a daze, the air vibrated from the sword moves he had executed earlier, causing many leaves to fall from the tree branches and land on Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming was still feeling frustrated when he saw the leaves blocking his line of sight. He used his hand to wave them aside.


    An incident occurred.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    All the leaves along the line that he had drawn with his hand were cut into two.


    ¡°What?¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared blankly at his hand.


    His hand was somehow as sharp as a blade, and could be used as a sharp object to cut through the leaves.


    He was in a daze for nearly a minute.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze and kicked a tree beside him.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The tree shook, and a few seconds later, a large amount of leaves fell down.


    Chen Yiming followed his original actions and used his hand to wave the leaves away.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it work now?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    This time, the leaves were only pushed aside by his hand, instead of getting cut like the previous time.


    ¡°I must have missed something.¡± Chen Yiming shut his eyes and tried to recall what had happened.


    After comparing the two movements, he realized that they were exactly the same.


    He thought about it for a few more minutes.


    Suddenly, a thought struck him.


    ¡°At that time, I practiced all the sword techniques I had learned, but I didn¡¯t discover anything. I wasn¡¯t in a good mood, and the leaf happened to fall. I had directed a little enmity towards the leaf,¡± Chen Yiming analyzed in his heart.


    He opened his eyes and looked at the tree beside him. In his heart, he thought to himself, ¡°Tree, break for me.¡± Then he struck the trunk with his hand.


    A membranous layer silently attached itself to his hand and cut through the tree trunk.


    The tree fell to the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as I harbor a sense of enmity, this invisible membrane will become attached,¡± Chen Yiming muttered as he looked at the tree stump in front of him.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming suddenly thought of a serious problem. ¡°I have used my Skill Pointed to enhance my talent in swordsmanship, and all I¡¯ve learned is sword techniques. What should I do with this? I wonder if I can attach it to the sword? Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    He immediately raised his sword and swung it at another tree.


    He moved the sword lightly and put no strength into the attack, directing his enmity towards the tree and wanting to cut it in half.


    The sword flashed past.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The tree trunk was indeed cut in half, and the top half slid to the ground, leaving behind a bare stump.

 Chapter 57 - Job

    Chapter 57 Job


    ¡°Enmity arises from the intentions I have in my mind. I¡¯ll just call the intention applied to the sword the Heart Sword,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    Next, Chen Yiming started to test the power of the Heart Sword.


    The forest began to get destroyed. Boulders taller than a human were broken into small pieces, and trees were chopped in half no matter how thick their trunks were.


    After slashing out nearly a hundred times,


    Chen Yiming suddenly stopped. He felt a little dizzy and he was thoroughly exhausted.


    ¡°The result of the test is that the limit should be 100 slashes, and the range is about an inch.


    The range of one inch is very short, but it¡¯s enough to be a secret finishing move in fights,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    After completing this simple test, the sky had already turned completely bright.


    Chen Yiming waited for Chen Yingying to finish her morning practice before sending her home. He then set off for the headquarters of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    On the second floor of the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s headquarters was the head, Wan Rong¡¯s, room.


    Chen Yiming, Wang Bowen, and Wan Rong were sitting around a tea table. Each of them had a cup of tea in front of them. Steam was rising slowly from the cups.


    Wang Bowen had told him the day before that there was an important matter to settle, and that was to bring him to see the head of the school, Wan Rong.


    ¡°Bowen has done a very good job at teaching. He has unearthed another student with strong potential,¡± Wan Rong said as he stroked his beard.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all because of your discerning eyes, Master. You could tell Yiming¡¯s potential at a glance and directly took him in,¡± Wang Bowen said humbly.


    ¡°Yiming, I¡¯ve already heard about what happened last night. I¡¯m very satisfied with it You managed to kill two enemies who had undergone four transformations with your strength from the third transformation,¡± Wan Rong praised.


    ¡°The Mantis Snake Sword Technique is powerful to begin with. I¡¯m just displaying what I¡¯ve learned,¡± Chen Yiming said humbly.


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. The Mantis Snake Sword Technique has always been known for its lethality. As long as the gap in cultivation isn¡¯t too great, killing enemies of a higher level isn¡¯t impossible,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    He urged Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen to drink the tea.


    ¡°Yiming, you have already reached the level of the third transformation. I have arranged a job for you. What do you think?¡± Wan Rong asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow Master¡¯s arrangements,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Having undergone three transformations, the strength of your body¡¯s muscles is already worlds apart from that of an ordinary person. Ordinary blades can¡¯t even pierce through your skin, so the effect of simply training is very poor,¡± Wan Rong explained. ¡°At this time, you need stronger external factors to stimulate your body to continue improving. Therefore, I plan to arrange for you to work as a consultant at the Anteng Transportation Company. You can accumulate experience from your job of transporting supplies in the wilderness to prepare for your upcoming training in the wilderness.¡±


    Chen Yiming remained silent as he thought to himself, ¡°I have been relying solely on training and have reached the sixth transformation. I don¡¯t think the effect is bad.¡±


    Wang Bowen was afraid that Chen Yiming would overthink things, so he said, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, don¡¯t worry. The Anteng Transportation Company is a company under the Mantis Snake Sword School. Every time they leave the city to transport supplies, there are experts who have undergone six transformations leading the way. I went through this as well.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t take the initiative to publicize his breakthroughs, so Wang Bowen had the impression that he was keeping too low a profile.


    ¡°Yiming, in the wilderness surrounding East Lake City, no one dares to openly attack the transport team from the Mantis Snake Sword School.¡± Wan Rong glanced at Chen Yiming and became absorbed in thought.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t dare to go. Senior Brother Wang has damaged my reputation.¡± Chen Yiming felt bitter about it but couldn¡¯t say anything. It seemed that he would be leaving an impression of being a bit of a coward on the head.


    Wan Rong then gave some instructions and passed the token representing his status as a core disciple to Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s name was carved on it.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen left after everything was settled.


    They exited from the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, Master¡¯s arrangements are specially made with the disciples in mind, and are suited to the stage we are in. Don¡¯t worry about it.


    For example, I¡¯m not far from the ninth transformation. After breaking through to the warrior realm, it¡¯s no longer useful to fight and train in the wilderness. Therefore, Master arranged for me to do some teaching at the branch school,¡± Wang Bowen explained once again.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Wang Bowen, who had undergone eight transformations, was teaching in the branch school. Of course, Chen Yiming believed that Wan Rong was doing this for his own good.


    After the two of them parted ways, Chen Yiming headed straight to the Anteng Transportation Company.


    ¡­


    The Anteng Transport Company was located in an open area near the city gate on the west side of the city.


    Most transportation companies in East Lake City were located here.


    There was a huge parking lot nearby, filled with all kinds of large trucks.


    When Chen Yiming found the company, he saw more than ten men practicing in the main hall. They were treating the main hall as a training ground.


    After Chen Yiming took out his token to verify his identity,


    Wang Jianyan called for the people to gather. ¡°Everyone, come over quickly. Let¡¯s welcome our new colleague.¡±


    He was one of the three team leaders who had undergone six transformations in the Anteng Transportation Company. In the morning, he had already received a notice from the headquarters. He knew that a new core disciple would be coming to work, so he specially went to the company to pick him up.


    ¡°Brother, your figure looks a little thin.¡± Xiong Kai walked over and cracked a smile.


    This person was nearly 2.2 meters tall, and his shoulders were more than twice as wide as an ordinary person¡¯s. His entire body was covered in tanned muscle, and the ground trembled when he walked.


    ¡°Newcomer, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. This guy is always thinking about muscles.¡± Wei Chaoyuan gave Xiong Kai a push as he laughed.


    Although he was not as strong as Xiong Kai, he was only a size smaller and was also over two meters tall.


    ¡°My name is Chen Yiming. I don¡¯t have any experience in the wilderness, and I¡¯m a newcomer. Please take care of me in the future,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    He was here to accumulate survival experience in the wilderness, so there was nothing to hide.


    ¡°You¡¯re direct enough. That¡¯s how we like it,¡± Wang Jianyan said bluntly. ¡°The first thing you need to know today is that the most important thing in a team working in the wilderness is to work well together and trust each other. The biggest taboo is to be selfish and not listen to orders. Everyone here is frank and straightforward.¡±


    These words instantly brought their relationship closer. Chen Yiming quickly got to know more than ten of the men present.


    These men were all members of the transport team. Each of them had at least the strength of three transformations, and a few had reached the level of five transformations.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, why don¡¯t we spar?¡± Xiong Kai waited for the others to disperse before looking for Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Chen Yiming agreed with a nod.


    In the wilderness, strength spoke louder than words. They could face danger at any time.


    When the time came, as teammates, they had to understand each other¡¯s strength so that they could better cooperate in dealing with the danger.


    Chen Yiming also had the intention to test the strength of his teammates. After all, even if they were at the same level, the difference in their cultivation techniques would result in a difference in their strength.


    For example, those who practiced martial arts independently would often have the lowest strength among those of the same cultivation level. This was because most of the cultivation techniques they practiced were those that were made common knowledge.


    As for those who came from a high-level faction in East Lake City, the cultivation techniques they cultivated could basically be used till they reached the sixth transformation. Their strength was relatively more stable.


    Lastly, those who came from the top factions in East Lake City, such as the 13 martial arts school and the seven martial arts clans, practiced cultivation techniques that led straight to the warrior realm, and had the best combat power among their peers from the same realm.

 Chapter 58 - Experience

    Chapter 58 Experience


    In the hall,


    the group of burly men scattered around in groups of twos and threes and observed Xiong Kai, who had taken the initiative to suggest a spar.


    ¡°Brother Wei, your guess was right. I¡¯ll accept this loss,¡± Guo Hao said.


    ¡°Haha, Xiong Kai is a martial arts fanatic. He loves to find different opponents to spar with the most. He doesn¡¯t care about the other party¡¯s status,¡± Wei Chaoyuan laughed.


    ¡°No wonder you stopped me from going over. So you knew that Xiong Kai would approach him,¡± Guo Hao said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯ll tell you the truth even if it hurts you a little. You have only undergone three transformations, while Xiong Kai has undergone four.


    A core disciple who has just left the martial arts school will at least undergo three transformations. His cultivation technique is more powerful than yours, what can you gain even if you spar with him?¡± Wei Chaoyuan explained.


    Guo Hao was one of the weakest members in the transport team. He was not afraid of embarrassing himself and was prepared to take action on behalf of his brothers to test the strength of the new consultant.


    Wei Chaoyuan had stopped Guo Hao and suggested that there would definitely be someone else who would not be able to hold back, so he did not to be anxious.


    Both sides made a bet for a meal.


    Chen Yiming and Xiong Kai had already started fighting while they were chatting.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting!¡±


    Xiong Kai¡¯s full weight, which totaled nearly 300 kilograms, crossed several meters in an instant.


    The cement floor was being stomped on by him, and the entire hall could feel the tremors. It was just as expected of his body which was built like a small mountain. ¡°Alright!¡±


    Chen Yiming received the full force of the attack with his fist.


    This was a sparring session to test their strength, and it was not necessary to determine who would win over the other. He decided to directly use his fists to test the transport team¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The force from their fists collided.


    At the next moment, Xiong Kai remained rooted to the ground, while Chen Yiming took a few steps back to slow himself to a stop.


    Chen Yiming had only used the power from his third transformation, which was slightly inferior to his opponent. However, he could still understand his opponent¡¯s level through this punch.


    Xiong Kai was at the level of four transformations.


    ¡°Brother, my cultivation level is higher than yours, and I specialize in using fists. You can¡¯t be my match without your sword,¡± Xiong Kai reminded him instead of continuing with his punches.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll use my sword. Be careful.¡±


    Chen Yiming drew his sword and charged forward.


    No matter the location, strength was everything. Only those who were strong enough would be able to convince others.


    After one punch, there was naturally no need to continue competing with their force. He decided to use his swordsmanship to show the transportation team his strength.


    The two of them exchanged more than ten blows at lightning speed.


    By using the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, Chen Yiming, who was one cultivation level lower, was able to gain the upper hand with the enhancement from the sword technique¡¯s speed over short distances.


    Xiong Kai, on the other hand, could only defend continuously and rely on his powerful body to withstand the attacks from the sharp sword.


    One was as light as a swallow, while the other was as hard as a rock. The two sides fought back and forth, and the surrounding transport team members cheered and applauded.


    Gradually, the situation started to turn in Chen Yiming¡¯s favor.


    Xiong Kai¡¯s heavy body was specialized for strength, and he could fight on par with mutant beasts. Often, he could take on multiple mutant beasts all by himself.


    However, he couldn¡¯t use his full strength against an agile opponent like Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Brother Wei, the situation isn¡¯t looking good. Xiong Kai seems to be losing,¡± Guo Hao said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it seems like it, but that he will definitely lose,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said with a smile. ¡°The personnel recruited by our transportation team are basically all specialized in strength-based fighting styles. The first consideration is to fend off the attacks from the mutant beasts against the transportation vehicles, not to kill the mutant beasts. Such one-on-one duels are not our forte.¡±


    Wei Chaoyuan had undergone five transformations and had been working in the Anteng Transportation Company for many years. He had seen much more of the world than Guo Hao, who had undergone three transformations, and had already come to a conclusion.


    After another ten moves, Xiong Kai took the initiative to admit defeat and stop the fight.


    In a one-on-one fight, there were no other factors interfering with the result. The strong were the strong, and the weak were the weak.


    Once there was no effective way to counterattack, victory or defeat would only be a matter of time.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, you¡¯re too agile. I¡¯m not your match,¡± Xiong Kai said with a laugh, not feeling dejected at all from his defeat.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me win. I was only able to win because of the choice of martial arts technique. Let¡¯s interact more and improve together in the future,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    At this moment, Wang Jianyan walked over.


    ¡°Very exciting. As expected of someone from the Mantis Snake Sword School. If you didn¡¯t deliberately avoid injuring him, Xiong Kai would have lost long ago,¡± Wang Jianyan concluded.


    ¡°Big Brother, it can¡¯t be that extreme. How can my body, which is as hard as steel, lose so quickly?¡± Xiong Kai¡¯s eyes widened as he exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? You¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± Wang Jianyan turned to look at Xiong Kai.


    He then turned to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, as a senior, I don¡¯t know if I should make some suggestions,¡± Wang Jianyan said.


    ¡°Please go ahead,¡± Chen Yiming replied. He had never been a person who wouldn¡¯t listen to others¡¯ feedback.


    ¡°Other than the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, I wonder if you have any other sword techniques suitable for defense,¡± Wang Jianyan asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    On the surface, he only learned one sword technique.


    ¡°Then I hope you can consider my next suggestion,¡± Wang Jianyan said seriously. ¡°When our transport team goes out of the city to transport supplies, the most common danger is the attacks from mutant beasts.


    Under such circumstances, we often need to go into a formation to fight the enemies. The space for one person to move around is around one to two meters. You need to know a defensive sword technique to work together with your teammates.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Just as Wang Jianyan had said, when the mutant beasts attacked the transport vehicles, it was most important to coordinate with his teammates¡¯ defense.


    After all, the priority of the transport team was to ensure that the convoy was safe and sound, not to kill the enemy.


    Chen Yiming continued to spar with the other members of the transport team to improve their relationship.


    Near noon, Chen Yiming left first.


    He still needed to go to the public hospital.


    Chen Shaojie had unexpectedly become a bloodline warrior and had the potential to continue his martial arts training. Chen Yiming wanted to know what his cousin thought about this.


    He walked out of the entrance of the Anteng Transportation Company.


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±


    The horns of the trucks sounded one after another.


    Chen Yiming stopped and let the trucks pass first. More than ten large trucks drove by one after another.


    Ever since the space-travel passage appeared in the west of East Lake City, the war between the two sides had been going on for nearly a year. Such trucks and convoys were constantly transporting supplies to the front line. It was clear how intense the war was.


    Chen Yiming observed the trucks carefully.


    The front of the vehicle, the wheels, and the cargo boxes were all covered with a thick layer of steel plates. Not a single part of the trucks¡¯ actual body was exposed to the outside, so the trucks were not too different from armored vehicles.


    The addition of steel plates would inevitably put additional weight on the truck. The amount of cargo that could be transported at once would definitely decrease greatly.


    He recalled that when he first transmigrated, he could still see many small vehicles on the street. In the past half a year, they had basically disappeared. Presumably, all transportation was focused on the war.


    Under such circumstances, even if ordinary people had vehicles, they might not be able to get any fuel.

 Chapter 59 - Conspiracy

    Chapter 59 Conspiracy


    At the entrance of East Lake City¡¯s public hospital, a man was pushing a small cart along the street, selling fried rice. There was a good amount of pedestrian traffic at the entrance of the hospital. They passed by the man¡¯s cart, but none of them approached him to buy his food.


    Chen Yiming was also one of the pedestrians who had passed by the cart.


    ¡°Why would someone suddenly sell fried rice at the entrance of the hospital? Will anyone buy it?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    If a person of good family background was hospitalized, they would hardly eat street food like the fried rice which was of dubious origin.


    Given the current situation, in order to save as much money as possible, most people would cook in their own homes.


    The hawkers did not have much room to survive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, he¡¯s here.¡±


    Not far away, a man touched another man beside him. The two of them quickly disappeared from the corner of the wall where they were standing.


    Although the man spoke in a low voice, Chen Yiming heard him clearly with his sharp senses.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little strange.¡± Chen Yiming sensed that something was amiss.


    This feeling was hard to describe, but his intuition told him that someone was targeting him.


    Chen Yiming analyzed the situation as he walked.


    Very quickly, he identified the crux of the issue. There was a high chance that they were targeting Chen Shaojie, and he was a third party that got involved.


    A new bloodline warrior was basically an ordinary person who had yet to master any of the basic moves.


    It was not just Dr. Fu¡¯s laboratory that had a strong interest in his cousin. Other research institutes that specialized in the study of bloodline warriors might also be interested.


    However, the official research institutes in East Lake City might be worried that Chen Shaojie had a cousin who was a core disciple of a martial arts school. They would not capture him openly.


    Professor Fu¡¯s laboratory should not have such concerns. The abnormalities around the hospital could be the actions of someone trying to gather information.


    After figuring out the whole situation, Chen Yiming walked straight into the hospital and into Chen Shaojie¡¯s ward.


    In the ward, two of the three beds were empty.


    Chen Shaojie was lying on the hospital bed in the middle, holding a book on martial arts in his hand. He was reading every word carefully.


    This was the basic information about martial arts that was issued by the school when he was in junior high. Many of the pages were already missing


    ¡°Cousin, why are you here?¡±


    Chen Shaojie saw Chen Yiming push open the door and enter. He closed the book and placed it on the table beside him.


    ¡°I have something to tell you. Why are you alone? Where are Second Uncle and Second Aunt?¡±


    Chen Yiming entered and sat down on a chair beside the hospital bed.


    ¡°One of them went to work, and the other went back to cook. By the way, why are you looking for me?¡± Chen Shaojie asked. ¡°You have unexpectedly become a bloodline warrior and possess a special transformation ability. What are your plans from now on?¡± Chen Yiming asked directly.


    Although his cousin was also part of the Chen family, the situation was different from Chen Yingying, he could not make a decision for him.


    ¡°What exactly are bloodline warriors? Cousin, can you tell me first?¡± Chen Shaojie asked in return.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure either. You just need to know that you have a chance to continue your martial arts career because of this incident,¡± Chen Yiming said bluntly.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Chen Shaojie nodded.


    With this incident, Chen Shaojie¡¯s physique had changed. He was no longer an ordinary person.


    ¡°Cousin, before you came, a leader of the city patrol team came to see me. He asked if I was willing to join the army¡­¡± Chen Shaojie talked about what happened that morning.


    Chen Yiming listened patiently.


    The army might be a good choice for Chen Shaojie.


    Because the military was actually the strongest martial arts faction in East Lake City, and there were a large number of soldiers at the disciple realm inside.


    Chen Yiming had already sensed that something was amiss when he entered the hospital earlier. However, he couldn¡¯t possibly stand guard by Chen Shaojie¡¯s side forever.


    Joining the army directly was the greatest form of protection. At the very least, it could let Chen Shaojie pass the stage of learning martial arts safely.


    ¡°I think joining the army is very suitable for you,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Cousin, do you think so too? I am of the same opinion.¡± Chen Shaojie voiced his thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know any sword techniques, so there¡¯s no chance of joining the Mantis Snake Sword School. If I join another private martial arts faction, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be sold off.¡±


    This was similar to how most of the graduates in Chen Yiming¡¯s previous life were passionate about taking the civil service exam.


    The army was the strongest martial arts force in the area. Other than the 13 martial arts schools led by the warriors, it had always been the first choice for most young martial artists.


    After all, the military had the most complete set of martial arts techniques. Be it sword techniques, knife techniques, fist techniques, or other martial arts techniques, they had all of them.


    It was especially suitable for beginners like Chen Shaojie who had yet to determine his main cultivation technique.


    ¡°I have something important to tell you. I noticed some abnormal signs on the way here.


    I¡¯m guessing that the group that captured you will come after you again. Hurry and give the leader an answer. I can¡¯t stand guard by your side forever, ¡°Chen Yiming said seriously.


    ¡°Okay, Cousin. I¡¯ll contact the leader immediately.¡± Chen Shaojie nodded. After completing the arrangements, Chen Yiming continued to stay in the ward to prevent any incidents from happening.


    In a house dozens of meters away from the hospital, a young man and a young woman were sitting opposite each other. There were more than ten subordinates standing around them, and on the table was a map. The map detailed the public hospital and the surrounding areas.


    ¡°Gan Shasha, you¡¯ll be in charge of bringing Chen Shaojie away later. I¡¯ll go and kill Chen Yiming first. Then, we¡¯ll meet up here,¡± Han Fei said in a low voice as he pointed at a spot on the map.


    Gan Shasha said unhappily, ¡°Han Fei, you¡¯re just trying to increase the difficulty of the job for your own selfish reasons. You¡¯re a bloodline warrior yourself, and you know the value of a bloodline warrior. How could you not follow the plan at such a critical moment?¡±


    ¡°Chen Yiming killed Xu Xuezhen. What¡¯s wrong with me avenging her?¡± Han Fei said angrily.


    Xu Xuezhen was the woman in the black dress who had been killed by Chen Yiming.


    ¡°We can take revenge later. Chen Yiming is a newly appointed core disciple who has undergone three transformations. No matter how fast he progresses, it¡¯s impossible for him to break through to the sixth transformation in a short time.¡± Gan Shasha disagreed with Han Fei¡¯s plan.


    Han Fei and Gan Shasha were high-ranking combatants in Dr. Fu¡¯s laboratory. Both of them had undergone six transformations, and Han Fei was a bloodline warrior.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go and kill Chen Yiming first. The rest is up to you,¡± Han Fei said.


    ¡°Xu Xuezhen is only one of your wives. I don¡¯t see you placing much importance on her usually. If something goes wrong with the mission, I won¡¯t help you cover it up,¡± Gan Shasha said directly.


    With that, she left with her subordinates.


    Gan Shasha and Xu Xuezhen could be considered friends, and she knew about the relationship between Han Fei and Xu Xuezhen. That was why she strongly opposed Han Fei changing the established plan.


    Secondly, she was very unhappy with Han Fei¡¯s intention to attack Chen Yiming.


    If it brought on the retaliation from the experts in the Mantis Snake Sword School, not only would the mission fail, but they might even lose their lives if they were unlucky.


    Whether Han Fei died or not was none of her business, but she did not want to be dragged down by Han Fei.

 Chapter 60 - Trap

    Chapter 60 Trap


    The sky gradually darkened.


    Near the entrance of East Lake City¡¯s public hospital, Chen Zhipeng and Li Qingping were stopped by a few men who had suddenly appeared.


    These men had disheveled hair and injuries on their bodies. It was clear at a glance that they were not people who did normal jobs in the city.


    ¡°What are you guys trying to do? I¡¯m Chen Zhipeng from the archives bureau.¡± Chen Zhipeng directly revealed his identity, hoping that this would cause the other party to have some reservations.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t do anything to you. We just want to ask you for a small favor,¡± one of the men replied as he took out a large brick-sized cell phone from his waist.


    ¡°Hello! Hello! Who¡¯s this?¡± Chen Shaojie¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. Chen Zhipeng and Li Qingping were both shocked by the voice coming from the phone.


    Who were these people?


    Why did they have Shaojie¡¯s phone number?


    The man placed the phone near his mouth and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Get Chen Yiming to come out of the hospital. We have something to discuss with him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you guys¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the man hung up.


    In the ward,


    Chen Shaojie brought the phone down from his ear after realizing that the other party had already hung up.


    His original cell phone had been lost, and the new one was given to him by the leader when he came to visit in the morning.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Chen Shaojie¡¯s face had turned pale. The hand holding the phone was trembling.


    ¡°Cousin, what should we do? My parents seem to have been kidnapped,¡± Chen Shaojie said in a trembling voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Tell me slowly,¡± Chen Yiming comforted him.


    As expected, something had happened.


    ¡°I think they told me over the phone to get you to leave,¡± Chen Shaojie said slowly, word by word.


    This was obviously a trap. Chen Shaojie and Chen Yiming both realized it.


    Chen Yiming fell silent as he mulled over how he could break out of the situation.


    As soon as he arrived at the hospital, he stayed by Chen Shaojie¡¯s side and did not leave for a minute.


    If the other party wanted to capture him directly, he would have to go through him first.


    Now, the other party clearly wanted to get him away from Chen Shaojie, so he used his second uncle and aunt to threaten him.


    If he went to save his second uncle and aunt, he might not be able to catch up to the person who was planning to capture Chen Shaojie when he returned. After all, he was not a professional investigator.


    ¡°Go and save my parents first,¡± Chen Shaojie said. He realized that this was a tricky situation and decided to help Chen Yiming make the decision.


    ¡°Try your best to slow them down if anything happens,¡± Chen Yiming said as he turned to leave.


    At the entrance of the hospital, everything was no different from usual as pedestrians walked in and out.


    It was time for dinner, and many of the patients¡¯ family members brought their meals to the hospital from home.


    Chen Yiming walked out the entrance and saw his second uncle and aunt being restrained a few hundred meters away. They were waiting for him openly instead of hiding.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    A low voice sounded from behind him.


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw a young man standing not far from him.


    The young man was about 24 or 25 years old. He was wearing a black cloak and had long hair that fell to his shoulders. His face was dark, as if there was a deep grudge between them.


    ¡°Are you guys from Professor Fu¡¯s laboratory?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly, trying to see if they would reveal their identities.


    Han Fei didn¡¯t reply. He just stared intently at Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    Ever since he had broken through to the sixth transformation, it had been a long time since anyone dared to answer him directly and not give him any face.


    A kid who had undergone three transformations was actually so calm. Even if he was a core disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School, did he really think that no one would dare to kill him?


    ¡°Do you think that with the Mantis Snake Sword School backing you, no one will dare to attack you?¡± Han Fei said coldly.


    In his eyes, the other party was already a dead man. Suddenly, he had the thought of messing with him.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    His second uncle and aunt had already been restrained, and he had also followed the other party¡¯s instructions.


    The other party did not attack him immediately, and there was no disturbance from the hospital ward. Even his second uncle and aunt were unharmed.


    ¡°Xu Xuezhen is my wife. How dare you kill her yesterday? How do you want to die?¡± Han Fei gritted his teeth.


    When Chen Yiming heard this, he immediately thought of the woman in the black dress whom he had stabbed to death after secretly learning the Water Splitting Sword Technique.


    Unexpectedly, killing that woman had lured out the man that the woman had belonged to.


    Just as the two of them were exchanging words, an explosion rang out from the hospital.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    This was the signal that Han Fei and Gan Shasha had agreed on.


    Han Fei leaped into the air and threw a punch at Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    His fist was not big and seemed to be no different from others who practiced fist techniques, but it was extremely fast.


    Several streams of air appeared around his fist. This was the spiral force unique to the Mountain Splitting Fist Technique.


    The spiral force could bypass defense and pierce through the opponent¡¯s body like a drill.


    Chen Yiming had been prepared for the sudden attack. He kicked at the ground and dodged to the side.


    He had also undergone six transformations, so his judgment was naturally quite good. He instantly estimated the other party¡¯s level.


    In order not to reveal his true strength publicly, he could only rely on his technique and to barely dodge the attack.


    At this moment, there was no one at the entrance of the hospital.


    Everyone was scared off by the explosion and the commotion caused by the fight between the two of them.


    Chen Yiming dodged Han Fei¡¯s punch. Without stopping, he charged towards the area around the explosion.


    Along the way, he specially chose areas with densely packed buildings to use as obstacles to avoid Han Fei¡¯s attacks.


    He planned to keep an eye on the people who were capturing Chen Shaojie first, then find an opportunity to secretly kill Han Fei later.


    In the blink of an eye, one was chasing while the other was escaping. Along the way, many houses were continuously destroyed by Han Fei¡¯s punches.


    ¡°Kid, do you only know how to run?¡± Han Fei chased after him, cursing loudly.


    Although Chen Yiming had only reached the third transformation, he was extremely fast and agile.


    By deliberately using the complicated terrain in the city to hide, Han Fei could not do anything to him.


    Chen Yiming ignored him. From the corner of his eye, he observed the area around the ward where Chen Shaojie was staying.


    The person in charge of the capture had deliberately created an explosion to interfere with the line of sight. However, Chen Shaojie had a special transformation ability, so it was not difficult for him to create a small commotion if he resisted.


    Furthermore, the other party wanted to capture Chen Shaojie alive and would definitely not kill him. Chen Shaojie was not completely unable to put up some resistance.


    As long as he made a disturbance, Chen Yiming would be able to lock onto his position.


    In the hospital ward, Chen Shaojie was safe and sound.


    Gan Shasha was surrounded by three martial arts experts from the military. A group of ordinary soldiers also had their guns pointed at her subordinates.


    The martial arts experts from the military were dressed in casual clothes. They had blended in with the ordinary people before they made their move.


    All three of them had undergone professional training, unlike ordinary martial arts practitioners who did not know how to hide their aura at all.


    Clearly, this was a trap set by the military. They were using Chen Shaojie as bait to lure the people from Professor Fu¡¯s laboratory into trying to capture him.


    Han Fei had coincidentally avoided the trap with his plan to kill Chen Yiming, so Gan Shasha was left to face the three martial arts experts alone.

 Chapter 61 - Reversal

    Chapter 61 Reversal


    In an area not far from the hospital, Chen Yiming used the houses to avoid Han Fei¡¯s attacks. Behind him, Han Fei glared at him.


    The clothes on his body were covered with a layer of dust. This was caused by Han Fei destroying various obstacles along the way.


    Because the other party had killed his wife, he had not given up despite the fruitless pursuit, and was waiting for his stamina to drop.


    Chen Yiming continued to dodge and observe his surroundings. However, he didn¡¯t hear any movements indicating that a fight was going on in the ward.


    Han Fei also calmed down and sensed that something was amiss.


    The two of them could not have expected that Gan Shasha and her group would be restrained without putting up any resistance. Facing three experts of the same level at once, Gan Shasha knew that she had no chance of victory. In order to preserve her life, she would just surrender.


    Chen Yiming had once again dodged a fatal


    blow.


    Han Fei stopped in his tracks and looked in the direction of the hospital. Chen Yiming stopped as well, and the two of them stood separated by a distance of ten meters. ¡°This is a trap. You¡¯re here to stall me,¡± Han Fei suddenly said.


    ¡°A trap?¡± Chen Yiming was taken aback.


    Han Fei confirmed his guess when Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply.


    If it wasn¡¯t a trap, how could everything be so coincidental?


    Gan Shasha had led her men in. Other than the initial explosion, there was no other movement. Coincidentally, he was being held back by Chen Yiming. He couldn¡¯t kill his opponent, and his opponent didn¡¯t even try to escape after he stopped.


    The military was far from what ordinary forces could deal with. If not for the war at the front line, people like him would not have dared to cause such a huge commotion in the city.


    Clearly, the value of a bloodline warrior caused the military to mobilize their forces from the front line to resolve the matter.


    He was lucky that he hadn¡¯t fallen into the trap set by the military because of his plan to kill Chen Yiming.


    Suddenly, a series of orderly footsteps rang out.


    Chen Yiming and Han Fei looked in the direction of the hospital at the same time.


    Both of them were experts who had undergone six transformations. Their ears were much sharper than that of ordinary people, and they could tell from the sound of the footsteps that they were from the military.


    ¡°Your companions should have charged right into the trap,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    At this moment, he felt relieved and was already considering how he could kill Han Fei without leaving behind any traces of his involvement.


    ¡°So what? If you have the ability, stop me. Let¡¯s see if I can kill you with one punch,¡± Han Fei said fiercely.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he stomped his feet and leaped across a house, fleeing into the distance.


    ¡°On the surface, I have the strength from three transformations. With the enhancement from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, my speed can just match an expert who has undergone five transformations.


    Coupled with the advantage of the topography of the city¡¯s complicated buildings, it¡¯s not impossible for me to escape with my life after being pursued by an expert who has undergone six transformations,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    Chen Yiming watched Han Fei escape into the distance. He changed into his black suit and followed quietly.


    The white moonlight shone on the river.


    A wooden ship of more than 10 meters long was quietly resting on the shore.


    This was the means by which Gan Shasha, Han Fei, and their group would make their getaway. Their organization had already bribed a patrol team to let them leave the city through the river.


    Han Fei stomped on the ground and leaped more than ten meters away. It did not take long for him to reach the wooden ship.


    Experts who had undergone six transformations were able to move at extremely high speeds. It would not take them long to cross the entire East Lake City


    re


    ¡°None of my subordinates escaped. That¡¯s exactly what I wanted. Leaving alone will make the target smaller,¡± Han Fei muttered as he walked.


    His mood was not affected by his failure at assassination. Instead, he felt a sense of relief from escaping from the trap.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my luck to be so good. However, I have to leave as soon as possible.¡±


    The commotion he had caused earlier was not small, and the military must have already noticed it. However, ordinary soldiers were restricted by the orders passed down to them and would not be able to act independently.


    ¡°If this drags on for too long, the military will be able to get the information from Gan Shasha. When it comes to that, it will be difficult to leave.¡±


    Han Fei stopped in front of the wooden ship and did not immediately jump onto it.


    ¡°Uncle Fu,¡± Han Fei called softly.


    Uncle Fu was an old uncle in charge of piloting the ship, and he was an external member of the organization.


    The night was silent, and only the sound of the waves hitting the shore could be heard.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a blinding light shot out from the darkness, charging towards Han Fei¡¯s forehead at an extremely fast speed. ¡°Freeze!¡±


    Han Fei¡¯s eyes instantly widened. With a loud roar, he used his bloodline warrior abilities and quickly dodged to the side.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s sword pierced through Han Fei¡¯s head. He unleashed his full strength, even using the Heart Sword that he had never used before.


    The basic sword body brought about a higher base physical strength compared to those at the same level. Combined with the speed of the Chen Style Sword Technique and the ability of the Heart Sword to cut through anything, he was able to pierce through his opponent¡¯s skull without any resistance.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Han Fei collapsed by the riverside.


    He had never expected to fall here, after he had already escaped the military¡¯s trap.


    ¡°It seems like something broke my focus just now.¡± Chen Yiming stood beside the corpse and recalled the sneak attack he had just made.


    The interference was too weak, and the Heart Sword had pierced through his opponent directly. It felt similar to slashing a plastic sheet with a knife.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it and squatted down to loot his opponent¡¯s body.


    Very quickly, he found a book in Han Fei¡¯s clothes. There were more than ten pages in total, and each page had a picture drawn on it.


    Chen Yiming carefully searched the body a few times to make sure that he did not miss anything. He kicked the corpse into the river and untied the rope around the wooden ship, letting it drift downstream.


    Finally, he cleaned up the marks left behind and headed back to the hospital.


    Back at the hospital, Chen Yiming saw a group of soldiers patrolling the hospital. From the moment Han Fei attacked Chen Yiming to the moment Chen Yiming ambushed Han Fei, only 10 minutes had passed.


    After going through a series of checks to verify his identity, he entered the hospital.


    At the door of the ward, Chen Yiming saw three martial arts experts from the military, Chen Shaojie¡¯s family, and the team from Dr. Fu¡¯s laboratory that had been restrained.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a single injury on you,¡± exclaimed Gan Shasha, who was restrained with a pair of special handcuffs.


    She had thought that Han Fei would have a chance to escape when he sensed that something was amiss. However, she hadn¡¯t expected Chen Yiming to return unharmed and alive.


    She couldn¡¯t think of any reason why he would fail in his assassination when he had achieved the sixth transformation and was dealing with someone who had only undergone three transformations.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Gan Shasha and didn¡¯t reply.


    Han Fei was already dead, and whether his body could be found was another matter.


    Whatever he said would be taken as the truth.


    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re back so soon. We were just about to go look for you directly,¡± Chen Shaojie walked forward and said.


    ¡°Yiming, your second aunt and I saw it. It¡¯s good that you came back safely,¡± Chen Zhipeng said worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as the other party, but it won¡¯t be easy for him to kill me either. He was chasing me and I was trying to make use of the surroundings to escape, so I couldn¡¯t save you guys back then,¡± Chen Yiming explained, giving the reason he had thought of earlier.

 Chapter 62 - Preparation

    Chapter 62 Preparation


    Night fell.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t stay in the hospital for long and returned home after a short while.


    After entering the house, he briefly told Father Chen and Mother Chen about Chen Shaojie¡¯s situation before returning to his room. He locked the door and took out the book he had gotten from Han Fei.


    Along the way, he kept recalling the process of launching a sneak attack on Han Fei. He realized that Han Fei had used an ability


    Although there was a huge difference in their abilities, just like the difference between a knife and a piece of paper, a rock could be used to polish a jade. He might be able to obtain some unexpected information from the book.


    Chen Yiming placed the book on the table and started reading from the first page.


    On the first page was a drawing of a fierce tiger. The drawing was exceptionally well-done, with the expression of the tiger coming through from the drawing.


    He focused completely on the drawing, and gradually, only the tiger head was left in his line of sight.


    The tiger head suddenly felt like it had come to life. A fiendish aura poured out towards him, and the ability of the Heart Sword automatically slashed at this fiendish aura.


    In the blink of an eye, Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    This painting was definitely not made from just one¡¯s drawing skills. There must be some secret that no one knew about, and the aura


    Chen Yiming flipped to the next page.


    On the second page, a black snake was drawn. Similar to the tiger on the previous page, the black snake looked like it was about to launch a sneak attack.


    Soon, the sinister aura emitted by the black snake was also cut through by the Heart Sword.


    Next, from page three to page thirteen, he continuously used the Heart Sword 13 times in a row.


    ¡°My Heart Sword Technique has improved a little.¡± Chen Yiming closed his eyes and reviewed it carefully.


    The improvement was very slight, so slight that it was basically impossible to quantify. He could only vaguely sense it.


    ¡°What secrets are hidden in these drawings, such that they can temper the Heart Sword?¡± Chen Yiming wondered to himself as he flipped to the drawing of the tiger again.


    At this moment, the tiger head had already lost its ferocious aura, and it had become completely ordinary, no different from an ordinary drawing.


    A few minutes passed.


    Chen Yiming stared intently at the tiger.


    Suddenly, a fiendish aura that was so weak that it was almost undetectable reappeared. The tiger head that had looked ordinary moments ago suddenly became a little more lively.


    ¡°So it can automatically recover.¡± Chen Yiming suddenly had a realization. ¡°The book was probably a tool that Han Fei was using to train his special ability.¡±


    Being able to recover meant that it could be used to continuously enhance the ability of the Heart Sword.


    After Chen Yiming unearthed the secret hidden in the book, he suddenly became interested in Professor Fu¡¯s laboratory. It was highly possible that there was a similar book in there.


    In the library in the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, the bookshelves were filled with all kinds of martial arts techniques.


    Fist techniques, palm techniques, movement techniques, and most of all, sword techniques.


    Chen Yiming skipped over the other martial arts techniques and flipped through each book introducing the different sword techniques.


    Every time he increased his swordsmanship talent by one level, the Skill Points he needed would increase exponentially. There was no need for him to waste his time on martial arts other than swordsmanship.


    Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, Clear Wind Sword Technique, Cross-slash Sword Technique, Thirteen Moves Deadly Sword Technique, Mountain Moving Sword Technique¡­


    The Clear Wind Sword Technique was a sword technique similar to Qinggong. Every move and stance was like the wind, moving about freely.


    The Cross-slash Sword Technique was a sword technique that increased one¡¯s cutting power. After mastering it, it could greatly increase the lethality of one¡¯s attack.


    The Thirteen Moves Deadly Sword Technique was a sword technique that paid attention to the rhythm of the moves. When one attacked, he would strike again before the first move ended, causing his opponent to be completely unable to defend against him.


    These sword techniques had been collected and passed down by generations of seniors in the Mantis Snake Sword School. They were all top-notch sword techniques in the disciple realm, and could be cultivated beyond the sixth transformation.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. If only it was free.


    Once he mastered enough different types of swordsmanship, he would be able to completely seal off his enemies¡¯ attacks. In the disciple realm, he could not think of anyone who would be able to defeat him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only saved a little more than 10 million yuan over the past half a year. At most, I can buy one sword technique,¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    It was as if he had found a treasure chest, but did not have the key. It was a terrible feeling.


    Before long, Chen Yiming took a sword technique book from the bookshelf and headed to where Granny Wei was seated to register and pay the fee. He then collected the book on the actual technique.


    The sword technique he had chosen was


    which had cost him exactly 10 million yuan.


    This sword technique did not increase the conventional attributes like lethality, speed or strength. It focused instead on one¡¯s judgment. There were many types of moves and they were all rather complicated, borrowing from various techniques to effectively deflect and defend from attacks.


    He did not mind that there was a large variety of moves. In any case, he could learn each of them just by watching them once, so it suited him just fine.


    Soon, the actual book was brought to him.


    The books on martial arts techniques could not be brought out of the library or copied. One would have five chances to peruse the book after purchasing it.


    Typically, five times were completely sufficient. If one was not able to learn it after five tries, it meant that he was either too untalented or that the sword technique was not suitable for him.


    Chen Yiming found a random spot and started to read about the Forward Reverse Sword Technique.


    The actual book was very thick, and it contained a complete set of pictures detailing the sword technique. There were notes beside each picture providing some explanation, making it easier for the reader to understand.


    It did not take him long to learn this sword technique, and he quickly left.


    In the evening, Chen Yiming went to a private restaurant.


    As soon as he entered, he saw Wang Jianyan waiting for him.


    Chen Yiming sat down and asked, ¡°Senior Wang, why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s talk while we eat,¡± Wang Jianyan replied as he called for the waiter to serve the food.


    Soon, the kitchen served the food they had prepared. There were a total of four meat dishes and three vegetable dishes.


    ¡°In two days, the company has a transport mission. I¡¯m in charge of leading the team. I wonder if you would like to join,¡± Wang Jianyan said.


    The core disciples sent by the school had a lot of freedom and could decide whether to join at any time.


    Other than completing the monthly transport tasks, the main job of the three team leaders in the Anteng Transportation Company was to help the core disciples gain experience in the wilderness.


    ¡°So soon? That¡¯s great. I was just thinking that I don¡¯t have anything to do,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    What he said was completely true. After breaking through to the sixth transformation, he had long since intended to go to the wilderness.


    The city might be chaotic for ordinary people, but for him, who had undergone six transformations, it was a sea of calm.


    Experts above the sixth transformation were either at the front line or active in the wilderness.


    Most of the people who were still in the city were people from the older generation who no longer had a chance to continue breaking through. Since the older generation did not provoke him, he could not possibly attack them for no reason.


    ¡°What I suggested last time was to master a defensive sword technique first. How¡¯s your preparation going?¡± Wang Jianyan asked again.


    When faced with a group of mutant beasts, it was completely different from fighting one-on-one. By using only offensive sword techniques, it was often very easy to fall into dangerous situations, and the Mantis Snake Sword Technique was completely an offensive sword technique.


    If anything happened to a core disciple under his watch, the higher-ups would hold him responsible. Although he had undergone six transformations and his level was higher than Chen Yiming¡¯s on the surface, one was a core disciple and the other was a member of an external faction. The status of an external faction member was always much lower than that of a core disciple.

 Chapter 63 - Going Out of the City

    Chapter 63 Going Out of the City


    Two days later, as the sky turned light, Chen Yiming arrived at the Anteng Transportation Company.


    Two days ago, he had sworn to Wang Jianyan that he had already mastered a defensive sword technique and would not drag the team down, successfully becoming one of the members on the transport team on this day.


    At this moment, at the entrance of the company, more than ten large trucks covered with steel plates had been prepared. Every one of them was packed to the brim, and staff were checking the vehicles in preparation for departure.


    Chen Yiming and the transport team checked their belongings in the living room.


    Wang Jianyan walked in, his expression serious. He coughed to catch their attention and said,


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s stop for a moment. Let me have some of your time. I have something I need to emphasize.¡±


    Once he finished speaking, the members of the transport team, including Chen Yiming, gathered around him.


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s different from before. As we have a newcomer joining us, and we aren¡¯t familiar with each other yet, it¡¯s inevitable that there will be some issues when we work together. Therefore, let¡¯s prioritize safety over everything else. We will take the main road and stay far away from the mountains and forests on the journey there and back.


    Old team members, make sure not to use bait to attract the mutant beasts in private. No one is allowed to leave the team and act independently during the journey.


    If any of you dares to violate these rules, you will be severely punished if you get found out.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, countless complaints rang out from the audience. ¡°If anyone is unwilling to comply with the rules, you can let me know. You don¡¯t have to go on this trip,¡± Wang Jianyan glared at the complaining crowd.


    Chen Yiming stood among the transport team and listened seriously.


    His face was calm, but he was puzzled.


    Why did they suddenly start complaining? What was wrong with these rules?


    When helping to transport supplies to the front line, staying far away from the forest and taking the main road to prioritize the safety of the goods should be the most important.


    If they used bait to lure out the mutant beasts in private and caused a huge problem, the martial arts practitioners could retreat in small groups, but the supplies would definitely be left behind and would not be transported successfully.


    It was even more improper for anyone to leave the team to act on their own. The wilderness was so dangerous. If something happened, what would they do?


    Soon, all the preparations were completed, and the team set off.


    There were designated drivers who took turns to drive the truck. The transport team split into three groups and boarded the specially modified off-road vehicle.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Jianyan rode in an off-road vehicle at the front of the group. The other two off-road vehicles followed at the back of the group, protecting the convoy of trucks in the middle.


    OL


    The team registered at the city gate, then the convoy left the city and the protection of the tall city walls.


    The wilderness and the city were two completely different worlds. As far as the eye could see, there was only an endless forest. The occasional roars of mutant beasts could also be heard.


    Everything became quiet except for the sound of vehicles driving along the road.


    over


    Wang Jianyan pointed in a direction and explained, ¡°Do you see the watchtower over there? Once you leave the range of the watchtower, you¡¯ll enter the area of wilderness beyond the control of humans.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked over and saw a building about 50 to 60 meters tall that was made of concrete and steel.


    He could vaguely make out a few figures patrolling the building thoroughly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that there are no humans out in the wilderness. Other than the troops in charge of guarding the space-travel pathway to the otherworld, there are also bandits who have committed crimes and do not dare to return to the city, and some martial arts experts who are unwilling to stay in the city,¡± Wang Jianyan continued.


    Chen Yiming nodded and listened patiently.


    There was only a general introduction recorded in the books he had read, and no detailed explanation.


    Wang Jianyan told Chen Yiming some more information about the wilderness.


    The convoy moved along a mud road overgrown with weeds, traveling at a speed of less than twenty kilometers an hour.


    Mutant beasts roamed freely in the wilderness. Building roads was difficult, but maintaining the roads was even more difficult.


    Other than a road between big cities that was regularly serviced, the rest of the roads were created by the passage of people and vehicles.


    The destination of the transportation convoy was a military camp far away from East Lake City. Therefore, the convoy needed to make a detour around a lake, covering a total distance of several hundred kilometers.


    Perhaps due to their good luck or because they had chosen to take the path that avoided the forest, the convoy did not encounter any danger along the way.


    It was almost noon, and the convoy had been traveling continuously for nearly five hours. They stopped by a river to take a break.


    The vehicles in the convoy parked in a circle, making it easy for them to quickly react to any danger.


    Chen Yiming and the others took out the food they had prepared beforehand from a chest and settled their lunch on the spot.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, this trip is too boring. I feel uncomfortable all over. Why don¡¯t we spar?¡± Xiong Kai grumbled when he saw Wang Jianyan leave the group to relieve himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. We aren¡¯t in the city, so we have to conserve our strength to deal with any potential danger,¡± Chen Yiming said hesitantly.


    He knew that Xiong Kai was a martial arts fanatic. He had been sitting in the car for the entire morning and felt uncomfortable restraining himself all this time. However, this was his first time out of the city, so he still maintained a high level of caution.


    ¡°They won¡¯t let us hunt or train. This is too difficult,¡± Xiong Kai sighed.


    ¡°Hunt?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Usually when we transport supplies, we can either use bait to lure out the mutant beasts or go as a group to find a suitable place to hunt in the mountains. It¡¯s very fun,¡± Xiong Kai recalled.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s impression of the transport team was instantly overturned.


    Wasn¡¯t this just increasing the risk?


    What if they were defeated? What about the supplies? The front line was relying on these supplies for the endless war.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, why don¡¯t you just mention it to Boss Wang? We can all team up and go hunting in the mountains,¡± Xiong Kai whispered.


    ¡°Why should I be the one to bring it up?¡± Chen Yiming was confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you secretly. Don¡¯t let Boss Wang know that I was the one who said it,¡± Xiong Kai whispered. ¡°Boss Wang was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with it if you faced any danger on your first trip out of the city, so he barred all these activities.¡±


    ¡°By these activities, are you referring to baiting the mutant beasts and going into the mountains to hunt?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, if there are any losses when transporting the supplies, we won¡¯t even be able to cover the cost.


    Everyone is risking their lives for this job. If they could not earn much from this job, who would be willing to do it?


    Baiting mutant beasts and hunting in the mountains are the transportation teams¡¯ main means of earning money. Otherwise, if the trucks set off at full capacity and returned completely empty, they would have wasted the transportation power of more than ten trucks,¡± Xiong Kai explained.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    From Xiong Kai¡¯s words, he learned that his involvement had affected the team¡¯s interests due to various reasons.


    As the person in charge of the transport team, Wang Jianyan was afraid that if anything happened, he would not be able to explain himself to the Mantis Snake Sword School, so he forbade the rest from doing anything dangerous.


    Other than Xiong Kai, the other team members would definitely also feel upset even if they did not say it openly. No one was willing to go on the job and risk their lives for nothing


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a mention of it later,¡± Chen Yiming suggested.


    His true strength was greater than that of the entire transport team. If the transport team members were not afraid of the danger, what was there for him to be afraid of?


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it on the way back. If we talk about it now, I¡¯m afraid my head will be crushed by Boss Wang.¡± Xiong Kai yawned as he rejected the idea.


    Wang Jianyan was polite to Chen Yiming because of his status as a core disciple of the school. He had also heard that Chen Yiming was talented and so he had thought highly of him.


    However, his other subordinates in the transport team were not in a position to voice out their concerns. Even if the rules were changed at the last minute, no one would dare to object or back out of the job.

 Chapter 64 - Attack in the Night

    Chapter 64 Attack in the Night


    It was evening.


    A military camp was stationed hundreds of kilometers west of East Lake City.


    A tall wall of about a kilometer wide formed the shape of a square. There were watchtowers facing each of the four directions, and every building had a red flag which was flapping in the wind.


    A transport convoy full of supplies was parked at the entrance of the camp. The trucks entered the camp one at a time to unload their supplies.


    Wang Jianyan and an officer from the logistics department checked the amount of supplies before leading the convoy to a stop at the foot of a mountain on the west side of the camp. The transport team planned to spend the night near the camp and return to East Lake City the next morning. The reason they had chosen to station their vehicles on the west side was that the lake was on the east side of the camp. If creatures from the otherworld ran out of the lake at night, the troops would be the first line of defense.


    Soon, night fell.


    Near the place where the vehicles were parked, Chen Yiming and a few of his colleagues were sitting around a fire and chatting.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, how do you feel? Isn¡¯t it a little scary?¡± Wei Chaoyuan smiled as he added some wood to the fire.


    Chen Yiming looked into the distance.


    The light from the fire illuminated an area of less than a hundred meters around it. In the distance, everything was dark, and only the scattered lights of the military camp and the watchtower could be seen.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a little terrifying,¡± Chen Yiming replied honestly.


    This was his first time staying in the wilderness hundreds of kilometers away from the city. His muscles tensed up automatically, and he was preparing to deal with any sneak attacks from the darkness.


    If not for the fact that there was a military camp nearby and that he had a team of colleagues with him, he would not have felt safe even if he was at the level of the sixth transformation and had the Heart Sword as his trump card.


    ¡°Guess what Guo Hao looked like when he left the city for the first time.¡± Wei Chaoyuan continued as he reminisced about the past.


    ¡°Brother Wei, how can you compare the two situations? Back then, the convoy was stationed in the middle of the road, with no military camp nearby,¡± Guo Hao¡¯s face tightened in anger.


    Guo Hao had just joined the Anteng Transportation Company for more than half a year. His level of three transformations had placed him at the bottom of all the team members, and he often had to bear the brunt of their jokes.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued. By listening to what they had gone through, he could learn from their experiences.


    ¡°Haha, Guo Hao, you were actually so frightened that you peed your pants when someone imitated the roar of a mutant beast. I can¡¯t forget that scene,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said.


    The others were already expecting this and immediately laughed out loud.


    Guo Hao¡¯s face turned red. It was hard to tell whether he was embarrassed or if it was due to the light from the fire.


    Following Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s lead, everyone started to talk about the things that had happened in the past, and focused on sharing the disgraceful moments of other people.


    Chen Yiming listened quietly and learned about the dangers that they had encountered in the past.


    For example, Xiong Kai had been attacked by a mutant beast when he left the city for the first time. During the fight, he had accidentally gotten separated from the team and was nearly killed by a pack of mutant beasts.


    Time passed as they chatted, and soon, it was close to midnight.


    From 12 am to 6 am, there were a total of six hours. The team was split into three groups, each taking turns to stand guard for two hours.


    Chen Yiming was assigned to the last group and quickly went to sleep in the back seat of an off-road vehicle.


    At 2:30 am, Chen Yiming was lying in the back seat with his eyes closed. This was his first time spending a night in the wilderness. He was very alert and did not feel sleepy at all.


    Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded from the direction of the camp.


    Immediately after, the people in charge of keeping watch quickly urged those who were still asleep to get up. ¡°Get up quickly!¡±


    ¡°Get up quickly!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Yiming asked as he got out of the car and walked over to the crowd.


    Wang Jianyan stood at the head of the group, with the team members lined up behind him, blocking the path to the trucks behind them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied. ¡°But from the movements of the camp, there¡¯s a 90% chance that a creature from the otherworld appeared in the lake.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction of the military camp.


    At this moment, the entire camp was continuously sounding the alarm. Troops of soldiers quickly rushed out and stationed themselves at the east side of the camp.


    On the watchtower in the distance, the searchlights were switched on to maximum power, shining in the direction of the lake. On the surface of the lake, one could vaguely make out the splashing of water.


    ¡°Everyone, check if you have your weapons on you. Prepare for battle at any time,¡± Wang Jianyan ordered.


    He then found Chen Yiming among the crowd and asked him to follow him.


    All the people in the convoy followed the orders and checked themselves to ensure that they did not carelessly leave their weapons behind in the vehicles.


    Such situations often occurred, especially when there were emergencies.


    ¡°How strong are the creatures from the otherworld that appeared in the lake? Can our team deal with them?¡± Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but ask Wang Jianyan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s probably just a routine occurrence. It¡¯s not likely to be anything too powerful,¡± Wang Jianyan said with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s probably because the vehicles transporting supplies during the day were too eye-catching, and we were seen unloading the vehicles.¡±


    As the team waited nervously, sparks rose into the sky from the east side of the camp where the lake was.


    First came the rumbling of cannon fire, then the rounds of gunshots.


    Soon after, the screams of soldiers rang out continuously. It was clear that the alien creatures had reached the shore and started a physical fight with the soldiers stationed there.


    The team watched from afar and all of them started to get nervous. They tightened their grip on their weapons.


    It was impossible for the army to stop all the creatures from the otherworld. Some who escaped would definitely launch a surprise attack on the convoy.


    A few minutes later, one of the team members roared and raised the hammer in his hands to face the creature that had charged out of the darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The hammer collided head-on with a black shadow. The black shadow was forced back a few steps, but the person from the convoy was sent flying back several meters and fell to the ground.


    Wang Jianyan was the first to react. He shouted, ¡°It¡¯s a creature from the lake. Everyone, move quickly. Cooperate with the people around you to form a defense.¡±


    This was not the first time that the team members had encountered such a situation. Each of them instantly found two or three people near them and leaned back against each other to defend against the alien creatures lurking in the darkness.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming got a good look at the alien creature that had launched the sneak attack.


    The alien creature¡¯s eyes were bulging out, and it had sharp, serrated teeth. Its skin was a sky blue color, and it moved on all four limbs. One of its front limbs was holding a weapon that looked like a steel fork.


    Its overall appearance was somewhat similar to his impression of both mermen and lizards.


    At this moment, the team member who had been fighting the alien creature head-on quickly got up and charged at it.


    Although he looked a little disheveled, he did not appear to be injured. He was not a match for the alien creature earlier because he had not fully prepared himself.


    The strength of the alien creature was not too different from that of the team members.


    From the darkness, after the first alien creature appeared, another 20 to 30 creatures charged out.


    Soon, the alien creatures were embroiled in a fierce battle with the team members.


    With their teamwork, three or four people from the team would be able to hold their own against five or six alien creatures.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Jianyan were standing together. The few alien creatures that had launched a sneak attack in their direction were instantly killed by Wang Jianyan¡¯s punches.


    However, Wang Jianyan still did not let his guard down. He stood quietly in his spot, as if waiting for something to happen.

 Chapter 65 - Losses

    Chapter 65 Losses


    In the darkness, an imperceptible gaze was fixed on Wang Jianyan.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Jianyan noticed it at the same time.


    However, in the next moment, the feeling of being stared at disappeared, and in a few seconds, it appeared in another position.


    Wang Jianyan¡¯s attack had revealed his strong power. An alien creature stronger than the ordinary ones was hiding in the darkness and watching him intently, ready to launch a sneak attack at any moment.


    ¡°Wei Chaoyuan, come and take Chen Yiming away. Prioritize your defense and don¡¯t make any rash moves,¡± Wang Jianyan instructed loudly.


    The strength of Wei Chaoyuan, who had undergone five transformations, was second only to Wang Jianyan in the team.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, come straight over,¡± Wei Chaoyuan shouted in reply. Then, he suddenly used the full strength of his muscles and slashed at the alien creatures between the two of them.


    In a short moment, a path of close to ten meters had opened up.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate and moved over to Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s side with one leap.


    Wang Jianyan wanted to focus on dealing with the alien creatures hiding in the darkness who had yet to reveal themselves. Chen Yiming, on the other hand, would only use his combat power below the level of the sixth transformation unless he was in a life or death situation.


    If he stayed by Wang Jianyan¡¯s side, he would only be a hindrance, affecting Wang Jianyan¡¯s ability to attack with full force.


    As soon as he landed, two alien creatures came up to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go left, you go right. If you really can¡¯t withstand their attacks, shout loudly for me.¡± Wei Chaoyuan raised his knife and blocked one of the alien creatures.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t waste any time. He used his newly learned Forward Reverse Sword Technique to fight with one of the alien creatures.


    This was the first time he was facing a living creature from the otherworld, and he immediately felt excited. This was especially true since his true strength was stronger than the creatures that were his opponents.


    Borrowing the illumination from the emergency searchlight on the roof of the truck behind him, he could clearly make out the hideous expression on the creature¡¯s face. From head to toe, it exuded a murderous aura, indicating that this creature had lived for many years in a cruel environment where fighting to death was commonplace.


    ¡°&;*&;%¡± The alien creature let out a strange sound.


    The creature held a black stick in its forelimbs as it charged at Chen Yiming, its figure momentarily changing into a black shadow under the light.


    Chen Yiming used the Forward Reverse Sword Technique to counter the enemy¡¯s charge. The alien creature was diverted away from its path by the force from Chen Yiming¡¯s sword and crashed into the mountain behind him. A huge hole appeared in the mountain, and the creature was buried under many pieces of rubble.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the alien creature¡¯s skin. It seems like there¡¯s a layer of smooth scales on its surface. The force was spread out when it hit it.¡± Chen Yiming quickly noticed that something was amiss.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, these alien creatures aren¡¯t fast on land, but the scales on their bodies aren¡¯t easy to deal with unless you use a technique with penetrative force. We don¡¯t need to fight them head-on. We just need to hold them back,¡± Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s words came from the side.


    Chen Yiming took advantage of the time that the alien creature was pushing away the rubble to analyze his strategy for dealing with the enemy.


    Under the premise that he did not use the Heartsword, only the Water Splitting Sword Technique and the Mantis Snake Sword Technique could increase the lethality of his attacks.


    Among them, the Water Splitting Sword Technique focused its force on one line to increase the cutting power, while the Mantis Snake Sword Technique focused its force at one point for explosive power.


    Without the level of strength from the sixth transformations, the cutting power of the Water Splitting Sword Technique would probably be dispersed by the scales. Only the Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s point-blank explosion would have a chance of dealing damage to the alien creature.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The alien creature charged out from the rubble and ran straight at Chen Yiming again. ¡°Beast, you¡¯re courting death!¡± Chen Yiming growled. He switched to the Mantis Snake Sword Technique and stabbed his sword at the creature¡¯s waist the moment it got close to him.


    When his sword struck the scales on the creature¡¯s skin, he immediately felt the recoil from the sword. The concentrated force on the tip of the sword was first diverted by the smooth surface of the scales before the sword pierced the skin underneath.


    Both of them brushed past each other. From the corner of his eye, Chen Yiming saw that the spot he had stabbed had only broken open a little, leaving behind an almost imperceptible wound. There was no blood at all.


    ¡°With this level of defense, it isn¡¯t afraid of any attack other than those with a penetrative force,¡± Chen Yiming concluded instantly. ¡°My previous plan to master many types of sword techniques was completely correct. When facing an enemy of the same level who is good at defense, I can¡¯t break through their defense without the necessary countermeasures.¡±


    Seeing that even the Mantis Snake Sword Technique could not break through the creature¡¯s defense, Chen Yiming stood his ground and was in no hurry to attack. He observed the situation of the other team members.


    At this moment, the team was in chaos. The team members were fighting with the alien creatures and neither side could do anything to the other.


    Although the alien creatures had thick skin, their speed was average. Since their sneak attack had failed, it was difficult for them to deal any effective damage to the people in the team. They could only assign one or two creatures to destroy the trucks.


    From time to time, a driver would be found by the alien creatures, and then he would die a horrible death.


    When the people in the team saw the alien creatures¡¯ actions, they were naturally infuriated. They wanted nothing more than to get rid of them as soon as possible, but they could do nothing about their scales. Other than Wang Jianyan, the attacks of the others were unable to break through their defense.


    Wang Jianyan, on the other hand, was facing off against the stronger alien creature lurking in the darkness. He didn¡¯t dare to leave to help the others, since the team might get ambushed.


    Ten minutes later,


    ¡°¡­%$#@*¡± The water monster hiding in the darkness made a sound that none of them could understand.


    The alien creatures who were still fighting the team heard this and quickly retreated, paying no heed to the team members that were blocking their way.


    Seeing this, Wang Jianyan instantly made a move and chased after the three alien creatures at the very back of the group. Each creature was killed by a punch from behind. After that, he had no choice but to stop. Otherwise, if he chased them too far, there was a risk that the alien creatures would turn around and launch a group attack on him.


    After the alien creatures left, the team started to take stock of the damage.


    Xiong Kai walked over to the steel plate covering one of the truck¡¯s cargo boxes. The steel plate had already been deformed by the alien creatures¡¯ attacks. He used his hand to bend the steel plate back into shape, then walked to the front of the truck to get rid of the bits of broken glass that had fallen on the window.


    Fortunately, he had undergone three transformations, so his body was impenetrable by blades and bullets. The broken glass could only leave some marks on his skin.


    The others were doing similar things. One of them found a spare tire from the trunk and replaced it for the truck.


    Some people searched the surrounding area for the body parts of the drivers who had been torn apart by the alien creatures, and placed the corpses in a truck to transport them back.


    Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s expression was ugly as he sighed and said, ¡°The losses this time were a little too great. The few weapons we got from the alien creatures and the few scales that were peeled from their bodies were not enough to make up for it.¡±


    Chen Yiming remained silent. Since he could not reveal the Heart Sword and his level of six transformations, if he had mastered a sword technique with a penetrative force, things would not have ended this way.


    The scales peeled off from the alien creatures were just objects. When they were intact, they would still retain 80% of their defense capabilities. However, even after special treatment, they would gradually be damaged in battle. Therefore, the price they could fetch was not very high, and the price for each set of scales would not exceed a million yuan.


    As for the alien creatures¡¯ weapons, their value was partly from the ores from the otherworld. After smelting the weapons to get the ores, if one was lucky, they could sell for a million yuan. If one was unlucky, they might not even sell for a hundred thousand yuan.


    Nearly ten drivers from the team had died this time. Both sides had signed official contracts, and the death compensation alone would cost the Anteng Transportation Company nearly 10 million yuan. This was not even including the repair fees for the trucks.

 Chapter 66 - Into the Mountains

    Chapter 66 Into the Mountains


    About ten meters in front of where the vehicles were parked,


    a roaring bonfire chased away the darkness in a radius of tens of meters.


    The people in the transport team sat in a circle on the ground.


    There were only three trucks that had barely been repaired. The rest of the trucks would have to rely on these three trucks that could still operate to slowly drag them back. The return journey might take two or three times longer.


    ¡°Wei Chaoyuan, how much are the losses this time?¡± Wang Jianyan asked in a low voice.


    Wei Chaoyuan was in charge of tabulating the losses caused by the alien creatures¡¯ attacks.


    ¡°The death compensation is about 10 million yuan. The repair fee for the trucks is about 20 million yuan,¡± Wei Chaoyuan reported.


    The steel plates on the trucks were made from special ores from the otherworld. If it was an ordinary steel plate, it would not just have deformed after being hit by the alien creatures. Instead, it would have broken immediately and would need to be scrapped altogether.


    ¡°The bonus for this month will probably be difficult to get,¡± someone whispered.


    The Anteng Transportation Company had a standardized bonus plan that considered the value of the spoils of war, the number of times they went on missions, the loss of personnel and items, and many other factors.


    Everyone fell silent.


    The Anteng Transport Company had to pay up a huge amount of their profits every month. The rest would then be given out from the higher tiers, and their treatment could not be compared to someone from the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Ordinary members usually went out on missions two or three times a month. This time, not only were they forbidden from going on additional jobs, but they might also lose their bonus.


    Martial artists spend a lot of money every month. If they suddenly lost a huge portion of their income, it would likely affect their cultivation.


    ¡°I think the transport team is being too conservative. It wasn¡¯t a problem for me to deal with an alien creature alone earlier, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to deal with the beasts in the wilderness either,¡± Chen Yiming said. ¡°I think so too. Brother Yiming¡¯s performance is completely unlike that of a newcomer,¡± Wei Chaoyuan was the first to agree. ¡°I also think Brother Yiming will definitely be able to manage.¡± Xiong Kai also voiced his agreement.


    The different species of alien creatures had evolved through countless years through the survival of the fittest. Even the weakest creatures had their own way of scraping by.


    For example, the alien creatures from the lake that had ambushed the transport team were creatures of the lowest level in the otherworld, but they had a natural advantage due to their scales. Even the people from the transport team could not do anything about it when they were on land. If the fight was in the water, the alien creatures would no longer be at a disadvantage because of their speed. Even three to five people would not be a match for one alien creature.


    The mutant beasts in the wilderness on the blue planet were native beasts that had evolved due to the influence of the space-travel passage. Like humans who practiced martial arts, they rarely had any special talent. Most of them were weaker than the creatures of the otherworld within the same realm.


    Wang Jianyan didn¡¯t reply immediately. Instead, he remained silent for a moment.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go with this. We¡¯ll set off immediately at dawn and try to reach Yongluo Town by noon,¡± Wang Jianyan decided.


    Yongluo Town was a small town on the outskirts of the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    The Nuhe Mountain Range was known for the rapid river flowing through the entire mountain range. Within it, there were many rapid streams and tall, steep mountains.


    A few years ago, a space-travel passage had suddenly appeared within the mountain range. It was similar to the space-travel passage in the lake to the west of East Lake City. The human soldiers could only guard the main exits around the mountain range.


    The only difference was that humans could enter the mountains to hunt mutant beasts. Therefore, Yongluo Town slowly became a resting place for those who went hunting in the mountains.


    Near noon, the convoy arrived at Yongluo Town.


    The small town had a single street connecting the north to the south. On both sides of the street, there were inns that were two- to three-floors high, shops selling mutant beast meat, and small shops for repairing weapons.


    After a simple lunch, Wang Jianyan gathered them together.


    ¡°Guo Hao, Gong Chengbin, Yu Zishan, the three of you are responsible for guarding the convoy. The rest of you, follow me into the mountain,¡± Wang Jianyan instructed.


    ¡°Boss Wang, you aren¡¯t bringing us along this time either,¡± Guo Hao complained and felt like crying. Gong Chengbin and Yu Zishan also had dejected expressions on their faces. Wang Jianyan glared at the three of them and said, ¡°When the three of you break through to the fourth transformation, let me know. Otherwise, you¡¯ll only be able to do some miscellaneous work.¡±


    Mutant beasts in the wilderness had generally undergone more than three transformations. Other than the young beasts, very few had undergone less than three transformations. This was because all the mutant beasts that had yet to undergo three transformations when they reached adulthood were basically eliminated by the rest.


    Since their bodies had only undergone three transformations and the techniques they cultivated were ordinary ones, it was likely to be very difficult for them to deal any effective damage to the mutant beasts. It was almost useless to have them in the hunting team.


    Wang Jianyan finished making the arrangements and led the remaining people quietly into the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    ¡°The closer you are to the space-travel passage, the more suitable it is for cultivation. Therefore, most of the beasts in the periphery of the mountain range are below the level of the sixth transformation,¡± Wang Jianyan explained as the group moved forward, ¡°If you continue walking towards the heart of the mountain range, you will see a large river. The area within ten kilometers of the river is considered the territory of the beasts with at least six transformations. There are even mutant beasts equivalent to the human warriors near the space-travel passage.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    He had read something similar in the library of the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters.


    The reason for the rise of the human martial arts was because the space-travel passages suddenly appeared all over the blue planet. The closer one was to the space-travel passage, the more suitable it was for cultivation.


    Therefore, the true martial arts elites of the human race had always been in the cities built on the other side of the space-travel passage. On the blue planet, only one of the elites was left in each city as a guardian.


    ¡°Boss Wang, we¡¯re about to reach the iron-armed apes¡¯ territory,¡± Wei Chaoyuan reminded him.


    The iron-armed apes were mutant beasts that had evolved from the chimpanzees native to the blue planet. They were one of the few mutant beasts in the periphery of the mountain range that could undergo more than six transformations to become the ape king. They had a fixed territory in the periphery of the mountain range, and their long arms were their most commonly used weapons for attack. When used in a fight, they were like two metal rods.


    Wang Jianyan stopped his conversation with Chen Yiming and led his team to a stop at the back of a hill.


    Not far away, there was a forest.


    Groups of iron-armed apes were running along the treetops, carrying an unknown fruit in their hands.


    ¡°Boss Wang, why don¡¯t we just kill this group of iron-armed apes? It¡¯s both troublesome and a waste of time to look for lone mutant beasts,¡± Xiong Kai suggested.


    Wang Jianyan glared at Xiong Kai and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Xiong Kai, when can you change your impatient personality? To put it nicely, you¡¯re a martial arts fanatic. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re brainless. We haven¡¯t confirmed if the ape king exists yet. Do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°¡­Won¡¯t you take the lead for the investigation? Anyway, I didn¡¯t finish what I wanted to say just now,¡± Xiong Kai stammered.


    Chen Yiming stared at the iron-armed apes in the woods, his interest piqued.


    Even if there was an ape king, Wang Jianyan would be in charge of dealing with him.


    Ordinary iron-armed apes only had two shiny black arms that were like metal rods. However, that did not mean that the iron-armed ape¡¯s arms had a natural advantage just like the alien creatures from the lake.


    When he used his Mantis Snake Sword Technique to stab the iron-armed apes, it would not be as difficult to penetrate their defenses as when he stabbed the alien creatures¡¯ scales.


    ¡°Boss Wang, I think Xiong Kai is right too. If we don¡¯t take the risk and attack those mutant beasts, how long will it take to fill up the trucks?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked.


    ¡°I have no problem with that,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    He knew that he was still the main reason for Wang Jianyan¡¯s hesitation.


    On the surface, Chen Yiming had only undergone three transformations. Without considering the advantage of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, which was one level higher than the cultivation techniques of the rest, he was considered the weakest in the group. If he died here, the rest of the team would not be affected. However, as the person in charge, Wang Jianyan had to give the Mantis Snake Sword School an explanation.


    ¡°Since everyone thinks so, I¡¯ll go and check the situation first.¡± Wang Jianyan took a glance at Chen Yiming and made his decision.


    With that, Wang Jianyan left the group and went to the other side of the forest to investigate the ape king.


    Ten minutes later, Wang Jianyan returned to the team.


    ¡°Our luck is pretty good. I¡¯m 90% sure that there¡¯s no ape king in this group of iron-armed apes at the moment. Either the ape king has gone out, or he¡¯s dead and no new ape king has appeared for the time being,¡± Wang Jianyan said directly, unable to hide his excitement.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that if we can get to all of them, we might be able to fill up one-third of the trucks?¡± Xiong Kai widened his eyes in surprise.


    ¡°What are you thinking? Do you think the iron-armed apes won¡¯t retreat for the time being and will just wait here for you to capture them all?¡± Wei Chaoyuan laughed as he pointed out the open space surrounding them in all directions.


    Wang Jianyan nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°We probably won¡¯t be able to fill up a third of the trucks, but I think it¡¯s very likely that we can fill up a quarter of the trucks. I¡¯ll need you guys to try your best to stop the iron-armed apes from escaping. I¡¯ll deal them a fatal blow.¡±


    ¡°When using my Mantis Snake Sword Technique to chase after the iron-armed apes, it should be rather effective,¡± Chen Yiming said directly. He didn¡¯t want it to be like when they faced the alien creatures earlier, where he was only responsible for holding them back.


    Wang Jianyan hesitated for a moment before agreeing. He instructed Chen Yiming to be careful, and the others had no objections. On the east side of the forest was a cliff that was hundreds of meters high. The team¡¯s plan was for Wang Jianyan and Chen Yiming to fight their way in from the northwest side of the forest. The rest of the team would stay at the south side of the forest and try their best to stop the iron-armed apes that might try to escape.


    Soon after, a whistle echoed through the forest. This was the signal that the team had agreed on.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Jianyan leaped down from a tree at the same time, each of them leaving an inch-deep footprint on the ground. Their figures turned into bolts of lightning and charged straight at the group of iron-armed apes who were still playing around.


    ¡°There are so many of them!¡±


    As Chen Yiming charged forward, he swept his gaze across the forest and realized that there were iron-armed apes everywhere on the trees. There were at least a hundred of them.


    ¡°Most of them have undergone three transformations, and no more than ten of them have undergone five transformations. I¡¯ll kill a few first before you attack them,¡± Wang Jianyan reminded him.


    By quickly killing a few of them first, the rest of the iron-armed apes would know that there was a powerful enemy chasing after them and would quickly disperse to make their escape. ¡°Alright,¡± Chen Yiming replied as he followed closely behind.


    Many of the iron-armed apes who were still playing among the treetops were startled when they heard the whistle. The dozen or so iron-armed apes who happened to be facing Chen Yiming and Wang Jianyan immediately became enraged and started shouting loudly. This was their reaction to having their territory invaded.


    The iron-armed apes relied on their numbers to maintain their control on their territory in the periphery of the mountain range. They subconsciously wanted to kill the intruders.


    11*&^&*()¡±


    Three of the closest iron-armed apes jumped down from the tree, waving their arms as they charged at Wang Jianyan.


    The iron-armed ape¡¯s body was big and stout, but its speed was not slow. In the blink of an eye, it was already in front of him. Its long black arms were about three meters long, and when it waved them, they looked like two metal rods.


    Wang Jianyan didn¡¯t even blink. He raised his fist and delivered an ordinary straight punch. He didn¡¯t need to use any punch techniques at all.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud bang suddenly rang out in the forest, and all the iron-armed apes were shocked. His fist nimbly avoided the iron-armed ape¡¯s long arms and the punch landed on its chest.


    The iron-armed ape instantly let out a wretched cry. Its body was sent flying tens of meters into the air, where it made an arc and fell from the sky. Before the other two iron-armed apes could react, Wang Jianyan had already arrived in front of one of them and sent it flying with another straight punch.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming used the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to attack the remaining ape.


    His speed increased a little.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    His sword pierced through the iron-armed ape¡¯s chest. Chen Yiming quickly drew his sword and retreated.


    It was only then that the iron-armed ape¡¯s two long arms came crashing down. With a loud bang, they cracked the ground and the ape fell to the ground.


    In an instant, three of the iron-armed apes were killed by Wang Jianyan and Chen Yiming. At this time, the other iron-armed apes on the treetops were still waving their arms and glaring at the two intruders.


    At the next moment, the iron-armed apes remaining on the treetops had looks of fear on their faces.


    Six of the larger iron-armed apes exchanged glances and immediately jumped down from the tree branches, charging straight at Chen Yiming and Wang Jianyan.


    These six were the iron-armed apes that had undergone five transformations that Wang Jianyan had mentioned earlier.


    Ten seconds later, Chen Yiming, who didn¡¯t dare to use his full strength, could only use the Forward Reverse Sword Technique to fight with an iron-armed ape that had undergone five transformations.


    Three of the six iron-armed apes were instantly killed by Wang Jianyan, and the remaining three turned around and ran when they saw that something was amiss.


    The strongest among the iron-armed ape group had been defeated, and this instantly destroyed the confidence of the rest of the apes.


    1*&^%$#¡± Screams sounded as the iron-armed apes started to flee in all directions.


    Chen Yiming chased after a small group of the iron-armed apes that were fleeing to the northeast. Wang Jianyan chased after most of the iron-armed apes that were fleeing to the south.


    Along the way, an iron-armed ape that had undergone five transformations turned around and saw Chen Yiming, who appeared to be much weaker, chasing after them alone.


    ¡°¡­&*%¡±


    The iron-armed ape shrieked and called out to the three iron-armed apes beside it, who turned around and surrounded Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming surveyed his surroundings from the corner of his eye. Wang Jianyan was far away and busy chasing after the other iron-armed apes. The rest of the transport team members were even further away and were also doing their best to stop the escaping iron-armed apes. No one had the spare time to observe what he was doing.


    In a single breath,


    a red line appeared on the necks of the iron-armed ape who had undergone five transformations and the other three iron-armed apes who had undergone four transformations.


    He had gotten rid of them even faster than Wang Jianyan who had killed them with his punches. The iron-armed apes that had surrounded him fell to the ground at the same time with furious expressions still on their faces.


    Half an hour later, the transport team dragged all the killed iron-armed apes to an open area at the foot of the mountain.


    There was unconcealed joy on each of their faces.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, you really live up to your reputation as someone from the Mantis Snake Sword School. The lethality of your sword technique is truly astonishing. The efficiency at which you injure your enemies is not inferior to Boss Wang¡¯s.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t use his full strength, but he still managed to kill half of the iron-armed apes. The Mantis Snake Sword Technique could increase one¡¯s speed and explosive power at short distances, making it very suitable for complicated terrain like the forest.


    ¡°I just rode on the advantage that Boss Wang created for us. Those iron-armed apes didn¡¯t even have the courage to fight back after being frightened by Boss Wang. They only knew how to escape,¡± Chen Yiming said humbly.


    ¡°That¡¯s already very impressive. If it were up to us, we probably wouldn¡¯t be able to take down so many of them,¡± a team member praised.

 Chapter 67 - Another Encounter

    Chapter 67 Another Encounter


    On the ground, the corpses of the iron-armed apes were scattered everywhere.


    Chen Yiming killed 11 of them, Wang Jianyan killed 23, and the other team members killed 15. The transport team had killed a total of 49 iron-armed apes.


    ¡°Hurry up and tie up the corpses with string. Let¡¯s drink and celebrate tonight,¡± Wang Jianyan said loudly, his face relaxed.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°We can drink!¡±


    When the team members who were using string to tie up the corpses heard that they were going to drink and celebrate, they immediately became energized and sped up their movements.


    Under normal circumstances, when in the wilderness, the transport team would not be allowed to drink unless there was something to celebrate.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, the speed at which you are adapting to the situation really surprises me. To be able to deal with an iron-armed ape who has undergone five transformations head-on, as long as you don¡¯t deliberately provoke the leader of the mutant beasts who has undergone six transformations, you shouldn¡¯t be in any danger on the outskirts of the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    Next, I have to guard the convoy myself. If you want to continue hunting the mutant beasts, you can enter the mountains with Wei Chaoyuan. You can take care of each other,¡± Wang Jianyan instructed.


    Wei Chaoyuan shrugged and said with a smile, ¡°I was busy blocking the escape of the iron-armed apes earlier, and didn¡¯t even get the chance to warm up my muscles. With Brother Yiming as my partner, I believe the outskirts of the mountain range will definitely become our hunting ground.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I think so too.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    This was his first time hunting mutant beasts, so merely a dozen or so iron-armed apes were insufficient for him to enjoy the hunt. Moreover, he had many trump cards hidden away, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of any of the mutant beasts in the outskirts of the mountain range.


    It was evening


    In the Star Moon Bar of Yongluo Town, many people came to relax after returning from hunting. This was because those who had been hunting in the mountains for a long time would easily feel depressed.


    ¡°Did you guys hear? The people from the Anteng Transportation Company made a huge mistake today. The people from the Heavenly Crane Fist School are going to be so mad.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It wasn¡¯t easy for the Heavenly Crane Fist School to lure the king of the iron-armed apes into a duel with the red striped bears. They didn¡¯t expect that someone would raid the nest of the iron-armed apes in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Will the people from the Heavenly Crane Fist School be able to take this lying down? Are they going to demand an explanation from the other party?¡±


    ¡°Do you think hunting mutant beasts is child¡¯s play? Do you think you can make someone spit out what they have already eaten?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ if your fist is hard enough, it should work out.¡±


    ¡°Haha, the problem is that their fists aren¡¯t as hard as others. Otherwise, why would they need to lure the ape king away?¡±


    Several customers who had come to the bar to relax chatted about what had happened in the mountain range that day, which immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    The Heavenly Crane Fist School was a medium-sized martial arts school in Nightwater City on the west of East Lake City. Only the head of the school had reached the level of the sixth transformation. As for the An Teng Transportation Company, other than Wang Jianyan, they had two other experts who had reached the level of the sixth transformation.


    In a corner of the bar, six men and women in tight-fitting clothes were sitting around a table. On the table was a pot of yellow wine. The wine had been served for a long time, but it had not been touched.


    They were the group from the Heavenly Crane Fist School that the customer beside them had mentioned. Because they were outside and did not wear the training robes from the martial arts school, no one recognized them.


    ¡°These people are too much.¡± Duan Xuejing bit her lower lip and grabbed the sword by the table.


    ¡°Junior Sister Xuejing, don¡¯t be rash,¡± Liu Minghua quickly held down her sword and whispered.


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu, how can I tolerate this? Master is magnanimous, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can be slandered at will,¡± Duan Xuejing said angrily.


    ¡°What they said is the truth,¡± Liu Minghua thought to himself as he kept a calm expression on his face.


    In the wilderness, strength was everything. The fist was the rule. The strong would not give face to others, and the weak would need to know how to bow their heads.


    ¡°Junior Sister Xuejing, luck is also a part of strength. Our Heavenly Crane Fist School has always been open and transparent when it comes to doing things. Master has always told us this.


    In the end, we were just too unlucky. If we continue arguing with others, it will ruin the reputation of the school,¡± Liu Minghua said to persuade her.


    At the same time, he thought helplessly to himself, ¡°Master is too old. His body is far inferior to when he was young. I don¡¯t have the confidence that he can deal with Wang Jianyan, who is at the same level as him.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu, I understand. I won¡¯t hold it against them today.¡± Duan Xuejing took a few deep breaths.


    ¡­


    Around 9 pm at night, the sky was cloudless and the moonlight was reflected on the river¡¯s surface, shining brightly.


    After a simple celebration, Chen Yiming, Wei Chaoyuan, Xiong Kai, and Guo Hao headed into the mountains to hunt.


    The group did not have an expert who had undergone six transformations. Therefore, they did not intend to openly attack the mutant beasts as they did during the day. Instead, they found a place by the river and waited for the beasts to come and drink water. They would attack the lone beasts.


    Guo Hao was the weakest of the group and had been doing miscellaneous tasks for the team. After he had asked repeatedly, Chen Yiming felt that he would be strong enough to deal with any danger by himself and agreed to bring him along


    ¡°We¡¯ve waited for nearly an hour, but there isn¡¯t even a shadow of a mutant beast.¡± Chen Yiming sighed, the excitement from before the hunt dying down.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, this is the norm when hunting mutant beasts. How can there be so many mutant beasts lurking everywhere for you to kill as you please? Unless it¡¯s deep in the mountain range,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said with a laugh.


    ¡°Deep in the mountains¡­¡± Chen Yiming muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, why do you seem to be even more impatient than me? Sometimes, we won¡¯t encounter a single mutant beast even if we stayed up all night. It¡¯s very common. That¡¯s why I suggested killing those iron-armed apes during the day,¡± Xiong Kai said with a laugh.


    Mutant beasts lived in the wilderness all year round, so their sense of smell was much sharper than that of humans. Once they sensed something amiss, they would not show themselves easily.


    ¡°Brother Chen, I heard that during the day, you took down half of Boss Wang¡¯s prey alone and with just a single slash. How did you manage your cultivation so well?¡± Guo Hao asked in admiration.


    ¡°Guo Hao, do you have any common sense? Brother Yiming is a core disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School. Cultivating the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, a technique that leads straight to the warrior realm, is naturally not something that ordinary people who have undergone three transformations can compare with.¡± Xiong Kai could not help but laugh.


    ¡°Brother Xiong, how could I not know? Coincidentally, I also use a sword. Can¡¯t I ask Brother Chen for guidance?¡± Guo Hao said angrily.


    ¡°Martial arts is something you train for. What¡¯s the use of asking so many questions? If you must blame someone, blame yourself for not grasping the basic sword moves earlier when you were young. That way, you could also have entered the Mantis Snake Sword School,¡± Xiong Kai said directly.


    A person¡¯s body would only slow down and eventually stop developing when they were around 20 years old. Before that, the body was still undergoing rapid development, and often, there would be changes every month. It was very difficult to completely grasp the strength of the muscles.


    Therefore, in the entrance test of the 13 top martial arts schools in East Lake City although on the surface, one only needed to master the basic moves, there was also a hidden age requirement. They would not consider an adult who was already in his twenties.


    Guo Hao kept calling him Brother Chen, but in reality, Guo Hao was already 28 years old. He had barely broken through to the third transformation before his body started to deteriorate. If he didn¡¯t encounter any big incidents, it would be almost impossible for him to break through the sixth transformation.

 Chapter 68 - Raging bulls

    Chapter 68 Raging bulls


    Just as they were chatting in low voices, the sound of feet stepping on the grass was heard.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his head and looked into the darkness.


    Even with the moonlight shining on them, only their silhouettes could be seen from far away. The sounds they made could be heard even before their figures could be seen.


    ¡°Everyone, lie down. From now on, don¡¯t make any sound,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said in a low voice.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    Everyone immediately followed Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s instructions and laid on the grass without moving. The weeds were half a meter tall and covered their figures.


    A few minutes later, three figures walked out of the darkness of the distant forest. They were three raging bulls.


    The raging bulls had evolved from wild oxen. It had bulging muscles all over its body, and was nearly 1.67 meters tall. Its body was nearly three meters long, and its sharp horns were raised high.


    The few of them could hear the heavy breathing of the raging bulls from dozens of meters away.


    The three raging bulls stopped about 10 meters away from the riverside. They looked left and right for nearly a minute before continuing on their way.


    Water was a necessity for life, and living creatures who had achieved success in their cultivation were no exception. Therefore, the riverside had always been a natural hunting ground.


    Chen Yiming and his team were not the only ones hiding in the darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s three raging bulls. What do you think?¡± Chen Yiming asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t be rash. Let me observe carefully first,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    He was naturally not afraid of the three bulls that were drinking water at the outskirts of the mountain range. However, there was still Guo Hao, who had undergone three transformations, and Xiong Kai, who had undergone four transformations.


    The three raging bulls stood by the riverside, their heads lowered to drink the water. From time to time, they would look into the water to see if there was any danger underneath the water¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Look at the horns on the head of the bull. They are no longer black with some yellow in them, but completely brown. They should be bulls that have undergone five transformations. If the horns are completely yellow, it means that the bull has broken through to the sixth transformation,¡± Wei Chaoyuan explained.


    The others looked at the three bulls and realized that it was just as Wei Chaoyuan had said. The horns on the bull¡¯s head were brown in the moonlight.


    ¡°The bulls are mutant beasts that live in packs. Generally, more than a hundred of them will move together. Since these three bulls dared to leave the herd alone and go to the river at night to drink water, they must be extremely confident in their strength. Therefore, I reckon that there¡¯s a high chance that these three bulls are not far from breaking through to the sixth transformation.¡± Wei Chaoyuan continued.


    Hearing this, Xiong Kai and Guo Hao tensed up.


    Those at the level of five transformations were a little difficult for the two of them to deal with.


    Xiong Kai cultivated a strength-based fist technique, while the raging bull was also a mutant beast that specialized in strength. Furthermore, their cultivation level was even higher than his.


    Guo Hao cultivated a defensive sword technique, and he was two levels lower than the bulls. He didn¡¯t have much confidence in defending against the two horns on the bull¡¯s head.


    ¡°What are the arrangements for the two of them?¡± Chen Yiming asked Wei Chaoyuan.


    ¡°You have the confidence to deal with one of three bulls that have undergone five transformations?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked in surprise. The destructive power of the bull¡¯s horns and the iron-armed ape¡¯s arms were on completely different levels. The sharp horns combined with the brute force of the bull could easily kill someone on the spot.


    This was also another reason why the three bulls dared to leave the herd at night. The bulls were considered the strongest group of mutant beasts at the same level in the periphery of the mountain range.


    ¡°No problem. I have absolute confidence in my speed. I can definitely bring a raging bull to death even if I have to make it a long fight.¡± Chen Yiming nodded confidently.


    Hearing this, Wei Chaoyuan turned to look at Xiong Kai and Guo Hao.


    Xiong Kai had a hesitant expression on his face, unlike his usual martial arts fanatic attitude. On the other hand, Guo Hao was drenched in cold sweat and subconsciously shook his head in refusal.


    Xiong Kai was silent for a moment before he said in a low voice, ¡°If Guo Hao and I work together to deal with one bull, then I won¡¯t have any problems.¡±


    Xiong Kai, who had undergone four transformations, and Guo Hao, who had undergone three transformations, could hold back a raging bull for a short period of time as long as they worked together without any mistakes.


    However, if one of them was affected by factors such as nervousness and fear, and their coordination was flawed, it would be equivalent to taking turns to fight a raging bull that had undergone five transformations.


    Although Xiong Kai was a martial arts fanatic, he was not an idiot. He knew that he would be instantly killed by the bull if he was not careful when fighting it alone.


    Was


    Chen Yiming sensed Guo Hao¡¯s anxiety and said, ¡°They should stay put and not get involved, in case anything happens. We¡¯ll deal with one bull each. If the other bull escapes, we¡¯ll ignore it for now. We¡¯ll kill the two bulls first and think of a way to get the last one. If the other bull doesn¡¯t escape, I¡¯ll use my speed to stall two of them. Help me after you finish off one as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Wei Chaoyuan nodded in agreement after some consideration.


    He was thinking that Guo Hao had joined the company for too short a time and lacked combat experience. If he faced a raging bull that had undergone five transformations directly, there might be a huge problem.


    Within a radius of several hundred meters from where they were hiding, many pairs of eyes were observing the three raging bulls that were drinking water by the river. They could be mutant beasts that were small insects or rats, and the commotion they caused could vaguely be heard from a distance.


    The three raging bulls retreated about half a meter from time to time. They raised their heads to meet those gazes. After confirming that it was safe, they went back to the water to continue drinking.


    When the bulls lowered their heads to drink the water once again, Chen Yiming and Wei Chaoyuan leaped out of the bushes at the same time.


    ¡°You deal with that bull over there,¡± Wei Chaoyuan roared as he charged at the two bulls that were further away.


    Chen Yiming understood the situation and raised his sword to stab at the bull¡¯s leg.


    The three raging bulls reacted quickly, as if they had been prepared for this. They actually turned around in an instant and aimed their horns at the two people who were charging


    over.


    The horns were about half a meter long, like two sharp awls, and they shined with a golden light under the moonlight. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t confront the bull head-on, which would reveal his true level of six transformations.


    Instead, he instantly changed his direction and rushed to the bull¡¯s flank. He used the strongest attack in the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to make an explosive stab towards the bull.


    All the force from his body was focused on the tip of his sword, and was instantaneously released.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    A loud metallic sound echoed through the forest.


    Chen Yiming flew back, feeling a little surprised. The bull appeared to have a huge body, but its reaction speed was not slow.


    The tip of the sword failed to stab the bull¡¯s abdomen successfully. Instead, it collided with the horns as it turned around.


    On the other side, Wei Chaoyuan had attracted the attention of the two bulls. He was being attacked by both of them, and he dodged the four dancing horns while using his long saber to clash with the horns from time to time.


    It looked like Wei Chaoyuan could only defend himself and could not spare any effort to kill a raging bull.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± Chen Yiming shouted.


    His entire body instantly charged forward, and according to their previous plan, they raised their swords and stabbed at one of the two bulls that were attacking Wei Chaoyuan.


    His speed was extremely fast. The raging bull had wanted to stop him, but while its head was able to turn to keep up with Chen Yiming¡¯s speed, its body was much slower.


    Chen Yiming escaped easily and successfully charged to the front of his target.

 Chapter 69 - Pursuit

    Chapter 69 Pursuit


    At this moment, a strange bird was hanging upside down on a tree branch, watching the battle by the river from a hundred meters away.


    Its eyes were the size of fists and were shining like flashlights.


    The battle by the river broke the silence of the night. The raging bulls had an endless supply of strength from head to toe, and the ground cracked under their feet. The boulders blocking their way were also crushed to pieces by their horns.


    Chen Yiming was relying on his speed to fight the two bulls. If one of the two bulls wanted to escape and join in the attack on Wei Chaoyuan, he would have to rely on the speed of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to launch a sneak attack from behind.


    Wei Chaoyuan raised the long saber in his hand and faced the bull head on. The long saber and the horns clashed continuously, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than ten blows.


    ¡°How much longer will it take for your side?¡± Chen Yiming shouted as he jumped up to dodge the dancing horns.


    When Wei Chaoyuan heard this, he turned his slightly sore wrist. He mustered all his strength once again and swung his saber at the bull.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Another clash between the saber and the horn resulted in Wei Chaoyuan and the bull each retreating several meters.


    ¡°Brother Yiming, my Stacked Mountain Saber can stack up the force repeatedly for a total of four times, but it still can¡¯t break the bull¡¯s horns. I think we might have to find an opportunity to retreat,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied.


    n


    Chen Yiming¡¯s feint caught the bull¡¯s attention and he quickly retreated to Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s side.


    ¡°I noticed that the bull¡¯s head is extremely agile, but its body is much clumsier. Why don¡¯t we change our plan? You can hold off two bulls while I try to kill one,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°No problem, but I don¡¯t have the ability to accelerate my attacks continuously. I won¡¯t be able to drag things out for long if I fight them head on. You will have to make it quick,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said directly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that the weak point of the bulls¡¯ slow body movements has been exposed, as long as the three bulls don¡¯t stick together, I¡¯m confident that I can deal a fatal blow to them,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    The three raging bulls stomped on the ground and aimed their horns at the two of them.


    Although they did not have high intelligence, after a round of fighting, they knew that their opponents would not be easily defeated. They did not charge straight forward as they had done previously.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Chen Yiming and Wei Chaoyuan exchanged a glance.


    Wei Chaoyuan led the charge and instantly leaped into the air, slashing his saber at the bull.


    The falling force combined with the force from the Stacked Mountain Saber made the attack stronger than the previous slashes.


    ¡°Moo.¡±


    The two bulls that were slightly closer to him kicked the ground with their thick hind legs and raised their four horns high into the air.


    The raging bulls had retained the oxen¡¯s violent nature and would not let it go if their opponents openly provoked them. Furthermore, they were facing an opponent that could not injure them.


    ¡°A good opportunity!¡±


    Chen Yiming followed closely behind Wei Chaoyuan. When he saw that the raging bull at the back was staring at him, he suddenly changed the direction he was going in and instantly appeared behind the raging bull.


    Most of the sword in his hand sank into the bull¡¯s hind leg, and he quickly drew his sword to retreat.


    ¡°Moo.¡±


    The raging bull roared anxiously. It was too late for it to turn around, so it could only watch helplessly as Chen Yiming¡¯s sneak attack succeeded.


    On the other side, Wei Chaoyuan clashed head-on with the two raging bulls. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Chen Yiming had successfully ambushed one of the raging bulls and quickly retreated.


    The two of them stood a small distance away and looked at the three raging bulls who had each assumed a defensive stance.


    The bull whose thigh had been pierced by Chen Yiming was being protected by the other two bulls. Bright red blood gushed out of the wound and quickly stained the ground red.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± Wei Chaoyuan praised excitedly.


    ¡°That bull was too careless. It thought it was still one versus two. It knew that I was faster, but it still wanted to use its horns to block me,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    ¡°Those two bulls actually didn¡¯t try to escape. I¡¯ll feign an attack on the injured bull later and hold it off for a bit longer. You can continue to find opportunities to launch a sneak attack,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said with a smile.


    ¡°No problem. The raging bulls didn¡¯t gather together from the start. It¡¯s the same whether they stay or run now. One on one, it¡¯s impossible for them to defend against my sneak attacks,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    Just as the two of them were discussing how to kill the three raging bulls, the three bulls bumped their heads and communicated with each other. Suddenly, the two uninjured bulls abandoned the heavily injured bull and split up to escape in two different directions.


    ¡°How about we each chase after one of the raging bulls?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°What about the injured bull? I might not be able to kill it even if I go after it,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said directly.


    ¡°Let Xiong Kai and Guo Hao deal with the injured bull. Try your best to stop the bulls from escaping. I¡¯ll kill one as soon as possible and go find you,¡± Chen Yiming suggested.


    At this moment, Xiong Kai and Guo Hao also jumped out of the grass and came to their side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That bull has a leg that is injured and can¡¯t exert any strength from it. We can slowly exhaust it to death,¡± Xiong Kai and Guo Hao patted their chests and promised.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming chased after the raging bull following the sound of its escape.


    They discussed the plan for about half a minute, and the bull had charged into the woods in the meantime. The dense woods blocked out the moonlight, and one could only see a few meters around them.


    The bull was darting about and changing directions constantly. He could only try his best to keep up with it while chasing it through the woods.


    As soon as he exited the forest, he saw the entrance to a valley.


    The raging bull had already fallen to the ground, its fate unknown. A figure stood beside it.


    The person was wearing a black cloak, revealing a white beard. Only a pair of aged eyes could be seen on his face.


    ¡°Old man, were you specially waiting for me here?¡± Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks and looked at the person in front of him.


    With a glance, he roughly understood the other party¡¯s motive.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, kid,¡± He Xuanlin said slowly. ¡°I watched the entire process from a distance. However, no matter how talented you are, if you can¡¯t grow up, you¡¯re no different from the others.¡±


    He was the current head of the Heavenly Crane Fist School and was already at an advanced age. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to lure the ape king away at the price of getting injured, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would be taken advantage of.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming took the initiative to attack.


    ¡°You¡­¡± He Xuanlin still wanted to say something, but was interrupted and became infuriated.


    He raised his right fist at an unhurried pace and threw it forward. He swore to let the young man facing him know that he could not be provoked no matter how weak his body was since he was at the level of the sixth transformation.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A sword flashed past, avoiding his fist and slashing straight at his neck.


    The speed of the sword suddenly changed midway. It was much faster than the average speed of the sixth transformation, and He Xuanlin had no time to react.


    In the next moment, a head flew into the air.


    ¡°How could this be¡­¡± He Xuanlin¡¯s words did not leave his mouth.


    Even till his death, he did not understand how he had actually been defeated. His opponent was clearly still so young.


    Chen Yiming stopped behind him and muttered, ¡°It was the right choice to hide my true cultivation level and keep some trump cards hidden. Once outside the school, one would somehow make enemies for no reason.¡±


    Because he didn¡¯t know exactly how strong his opponent was, he released his full strength this time. He had used all three of his hidden trump cards ¡ª his strength from the sixth transformation, the Chen-style Sword Technique and the Heart Sword.

 Chapter 70 - 0 Splitting the Loot

    Chapter 70 Splitting the Loot


    At midnight, Xiong Kai and Guo Hao each dragged a raging bull¡¯s corpse back to the transport team¡¯s encampment.


    Chen Yiming was delayed by He Xuanlin for a while, and it took some time to loot the corpse. In the end, Wei Chaoyuan couldn¡¯t wait for him.


    ¡°Brother Yiming is back.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You guys actually caught these two big


    guys.¡±


    Several team members in charge of keeping watch saw them return with the corpses of the bulls.


    ¡°We were lucky to have captured these two raging bulls after squatting for an entire night,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    The people from the transport team gathered around and looked at the corpses of the two raging bulls on the ground.


    One of them was stabbed in the thigh and bled to death, while the other was stabbed in the heart. This was Chen Yiming¡¯s additional attack, which concealed the traces of He Xuanlin killing the bull with his fists.


    ¡°90% of the credit for killing these two bulls was given to Brother Yiming. Xiong Kai, Guo Hao, and I only contributed a little,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said directly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding team members widened their eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°Look carefully at the horns of these two bulls. These are bulls that have undergone five transformations. Ordinary people can¡¯t do anything to them,¡± Wei Chaoyuan continued.


    One of the team members stepped forward to check.


    ¡°The horns are completely brown in color. It¡¯s true that they have undergone five transformations. Just these two pairs of horns alone have a high value.¡±


    The horns were sharp and hard, and could be made into weapons.


    ¡°I heard that raging bull meat is of the highest quality. I¡¯ve never eaten fresh raging bull meat before. Why don¡¯t we cut off a leg and roast it?¡± Chen Yiming suggested.


    The raging bull was nearly three meters long, and one of its legs would be enough to feed everyone.


    ¡°Brother Yiming is so generous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start a fire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find some sauce.¡±


    The team members quickly agreed and the group quickly took action.


    Soon, a large bull leg was tied up with a wooden stick and placed on the fire for roasting


    For the next two days, Chen Yiming, Wei Chaoyuan, Xiong Kai, and Guo Hao continued to hunt in the mountains. Wei Chaoyuan and Xiong Kai were responsible for blocking the beasts¡¯ escape, and Chen Yiming was responsible for dealing the beasts a fatal blow.


    In the past two days, he had hunted more than twice as many mutant beasts as the others. The other team members were full of admiration for him. Wang Jianyan sighed as he thought that it wouldn¡¯t be long before he lost this powerful ally.


    At the same time, with everyone¡¯s hard work, they finally filled up the entire truck after two days.


    The convoy was about to embark on the journey back to East Lake City. Chen Yiming wandered around Yongluo Town alone and relaxed his tense nerves.


    In the Star Moon Bar, Chen Yiming ordered a bottle of beer and sat alone in the corner.


    As he drank some of the liquor, he pricked up his ears to learn about what had happened in the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    After this trip, he planned to stop following the transport team and enter the wilderness alone. Therefore, he wanted to take advantage of the time to learn more about the situation.


    ¡°Did you guys see that just now? A disciple from the Heavenly Crane Fist School went to look for the head of the White Rainbow Sect, but he was chased out with a broken leg.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? This is Yongluo Town, not the Nuhe Mountain Range. If White Rainbow Sect¡¯s leader Bai Hong dares to make a move so openly, won¡¯t he be afraid that He Xuanlin will come after him?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I heard He Xuanlin went missing. Everyone guessed that he might have died in some corner of the mountain range. Otherwise, why couldn¡¯t they find him for two days?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Did they find the body? He might be back soon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead or not, but I think since a disciple from the Heavenly Crane Fist School went to ask about it, something must have happened.¡±


    ¡°I have something that I can¡¯t figure out. Without He Xuanlin, why aren¡¯t the disciples of the Heavenly Crane Fist School taking the chance to flee at night? The conflict between the White Rainbow Sect and the Heavenly Crane Fist School is no longer a secret in Nightwater City. Aren¡¯t they afraid that they will get attacked in secret?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Anyway, I saw a female disciple from the Heavenly Crane Fist School go to question him, and then other disciples followed. After that, things developed to this


    point.¡±


    Chen Yiming listened intently and suddenly recalled the old man he had killed on the first night he came to Yongluo Town.


    In the past two days, he had already learned from the other people in the transport team that they had disrupted the Heavenly Crane Fist School¡¯s plans on the first day, angering them greatly.


    When he related this to the news that the head of the Heavenly Crane School had disappeared, he instantly understood the heart of the matter.


    The An Teng Transportation Company had disrupted the Heavenly Crane Fist School¡¯s plans. He Xuanlin had secretly launched a sneak attack on the An Teng Transportation Company when they had gone into the mountains to hunt. Coincidentally, his first target was Chen Yiming, and he had died in the forest without even causing a splash.


    In order not to attract the attention of his teammates, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t even have the time to dig a hole to bury the corpse.


    The incident with the Heavenly Crane School passed quickly, and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t continue to pay attention to it. The transport team successfully returned to East Lake City.


    At the entrance of the Anteng Transportation Company, the dried mutant beast meat in the trucks was transported by the workers in small carts.


    The mutant beasts that they hunted were quickly cut up that night and placed on a fire to be dried and preserved. Otherwise, it would not take long for the mutant beasts to rot in the trucks in such hot weather.


    ¡°Based on your contributions to hunting the mutant beasts, you alone have achieved one-fifth of the team¡¯s total value. The reward this time is estimated to be close to 100 million yuan. I¡¯ll help you get 20 million yuan and transfer the money to your bank account later.¡± Wang Jianyan passed the detailed balance sheet to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°We have fought together so many times. We are already comrades who have gone through thick and thin together, so I believe Boss Wang won¡¯t trick me,¡± Chen Yiming replied. He had already calculated the amount of money he would get in his heart.


    The transport team had a clear distribution criteria when it came to hunting and killing mutant beasts. Everyone tacitly followed the rules.


    When Chen Yiming¡¯s team was hunting mutant beasts, they mainly relied on Chen Yiming, Wei Chaoyuan, and Xiong Kai. Other than helping to drag the corpses, Guo Hao was not of much use.


    Therefore, Chen Yiming and Wei Chaoyuan had taken 90% of the loot from hunting the mutant beasts, while Xiong Kai and Guo Hao took 80% and 20% of the remaining 10%. This was already a sign that they were taking very good care of Xiong Kai and Guo Hao.


    This was especially true for Guo Hao. Anyone else would be able to do the manual labor of bringing the corpses back, so he naturally did not contribute much to the group.


    ¡°Brother Chen, you¡¯ve earned 20 million yuan this time. Isn¡¯t it time to treat us to a meal?¡± Xiong Kai said brazenly.


    Xiong Kai¡¯s words immediately attracted the attention of all the team members in the convoy, and they all looked over.


    20 million yuan was not a small amount. After subtracting their cultivation expenses, most of the team members might not even be able to save up that much money in a year. This amount of money would also allow Chen Yiming to buy two sword techniques from the library of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    This was all due to his ability. Since Chen Yiming had the ability, he would naturally be able to earn money easily. The other team members didn¡¯t have the ability to earn this money. If they wanted to earn money, not only would they have to take a greater risk, but they would also have to receive a smaller portion of the reward.


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯ll go tonight, straight to the most expensive bar in the city,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Brother Chen is so generous.¡± The team members cheered.


    As Chen Yiming became stronger, there was no need for him to spend thousands of yuan like he did when he first started cultivating. With his cultivation speed after upgrading to the Level-2 swordsmanship talent, there was no bottleneck in his progress. It was as easy as eating and drinking.


    Perhaps it would not be long before tens of millions or even a few hundred million yuan would be considered a small amount of money to him. He could earn it just by entering the Nuhe Mountain Range once.

 Chapter 71 - Enemies

    Chapter 71 Enemies


    At night, Chen Yiming and the rest of the transport team arrived at the most expensive bar, Royal Nest Century, in the city center.


    The interior of Royal Nest Century was luxuriously decorated. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the corridor to the main hall. The ground was also made from the high quality skins of mutant beasts.


    As they were being treated, everyone had a good time.


    Two hours later, Chen Yiming swiped his card and paid the bill. He had spent nearly a million yuan in total.


    After returning home, he took out a leather scroll that he had found on He Xuanlin¡¯s body. On it was a map of the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    The map detailed the roads, forests, rivers, and mountains on the outskirts of the mountain range. It also used red symbols to mark out the territories of the mutant beasts.


    The library of the Mantis Snake Sword School also had information about this, but one was only allowed to check and not copy the map. This map allowed him to grasp his position at any time when he entered the mountain range.


    The next day, Chen Yiming headed to the headquarters of the martial arts school and spent 13 million yuan in the library to buy the Nine Tides Sword Technique.


    This sword technique imitated the principle of the ocean waves moving up and down. It could gather the force at the tip of the sword and penetrate the defenses and go straight into the body. It was a sword technique with penetrative force. At this point, his original plan had basically been achieved. After grasping several different types of offensive sword techniques, there would always be a sword technique that he could use to counter his enemy.


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. The Li clan from the south of the city suddenly sent someone to inform them that they needed help with something. In the evening, a banquet was held at the Li clan¡¯s manor.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think for long and agreed to go.


    Back then, he took over three shops in the city center from them. If he missed the appointment for no reason, it would easily leave an impression that he had taken the money and not done anything in return, which would damage his reputation.


    In the evening, in the main hall of the Li clan¡¯s manor,


    Li Tiancheng sat at the head of the table, flanked by representatives from the Li clan¡¯s allies.


    Li Tiancheng¡¯s expression was a little ugly. Other than a few powerful figures from various clans, most of these allies that he had given out his clan¡¯s assets to had only sent an ordinary member to participate. The so-called allies who had agreed to help each other were just a group of people who bullied the weak and feared the strong. If they really encountered any problems, they would use countless excuses to shirk the responsibility.


    ¡°Friends, I won¡¯t hide it from you. The Li clan is currently in some trouble and needs everyone¡¯s help.¡± Li Tiancheng went straight to the point.


    He looked at the people around him.


    ¡°We signed an agreement back then. If you guys go back on your word, your reputation in East Lake City will be damaged.¡±


    After the representatives from the various clans heard this, some of them fell silent, while others whispered to the representatives beside them. They had all received some news before coming here.


    The representative of the Wind and Rain Sect was the first to speak. ¡°Li clan head, the leader of our sect has led a team out of the city to hunt mutant beasts. I¡¯m only an ordinary middle-level personnel. I can only help you deliver the news as soon as possible, but I can¡¯t make the decision.¡±


    When Li Tiancheng heard this, his expression darkened even more.


    ¡°Li clan head, the head of our Tan clan was injured a few days ago, and it¡¯s not suitable for us to make a move for the time being. I apologize on behalf of the Tan clan, but this doesn¡¯t mean we are breaking the agreement,¡± the Tan clan¡¯s representative was the second to speak.


    One by one, the representatives offered various reasons for their refusal.


    ¡°Li clan head, please tell everyone the details of the incident,¡± Chi Zhongwei said.


    He was tall and burly, with black hair draped over his shoulders. A long blade was hanging from his waist. He was one of the few people with authority in the audience.


    Li Tiancheng¡¯s tightly knitted brows immediately relaxed. Finally, there was a representative who was willing to help.


    ¡°My Li clan has indeed encountered some trouble, but as long as everyone is willing to contribute, the matter is not difficult to resolve.


    My deceased father, Li Changhe, had chased an opponent out of East Lake City in his early years. Now that he has returned from the nearby Nightwater City, he has directly attacked the Li clan¡¯s businesses and injured many people.¡±


    ¡°Who is this person? How dare he disobey the rules and implicate ordinary people in the disputes of the martial arts world,¡± Chi Zhongwei said angrily.


    ¡°That person¡¯s name is Long Denghua. I heard that he had some other fortuitous encounter in recent years. He abandoned his fist to cultivate the sword and has earned quite a reputation in Nightwater City,¡± Li Tiancheng said directly.


    ¡°Tsk! Long Denghua.¡±


    ¡°That person isn¡¯t easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he is extremely fierce, and is a lone wolf. He fears nothing.¡±


    The representatives who had heard of Long Denghua began to whisper among themselves.


    Li Tiancheng looked at Chi Zhongwei, who had fallen silent, and the hope that had lit up in him was quickly extinguished.


    ¡°Everyone, no matter how powerful Long Denghua is, he hasn¡¯t broken through to the sixth transformation. If we work together to deal with this person, I believe he will back off.¡± Li Tiancheng tried to persuade them.


    ¡°What the Li clan head said is right. No matter how strong that person is, can he fight three people at the same time? He can¡¯t fight three experts of the same level at the same time. If there are two more people who are on board with this, I¡¯m willing to lend a hand,¡± Chi Zhongwei said after a moment of silence.


    Chen Yiming nodded but didn¡¯t say a word.


    He had been assigned to a position furthest away from Li Tiancheng. Clearly, his strength had not been recognized and he was only called here to make up the numbers.


    ¡°My Li clan will have one person to take part in this plan, and also fork out 20 million yuan as additional remuneration. Everyone, please do your best to help us.¡± Li Tiancheng endured the pain and tried to bribe the others to help.


    After he finished speaking, he felt that his heart was bleeding. He did not have the strength himself, so he had to spend a lot of money to get others to help him.


    Long Denghua had also bided his time. As soon as Zheng Qiming left the city to attend an exchange in the provincial city, he had come to take his revenge.


    Li Tiancheng tried to turn to the Zheng family for help, but they ignored him.


    After a few minutes, a few people started to get restless.


    ¡°Long Denghua¡­ It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have the confidence to win against him alone, but what¡¯s so scary about three people attacking him at once?¡± He Jinwu was the second to speak up.


    He was dressed in black training robes and appeared to be in his thirties. A black headscarf was tied to his forehead.


    Li Tiancheng slapped the table and stood up. He said excitedly, ¡°Alright, Brother Chi, Brother He, it¡¯s decided. The three of us will deal with that person together and make sure he can¡¯t leave East Lake City alive.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he took out two safes and promised, ¡°Brother Chi, Brother He, these safes each contain a deposit of five million yuan. After this matter is resolved, we will definitely not go back on our word regarding the remaining five million yuan.¡±


    Chi Zhongwei and He Jinwu received the deposit and smiled.


    With the three of them working together, they did not think that Long Denghua would stand a chance. This ten million yuan was equivalent to a free lunch.


    Chen Yiming was also interested. Not long ago, he had killed the head of the Heavenly Crane Fist School, He Xuanlin, and now there was another expert from Nightwater City.


    Although Long Denghua was definitely far inferior to He Xuanlin, for someone who was willing to switch from the fist to the sword, his swordsmanship had to be outstanding. Otherwise, why would he give up what he had learned for so many years?


    The atmosphere in the hall became relaxed.


    With someone standing up for them, the other representatives heaved a sigh of relief. No one wanted to be labeled as someone who had kicked others to the curb after using them.


    The reason was that Long Denghua had made a name for himself in the wilderness, and no less than ten people of the same cultivation level had died at his hands.


    They were all worried that if they did not manage to take down this person, their clans would have to bear the brunt of Long Denghua¡¯s revenge whenever they left the city. The gains from the additional remuneration were not worth the risk.


    As for Chi Zhongwei and He Jinwu, they were both independent martial arts practitioners who relied on themselves. There was no such worry for them.

 Chapter 72 - Duel

    Chapter 72 Duel


    After dinner, Li Tiancheng brought Chi Zhongwei and He Jinwu to the venue of the duel. Many interested representatives followed behind them, including Chen Yiming


    The venue of the duel was an abandoned factory in the suburbs. The place used to be densely populated, but after the factory was destroyed, weeds had grown everywhere and broken metal barrels could be seen everywhere.


    ¡°Haha, Li clan head, it looks like that Long Denghua knew that he would be attacked by many people. With so many people coming at the same time, he¡¯s afraid to show his face,¡± Chi Zhongwei said with a smile.


    ¡°I think Brother Chi is right. Looks like there¡¯s an 80% chance that we won¡¯t be able to fight tonight.¡± He Jinwu also smiled.


    The two of them were extremely happy. Regardless of whether they fought or not, they would definitely not return the five million yuan deposit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down,¡± Li Tiancheng said in a low voice, feeling extremely conflicted.


    If Long Denghua was really so shameless to challenge them to a duel but not appear, the Li clan would be in trouble. He could not possibly fork out money to ask his allies to help him every time the other party issued a challenge.


    Although the Li clan was rich, they could not afford to play along with such tactics.


    The group waited for a few minutes, but Long Denghua did not show up. Some people got impatient and started to loiter around the factory.


    Chen Yiming was no exception. However, his objective was to survey the terrain in advance and prepare for his plan.


    Suddenly, ¡°Ah!¡± a tragic cry rang out, followed by the sound of footsteps and shouts as the crowd scattered in all directions. The sounds were filled with fear.


    Li Tiancheng, Chi Zhongwei, and He Jinwu looked towards the darkness where the commotion had occurred.


    ¡°Tap! Tap!¡± The continuous sound of footsteps got closer.


    Li Tiancheng, Chi Zhongwei, and He Jinwu were all drenched in cold sweat. Fortunately, they had not split up to scout the surroundings. Otherwise, it was highly possible that Long Denghua would have ambushed one of them first.


    Soon, a figure walked out of the darkness. A cloak was draped over his back, and he held a blood-stained sword in his hand.


    ¡°Li Tiancheng, don¡¯t tell me that you think I can¡¯t do anything to you just because you brought two more people with you?¡± Long Denghua walked over step by step with a straight face.


    Li Tiancheng¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Long Denghua, you still dare to show yourself even after knowing that I¡¯ve found others to help me?¡±


    ¡°Do you see my right hand?¡± Long Denghua raised his right hand, revealing a scar on the back of it. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your dead father.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a grudge from the previous generation. How far do you want to go before you are willing to let it go?¡± Li Tiancheng probed, feeling a little uneasy. His opponent knew that he had found outside help, but still dared to show up alone.


    ¡°Oh? I personally sent your father on his way. Aren¡¯t you going to avenge him?¡± Long Denghua sneered.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Li Tiancheng, Chi Zhongwei, and He Jinwu were left speechless.


    What Long Denghua meant was that he had personally killed Li Changhe, who had undergone seven transformations.


    If that was true, then Long Denghua had at least broken through six transformations, and the three of them had turned from predator to prey.


    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t destroy the whole Li clan when I killed your father? Apart from not wanting to offend Zheng Qiming, I was afraid that you would go into hiding if the news got out.¡± Long Denghua looked at Li Tiancheng as if he was looking at a dead man, and wasn¡¯t in any hurry to make his move.


    As long as he killed Li Tiancheng, the last member of the Li clan who still had some power, there was a high chance that he would not need to continue fighting. The Li clan¡¯s current allies would secretly devour the Li clan.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chi Zhongwei and He Jinwu retreated abruptly and turned to escape.


    ¡°Swish!¡± A sword flashed past.


    Chi Zhongwei and He Jinwu fell to the ground before they could even react.


    Seeing this, the people watching from afar scattered without hesitation. A few seconds later, only two people were left in the abandoned factory.


    ¡°Now, no one will disturb us.¡± Long Denghua looked at Li Tiancheng, who had turned pale.


    In a small forest near the abandoned factory, Long Denghua, who had killed Li Tiancheng with one strike, walked slowly, preparing to pass through the forest in front of him and quietly leave from a spot on the city wall where the defense was weak.


    Such actions of openly committing murder in the city was not tolerated by the city guards, who were different from the city patrol teams. Even if they had transferred elites to the battlefield, there were still experts guarding the city.


    Suddenly, Long Denghua stopped in his tracks.


    A figure was quietly standing 10 meters ahead. He wore a black mask on his face and was wearing a black suit.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Long Denghua frowned. He had already conducted some investigations in private and knew that, after more than half a year, Li Changhe¡¯s friends had already drifted apart from the Li clan.


    After all, dragons did not live with snakes. The Li clan had died in an accident because of Li Changhe, so the entire clan had fallen by a level.


    This was also another reason why he did not immediately destroy the Li clan back then. He was afraid that Li Changhe¡¯s friends might have set a trap for him.


    ¡°My name is An Chen. I heard that you gave up on practicing with your fists and switched to swordsmanship. Can you tell me the reason?¡± Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in any hurry and spoke slowly.


    ¡°Ancheng? I¡¯ve never heard of him. Was he a friend of Li Changhe¡¯s?¡± Long Denghua couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. This person was clearly trying to trick him and make a fool out of him.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape. I¡¯ll just hold you back for a while. The city guards will rush over when they notice the commotion. Do you dare to kill them too? Do you want to live in the wilderness forever?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death.¡± Long Denghua¡¯s expression changed, and his gaze became sharp.


    Chen Yiming was right. If he really dared to make a move on the city guards, he would be on the wanted list of the Daxia Kingdom from the next day. There would be an endless number of people chasing after him for the bounty.


    ¡°How dare you stop me? Are you prepared to lose your life?¡± Long Denghua said through gritted teeth. The killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible. This was a sign that he was being forced into a corner.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Chen Yiming remained expressionless. He was confident that he did not need to be afraid of anyone in the disciple realm at the same level as him.


    As soon as he finished speaking, his entire body charged out like a venomous snake that was hiding in the darkness.


    His speed was extremely fast, and with the cover of the night, only a black shadow could be seen.


    Although Long Denghua had been prepared for a fight, the moment he raised his sword, the white flash of his opponent¡¯s sword had already closed in.


    At the next moment, Long Denghua¡¯s body reflexively dodged, but the hand holding the sword had already been severed and fell to the ground.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t manage to kill him in one blow. He was much stronger than that old man, He Xuanlin. He Xuanlin didn¡¯t even have time to react back then,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he compared the two of them.


    After Long Denghua had dodged a few meters, his balance suddenly changed because he had lost an arm. He stumbled and almost fell.


    The empty space in front of the forest was dead silent.


    Long Denghua¡¯s head went blank, and he had completely forgotten the pain from his broken arm.


    He had been hunting mutant beasts for a living, and had never expected to meet his end here.


    ¡°Can we talk properly now? Your sword hand is broken,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Li Changhe¡¯s friend. What exactly are you trying to do?¡± Long Denghua asked in a trembling voice. He happened to have a secret for discarding his fist techniques and practicing the sword.


    He had been pretending to have undergone only five transformations. Other than the one time he attacked Li Changhe, he had never killed an expert who had undergone six transformations.


    He thought that he would be completely safe and wouldn¡¯t attract the attention of anyone stronger than him. Who knew that he would be so unlucky on this day?


    ¡°As expected, professionals are needed for an interrogation.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself as he charged forward once again, raising his sword to stab at Long Denghua.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Long Denghua¡¯s forehead was pierced by the sword.


    He had already given up on escaping after losing an arm, and was thinking of ways to trick his opponent. Unexpectedly, his opponent did not care about the rules of the martial arts world and had launched a sneak attack on an injured person.

 Chapter 73 - Senior Sister

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In his bedroom, Chen Yiming sat by his desk. There were two items on the desk ¡ª a book on swordsmanship and half a piece of bone. Both items had been found on the body of Long Denghua.


    The pages of the book were already turning yellow, and there were traces of the book being flipped through many times.


    ¡°Could this be the secret of Long Denghua abandoning his fists to cultivate the sword?¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he flipped through the book page by page.


    Before long, he had quickly looked through the entirety of the sword technique, and imprinted the complete technique clearly in his mind.


    ¡°Strange, this sword technique is named the Thunder Sword Technique, but the moves don¡¯t have much to do with the name.¡±


    Thanks to his ability to simulate the moves with the small figure in his mind, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need to actually practice the sword technique with his body. He felt that something was amiss.


    ¡°The simulation by the figure in my mind has never been wrong. There must be some secret hidden in it that I don¡¯t understand,¡± Chen Yiming firmly believed in this.


    Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out yet, Chen Yiming put aside the sword technique book he had read and picked up the piece of bone.


    The surface of the bone had a picture that he could not understand. Streams of tree branch-like lines ran from one end of the bone to the other.


    ¡°Half of it is missing. The picture is incomplete.¡± Chen Yiming touched the edge of the lines extending towards the other side and concluded.


    At this point, he realized that he had no idea where to continue his investigation, because the information he had was insufficient.


    He had already mastered the moves of the Thunder Sword Technique. Compared to all the sword techniques he had learned so far, he could not feel any difference.


    He looked at the picture on the surface of the bone a few times, but nothing happened. This proved that the method he was using was wrong.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I get the school¡¯s head to take a look?¡± A thought flashed across


    Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    In an instant, he extinguished the thought.


    Why was Long Denghua trying so hard to conceal the fact that he had already undergone six transformations?


    Generally speaking, the more talented one was, the more one would be valued, and the more cultivation resources one would obtain.


    ¡°These two things caused Long Denghua to conceal his strength and bide his time. It¡¯s very likely that they are the key to breaking through to the warrior realm. Other than that, I really can¡¯t think of any reason for him to hide his level of cultivation.


    Most importantly, Long Denghua wasn¡¯t a genius in his early years. Otherwise, why would he have been beaten by Li Changhe to the point of escaping East Lake City?¡± Chen Yiming suddenly thought of something.


    He immediately became excited, feeling that he had discovered a clue. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s any information about this in the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s library. I¡¯ll go take a look at it once the sky turns bright,¡± Chen Yiming decided.


    Early in the morning, in the library in the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters,


    Mu Yuerong held a small booklet in front of her. Every few minutes, she would reach out and flip the page, seriously reading the experiences left behind by a senior.


    She had light makeup on and her long hair was draped naturally over her shoulders.


    She was dressed in a pure white blouse with a long skirt of the same color under it. It was aesthetically pleasing, but not too revealing.


    ¡®Good morning, Senior Sister.¡±


    Chen Yiming entered and saw Mu Yuerong, who had arrived earlier than him.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a little embarrassed. He had interrupted his senior sister¡¯s studying.


    ¡°So it¡¯s you.¡± Mu Yuerong looked up and recognized her junior brother, who had unintentionally seen her stretching in the past.


    ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re so hardworking,¡± Chen Yiming said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.


    Mu Yuerong lowered her head and continued to read the book, ignoring Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Did I offend Senior Sister the last time because I saw her figure?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    There was no way to verify this, and he did not dare to ask.


    He snapped out of his daze and walked to the bookshelf to search for the information he wanted.


    Chen Yiming flipped through a book called ¡°Conjectures on the Limits of the Apprentice Realm¡±.


    The content of the book was reviewing the limits of the strength of each muscle from the body during each level of transformation within the disciple realm.


    The human body had a total of 639 muscles. The strength of the moves in the martial arts techniques depended on the combined strength of the muscles and the average strength across all the muscles.


    ¡°Interesting, but it¡¯s not what I need,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    Ten minutes later, he found a book titled ¡°Experiences From Breaking Through the Stages in the Disciple Realm¡±.


    He skimmed through the book briefly. The contents of the book introduced methods that the senior used to get external forces to promote his body¡¯s development.


    Before he had undergone three transformations, he ate mutant beast meat five times a day and trained until he was completely exhausted, then rested for five minutes before continuing to train until he was completely exhausted. He then repeated this process until he could not even lift his hands.


    After the third transformation, he entered the wilderness to fight the mutant beasts and trained by fighting for his life. This sent signals to his muscle cells to become stronger for the sake of survival.


    After undergoing six transformations, he hugged a huge rock and sank to the bottom of a rapidly flowing river, resisting the flowing water in an environment of high pressure.


    ¡°If you plan to speed up the tempering process, you can give it a try,¡± Chen Yiming agreed with the book¡¯s contents.


    Three hours later, Chen Yiming left the library, but he had not found what he wanted.


    After some thought, he understood something.


    The method to break through to the warrior realm was the core of the school. Only core disciples who were favored by the head of the school would be taught about it.


    He had thought too simply previously. There was no information about breaking through to the warrior realm in the library.


    In the main hall of the headquarters of the school,


    Chen Yiming had just exited from the staircase when he saw his third senior brother, Teng Zhihui, sparring with his fifth senior sister, Mu Yuerong.


    Teng Zhihui was only defending and did not take the initiative to attack. Clearly, he was letting Mu Yuerong test out her moves.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, when did you come? Why didn¡¯t I see you earlier?¡±


    Mu Yuerong stopped when she saw Chen Yiming. Teng Zhihui also stopped and waved at him.


    ¡°1 encountered some difficulties during my training, so I came to the library early in the morning to read up on some information.¡± Chen Yiming walked over and stood beside the two of them.


    ¡°If you have any questions, just ask me, your senior brother. We all went through this before, so don¡¯t be shy,¡± Teng Zhihui said bluntly.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother. I happen to have a question that I don¡¯t understand,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    He had not prepared a reason to start a conversation. He didn¡¯t expect Teng


    Zhihui to be so enthusiastic. Coincidentally, Mu Yuerong was feeling tired from the fight, so the three of them sat on the sofa in the living room and had a chat. ¡°Senior Brother, I recently mastered two new sword techniques. I was feeling a little bored and thought of something. I¡¯ve been practicing the Mantis Snake Sword Technique for more than half a year. Other than the missing part for breaking through to the warrior realm, are there any other ways to improve this sword technique?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He did not ask directly about the missing parts for cultivation to the warrior realm. Instead, he asked indirectly to see if he could obtain any useful information.


    Teng Zhihui was about to speak when Mu Yuerong interrupted him.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, I know that your understanding of swordsmanship is high, but the most important thing in the disciple realm is to temper your body. You¡¯ve only broken through to the third transformation, so it¡¯s not suitable for you to aim too high,¡± Mu Yuerong said coldly.


    ¡°Senior Sister is right.¡± Chen Yiming nodded honestly, not daring to say anything else.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, Senior Sister Mu is right. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Just focus on tempering your body,¡± Teng Zhihui said seriously.


    The two of them didn¡¯t take Chen Yiming¡¯s question seriously. They thought that he had been overthinking because he had learned swordsmanship too easily, so they quickly switched to other topics..

 Chapter 74 - News

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Senior Brother Teng, I heard that the war in the west is about to end. Is that true?¡± Mu Yuerong asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Master said that there was a big shot who appeared. He was rumored to be an expert in using the transformation force who specialized in guarding the space-travel passage in the lake,¡± Teng Zhihui replied.


    ¡°Then Senior Brother Lin should be able to return soon. We have to make some preparations,¡± Mu Yuerong said with a smile. ¡°We have to make it grand this time. The conditions on the battlefield are so bad, Senior Brother Lin must have suffered a lot.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure,¡± Teng Zhihui replied awkwardly.


    Chen Yiming was delighted to hear that the war was about to end.


    After the war ended, the military power in East Lake City would soon recover, and public order in the city would return to normal.


    The Chen family also did not continue the way they were now, only daring to move around the neighborhood and not daring to go out at night.


    They would not have anything to worry about and could go out without any concerns.


    Another two days passed.


    Chen Yiming was fretting over the lack of progress in his investigation into the piece of bone when a woman who claimed to be the landlord of the apartment the Chen family was renting came knocking on his door.


    After a brief introduction, the two found a cafe and sat down for a chat.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, there¡¯s an auction that¡¯s going to be held. Are you interested?¡± Liu Wanqing asked as she placed the invitation on the table.


    Liu Wanqing was wearing a white cheongsam. She had a tall figure and was nearly 1.8 meters tall in her high heels.


    ¡°Just get straight to the point,¡± Chen Yiming replied. Before he came, he had learned from the woman that she planned to give him the house for free.


    ¡°The main purpose of our auction is to provide a platform for everyone to mutually gain benefits and expand their connections.


    At that time, there would be martial arts techniques, rare mutant beast meat, equipment and other items needed for cultivation being auctioned.


    As long as you agree to attend the function, we can go and formalize the changes regarding the house,¡± Wan Qing said respectfully.


    ¡°So I just need to attend? Are there no other conditions?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We only hope that in the future, you can consider our company if you want to get rid of the resources that you don¡¯t need. We will definitely not give you a bad deal,¡± Wan Qing explained.


    ¡°Alright, I agree,¡± Chen Yiming replied after some consideration.


    He did not care about the cost of the house. After the war ended, East Lake City would return to normal.


    It was impossible for the property prices to remain so high. They might even have fallen to rock bottom at the moment.


    He planned to leave the martial arts school. The auction would be a good platform. He might be able to obtain some useful information that could help in his investigation into the half piece of bone.


    After settling the matter, the two of them went straight to the real estate bureau to settle the changes in the ownership of the house.


    After exiting the real estate bureau, Chen Yiming watched as Liu Wanqing left in a luxury car.


    He was curious about Liu Wanqing¡¯s identity. Earlier, when they went to make the changes in the house ownership, the entire process was actually done by that woman alone.


    It was evening.


    Peninsula Villa


    was the location of the auction, and it was in the southern suburbs. The villa was located at the corner of the river, so it was named the Peninsula Villa.


    Chen Yiming went home and briefly told Father Chen and Mother Chen about what had happened that day. When Chen Yingying heard about the news, she said that she wanted to go with him. Father Chen and Mother Chen also hoped that their daughter could go out and relax, since she had been cooped up at home for too long.


    When Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying arrived at the villa, the parking lot was already filled with all kinds of luxury cars.


    ¡°As expected, once the war ends, the city will return to normal,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    During times of war, supplies were forcefully redirected to the front line, and there was no place to refuel the luxury cars.


    ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s so lively at the villa¡¯s entrance.¡± Chen Yingying pointed excitedly at the people entering and exiting.


    Chen Yiming took out his invitation and passed it to the guard. The receptionist at the side walked out and led Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying in.


    The decorations in the Peninsula Villa were extremely luxurious. It was both traditional and flamboyant. When they entered the main hall, it was already filled with people who had come to attend the auction.


    When he looked at the scene, he got the feeling of the modern world that he had not experienced for a long time.


    ¡°Brother Yiming.¡±


    Chen Yiming had never attended an auction before. At this moment, he was standing in a corner with Chen Yingying, waiting for the auction to begin. Suddenly, someone called out to him from behind.


    ¡®Why are you here too?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw Wei Chaoyuan walking over. ¡°This is?¡± Wei Chaoyuan looked at Chen Yingying and asked.


    ¡°My sister, Chen Yingying,¡± Chen Yiming introduced.


    ¡°So it¡¯s your little sister Yingying. I¡¯m who has fought alongside your brother before.¡± Wei Chaoyuan took out a fragrance pouch from his pocket and stuffed it into Chen Yingying¡¯s hand. ¡°This sachet can help you calm your mind when you carry it with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Wei,¡± Chen Yiming turned around and urged his sister to respond.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Wei,¡± Chen Yingying said softly.


    After practicing martial arts for a long time to temper one¡¯s body, one¡¯s mind would easily become impulsive and angry. A fragrance pouch that could be of use to Wei Chaoyuan, who had undergone five transformations, was very precious.


    After a brief chat, Wei Chaoyuan introduced Chen Yiming to two of his friends that had come along with him.


    Shi Changyi was the son of a big company¡¯s owner. He had undergone four transformations and was over two meters tall. He was extremely muscular and did not look like the son of a merchant.


    Ling Shijie was the son of the leader of the Blue Cloud Sect. He had undergone five transformations and was about 1.9 meters tall. He had a sharp gaze and a murderous aura around him.


    ¡°Do you know if there are any good items up for auction this time?¡± Chen Yiming asked Wei Chaoyuan.


    ¡°It has been suspended for nearly a year after all. I heard that there are quite a few good items here this time. According to what I learned earlier, there is a longsword made by Master Swordsmith Hong. It would be very suitable for you,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied.


    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t very interested and asked, ¡°Do they have any high-level martial arts techniques?


    ¡°It seems like there¡¯s an incomplete warrior-level fist technique as the finale. I heard about it from my father, but I¡¯m not too sure about the details,¡± Shi Changyi said.


    ¡°Fist technique? It¡¯s not a sword technique.¡± Chen Yiming was startled.


    If it was an incomplete warrior-level sword technique like the one from the Li clan in the south of the city, it could be used to perfectly conceal the fact that he only needed a way to break through. In fact, even the fist technique could be used as a reference.


    He did not press Shi Changyi for details, to prevent revealing his true intentions. If the information turned out to be true, he might have to become An Chen again.


    ¡®What a pity. Brother Yiming, you use a sword, while I use a saber. We have no use for a fist technique.¡± Wei Chaoyuan sighed.


    ¡°Brother Wei, have you forgotten that I use fists?¡± Ling Shijie said, ¡°By the way,


    Brother Shi, is it true that the finale of the auction is a fist technique?¡±


    ¡°In order to attract truly capable buyers, the auction will release some information in advance. It is unlikely to be wrong, but I don¡¯t know the details about the fist technique,¡± Shi Changyi replied.


    After hearing this, Ling Shijie bid farewell and left.


    Shi Changyi shrugged and said helplessly, ¡°Isn¡¯t Brother Lingtoo impatient? For this kind of fist technique to be sold at the finale of the auction, the price will basically be sky high. Even if one can buy it, it¡¯s another issue whether one can bring it back safely.¡±


    Chen Yiming fell into deep thought. Things weren¡¯t that simple.


    Previously, the Li clan from the south of the city had gifted a sword technique manual to Zheng Qiming. Zheng Qiming was from one of the seven great martial arts clans, the Zheng family, and even that had caused a huge fight.


    This was a public auction, and they would be openly competing for the fist technique. The fighting would be even more intense than the previous time.


    There must be many people who shared his thoughts..

 Chapter 75 - Loan

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    At 8 pm, the main hall was brightly lit.


    Music started playing at the venue, and the auction officially started.


    Over a hundred people were participating in the auction, and they sat on the leather sofas below, lowering their heads to talk from time to time.


    Liu Wanqing was dressed in a cream-colored gown. She walked out quickly, and the attractiveness of her curvaceous figure was accentuated by the design of the gown. As soon as she appeared, she attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Her beautiful eyes swept across the audience. The men¡¯s hearts started to beat faster, and the women felt jealous of her. The atmosphere immediately became more lively.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be the host of the auction,¡± Chen Yiming blurted out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know each other?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked in surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know her. I just met her briefly,¡± Chen Yiming brushed it off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Liu Wanqing to be the one presiding over this auction. She is the precious daughter of the chairman of the Changshi Group, and is loved by everyone,¡± Shi Changyi said in surprise.


    ¡°Is that strange? Not all the rich second-generation are content with just wasting their lives and money away,¡± Chen Yiming said doubtfully.


    ¡°The chairman of the Changshi group, Liu Liyuan, is a warrior candidate who has undergone nine transformations. However, the wives he married all gave birth to sons, other than Liu Wanqing, who is his only daughter,¡± Shi Changyi explained.


    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Yiming nodded in understanding. If the precious daughter of the Changshi group was hosting the auction, there must be something special about it.


    The three of them did not say much, and the first item was soon brought up for auction.


    It was a crystal that was emitting a fluorescent light. It was kept under a transparent glass cover, and the audience instantly fell silent. Those who knew what it was were deeply interested in it.


    ¡°This is an artifact from a creature from the otherworld, the blood shark. This crystal was formed within its body, which has undergone eight transformations. Consuming it can increase the success rate of breaking through to the ninth transformation,¡± Liu Wanqing explained. She was straightforward and did not waste any time.


    The moment she finished speaking, the audience was in an uproar. They did not expect the first item in the auction to be an item at the level of that usually kept till the finale.


    Many people started to make calls hurriedly. Some quickly gathered their funds, while others asked their clan if they could increase their budget.


    In East Lake City, only a few items that could help one break through to the ninth transformation would appear in a year. It was unexpected that the


    Changshi group would make such a big move when the war had just ended.


    It was known that the ninth transformation represented the limit of an ordinary human¡¯s body. The skin of the body could withstand the high temperature of several hundred degrees for a short period of time, and it would not be difficult for them to dive into the river and survive for half an hour.


    Compared to the humans who did not participate in any cultivation, he was a real-life superman.


    ¡°This is too much!¡± Chen Yiming exclaimed, his mouth agape. Not long after he started practicing martial arts, a war had broken out in East Lake City. The market was in shambles, and he had never seen anything like this.


    ¡°Haha, I reckon that everyone has been feeling suffocated for nearly a year. During wartime, no company would dare to hold such an auction publicly. They were afraid that the items would be confiscated by the government if they were too high-profile,¡± Shi Changyi slapped his thigh and said cheerfully. His father was a big merchant, so he knew very well what was going on behind the scenes.


    ¡°Sigh, what a pity. If it was something that could help me break through the sixth transformation, I might have tried to get it with all my assets.¡± Wei Chaoyuan sighed.


    ¡°Brother Wei, don¡¯t be anxious. Just prepare the money first. There might be something you need later,¡± Shi Changyi smiled.


    Soon, people began to raise their sign and place their bids.


    100 million, 150 million, 200 million¡­ 500 million, 510 million.


    The price had risen to 500 million before the increase in price started to slow down, but it was still rising.


    Ling Shijie suddenly returned to the main hall and called Chen Yiming and the other two out.


    At the roadside near the manor, Shi Changyi said in a slightly dissatisfied tone, ¡°Brother Ling, what¡¯s the rush? Can¡¯t we talk about it after the auction?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Ling. I still have to keep an eye on whether or not there are items that may be able to help me break through to the sixth transformation. If I miss out on this opportunity, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get another chance,¡± Wei Chaoyuan also said unhappily.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have any issue with being dragged out of the auction. He couldn¡¯t fork out enough money even if there were things he wanted in the auction, and even if he had the money, he wouldn¡¯t dare to make a bid.


    ¡®To be honest, my father has already decided to compete for the fist technique in the auction,¡± Ling Shijie said bluntly.


    ¡°No way. Although your father is not weak and is the leader of a big sect, can he compete with others in terms of financial ability?¡± Shi Changyi frowned and asked in surprise.


    The sects may be strong in martial arts, but they could hardly compare with companies that engaged in trade in terms of financial ability.


    Chen Yiming and Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s hearts skipped a beat at the same time. They both wondered if he had come to ask them for money.


    Chen Yiming and Ling Shijie had only just met. Even if he was rich, he couldn¡¯t be so carefree in his management of his money to lend the money to someone he had met only once. As for Wei Chaoyuan, he was looking for an item that he could use to help him break through the sixth transformation. If he lent the money to help his friend, he would have to sacrifice himself.


    ¡°Brother Shi, can you do me a small favor? Can you help to link up my father with your father? Everything is up for discussion. We won¡¯t give your family a bad deal,¡± Ling Shijie pleaded.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Shi Changyi hesitated. Although he was good friends with Ling Shijie, this wasn¡¯t a matter of a few million or tens of millions. It was a loan of over a


    hundred million yuan, and there was a risk of his father getting cheated.


    ¡°Brother Chen, Brother Wei, if you can provide assistance, I can use the Blue


    Cloud Sect¡¯s assets as collateral.¡± Seeing that Shi Changyi was considering it,


    Ling Shijie turned to Chen Yiming and Wei Chaoyuan and begged them to help.


    ¡°Brother Ling, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m an amateur who has just broken through to three transformations. I can¡¯t help you,¡± Chen Yiming found an excuse to reject him.


    Ling Shijie didn¡¯t say anything when he heard that. He didn¡¯t have much hope for the person he had just met and was just giving it a shot.


    Wei Chaoyuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°If I can¡¯t get anything that can help my body undergo the sixth transformation, I can loan you 50 million yuan.¡±


    ¡°50 million yuan¡­ I¡¯ll use ten shops as collateral and borrow 100 million yuan, how about that?¡± Ling Shijie wasn¡¯t satisfied and continued to try to borrow more money.


    ¡°Real estate prices are plummeting now. East Lake City is an ordinary city, not a provincial city. Ten shops can¡¯t even serve as collateral for 50 million yuan, ¡® Wei Chaoyuan thought to himself.


    He refused without thinking any further.


    After Chen Yiming and Wei Chaoyuan, only Shi Changyi had yet to reply. This caused Shi Changyi¡¯s mind to be in a mess.


    Shi Changyi hesitated for a long time before saying in a low voice, ¡°Alright, we¡¯re good friends after all. But let me make this clear first. I can¡¯t decide how much to lend you. My father will have to make the decision.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it. He felt like he was going to screw his father over.


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯re good friends. Even if we have to sell all of our properties, we won¡¯t cheat you,¡± Ling Shijie patted his chest and promised.


    Next, Ling Shijie asked Shi Changyi for his father¡¯s phone number, then took out his phone to make a call. He said something for nearly a minute before hanging up.


    After settling the matter of the loan, the four of them turned around and returned to the main hall of the manor.


    When he returned to the main hall, the first two items had already been successfully auctioned off. Bids were currently being placed on the third item in the auction.


    Chen Yiming found an excuse to bring Chen Yingying to the entrance of the villa. He sent her home and instructed her to wait for him at home before he returned to the Peninsula Villa alone.


    When Chen Yiming returned to the main hall and sat down, he noticed that Wei Chaoyuan didn¡¯t look too good.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Brother Wei was just bidding against someone else for an item that could help one break through to the sixth transformation. That person immediately bid twice the price and won the auction,¡± Shi Changyi replied in place of Wei


    Chaoyuan.


    Although the Changshi group held an auction every month, the usual auctions were not like this one. An item that could help one break through to the sixth transformation would already be used as the finale of the auction.


    This time, by gathering a large number of precious items for auction, the price would actually be much cheaper. He did not expect that he would encounter a person who did not care about the price at all.


    ¡°Alright, Brother Shi, there¡¯s no need to mention it again. It¡¯s my fault for not making sufficient preparations. You can¡¯t blame anyone else for this,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said after thinking it through.


    Ling Shijie took Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s 50 million yuan and said in a timely manner, ¡°Brother Wei, you¡¯ve helped me this time. You don¡¯t have to worry about the item that can help your body to undergo the sixth transformation. I¡¯ll get my father to help you search for it immediately after this.¡±


    After Ling Shijie gave his promise, Wei Chaoyuan¡¯s expression finally returned to normal.


    Soon, the auction reached its final item, a manual for an incomplete warrior-level fist technique.


    However, before he could the fist technique went up for bidding, Liu Liyuan arrived.


    This person was tall and had a beard. His eyes were shining brightly, and as soon as he appeared, all the restless thoughts in the audience were silenced.


    Those who had undergone nine transformations were only one step away from breaking through to the warrior realm. Out of those who had reached the level of eight transformations, on average, only one in ten would be able to break through to the next level. Once they did, their strength would undergo another qualitative change..

 Chapter 76 - Fist Technique

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Liu Liyuan took out a book and showed its cover to the audience.


    The pages had turned slightly yellow and the book was about as thick as the width of two fingers. On the cover, the words ¡°Danyang Fist¡± were written in gold.


    ¡°The Danyang Fist is the technique that allowed someone to rise to fame. It¡¯s actually making an appearance like this?¡± someone exclaimed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect that after the death of Yan Pengfei, who was once renowned throughout East Lake City, his descendants would not be able to protect his technique after only a few years,¡± the person beside him replied.


    ¡°What is Liu Liyuan trying to do? Yan Pengfei was a warrior who had reached the second stage of the warrior realm when he was alive. If the martial arts technique he used to cultivate when he was alive is auctioned off publicly, even if it¡¯s incomplete, it will definitely cause a bloodbath.¡±


    Those who had heard of Yan Pengfei immediately recognized the history behind this fist technique.


    Many who were already interested in the technique strongly desired the book and wanted to snatch it into their hands. However, the manual was with Liu Liyuan, so they had to follow the rules.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you can¡¯t wait any longer, but there¡¯s a matter that needs to be cleared up first. This book on the Danyang Fist Technique lacks the most important part ¡ª the concept diagram,¡± Liu Liyuan said bluntly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the people who were interested in the book immediately had a disappointed expression on their faces.


    Without the concept diagram, the book¡¯s value would be reduced by at least 90%. The difference from the audiences¡¯ expectations was like that between heaven and earth.


    Many people who had intended to bid for the book immediately calmed down. Without the most important concept diagram, the rest of the technique could only be used as a reference.


    When Chen Yiming heard the discussion going on around him, he thought doubtfully, ¡°Could it be that the halfpiece of bone I obtained from Long Denghua is the concept diagram that they mentioned?¡¯


    The pattern on the surface of the bone was that of tree branch-like lines. When he heard the term ¡°concept diagram¡± , he immediately thought back to the pattern on the bone which was like a lightning bolt that was constantly splitting into more lines.


    The term ¡°concept map¡± and the image of lightning splitting up seemed to be a perfect match on the surface.


    ¡°However , although it lacks the concept diagram in the original, we invited the provincial city¡¯s Master Wang to help us reproduce the concept map from the book¡¯s contents on the fist technique.


    I believe everyone has heard of Master Wang¡¯s ability. Although this manual cannot be compared to the original, it is definitely not worthless,¡± Liu Liyuan said as he swept his gaze across the audience.


    A complete cultivation technique that led straight to the warrior realm included the cultivation technique and concept diagram. The cultivation technique was divided into two parts. One part explained all the moves of the technique, and the other part explained the sequence of drawing the concept diagram.


    Unless one was a master who specialized in studying this field, one would need both the cultivation technique and the concept diagram. One had to follow the experiences accumulated by their predecessors instead of blindly creating their own concept diagram. If one was unlucky, they would end up with a mental breakdown at the very least, and death at the worst.


    ¡°ftvo billion.¡±


    Someone immediately raised their sign. Master Wang was well-known in the Jiangnan District, so there was no need to hesitate.


    ¡°2.1 billion.¡±


    In less than a second, someone raised the bid.


    ¡°2.2 billion.¡±


    ¡°Five billion.¡±


    In just a few minutes, the bid had already increased to ten times the price for the first item that could help one break through the ninth transformation.


    ¡°Is this unofficial fist technique really worth that much money?¡¯ Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened in shock


    No matter how he looked at it, the half piece of bone he had seemed to be authentic. If he could find the missing part of the concept diagram, it meant that he could immediately create a complete cultivation technique.


    The people participating in the auction looked nervously at their competitors. From time to time, someone would leave the hall to make a call.


    After bidding for nearly half an hour, the winning bid was 7-45 billion yuan, which was made by a middle-aged man in a suit.


    ¡°Who is that person? He didn¡¯t hesitate at all during the bidding from the start to the end,¡± someone asked after the auction ended.


    ¡°It¡¯s the chairman of Golden Phoenix Real Estate, Xiao Hengliang,¡± someone near him answered.


    Perhaps many people did not know of Xiao Hengliang, but the Golden Phoenix Real Estate Group had become famous in East Lake City in the past year.


    The company¡¯s main business was the development of real estate projects in the city center. Because of the war in the west, they made a huge profit. It was said that his net worth increased by dozens of times in just a year.


    ¡°Hehe, Xiao Hengliang is indeed wealthy, but it¡¯s hard to say if he can safely take the manual away.¡± Someone sneered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In the Peninsula Villa, with Liu Liyuan¡¯s presence restraining


    them, no one dares to make a move. But after leaving the villa, they won¡¯t have any scruples,¡± someone replied.


    Earlier, there had been at least 20 people competing for the book through the auction. This did not include those who had planned to steal it from the start. With so many people targeting Xiao Hengliang, it could be said that an inescapable net was laid down around him.


    Soon, Xiao Hengliang, who was the topic of discussion among the audience, paid up on the spot and received the book that he had bid for. His expression remained calm throughout.


    He swept his gaze across the people around him and directly flipped through the manual on the stage. His calm and collected demeanor surprised many people, as if he was completely unconcerned about the inevitable fight that he would soon face.


    Liu Liyuan thought that Xiao Hengliang was checking the authenticity of the manual, so he stood at the side and waited patiently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why isn¡¯t he leaving as soon as possible? If this drags on, isn¡¯t he giving others time to arrange an ambush?¡± someone asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Could it be that Xiao Hengliang wants to memorize the manual directly? But ordinary people can¡¯t replicate the concept diagram at all. It¡¯s really strange since it would still be needed for his future cultivation, ¡± someone voiced their conjecture and immediately countered it.


    Nearly half an hour had passed. Other than those who left after the auction ended, everyone in the hall was watching to see how Xiao Hengliang would deal with the situation.


    Chen Yiming was no exception. He was thinking about how he could obtain the Danyang Fist Technique from Xiao Hengliang and use it to investigate the piece of bone he had.


    ¡°Master Wang¡¯s work is truly wonderful. I don¡¯t see any problems with it.¡± Xiao Hengliang praised. As he spoke, he tore off the page with the concept


    diagram and stuffed it into his pocket. Then, he passed the rest of the manual back to Liu Liyuan.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Before Liu Liyuan could finish speaking, the fist technique manual that was missing the concept diagram was returned to his hands. He didn¡¯t expect Xiao Hengliang to do this.


    If there was even the slightest mistake in his memory, he would have wasted more than seven billion yuan.


    Everyone below the stage was dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t expect Xiao


    Hengliang to be so confident in his memory. At the same time, the people who had wanted to make a move were also caught in a dilemma.


    During the first later, if they landed too severe a blow on Xiao Hengliang and accidentally killed him, they would only be able to obtain the concept diagram at most. The rest of the cultivation technique would be in Liu Liyuan¡¯s hands.


    Liu Liyuan was a warrior candidate who had undergone nine transformations. If he was unwilling to sell it, who could get it from him by force?


    Since Xiao Hengliang was not weak, it would not be easy to capture him alive, especially since there were many people after him. Each of them had their own ideas and could not work together, so the probability of failure was very high.


    Chen Yiming was equally flabbergasted. Liu Wanqing had just gifted a house to the Chen family. He couldn¡¯t possibly attack her father on the same day. He wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    Xiao Hengliang had memorized the contents of the manual and calmly left the villa while everyone was still in shock


    Soon, most of the people in the hall left. Chen Yiming, Wei Chaoyuan, and Shi Changyi had still not left.


    ¡°You guys have no intention of joining in the fun either?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked directly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget it. I¡¯m afraid that something might happen to my frail little body. It¡¯s the same even if we wait for the news tomorrow,¡± Shi Changyi replied. ¡°Me too,¡± Chen Yiming replied. The technique wasn¡¯t with Xiao Hengliang, so he lost interest in it.


    The last time he questioned Long Denghua, he didn¡¯t manage to get anything out of him and could only kill him with one strike. This time, there were a lot of people targeting Xiao Hengliang, and the success rate was almost zero.


    Just as the three of them were about to leave, they noticed that Liu Wanqing, who was wearing a cream-colored gown, had walked over at some point. ¡°Chen Yiming, you¡¯re still here? Are you not interested in that fist technique manual? Oh yes, I forgot that you have the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. Why would you need to behave like those people?¡±


    Wei Chaoyuan and Shi Changyi were both taken aback. They had not expected Chen Yiming to know Liu Wanqing. From her tone of voice, it seemed like they had a close relationship.


    ¡°I¡¯m still far from that. Besides, the manual isn¡¯t of much use to me,¡± Chen Yiming replied cautiously. He didn¡¯t want anyone to notice that something was amiss.


    ¡°You¡¯re too humble. Did you think no one knew about your performance at the Nuhe Mountain Range?¡± Wan Qing said with a smile. In an instant, she had changed from a cold and aloof goddess to a big sister next door.


    Chen Yiming laughed and didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, are you interested in mutant beasts that possess innate abilities from the otherworld?¡± Wan Qing quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Liu Wanqing looked at Wei Chaoyuan and Shi Changyi, and the two of them tactfully took their leave.


    ¡°This is not a good place to talk,¡± Wan Qing said with a smile..

 Chapter 77 - Power

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Liu Wanqing brought Chen Yiming to a pavilion in the courtyard.


    There was a stone table and a stone bench in the pavilion. Many peach blossom trees were planted in the space around the pavilion. The trees were taller than their heads, hiding their figures from view.


    ¡°When you left the city and went to the military camp previously, did you encounter any alien creatures that came from the lake?¡± Liu Wanqing asked. Her voice was soft and gentle. When she sat down, her long, white legs were revealed.


    ¡°I encountered them once,¡± Chen Yiming replied calmly, his gaze sweeping past her.


    ¡°How did it feel after fighting against the alien creatures from the lake?¡± Liu Wanqing asked again.


    ¡°They have a layer of strange scales on their bodies, so they are very difficult to deal with,¡± Chen Yiming said bluntly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the alien creature¡¯s innate bloodline ability. If it wasn¡¯t for its special ability, their species would have been wiped out long ago.¡± Liu Wanqing smiled and tucked her fringe behind her ear.


    Her status and her god-given appearance made her extremely charming. Her every move attracted the attention of men.


    The two of them had just exchanged a few words when a staff member from the villa appeared and placed a pot of hot tea on the stone table before quickly leaving again.


    ¡°To be honest, the concept diagram of the Liu clan¡¯s technique requires the deer antler of a bloodline mutant beast, like the silver lightning deer, to support in cultivation.¡± Wan Qing poured a cup of hot tea for Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Your father is a warrior candidate who has undergone nine transformations. Won¡¯t it be easy for him to capture the silver lightning deer?¡± Chen Yiming took a sip of tea and asked in confusion.


    ¡°The problem is that my father is not the only one who needs it. My brothers also need it. The amount that is left to me after that is not much,¡± Liu Wanqing explained with a smile.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming had roughly understood Liu Wanqing¡¯s motive for contacting him.


    It just so happened that he had come into contact with the Liu clan and was thinking of ways to train with the concept diagram. Therefore, he quietly waited for her to state her conditions.


    ¡°If you are willing to join my team, I can let you read through the sword manual that the Liu clan has collected once. The concept diagram of the sword manual and the fist manual from the auction earlier were both created by


    Master Wang,¡± Liu Wanqing stated her conditions and added, ¡°I know that the Mantis Snake Sword School has a complete sword technique that can lead you straight to the warrior realm, but the concept diagram in it might not be suitable for you. If you have another concept diagram, it will give you an alternative path to the warrior realm.¡±


    ¡°What others value the most is the concept diagram, but I just want to know how to train with the concept diagram. The difference in the value of the concept diagram itselfand the method to train with it is like the difference between heaven and earth.


    This woman wants me to join her team. In essence, the useful thing I can gain from this is the method of creating concept diagrams, ¡± Chen Yiming analyzed the situation in his heart.


    As long as he was alive, he could continue to use his skill points to increase his talent over time. He was confident that as long as his talent was high enough, he only needed to know the rough method for training with the concept diagram to be able to overcome the hurdle just like how he could secretly learn sword techniques.


    Therefore, there was no need for him to work for others for a long time in return for so little benefit. It would also make it easy for others to notice that something was amiss with him.


    ¡°I am not requesting a lot from you. I only need you to work with the team thrice. How about I let you read the sword manual first before you work with the team?¡± Wan Qing said confidently.


    Chen Yiming was taken aback, and finally agreed.


    The conditions offered were too generous. She didn¡¯t need him to join the team for a long time, so Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t think of any reason to reject her.


    Liu Wanqing had given him the apartment and was now using the sword manual to entice him to help her. She might even have other tricks up her sleeve. However, having undergone six transformations and having many hidden trump cards, he was confident that he need not be worried about any tricks that she might use.


    On the west side of the city, halfway up the mountain, a terrace house was built hundreds of meters high. From here, one could see most of East Lake City.


    Chen Yiming was taken in Liu Wanqing¡¯s car to the Liu clan¡¯s house. They passed by three security checkpoints along the way and saw a total of three such terrace houses on the mountain.


    After entering the house, Liu Wanqing led the way while Chen Yiming followed behind her.


    ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯ve never thought ofsecretly breaking into the Liu clan¡¯s house to search for the way to train with the concept diagram. ¡±


    Along the way, he noticed at least ten pairs of eyes watching him from the shadows. These gazes quickly disappeared when they saw Liu Wanqing standing beside him.


    If he was trapped, it would be difficult for him to escape no matter how strong he was.


    The two of them arrived at a brown door.


    The door was wide enough for four or five people to enter at the same time. It was made of some unknown material, but it felt like it was extremely heavy.


    Liu Wanqing put a silver key in the keyhole and unlocked the door. Then, she led Chen Yiming into the Liu clan¡¯s secret vault. As the two of them entered, the door automatically closed behind them.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Liu Wanqing used her body to block Chen Yiming¡¯s line of sight and quickly pressed certain spots on the wall a dozen times.


    ¡°This place has a professional anti-theft system. Even if a thief steals the key, they won¡¯t be able to get out of here alive,¡± Liu Wanqing smiled.


    Chen Yiming surveyed his surroundings. The entire secret vault was made of metal. If one was trapped inside, it would be no different from a cage.


    ¡°This is the sword manual I told you about. I¡¯ll give you half an hour to read through it.¡± Liu Wanqing took out a small book from a bookshelf and handed it to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Chen Yiming took the sword manual.


    On the cover of the sword manual was written three words in big black font: ¡°Flying Feather Sword¡±. There was a lingering smell of ink on it, and the paper was like new. There was no sign that it had been read before.


    ¡°No one in the clan practices swordsmanship, so¡­¡± Liu Wanqing explained.


    ¡°No wonder she could take it out in exchange for my help. Fortunately, I only need the method for training with the concept diagram. IfI really wanted to cultivate this sword technique, I¡¯m afraid I would have played right into her hands, ¡± Chen Yiming thought with some concern.


    In his heart, he decided that once the matter was settled, he would stay far away from Liu Wanqing. This kind of woman was too sensitive. He was afraid that if he interacted with her for too long, his secrets would be discovered.


    Chen Yiming kept a calm expression on his face and started to browse through the sword manual.


    He followed Xiao Hengliang¡¯s reading speed, not daring to read too fast or it


    would seem strange. After about half an hour, he read through the whole book once.


    The Flying Feather Sword Technique was a speed-based sword technique. It was different from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique which focused on attacking a single point rapidly.


    The moves were more focused on quick attacks to multiple points, and the sword moves were like countless sharp feathers falling from the sky at the same time.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I have learned a lot from the many moves of the Flying Feather Sword Technique,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly, but he was secretly overjoyed.


    ¡°Have you memorized it all? Actually, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to exceed the allocated time.¡± Liu Wanqing took the sword manual and placed it back on the bookshelf.


    ¡°I should be able to remember it,¡± Chen Yiming replied. He didn¡¯t know how much an ordinary person could remember after reading it once, so he didn¡¯t say anything too certain.


    ¡°You can come whenever you want to read it. It¡¯s not impossible to negotiate even if it¡¯s more than three times,¡± Liu Wanqing glanced at him and said frankly.


    The two of them quickly exited the treasure vault. Chen Yiming then rejected Liu Wanqing¡¯s offer to drive him back in her car.


    He rushed back home, barely able to control the urge to test out the new method he had learned.


    There was nothing profound in the method of training with the concept diagram. The method was to first enter a meditative state and sink one¡¯s mind into the spiritual world. Then, one could construct the image of the concept diagram stroke by stroke.


    The order in which the concept diagram was constructed was something the predecessors who practiced the technique had derived from their own attempts and learning from their mistakes.


    The main purpose was to reduce the spiritual pressure on the cultivator. Before one¡¯s mind could no longer withstand the pressure and leave the spiritual world, one would have to complete the image of the concept diagram.


    Others might have to practice continuously to enter a meditative state, but Chen Yiming could already achieve this easily. The figure in his mind was proof of this.


    Based on what was written in the sword manual, drawing the concept diagram in one¡¯s mind would create a heavy burden on the mind.


    On the other hand, the figure in his mind was able to simulate sword techniques. Chen Yiming could not tell how different the fivo things might be.


    His intuition told him that he could use the figure in his mind to directly complete the drawing of the concept diagram, and there was no need to consider the sequence of the strokes.


    In Chen Yiming¡¯s room, the door was securely locked and the curtains were drawn, ensuring that no one could look in.


    Chen Yiming took out the piece of bone he had taken from Long Denghua and placed it on the table.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t stay in the treasure vault and directly cultivate the concept diagram of the Flying Feather Sword Technique was because he was afraid that he would cause some unknown commotion and cause trouble.


    Chen Yiming split his attention into fivo. He stared at the drawing on the bone as his half of his mind to enter the spiritual world.


    The figure in his mind sensed what was going on and suddenly underwent a transformation. It turned into threads that dispersed and covered the entirety of his spiritual world.


    The next moment, the threads started to move. A lightning pattern appeared out of nowhere. Chen Yiming himself had not done anything from the start to the end.


    ¡± What¡¯s going on? The figure in my mind directly turned into the picture on the bone!¡± Chen Yiming was shocked.


    He had previously guessed that the figure could complete the concept diagram in his place.


    In addition, the concept diagram constructed in his spiritual world was very different from what was depicted in the sword manual. The sword manual had contained only the general outline of the concept diagram.


    The lightning pattern formed by the figure in his mind was vivid and lifelike, seeming even more real than the picture on the bone.


    ¡°The figure in my mind isn¡¯t actually any special ability, but a manifestation of my ovvn consciousness.¡± Chen Yiming immediately understood what was going on. At the same time, a new doubt surfaced in his mind. ¡°Is this figure a result ofmy transmigration, or is it a result ofmy swordsmanship talent?¡¯


    Before he could figure it out, his spiritual world undervvent another change.


    The lightning pattern formed by the figure in his mind started to move slowly. Suddenly, the air felt electrified and additional bolts of lightning appeared out of nowhere.


    Then, the bolts of lightning continued to increase in length, and the missing half of the pattern on the bone was gradually filled in. Finally, an ocean appeared below the lightning pattern.


    At the same time, in the real world, Chen Yiming was splitting his attention into two. He saw that sparks of electricity started to appear all over his body.


    The electrical sparks could move along the surface of his body like the flow of water, but after a few seconds, the electricity ran out and the sparks disappeared as if they had never existed.


    ¡°Could this be¡­ internal force?¡¯ Chen Yiming asked doubtfully, but quickly dismissed the thought. ¡°How could internal force be so weak? It only lasted for a few seconds. ¡±


    He forced himself to calm down and carefully recalled all the knowledge related to martial arts he had learned in his mind.


    The core of the first stage of martial arts was to teach people to combine the strength from all the muscles in their body into a single force. The strength of the muscles was a manifestation of one¡¯s physical strength outside of their body. Such a force was simply called the external force.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know much about the second stage of martial arts, the warrior realm. However, he had heard the term ¡°internal force practitioner¡± many times.


    This meant that the core of the warrior realm was probably internal force, and internal force was probably formed by the combination of the electric sparks that had appeared all over his body.


    ¡°I have only reached the sixth transformation, so I¡¯m still far from the ninth transformation. Perhaps the power created by my body is still insufficient to form the internal force.¡± Chen Yiming made a guess.


    As Chen Yiming broke away from the state of recalling his martial arts knowledge, he felt that his body had become weak.


    At the same time, his spiritual world shook a little. The pattern of lightning striking the ocean gradually faded away, and soon, it transformed back into a small figure.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Chen Yiming let out a breath as he felt the feedback from his body. ¡°My guess was right. The cultivation technique for the warrior realm is based on concept diagrams. My body is too weak to withstand such an exertion at this point.¡±


    No power was created out of nothing. Muscle strength required the body¡¯s energy to be depleted, and the new force he had created was naturally not an exception.


    This was in line with the law of conservation of energy that Chen Yiming had learned in his previous world.


    ¡°I have already figured out the path to the warrior realm. What I need to do next is to speed up the transformation of my body and achieve the ninth transformation as soon as possible,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself. His eyes were shining with excitement, as though a bright light had appeared out of nowhere.


    The next day, Chen Yiming urgently needed to speed up the transformation of his body, so he didn¡¯t go anywvhere during the day. Instead, he found a secluded spot and started to practice the latest version of the Chen Style Sword


    Technique from the moment the sky turned light.


    The latest version of the Chen Style Sword Technique incorporated the Water


    Splitting Sword Technique, the Forward Reverse Sword Technique, the Nine


    Tides Sword Technique, the Thunder Sword Technique, and the Flying Feather Sword Technique.


    This was especially true for the last two sword techniques at the level of the warrior realm, which allowed the Chen Style Sword Technique to improve by more than one level with each move. The speed at which he obtained Skill Points increased from 5 points per month to 25 points per month, which was an improvement of five times of the original speed.


    Chen Yiming had no opponent to test out the power of the attacks on, but his intuition told him that no one in the disciple realm would be able to block any of his moves. Even the warrior candidates who had undergone nine transformations were no exception.


    Although the concept diagram of the Flying Feather Sword Technique in his memory was already unclear, he could still complete it with the special ability of the figure in his mind.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming realized that although the two concept diagrams were repelling each other slightly, there were no problems for the time being.


    He had already expected that to be the case. The human body was like a container of water, and the total amount would not change. Unless the capacity of the container increased, the amount of power it could hold would be fixed.


    If he continued to cultivate multiple sword techniques at the level of the warrior realm, the power from constructing multiple concept diagrams would coexist within his body.


    Even if there was no conflict, compared to other people who cultivated based on a single concept diagram, his internal force for each technique would definitely be less than that of others.


    Chen Yiming had been alternating between training and recuperating throughout the day. He only returned home in the evening.


    As soon as he got home, Chen Yiming received a call from Shi Changyi, who had invited him to a meal.


    He did not know where Shi Changyi had gotten his phone number from, but


    Wei Chaoyuan had told him yesterday that Shi Changyi¡¯s father was a big boss.


    Coincidentally, he needed to speed up his transformation which would involve some rare mutant beast meat. He would be wasting his time searching for the rare mutant beast meat alone, and there was no need for that.


    Chen Yiming thought that Shi Changyi might bring about an unexpected surprise, so he decided to go..

 Chapter 78 - Return

    Chapter 78 Return


    The River View Restaurant had a total of eight floors and was more than 30 meters tall. It was located on a higher ground in the west of the city. Standing on the top floor, one could easily see the river passing through East Lake City.


    Shi Changyi had reserved a table on the eighth floor, which was one of the best seats.


    As soon as he entered the room, Chen Yiming saw that the main hall on the first floor was filled with people. Some of them were surrounded by many people, and they were listening to them describe what had happened on the battlefield.


    ¡°Brother Liang, Brother Liang, tell us about the situation with the younger generation participating in the war this time. I heard that Yue Jingtian defeated many more enemies than anyone else,¡± someone asked directly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Liang, stop beating around the bush. We¡¯re all curious,¡± another person echoed.


    The man called Brother Liang gestured for a pause with his hands, and the people around him tactfully fell silent.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. On the battlefield this time, Yue Jingtian amazed all of us with a single move. Using the Mountain Moving Fist Technique, he could kill his opponents with a single punch. The alien creatures of the same level were not his match at all.¡±


    After hearing Brother Liang¡¯s words, the surrounding people gasped.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that alien creatures from the otherworld were stronger than humans at the same level? Typically, at least three to five humans would be needed to deal with one alien creature,¡± someone said doubtfully.


    ¡°Brother Liang, do you know why Yue Jingtian is so special?¡± someone asked.


    Brother Liang drank his tea calmly and waited for the surrounding people to quieten down.


    ¡°A few years ago, there was a rumor that Yue Jingtian was a bloodline warrior. On the battlefield this time, it was confirmed that his bloodline ability is a perfect match for the Yue clan¡¯s Mountain Moving Fist Technique. His combat power is close to the warrior realm.¡±


    ¡°Gasp! Bloodline warriors are sure to die. The Yue clan sure is willing to sacrifice one of their own,¡± someone exclaimed in disbelief.


    A quick-witted person beside him immediately speculated, ¡°Do you think that there is already a breakthrough in the research of the bloodline warriors, and that the descendants of those big shots managed to benefit from those results first?¡±


    The surrounding people were in an uproar, but the analysis was indeed reasonable. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for a descendant of a martial arts clan to try and become a bloodline warrior at the risk of certain death.


    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, then will we have the chance to become bloodline warriors in the future?¡± someone asked excitedly.


    ¡°Haha, at that time, would you be able to pay the price to become a bloodline warrior? It definitely won¡¯t be cheap,¡± a rational person at the side said bluntly.


    Suddenly, the topic switched to bloodline warriors. Everyone at the table expressed their thoughts. Each of them had a sliver of hope in their hearts, thinking that they could also become bloodline warriors in the future and break the restrictions imposed by their lack of natural talent.


    ¡°Yue Jingtian? Bloodline warrior?¡± Chen Yiming entered the elevator and pressed the button for the eighth floor. Suddenly, he thought of his cousin.


    Chen Shaojie had joined the army because he had become a bloodline warrior. However, other than informing his family from time to time that he was safe, he had no other news.


    Soon, he exited the elevator.


    The eighth floor was much emptier than the other floors. The entire space was circular in design, with a total of eight tables. One could look down into the distance as they ate.


    ¡°Brother Chen, you¡¯re finally here. I thought you had something on and couldn¡¯t come.¡± Shi Changyi waved at Chen Yiming, who had just exited the elevator.


    ¡°Sorry, I heard something interesting when I entered the main hall on the first floor. I was delayed because of that,¡± Chen Yiming apologized after taking a seat.


    ¡°Waiter, serve the dishes,¡± Shi Changyi shouted to the service staff on standby on the eighth floor.


    Last night, Liu Wanqing had approached Chen Yiming to discuss some private matters after the auction. Although Shi Changyi didn¡¯t know what the two of them had discussed, he no longer thought that Chen Yiming was an ordinary friend that Wei Chaoyuan had introduced to him.


    After returning home, he asked around and found out that Chen Yiming was a new core disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School. He had also performed spectacularly during his time at the Anteng Transportation Company. It was clear that he had potential and was someone worth making connections with.


    ¡°Did you hear about how Xiao Hengliang successfully escaped last night?¡± Shi Changyi smiled as he sat back down.


    SU


    ¡°Xiao Hengliang escaped successfully?¡± Chen Yiming was shocked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. No one expected Xiao Hengliang to have cultivated his body to the eighth transformation while maintaining a low profile. Several people attacked at the same time, but they were unable to hold him back,¡± Shi Changyi said directly.


    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Yiming understood.


    Even if there was only the concept diagram, there would still be people who would try to snatch it away and think of ways to spend the money to buy the remaining portion of the fist technique manual from the Liu clan.


    However, they were not willing to risk their lives. After realizing that Xiao Hengliang was much stronger than expected, they gave up after just one attempt.


    The two of them had just exchanged a few words when the waiter brought over the dishes that had been ordered. There were a total of four meat and two vegetable dishes.


    Although it was not any rare mutant beast meat, the chefs had exquisite culinary skills and the dishes that they prepared were far beyond what his home-cooked food could compare with


    ¡°I had something to do at the auction yesterday, so I left for a while. I wanted to bid for the item to speed up my transformation, but I missed it.¡± Chen Yiming sighed as he ate.


    ¡°No wonder you disappeared for such a long time,¡± Shi Changyi said with a nod, ¡°What do you need? My father happens to be working as a middleman for the mutant beast meat business. Maybe I can help you look for it.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if you have any way to obtain purple lightning stones?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Purple lightning stones were common ores in the otherworld. This type of ore was formed by absorbing electricity from lightning that struck it.


    Although it was very effective for tempering the body, due to the unstable nature of the electricity within it, it would take a long time for one to recover from any injuries that they sustained while using it. This was not acceptable to most people.


    Chen Yiming, on the other hand, had cultivated the Thunder Sword Technique. His body¡¯s resistance to electricity had increased, so it was very suitable for him to use the purple lightning stones to temper his body.


    ¡°Were you triggered by something? Using the purple lightning stone to temper your body is a dangerous thing to do,¡± Shi Changyi said in surprise.


    ¡°I have my ways,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°The purple lightning stones are also categorized into different grades. Which kind do you need? I can only get the ordinary purple lightning stones for you,¡± Shi Changyi said directly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough. I¡¯m not above the warrior realm, so it¡¯s already very dangerous for me to use the ordinary ones for my cultivation,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at him and said calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I was just confused.¡± Shi Changyi patted his head and laughed.


    With the purple lightning stone, Chen Yiming would be able to quickly break through to the warrior realm. At the same time, he would have a good explanation that others could easily accept for the fact that he had suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds to the sixth transformation.


    It was very easy for ordinary people to sustain hidden injuries if they cultivated using the purple lightning stone. Chen Yiming¡¯s act of crippling his own abilities would easily cause the outside world to lower their evaluation of him.


    On the other hand, he had never intended to reveal himself as a genius at the level of a martial arts school¡¯s successor. The more the outside world ignored him, the less likely it would be for his secrets to be exposed. It was like killing three birds with one stone.


    Another day passed.


    There was still no news from Shi Changyi about the matter he had agreed to. Chen Yiming continued to find a remote and deserted place to train during the day.


    Right now, his main focus was on cultivating the concept diagram of the Thunder Sword Technique. Although the duration of each session was very short, the lightning power he cultivated was very effective in tempering his body. The speed of tempering was at least several times faster than before.


    During lunch break, Chen Yiming suddenly received a call from his second senior brother, Wang Bowen.


    On the phone, he said that the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s representatives had already left the military camp. They would soon be able to return to East Lake City and that he should go to the headquarters of the martial arts school.


    Chen Yiming packed up and headed straight to the headquarters. At his current stage, he still planned to rely on the Mantis Snake Sword School while he continued to develop himself secretly, so he couldn¡¯t be absent from any important matters.


    At the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, a large red banner was hung above the entrance, and colorful ribbons and balloons were tied around the door frame. It created a festive atmosphere.


    All the core disciples had been assigned to either of the two sides of the entrance by Mu Yuerong. Each of them held two party poppers in their hands as they waited for Lin Yixuan¡¯s team to return.


    Chen Yiming, Wang Bowen, and Teng Zhihui stood together.


    ¡°Third Senior Brother, why do you look so pale? Did you eat something bad?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Teng Zhihui looked dejected, and seemed to be in a daze. He didn¡¯t hear Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Haha, maybe he added too much vinegar when he was making his lunch,¡± Wang Bowen said with a forced smile, bringing Teng Zhihui back from his daze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. There was no such thing,¡± said Teng Zhihui in a low, angry voice. If it wasn¡¯t for the other core disciples around him, he would have beaten him up.


    ¡°No wonder when I saw Senior Brother Teng training with Senior Sister Mu the other day, I felt that there was something strange about Senior Brother Teng¡¯s gaze,¡± Chen Yiming recalled


    His fifth senior sister, Mu Yuerong, had a crush on the handsome and capable eldest senior brother, Lin Yixuan. This was no longer a secret among the core disciples of the school.


    Music was playing at the venue, so no one noticed their conversation.


    ¡°By the way, Senior Brother Wang, I promised Liu Wanqing last night¡­¡± Chen Yiming told Wang Bowen about the matter of working together with Liu Wanqing. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with bloodline mutant beasts being used to aid in cultivation? I want to know more about it so that I won¡¯t get tricked by her.¡±


    When Wang Bowen heard that, he stopped laughing and fell silent.


    ¡°Bloodline mutant beasts are not easy to deal with. When you work with them, you have to take care of yourself,¡± Wang Bowen instructed. ¡°Do you know how the concept diagram came about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Chen Yiming replied calmly. However, he had already made a guess. The half piece of bone in his possession must have come from some alien creature.


    ¡°Concept diagrams were originally obtained from the bodies of powerful alien creatures of the otherworld. This type of alien creature is at least equivalent to humans above the level of the warrior realm,¡± Wang Bowen explained in a low voice.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°Actually, the cultivation techniques for the warrior realm were created by the geniuses of the human race who integrated the human body with the concept diagram. That¡¯s why people capture bloodline mutant beasts to aid in the cultivation of the concept diagram,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Chen Yiming nodded again.


    In his heart, he began to feel more confident about using the purple lightning stone for his cultivation. The principles behind these were the same.


    Next, Chen Yiming asked Wang Bowen about the Liu clan.


    Wang Bowen told Chen Yiming that there were several of the younger generation in the Liu clan with good potential. The competition within the clan was intense, and if he worked with them, he had to be careful of the other members of the clan. He should not get too involved with them.


    At the end of the street in front of the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s headquarters, an off-road vehicle roared over.


    On the hood and side of the car was a golden sword emblem which represented the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    The surface of the vehicle was somewhat damaged. Although the scars were not nice to look at, they held a special meaning.


    ¡°Everyone, get ready,¡± Mu Yuerong said loudly.


    All the core disciples saw the off-road vehicle approaching from afar and realized that Lin Yixuan¡¯s team, which had represented the Mantis Snake Sword School on the battlefield, was in this vehicle.


    The off-road vehicle traveled extremely quickly. From the moment it appeared in their line of sight till it arrived before them, it had taken less than half a minute. Finally, it stopped just a few meters in front of the welcoming team. The door opened and Lin Yixuan was the first to get out.


    He had a handsome face and a tall figure, giving off a gentle vibe. He was just like one of the male celebrities from Chen Yiming¡¯s previous world.


    His black hair was tied up, and he was dressed in traditional attire. From head to toe, he carried an air of unparalleled confidence.


    ¡°My eyelids are twitching and my temples are throbbing.¡± Chen Yiming glanced at Wang Bowen secretly, sensing that something was about to happen.


    As the party poppers were pulled, the atmosphere instantly became lively. Mu Yuerong invited the head, Wan Rong, out from the building¡¯s interior.


    Wan Rong was currently wearing a loose long robe. He still looked like an old man, but the light in his eyes made it clear that he was someone extraordinary.


    Beside him, Mu Yuerong only had eyes for her senior brother, Lin Yixuan. Chen Yiming noticed the unconcealable disappointment written on Teng Zhihui¡¯s face.


    en


    ¡°I did not fail my mission. In the past half a year, I have competed with the representatives from the other martial arts schools. My record on the battlefield has always been among the top three, and I even successfully broke through to the ninth transformation. I didn¡¯t embarrass you,¡± Lin Yixuan said as he knelt down in front of Wan Rong. ¡°You did well. I heard all about it.¡± Wan Rong helped him up.


    The surrounding core disciples were instantly shocked when they heard this. In their hearts, they faintly sensed that there was probably no question about the result of the competition to become the next head of the school.


    In the end, Eldest Senior Brother Lin Yixuan emerged victorious, and Second Senior Brother Wang Bowen had lost.


    ¡°Your talent in entering the meditative state is the best among all the disciples I have taken in. I believe you will soon break through to the warrior realm.


    Let me ask you again. Are you willing to marry my daughter, Wan Ya, and enter the Wan clan?¡± Wan Rong asked him directly in front of all the core disciples.


    ¡°I am willing,¡± Lin Yixuan replied without any hesitation.


    He didn¡¯t even spare a glance for the dumbfounded Mu Yuerong at the side.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Since all the core disciples are present, I would like to make an announcement,¡± Wan Rong said slowly, ¡°From today onwards, Lin Yixuan will be the next head of the school.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, all the core disciples were temporarily rendered speechless by the news. No one had expected that this day would come so quickly.


    The appointment of the new head meant that the new generation would begin to replace the old.


    Most of the core disciples were feeling very awkward. They were Wan Rong¡¯s disciples, and were of the same generation as Lin Yixuan, and had a normal relationship with him.


    In the headquarters of the school, besides Granny Wei who was in charge of the library, Elder Yin who was in charge of the supplies department, and some hidden guards, the main personnel were the core disciples.


    ¡°Ever since I became a core disciple, I have never met any martial arts experts from the school head¡¯s generation. I didn¡¯t think much of it either. It seems like there must be some secret behind it.¡± Chen Yiming glanced at everyone.


    Wang Bowen remained calm the entire time, as though he did not care at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s always been rumored that the choice of the next head will be between Eldest Senior Brother Lin Yixuan and Second Senior Brother Wang Bowen. Why does Second Senior Brother not look disappointed at all?¡± Chen Yiming wondered.


    ¡°Could it be that Second Senior Brother isn¡¯t willing to marry into the Wan clan?¡± Chen Yiming had a realization.


    Wang Bowen was a genius from the Wang clan¡¯s younger generation, but Lin Yixuan was a seedling raised by the head of the school, Wan Rong. Their backgrounds were very different.

 Chapter 79 - Ten Days

    Chapter 79 Ten Days


    There was a dense forest by the river.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the two of us had a good chat.¡±


    Wang Bowen and Chen Yiming strolled along the riverside. They were surrounded by a dense forest that hid their figures completely.


    The two of them had calm expressions on their faces, seemingly unaffected by the announcement of Lin Yixuan¡¯s promotion to the next head of the school.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, what are your plans from now on?¡± Wang Bowen asked calmly.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, what do you mean?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°The Mantis Snake Sword School is actually under the control of the provincial city, behaving like its door to the outside world. The school was established as an external organization in East Lake City specially for selecting young people with potential,¡± explained Wang Bowen.


    ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t understand why there were only young core disciples in the school, while the martial arts experts from the school¡¯s head¡¯s generation were never around.


    The library also contains the martial arts books left behind by the seniors.¡± Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°The Mantis Snake Sword School and the East Lake Martial Arts Academy are essentially the same type of organization. You can treat it like a normal school. If you can¡¯t be promoted to the next grade, the previous generation of core disciples will be considered as graduates and have to leave the school,¡± Wang Bowen said with a sigh. ¡°Unfortunately, not long after you became a core disciple, you encountered the switch from the old school head to the new one. You didn¡¯t obtain enough resources to develop yourself.¡±


    en


    Only core disciples and core disciple candidates could receive free cultivation resources from the school. Chen Yiming had only become a core disciple candidate less than a year ago.


    ¡°What did the core disciples from the previous generation do after that?¡± Chen Yiming asked. He only wanted to move along with the flow and cultivate steadily to reach the warrior realm.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that they came up with their own paths. Some joined large corporations, some recruited people to form their own sects, and those like me will return to their own clans,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    The two of them walked to a protruding platform by the riverside.


    The platform was built by the fishermen. The two of them walked straight up to the platform and enjoyed the breeze.


    ¡°How much longer can core disciples like us stay in the school?¡± Chen Yiming asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to judge, but we can definitely stay for at least a month or two.


    If Lin Yixuan really wants to become the head, he needs to break through to the warrior realm first, and then get the approval of the board from the provincial city,¡± Wang Bowen replied.


    ¡°Will the board agree to it? Will they send someone else to take over the school instead?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Wang Bowen said in a low voice, ¡°Lin Yixuan also has another identity as an external disciple of the provincial city¡¯s board. Coupled with the recommendation he received from the previous head, no one can compete with him.¡±


    ¡°I see. Did Senior Brother Wang lose because he didn¡¯t want to marry into the clan?¡± Chen Yiming asked curiously.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the solemn atmosphere was broken.


    ¡°This is my personal matter, so I won¡¯t trouble you about it. Let¡¯s talk about your plans. If there¡¯s nothing you have in mind, do you need my help?¡± Wang Bowen¡¯s expression tightened as he asked bluntly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. We can talk about it later,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Alright, let me know if you need any help,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    He was about to lose the protection of being a core disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School after he left the school.


    Chen Yiming had never thought about whether to go to the provincial city with a bigger stage or to stay in East Lake City.


    Three days had passed since Lin Yixuan returned from the military camp. During this time, Chen Yiming was informed that the distribution of the eggs of the gold-eating bug was stopped. At the same time, he was no longer allowed to buy dried mutant beast meat from the supplies department.


    However, he did not mind. Perhaps because his Level-2 swordsmanship talent had exceeded the disciple realm by too much, the eggs of the gold-eating bug were not of much help to his cultivation.


    The eggs that he brought home every month for more than half a year had been eaten by Chen Yingying instead.


    Although the person who had informed him didn¡¯t mention whether the library was still open to former core disciples like him, Chen Yiming no longer cared about sword techniques below the level of the warrior realm.


    He did not even go to the martial arts school and found a remote place to train alone.


    One night, Chen Yiming received a call from Shi Changyi telling him that the matter regarding the purple lightning stone had been settled.


    In a valley in the forest, Chen Yiming found a spot on the city¡¯s wall where the security was weak and leaped over it.


    He was extremely fast, and under the cover of the night, only a shadow could be seen.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to reach the address Shi Changyi had provided.


    As soon as he landed, he saw Shi Changyi, who had been waiting for a long time.


    There were two subordinates standing beside Shi Changyi. When the two of them heard the commotion in the darkness, they waited anxiously, ready to attack at any moment.


    The wilderness was different from the city. If news of this got out, they would soon be surrounded and killed by others. No one would know even if they died outside.


    In addition, there was a problem with the origin of the purple lightning stones that Shi Changyi had obtained. If others found out about it, they would be in big trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s Brother Chen, we¡¯re on the same side,¡± Shi Changyi said when he saw who it was.


    The two subordinates beside him heard this and relaxed. They stood to the side and waited for further orders.


    ¡°Why did you choose this place? Is there some issue with obtaining the purple lightning stone?¡± Chen Yiming asked directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that there are new developments in the research of weapons specially designed for the otherworld. The purple lightning stone was suddenly classified as a prohibited item,¡± Shi Changyi explained.


    ¡°Will it be difficult to obtain it from now on?¡± Chen Yiming nodded and asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any concrete information on this yet, but it¡¯s probably going to be very difficult to obtain,¡± Shi Changyi said in a low voice.


    Before Chen Yiming came, he had felt that something was amiss. Why would he suddenly choose to meet in a valley in the wilderness?


    However, he felt that Shi Changyi was not a threat to him, so he still brazenly went to meet him. If anything happened, he could directly kill and silence him.


    ¡°The two of you, go patrol the surroundings to prevent anyone from coming close,¡± Shi Changyi instructed his two subordinates.


    After his two subordinates left, Shi Changyi took out a wooden box from a bush.


    ¡°The purple lightning stones are inside.¡±


    Chen Yiming squatted down and untied the cloth around the wooden box. He lifted the wooden lid, revealing half a box of purple lightning stones.


    Each stone was the size of a fist. From time to time, purple sparks of electricity would jump out, illuminating their figures in the darkness.


    ¡°Be careful. This is a truly dangerous item. It can electrocute and kill people,¡± Shi Changyi reminded him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Chen Yiming covered the wooden lid and tied it up with the cloth again.


    It was very difficult to create a fake of something as dangerous as the purple lightning stone. One could tell whether it was real or fake at a glance. Chen Yiming had no intention of testing it on the spot as he wanted to prevent any accidents from happening.


    ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡± Chen Yiming stood up and asked.


    ¡°I really want to be friends with you. Who knows, I might need your help one day. In the future, we can watch out for and help each other,¡± Shi Changyi said frankly.


    ¡°Alright, call me if you need anything.¡± Chen Yiming nodded. Shi Changyi had probably been busy secretly transporting the box of purple lightning stones over the past few days. He had not received any news that Chen Yiming was about to lose his status as a core disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Now that the purple lightning stone was already listed as a prohibited item, he did not know the price he would have to pay if he wanted to obtain it again in the future. Furthermore, he urgently needed these purple lightning stones to break through to the warrior realm.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t care if Shi Changyi felt that he was trying to trick him after he went back and heard about the news.


    Ten days later, about ten kilometers east of East Lake City, by a pond in the deep woods, Chen Yiming was sitting cross-legged on a huge rock with his eyes shut. Blue sparks of electricity continuously appeared all over his body. The blue sparks moved along the surface of his body like snakes swimming in water, sometimes entering his body and sometimes jumping out. This was the result of Chen Yiming using the purple lightning stones to temper his body over the past ten days. He had successfully broken through to the warrior realm. These electric sparks were the internal energy that he had cultivated. If he utilized the internal energy, they would become the internal force.


    Previously, he had created a small current of electricity, and this current was already at the level of the internal force, even though it was only a small amount.


    Therefore, when he used the purple lightning stone to aid in tempering a single part of his body, he focused the small current of electricity he had created into part of his body that he was tempering.


    Doing so would cause minimal harm to his body, and he could move forward without any worries.


    On the rock, Chen Yiming suddenly opened his eyes.


    There was a flash of lightning in the air a meter ahead, and a loud crack sounded.


    ¡°Is this creating electricity from the air?¡±


    Chen Yiming stood up and focused the electrical energy in his body on his sword. Suddenly, a blue electric current shot out from the end of his finger and flowed along the sword, turning back at the tip of the sword before flowing along the blade and returning to his finger.


    ¡°It seems that internal force can only be attached to physical objects.¡±


    Chen Yiming tried a few times, but the blue electric current couldn¡¯t leave the sword. At most, it would jump a few centimeters away from the tip of the sword.


    At this moment, a group of birds in the forest suddenly flew up into the sky.


    ¡°My internal force, which contains the power of lightning, is causing too much of a commotion. If I use it, I can¡¯t hide it from others,¡± Chen Yiming thought in surprise.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique that he had mainly cultivated previously had a certain shielding effect. Coupled with the fact that the movement caused by his muscles exerting force was minimal, he had the advantage in strength and also in launching repeated sneak attacks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test its power!¡±


    Chen Yiming threw his longsword at the pond.


    A blue current ran along the surface of the sword as it transformed into an arrow and shot toward the pond.


    With the enhancement from the internal force, the speed of the sword¡¯s movement was several times faster than before.


    In a fight, having a speed 10% faster than an opponent was already not a small advantage. If he was 30% faster, his opponent would not even be able to touch the edge of his clothes. If he was several times faster, he would completely crush his opponent, making it impossible for his opponent to react to his attacks.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    It was as if a bomb had been thrown deep into the pond. A deafening sound echoed deep in the mountains, and the mutant beasts hiding in the forest were so scared that they ran away from the direction of the commotion.


    The water was blown into the air by more than ten meters. The water splashes carried traces of electric sparks, and a small amount landed on the surrounding trees. The electric sparks instantly caused an explosion.


    The areas that came into contact with it instantly turned black, and some of the branches and leaves started to burn.


    In addition, electric sparks were dancing on the surface of the pond for nearly a minute before they disappeared.


    ¡°No wonder all the martial arts practitioners in East Lake City yearn to join the factions led by warriors who use the internal force.


    As a core disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School, one is sure to be respected wherever he goes,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    He instantly recalled many incidents from the past. Previously, he could only vaguely sense it, but now he understood.


    The difference between the disciple and warrior realms, and between the external force and internal force, was like the difference between heaven and earth. They could not be compared.


    If his previous attack had been aimed at a group of people in the disciple realm, no one within a radius of several meters from the sword would have been able to withstand the explosion caused by the electric sparks.


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the forest that had been destroyed by the destructive power of lightning. He leaped up and jumped into the pond.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    He plunged straight into the water and quickly found the sword that had been plunged into the bottom of the pond. ¡°The internal force seems to have some protective properties.¡±


    Chen Yiming returned to the rock and examined the longsword carefully. He found that it was intact and undamaged.


    He guessed that the power of lightning was an expression of the internal force, which possessed a high defensive ability. Otherwise, given how quickly it had struck the bottom of the pond, even with the water resistance, it was impossible for his sword to not have a single dent in it.


    The sky had just turned light, and it was another sunny day.


    Early in the morning, Chen Yiming left the city to meet up with Liu Wanqing¡¯s team at Yongluo Town.


    During the ten days that he had been cultivating outside, there had been no changes in the Mantis Snake Sword School. This caused Chen Yiming to heave a sigh of relief.


    Ever since the day Lin Yixuan returned, he had not entered the Mantis Snake Sword School. After all, he was close to Wang Bowen, who was once Lin Yixuan¡¯s rival.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to cause any conflict. After all, this was the place where he had started his martial arts journey, so he wanted to leave with a good impression.


    Upon entering Yongluo Town, he discovered that there were quite a few changes compared to his previous visit.


    The streets were full of pedestrians and the shops were busy with customers. The bars were packed with people and it was bustling with noise.


    Other than that, people were raising recruitment signs on both sides of the only street in the town.


    The content on the signs indicated the fee for hiring martial artists of different levels to enter the mountains to hunt mutant beasts.


    ¡°It looks like the war at the lake in the west involved most of the forces in East Lake City. There weren¡¯t so many people recruiting temporary hires the last time.¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    The environment in the lake to the west of the city was not suitable for disciples to engage in combat, and the forest environment in the Nuhe Mountain Range was much better. Many people who had returned from the battlefield had come here to hunt mutant beasts.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t stay for long. He walked into the town and found a small restaurant called ¡®Unforgettable Taste¡¯.


    As soon as he entered the restaurant, Chen Yiming saw Liu Wanging and three other men chatting around a table.


    At this moment, Liu Wanqing was wearing a tight-fitting white robe, which was missing the seductive allure of the gown.


    With her long black hair tied into a ponytail, she looked fresh and capable.


    Of the three men, one was clearly different from the other two. He was handsome, and his facial features had some resemblance to Liu Wanqing¡¯s.


    The remaining two men were dressed in martial arts training robes from the


    Tongbeiquan School and the Divine Wind Martial Arts School.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, come over quickly,¡± Liu Wanqing waved at him when she saw him enter the restaurant.


    ¡°I came here by foot, so I¡¯m a little late,¡± Chen Yiming apologized as he walked over to the only empty chair at the table and sat down.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed the curious gazes of the three men scrutinizing him.


    ¡°This is my third brother, Liu Daoyuan. This is Meng Tai from the Tongbeiquan School. This is Zhao Yifeng from the Divine Wind Martial Arts School.¡± Liu Wanqing introduced them with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Chen Yiming from the Mantis Snake Sword School.¡± Chen Yiming introduced himself.


    The atmosphere at the dining table was a little awkward. Meng Tai and Zhao Yifeng seemed to be looking down on Chen Yiming.


    Liu Daoyuan¡¯s expression darkened when he heard Chen Yiming¡¯s introduction.


    Only Liu Wanqing maintained her smile, as if she had not noticed the attitudes of the other three.


    News that the Mantis Snake Sword School was about to change to a new head had clearly spread among the upper echelons of East Lake City.

 Chapter 80 - Recruitment

    Chapter 80 Recruitment


    ¡°We all know about the matter with the Mantis Snake Sword School. Lin Yixuan is about to become the new head,¡± Zhao Yifeng broke the silence.


    Chen Yiming glanced at him without saying anything ¡°So you¡¯re that unlucky fellow. I heard that you¡¯ve only been a core disciple for less than a month, and you even joined the faction that lost in the competition for the position of head.¡± Meng Tai grinned, gloating at his misfortune.


    The moment he finished speaking, a sword flashed past. ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming limited the speed of the sword to the level of the sixth transformation.


    Meng Tai was still laughing. He only reacted after the sword flashed past, coming to his senses when he felt a chill on his right hand.


    At this moment, a tuft of black hair drifted down onto the dining table.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted from Chen Yiming to Meng Tai¡¯s right hand.


    From the shoulder to the palm of his hand, a large piece of smooth skin was revealed on his right arm, a stark contrast to his left arm.


    ILII


    Zhao Yifeng was about to mock Chen Yiming, but his words were stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.


    Liu Daoyuan frowned. He had also undergone six transformations, so he could determine the level of his move.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s attack had stunned the rest of the team.


    This was a threat made using his strength. It had nothing to do with his status or age.


    Even though Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai thought that their status was higher and looked down on Chem Yiming, they had only undergone five transformations, so they could only suppress their anger and keep their mouths shut.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, I didn¡¯t expect you to use the purple lightning stone to forcefully break through to the sixth transformation in just ten days,¡± Wan Qing said in surprise.


    ¡°Impossible!!!¡± Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai roared in their hearts when they heard this.


    Achieving a breakthrough so quickly was hard to accept even if he had ignored the possible consequences and took the risk of damaging his body¡¯s foundation to do so.


    ¡°Is it really worth it? Damaging your body¡¯s foundation which is needed for breaking through to the warrior realm. It might even be very difficult for you to break through to the ninth transformation in the future,¡± Wan Qing asked.


    ¡°I have my own plans,¡± Chen Yiming replied simply with a calm expression on his face.


    He was a little surprised that Liu Wanqing was so well-informed. The matter between him and Shi Changyi had been carried out in complete secrecy. Initially, he thought that others would only investigate the matter after he exposed himself.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have broken through to the sixth transformation, Brother Chen. This way, the team will have more confidence in this operation,¡± Liu Daoyuan said.


    With that, he changed the topic and let the matter slide.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°This is our target.¡± Wan Qing took out the map she had brought with her and spread it out on the table. She pointed at an area marked with a red cross.


    Chen Yiming followed the direction that Liu Wanqing¡¯s slender fingers were pointing in. The red cross was located in the center of the mountain range. That was the area where mutant beasts above the sixth transformation lived.


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai would not be of much help. They might even drag the team down.


    Chen Yiming glanced at her and said calmly, ¡°What are you thinking? You actually brought two burdens with you. Can the team take care of them?¡±


    The next moment, ¡®You¡­¡± Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai were furious. They were about to retort, but in the end, they did not say anything.


    Both of them had felt threatened by Chen Yiming¡¯s earlier attack. They were afraid that if they angered him, he would kill them with just one move.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a sharp tongue,¡± Wan Qing said with a smile, ¡°Including you, there are three people in the team who have undergone six transformations. It won¡¯t be a problem for us to move along the edge of this circle.¡±


    Next, Liu Wanqing drew out the route to enter the mountains and explained the plan to the team. Then, she called for the restaurant to serve the dishes. After a simple meal, the team set off.


    In a forest on the outskirts of the Nuhe Mountain Range, a team hunting mutant beasts was chasing after a group of copper-toothed boars that were fleeing in all directions.


    The group of copper-toothed boars was formed by a male and a female leading more than ten piglets. In order to protect the piglets, they fled into the dense forest.


    ¡°When I saw so many people preparing to enter the mountains in Yongluo Town, I was prepared to return empty-handed. I didn¡¯t expect the situation to be so good for us,¡± a black-clothed man shouted excitedly as he chased after them.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. For some reason, the mutant beasts can be found everywhere. There¡¯s no need to deliberately search for them,¡± the black-clothed man¡¯s companion said in surprise.


    If it was any other time, the two of them would not be so relaxed and careless before they had caught their prey.


    However, they had already gained a lot from hunting that day. Even if they were careless and lost their prey, they would not feel upset by it.


    Before they became aware of it, the two of them had gotten separated from the team. ¡°What are you two doing? Come back quickly. Don¡¯t stray too far from the team,¡± the leader of the team shouted anxiously.


    His years of hunting experience reminded him that something big must have happened.


    The black-clothed man and his companions heard it but did not care. They continued to do as they pleased.


    The hunting team was formed at the last minute. Although the leader was the strongest, the team members did not expect to be in the team for long. The leader could not do anything about it if they did not follow his instructions.


    At the entrance to a canyon, Chen Yiming and the others suddenly stopped. In front of them was a ravine that was several kilometers wide.


    They were surrounded by towering mountains. It would take a lot of time to make a detour.


    ¡°Hero Canyon is just up ahead. There is something strange about the mountain range today. Everyone, be on your guard. A fight might break out at any moment,¡± Liu Wanqing warned as she tied up her hair, getting serious.


    Chen Yiming looked into the canyon. Big red birds were circling the canyon in groups of twos and threes, letting out hair-raising screeches from time to time.


    The big red birds were a type of bird that released heat-inducing toxins. When it stretched out its wings, they spanned more than three meters in length.


    There were heat-inducing toxins on its beak. If a person was pecked by it, if they were not treated in time, the heat-inducing toxins could cause damage to the brain due to excessive heat.


    ¡°This is still the outskirts of the mountain range. Although there are many heat toxin birds, it¡¯s unlikely that there will be a bird king who has undergone six transformations. Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, as long as you two are careful, it won¡¯t be a problem,¡±Liu Daoyuan turned to look at the two of them and instructed.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai nodded.


    The two of them were the weakest and were being protected by the rest of the team. Even if they were unhappy about it, they could only follow the arrangements.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and the others entered the canyon.


    As soon as the team walked out of the bushes, they saw a nest of heat toxin birds on the cliff in front of them.


    The nest was more than three meters wide and was built in a wide area that protruded from the cliff. The adult heat toxin birds inside had not gone out to hunt for prey.


    Two of the heat toxin birds noticed the sudden appearance of a group of people and immediately let out a sharp cry.


    The ear-piercing cry echoed through the surrounding area, and could be heard through half of the canyon.


    A few seconds later, a few more cries rang out in response to the first cry.


    ¡°Their cries may cause several pairs of heat toxin birds to come over at the same time. Zhao Yifeng, Meng Tai, the two of you stand in the middle of the team and protect yourselves.


    ¡°Brother, Chen Yiming, the three of us will stand in a triangle formation and try our best not to let anyone get injured,¡± Liu Wanqing instructed.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything and walked to a corner. Soon, everyone in the team found their positions.


    Half a minute later, the two heat toxin birds that were the first to be alerted flew out of their nests with eight other heat toxin birds that had arrived as reinforcements. The ten heat toxin birds circled the sky a few times before suddenly swooping down to attack the five people on the ground.


    The heat toxin birds were extremely fast, and their eyes were filled with a fierce glint. Each of them had the strength from four or five transformations. It would be extremely troublesome if any of their pecking attacks landed.


    The heat toxin birds were quite intelligent. As they approached the group, they suddenly spread out. Six of them attacked the three people standing in a triangle formation, while the remaining four attacked Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, who were the weakest in the group.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful!¡± Liu Wanqing reminded them again.


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai were core disciples of the Tongbeiquan School and the Divine Wind Martial Arts School respectively. If they really lost their lives here, Liu Wanqing would also provide an explanation to the two martial arts schools.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t panic. He waited until the two heat toxin birds were close to him before he quickly attacked with his sword.


    ¡°Swish!¡± A white light flashed past.


    The speed of the sword was extremely fast, at the level of the sixth transformation. A flash of white light appeared in the eyes of the heat toxin birds. Their fierce expressions were instantly replaced by fear as they tried their best to dodge the attack.


    In the next moment, the heads and bodies of the two heat toxin birds were separated from each other and fell to the ground.


    After dealing with the heat toxin birds that were charging at him, Chen Yiming turned to check on the others.


    Liu Daoyuan and Liu Wanqing simultaneously used the Shadow Moon Technique, a kicking technique passed down in their clan.


    In the blink of an eye, a black shadow flashed across the ground, and the air was filled with the shadows of kicks.


    The kicks were also delivered at high speeds, no slower than Chen Yiming¡¯s sword.


    The heat toxin birds that had charged at the two of them did not even have time to react before their hearts collapsed from well-placed kicks.


    ¡°Come quickly and help us!¡±


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, who were in the middle of the group, were constantly moving around to avoid the four hea toxin birds that were charging at them from the sky. They were constantly wary of the heat toxin birds¡¯ beaks.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Liu Wanqing sneered.


    With a burst of strength from her feet, her body turned into a blur and she charged at the remaining four heat toxin birds.


    At this moment, the pupils of the four heat toxin birds constricted. They realized that six of their kind had already been killed in an instant, so they flapped their wings with all their might, trying to fly into the air and escape.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let any of them escape. Otherwise, all the heat toxin birds in the valley will be alerted,¡± Liu Wanqing reminded them loudly after instantly killing two of the birds. Liu Daoyuan didn¡¯t need the reminder as he was already charging at one of the heat toxin birds that was trying to fly back into the air.


    Chen Yiming had originally not wanted to bother with Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, so he let the four heat toxin birds surround and attack them. Whether they lived or died would depend on their luck.


    However, when he heard Liu Wanging¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble. He instantly rushed out and easily killed the last heat toxin bird.


    After the last bird was killed, the canyon fell silent again.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Meng Tai turned to glare at Chen Yiming, but Zhao Yifeng held him back by his shoulder.


    They were all core disciples of the martial arts schools, but he had never been treated like this before.


    Chen Yiming was the first to kill the heat toxin birds that attacked him, but he didn¡¯t lend a helping hand. Instead, he stood his ground and watched as the other two were surrounded and attacked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly. If any other heat toxin birds discover us, there will be unnecessary trouble.¡± Seeing this, Wan Qing urged everyone to continue on their way.


    Liu Daoyuan had also seen what had happened, but he did not speak up for Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai.


    The team continued on their way.


    This canyon was the habitat of the heat toxin birds. The team encountered two more fights with the birds before they could successfully pass through the canyon.


    During this time, in order to avoid being discovered by the heat toxin birds, the team had to move less quickly. When they left the canyon, the sky was already turning dark. At that moment, they were already close to the center of the mountain range.


    The team did not have the strength enough to continue with their mission in the dark, so they found a cave to spend the night in and resumed their journey at dawn.


    At night, the sky was filled with stars.


    The white moonlight illuminated the distant mountain peaks.


    Chen Yiming was invited by Liu Wanqing, and the two of them left the group and went to a small river.


    In the darkness, the reflection of moonlight could be seen from time to time. They were only at the periphery of the center of the mountain range, so the two of them were strong enough to not be too cautious.


    m


    jere


    If there were really mutant beasts that recklessly sneaked up on them, they could easily kill them.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, have you been hiding it all this time? I¡¯ve checked all the information about you from high school. You can¡¯t trick me,¡± Liu Wanqing threatened as she looked at the fast-flowing river.


    ¡°Think whatever you want,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    If she really wanted to dig deeper into his high school record, there were many suspicious points. For example, how did he suddenly pass the martial arts school test when he was 18 years old when he didn¡¯t display any martial arts talent when he was 15 or 16 years old?


    However, he was no longer as weak as he was before. As long as he did not admit it, no one could do anything about it.


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t tell me the truth.¡± Liu Wanqing¡¯s expression changed completely in just an instant. She smiled and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve used the purple lightning stone to break through, your future is bleak. Will you consider marrying into the Liu clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming was speechless.


    His future was bleak? Even if he was not able to break through to the ninth transformation in the end, there was no reason for an expert who had undergone eight transformations to marry into the Liu clan.


    Although the Liu clan was considered one of the top martial arts clans in East Lake City, the strongest, Liu Liyuan, was only a warrior candidate and not a true warrior.


    ¡°I was just joking. Don¡¯t take it seriously,¡± Liu Wanqing said softly, ¡°To be honest, I want to invite you to join a company that I own. As a partner, you don¡¯t have to contribute financially. You just need to contribute your strength.¡±


    ¡°What does this company do?¡± Chen Yiming suddenly became interested. He was about to lose his status as a core disciple of a martial arts school, and he urgently needed a way to find out more about the martial arts world.


    ¡°The main business is to recruit independent martial arts practitioners. You, Liu Daoyuan, me, and the partners who joined later will take turns leading the team into the mountains to hunt mutant beasts,¡± Liu Wanqing explained when she saw that he was interested.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming instantly lost interest.


    He realized that the main purpose of this company was to help Liu Wanqing capture the silver lightning deer.


    The cultivation resources from mutant beasts might be important to others, but they were not essential to him. It was purely a waste of time.


    His core cultivation method was to accumulate Skill Points and increase his talent, and constantly searching for cultivation techniques corresponding to his level.


    ¡°Not interested?¡± Liu Wanqing asked directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s too troublesome. I¡¯m used to being free,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°I own several other companies. There are many that only require you to provide some support, and there are also those that don¡¯t require you to utilize your strength,¡± Liu Wanqing did not give up and asked again. ¡°Forget it.¡± Chen Yiming rejected her.


    He had only felt interested earlier on impulse. However, on second thought, if he really worked with this shrewd woman, there would not be much to gain, and the possibility of his secrets being exposed would increase.


    In addition, Liu Wanqing¡¯s level was still a little low for him. What he needed next was basically at the warrior realm.


    As someone who had personally experienced how strong internal force users were, he knew very well that there was an insurmountable gap between them.


    Even if it was Liu Wanqing¡¯s father, Liu Liyuan, getting rid of him would be no different from killing a chicken to martial artists who used the internal force.

 Chapter 81 - Sudden Change

    Chapter 81 Sudden Change


    The next morning, the team continued their journey.


    The second half of the journey was along the edge of the center of the mountain range. The team was no longer as relaxed as they were the day before.


    Every few hundred meters, they would encounter a mutant beast running through the forest.


    Most of these mutant beasts only glanced at the team before leaving in a hurry. None of these encounters turned into fights.


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai followed closely behind Liu Wanqing.


    ¡°Wanqing, why do I feel that something is amiss?¡± Zhao Yifeng asked nervously.


    ¡°The movements of the mutant beasts are indeed abnormal,¡± Liu Wanqing replied with a cold expression as she continuously scanned the surroundings.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and looked far into the distance beyond the forest.


    After he broke through to the warrior realm, not only was a new power born in his body, but his five senses had also been enhanced. His hearing and vision far exceeded that of those in the disciple realm.


    Perhaps the others in the team couldn¡¯t clearly see the expressions on the mutant beasts¡¯ faces as they ran past, but Chen Yiming had seen everything.


    ¡°Those mutant beasts look like they are fleeing for their lives. Something big must have happened in the center of the mountain range,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    At this moment, Meng Tai couldn¡¯t help but say in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t we retreat to Yongluo Town first and enter the mountains after we understand the situation?¡±


    His arms were strong and muscular, and at this moment, his bulging muscles were tensed up. He was the burliest person in the team.


    ¡°We¡¯re not far from our destination. If you follow me, I can protect you,¡± Liu Wanqing reassured them when she realized that they wanted to back out of the mission.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai nodded, but in their hearts, they deeply regretted joining the mission.


    They were both core disciples of martial arts schools and had a bright future ahead of them.


    Actually, when they entered the mountain range, everyone had noticed that something was amiss. However, the team was at the periphery of the mountain range at that time, so it was impossible for them to retreat just like that.


    No one expected that after stepping into the center of the mountain range, the situation would become even stranger. The team had already encountered mutant beasts that had undergone more than six transformations fleeing on multiple occasions.


    If Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai left the team at this time, it would be even more dangerous for them.


    Near noon, the group finally arrived at the place where the silver lightning deer usually appeared.


    It was a steep cliff. From afar, it looked like it had been cut in half by a huge axe.


    At this moment, the surface of the cliff was bare. Only some excrement from the animals could be seen, and there was no sign of the silver lightning deer at all.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Liu Daoyuan¡¯s expression was dark as he punched a tree beside him.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Chen Yiming turned around and asked Liu Wanqing.


    At this moment, Liu Wanqing also had a cold expression and did not reply.


    After a while, Liu Wanqing asked Liu Daoyuan for his opinion. ¡°Brother, are we still heading to the center of the mountain range?¡±


    There was more than one area where the silver lightning deer could be found. This was only one of the areas that was near the periphery.


    Before Liu Daoyuan could reply, Meng Tai said, ¡°I object. There¡¯s something wrong with the mountain range today. There¡¯s no need to continue taking the risk.¡±


    Zhao Yifeng also echoed, ¡°I object too. Let¡¯s just not count this as one of the times that we promised to help you.¡±


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai were in a similar situation to Chen Yiming. Liu Wanqing had offered them a deal to get them to help.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for us to find traces of a silver lightning deer with bloodline abilities. We can¡¯t give up just like that,¡± Liu Daoyuan said angrily through gritted teeth.


    After hearing Liu Daoyuan¡¯s words, Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai¡¯s expressions turned ugly. By doing this, he was not caring if they lost their lives.


    If not for the fact that they were in the center of the mountain range and that they were not able to deal with the situation with their own strength, if they were back in East Lake City, the two of them would have started cursing long ago.


    Even if Liu Daoyuan and Liu Wanqing were experts who had undergone six transformations, the other two had the backing of their martial arts schools. The Liu clan would not dare to do anything to them.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything. He was observing a group of people.


    This group was several kilometers away, fleeing among the treetops in the direction of the center of the mountain range.


    ¡°Everyone, please hold on for a while longer. It¡¯s really difficult to encounter a silver lightning deer with bloodline abilities.¡± Liu Wanqing realized the disagreement in the team and tried to persuade them. ¡°If we can¡¯t find any traces of it after searching the surroundings, we¡¯ll retreat immediately.¡±


    After she spoke, Liu Wanqing turned to Chen Yiming.


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai were not strong enough. Even if they objected, they still had to stick with the team. Only Chen Yiming could retreat alone if he didn¡¯t agree.


    ¡°I have no objections,¡± Chen Yiming replied without hesitation.


    The current Nuhe Mountain Range was to him how a fish pond was to a fisherman.


    In addition, the purpose of his trip was to fulfill his end of the deal and also to explore the path to the center of the mountain range.


    ¡°Since Chen Yiming has no objections, let¡¯s split up and search in three directions. Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai will go with me. What do you guys think?¡± Liu Wanqing asked.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Soon, the team split up.


    After separating from the team, Chen Yiming headed straight for a tall mountain a few kilometers away.


    He could get a good view from the top of the mountain. If the silver lightning deer with bloodline ability was still in the surrounding area, he would have a chance to find traces of


    it.


    A few minutes later, Chen Yiming arrived at the peak.


    Looking down at the forest from the top of the mountain, a deadly aura emanated through the air. From time to time, the roars of mutant beasts could be heard.


    This feeling was very strange. If he had come here when he had undergone six transformations, his mental state would probably have been completely different.


    Once he was trapped on the mountain by many mutant beasts of the same level as him, there was no way for him to escape.


    Just as Chen Yiming was patiently searching for traces of the deer, a loud roar sounded, rippling through the entire mountain range.


    He had never heard such a beast roar before. The decibel of the sound was comparable to a bomb exploding.


    ¡°Should I go over and take a look?¡± Chen Yiming was tempted. Ever since he had broken through to the warrior realm, there had been no suitable opponent for him to test his strength against.


    Before he could make a decision, something happened in the forest below.


    ¡°Dong! Dong! Dong!¡¯


    The sound of footsteps rang out.


    A herd of mutant beasts appeared. There were about ten of them, and they were fleeing towards the outskirts of the mountain range, as if they had encountered some terrifying existence.


    The herd crushed all the obstacles in their way, leaving behind a mass of destruction in their wake.


    ¡°This¡­ is a little like the beast tide described in the books,¡± Chen Yiming muttered as he watched the beasts flee into the distance.


    As the name suggested, the beast tide was a flood of mutant beasts escaping from a powerful mutant beast. Thousands of mutant beasts were chased away and would surge towards the area controlled by humans.


    Wherever the beast tide passed, ordinary humans and ordinary martial arts practitioners could not do anything about it and would only be drowned out by the torrent.


    When faced with a beast tide, humans could rely on the heavy firepower in the city to defend themselves. Even small-scale beast tides would not dare to rush into the city.


    However, without the source of the beast tide being killed and neutralized by a martial artist, even the city wall would not be able to withstand the onslaught of a large-scale beast tide.


    ¡°Liu Wanqing has helped me a lot. Without the Flying Feather Sword Technique that she provided, I would have to find another way to understand the cultivation method of the concept diagram. I don¡¯t know how much time I would have wasted,¡± Chen Yiming decided.


    In a flash, he rushed towards the area where Liu Wanqing was searching for the deer.


    He planned to secretly escort them out of the central area of the mountain range.


    At the entrance of the canyon, hundreds of heat toxin birds were flying in circles in the sky.


    Due to their ability to fly, these mutant beasts did not escape into the distance without hesitation like the mutant beasts that could only run on land.


    Even so, the flock of heat toxin birds did not dare to continue staying in the canyon. Instead, they flew in the air and observed the commotion in the center of the mountain range.


    Liu Wanqing rushed alone to the entrance of the canyon and stopped.


    She was in a sorry state. Her clothes were torn in many places, and one could see her fair skin underneath.


    ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble this time. I don¡¯t know if Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai are dead or alive,¡± Liu Wanqing muttered to herself, her face ashen.


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai had followed Liu Wanqing when they escaped. However, the sudden appearance of the herd of mutant beasts forced the three of them to split up and escape in different directions.


    Liu Wanqing, who had undergone six transformations, had almost been torn apart by the beasts several times. However, perhaps because she was lucky, she had always barely managed to survive.


    As for Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, they only had the strength of five transformations. Unless they had incredible luck, they had no chance of escaping with their lives.


    At the top of a big tree hundreds of meters away, Chen Yiming glanced at the heat toxin birds flying in circles, then at Liu Wanqing, who was at the entrance of the canyon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already protected you all the way to the outskirts of the mountain range. If you still can¡¯t escape, you can only blame your bad luck.¡± Chen Yiming turned to leave.


    The reason Liu Wanqing had been able to escape successfully was because Chen Yiming had secretly killed many powerful mutant beasts in the herd. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so lucky.


    Wherever the beasts passed, Liu Wanqing, who was alone, had nowhere to hide.


    As for Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, after they split up and escaped, they were crushed by the beasts in only a few minutes.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure became a blur and constantly moved through the treetops. Rumbling sounds could continuously be heard from deep in the center of the mountain range. It sounded like creatures were fighting in there.


    ¡°Could it be that the group earlier is hunting the powerful mutant beast? If that¡¯s the case, it will probably be a battle between those at the level of warriors.¡± Chen Yiming became excited at the thought of this.


    He took out the black cloth he always carried with him and wrapped it around his face. As he rushed over, he carefully checked his surroundings.


    He was very fast and arrived near the scene of the fight in just a few minutes.


    ¡°How intense!¡±


    From Chen Yiming¡¯s position, he could see an empty area about a kilometer in diameter in the forest.


    Within this area, dust filled the air and the entire forest had been razed to the ground.


    ¡°A big lizard? Or a big crocodile?¡± Chen Yiming said in surprise.


    He saw three humans standing dozens of meters away from each other, surrounding a huge creature.


    The mutant beast was about five meters tall and more than ten meters long. Its entire body was covered in a layer of red scales.


    At this moment, its eyes, which were bigger than a human face, revealed a ferocious glint that made one¡¯s heart stop. From time to time, it would flick its tongue that was several meters long. ¡°This huge mutant lizard definitely didn¡¯t evolve on the blue planet. Otherwise, after being attacked by the three of us for so long it would not only have some broken scales and minor injuries,¡± Jiang Weishun said bluntly.


    He was tall and muscular, and he carried a large spiked stick on his shoulder.


    ¡°Who would have thought that this big fellow would be so resistant to our attacks? Those injuries are no different from scratching an itch for its huge body,¡± Zhang Lifan sighed helplessly. He had the body of an ape and the waist of a bear. He was wearing armor made of metal and holding a nearly two-meter-long machete in his hand.


    ¡°We have no choice. I think we can only use our last resort. Each side will send out someone who isn¡¯t afraid to die. We¡¯ll try our best to stall that big fellow and retreat after stealing its eggs,¡± Wang Zhizhao said in a low voice.


    He had a well-proportioned figure and was wearing a loose white shirt. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man.


    ¡°Are we really going to do that?¡± Jiang Weishun was a little hesitant.


    The three of them had each brought a few subordinates with them, but all of them were warrior candidates who had undergone nine transformations.


    Ignoring the matter of whether they were willing or not, a warrior candidate was not some small fry who could just be sacrificed at will.


    ¡°Then what other ideas do you have? You can¡¯t possibly let one of us three go, right? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being trapped in the cave by that huge beast?¡± Wang Zhizhao said directly.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, if you¡¯re willing to make a small sacrifice, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Zhang Lifan said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jiang Weishun glared at him but did not reply.


    If he was really trapped in the cave, it would not be so easy for a warrior to die. After all, the defense provided by the internal force was not something to scoff at.


    However, if he was seriously injured because of this, he could not guarantee that his two companions would not have other plans.


    Therefore, even though there were three of them, each of them would only use 70% of their strength at most. They would not really go all out.


    The three of them quickly retreated and left.


    Seeing this, the mother beast did not chase after them and directly retreated to a large hole at the side of the mountain.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the big fellow didn¡¯t chase after them.¡± Chen Yiming, who was standing on a tree branch in the distance, had witnessed everything.


    If he knew that the three of them would not return, he would have gone straight up and used that big fellow to test his current strength.


    In a few minutes, the three of them returned, each bringing a team with them.


    ¡°It¡¯s really the group that I saw earlier.¡± Chen Yiming recognized them immediately.


    At this moment, the mother beast in the cave seemed to have sensed that the group had returned, and immediately stuck its head out of the cave.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The mother beast roared at the intruders, its voice making one¡¯s heart tremble.


    At this moment, smoke was coming out of its nostrils as it stared fiercely at the people coming towards it.


    The mother beast had just laid its eggs, and its emotions were extremely unstable. Furthermore, it had been taunted repeatedly.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it needed to protect the eggs that had just been laid, it would have rushed up to fight its opponents directly.

 Chapter 82 - Influence

    Chapter 82 Influence


    ¡°Hey! Be careful. The big guy seems to be more irritable than before,¡± Jiang Weishun couldn¡¯t help but remind them. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Aren¡¯t all mother beasts like this?¡± Zhang Lifan said disdainfully.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his machete. In an instant, his entire body was engulfed in red flames.


    These were not real flames, but flames formed from his internal force. However, just like real flames, the surrounding air began to tremble.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Zhang Lifan suddenly charged forward and leaped into the air, slashing his saber vertically downwards. The red flames quickly spread out and covered the entire machete, which slashed at the mother beast along with his internal force. The saber descended from the sky.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The mother beast roared angrily. It raised its five or six-meter-long tail and struck at the blade.


    The red scales on its huge tail emitted a dazzling red light that illuminated the entire forest.


    From afar, it looked like a ball of blood had exploded.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The two internal forces collided and exploded upon contact.


    A circular stream of air appeared at the point of contact between the machete and the huge tail. Then, it quickly spread out and swept across the battlefield.


    ¡°Compared to the battles of the warrior realm, the disciple realm is nothing,¡± Chen Yiming commented.


    The two of them were several kilometers away from him. The stream of air swept past him, and his hair was standing on its ends from the wind that blew past.


    On the battlefield, the mother beast was forced back a few meters by the pain. Every time it took a step back, it would leave a footprint half a meter deep, causing the ground to shake continuously.


    Zhang Lifan, on the other hand, was sent flying back and crashed into a spot in the empty space. ¡°What are you two doing? Watching a show?¡± Zhang Lifan got up and shouted. He looked a little disheveled. His armor was stained with a lot of dirt, but he was actually unscathed.


    ¡°Everyone, follow the plan,¡± Jiang Weishun instructed the people behind him.


    In an instant, his entire body, along with the spiked rod, was covered in a layer of darkness, as if he was wearing a layer of armor.


    ¡°Those of you who perform well, I¡¯ll use my internal force to help you cultivate the concept diagram when we get back,¡± Wang Zhizhao encouraged his subordinates.


    A large amount of silk-like streams of air appeared around his body, shining with white light just like steel wires.


    ¡°Attack together and stall it!¡±


    Jiang Weishun, Zhang Lifan, and Wang Zhizhao charged at the mother beast from three different directions.


    Black, red, and white, the three of them were wrapped in balls of light and moved extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at the head, abdomen, and legs of the mother beast.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    A fierce glint flashed in the mother beast¡¯s eyes as it unleashed all of its internal force. Its entire body lit up with a bright red aura. It used its body to withstand the attacks from two people, then swung its huge tail at the remaining person. The mother beast was being held back for a short period of time. ¡°Hurry up! Take advantage of the situation and go now,¡± Wang Zhizhao shouted after his attack.


    There were a total of nine warrior candidates under the three of them. They immediately split up and rushed towards the cave behind the mother beast from all directions.


    Seeing this, the mother beast exerted strength in its four strong limbs. Borrowing the strength from its huge body, its huge tail swept across the battlefield like a spinning top.


    ¡°Dream on!¡± The three of them growled.


    In an instant, the three of them gathered together and attacked at the same time, clashing head-on with the mother beast¡¯s huge tail.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Three collisions occurred at the same time, and the three of them attacked the huge tail at the same time.


    Three streams of internal force collided with one stream of internal force, and immediately, several shock waves appeared, like several bombs exploding at the same time.


    If an ordinary person was standing at the side, the explosion would have torn them apart.


    However, the three of them were clearly not ordinary people. With the three of them working together, even if the mother beast relied on its huge body to combine its internal and external force, it was still thrown back by the three of them.


    The mother beast rolled a few times before regaining its footing. ¡°We can¡¯t let it recover,¡± Zhang Lifan shouted as he took the lead to continue attacking the mother beast. The three of them joined forces again and faced the mother beast head-on.


    Their shameless tactics made the mother beast roar angrily as it was forced back by the three of them.


    Under the protection of the internal force, even if the three of them worked together, the beast would only suffer minor injuries. Its movements would not be affected.


    However, their subordinates could take the opportunity to sneak into the cave. The mother beast could only watch helplessly as all this happened.


    Chen Yiming observed the entire thing from afar.


    ¡°The increase in defense from the internal force is too extreme,¡± Chen Yiming analyzed.


    The battle was extremely intense. The three warriors were fighting with the mother beast, and it was like a barrage of canons. If the mother beast had not been guarding the entrance of the cave, the range of the battle would not have been limited to just a kilometer.


    ¡°I wonder how long both sides can last in such an intense battle?¡± Chen Yiming asked in his heart.


    Ever since he broke through to the warrior realm, he had never fought an opponent of the same level. Therefore, it was impossible to determine the speed at which internal force used up one¡¯s resources in such a battle.


    ¡°Based on the movements of the mutant beasts in the mountain range, it should affect the entire central region,¡± Chen Yiming guessed after some thought.


    At this moment, the mother beast was being held back by the three humans.


    ¡°Roar! Roar! Roar!¡±


    The mother beast roared three times in a row. Its entire body glowed red as it charged straight at the three of them.


    Its huge body stirred up an endless amount of dust, and its vision began to blur. This time, it was really anxious and intended to fight the three of them to the death.


    ¡°The mother beast is about to use its explosive power. Everyone, be careful,¡± Jiang Weishun reminded them loudly.


    With the three of them working together, they only barely had the upper hand. Each of them alone was no match for the mother beast.


    Just as the three of them were about to attack together, the mother beast¡¯s huge body suddenly stopped and it opened its huge mouth.


    Its open mouth was much larger than expected, and a car could probably fit inside of it.


    A tongue full of barbs suddenly shot out from the huge mouth.


    However, to their surprise, the tongue¡¯s target was not the three of them, but the interior of the cave.


    The three of them were stunned for a moment, and a question appeared in their hearts. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, when they worked together to topple the mother beast, they deliberately attacked in the direction away from the cave.


    At this moment, the mother beast was at least 20 meters away from the cave entrance.


    Previously, they had already roughly estimated that the tongue¡¯s maximum attack range was no more than ten meters. The cave should not still be within its attack range.


    The next moment, ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    The sounds of its tongue piercing through several bodies came from the cave. Then, the mother beast withdrew its tongue. On it were the bodies of the nine warrior candidates.


    Although the nine warrior candidates had all been pierced by the beast¡¯s tongue, they were not dead yet. Each of them used all of their strength to attack the tongues.


    However, the difference between the disciple realm and the warrior realm was insurmountable. When the force that they had gathered from their bodies hit the tongue, it was dissipated by the barbs that were covered in the beast¡¯s internal force. Half a second later, the mother beast swallowed the nine warrior candidates in one gulp, and the sound of chewing came from its huge mouth.


    Unlike true warriors who could use the internal force to protect themselves, the warrior candidates could not withstand the crushing force of the huge mouth.


    After dealing with the nine people who had sneaked into the cave, the mother beast turned around and stared at the remaining three humans.


    The three warriors stood rooted to the ground. The two sides formed a stalemate, and neither side continued to attack.


    ¡°Hey! What should we do now?¡± Jiang Weishun asked directly.


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Zhang Lifan slammed the machete into the ground to vent his anger.


    Wang Zhizhao patted the dust off his clothes and suggested, ¡°For now, we can only send one of the three of us to take the risk and enter the cave. The other two will be in charge of stopping the mother beast.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going?¡± Jiang Weishun asked.


    No one replied.


    Outside the cave, the three of them could come and go as they pleased. Before their internal force was completely exhausted, they would at most suffer some light injuries.


    But if they were trapped in the hole and got caught in the mother beast¡¯s mouth¡­


    Internal force was not endless. Once it was exhausted, even a warrior would not be able to withstand it.


    The three warriors were silent for a few minutes. No one was willing to take the risk, so they could only give up and leave.


    ¡°They may come back and cause more trouble. I¡¯ll come back at night to fight the mother beast.¡±


    Chen Yiming also turned around and left. He found a patch of grass nearby and lay down to rest.


    In Yongluo Town, the only street in the town was filled with people who had entered the mountains to hunt mutant beasts.


    Many people¡¯s faces were pale as they exchanged information with the strangers around them. Only by sticking together could they dispel the fear in their hearts.


    The small-scale beast tide caused by the battle between the three warriors and the mother beast had frightened all the people who had entered the mountain to hunt mutant beasts that day.


    Those who could not escape in time were left behind in the mountain range.


    At this moment, most of the mutant beasts in the mountain range were gathered at the outskirts of the mountain range. A small portion of them had even rushed out of the mountain range and were wandering around near Yongluo Town.


    In the Star Moon Bar, Liu Wanqing¡¯s face had a cold expression as she picked up her cup and downed her drink in one big gulp.


    Ever since she escaped from the mountain range, there had been no news of the rest of the team.


    Unless a miracle occurred, it could be assumed that they had died in the beast tide.


    ¡°What should I do? Should I return to East Lake City or escape to another city?¡± Liu Wanqing thought to herself. Three core disciples from different martial arts schools had died at once. As the organizer, she had an undeniable responsibility. If the Liu clan had a warrior presiding over it, it was not impossible for them to pay some compensation to resolve the matter.


    However, Liu Wanqing¡¯s father was only a warrior candidate. He did not have the standing to reason with the martial arts school. If she returned, things would probably be bad for her.


    At the entrance of the town, a man was holding a plaque high in the air. On it was written the plan to gather people and break out of East Lake City in two hours.


    Many people who heard the news moved to the side to observe the situation. ¡°That seems like a good plan. We can move together and spread out the risk,¡± someone discussed with his companion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate. With so many people gathered in Yongluo Town, this is the safest place,¡± his companion retorted.


    ¡°What if the beast tide hasn¡¯t ended? Will Yongluo Town be able to withstand it?¡± the person asked


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but we¡¯re too weak. The real purpose of the others gathering us is just to make us cannon fodder. Rather than going with them rashly, we might as well stay put. At the very least, there will be more cannon fodder in Yongluo Town,¡± his companion explained. ¡°You¡¯re right. If the situation worsens, we¡¯ll fight our way out with the people from Yongluo Town,¡± the man said with a nod. Both of them had only undergone three transformations and would be among the weakest in the wilderness.


    Every decision they made had to be considered carefully. Once something happened, the weakest of them would be the ones to die first.


    Night fell. The forest was silent. Occasionally, one could hear a bird or two chirping.


    Most of the mutant beasts that had escaped from the center of the mountain range were still in the outskirts. Only a small number of them had been sent back to gather information. Chen Yiming arrived a few hundred meters away from the cave.


    His vision had improved a lot after breaking through to the warrior realm. With the help of the moonlight, he could see the surroundings of the cave clearly.


    At this moment, the surroundings of the cave were silent. Even the slightest movement could be detected.


    ¡°Is the mother beast not around?¡± Chen Yiming asked curiously.


    During the day, he had seen the mother beast blow up a cloud of dust with just one breath.


    In such a quiet environment, there should be some movement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test the waters first.¡±


    Chen Yiming casually picked up a fist-sized stone.


    He aimed at the entrance of the cave and used his internal force to cover the surface of the stone.


    In an instant, the noise caused by the power of lightning resounded throughout the forest.


    Some mutant beasts that were passing by and investigating the situation fled when they saw this.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The stone turned into a bolt of blue lightning wrapped in his internal force and flew into the cave in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The rock hit the cave wall and broke apart. Immediately after, the internal force exploded, and blue sparks of electricity instantly filled the entire cave.


    ¡°So the mother beast didn¡¯t go out.¡± Chen Yiming saw the scene inside the cave clearly.


    At this moment, a burnt smell drifted out from the cave.


    The mother beast was lying on a nest of eggs. The ground was covered with soft sand, so the eggs would not be crushed. ¡°Roar!¡±


    The mother beast roared louder than it did during the day.


    The next second, its huge body charged out of the cave, heading straight for the attacker, Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Why are those eggs so fragile? They¡¯re not much different from ordinary eggs,¡± Chen Yiming said in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected this to happen.


    Facing the mother beast that was charging at him in a craze, he did not hesitate to mobilize all the internal force in his body. His entire body was instantly covered in a layer of lightning armor.


    The raging power of lightning constantly swam around his body, emitting an ear-piercing noise. The lightning illuminated the surrounding forest.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The two figures, one big and one small, collided.


    The internal force from both sides exploded at the same time, and red and blue light appeared in the center of the mountain range.


    Then, a sound comparable to a cannonball exploding spread throughout the silent mountain range, causing the same commotion as during the day.


    At this moment, the mutant beasts that were staying at the outskirts of the mountain range heard the commotion and no longer dared to stay where they were. They formed groups and ran out of the mountain range without looking back. All of a sudden, the entire mountain range became lively again. Roars and footsteps sounded out from all around.


    In Yongluo Town, the entire town was brightly lit.


    Everyone was alarmed by the commotion and ran out to gather on the street.


    ¡°What happened?¡± People in the crowd were constantly asking the other people around them for information.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. When I saw everyone running out, I followed them,¡± someone replied.


    The town was too far from the center of the mountain range, so they only knew that the mutant beasts had started acting up again.


    ¡°Gather all the experts above the sixth transformation. They will be in charge of leading the team to guard the town,¡± someone shouted through a loudspeaker.


    When the crowd heard this, an uproar started.


    ¡°How could this be? If we had known earlier, we would have followed those people during the day and directly broken out of the city,¡± someone wailed, feeling extremely regretful.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. During the day, there were only mutant beasts wandering around the town. Now, they need to gather people to guard the town,¡± someone slapped his head and said in horror.


    The entire town was in chaos.


    Many people climbed up to the roof and looked into the darkness.


    Groups of mutant beasts rushed out of the forest in all directions. Most of them were fleeing towards somewhere further away.

 Chapter 83 - Destruction

    Chapter 83 Destruction


    Near the cave, Chen Yiming, who had been fighting head-on with the mother beast, was instantly sent flying. He was pushed back by hundreds of meters and all the trees in his path were destroyed. A path of around half a kilometer in length was cleared in the forest. ¡°The strength of my internal force is almost at the same level as the mother beast.¡± Chen Yiming concluded after the first collision.


    In terms of internal force, there was no difference between the two.


    Chen Yiming seemed to be no match for his opponent, but he was actually well-protected by his internal force. He wasn¡¯t injured at all, and only felt a little pain from the impact.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡±


    He quickly got up. The power of lightning spread to cover the longsword in his hand. Blue electric sparks appeared on the sword like small snakes. The piercing noise appeared in the forest again. There was a loud bang.


    He pushed against the ground and a huge hole instantly appeared from the impact. His figure turned into a bolt of blue lightning and charged forward.


    He was moving at an extremely high speed, arriving in front of the mother beast in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s sword stabbed into the mother beast¡¯s abdomen, and the power of lightning formed by his internal force exploded.


    The scales on its abdomen were smaller than the rest of its body, and its defense seemed to be weaker there compared to the rest of its body. However, even after the explosion from the internal force, his opponent¡¯s internal force was not completely negated. Chen Yiming had seen the three warriors fight with the mother beast during the day. The situation was similar to how it was now, and it was difficult for either side to deal a deadly blow to their opponent.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡±


    The mother beast¡¯s eyes shone fiercely as it turned to glare at Chen Yiming. A black mark was left on its abdomen, and a few wisps of black smoke rose from it.


    ¡°The mother beast¡¯s reaction speed seems to be much slower than mine.¡±


    Chen Yiming had dodged before the huge tail landed. At this moment, he was already standing dozens of meters away. ¡°In the head-on combat earlier, with almost no difference in the strength of our internal force, I was instantly sent flying. When it was my turn to attack, the mother beast did not react in time.


    It seems that the internal force of the mother beast is biased towards the enhancement of its body, while the power of lightning formed by my internal force is biased towards increasing my reaction speed.¡± Chen Yiming concluded from his observations. He had roughly figured out the advantages and disadvantages of both sides.


    His reaction speed was fast, and he could easily dodge the mother beast¡¯s attack. Meanwhile, the internal force of the mother beast could unleash even more power. There was no qualitative difference in the level of their internal force. After two rounds, they could not do anything to each other. ¡°Let¡¯s test how long I can fight with my full strength.¡± Chen Yiming gripped his sword tightly. He released the full power of lightning he had cultivated from the concept diagram of the Thunder Sword Technique without restraint. Immediately, the electric sparks that appeared on the surface of his body became denser and moved at a higher frequency. Crack, crack, crack¡­


    Every muscle on his body was bulging.


    His entire body suddenly became bigger, and his height increased to more than two meters. His hair also stood on end due to the electric current moving through his body.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming let out a long breath. A puff of white smoke carrying the power of lightning shot out of his mouth and nose towards the ground.


    The power of lightning exploded, and the grass within a few meters instantly became burnt.


    II Kill!¡±


    Chen Yiming leaped into the air and used the tree trunk to change directions a few times before charging at the mother beast from the air.


    The longsword shone with a dazzling blue light, wrapped in his internal force.


    The piercing noise echoed through the central region of the mountain range again.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡±


    The mother beast let out a furious roar. It recognized that its opponent had unleashed all his strength.


    The two of them had a grudge between them since he killed its children, so it did not hesitate to release all the internal force in its body either.


    In the blink of an eye, a dazzling red light blossomed from the mother beast¡¯s body.


    A large amount of energy flowed rapidly through its body. Its already huge body increased from more than ten meters to nearly twenty meters in length.


    The red light shining from its scales instantaneously lit up a radius of several kilometers. Everything within this range turned blood red.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Chen Yiming and the mother beast collided with each other with all their might, their internal force exploding at the same time. The blue power of lightning turned into electric sparks that scattered in the air, forming an electric net. Within the confines of the electric net, black smoke rose from the scorched earth.


    The mother beast¡¯s internal force, which was shining with a red light, did not seem to be showing any signs of weakness. The red light instantly lit up dried branches and leaves that it landed on, starting a forest fire.


    The two sides soon fought for nearly an hour, and their internal force collided more than a hundred times.


    During this time, the entire central region of the mountain range seemed as though it was bombarded by artillery shells, and rumbling sounds could be heard continuously.


    The red and blue light lit up half the sky.


    In the center of the mountain range, a scorched land with a radius of ten kilometers appeared.


    This was the destructive power of the warrior realm, which was comparable to a human cannonball.


    In an ordinary city, there would be a total of 20 to 30 martial artists among the military and the common people, which was equivalent to 20 to 30 battalions.


    In addition, the internal force of warriors could continuously regenerate. That was why human cities could stand tall in the wilderness.


    He clashed with the mother beast for another dozen rounds.


    Chen Yiming confirmed his guess. When both sides had yet to exhaust their internal force, no matter how intense the fight was, other than their eyes, ears, and other vital parts, there was no need to deliberately protect themselves.


    Neither side had the ability to completely break through the protection of their opponent¡¯s internal force. ¡°It¡¯s time to retreat,¡± Chen Yiming decided.


    He could feel that most of his internal force had been exhausted.


    He did not know if there were other human or mutant beasts from the warrior realm around.


    Internal force was the most important protection. There was no need to fight with the mother beast until their internal force was exhausted.


    After another collision, Chen Yiming deliberately let the mother beast send him flying. After landing, the blue electric arcs on his body instantly disappeared, and he quickly retreated to the outskirts of the mountain range.


    Ten minutes later, ¡°If the eggs got destroyed, can¡¯t it just lay more? It¡¯s not like they had already hatched,¡± Chen Yiming cursed as he ran.


    He was in a sorry state. Even though his clothes and pants were protected by his internal force, they were still damaged.


    This was caused by his excessive actions.


    Hundreds of meters behind him, ¡°Roar¡­¡± the mother beast roared as it chased after Chen Yiming. Its eyes were fixed on the movements in front of it as it sniffed after the scent he had left behind.


    Its internal force erupted without reservation, and red light lit up the forest along the way.


    Wherever it passed, its huge body crushed all obstacles in its way. ¡°Yongluo Town is not far ahead. I have to change directions,¡± Chen Yiming suddenly thought. He suddenly turned around and fled in another direction.


    The mother beast, who was chasing after him, took advantage of this opportunity to close the distance to less than a hundred meters. The distance of a hundred meters was already approaching the range of its tongue. ¡°I have to think of a solution. Running away won¡¯t solve the problem. I can¡¯t possibly lure the mother beast to East Lake City,¡± Chen Yiming thought as he ran.


    He could sense that the mother beast had closed the distance between them.


    Once it started a fight, the mother beast, who had a grudge towards the opponent that killed its children, would not let him escape easily. It was very likely that it wanted to exhaust his internal force.


    It had only been a short time since he had broken through to the warrior realm. He could feel that the total amount of internal force had been increasing naturally, and he was far from reaching his limit.


    As for the mother beast, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how long it had been since it broke through. He didn¡¯t think that he was a match for the mother beast.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I still haven¡¯t used my trump card, the Heart Sword.¡± An idea flashed across Chen Yiming¡¯s mind, and he felt frustrated. ¡°If I had known this would happen, I would have tried to use the Heart Sword to break through the mother beast¡¯s defense earlier when I was testing my skills.¡± Ever since he had discovered the power of the Heart Sword, Chen Yiming had not encountered anything that he couldn¡¯t cut through with it.


    However, after personally experiencing the power of internal force, he did not have full confidence in the Heart Sword¡¯s abilities.


    Chen Yiming was forced to change directions again when he ended up in front of a mountain.


    The mother beast took the opportunity to further reduce the distance between them.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A tongue covered in barbs suddenly shot out from its huge mouth. The red flesh on it was covered in a red light, making it seem just like a burning rope. This was the fastest and most agile attack from the mother beast, but because its tongue was much more fragile than its body,


    even if it was protected by the internal force, there was still a risk that it would be cut in half. Therefore, it usually only used its tongue as a last resort.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s ears twitched and all the hair on his body stood on end. His body instinctively sensed the approaching danger. The moment the mother beast¡¯s tongue shot out, he quickly changed the direction he was running in, but he was still unable to escape the tongue. The beast¡¯s tongue was even more agile than Chen Yiming¡¯s body, and it caught up to him in the blink of an eye. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t dodge, Chen Yiming jumped to the side and raised his sword.


    In the next moment, he released all the internal force in his body. In an instant, the power of lightning covered the sword.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    The power of lightning formed by his internal force, coupled with an invisible layer of Heart Sword, slashed at the tongue that was closing in on him.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    An opening instantly appeared in the layer of internal force on the beast¡¯s tongue, and the raging power of lightning surged into the flesh of the tongue. Without the protection of the internal force, the fragile flesh of the tongue was almost instantly charred black.


    ¡°Roar!!!¡±


    The mother beast let out a shrill cry. In order to protect itself, it bit off its tongue to prevent the power of lightning from entering its body.


    At this moment, its eyes were filled with fear, and its huge body subconsciously moved back. The mother beast had never encountered such a situation where the protection from its internal force, which had always been effective, was suddenly broken. The balance between the two sides suddenly tilted. The Heart Sword was as unstoppable as it was before, and even the internal force was no exception.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief, his head feeling a little swollen. He suddenly realized that the amount of resources utilized by the Heart Sword was not only related to the number of times it was used, but also to the target of its attack.


    In the past, he had only felt tired after he used it to slash at tree trunks, rocks, and other things a hundred times.


    Earlier, he had only used the Heart Sword once, but he felt that he had instantly used up about a third of his energy. In other words, if he wanted to kill the female beast, he only had one chance. This was because he could not completely exhaust his energy, or he would instantly fall unconscious. While Chen Yiming was deep in thought, the mother beast turned around and fled. It was no longer bearing the grudge from him killing its children.


    ¡°Trying to escape?¡±


    Chen Yiming chased after it.


    The two parties switched places. As the mother beast fled, it tried its best to use its huge tail to block Chen Yiming¡¯s pursuit.


    The sudden loss of its tongue proved that its opponent had a way to break through the defense of its internal force.


    Even if its huge tail was cut off, with its powerful vitality, it would be able to grow another after a period of time. It was a part of its body that could be sacrificed.


    After a few minutes, there would definitely be a mistake from maintaining its defensive position for a long time.


    Chen Yiming relied on his faster reaction speed to dodge the attack from its huge tail. Then, he used the Heart Sword to break through the protection of the internal force on the mother beast¡¯s head.


    The raging power of lightning successfully surged into the mother beast¡¯s brain, instantly dealing a fatal blow. Even creatures in the warrior realm would surely die if their brains were destroyed. The mother beast, which had been fighting Chen Yiming for more than an hour, died just like that in a corner of the mountain range.


    Late at night, moonlight shone through the leaves and onto the ground.


    At the entrance of the cave where the mother beast lived, Chen Yiming placed the hind legs of the mother beast on a huge fire and barbecued them. At the side, there were more than ten charred eggs. The eggs were extremely large. Lying on their sides, each of them was about half a meter tall and one meter wide.


    ¡°It would be a waste to just throw away the meat of a warrior-level mutant beast.


    It just so happens that cultivating the concept diagram will use up a lot of my body¡¯s energy,¡± Chen Yiming said as he sat in front of the fire. He supported himself with both hands and looked up at the starry sky. Even if he cultivated without stopping and ate as much as he could of the eggs and the mother beast¡¯s carcass,


    even with his enhanced digestion after breaking through to the warrior realm, he would need at least a week to finish all of it.


    After all, the carcass alone was more than ten meters long and about five meters tall. It weighed about ten tons.


    This meant that he had to eat a few tons of mutant beast meat every day. Compared to ordinary people, this was already beyond the amount a glutton could eat. ¡°Even if it¡¯s burnt, it doesn¡¯t taste too different from a chicken egg.¡± Chen Yiming took advantage of the time it took to roast the hind leg to crack open an egg and consumed its contents in a few bites.


    As he spoke, a surge of heat welled up in his stomach which was quickly absorbed by his body. The cells in his body began to regain their energy, and the fatigue from more than an hour of fighting gradually faded. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the eggs to contain so much energy. I¡¯ll eat a few and make full use of the time to cultivate.¡± Chen Yiming felt full after eating two more eggs, so he sat cross-legged on the ground and started to cultivate the concept diagram. During his cultivation of the concept diagram, a seemingly endless stream of internal force was born in his body. The energy he had just replenished was quickly depleted. At the same time, he released his internal force with all his might, and a layer of lightning instantly covered his entire body like an armor.


    After breaking through to the warrior realm, his body had been released from its shackles.


    Using the lightning power formed by his internal force to temper his body, he could clearly feel that the total amount of internal force his body could hold was increasing.


    After cultivating for half an hour, Chen Yiming opened his eyes and stood up to stretch his aching muscles. The three eggs he had eaten earlier had already been completely converted into energy for his body, then used up during his cultivation of the concept diagram. After going through one round of cultivation, he felt that his total amount of internal force had increased a little. ¡°Growl¡­¡±


    His stomach signaled his hunger. Chen Yiming glanced at the remains of the mother beast¡¯s carcass and turned to walk into the forest.


    Another half an hour passed.


    13 large fires appeared at the entrance of the cave. On top of them were parts of the mother beast¡¯s carcass that had been cut up.


    The head was divided into two parts, the four limbs each formed one part, and the back and abdomen were divided four parts altogether. The huge tail was cut up into three parts. ¡°If only there was some sauce and spices.¡± Chen Yiming looked at his masterpiece with a slightly pained expression. He might be able to make do if it was just for one or two meals, but he would have to eat his meals with no seasoning for a whole week. Just the thought of it made his scalp tingle. Following the principle of not wasting food, he would finish all of it no matter how bad it tasted.


    For the next week, Chen Yiming lived a life of alternating between cultivation and eating. When he was tired, he would take a short break before continuing with his cultivation.


    Fortunately, after breaking through to the warrior realm, his body was no longer that of an ordinary person. He only needed one or two hours of sleep to completely feel well-rested.


    During this time, due to his continuous cultivation, no mutant beasts dared to disturb


    him.


    Under his continuous cultivation, the improvement in his internal force was very obvious.


    He did not know what the limit was for his internal force cultivation, but compared to a week ago, his total amount of internal force had increased by about 10%.


    This brought tears to his eyes.


    For the past week, he had been eating mutant beast meat without any seasoning every day. He was about to throw up.


    If not for the fact that it was his first time he had hunted a mutant beast at the warrior level, and that the meat of a mutant beast of this level was too rare and precious, he would have given up a long time ago. At this moment, the bones left behind from his meals were piled up at the entrance of the cave.


    The female beast¡¯s skeleton was extremely large. Its ribs were about twenty centimeters in diameter and about three meters long.


    Needless to say, the four leg bones were more than a meter in diameter. ¡°What a pity that Chen Yingying¡¯s cultivation level is too low. If not, I would have brought some back for her.¡± Chen Yiming took one last look at his masterpiece and quickly turned to leave.


    The meat of a warrior-level mutant beast contained an unimaginable amount of energy that ordinary people could not properly absorb.


    Even though Chen Yingying had already broken through to the disciple realm, her level was still too low. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t dare to let her take the risk.

 Chapter 84 - The List (I)

    Chapter 84 The List (I)


    There was a heavy downpour.


    On the boulevard in the city center, Chen Yiming walked forward, stepping on small puddles from time to time, splashing the water around.


    Large raindrops fell through the gaps between the leaves and landed on his body. He did not dare to use his internal force to repel them, so he was completely drenched.


    It was still during working hours, and there were a large number of pedestrians on the road. Almost everyone was holding an umbrella.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s drenched appearance caused many people to turn around and glance at him before they continued on their way. None of them stopped.


    ¡°Did something big happen in East Lake City again?¡± Chen Yiming muttered. He could tell from the expressions of the passers-by that there was a sense of urgency in the air.


    The most important thing for ordinary people out and about at this time was their work. If they were in a hurry, it meant that they did not dare to be late.


    In other words, their jobs were unstable and they were at risk of being laid off at any time.


    ¡°The war in the west has just ended. Logically speaking, there should be many jobs going around, and various industries should be starting to recover.


    At this time, there should be mass hiring. As long as an ordinary person is healthy, they won¡¯t have to worry about not being able to find a job.¡± Chen Yiming analyzed in his heart.


    He quickly threw this matter to the back of his mind and continued on his way home.


    It didn¡¯t take long.


    He turned at an intersection and walked for less than a hundred meters. He had returned to the Jinghu district.


    The entrance of the district was still the same. A guard was in charge of checking the identities of the people who had entered the district, and a security team led by a captain was patrolling the area.


    Chen Yiming walked over and was about to greet the guard and enter the district.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, are you a ghost?¡± the guard blurted out when he saw who it was.


    He was about to move back, but in his haste to get up, he slipped and fell.


    II


    11


    Chen Yiming was stunned. His raised hand froze in midair.


    The commotion attracted the attention of the security team. ¡°Xiao Zhang, what¡¯s going on?¡± the security captain quickly walked over and asked. The higher-ups of the corporation had just issued a document asking the security team captains to be on guard to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation and sneaking into the district.


    The guard called Xiao Zhang felt that his mind became clearer after the fall. He quickly got up and exhaled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking too much.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go straight in,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    On the surface, he was an expert who had undergone six transformations. He had only greeted the guard out of courtesy. Even if he walked straight in and was seen by the guard, the guard would not dare to say anything


    ¡°Please go ahead,¡± The guard, Xiao Zhang, nodded and quickly pointed an electronic remote control at the door and pressed a button on it.


    The door moved slowly, stopping only when it was fully open.


    Chen Yiming strode into the district and disappeared into the rain.


    A few minutes after he had left, Xiao Zhang and the security captain were still standing at the same spot.


    ¡°I remember that Chen Yiming appeared on the list of people who had died two days ago. I didn¡¯t expect him to return alive,¡± the security captain whispered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? When I was on duty yesterday, I saw the Chen family holding a funeral for Chen Yiming. Chen Yiming¡¯s mother was crying on the ground for almost an hour,¡± the guard, Xiao Zhang, replied softly.


    Building 6, Room 1203.


    Ding dong¡­


    Chen Yiming stood in front of the door and raised his hand to press the doorbell.


    Even after waiting for a long time, no one came to open the door.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back. Open the door!¡± Chen Yiming shouted as he knocked on the door.


    He was afraid that the people inside could not hear him, so he deliberately raised his volume so that almost the entire building could hear him.


    In the house, the three members of the Chen family were still sleeping.


    In the past two days, the Chen family had received news of Chen Yiming¡¯s death, and they had sunk into a spiral of pain and grief.


    They could not fall asleep all night and were using this time in the morning to rest.


    This was especially true for Mother Chen. The moment she closed her eyes, she imagined a bloody scene. Chen Yiming, who had run out of energy, was suddenly chased by a group of mutant beasts that had appeared from the forest. In the next moment, he was torn to pieces and eaten by the beasts.


    ¡°No!¡± Mother Chen suddenly woke up from her dream and sat up immediately.


    She was still in an extremely nervous state due to her dream. Her entire body was trembling slightly, and she was drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Did you have another nightmare?¡± Father Chen also woke up and turned to her with concern.


    He was also extremely sad that his son had died in an accident. However, as the only man left in the family, he could only suppress the pain in his heart and try his best to appear calm and collected.


    ¡°It sounds like our son,¡± Mother Chen suddenly said as she took several deep breaths.


    Father Chen had initially thought that Mother Chen was hallucinating. The two of them waited quietly for a few seconds before they heard a knock on the door.


    However, the shouting was blocked out by two doors and could not be heard clearly.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen got out of bed quickly. They were not even concerned that they were still in their pajamas and just draped on their coats. They opened the bedroom door and walked straight to the main door of the house.


    At the entrance of the house, Chen Yiming had shouted twice, but still, no one answered the door.


    ¡°Could it be that no one is home?¡±


    Just as he was about to go downstairs to ask the guard about the situation, the door suddenly opened and Father Chen and Mother Chen appeared.


    Father Chen looked much older than before, with a lot of white hair on his head.


    There were still tears in the corners of Mother Chen¡¯s eyes. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like she had not washed her hair for several days.


    Before Chen Yiming could speak, Mother Chen asked in surprise, ¡°Son, you¡¯re still alive. Am I dreaming?¡± She pinched her cheek and felt the pain from the pinch.


    ¡°Why did everyone think I was dead? What happened during the week I was gone?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He did not expect that the two consecutive battles at the warrior realm would cause the mutant beasts in the Nuhe Mountain Range to completely give up on the idea of observing the situation from the outskirts of the mountain range.


    This was especially true of the second wave of the battle between Chen Yiming and the mother beast. It affected the entire central region of the mountain range, and wherever the two had fought, the ground was scorched black.


    When the mutant beasts that were still at the outskirts of the mountain range saw this, they ran out of the mountain range without hesitation. Along the way, any humans they encountered would be treated as an enemy.


    They either tore apart the humans blocking their way or were scattered by the human martial arts experts. The scattered mutant beasts continued to charge out of the mountain range. ¡°Why are you still standing at the door? Let¡¯s go inside and talk,¡± Father Chen urged as he turned around and walked into the living


    room.


    The three of them had just sat down when the door to the innermost room suddenly opened. Chen Yingying ran out.


    ¡°Brother, I just couldn¡¯t believe what those people said. I knew you would definitely be able to return safely,¡± Chen Yingying said angrily as she sat on the sofa beside Chen Yiming


    ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°The day before yesterday, the list of people who had died during the sudden beast tide incident was released. Your name was on it¡­¡± Chen Yingying told him all the information that she had seen and heard over the past week.


    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    From what his sister said, he had roughly figured out the truth of the matter.


    He was partially responsible for this small-scale beast tide incident. The other half of the blame was on the other three warriors. After all, they were the ones who had made the first move.

 Chapter 85 - The List (II)

    Chapter 85 The List (II)


    At the same time, the incident reminded Chen Yiming that he was no longer an insignificant small fry. He had to consider the impact brought about by his every move.


    For example, although he did not deliberately cause the small-scale beast tide, the reality was that it had affected many innocent hunters who had entered the mountain range.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you that I had already broken through to the sixth transformation before I left.


    At this level, staying in the wilderness was not too risky.


    You don¡¯t have to worry too much. I was just hiding and making sure that the beast tide had completely retreated. That¡¯s why I was delayed for a few days,¡± Chen Yiming said sternly in front of the entire family.


    Although he could not tell them the truth, he could not let his family be worried for him.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re too amazing. You just broke through to the third transformation not long ago. How can your cultivation progress so quickly?¡± Chen Yingying opened her mouth and exclaimed.


    ¡°I used some special methods. I¡¯ll explain them to you slowly in the future,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    ¡°Child, why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? You made us worry for nothing. Your father and I aged at least five years because of this,¡± Mother Chen reminded him, a smile appearing on her face after she found out that her son had returned safely.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chen Yiming said guiltily.


    He had also noticed that Father Chen and Mother Chen suddenly had a lot of white hair, but he did not have any good way to take care of them at the moment.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen were different from Chen Yingying. They were both past the age of practicing martial arts, and forcefully practicing martial arts would be harmful to their bodies.


    He could only wait until his martial arts realm was higher and he had a better understanding of this world before slowly thinking of a solution.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but there¡¯s something that can¡¯t wait. It has to be resolved immediately,¡± Father Chen said in a low voice.


    Mother Chen slapped her forehead.


    ¡°Son, we spent money to buy a plot in the cemetery for you,¡± Mother Chen exclaimed.


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming frowned.


    He was still alive but there was a plot in the cemetery for him.


    ¡°Son, you¡¯re drenched. Hurry up and change your clothes. We¡¯ll go out now,¡± Father Chen said directly.


    After that, the family washed up and left the house with their umbrellas.


    It was still pouring heavily.


    The family got out of a taxi.


    Chen Yiming opened his umbrella and looked at the cemetery dozens of meters ahead.


    The raindrops falling from the sky hit the umbrella, creating a pitter-patter sound.


    Dozens of new tombs could be seen clearly in the cemetery. On each of the new tombs were offerings for the dead.


    There was burnt paper money, incense and candles that had been extinguished by the rain, and some fruit.


    When he saw this, he instantly thought of his fate after stepping onto the path of martial arts.


    Accidents were happening all the time in the wilderness. The weaker ones could escape with their lives if they were lucky, but there would come a time when they would not be able to do so.


    If his strength stopped increasing, he would still be able to deal with a small-scale or even a medium-scale beast tide.


    However, what if they encountered a large-scale beast tide or a super-scale beast tide? For example, a disaster that would involve the entire blue planet.


    As a warrior who could use the internal force, in a disaster of that scale, he was probably not much better than those in the disciple realm. There would definitely be some creatures in existence that could kill him.


    The hint of laziness he had felt after breaking through to the warrior realm instantly disappeared. He had to think of a way to find the cultivation techniques for the warrior realm. Otherwise, once the growth of his internal force stopped, he would be stuck in a situation where he could not cultivate any further.


    ¡°Come over quickly,¡± Father Chen shouted when he realized that Chen Yiming was still standing in a daze.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Chen Yiming pushed his complicated thoughts away and went over.


    The family quickly arrived at a plot on the north side of the cemetery.


    The plot was slightly more than two meters in both length and width. Other than some commonly used offerings, there was also a black and white photo in the middle of a frame.


    ¡°Is this my graduation photo from junior high?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise. He tried hard to look through his memories of the past and finally managed to identify it.


    After all, when he transmigrated to this world, his body was already that of a high school student.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like to take photos. We searched the entire house, and most of the photos are from when you were young. It wasn¡¯t easy to find this one.¡± Mother Chen smiled awkwardly.


    With that, she picked up the frame and pulled out the photo inside. She tore the photo into pieces.


    ¡°What should we do with this tomb?¡± Father Chen asked Chen Yiming.


    It was awkward that the tomb for Chen Yiming existed while he was still alive and well.


    The tomb was fixed here. No matter how they dealt with it, it would not be suitable.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Stand further away.¡±


    Chen Yiming waited for his parents and sister to walk more than ten meters away before he kicked the tomb.


    His body was extremely strong now, far stronger than when he was at the disciple realm.


    Even without using internal force, the raw strength of his muscles was already very terrifying ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud sound rang out, as loud as an explosion from a landmine.


    The entire tomb was shattered into pieces from the force, and a pit of rubble appeared at its original spot, sunk half a meter into the ground.


    After settling the matter, Chen Yiming ignored the strange gazes from the crowd and left with his family.


    It was evening.


    Chen Yiming was preparing to have dinner with his family.


    Suddenly, two disciples from the Tongbeiquan School and the Divine Wind Martial Arts School came looking for him. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want his family to get involved, so he went with the two disciples to a pavilion in the district.


    The pavilion had an octagonal structure, with eight round pillars supporting the roof. There were four benches inside, and there was a magnolia tree every few meters surrounding


    it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked, pretending not to know anything.


    Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai had died in the beast tide. Chen Yiming had seen it with his own eyes when he followed behind Liu Wanqing


    Chen Yiming had yet to find out how the two martial arts schools had handled the matter.


    ¡°Tell me everything that happened this week from the beginning to the end. Start from when Liu Wanqing from the Liu clan led the team out of the city,¡± Xie Quan said in an arrogant tone.


    This person was wearing a training robe from the Tongbeiquan School. His tall and burly figure filled out the robe, and there were two lightning tattoos on his shoulders.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already investigated your relationship with Liu Wanqing. Don¡¯t help her hide this matter. Otherwise, even if you¡¯re from the Mantis Snake Sword School, we¡¯ll still pursue the matter to the end,¡± Gao Xuelong added, his tone equally unfriendly, as if he was conducting an interrogation.


    He was dressed in the training robes of the Divine Wind Martial Arts School. His figure was slender and well-proportioned, and he was very handsome. A long fringe covered half of his face.


    ¡°Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai have been following Liu Wanging the entire time. Why aren¡¯t you asking her directly but looking for me instead?¡± Chen Yiming brushed it off without answering the question.


    The two of them were just core disciples who had been sent to question Chen Yiming. Even if their level was higher compared to Chen Yiming¡¯s publicized level of six transformations, there was a limit to their strength. There was a high chance that they were at the same level as he was supposed to


    be.


    If they spoke nicely, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to cause any more trouble. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell them the truth.


    However, the two of them were behaving arrogantly. As a warrior who could use the internal force, Chen Yiming was on the same level as their school heads. He was already being magnanimous by not defeating them with just one move.

 Chapter 86 - Tense Situation (I)

    Chapter 86 Tense Situation (I)


    ¡°Seems like you want to do this the hard way.¡± Xie Quan raised his right fist, an arrogant expression on his face.


    Crack, crack¡­


    His entire arm suddenly became a size bigger, and blue veins bulged out on the surface of his skin.


    In particular, the muscles on each of his shoulders swelled into a ball, just like a piece of shoulder armor.


    ¡°You want to fight?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°In my opinion, you¡¯re Liu Wanqing¡¯s accomplice and are trying to help her hide the truth.¡± Xie Quan sneered. ¡°I wonder if a core disciple like you, who is about to be thrown out, can withstand it?¡±


    He took half a step forward and gathered all his strength into his right fist. With the sound of rushing wind, he threw a punch forward.


    He could hit him from a distance of more than a meter with just a punch.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A loud sound rang out.


    Xie Quan¡¯s fist was firmly caught by a hand.


    The size of the hand was clearly smaller than the fist, but the five fingers were gripping onto the fist tightly just like an eagle¡¯s claws.


    Xie Quan subconsciously retracted his arm, but he realized that he could not move his fist. In terms of strength, he had actually lost.


    ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t you just break through to the sixth transformation? How can this be?¡± Xie Quan¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    He had already undergone six transformations, and his cultivation technique was the Tongbeiquan Fist, which specialized in strength, but he had lost in a head-on clash.


    There was only one possibility. The other party had broken through to the seventh transformation in a short period of time.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I continue breaking through after just breaking through?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly, his hand still clenched tightly around the fist.


    Xie Quan¡¯s face turned red when he heard this. However, he was not as strong as his opponent, and he could not find a reason to refute him.


    ¡°You have to think carefully. Do you really want to protect Liu Wanqing?¡± Gao Xuelong suddenly said.


    He was not like Xie Quan, who would fight upon the slightest disagreement.


    The first reason was that Chen Yiming had been one of the victims and had almost died in the beast tide.


    The second was that they were all core disciples of the martial arts schools. They would not really dare to kill him on the spot. However, if they beat him up, they would only create a grudge between them for no good reason. It was not worth it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t push the blame on me.¡± Chen Yiming released his grip and lowered his hand, leaving the fist where it was, less than half a meter away from his face.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t tell us what happened, then don¡¯t blame us for our suspicions. Do you think you can hide the matter between you and Liu Wanqing?¡± Gao Xuelong said bluntly. His words seemed to be calm and rational, but there was a hint of a threat in them.


    ¡°Are you referring to the matter of receiving the house? How laughable. At our level, how difficult can it be to get a house?


    If this is all you have for evidence, I think you just wanted to find someone to pin the blame on, right?¡± Chen Yiming said slowly.


    ¡°Anyway, you have to think about it carefully. Every dog has its day. You can be stubborn now, since we can¡¯t do anything about it.


    But when Lin Yixuan officially takes over the school, will you still be as unyielding as you are now?¡± Xie Quan took a deep breath and thought a little before retorting coldly. ¡°If you have the time to chat with me, why don¡¯t you find out where Liu Wanqing is as soon as possible?


    I¡¯ve already made myself clear. If you still don¡¯t believe me, go and verify it for yourself,¡± Chen Yiming crossed his arms in front of his chest and said calmly.


    He had already learned from their previous conversation that Liu Wanqing had not returned to East Lake City at all. Instead, she must have fled somewhere to hide.


    Otherwise, the two martial arts schools would not have rushed over to ask him about the situation.


    It was very likely that other than him and Liu Wanqing, Zhao Yifeng, Meng Tai, and Liu Daoyuan had all died in the mountain range.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this.¡±


    Seeing that they could not get anything concrete out of him, Xie Quan and Gao Xuelong quickly turned around and left.


    Chen Yiming fell into deep thought as he watched the two of them leave.


    ¡°If I want to live peacefully, I have to use the purple lightning stones as an excuse for my cultivation progress. I have to get another batch of the stones and pretend that I used them to break through to the ninth transformation successfully.


    At that time, even if the two martial arts schools found out that I had left them in the lurch, they would not be able to do anything about it.


    When hunting mutant beasts in the wilderness, there are too many situations where a team would split up after encountering an enemy that they could not defeat.


    If you want to blame someone, blame those two for being too weak. Neither of them should stand on the moral high ground and demand others to help.¡±


    The next day, in the Wang clan¡¯s village, ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for a long time.¡± Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen strolled along the streets of the village.


    Many villagers from the Wang clan stopped in their tracks and looked at Chen Yiming curiously.


    Chen Yiming became famous overnight, and his name spread throughout the martial arts world of East Lake City.


    His name was announced to be on the list of those who had died in the beast tide. His family also thought that he was really dead and had already built a tomb for him.


    However, after almost a week, he returned alive.


    ¡°When I received the news about the beast tide, I immediately set off for the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    I searched the outskirts of the mountain range, but there was no sign of you.


    At that time, I deduced that there was a high chance that you had already successfully escaped. I was right after all,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Wang. I made you worry for nothing,¡± Chen Yiming said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no need for the two of us to be so polite to each other. However, you have to be careful during this period and try not to leave the city,¡± Wang Bowen said directly.


    ¡°Will those two martial arts schools attack me?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    He could think of no reason for the blame to fall to him.


    When disaster struck, everyone would escape on their own. Most of the people caught in the beast tide would have made the same choice.


    Besides, he was also one of the victims.


    ¡°That might not be the case, but you should try to keep a low profile and not hang around outside too openly. Otherwise, if you encounter someone with a bad temper, they might vent their anger on you,¡± Wang Bowen explained, ¡°What I want to talk about is the beast tide. Do you really think that the beast tide will end just like that?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The mother beast had already been killed by him, and it had been eaten by him until only its skeleton was left.


    Could it revive and cause another beast tide to take revenge on him?


    ¡°The information about the source of this beast tide has been spreading among the top factions in East Lake City for a while. It was caused by a mysterious person fighting a giant blazing sun lizard that came to the blue planet to lay its eggs,¡± Wang Bowen said calmly.


    ¡°Oh? And then?¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    He wanted to know how much the others knew about his battle with the mother beast.


    During the week he had spent in front of the cave, he had not been completely unprepared. However, unexpectedly, no one had come to the scene to check.


    ¡°The problem lies with that mysterious person. It¡¯s said that the giant lizard had just given birth to its eggs, and that person directly killed the mother beast.


    The giant blazing sun lizards live in groups in the otherworld. They would leave the group just for a short period of time to lay their eggs. The next beast tide might come soon, and the scale of the beast tide will definitely be much larger than this one.¡± Wang Bowen raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°I understand. No wonder you told me not to leave the city.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    According to Wang Bowen, there was a high chance that a second beast tide would occur.


    If he still insisted on leaving the city despite knowing this, it would definitely arouse suspicion. After all, the strength he displayed on the surface was still too weak to deal with this risk.

 Chapter 87 - Tense Situation (II)

    Chapter 87 Tense Situation (II)


    ¡°By the way, Senior Brother Wang, do you have a way to get the purple lightning stone?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Purple lightning stone? You still want to use it to forcefully break through? Aren¡¯t you afraid that accidents might occur?¡± Wang Bowen asked in surprise.


    The power of lightning was extremely effective in tempering the body. The only problem was that it could easily injure the body¡¯s foundation.


    Unless one had no hope of breaking through or specialized in this path, most people would not dare to try it.


    ¡°This is a secret I accidentally discovered. My body is very resistant to the power of lightning. I¡¯ll only suffer minor injuries during the tempering process, and I¡¯ll recover quickly,¡± Chen Yiming explained. This was the excuse he used to explain how he could use the purple lightning stone to quickly achieve his breakthroughs. It was not like anyone else could verify whether it was true.


    As long as he insisted that this was the case, others would have no choice but to believe him.


    ¡°Tsk, Junior Brother Chen, it looks like you entered the wrong school back then. If you had realized this earlier, you should have joined the Tongbeiquan School. That is the best place for you to display your talent,¡± Wang Bowen said in surprise when he received this news.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Previously, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to obtain the purple lightning stone that you want. However, it has already been listed as a prohibited item. Without a suitable reason, even I can¡¯t do anything about it.


    As for the people from the Tongbeiquan School, they like to use the power of lightning to temper their bodies. Therefore, their school must have accumulated many resources like the purple lightning stone,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming was speechless.


    He had just humiliated Xie Quan from the Tongbeiquan School.


    At this time, even if he was willing to spend money to buy it, they would not sell it to him.


    If he really went to look for them, they might beat him up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think of another way,¡± Chen Yiming said helplessly.


    Next, Chen Yiming chatted with Wang Bowen about the recent situation in the Mantis Snake Sword School. He found out that nothing had changed and that Lin Yixuan was trying his best to break through to the warrior realm.


    He quickly bade his senior brother farewell and left.


    At a trading center for martial arts resources in the west of the city, a wall more than ten meters tall surrounded the location. It was about a kilometer wide, and there were people guarding the entrance.


    The interior was no different from the layout of the market in the city. There were stalls set up at fixed locations, and the rent was calculated by the day.


    At this moment, both sides of the road were filled with stalls. There were people selling weapons, mutant beast meat, various ores, and so on.


    Chen Yiming strolled along, hoping to find something similar to the purple lightning stone.


    The strength he had displayed on the surface was already enough for him to be considered an expert among the martial arts practitioners in East Lake City.


    Coupled with the fact that he was announced to be on the list of dead people and had returned alive, he became the talk of the city overnight.


    Wherever he went, he immediately attracted the attention of the people around him.


    Chen Yiming sighed.


    ¡°As expected, I shouldn¡¯t have harbored unrealistic hopes. The purple lightning stone has already been listed as a prohibited item. How could it possibly appear openly at a civilian trading center?¡±


    After walking around, he realized that most of the cultivation resources were for those below the level of the third transformation. He did not see any items like the purple lightning stone that contained the power of lightning.


    Chen Yiming shook his head and thought helplessly to himself, ¡°Others feel despair because they are being blocked by the obstacles in their cultivation. I, on the other hand, have broken through too easily and can¡¯t find an excuse to explain the sudden increase in my strength.¡± Just as he was about to leave, he heard the whispers of the people around him.


    ¡°Have you guys heard? Although the Liu clan is a clan with a warrior candidate, they have offended both the Tongbeiquan School and the Divine Wind Martial Arts School. They are currently preparing to offer up their treasures as an apology,¡± someone whispered not far away. ¡°Haha, when I passed by the Tongbeiquan School this morning, I saw Liu Liyuan personally going there to apologize. From his humble appearance, it¡¯s hard to imagine that he¡¯s a warrior candidate,¡± someone beside him said with a laugh.


    ¡°This Liu Liyuan is really unlucky to have given birth to such a troublesome daughter.


    Do you think the two martial arts schools will ask for too much and make the Liu clan pay a huge price? After all, two core disciples have died.¡±


    The few of them spoke one after another, and unknowingly, the discussion grew more and more heated.


    Now that Liu Wanqing had escaped and disappeared, the Liu clan had no way of explaining themselves.


    Even though Liu Liyuan was a warrior candidate, he was still a fish on the chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.


    Chen Yiming was just listening to the conversation for entertainment when he suddenly had a thought.


    The Liu clan was undoubtedly most concerned about Liu Wanging¡¯s whereabouts.


    As long as they could find her, the two martial arts schools would have no reason to target the entire Liu clan.


    A clan with a warrior candidate like the Liu clan should have accumulated a lot of treasures over the years. It was very likely that the treasures that the Tongbeiquan School took a fancy to were similar to the purple lightning stone.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming turned around and walked towards the exit. He hailed a taxi and headed to the Liu clan¡¯s residence.


    In front of the Liu clan¡¯s villa, on the plaque at the front door, two large words were engraved in black and outlined in gold: Liu residence.


    Chen Yiming stood by the roadside and observed the situation in the Liu clan¡¯s villa.


    The villa looked a little dilapidated due to the lack of maintenance. The atmosphere was abnormally cold, and the entire row of terrace houses was no longer as lively as it was the last time he visited.


    Most of the people who worked for the Liu clan had left one after another when they heard about the incident, afraid that they would be implicated.


    After all, they had offended two martial arts schools at the same time. No one could figure out how the two martial arts schools would react. It was better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Chen Yiming!¡± a voice suddenly called out from behind him.


    Chen Yiming turned around.


    Liu Liyuan strode over. He was wearing a simple long robe, and his face was covered in stubble, making him look very sloppy. His large muddy eyes were not as bright as before, and he looked like an ordinary middle-aged man. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming looked at Liu Liyuan calmly.


    Half a month ago, a warrior candidate like Liu Liyuan was an expert he could not afford to offend.


    At that time, even if he had the talent from the martial arts talent system, he did not dare to be too high-profile. He was afraid that he would be killed before he could even grow.


    ¡°Wanqing was reckless. She hid it from her family and recruited the few of you to hunt in the mountains, causing you to almost die in the beast tide. I really don¡¯t know how to apologize to you,¡± Liu Liyuan said in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming remained silent.


    He did not know if the other party was sincerely apologizing or if he had other motives.


    Based on his understanding of martial arts clans, for a clan head like Liu Liyuan, their cultivation and strength had to be at the top of the clan.


    The others, including their children, had to be weaker than them. Otherwise, they would not be able to hold on to their position as the clan head.


    ¡°Do you want to go in and have a seat? Let¡¯s have some tea and have a good chat.¡± Liu Liyuan extended an invitation.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Chen Yiming rejected the invitation.


    If he really entered the Liu clan¡¯s residence, it was hard to guarantee that the Liu clan would not use him to send a message to the outside world that his relationship with Liu Wanqing was something special.


    At the moment, he, Zhao Yifeng, and Meng Tai were all victims recruited by Liu Wanqing.


    In the eyes of the outside world, the reason he was able to return alive was because he was stronger and luckier.


    If Liu Liyuan did not pay the price he was satisfied with, he would not be willing to take the blame for no good reason.

 Chapter 88 - Offering the Treasure (I)

    Chapter 88 Offering the Treasure (I)


    A gust of wind blew past, and some sand hit his face.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and turned to leave.


    ¡°My friend, wait a moment.¡± Liu Liyuan hurriedly stopped him.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Chen Yiming pretended to be confused.


    ¡°I heard that you are looking for the purple lightning stone, is that right?¡± Liu Liyuan asked directly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Although he had gone straight to the Liu clan after leaving the trading center, he had made some inquiries while shopping at the stalls. It was inevitable that he would reveal what he was after to the stall owners.


    Those with a quick mind would immediately sell this information to the Liu clan.


    There was nothing strange about that.


    ¡°Coincidentally, there is a treasure similar to the purple lightning stone in the Liu clan¡¯s treasure vault. Take it as an apology for Wanqing¡¯s rash actions,¡± Liu Liyuan said in a low voice.


    Chen Yiming fell silent and pretended to consider it.


    If it was a treasure like the purple lightning stone, it was very likely that the original plan was to offer it to the Tongbeiquan School.


    The Tongbeiquan School might not have given a clear response yet, but they might have already decided that this item belonged to them.


    If that was the case, and Liu Liyuan gave him this treasure as an apology, not only would it split the two martial arts schools, but it would also implicate Chen Yiming.


    After the Tongbeiquan School found out about this, they would be a hundred percent sure that Liu Wanqing and Chen Yiming had a special relationship. They would definitely shift their attention to Chen Yiming.


    They might even guess that Chen Yiming had deliberately helped Liu Wanqing hide her whereabouts.


    About a minute passed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    With his strength, he had the complete upper hand.


    As long as he obtained a treasure similar to the purple lightning stone, he could pretend to be cultivating in seclusion for a period of time.


    He could then publicly announce that he was a warrior candidate who had broken through to the ninth transformation the moment he came out from his cultivation. No matter how much the Tongbeiquan School disliked him, they could not do anything about him then.


    It was impossible for the head to cause trouble for someone like him who was from the next generation just because of such a minor disagreement.


    Worse come to worst, his true level was in the warrior realm. What was there for him to be afraid of?


    ¡°Please do.¡± Liu Liyuan¡¯s clouded eyes suddenly lit up, and his entire aura changed.


    The two of them entered the villa one after another and went to Liu Liyuan¡¯s study.


    The study was very spacious, about 100 square meters in size. It was decorated in a traditional style.


    There were three rows of bookshelves inside, each filled with books.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and have a cup of tea first. I¡¯ve already instructed my eldest son, Liu Daolong, to go to the treasure vault to retrieve the treasure.¡± Liu Liyuan invited Chen Yiming to sit opposite him at the desk and made some tea.


    The two of them chatted for a while before Liu Daolong knocked on the door and entered.


    He was about 25 or 26 years old and was well-built. His large eyes were similar to his father¡¯s, except that the expression in his eyes were pure and innocent instead of sly.


    As soon as he entered, he said, ¡°Dad, I object to giving this lightning wood to Chen Yiming. What about the Tongbeiquan School? This is the only treasure in our clan that the Tongbeiquan School expressed interest in.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and observed the person who had entered the room.


    He thought to himself that Liu Daolong was too honest and straightforward. His words had completely exposed Liu Liyuan¡¯s intentions.


    Did they not discuss it beforehand or was he trying to deliberately ruin his father¡¯s plan?


    ¡°Put down the things, then you can leave first,¡± Liu Liyuan suddenly scolded him with a displeased expression.


    Liu Daolong¡¯s expression froze and he stopped in his tracks.


    In the end, he did not dare to say anything more. He placed a wooden box on the desk and turned to leave.


    ¡°My young friend, my eldest son has been cultivating at home for a long time. He doesn¡¯t go out much or know much about things. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Liu Liyuan pushed the wooden box towards Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming lowered his head and looked at the wooden box.


    There was a golden ribbon tied to the surface of the wooden box. It was unknown what kind of precious wood was used to make the box, but it had a nice, warm color.


    Upon opening the wooden box, he saw a cylindrical piece of charred wood.


    ¡°Is this the lightning wood?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    This lightning wood looked no different from an ordinary branch that had been struck by lightning.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the lightning wood, taken from a special tree in the otherworld.


    The reason why it doesn¡¯t look special is because no one in the Liu clan dared to try it out. The power of lightning stored in it had already dissipated naturally over time.


    You only need to wait for a thunderstorm. You don¡¯t have to go to the otherworld, it¡¯s enough to stay on the blue planet. Place the lightning wood on the peak of a mountain in the thunderstorm.


    The lightning wood can naturally attract lightning to strike down on it and automatically replenish the power of the lightning in it,¡± Liu Liyuan said with a smile.


    Chen Yiming looked up and asked, ¡°There are a number of cracks in this piece of wood. Will it be destroyed after just a few uses?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. After all, since obtaining this lightning wood, I have not dared to try it out,¡± Liu Liyuan said bluntly, not hiding anything.


    ¡°Got it. Then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    He tied the golden ribbon around the wooden box again and stuffed it into his pocket. Then, he stood up and walked out the door.


    Liu Liyuan opened his mouth but didn¡¯t say anything in the end. He stood up and walked Chen Yiming to the entrance of the villa, then watched him leave.


    In the training hall of the Tongbeiquan School, Xie Quan and the other two core disciples were packing their things and stuffing some equipment for surviving in the wilderness into their backpacks.


    Suddenly, a phone rang.


    ¡°Hello, Auntie. What¡¯s the matter¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Xie Quan said seriously into the phone.


    Xie Quan and Meng Tai were cousins, and the two of them were training at the same martial arts school.


    ¡°A call from your family?¡± Ren Zhengxin slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked over to him.


    He was wearing a short-sleeved training robe, revealing the outline of his firm muscles. Coupled with his buzz cut, just standing in front of him would put an invisible pressure on anyone.


    ¡°Yes, my aunt only has one son, Meng Tai. She asked me to kill that woman, Liu Wanqing, and make her pay for his death with her life,¡± Xie Quan whispered.


    Zhang Shaoshou had also packed up his equipment and walked over with a smile. ¡°Xie Quan, the three of us at the level of the sixth transformation will take action together. As long as we find traces of Liu Wanqing, I can¡¯t think of any way for her to escape from us.¡±


    He was only wearing a pair of long pants, and his muscular upper body was naked, with a tiger head tattooed on his chest. He gave off a wild and violent aura.


    ¡°With the help from the two of you, of course there won¡¯t be any problem,¡± Xie Quan said gratefully.


    As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang again.


    ¡°Hello, Liu Daolong, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Xie Quan asked through the phone.


    In a room in the Liu clan¡¯s villa, Liu Daolong sealed all the doors and windows to ensure that no one would hear him before he made the call.


    ¡°Brother Xie, there¡¯s a problem on my side. The lightning wood has been given to Chen Yiming,¡± Liu Daolong said.


    Liu Daolong and Xie Quan could be considered ordinary friends. Therefore, after this incident happened in the Liu clan, he went straight to Xie Quan and asked him for help to plead for leniency from his school.


    He had also discussed with Xie Quan about using the lightning wood as compensation. Xie Quan would take on the task of capturing Liu Wanqing, and the lightning wood would naturally be given to Xie Quan.


    However, something had happened to change the plan. Liu Liyuan had already given the lightning wood to Chen Yiming, so Liu Daolong could only tell him the truth, hoping that Xie Quan would direct his anger towards Chen Yiming

 Chapter 89 - Offering the Treasure (II)

    Chapter 89 Offering the Treasure (II)


    In the training hall,


    Xie Quan threw his phone on the ground and cursed. ¡°It¡¯s that damned Chen Yiming again.¡±


    His expression turned extremely ugly, and he was on the verge of losing his mind.


    Previously, he had gone with Gao Xuelong from the Divine Wind Martial Arts School to teach Chen Yiming a lesson, but he had been humiliated instead. And now, Chen Yiming had taken the lightning wood. Chen Yiming was someone who was about to be kicked out of his martial arts school, but he had been foiled by him time and time again. How could he accept this?


    ¡°Is there a problem with the lightning wood?¡± Zhang Shaoshou asked in a low voice. A martial arts practitioner¡¯s ears were extremely sharp, and he heard every word from the other end of the phone.


    Without waiting for Xie Quan to reply, Ren Zhengxin added, ¡°If we can¡¯t get the lightning wood, we can¡¯t waste our precious cultivation time to accompany you to capture Liu Wanqing.¡±


    Xie Quan had asked Ren Zhengxin and Zhang Shaoshou for help, with the condition that he would lend them the lightning wood to use once each.


    If not for that, they would not have been willing to waste their precious cultivation time to help him.


    After all, they had yet to find any traces of her. Who knew how long this trip would take?


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Xie Quan was so angry that his face turned red. He kicked the phone that had cracked open on the ground and crushed it completely to dust with his foot.


    ¡°Next month, the martial arts school will distribute some cultivation resources to me. The two of you will each take half of it. How about that?¡± Xie Quan gritted his teeth and said angrily.


    ¡°That works too.¡±


    Ren Zhengxin and Zhang Shaoshou nodded in agreement.


    The monthly cultivation resources were naturally inferior to the lightning wood, but it was better than nothing.


    The three of them set off quickly. They first hired an investigator from a famous detective agency in the city before heading for the wilderness.


    After Chen Yiming left the Liu clan, he headed straight to the library in the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters to look up information on the lightning wood./ please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M.


    The martial arts school had only suspended the monthly distribution of cultivation resources, and there was no ban on entering the library.


    As long as the Mantis Snake Sword School did not officially switch to the new head, they would still be core disciples of the school. Lin Yixuan could not go overboard with his treatment of them.


    When he passed by the street beside the headquarters of the Tongbeiquan School, he happened to see Xie Quan hurriedly leaving the school with two other people.


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks and watched Xie Quan and the others leave along the street. An idea suddenly occurred to him.


    ¡°I only have one or two months left as a core disciple of the school. In the future, I will lose the protection of the school.


    Now that I have successfully obtained the lightning wood, I can follow the previous example and quickly break through to a warrior candidate in a short period of time.


    As a warrior candidate, I will already be considered to be at the highest tier in terms of combat power in East Lake City. I will only be below those 20 to 30 warriors in terms of power, and will no longer be someone that can easily be bullied.


    Why don¡¯t I start building a faction under my complete control?


    With a stable way of gathering information, whatever I do in private can be carried out much more conveniently compared to now.¡±


    After Xie Quan and the others disappeared from sight, Chen Yiming quickly continued walking in the direction of the Mantis Snake Sword School. As he walked, he considered the people he could potentially rope in.


    He carefully sorted out the connections he had made after joining the martial arts school.


    He realized that after joining the martial arts school for nearly a year, due to his low-key development in the early stages and the fact that his strength had increased too quickly, there were only a few people who barely met his requirements.


    They were Wang Bowen, Zhang Youde, Liu Wanqing, Shi Changyi, and Wei Chaoyuan.


    Wang Bowen was not only a good friend, but also his senior brother in the martial arts school. The two of them interacted as equals.


    What Chen Yiming wanted to establish was a faction that would work for him alone. It wasn¡¯t suitable for Wang Bowen to join.


    He had heard that Zhang Youde had successfully broken through to the third transformation during the war in the west.


    However, after the war ended, his family had arranged for him to continue practicing martial arts in the provincial city. He and Chen Yiming had basically lost contact.


    Liu Wanging¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. Coupled with the fact that this woman had a feud with two martial arts schools, it was not appropriate to recruit her to help him out. It would easily cause their faction to be targeted and suppressed during the early stages of its growth.


    Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan were the only ones left. One of them had a big boss as his father, and the other had rich experience of living in the wilderness. They were Chen Yiming¡¯s most promising candidates for his faction.


    At the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, Chen Yiming pushed open the door and walked in through the entrance.


    At a glance, other than the front desk staff and a few familiar faces, the entire training hall was empty.


    Other than one or two people who were close to Lin Yixuan, the other core disciples had basically left, which was equivalent to graduating and looking for a job.


    Chen Yiming sighed, feeling emotional.


    According to what he knew, the 13 martial arts schools in East Lake City were all controlled by stronger factions in the provincial city.


    This meant that the ceiling for the development of a faction depended on the strength of the strongest person in the faction.


    In a small city like East Lake City, the expansion of the martial arts schools was limited.


    This act of letting out the core disciples of the previous generation was definitely not the school¡¯s own will, but the actions of the power controlling them from behind the scenes.


    Therefore, core disciples of the previous generation could not continue to stay and become the foundation of the martial arts school.


    ¡°Chen Yiming.¡±


    While he was in a daze, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, Shen Jia.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw Shen Jia walking over from the front desk.


    Shen Jia was the female receptionist who had guided him through signing the contract when he registered for the entrance test.


    Although the two of them were both members of the Mantis Snake Sword School, after the day that he passed the test, they had not interacted again due to the differences in their statuses.


    ¡°I rarely see you come back to the headquarters. I don¡¯t even dare to call you when I see you once in a while,¡± Shen Jia said in a soft voice, her face slightly red.


    ¡°I see. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    This was his habit, especially after he broke through to the warrior realm. He disliked beating around the bush and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to say hello to you.¡± Shen Jia¡¯s voice gradually became softer until it was almost inaudible. Her hands, which were behind her back, were clenched tightly.


    She was very nervous. The person in front of her was a genius core disciple who had broken through to the sixth transformation in less than a year.


    Although she had an outstanding appearance and figure, she was only an ordinary person. She had lost all confidence in front of Chen Yiming


    The lines she had prepared in her mind before she mustered up her courage to greet him had been completely forgotten. Her mind had gone blank.


    ¡°By the way, I plan to start my own company. Are you willing to help me?¡± Chen Yiming suddenly remembered that there were very few people he could ask, so he gave it a shot.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Jia was surprised.


    At this moment, her head was buzzing, and her thoughts seemed to be slowed down by something. She could not even come up with a simple response.


    ¡°If you perform well, I can help you try to embark on the path of martial arts. You¡¯re only 18 or 19 years old, right? It¡¯s not too late,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    Seeing that Shen Jia did not give an immediate answer, he thought that she was weighing the pros and cons. After all, creating his own company was an idea he had just come up with.


    Therefore, he directly threw out an offer that ordinary people could not refuse. In any case, he had no need of resources for the initial stages of martial arts cultivation. He would not pick them up even if he found them by the road.

 Chapter 90 - Company (1)

    Chapter 90 Company (1)


    ¡°You¡¯re not interested? Forget it then.¡± Chen Yiming turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m interested. I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t,¡± Shen Jia blurted out as she got out of her daze. She chased after him in her high heels.


    Chen Yiming instantly turned around when he heard this.


    To him, the speed of his movement was very slow, and was considered a normal speed. However, to Shen Jia, his figure had moved in the blink of an eye and she could not react in time.


    Shen Jia subconsciously stopped herself, but her mind was still working slowly, and she was wearing high heels.


    She stumbled and fell towards Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming raised his arm and caught Shen Jia by her hands.


    However, Shen Jia couldn¡¯t control her body which bumped straight into Chen Yiming¡¯s chest, then bounced off it.


    ¡°It hurts!¡± Shen Jia couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s chest felt like a steel plate to her. Anyone who bumped into it would feel as though their bones were breaking.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He wondered if this woman was deliberately trying to take advantage of him. She had rushed over in such a hurry, even though he had not gone far.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked what your company will do.¡± Shen Jia rubbed her aching chest and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought it through completely. I was just about to discuss it with some friends,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°Alright, let me know when you¡¯ve decided,¡± Shen Jia said softly.


    Ever since Lin Yixuan was confirmed as the next head, the daily management of the school headquarters had been handed over to Mu Yuerong


    Shen Jia was a receptionist who was both talented and good-looking, and she could read other¡¯s expressions well. Her sales were always among the top three.


    During the recent meetings, Mu Yuerong had repeatedly made things difficult for her, revealing signs that she wanted to chase away these good-looking female receptionists.


    Therefore, she accepted Chen Yiming¡¯s invitation without any hesitation.


    He had successfully poached an employee from his old organization, which could be considered as a good start for his new company.


    Chen Yiming was in a good mood and went straight upstairs to the library.


    No one was in the library. There were only the books on the shelves.


    Chen Yiming patiently searched for information regarding the lightning wood and quickly found the answer he was looking for. A complete piece of lightning wood was a treasure used by those in the warrior realm. The power of lightning stored in it was not something that the purple lightning stone could compare with.


    As for the small section he had gotten his hands on, it was neither here nor there.


    It was somewhat useless for those in the warrior realm. The lightning power stored in it could not meet the minimum requirement for tempering the body.


    For those who were below the warrior realm, it would exceed the limits of what they could withstand. Unless they had a high resistance to lightning, they would definitely die.


    ¡°No wonder Liu Liyuan was so willing to give away this lightning wood. Even if I had turned away at the entrance of the villa, he would have given it to the Tongbeiquan School as compensation.


    Since the people from the Tongbeiquan School have been using such items to temper their bodies for a long time, they must have their own methods of withstanding it. I¡¯m just snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    He had a feeling that there would be many conflicts with the Tongbeiquan School in the future.


    The reason wasn¡¯t just because he had taken the lightning wood that was originally going to be given to them, but also because Chen Yiming was about to interfere in the established power structure in the city.


    The size of a place was fixed. Once a new faction led by Chen Yiming rose up, there had to be a corresponding faction that would fall.


    The next day, at Hidden Dragon Teahouse.


    The teahouse was located halfway up a mountain in the north of the city.


    A mountain road was built from the bottom of the mountain to the top, and it was shaped like a sleeping dragon.


    There were also a few hotels and bars halfway up the mountain. Because the air was fresh and the environment was comfortable, the expenses here were many times higher compared to at the foot of the mountain.


    The price of a small drink was close to 100 yuan.


    Chen Yiming, Shi Changyi, and Wei Chaoyuan sat around a tea table. On the table was a box of tea leaves, a tea set, and an electric kettle.


    At this moment, the kettle was shaking slightly, and there was a sizzling sound. White steam gradually came out of the mouth of the kettle.


    ¡°Brother Chen, why did you call us out?¡± Shi Changyi picked up the teacup in front of him and finished the tea in one gulp.


    ¡°I want to establish a faction that belongs solely to me. That¡¯s why I asked you guys to come over, to see if you¡¯re willing to help me,¡± Chen Yiming said frankly.


    Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan did not reply immediately. Instead, they remained silent for a long time.


    This was not a game. If the new faction tried to take a share of the profits, it would definitely invite backlash from the existing factions.


    If the faction did not have enough strength to withstand the backlash, it might be reduced to ashes overnight.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re being too hasty. It hasn¡¯t even been a year since you started practicing martial arts. After you cultivate for another four or five years, the increase in your strength will gradually slow down. Wouldn¡¯t you have more confidence then?


    You must know that the Anteng Transportation Company is under a martial arts school because it was not strong enough. It could only give out a large amount of its profits to seek protection from elsewhere.


    Otherwise, it would be targeted endlessly, and the company¡¯s business would not be able to proceed normally,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said in a low voice.


    As soon as Wei Chaoyuan finished speaking, Shi Changyi also tried to persuade him.


    ¡°Brother Chen, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate either. To an individual, the sixth transformation realm is considered an expert.


    However, if you are unwilling to be affiliated with a large faction, those people would definitely send people to suppress your company.


    Your individual strength is strong. Even if you can defeat two or three people at the same time, if others send five or ten people who are all experts who have undergone at least six transformations, can you deal with them all?


    My father¡¯s company is under another organization¡¯s protection. I guarantee that nothing I say is false. Once profits are involved, those people are like tigers that eat people.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood what they meant.


    After saying so much, the core problem was that they felt that his strength from the sixth transformation was not enough.


    Of course, Chen Yiming understood this problem. That was why he was willing to help the Liu clan attract the attention of the Tongbeiquan School. He wanted to find a suitable reason to display the strength of a warrior candidate who had undergone nine transformations.


    There were less than a hundred warrior candidates in the entire East Lake City. Compared to the eighth transformation, it was another qualitative improvement. They were existences that had come into contact with the warrior realm.


    When the Liu clan held the auction back then, Liu Liyuan, a warrior candidate, had held back dozens of experts who had undergone seven or eight transformations from making a move with just his presence.


    Lin Yixuan had made use of his experience on the battlefield to break through to become a warrior candidate. He was immediately announced by Wan Rong as the successor to become the next head of the martial arts school.


    Wang Bowen was instantly eliminated, and none of the other core disciples had objected. The main reason was that Wang Bowen had yet to break through to become a warrior candidate.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you have received the news that I have taken the lightning wood from Liu Liyuan that he had wanted to give to the Tongbeiquan School as compensation.


    I was already facing the predicament of being kicked out of a martial arts school, so why would I be willing to risk offending the Tongbeiquan School? I¡¯m not stupid.


    Previously, when I used the purple lightning stone that Shi Changyi gave me to help temper my body, I realized that my physique was of the type that had an extremely high resistance to lightning.


    Therefore, I¡¯m also confident that I can break through to a warrior candidate very soon by using the lightning wood to temper my body,¡± Chen Yiming promised.

 Chapter 91 - Company (II)

    Chapter 91 Company (II)


    The moment he finished speaking,


    Wei Chaoyuan widened his eyes and gasped. ¡°Tsk! Are you kidding us?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen me crack a joke?¡± Chen Yiming rolled his eyes.


    At this moment, Shi Changyi tried to curry favor and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Chen, count me in. I¡¯ll directly transfer some of my father¡¯s subordinates into your company.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with that either. I can just resign and join you,¡± Wei Chaoyuan added.


    Following Chen Yiming¡¯s guarantee that he would be able to break through to a warrior candidate soon, the atmosphere at the tea table became relaxed.


    By starting a business with a warrior candidate, Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan could become founding members of a new faction. Both of them felt that they had a bright future ahead of them.


    ¡°There¡¯s another problem. After all, I¡¯ve always been focused on martial arts, so I don¡¯t know much about other things. I want to hear your opinion on what kind of business the company should be dealing with,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°Brother Chen, what do you need the most at the moment?¡± Shi Changyi asked.


    Chen Yiming thought about it for a moment before replying, ¡°It¡¯s best if the company can receive all kinds of news about the martial arts world in East Lake City immediately.¡±


    He did not need the company¡¯s employees to have high combat strength. Instead, what they could provide him with was all kinds of timely information.


    This was because he was currently a warrior who was hiding his true abilities and had not openly joined the circle of those in the warrior realm. If he wanted to obtain the technique for cultivation after the warrior realm, he had to rely on himself.


    After all, the martial arts talent system had only helped him increase his talent. The cultivation technique would not appear out of nowhere.


    After Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan heard his request, they calmed down and thought about it, trying to come up with the best plan./ please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M.


    A few minutes later, Shi Changyi was the first to speak. ¡°Brother Chen, what do you think about starting with a detective company?¡±


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Chen Yiming urged.


    ¡°This is what I¡¯m thinking. First of all, even if Wei Chaoyuan and I can get some friends to join the company, the company¡¯s strength will definitely be lacking in the early stages.


    As for the detective business, it can avoid the disadvantage of not having enough raw strength. After all, it¡¯s just gathering information, and there¡¯s no need to fight anyone,¡± Shi Changyi explained. ¡°What do you think?¡± Chen Yiming looked at Wei Chaoyuan. He wanted to ask for more opinions and consider things from different perspectives.


    ¡°I wanted to suggest a logistics company just like the one I am working in, but after hearing Shi Changyi¡¯s suggestion, it¡¯s indeed more suitable to start with a detective company.


    The company will be relatively weak when it is first established. It¡¯s best to narrow the scope of business to within East Lake City,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    After settling the direction of the company¡¯s business, the three of them discussed some details.


    Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan promised to rope in a group of people to start the company as soon as possible.


    As the foundation of the company, Chen Yiming was responsible for focusing on cultivating and improving his strength so that he could break through to a warrior candidate as soon as possible.


    Once there was a warrior candidate presiding over the company, countless people would naturally come to join them. That would be the time for the company to flourish.


    It was two days later.


    It had been sunny for the past month, and the past two days were no exception. The thunderstorm that Chen Yiming had been waiting for had yet to arrive.


    The company had already been registered. Its name was the ¡®Yiming Detective Agency¡¯. It was simple and easy to understand.


    In the future, if there were more types of businesses, he could directly set up a corporation and include the ¡®Yiming Detective Agency¡¯ as a subsidiary company.


    The sky had turned slightly light.


    Chen Yiming left the city openly through the city¡¯s gates.


    After he was a few kilometers away from East Lake City and confirming that no one was following him, he unleashed his true speed and moved in a randomly chosen direction. He found a canyon dozens of kilometers away from East Lake City and started his cultivation.


    During his cultivation, the power of lightning formed from his internal force would spread throughout his entire body, creating a lot of noise.


    If he cultivated in the city, he would not be able to hide it from others. Therefore, he had to leave the city for his daily cultivation.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was sitting cross-legged on the top of a cliff in the canyon.


    Looking down from the cliff, he could vaguely make out the figures of a few mutant beasts.


    This was not within the range of the space-travel passage. The mutant beasts here were like the wild beasts of the past. Not only were they rare, but they were also relatively weak. They were usually at the level of three or four transformations.


    He suddenly recalled the scene of him fighting the mother beast more than a week ago. ¡°In terms of internal force, I¡¯m slightly inferior to the mother beast.


    In the future, if I really provoked someone at the level of the head of a martial arts school, without using the Heart Sword, there is a high chance that I would lose.


    The Heart Sword¡¯s ability was extremely lethal. Once it is used, the opponent would either die or be crippled. It can only be used as a trump card and can not be used easily in front of others. I have to think of another way to increase my strength under normal circumstances. At the very least, I have to ensure that I won¡¯t lose to someone like the head of a martial arts school.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming went through the cultivation techniques he had learned.


    The only techniques he had mastered at the warrior realm were the Thunder Sword Technique and the Flying Feather Sword Technique.


    The internal force cultivated from the Thunder Sword Technique could be transformed into the power of lightning. It was more effective at tempering the body than the Flying Feather Sword Technique.


    In addition, even though he had tried several times, he was still unable to fuse the two internal forces with different attributes. Therefore, after exhausting the internal force from cultivating the concept diagram of the Flying Feather Sword Technique, he had focused only on cultivating the Thunder Sword Technique.


    Chen Yiming guessed that there must be a way to fuse them. Perhaps his current level was not high enough, or perhaps the people he interacted with were too weak so he had not come into contact with someone of that level.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already unearthed the full potential of the cultivation techniques I have mastered. There¡¯s no news about the techniques beyond the warrior realm for the time being. It¡¯s not realistic to start from this point,¡± Chen Yiming said bitterly.


    After some thought, Chen Yiming looked through the martial arts talent system again.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 2


    Level: Warrior realm


    Physique: Basic sword body


    Skill points: 40


    So far, he had accumulated some Skill Points.


    He tried to add more points to his Level-2 swordsmanship talent. A line of small words appeared at the bottom right of the Level-2 swordsmanship talent frame, indicating that he needed 300 Skill Points.


    ¡°As expected, it doesn¡¯t work,¡± Chen Yiming said helplessly.


    He had only upgraded to the Level-2 swordsmanship talent not long ago. If he had not broken through to the warrior realm using various tricks, he would still have been slowly tempering his body.


    He had undergone the third transformation, the sixth transformation, the ninth transformation, and entered a meditative state to draw the concept diagram.


    These four hurdles were each more difficult than the last. It seemed that martial arts practitioners with different amounts of talent were separated by these bottlenecks.


    Chen Yiming had broken through the last two bottlenecks in one go. The speed at which he accumulated Skill Points naturally couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed at which his strength increased.


    Suddenly, he had a thought.


    ¡°Since my Level-3 swordsmanship talent is still far away, isn¡¯t it a little foolish to insist on focusing on one talent at this time? Can I activate a second talent?¡±


    Chen Yiming started to check the grayed out talents in the system.


    Once he added a point to his talent, he could not change it. Therefore, he had to consider it carefully to prevent any regrets in the future.


    In particular, he had to consider the complementary nature of his talents. It would be best if they would achieve the effect where their combination was greater than the sum of the individual parts.


    As a result, he immediately excluded the weapon mastery talent.

 Chapter 92 - Arrogance (I)

    Chapter 92 Arrogance (I)


    Chen Yiming checked the description of each talent under the body and spirit categories.


    Body of Fire: Innate affinity with fire. Can transform the body into endless flames that reach high up into the sky.


    Seeing this, he gasped. ¡°Transforming into flames? Elemental transformation?


    Isn¡¯t this the special ability from consuming a certain type of fruit that was described in an anime from my previous world?¡±


    Pure Body: The body can purify all kinds of foreign energy. No impurities will remain in the body.


    ¡°This physique seems to be of great help to one¡¯s cultivation. In terms of defense, even if the enemy injects internal force into one¡¯s body, it can be purified immediately.¡± Chen Yiming felt that it was not a bad ability and could be considered as one of the candidates.


    Five Elements Body: Cultivate energy of the five elements at the same time, complementing each other endlessly.


    Energy Eye: Can see all energy fluctuations. No one can hide from these eyes.


    Eagle Eye: Greatly increases one¡¯s dynamic vision. No matter how fast one¡¯s movements are, they cannot escape the gaze of these eyes.


    Psychokinesis: Giving spiritual power a physical form to interfere with the real world. Weapons can be controlled and made to fly into the sky and burrow into the ground.


    ¡°Will the energy eyes and eagle eyes cause the eyes to undergo some sort of transformation?


    With spiritual power combined with sword technique, can someone¡¯s head be chopped off from thousands of kilometers away like in the legends from my previous world?¡± Chen Yiming wondered.


    Chen Yiming thought about it and made a comparison. First, he eliminated the talents with obvious characteristics.


    For example, he did not want to directly transform into flames and burn his enemies to death when fighting them.


    He had been practicing martial arts for almost a year, but he had never heard of anyone with such a special ability. He did not want others to notice that he was different from ordinary people.


    Then, he eliminated those with overly-specialized functions./ please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M.


    For example, the Eagle Eye could only improve one¡¯s dynamic vision, and was not of any help to one¡¯s cultivation.


    He thought about how his cultivation level would increase in the future. If he faced attacks head-on when fighting with others, his attacks could easily cause the ground to crack and the rivers to be cut off.


    At that time, the boost to combat power from enhanced dynamic vision was very limited.


    Finally, he eliminated those talents that looked like they had low potential for further development.


    For example, the main use of psychokinesis was to interfere with reality and control weapons from a distance.


    In his previous life, he had read novels for more than ten years. Psychokinesis abilities had always shone brightly in the early stages. After all, in the early stages, most people engaged in close combat, and users of psychokinesis could attack from a distance.


    However, in the later stages, psychokinesis was basically rendered useless.


    After these rounds of elimination, Chen Yiming narrowed down the number of talents he was considering to less than ten.


    He spent another hour or so repeatedly comparing the remaining talents and finally deciding on one.


    Undying Body: Unlimited stamina, inexhaustible energy, reborn from blood.


    Chen Yiming nodded and commented, ¡°This body talent is not bad. It perfectly meets the requirements for me to develop quietly and increase my strength steadily.¡±


    This was how he understood it.


    Unlimited stamina: When escaping, one¡¯s stamina would recover much faster than the enemy¡¯s. One would not end up in a situation where they had to watch helplessly as the enemy caught up to them because their stamina was depleted.


    Inexhaustible energy: In battle, since internal force uses up one¡¯s energy, if one could replenish their energy faster than the enemy, they would not lose in a battle of attrition.


    Reborn from blood: The injuries one received would automatically heal. One would not need to be afraid of receiving injuries to land an attack on the enemy.


    Therefore, he stopped hesitating and chose to add points to the Indestructible Body talent.


    Immediately, a box appeared in the lower right corner of the Undying Body talent, indicating whether to spend 30 Skill Points.


    ¡°The Skill Points needed to upgrade a second talent are actually ten times that of the first talent?


    Then, would the Skill Points required for the third talent be ten times that of the second talent?


    Fortunately, I did not act rashly. Instead, I chose the Undying Body, a talent that would enhance the body in all aspects.


    From this, it can be deduced that three talents are about the limit of this system. In that case, I have to be even more cautious when choosing the third talent,¡± Chen Yiming said in surprise.


    After thinking it through, he decided to confirm his choice.


    Shortly after, the talent panel shook and automatically refreshed.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Sword Technique-Level 2; Undying Body-Level 1


    Level: Warrior realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Skill points: 10


    At the same time, an indescribable source of power developed in his body.


    Chen Yiming closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes in his body.


    His muscles were filled with an endless stream of power, making his body, which was sitting cross-legged with its eyes closed, feel extremely uncomfortable. Signals kept coming from his body, asking him to release this power.


    In addition, his internal force also started to become restless. Without him taking the initiative to release it, it appeared and swam around his body excitedly, as if it had obtained a life of its own.


    Finally, the small figure in his mind, which was sitting cross-legged at the same time as him, emitted a dazzling golden light, like a glowing Buddha statue.


    A few minutes later, ¡°There¡¯s no reference for how much it has improved. I can only vaguely sense that it has undergone a qualitative change. However, if I were to meet the mother beast now, she would be the one to give up first,¡± Chen Yiming opened his eyes and muttered.


    Next, he got up and jumped down, landing in an open space in the canyon.


    After a simple test, there were several new changes in his body.


    With every punch and kick, he cracked open a huge hole in the mountain. The tremors spread far and wide through the ground.


    Not long after the tremors subsided, the sound of lightning rang out again, echoing throughout the canyon.


    All the mutant beasts in the canyon hid in their caves, their bodies trembling.


    They did not expect that such a fierce human would suddenly barge into the canyon where they lived. Just by looking at him from afar, they felt an endless amount of fear.


    Chen Yiming had just returned home when he received a call from Wei Chaoyuan.


    On the phone, Chen Yiming found out that the ¡®Yiming Detective Agency¡¯ was in trouble. Hence, he went out again and headed to the company.


    The ¡®Yiming Detective Agency¡¯ was located on the busiest street in the city center. They had rented a shop of nearly 300 square meters for their business.


    Chen Yiming rushed to the entrance of the shop and noticed that something was amiss.


    At this moment, people were coming and going on the busy street. Some shops were even playing music to liven up the atmosphere, but his sense had been sharpened by his cultivation beyond the level that a normal person could imagine.


    Even with the cover of the crowd, the prying gazes could not be completely hidden.


    ¡°Working is indeed different from starting a business. Someone is already looking for trouble with me right from the start,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself. He didn¡¯t stop walking and pushed open the glass door to enter the shop.


    The core disciples of the martial arts school were still people who worked for the school. Even the head of the school was under the control of a stronger faction in the provincial city.


    Now that Chen Yiming had established a new company and established a faction that belonged solely to him, it immediately caused a backlash.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Wei Chaoyuan immediately stood up from the sofa when he saw who it was.


    Chen Yiming walked over and asked, ¡°There are people monitoring us from the surroundings. What happened?¡±


    ¡°We had just hired two detectives at the level of the first transformation. On the first day of work, they went to the trading center in the west of the city to investigate the reason for the sudden rise in prices the past few days.


    On the way back, they were beaten up in an alley. As soon as they returned to the company, they immediately wrote their resignation letters,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied.

 Chapter 93 - Arrogance (II)

    Chapter 93 Arrogance (II)


    ¡°Do you know which faction did it?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°I asked a friend about it. It¡¯s said that the Flying Scorpion Sect in the south of the city has announced that no one from the detective industry is allowed to join our company,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said in a low voice.


    ¡°Is the Flying Scorpion Sect under the Tongbeiquan School?¡± Chen Yiming asked again. Recently, he had offended the Tongbeiquan School quite a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Do you want me to find out more about the situation from my friends?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked.


    ¡°No need. Stay in the company and wait for my news.¡± Chen Yiming stood up and walked out of the shop.


    At the same time, in the hall of the Flying Scorpion Sect¡¯s encampment, the chief, Zhou Weidong, sat at the head of the table with a dark expression as he listened to the reports from the three deputy chiefs.


    For some reason, he felt a tightness in his chest and could not breathe properly.


    Zhou Weidong had practiced martial arts for more than 20 years and had undergone seven transformations. Ever since he became friends with the eldest senior brother of the Tongbeiquan School, Wu Yunsheng, three years ago, the development of the sect had been smooth sailing.


    However, there was bound to be a price to pay. The Flying Scorpion Sect was getting more and more involved with the Tongbeiquan School¡¯s matters. Although they were not openly affiliated with the Tongbeiquan School, it was basically as though that was the case.


    Wu Yunsheng had asked him to suppress the Yiming Detective Agency. Although he was unwilling to get involved, he eventually nodded and agreed to it.


    ¡°Chief, today, we sent some people to beat up the two detectives who had just joined the Yiming Detective Agency.


    The people we sent out have just sent back the news that the two detectives have already packed their belongings and quit the company. What should we do next?¡± one of the deputy chiefs, Yan Yunhong, asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly. Just keep an eye on the Yiming Detective Agency and wait for my next order,¡± Zhou Weidong said in a low voice.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yan Yunhong replied.


    ¡°Chief, I have a question. What if Chen Yiming secretly attacks us deputy chiefs? How should we deal with him?¡± another deputy chief, Zhu Huicheng, asked worriedly.


    Zhou Weidong was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Stay in the city for the time being. It¡¯s best if you stay at home in the city center. I don¡¯t believe Chen Yiming will dare to make a move in the city openly.¡±


    The city was different from the wilderness. There were laws and regulations that restricted the moves of martial arts practitioners.


    Martial arts practitioners could fight in private, but they were not allowed to kill anyone in public. Anyone who openly challenged the law would either have to escape to the wilderness or be captured and imprisoned by the city guards.


    Although the deputy chiefs of the Flying Scorpion Sect had only undergone five transformations, under normal circumstances, as long as they were prepared, they would not be assassinated without even being able to react.


    Zhou Weidong had dared to accept this job because he was betting that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to him, and he also wouldn¡¯t dare to openly attack his deputy chiefs.


    After all, the city center was at the core of East Lake City. The city guards there were not just for show.


    ¡°Chief, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll go back first.¡± The three deputy chiefs bade their chief farewell.


    ¡°Alright, be careful on the way back.¡± Zhou Weidong waved his hand, indicating that the three of them could leave.


    Hearing this, the three deputy chiefs turned around and walked towards the door. Just as they reached the door, someone blocked their way.


    It was Chen Yiming, who had rushed over after hearing the news.


    Chen Yiming looked at the three deputy chiefs and Zhou Weidong, who was sitting at the head of the table. The higher-ups of the Flying Scorpion Sect were all present, which saved him a lot of time.


    All three of the deputy chiefs were strong and muscular. Because they had been involved in fights between the sects for many years, each of their auras carried a hint of killing intent.


    Zhou Weidong, who was sitting at the head of the table, had a fierce glint in his eyes. There was a green dragon tattoo on his right arm, and a large saber was placed on the table beside him. His entire body emitted a fierce


    aura.


    ¡°I¡¯m the chief of the Flying Scorpion Sect, Zhou Weidong. May I ask why you have come to visit so suddenly?¡± Zhou Weidong pretended not to know anything and got up from his seat.


    ¡°Not only were the two detectives from my company injured by Chief Zhou¡¯s subordinates for no reason, but they were also forced to resign. They even said that no one in the detective industry is allowed to work in my company,¡± Chen Yiming said bluntly.


    When Zhou Weidong heard this, he pretended to be shocked and asked Yan Yunhong, ¡°Deputy Chief Yan, what¡¯s going on? Is what he said true?¡±


    ¡°Chief, I don¡¯t know about the others, but I guarantee that my subordinates have not done anything like this,¡± Yan Yunhong swore as he patted his chest.


    Zhou Weidong looked at the other two deputy chiefs.


    ¡°We have also never heard of this matter, and can guarantee that our subordinates have not done such a thing,¡± the two deputy chiefs swore as well.


    ¡°Is there some kind of misunderstanding? It¡¯s very likely that another sect did this to frame the Flying Scorpion Sect,¡± Zhou Weidong said calmly.


    He and the other party had both undergone seven transformations, and this place was the base of the Flying Scorpion Sect.


    As long as he refused to admit it, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move here. After all, even a swarm of ants could defeat a single elephant.


    As long as he could get rid of Chen Yiming today and make suitable arrangements for his deputy chiefs, he would have plenty of ways to deal with Chen Yiming later.


    ¡°You won¡¯t admit to it, will you?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he used his feet to push against the ground. A small hole immediately appeared in the concrete ground, and he directly charged towards the three deputy chiefs.


    Although he did not use any internal force or any sword technique, and even suppressed the enhancement from the Level-1 Undying Body talent, his speed still exceeded the expectations of Zhou Weidong and the three deputy chiefs. ¡°Crack¡­¡±


    The sound of bones breaking could be heard.


    The three deputy chiefs felt their vision blur. Chen Yiming had already returned to his original position. Following that, they felt a sharp pain from their calves.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The three deputy chiefs wailed and fell to their knees. Then, they rolled around while hugging their broken legs tightly.


    Their cries alarmed the sect members outside. Immediately, a group of people barged into the hall to check on the situation.


    ¡°Chief¡­¡± Seeing this, the sect member at the front swallowed his words.


    The sect members who had entered stopped a few meters away. The sect members in front wanted to retreat, but they were blocked by the people behind them.


    The sect members at the back felt that they were safe for now with the people in front of them blocking the way. They did not dare to take the lead and escape, afraid that they would be punished later.


    ¡°What do you mean by this? This is not the wilderness. If you dare to kill anyone, I will immediately go to the city guards to report you,¡± Zhou Weidong said through gritted teeth. His expression had turned ugly.


    He had heard that the other party had also undergone seven transformations like him, but he had practiced martial arts for more than 20 years to obtain his current strength. The other party had only used less than a year, and their talents were on completely different levels.


    When the other party appeared in front of him in person, his calm and collected appearance made him lose his confidence.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Zhou Weidong.


    The other party refused to admit it, but he did not dare to make a move. He could only use the city guards to warn him. He did not seem to have the ferocity befitting a sect member.


    The dragon tattoo on his hand was a stark contrast to his opponent¡¯s current appearance. It was extremely laughable.

 Chapter 94 - Reservoir (I)

    Chapter 94 Reservoir (I)


    ¡°When did I say I wanted to kill anyone?¡± Chen Yiming directly made his move and charged forward.


    ¡°You!¡± Zhou Weidong was shocked and furious. He raised his hand and picked up the large saber beside him. The other party did not care about the rules of the martial arts world at all and was about to attack him once they had a disagreement.


    He swung his arm, and the blade slashed towards Chen Yiming.


    Zhou Weidong¡¯s cultivation technique was called the Black Tiger Saber Technique. Every slash was like a tiger pouncing on its prey, and the technique focused on using one¡¯s brute force.


    If the enemy was someone who did not have strong willpower, he would be able to find an opening the moment they hesitated. He would slash at them with his heavy saber, continuously layering his force on it.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud sound shook the entire hall.


    A figure was sent flying, smashing through the wall made of concrete and steel, leaving a hole the size of a door.


    The figure was actually the chief of the Flying Scorpion Sect, Zhou Weidong. ¡°Hiss!¡±


    The sect members at the entrance of the hall gasped when they saw this.


    None of them had expected that the chief of the Flying Scorpion Sect, Zhou Weidong, would not be a match for his opponent and would be completely crushed.


    The few sect members in the back row suddenly turned around and fled. Following that, as if they had received some kind of signal, all the sect members fled the hall like a swarm of bees and scattered out of the Flying Scorpion Sect¡¯s encampment.


    Chen Yiming ignored the small fries.


    ¡°The Level-1 Undying Body talent has a huge effect on my body. I¡¯ve already tried my best to control my strength, but my attacks still exceeded the level of the seventh transformation,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    He was like a child who had suddenly picked up a sledgehammer. His strength had increased by too much.


    If he wanted to completely control his enhanced strength, he needed to gradually get used to it through daily cultivation.


    Just as Chen Yiming was deep in thought, ¡°Ha!¡± Zhou Weidong sat up and spat out a large mouthful of blood.


    After breaking through to the sixth transformation, the defense on the surface of his body had been greatly enhanced, and his skin was as hard as iron.


    Coupled with the fact that Chen Yiming was using his fists instead of his sword, his muscles and bones weren¡¯t seriously injured. The force from his punches was weakened by his skin and muscles, and the impact had only just reached his internal organs.


    In an instant, he leaped up and used the walls around the hall to escape into the distance.


    ¡°Could it be that I look too young? Wouldn¡¯t it be fine if he just admitted defeat and apologized?¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    He had broken the calves of three deputy chiefs and sent the chief of the sect, Zhou Weidong, flying with a punch. He had done all this to intimidate the forces that had designs on his company.


    Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to kill them with just one move? However, these people were unwilling to cooperate.


    Chen Yiming had no choice but to chase after Zhou Weidong, closing in on him with just a few moves.


    The chase was extremely short. In just a few seconds, the two of them had already left the Flying Scorpion Sect¡¯s camp and arrived on the main road a few hundred meters away.


    There were rows of telephone poles on both sides of the road. The pedestrians had heard the commotion coming from the sect¡¯s encampment earlier, and they had already dispersed and left.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Zhou Weidong sensed the sound of rushing wind behind him. He roared angrily and released all the strength in his body.


    He grabbed a telephone pole to find his footing before turning around and charging at Chen Yiming. He focused all his strength on this slash.


    ¡°You still want to resist?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    As he moved and jumped, he quickly changed directions and threw a punch at Zhou Weidong¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The sound of bones breaking could be heard.


    Zhou Weidong was sent flying again, and his entire body smashed into a dilapidated two-story house by the roadside.


    With a loud bang, a large amount of smoke and dust rose from the house. In the next moment, the entire two-story house collapsed, burying Zhou Weidong completely. ¡°Could he be dead?¡± Chen Yiming walked over to the house to check.


    He had only wanted to severely injure Zhou Weidong with his punch.


    The force of the punch had combined with the explosive force from Zhou Weidong¡¯s entire body. Although the direction of their two forces were not completely aligned, Chen Yiming¡¯s punch still had the effect of pushing it back.


    Not only was Zhou Weidong¡¯s spine broken by his punch, but he was also buried by the collapsed house.


    Chen Yiming had never experienced two combined sources of damage before, so he wasn¡¯t sure if his opponent could withstand it at the level of the seventh transformation.


    ¡°Help me¡­¡±


    The sound came out brokenly from under the ruins of the house.


    His voice was a little hoarse, but one could tell that his life was not in danger.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s not dead. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± Chen Yiming let out a long breath. He took out his phone and called an ambulance for Zhou Weidong before turning to leave.


    An hour later, in an enclosed room in the Tongbeiquan School, Wu Yunsheng sat cross-legged with a page of drawings in front of him.


    On the page was a scene of lightning in a sea of clouds. The vast sea of clouds was riddled with holes from the lightning bolts. This was the concept diagram of the Tongbeiquan Technique.


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching the room could be heard.


    A few seconds later, someone knocked on the door. The door was then pushed open and a figure rushed in.


    It was He Chuan, who was ranked seventh among the core disciples of the Tongbeiquan School.


    He was dressed in casual clothes and had been sent by Wu Yunsheng to monitor the Flying Scorpion Sect¡¯s actions. When he saw Zhou Weidong being sent to the hospital, he rushed back to report the situation.


    ¡°Why are you so flustered? What happened?¡± Wu Yunsheng asked unhappily as he put away the concept diagram.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, there¡¯s been a change in the situation. Zhou Weidong was seriously injured and sent to the hospital,¡± He Chuan replied.


    ¡°Tell me everything in detail.¡± Wu Yunsheng¡¯s expression turned ugly as he stood up.


    ¡°That Chen Yiming¡­¡± He Chuan took a few minutes to tell Wu Yunsheng everything that had happened.


    After Wu Yunsheng heard this, he fell silent for a moment before saying calmly, ¡°There¡¯s something strange about this Chen Yiming. He only obtained the lightning wood a few days ago. Did he break through again? Otherwise, Zhou Weidong wouldn¡¯t have lost so easily.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he saw that He Chuan was hesitant to speak.


    ¡°What else is there?¡± Wu Yunsheng asked directly.


    ¡°When I came in just now, I heard the other disciples in the school discussing Chen Yiming,¡± He Chuan said quietly. Then, he suddenly realized something and stopped.


    ¡°And then?¡± Wu Yunsheng asked angrily.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, these words were said by them, not me,¡± He Chuan said in advance when he saw that he could not avoid talking about it.


    ¡°Cut the crap. Just say it. I won¡¯t blame you,¡± Wu Yunsheng promised.


    ¡°A few of our fellow disciples suspect that Chen Yiming has an extremely high resistance to lightning. In addition, wasn¡¯t Chen Yiming kicked out from his martial arts school by Lin Yixuan?¡± He Chuan said in a low voice, ¡°They think that Chen Yiming hasn¡¯t been practicing martial arts for long, so he can still switch to fist techniques. They¡¯re discussing recommending him to Master.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Wu Yunsheng¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, you promised not to blame me,¡± He Chuan reminded him, shocked by his reaction.


    ¡°Alright, you can leave first.¡± Wu Yunsheng¡¯s expression froze, and he waved his hand to dismiss him.


    He Chuan left the room and closed the door. The sound of footsteps from his departure gradually disappeared.


    Wu Yunsheng punched the desk beside him, which was instantly blown to pieces by the force of his fist.


    ¡°You have a physique with extremely high lightning resistance? Even if you have this talent, if you die, who will still care about it?¡± Wu Yunsheng gritted his teeth and said fiercely.

 Chapter 95 - Reservoir (II)

    The next day, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.


    Everything seemed to be going well.


    Before Chen Yiming left the city to cultivate, he went to the Yiming Detective Agency.


    He walked along the street that the detective agency was on and realized that the watchful eyes from the day before had completely disappeared.


    He walked all the way to the entrance of the store and pushed open the door to enter. He saw that Wei Chaoyuan and Shi Changyi were both there.


    ¡°Brother Chen, you¡¯re here,¡± Shi Changyi greeted him.


    Chen Yiming walked over and sat down on the sofa. ¡°I beat up the chief of the Flying Scorpion Sect yesterday. How¡¯s the situation at the company?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Haha, this matter has already spread. Shi Changyi and I were just discussing how to take advantage of this opportunity to make a name for ourselves and quickly strengthen the company,¡± Wei Chaoyuan said with a smile.


    ¡°Brother Chen, your attack was like a bolt of lightning. Now, there are rumors that a dragon has suddenly entered the industry,¡± Shi Changyi said with a smile.


    The employees of the detective agency had been threatened by the Flying Scorpion Sect, and Chen Yiming had severely injured Zhou Weidong. Not only had he defended the company¡¯s dignity, but he had also made a name for himself.


    A capable and powerful leader could ensure his subordinates would not be easily bullied outside.


    Many martial arts practitioners in the detective industry secretly asked their friends about the background of the Yiming Detective Agency and had the intention to switch to their company.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you guys should continue. I still have something to do,¡± Chen Yiming said as he stood up to leave.


    ¡°Brother Chen, wait. There¡¯s news about the matter you asked me about.¡± Shi Changyi suddenly remembered something important and stopped Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Chen Yiming sat back on the sofa.


    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that there will be a thunderstorm tonight in the vicinity of the Stone Ring Reservoir,¡± Shi Changyi said.


    ¡°Where is that?¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    ¡°Head straight to the neighboring Nightwater City and continue north from the northern city gate there. You¡¯ll reach the Stone Ring Reservoir in about 100 kilometers,¡± Shi Changyi replied.


    ¡­


    After Chen Yiming left the city, he followed Shi Changyi¡¯s instructions and rushed to Nightwater City.


    Nightwater City was located to the northwest of East Lake City. The two cities were separated by more than a hundred kilometers, and the difference in population was not that great. It could be considered a city of the same level.


    His speed on foot was much faster than driving a vehicle. In half an hour, he had covered more than a hundred kilometers in the wilderness.


    After arriving at Nightwater City, he thought that there was still a long time before night, so he entered the city to take a look.


    Ever since Chen Yiming transmigrated to this world, he had only been to East Lake City and the surrounding wilderness, and had never been to any other city.


    Since his current strength was enough for him to do whatever he wanted in the wilderness, he suddenly felt interested in seeing the rest of the world.


    There was a large square in Nightwater City


    where many martial arts enthusiasts living up to several kilometers away were gathered.


    At this moment, it was a good time for the morning martial arts training. Over a hundred men and women were gathered in groups of two or three, sparring with each other.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have the enhancement from the martial arts talent system, I would probably be like them,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he sat on a stone stool nearby and observed them.


    On the path of martial arts, hard work alone wasn¡¯t enough. Most of the people in front of him were likely to have practiced martial arts for much longer than Chen Yiming.


    However, they were still at the foundation stage of martial arts, while Chen Yiming had already broken through to the warrior realm.


    Just as he was about to leave, he overheard the topic of discussion among a few of the young men.


    Chen Yiming looked up and saw the group of young men sitting around a stone bench dozens of meters away from him.


    ¡°Have you guys heard? The higher-ups in Nightwater City performed a sudden inspection of the armory and found that a batch of firearms had disappeared,¡± one of the young men said.


    ¡°Tsk, who is so bold to steal from the armory?¡± The other young men looked shocked.


    ¡°The inspection team is interrogating the relevant personnel one by one. My father works in the government department and didn¡¯t return home last night,¡± the young man continued.


    ¡°Then could it be that your father¡­¡± someone said quietly.


    ¡°How is that possible? My father is in charge of the human resources department. At most, he will cooperate with the investigation by getting the information of the suspects,¡± the young man hurriedly explained.


    Chen Yiming, who was dozens of meters away, frowned when he heard this.


    The higher-ups in Nightwater City suddenly checked the inventory of the armory. He combined this with what Wei Chaoyuan had mentioned yesterday, which was that they had sent out employees to investigate the reason for the sudden rise in prices.


    Chen Yiming guessed that it had something to do with the second beast tide that Wang Bowen had mentioned.


    ¡°What a series of events. The war near the lake in the west has only just ended.¡± Chen Yiming shook his head.


    The war between humans and the otherworld was going on almost every moment. No one could have expected that a catalyst from somewhere might bring about another war.


    Perhaps a human had accidentally entered a new space-travel passage, or perhaps an alien creature had accidentally entered the blue planet.


    The topic of conversation quickly shifted to their own cultivation.


    Chen Yiming lost interest and quickly left Nightwater City, heading towards the Stone Ring Reservoir.


    ¡­


    The Stone Ring Reservoir was nearly five kilometers wide. There were a large number of huge rocks several meters tall surrounding it, which gave it its name.


    Above the reservoir, a few flying mutant beasts swooped down from the sky from time to time. They plunged into the water and flew back into the sky with big fishes in their mouths.


    In the dense forest nearby, the sound of mutant beasts running around could be heard.


    Chen Yiming chose an open area on the surrounding mountains and waited for the thunderstorm to arrive.


    ¡°I can clearly feel a stifling heat in the air.


    The clouds in the sky are very thick. I can¡¯t see any gaps between them, and the sunlight is completely blocked out. Looks like I¡¯m in luck.¡±


    If Chen Yiming wanted to participate in all the important matters in East Lake City openly, he had to be strong enough to be at least a warrior candidate.


    For example, the cultivation techniques after the warrior realm were something those who had undergone six or seven transformations and were still within the disciple realm would not be able to come into contact with.


    Therefore, in order to give the outside world a suitable explanation, he had no choice but to take the trouble and waste his time doing these useless things.


    After all, there were still people at the master realm above the warrior realm. At the moment, he did not have enough strength to fear nothing.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to start his daily cultivation, a group of carts entered the reservoir from afar, attracting his attention.


    The carts were the kind that sold vegetables and hauled goods from the market. There were a total of ten carts, and each of them was covered with a layer of plastic.


    From the marks left by the tires on the road, it was clear that the carts were filled with goods.


    Other than the drivers who were pushing the carts, there were dozens of people in casual clothes surrounding the carts. Most of them were holding weapons like swords and sabers.


    These people all had big and stout figures, and their bodies were very muscular. It was obvious that they were martial arts practitioners.


    ¡°This Stone Ring Reservoir is rather remote. The nearest city is Nightwater City. Why would the carts come here?¡± Chen Yiming asked, perplexed.


    He realized that he had unintentionally interrupted someone¡¯s plans. It was not strange for such a cart to appear in or near the city.


    However, if it appeared in the wilderness 100 kilometers away from the city, the plastic film would attract attention instead. It was like one was trying to deceive oneself.

 Chapter 96 - Physical Strength (I)

    The groups of carts stretched over dozens of meters and moved forward slowly. The wooden wheels made a crunching sound as they moved along the gravel road.


    A guard in the group suddenly pointed at a distant mountain peak and said, ¡°Eh? Is that someone who has come to receive the goods? There¡¯s someone watching us from that mountain peak.¡±


    When the leader of the group heard this, he turned to look in the direction he was pointing in. A person was indeed staring at them from a mountain peak a few kilometers away.


    ¡°Stop!¡± the leader shouted.


    His shout could be heard throughout the entire group, and even Chen Yiming, who was a few kilometers away, heard it.


    The group was instantly thrown into chaos. Some of the drivers who had been pushing the carts were in a daze from the long journey and could not react in time, so they bumped into the drivers in front of them.


    The drivers who had been hit turned around and cursed at the people behind them.


    ¡°That person isn¡¯t the one who is supposed to receive the goods,¡± a thin man reported as he jogged over to the leader.


    ¡°Where is the person who is supposed to receive the goods?¡± the leader asked.


    The thin man looked at the time and replied, ¡°They¡¯ll be here in half an hour, at the time we agreed on.¡±


    The leader nodded and looked in Chen Yiming¡¯s direction. He realized that the figure was still there.


    The leader¡¯s expression was ugly as he said in a low voice, ¡°Strange, why didn¡¯t he appear right at this timing? Such a thing happened as soon as we reached the location of the exchange.¡±


    ¡°Could it be an investigator sent by the inspection team?¡± the thin man whispered.


    The leader of the group looked hesitant and fell silent for a long time, unable to make a decision.


    He had the same suspicion in his heart, and was constantly weighing whether to chase after and kill that person.


    The people in charge of the search were not weak, and the reservoir was surrounded by dense forest. Once they chased after him, he could easily escape into the forest.


    At this moment, it was neither too long or too short a time before the agreed timing. They might not be able to catch up to that person in half an hour.


    In addition, who knew if the other party was trying to deliberately lure away the main force of the team?


    ¡°Boss, after this, why don¡¯t we hide in the secret base and observe the situation for a while?¡± the thin man suggested quietly.


    The leader¡¯s heart sank when he heard this, and the balance was instantly broken.


    If they wanted to hide in the secret base, he had to clean up the mess behind him first.


    The person in front of him had to be chased down and killed. Otherwise, if he continued to trail behind the team, he would bring along an endless stream of pursuers.


    ¡°Half of you, bring your guns and follow me to chase after that person,¡± the leader raised his saber high in the air and instructed.


    More than 30 guards stood forward. They lifted the plastic cover and threw aside the second layer of miscellaneous items that were used as camouflage, revealing the real goods in the carts.


    These were rifles that were each more than a meter long.


    ¡°Everyone, follow me and spread out. Try your best to surround that mountain. If that person escapes, just shoot him,¡± the leader said loudly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he led the way and charged at Chen Yiming. More than 30 guards quickly followed suit.


    The entire team fanned out and launched a pincer attack.


    From afar, each figure was the size of a black dot, and it looked like a group of ants were surging out of an ant nest.


    The silence in the forest was broken.


    Many of the mutant beasts that were secretly observing the situation quickly hid themselves, and the flying mutant beasts in the sky flapped their wings and flew far away.


    When Chen Yiming saw the guns in the cart, he immediately thought of the matter of the missing firearms in Nightwater City. He was shocked to see the group charging at him.


    ¡°Are they mistaking me for someone investigating the theft of firearms?¡±


    As someone in the warrior realm, he was comparable to the head of a top faction in East Lake City.


    If these people did not provoke him, he would not have bothered getting involved in such troublesome matters. After all, since it involved the theft from the armory, there was bound to be a lot going on behind the scenes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I just kill them here and rid the country of these criminals?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    In an instant, he leaped into the air, drawing an arc in the air as he fell towards the group charging at him.


    A look of surprise appeared in the eyes of the people charging at him.


    Was this person stupid?


    Shouldn¡¯t he be fleeing in the other direction?


    ¡°Stop, line up and fire together,¡± the leader turned around and shouted.


    The 30-odd guards stopped in their tracks almost at the same time, and then took less than three seconds to line up in two rows.


    The first row of people squatted down, while the second row of people stood in position. More than 30 rifles were raised and aimed at the spot where Chen Yiming had landed.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A loud sound rang out, causing the eardrums of everyone nearby to hurt.


    An invisible shockwave appeared on the ground, turning into ripples that spread out in all directions, accompanied by a large amount of dust.


    Chen Yiming leaped up and landed on the ground to the side.


    His expression was calm as he stared at the 30-odd people who were pointing their guns at him. Behind him was a huge pit more than three meters wide.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    More than 30 gunshots rang out at the same time.


    Sparks spewed from the end of the metal bullets as they shot out at high speed from the muzzles, aiming straight for Chen Yiming.


    The bullets traveled at a speed of hundreds of meters per second. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived in front of Chen Yiming, completely sealing off all routes of escape.


    The leader smiled and said in a low voice, ¡°Perhaps less than 10 rifles can¡¯t do anything to you, but with more than 30 rifles firing at the same time, let¡¯s see where you can hide.¡±


    If it was someone at the level of the warrior realm, he would have internal force covering his entire body to protect himself.


    But if he was below the warrior realm, the human body had several weak spots, such as the eyes, nose, and ears. It was impossible to withstand the combined attack from dozens of rifles.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force was about to seep out of his body. He realized that he couldn¡¯t take it head-on unless he was willing to reveal his true level.


    ¡°No wonder the army is still the main force against the creatures from the otherworld.¡±


    Those below the warrior realm would not be able to fight against an organized army.


    Only by cultivating internal force could one truly become extraordinary and be completely different from ordinary people.


    Chen Yiming remained calm. With his enhanced vision from the warrior realm, he could easily make out the trajectory of the bullets.


    He leaped lightly and flew out, dodging the barrage of metal bullets.


    At the same time, he clamped his fingers together and grabbed a flying bullet. While he was still in midair, he threw the bullet towards the group.


    ¡°Ah!¡± a scream came from the group.


    A bullet pierced through the space between the brows of one of the guards, and he fell to the ground.


    ¡°Stay calm and don¡¯t panic. Continue firing,¡± the leader shouted, suppressing the panic rising in the team.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Another round of gunshots rang out.


    The second round was different from the first. The gunshots were no longer firing with the same rhythm, and the group was firing completely at will.


    Chen Yiming was as calm as ever. He casually took a few steps to the side and dodged the bullets again. At the same time, he grabbed two flying bullets with his hands and threw them at the group facing him.


    The next moment, two more people from the group fell to the ground.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Everyone was stunned. No one dared to shoot at him again.


    The other party had easily dodged two consecutive rounds of shots, but their side had lost three people.


    If one of them continued to fire, he might be the next to fall.

 Chapter 97 - Physical Strength (II)

    ¡°Who exactly are you? What is your purpose in coming here?¡± the leader of the group asked with a dark expression on his face.


    ¡°The one who will kill all of you,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he charged forward and drew his sword to slash at the leader.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± the leader shouted as he raised his saber and adopted a defensive stance.


    He did not expect the other party to be so bold as to charge at him directly him even when he had more than 30 rifles to protect him.


    As long as he could withstand the first round of attacks from the opponent, his subordinates around him would be able to surround him.


    ¡°Swish!¡± a sword flashed past.


    The leader was still maintaining a defensive stance, but a bright red trail of blood had appeared on his neck. Then, his head slid down along the cut.


    Before he could react, his head was cut off.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t stop. He slashed out again, and in the next moment, three more people fell dead.


    At this moment, the remaining 20-odd members of the team realized that their leader had been killed.


    The group was in an uproar. Everyone subconsciously threw away their rifles and tried to push through the rest of the group to escape in different directions.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the people fleeing, then at the other half of the group who had not participated in the attack. He realized that the other half had already escaped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just treat it as a test of the physical limits of my Level-1 Undying Body,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    He instantly charged out again and slashed at the person closest to him.


    His speed was too fast. Even without using internal force, he could easily catch up to the person who was trying to escape.


    Following that, Chen Yiming went after the people who were hiding within a 10 kilometer radius around the stone reservoir.


    Every once in a while, a desperate cry would sound out before going silent in just a few seconds.


    When the people hiding nearby heard this, they trembled all over and wished they could bury their heads in the ground.


    In the evening, Chen Yiming returned to the Stone Ring Reservoir.


    During this time, he had silently counted the bodies and estimated that a total of three people had escaped his pursuit.


    Perhaps the three of them had already fled more than 10 kilometers away, or perhaps they were still hiding in some corner and were lucky enough not to be discovered by him when he went past them.


    In addition, he had also killed another group of people that was preparing to receive the goods from the first group.


    They had all been dressed in casual clothes. Chen Yiming was in a hurry, so he didn¡¯t have the time to interrogate them and just killed them directly. From their bodies, he only obtained a token.


    The word ¡°Hong¡± was engraved on the token.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    The air was unusually hot.


    The surroundings of the reservoir were quiet. All the mutant beasts seemed to have been frightened by the person from earlier in the day and had all retreated to their nests.


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged in the open space on the mountain peak, waiting quietly for the upcoming thunderstorm.


    ¡°The difference between the swordsmanship talent and the Undying Body talent is too great!¡± Chen Yiming exclaimed.


    It was not that his swordsmanship talent did not improve his physical abilities. Otherwise, he would still be building his foundation in the martial arts world.


    However, it only allowed him to be stronger than others of the same level in terms of strength, reaction, and speed. He could not completely crush them. The main thing was to increase his understanding of sword techniques.


    As for the Undying Body talent, although it was only at the first level, the improvement to the body was at least a few levels higher than the swordsmanship talent.


    He had chased the group from noon to evening, for a total of nearly six hours. During this time, he had covered a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. It was a thorough pursuit.


    However, with the ability to automatically recover his stamina, he did not feel tired at all. Instead, he became more and more excited, as if he had not had enough.


    The clouds in the sky began to roll, and lightning lit up the clouds, making it as bright as if it was daytime.


    Chen Yiming looked up at the sky.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. You made me waste an entire day of cultivation.¡±


    ¡­


    In the training hall of the Tongbeiquan School, sounds of collisions rang out continuously as a few core disciples sparred with each other.


    Wu Yunsheng was also among them. The person he was sparring with was Yao Yong, who was ranked third in the Tongbeiquan School.


    Yao Yong had broad shoulders that were at least twice as wide as ordinary people. He was a straightforward person who said whatever he wanted, just like his strong body.


    Suddenly, something happened.


    Wu Yunsheng sent Yao Yong flying with a punch, and a human-shaped hole appeared in the wall.


    The entire training hall shook a little. The walls were equipped with additional load-bearing pillars, and a small hole did not affect the structural integrity of the entire hall.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, you¡­¡± Han Honghai said anxiously.


    He was ranked tenth among the core disciples of the Tongbeiquan School and was the youngest core disciple. When he saw that Yao Yong was injured, he did not think too much about it and was the first to speak up.


    Wu Yunsheng glared at Han Honghai and did not reply. He also did not go to check if Yao Yong was injured.


    Yao Yong was the one who had led the discussion the previous day and recommended Chen Yiming to the school¡¯s head.


    In Wu Yunsheng¡¯s eyes, such an action was extremely disrespectful to his eldest senior brother. The punch earlier was just a small punishment for his actions.


    The atmosphere in the entire martial arts hall suddenly became awkward.


    The other disciples wanted to check on Yao Yong¡¯s injuries, but after seeing Wu Yunsheng¡¯s ugly expression, they reconsidered and decided not to take any action.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, there¡¯s news.¡± He Chuan pushed open the door and ran over.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wu Yunsheng asked directly.


    He Chuan glanced at Yao Yong, who had just gotten back to his feet, and then at the other senior brothers who had fallen silent. He whispered, ¡°It¡¯s about that matter. Should we go to a room first?¡±


    ¡°Just say it here,¡± Wu Yunsheng glared at He Chuan and said unhappily.


    He Chuan said in a low voice, ¡°Someone saw Chen Yiming leave the city in the morning. I asked a friend about the weather today. In the hundreds of kilometers surrounding this city, there are only thunderstorms in the area around the Stone Ring Reservoir. I think¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Wu Yunsheng interrupted He Chuan.


    When the other disciples heard this, they immediately understood why Wu Yunsheng was acting strangely that day. They did not dare to say anything else, afraid that they would be used as his punching bag if they did.


    At this moment, Yao Yong held his ribs and walked towards him one step at a time as he questioned him, ¡°Wu Yunsheng, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    This kind of sparring mainly focused on consolidating the techniques and moves, so his attention was focused on his fist technique. He had not expected Wu Yunsheng to deal a heavy blow to him.


    Thus, he was caught off guard and two of his ribs were broken.


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching you to be vigilant at all times,¡± Wu Yunsheng said calmly.


    He completely denied the fact that he had deliberately been heavy-handed. His tone was just as though he was teaching his junior a lesson.


    ¡°You¡¯re good!¡± Yao Yong said and turned to leave.


    There was a small difference of one level between the two of them. His strength was inferior to Wu Yunsheng¡¯s, so it was useless to continue fighting.


    When the other disciples saw this, they knew that if they continued to stay, it would only make Wu Yunsheng even more unhappy. Hence, they each found some excuse and left the school.


    Soon, only Wu Yunsheng and He Chuan remained in the school.


    ¡°When did you receive the news? Is it too late to rush over now?¡± Wu Yunsheng asked.


    ¡°The thunderstorm only started in the evening. East Lake City is less than 200 kilometers away from the Stone Ring Reservoir. Chen Yiming probably hasn¡¯t left yet,¡± He Chuan replied.


    Wu Yunsheng nodded and immediately walked out of the school.


    After leaving the martial arts school, he unleashed his fastest speed to leap over the city wall and rush towards the Stone Ring Reservoir.

 Chapter 98 - Tempting Fate (I)

    At the Stone Ring Reservoir, ¡°Rumble¡­¡± the sound of thunder kept ringing out from the clouds. The lightning wood was placed on a boulder at the highest point on the mountain.


    The might of nature made one¡¯s hair stand on end even from a distance.


    Chen Yiming stood at the bottom of the mountain and waited quietly. The power of lightning from nature wasn¡¯t something he could withstand at the moment, so he had no intention of getting too close.


    Suddenly, a white, branch-like bolt of lightning struck down from the clouds a few kilometers away, heading straight for the mountain where Chen Yiming had placed the lightning wood.


    The power of lightning from nature was far stronger than the power of lightning formed by internal force. Wherever it passed, there was a violent sizzling sound, and it chased away the darkness in its way.


    The entire mountain was lit up as if it was daytime.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The lightning wood was struck by the lightning, and the power of lightning caused an explosion, emitting a blinding white light.


    The boulder below instantly exploded, and countless pieces of rubble flew everywhere before falling to the bottom of the mountain.


    ¡°My new Undying Body talent seems to be surprisingly compatible with the path of lightning,¡± Chen Yiming said as he witnessed everything.


    The essence of martial arts was the evolution of the body. The power of lightning happened to be an external power that was very easy to find. Other than the fact that it was unstable and could easily cause injuries to oneself, it had many advantages.


    The Undying Body talent that he had just added gave him the ability to automatically heal injuries. As long as he did not die immediately, his body would automatically recover.


    At this moment, darkness once again engulfed the top of the mountain. About ten meters away from its original spot, the lightning wood was flickering with light. It was stuck in a crack in the boulder.


    Chen Yiming leaped into the air and made use of the trees and rocks to reach the lightning wood.


    ¡°The crack in it seems to have gotten much bigger.¡±


    Blue sparks of electricity kept jumping out of the cracks. A small amount of lightning constantly touched the surrounding weeds, and the weeds were instantly burned to a crisp.


    At the same time, he could clearly feel that the power of lightning in the lightning wood had weakened a little.


    ¡°An undamaged piece of lightning wood should be able to lock the power of lightning completely inside. If I don¡¯t use it immediately, the power of lightning inside will quickly dissipate,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    He released his internal force and used it to cover his palm. Immediately, blue sparks of electricity appeared on the surface of his palm, and the power of lightning in the lightning wood suddenly became extremely lively.


    Chen Yiming reached out and picked up the lightning wood. The two sources of electricity fused together without any resistance.


    Under the enhancement of the external power, the power of lightning formed by his internal force flickered with a blue light that was even more dazzling than before.


    ¡°The lightning wood probably has a special transformation ability. Otherwise, this lightning power that doesn¡¯t belong to me wouldn¡¯t have fused with my internal force so naturally.¡±


    He sat cross-legged on a rock by the side and began his daily cultivation, using his internal force, which was enhanced by the external power, to temper his body.


    ¡°Swish! Swish!¡±


    The power of lightning formed by his internal force was 30% more active than usual. Electric currents swam through his muscles and bones just like snakes in water.


    These electric currents would cause a certain amount of damage to the body at the area it was tempering. For example, the muscle fibers would be burnt and broken by the electricity.


    His new Level-1 Undying Body talent, gave him the special ability of automatically healing injuries. The level of the talent was only at the first level, so it was not at the stage of ¡°Reborn from blood¡± which was described in the introduction to the talent.


    However, he could also clearly feel that at the places tempered by the power of lightning, after a large number of cells in his body had lost a lot of water shriveled up and were on the verge of death, a mysterious force rejuvenated the cells.


    ¡°It feels good to cultivate without any worries.¡± Chen Yiming let out a long breath.


    When others used the power of lightning to temper their bodies, they had to carefully control the strength of the lightning used, afraid that their bodies would suffer irreversible damage.


    Because of this, they would have to find various treasures with different levels of lightning power for each stage of their cultivation.


    But he had the Undying Body talent, which gave him the special ability of automatically healing his injuries. He could use methods of cultivation that could cause injuries to himself without the worry that his body would not be able to recover.


    Half an hour later, the power of lightning formed by his internal force gradually returned to its original strength.


    ¡°The power of lightning formed by my internal force increased by about 30%. Half an hour of cultivation with this enhancement is equivalent to a week of my usual cultivation.¡± Chen Yiming closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes in his body.


    At the same time, he continued with his cultivation to make up for the time he had wasted during the day.


    ¡­


    A few kilometers away from the Stone Ring Reservoir, on a small hill, Wu Yunsheng stood at the top of the hill and looked in the direction of the mountain where Chen Yiming was.


    The entire Stone Ring Reservoir was shrouded in darkness. Only the spot where Chen Yiming was standing was shining with a dazzling blue light. A sizzling sound was also emitted continuously from that spot.


    The blue light flashed, illuminating a figure that was sitting cross-legged. The sizzling sound broke the silence.


    ¡°I was too late. The lightning wood has already been charged and is being used by Chen Yiming,¡± Wu Yunsheng muttered to himself, ¡°But even so, Chen Yiming, don¡¯t you even think about returning to East Lake City alive.¡±


    He kicked off from the ground and charged forward in the direction of the figure.


    His position as the eldest senior brother of the school indicated that he had the highest chance of becoming the next head of the school among the core disciples.


    Chen Yiming seemed to have a physique that had an extremely high resistance to lightning. If he really joined the Tongbeiquan School, even if he did not take over Wu Yunsheng¡¯s position, it would still create more uncertainty for his future.


    Wu Yunsheng¡¯s goal was to completely eliminate this possibility and this variable that might threaten his position.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± Chen Yiming opened his eyes and stood up, his gaze sweeping across the forest.


    The blue electric sparks dancing across his body slowly extinguished, and the surrounding forest turned dark again.


    Without the sizzling sound, the surroundings fell silent. He could clearly hear the sound of footsteps and the sound of wind breaking coming from a kilometer or two away.


    Judging from the sound of the footsteps, it did not seem like a mutant beast, but a human.


    ¡°Was he just passing by? Or did he come specially to look for me?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    The disturbance caused by his internal force was so obvious that it clearly demonstrated that a warrior was cultivating at this spot.


    Even if it was someone that was also from the warrior realm, they would not have approached so rashly. At the very least, he had never encountered such a situation before.


    There was only one possibility. The other party was coming for him.


    The distance of one to two kilometers wasn¡¯t far. Chen Yiming had just gone through the list of people who might have a grudge against him when a figure walked out of the darkness dozens of meters away.


    The person was about 2.5 meters tall and was wearing a short-sleeved training robe from the Tongbeiquan School. There was a black belt tied around his waist, and his muscular arms could clearly be seen.


    ¡°Someone from the Tongbeiquan School,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice, narrowing his eyes.


    Wu Yunsheng stopped about ten meters away from him and said calmly, ¡°I heard that you took the lightning wood that Liu Liyuan was going to give to me. You¡¯re really bold.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    It had been a few days since Liu Liyuan had given him the lightning wood.


    This person had to come at this time, which was neither too early or too late.


    His reasoning was full of loopholes and could not stand up to any scrutiny.

 Chapter 99 - Tempting Fate (II)

    ¡°Take it out. Don¡¯t try to trick me. The lightning wood can be used repeatedly for many times.¡± Wu Yunsheng swept his gaze across the small piece of charred wood that was casually thrown onto the grass.


    It was impossible for a precious treasure like the lightning wood to be treated like this.


    He felt that the small piece of charred wood must be a fragment of a big tree that had been struck by lightning.


    ¡°It¡¯s right there. If you have the ability, come and get it yourself.¡± Chen Yiming pointed at the small piece of charred wood.


    After using up all the lightning power stored in it, the lightning wood had become no different from an ordinary piece of wood.


    Other than its charred appearance, which indicated that it had been struck by lightning not long ago, there were no other distinguishing features.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m just a three-year-old kid who can be deceived so easily?¡± Wu Yunsheng asked coldly. He didn¡¯t believe Chen Yiming¡¯s words at all.


    ¡°I told you the truth, but you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile as he revealed his empty hands.


    ¡°Seems like you want to do this the hard way. You¡¯re asking for it!¡±


    As he was speaking, Wu Yunsheng crossed more than 10 meters in an instant and appeared right in front of Chen Yiming. He threw a punch straight at his face.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Two fists collided.


    Chen Yiming only used the strength from his arm muscles, while Wu Yunsheng used the stacked fist force from the Tongbeiquan technique.


    The strength from his muscles exploded, instantly breaking the force from Wu Yunsheng¡¯s punch.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    Wu Yunsheng¡¯s expression did not change. He was a warrior candidate who had broken through to the ninth transformation more than three years ago.


    He believed that even if Chen Yiming used the lightning wood to forcefully break through to the same level as him, his combat experience in this realm would definitely not be comparable to his.


    He retracted his arm and quickly punched towards the front. The moment he encountered an obstruction, he repeated his action and retracted his fist.


    He repeated this action more than 10 times in a short period of time. It was equivalent to swinging more than 10 punches in the short span of time, and more than 10 fist forces were accumulated and released at the same time.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The two of them exchanged two blows at lightning speed, neither of them taking a step back.


    Chen Yiming only used one punch to block the attack, while Wu Yunsheng used the finishing move of the Tongbeiquan technique.


    The continuous collisions of their fists created shockwaves that spread out in all directions.


    After completing a round of the finishing move, Wu Yunsheng¡¯s face was filled with surprise. His opponent had been very calm the entire time, while he felt a dull pain in his fist.


    This was a sign that his body was not as strong as his opponent¡¯s.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wu Yunsheng could not calm down.


    How could his physical strength be inferior to a person who had just broken through?


    In a fight at the same level, once one was at a disadvantage in terms of basic physical abilities, there was a high chance that one would eventually lose.


    This was because the weaker party would use up more energy with every move. After a few hundred rounds, there would definitely be a clear difference in their stamina.


    Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t used his full strength. He had only been toying with his opponent to make him feel the pain of defeat.


    The strength of his body had undergone a qualitative transformation when he broke through from a warrior candidate to the warrior realm.


    After that, he had relied on the lightning power from his internal force to temper his body during his daily cultivation.


    Finally, he had just added a Level-1 Undying Body talent, which greatly modified his body. Naturally, his physical strength was also increasing.


    Therefore, his physical strength was at least several levels higher than Wu Yunsheng¡¯s. The difference between the two of them was like that between an adult and a child.


    They exchanged a few more blows.


    Wu Yunsheng used all his strength, but his opponent did not get pushed back at all. After failing again, he decisively retreated more than 10 meters away.


    At this moment, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. This was a situation that he had not encountered for many years.


    He felt like retreating, and cursed at his opponent for having such a freakish body. He had just broken through and was already stronger than him.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t chase after him. Instead, he stopped in his tracks and thought to himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask for your name. Why are you trying to escape?¡±


    ¡°Come over if you have the ability. I¡¯ll fight you anytime,¡± Wu Yunsheng said angrily.


    He knew that his plan to snatch the lightning wood had failed, and with it his plan to kill the other party at the Stone Ring Reservoir had also failed.


    This was because when experts exchanged blows, it only took a few rounds to determine the opponent¡¯s strength.


    However, a warrior candidate was not like others in the disciple realm. After nine transformations, his body was stronger than steel.


    If one side wanted to escape, they would have to exhaust all their energy to do so. It was easy to injure them, but difficult to kill them. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t afraid of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°It seems like you really want to die.¡± Chen Yiming smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill your wish!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he soared into the sky and crossed a distance of more than 10 meters in one step, aiming his fist straight at Wu Yunsheng.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Wu Yunsheng used all his strength to meet the punch head-on without holding back at all.


    This time, the same thing happened again. Wu Yunsheng¡¯s fist force was broken at once, and a seemingly ordinary force from his opponent¡¯s fist exploded.


    As the eldest senior brother of the Tongbeiquan School, Wu Yunsheng¡¯s dignity did not allow him to retreat so easily. Therefore, he had to block this attack even if he was injured.


    However, the reality was different from what he had imagined. The ordinary power did not weaken at all after breaking through his fist force.


    The force traveled past the bones in his palm and into his arm, finally exploding at the point between his shoulder and chest.


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack¡­¡±


    Wu Yunsheng¡¯s entire arm was shattered on the spot.


    He gritted his teeth and endured the pain without making a sound. His eyes were wide open and bloodshot. He had not expected this to happen.


    They were clearly both warrior candidates, so why was Chen Yiming able to severely injure him with just one blow?


    This question kept repeating in his mind, and he felt his mind go blank.


    Could it be his innate talent?


    However, if he had so much innate talent, why would Chen Yiming join the Mantis Snake Sword School?


    Sword techniques did not usually increase one¡¯s strength. This was completely illogical.


    Wu Yunsheng was sent flying. His body crashed through three trees along the way before he fell to the ground.


    Wu Yunsheng spat out a large mouthful of blood. He got up and turned to escape.


    The gap between the two of them could not be overcome even if he fought to his death.


    A thought surfaced in his mind, ¡°No, I¡¯m the eldest senior brother of the school, the future head. How can I die here for no reason?¡±


    Wu Yunsheng vomited blood with every few steps he took. Not only did he lose an arm, but his heart was also wounded by the excess force. The more he ran, the more he damaged his body.


    Chen Yiming caught up to him in a few steps and stayed a few meters behind Wu Yunsheng.


    ¡°Should I kill him with a punch?¡± He was considering how to end this.


    His opponent was a core disciple of the Tongbeiquan School. There was a huge difference between injuring him and killing him.


    Although he was not afraid of the head of the Tongbeiquan School, it would be troublesome if he came knocking on his door.


    If the other party wanted to bully the weak and decided to attack Chen Yiming, who was his junior, he would have no choice but to reveal his true cultivation level as a warrior.


    All his previous efforts would be wasted.


    After a moment of hesitation, a perfect solution flashed across his mind.


    ¡°Why should I be afraid of him? At most, after I kill him, I can just disguise myself and get rid of the head of the school first.¡±

 Chapter 100 - Meeting (I)

    After making up his mind, he shortened the distance between them to one meter with a single step. He grabbed the longsword at his waist and was about to kill Wu Yunsheng with one strike.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The sound of a sword being unsheathed rang out.


    Wu Yunsheng seemed to have a premonition. He suddenly realized that the other party really wanted to kill him.


    At the moment of his impending death, his thoughts moved much faster than usual. In an instant, everything that had happened since he was young flashed across his mind.


    When he was a child, his body was far stronger than his peers. When he was a teen, he had shocked the world when he first stepped on the path of martial arts. Lei Bojun had soon discovered his talent and brought him into the Tongbeiquan School. After that, he gradually became the eldest senior brother of the school.


    At this moment, he suddenly realized that nothing was more important than staying alive.


    He was still running forward as he turned his head around.


    ¡°I am¡­¡±


    Just as he was about to reveal his identity as the eldest senior brother of the Tongbeiquan School and give up his pride to beg for mercy, ¡°Swish!¡± a sword flashed past.


    Wu Yunsheng had only managed to say two words, and the rest of his words were still stuck in his throat.


    Other than suppressing the internal force that would leave traces behind, Chen Yiming used his fastest speed.


    Although this speed was far inferior to that with his internal force, he was still far superior than the typical warrior candidate. Therefore, Wu Yunsheng could not react at all.


    In an instant, a red line appeared on Wu Yunsheng¡¯s neck, splitting it into two.


    In the next instant, bright red blood sprayed out, and his entire head was sent flying into the distance due to the inertia of his body.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Wu Yunsheng¡¯s eyes widened as he saw a silver sword flash past.


    He could not figure out why the other party did not play by the rules.


    Even if he did not reveal his identity as the eldest senior brother of the Tongbeiquan School, the martial arts training robe he was wearing would already identify him as a core disciple.


    Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t like no one knew about his trip. The Tongbeiquan School had a warrior presiding over it as the head. Wasn¡¯t Chen Yiming afraid that someone from the warrior realm would come to avenge his death?


    Could it be?


    A terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    However, at this moment, his consciousness seemed to have fallen completely into darkness. The speed of his thoughts began to slow down, and he could barely move.


    At the last moment before his consciousness was about to be extinguished, Wu Yunsheng guessed the truth of the matter.


    Chen Yiming stood a short distance from the corpse and shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°If you had known this would happen, wouldn¡¯t you have acted like me and kept a low profile? Why did you have to get into a fight with me?¡±


    As an employee who had experienced the harsh reality of society before he transmigrated, he knew very well that there was always someone better than him in society. Therefore, he had always been hiding his true abilities.


    The other party must have been a genius from a young age, which was why he would do such a stupid thing.


    Chen Yiming became even more determined to keep a low profile.


    Before he made a further breakthrough in his cultivation, he would maintain his status as a warrior candidate.


    By doing this, it was rather unlikely for anyone above the warrior realm to bother with him, a warrior candidate. As for enemies in the warrior realm, he had enough trump cards to deal with them.


    Chen Yiming went forward to search the body.


    Soon, other than finding a useless token that identified him as a core disciple, he also found a drawing.


    ¡°Could this be the concept diagram of the Tongbeiquan technique?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    The content of the drawing was drop after drop of water, almost forming a line, dripping down from the sky into the sea.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the drawing and put it away.


    ¡°I wonder if I can come up with a new sword technique from it.¡±


    He had cultivated two sword techniques from the warrior realm and became deeply familiar with the essence of martial arts techniques.


    The sword techniques, saber techniques, fist techniques, palm techniques, and other types of moves in the warrior realm were essentially something that human geniuses had come up with from cultivating concept diagrams. These were human martial arts techniques that complemented the concept diagrams.


    This way, different people could come up with different cultivation techniques from the same concept diagram.


    While Chen Yiming was thinking, he chopped off some branches and piled them on the corpse.


    After completing the preparations, he released his internal force and used the power of lightning to start a fire.


    ¡°Crack¡­¡±


    The sound of branches crackling could be heard. The raging flames quickly burned up the corpse.


    The token that could prove his identity had been taken away by Chen Yiming. Unless a professional examined the body, no one would know that he was Wu Yunsheng from the Tongbeiquan School.


    ¡­


    In the training hall of the Tongbeiquan School, the head, Lei Bojun, stood with his hands behind his back. In front of him were a few core disciples of the school. Other than Wu Yunsheng, everyone else was present.


    Unlike the others, Yao Yong was sitting in a wheelchair and could not walk normally. He was protecting his broken ribs to let them heal naturally.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Wu Yunsheng?¡± Lei Bojun asked.


    The core disciples had different expressions on their faces. They looked at each other, but no one replied.


    ¡°Han Honghai, tell me how Yao Yong¡¯s injuries came about,¡± Lei Bojun¡¯s expression darkened as he said sternly.


    Han Honghai was the lowest core disciple in the Tongbeiquan School. He was the weakest and had a straightforward personality, so he usually did not dare to hide anything.


    Han Honghai was startled and replied, ¡°Ah? It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Eldest Senior Brother.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Lei Bojun frowned and his tone became more stern.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The other core disciples were also startled, but no one stood out to say what Wu Yunsheng had done.


    They had been joking when they talked about recommending Chen Yiming to join the Tongbeiquan School, but this had angered Wu Yunsheng.


    With He Chuan, Wu Yunsheng¡¯s underling, present, they were unwilling to further offend Wu Yunsheng.


    For a time, the atmosphere in the training hall was tense.


    Lei Bojun had no choice but to turn to Han Honghai again.


    ¡°Master, I really don¡¯t know about this. You should ask He Chuan. We had all left back then,¡± Han Honghai said in a low voice with a bitter expression.


    ¡°He Chuan,¡± Lei Bojun shouted.


    His tone was stern and his voice rang out loudly.


    ¡°Master, Eldest Senior Brother went out of the city to cultivate,¡± He Chuan replied without changing his expression.


    This was something Wu Yunsheng had specially instructed him to say to deal with situations where he had no choice but to answer.


    ¡°Wu Yunsheng is already a warrior candidate. What¡¯s the use of going out of the city to cultivate? What he needs is to complete the concept diagram through meditation,¡± Lei Bojun said in a low voice.


    Having led disciples for so many years, how could he not know when they were telling lies and when they were telling the truth?


    Leaving the city to train was just an excuse.


    ¡°Master, Eldest Senior Brother has indeed left the city to cultivate,¡± He Chuan confirmed again.


    Lei Bojun glared at He Chuan and said sternly, ¡°When Wu Yunsheng returns, tell him to come and find me immediately.¡±


    With this, the matter with Wu Yunsheng was pushed back.


    Those who knew about it would either help him hide it or not dare to say anything.


    No one expected that Wu Yunsheng had already died in the wilderness.


    ¡­


    On the street opposite the Tongbeiquan School, people were coming and going. It was the time that people usually went for a walk after dinner.


    In a corner on the street, Chen Yiming watched the scene in the Tongbeiquan School through the glass door.


    ¡°Then Lei Bojun has already been in there for more than half an hour. Should I just charge in and kill him with the Heart Sword?¡±


    If he barged into the martial arts school and killed the head of the school, it would definitely cause a huge commotion. There would definitely be professionals who would investigate and look for the culprit.


    This option was extremely risky. He was not confident that he could leave no traces behind.

 Chapter 101 - Meeting (II)

    ¡°This isn¡¯t easy to deal with. Other than using the Heart Sword¡¯s ability to launch a sneak attack on Lei Bojun, I also need to use internal force, which will cause a huge commotion.


    There are 20 to 30 warriors stationed in the city all year round. It would not be easy to escape quietly.


    I have to wait for Lei Bojun to leave the city before looking for an opportunity to attack him.¡±


    Chen Yiming said helplessly after some thought.


    One of the disadvantages of the raging power of lightning was that it caused too much of a commotion when it was used.


    Warriors who used the internal force had extremely sensitive senses. As long as someone in the warrior realm attacked with all their might, they would definitely be noticed immediately.


    The city only spanned a few kilometers, and warriors could arrive at any point within it in the blink of an eye.


    At this moment, a man pushed open the door of the Tongbeiquan School and walked in to talk to Lei Bojun. Lei Bojun then followed the man out of the school.


    The two of them quickly headed towards the government office building. Chen Yiming followed behind them from a distance.


    The city government¡¯s office building was located on the west side of the city center. There were a total of more than 10 office buildings of varying heights there, and special guards patrolled the entrance.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t dare to go any further.


    As the center of the city, this area maintained the normal operation of the entire city. It was the most heavily guarded place and could not be easily broken into.


    ¡°I wonder when Lei Bojun will realize that something has happened to his disciple,¡± Chen Yiming muttered. He found a spot where he could observe the square in front of the office building and waited.


    ¡­


    In a meeting room in the city government¡¯s office building,


    a group of people sat around a table that was nearly ten meters long and three meters wide.


    Just by sitting there, they had an extraordinary air about them.


    Ren Pingsheng, who had a head of white hair and a serious expression, was sitting at the head of the table.


    He was dressed in ordinary clothes, and his figure was only slightly larger than that of a normal person. However, just by sitting there, he gave off an invisible pressure.


    The other people sitting around the conference table were the heads of the 13 martial arts schools, the heads of the seven martial arts clans, and the chairmen of the 10 large corporations.


    Lei Bojun from the Tongbeiquan School was filled with a fierce aura. His muscles were exceptionally well-developed, and it was clear that he had unparalleled strength.


    Wan Rong from the Mantis Snake Sword School was elegant and easygoing. He had a white beard that reached his chest and looked like an ordinary old man.


    An Yuhong from the Flowing Cloud Sword School had a graceful figure. She was wearing a white lace dress, and what was underneath was faintly discernible.


    ¡­


    They were the representatives of the top factions in East Lake City, and each of them was a big shot in the warrior realm.


    Lei Bojun was a little impatient and was the first to speak. ¡°Why did you suddenly gather us here tonight? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He was currently dealing with the conflict between two of his core disciples and did not want to attend such a meeting.


    The reason for the conflict was that Wu Yunsheng¡¯s overall talent was still lacking.


    Wu Yunsheng¡¯s physical talent met the requirements to break through to the warrior realm, but his meditation talent was average. In the past two years, he had been unable to complete the concept diagram and was still stuck at the level of a warrior candidate.


    His eldest core disciple did not have full confidence in breaking through to the warrior realm. Lei Bojun had to nurture a few more core disciples with potential, such as the second and third core disciples.


    Therefore, when there was a conflict between two core disciples with good potential, he, as the master, had to mediate and maintain an atmosphere of healthy competition in the school. In the end, he still had to choose one of them as his successor.


    Ren Pingsheng glanced at all of them and took in everything.


    ¡°Of the three space-travel passages from the otherworld near East Lake City, there has been a change in the space-travel passage in the Nuhe Mountain Range.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, all eyes were on one person.


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I didn¡¯t kill that giant blazing sun lizard.¡± Jiang Weishun laughed awkwardly.


    He was the chairman of the Datong Group, which was a large corporation. Its businesses included real estate, logistics, supermarkets, and so on. It was famous in East Lake City.


    ¡°Now is not the time to pursue personal responsibility. The second beast tide is coming soon.


    In order to contain the beast tide within the mountain range, I have decided to send 10 warriors from the civilian factions of East Lake City to the Nuhe Mountain Range.¡±


    As Ren Pingsheng spoke, he swept his gaze across the crowd.


    The entire meeting room was silent. No one objected or took the initiative to agree.


    Many of them had actually received some news before they came.


    However, a war was different from hunting mutant beasts normally. If they were no match for the enemy, they were not allowed to flee unless they received an order to retreat.


    Most of the 13 martial arts schools were branches of large factions in the provincial city.


    Many of these heads had been kicked out from the provincial city and sent to branches. It was not too different from retirement.


    As for the heads of the seven martial arts clans, they were needed as support for their clans. They were even more unwilling to take the risk and go on the battlefield.


    As for the chairmen of the ten large corporations, they were all at the lower end of the warrior realm. They stayed in small cities and started companies to be big shots there.


    ¡°I¡¯m already so old that I¡¯m almost retired from my position as the head of the school. Young people need more training, so I won¡¯t fight for this opportunity,¡± the current head of the Mantis Snake Sword School, Wan Rong, said slowly.


    ¡°There are so many men present. No matter what, it won¡¯t be my turn to stand on the front line, right?¡± An Yuhong smiled.


    ¡­


    With someone taking the lead, most of the people present quickly found various reasons to refuse.


    Only a few people had ugly expressions on their faces and did not say a word. These people were either relatively young or stronger than the average warrior in East Lake City.


    However, with just these people, they were still far from the required number of 10 people.


    ¡°All of you are the pillars of East Lake City. The beast tide is about to happen. You don¡¯t want the beast tide to reach the city, right?¡± Ren Pingsheng said calmly, his tone carrying a hint of a threat.


    When the warriors in the meeting room heard this, they looked at each other.


    Of course, they understood this reasoning. If the beast tide attacked the city, the losses would definitely be far greater than if they were kept at bay outside the city.


    The casualties when containing the beast tide in the mountains would all be martial arts practitioners, and every year, a new batch of martial artists would appear.


    As long as the city was safe and sound, there was still a future.


    Even though that was the logic behind it, after cultivating to the warrior realm, who would not want to protect their lives? These people were all big shots in East Lake City.


    ¡°I think 10 people is too many. East Lake City can¡¯t mobilize too many warriors. Besides, Nightwater City is closer to the Nuhe Mountain Range,¡± Lei Bojun said with a frown.


    Although Lei Bojun was rather old, the Tongbeiquan technique he cultivated specialized in strength, which was best for fighting on the battlefield. He was considered someone who could be asked to go but also had the right to reject the request.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already discussed it with Nightwater City. We only need to send out 10 people, and they will send out 12,¡± Ren Pingsheng replied.


    Lei Bojun¡¯s expression froze as he was rebutted.


    ¡°Since no one took the initiative, I¡¯ll just make the arrangements. Jiang Weishun¡­ Lei Bojun,¡± Ren Pingsheng said calmly.


    It took less than a minute to read out the names of the 10 people. Ren Pingsheng clearly had a list of people shortlisted, and had only discussed it with all of them out of basic respect.

 Chapter 102 - : Complaining

    At the entrance of the city government office building, two winged lion statues that were more than a meter tall were placed on either side.


    There was a height difference of a few meters between the entrance and the square. There were more than ten steps joining the two locations.


    30 warriors walked down the steps from the center in groups of three to five.


    Some were chatting and laughing with their friends, while others had bitter expressions on their faces as they complained to the people around them.


    Ren Pingsheng¡¯s strength suppressed all the warriors present. Although the people who were shortlisted by him were extremely unwilling, they could not win against him. In the end, they still followed his arrangements.


    ¡°Lei Bojun, why are you looking so worried? Your strength is one of the best among us,¡± An Yuhong asked with a smile.


    Lei Bojun frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the beast tide. It¡¯s a problem relating to two of my disciples.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Tell me about it.¡± An Yuhong¡¯s interest was piqued.


    All these years, because of the incident with Liu Qingqing, she had been teased by the other school heads. This had already become a sore point for her. Every time she thought about it, she felt terrible.


    In addition, she cared a lot about her reputation, so even if she had misjudged her abilities, she still let Liu Qingqing stay in the martial arts school to cultivate.


    When she heard that there was some problem with the disciples of the Tongbeiquan School, she instantly felt much better.


    Lei Bojun paused for a moment and sighed. ¡°Sigh! At our age, there¡¯s basically no hope of achieving further breakthroughs in our martial arts abilities.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± An Yuhong nodded.


    Lei Bojun sighed and said, ¡°In recent years, what I¡¯m most concerned about is how to smoothly hand over the Tongbeiquan School to the next head. However, none of my core disciples have any hope of taking on this position in the short term. Now, they are even having internal conflicts.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to let nature take its course? How can it be so easy to find a qualified successor?¡± An Yuhong covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°My Flowing Cloud Sword School is in a worse situation. We don¡¯t even have a disciple who is a warrior candidate. At the very least, you have a warrior candidate, Wu Yunsheng.¡±


    ¡°Those who haven¡¯t entered the warrior realm are still considered ordinary in the end. There¡¯s not much difference between being a warrior candidate or not.¡± Lei Bojun shook his head.


    ¡°Even so, there¡¯s still some hope,¡± An Yuhong comforted him.


    The two of them took turns to speak, and it started to sound like they were just complaining to each other.


    In a small city like East Lake City, it was indeed rare for someone to reach the warrior realm in a few years. The various martial arts schools and warrior clans were most concerned about nurturing a successor who could shoulder the responsibility.


    However, there were times when there were just not enough talented people around. There were many factions that did not have a qualified successor after more than 10 or even 20 years, especially in small cities.


    Once the older generation supporting the faction passed away, if the successor was not strong enough, they would end up just like the Li clan in the south of the city. They would become a prime target that attracted the attention of various parties.


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the entrance and saw 30 warriors walking out. He quickly hid himself.


    With 30 warriors gathered together, he did not dare to spy on them at all. Otherwise, he would easily be discovered.


    ¡°What happened? Why would they gather so many warriors?¡± Chen Yiming wondered.


    Although he did not know most of these 30 people, from the aura they emitted and the expressions they had when they talked to each other, they were definitely people of the same level.


    Almost all the warriors in East Lake City had been summoned to the city government¡¯s office building.


    This was an unusual situation, and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t dare to act rashly.


    ¡°It looks like I can only give up on the idea of ambushing Lei Bojun for the time being. I¡¯ll observe the situation for a while first,¡± Chen Yiming decided.


    After thinking it through, he quickly left.


    ¡­


    The moon set and the sun rose.


    Another day had arrived.


    Chen Yiming made a trip to the company in the morning. He first observed the situation around a few detective agencies in the business district. He compared this with his company and realized that his company was already on the right track.


    After taking a quick look around, Chen Yiming entered the shop.


    The store was noisy, and the sofas were filled with customers who had come to ask about the cost.


    Shen Jia, who had been poached by Chen Yiming from their original faction, was leading a team of beautiful receptionists to answer each of the customers¡¯ questions.


    Chen Yiming called Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan to a private room.


    After closing the door, Shi Changyi said excitedly, ¡°Boss, we did it.¡±


    ¡°I saw it too.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    He had directly attacked and severely injured the Flying Scorpion Sect¡¯s Zhou Weidong, causing the company¡¯s reputation in East Lake City to soar. Many of those in the same line of work had joined the company, so the company¡¯s business was naturally booming.


    Wei Chaoyuan was much calmer and asked, ¡°Boss, why did you suddenly come over? Is there something you need us to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already broken through to become a warrior candidate. From now on, when you are recruiting, you can publicize this information,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly, his expression unchanged.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s perfect.¡± Shi Changyi clenched his fists and said, ¡°I¡¯m discussing with my father about handing over a portion of his business to our company. He keeps rejecting me saying that our company is not strong enough. This time, there¡¯s no reason for him to refuse.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You guys can decide on the details of the company¡¯s business. Spend what you need to and expand the company as necessary,¡± Chen Yiming replied, ¡°I know you two did well. I¡¯ll give you a big surprise in the future.¡±


    A warrior candidate was only below the ten-over warriors in East Lake City. His strength was enough to support a large company.


    Chen Yiming was confident that the speed at which his company was expanding would not be able to keep up with the speed at which his cultivation level was increasing.


    Therefore, he did not have to worry about the company being suppressed and bought over by other large corporations after it expanded.


    At this moment, Shen Jia suddenly knocked on the door and walked in. She looked anxious and worried.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Shen Jia leaned over and whispered, ¡°Boss, Su Xiuming suddenly came to look for you. His expression didn¡¯t look too good.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and left the room.


    In the main hall, Su Xiuming was sitting alone on the sofa. The customers who had come to ask about the prices had long since disappeared.


    Su Xiuming was a disciple that was part of Lin Yixuan¡¯s faction. At this moment, he was wearing a martial arts training robe, and his eyes were cold. He gave off the impression that he had been sent to a lousy place to perform an inspection and did not seem to take Chen Yiming seriously at all.


    ¡°If you have something to say, say it quickly. Don¡¯t get in the way of my company¡¯s business,¡± Chen Yiming said as he looked at him.


    So what if they were fellow disciples? Since the other party did not give him any face, there was no need for him to give him any face either.


    He was just a clown who had undergone seven transformations and thought that since he had joined the faction of the future school head, he did not need to take his fellow disciples who were about to leave the school seriously.


    When Su Xiuming heard this, his expression changed slightly, and the veins on his forehead started to bulge out.


    ¡°You have to remember that as long as you don¡¯t leave the school officially, you will still be a disciple of the school,¡± he said in a low voice, ¡°Eldest Senior Brother has something to announce. Hurry to the school.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    From the start to the end, Su Xiuming didn¡¯t give Chen Yiming any explanation.

 Chapter 103 - Announcement (I)

    At the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, Chen Yiming pushed open the door and entered. Other than him, all the core disciples were already present.


    In the hall that was as big as a stadium, they were divided into three groups that were more than 10 meters away from each other.


    Su Xiuming and Mu Yuerong, who were close to Lin Yixuan, were sitting in the middle of the hall. Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui were sitting on the sofa at the front desk.


    Xia Yingzhe, Zhang Xingfeng, Zhao Yunrong, and Du Yuan stayed in a corner of the hall.


    They were Chen Yiming¡¯s sixth to ninth senior brothers. Because they were not strong enough to compete for the position of the next head, and they did not want to get involved in this matter, they did not belong to the Lin faction or the Wang faction.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, over here,¡± Wang Bowen shouted when he saw Chen Yiming push open the door.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, didn¡¯t everyone leave the school? Why are all of us still gathered here?¡± Chen Yiming asked as he walked over and sat down.


    Ever since the announcement that Lin Yixuan was going to be the next head, the core disciples of the school had not gathered together again.


    Many people had joined other factions. Some had joined large corporations, while others had formed their own hunting teams.


    ¡°The second wave of the beast tide has already been confirmed. The Mantis Snake Sword School needs to send a team to the Nuhe Mountain Range. This meeting should be about who to send,¡± Wang Bowen explained.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t core disciples like us who aren¡¯t from the Lin faction considered to already have left the school? Why are we still participating in this matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    ¡°Hehe, Lin Yixuan wants to focus on breaking through to the warrior realm. Other than Senior Brother Wang, no one else is strong enough to lead the team. There¡¯s a 99% chance that he¡¯s trying to push the responsibility for this matter onto us,¡± Teng Zhihui said with a cold smile.


    This kind of beast tide that required multiple warriors to hold off was considered a medium-scale beast tide. Even if Lin Yixuan was about to break through to the warrior realm, he was still a warrior candidate.


    If a warrior candidate who had a high chance of breaking through to the warrior realm headed to the battlefield where the warriors were fighting, it was very easy for him to be assassinated by other factions that had a grudge against the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    At this moment, Lin Yixuan walked down from the second floor.


    He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. Dressed in a long white robe, he looked handsome and traditional.


    His aura, expression, and every move he made gave off the air of a school head.


    The whispers in the main hall stopped. Everyone looked at Lin Yixuan, who had walked out from the stairwell.


    Su Xiuming received a look from Lin Yixuan and directly made an announcement.


    ¡°In the previous war in the west, Eldest Senior Brother represented the Mantis Snake Sword School. This time, Second Senior Brother Wang Bowen will lead Teng Zhihui and Chen Yiming to represent the Mantis Snake Sword School to hold back the beast tide.¡±


    After he finished speaking, the tense atmosphere in the hall immediately changed.


    Xia Yingzhe, Zhang Xingfeng, Zhao Yunrong, and Du Yuan heaved a sigh of relief.


    Among the four of them, there was no one who was particularly strong. The strongest, Xia Yingzhe, had only undergone seven transformations. They had long decided not to participate in the competition for the next head.


    If the four of them were sent out as representatives, it would be equivalent to Lin Yixuan using his position for personal reasons and deliberately sending them to their deaths.


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Chen Yiming looked at Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui.


    He was willing to contribute his strength for East Lake City, but he was unwilling to be restricted by his role. He would always be under the watch of others, especially as a representative of the school.


    Teng Zhihui frowned and whispered, ¡°This is troublesome. Although everyone is about to leave the school, we haven¡¯t officially left yet, right? After all, we are still members of the Mantis Snake Sword School.¡±


    ¡°Lin Yixuan made the arrangements without discussing it with us first. Can¡¯t we reject him?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Wang Bowen, who had not spoken, said in a low voice, ¡°This is an old grudge between me and Lin Yixuan. Junior Brother Chen, you¡¯ve only been in the school for less than a year, so there¡¯s no need to get involved. I¡¯ll work it out with Lin Yixuan later.¡±


    Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui had joined the school for many years, and no matter what, they had an inseparable master-disciple relationship with the current head, Wan Rong.


    Lin Yixuan had grasped this point and was certain that the two of them would eventually go along with his arrangements. Therefore, he had no intention of discussing it with them to begin with.


    At this moment, the sun was shining brightly outside the school.


    Xia Yingzhe, Zhang Xingfeng, Zhao Yunrong, and Du Yuan remained in the corner and watched everything quietly.


    Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui showed signs of going along with the arrangements due to their roles and responsibilities as core disciples of the school.


    Chen Yiming knew that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so he stood up and objected.


    ¡°The school has already stopped the monthly distribution of cultivation resources to us. In essence, we have already left the school. Eldest Senior Brother, you should take the responsibility for this matter. You shouldn¡¯t push it onto us.¡±


    His eyes looked straight at Lin Yixuan, and his words carried a certain amount of strength.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, don¡¯t be rash.¡± Wang Bowen looked over and tried to persuade him.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, calm down. Don¡¯t stand up and cause trouble,¡± Teng Zhihui whispered.


    Almost everyone was taken aback. They had thought that since Wang Bowen had fallen silent, the matter would be settled just like that.


    They had not expected Chen Yiming, the junior brother who had been the last to become a core disciple, to stand up against Lin Yixuan.


    Lin Yixuan was also stunned for a moment.


    In his impression, although this junior brother who was the last to become a core disciple had a decent amount of talent, he should have exhausted his potential after relying on external forces to break through to the level of the sixth transformation.


    To say such a thing at this moment, he was simply a person who did not think before he acted.


    ¡°How childish. The martial arts school has its own rules. You can¡¯t do whatever you want,¡± Lin Yixuan said calmly, ¡°If you can defeat me, you have the final say. Otherwise, follow the arrangements obediently.¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. Don¡¯t go back on your word later.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming had already arrived in front of Lin Yixuan. He used his raw strength and threw out a punch.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never said anything I¡ª¡±


    Lin Yixuan stood rooted to the ground, unable to react.


    He had never thought that Chen Yiming would take the initiative to attack him. All the muscles in his body had been in a relaxed state.


    He was still thinking about what to say next to teach this ignorant junior brother a lesson.


    Therefore, he did not have the time to draw his sword or dodge. He could only watch helplessly as his opponent arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye.


    Faced with this unexpected situation, Lin Yixuan¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He gathered all his strength into his chest and prepared to take the blow head-on.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    He gathered the explosive force of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to counter the raw strength from his opponent¡¯s attack.


    The force did not block the punch as Lin Yixuan had expected. Instead, it was directly broken, and a huge force caused an explosion on his chest.


    Lin Yixuan was sent flying and crashed into the storeroom on the first floor.


    The storeroom was a room where daily necessities such as training robes, shoes and belts were stored. There were also many metal shelves inside.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The sound of metal shelves colliding rang out, followed by the sound of a large amount of debris falling to the ground.


    For a moment, everyone in the main hall was stunned.

 Chapter 104 - Announcement (II)

    ¡°Am I seeing things? Was Lin Yixuan sent flying by a single punch?¡± Xia Yingzhe whispered as he turned towards the three people beside him who were in a daze.


    ¡°Indeed. I really can¡¯t believe that this is Chen Yiming.¡± Zhao Yunrong nodded as he finally reacted.


    The two of them had only met Chen Yiming a few times. On the surface, they were fellow disciples, but actually, they weren¡¯t close at all.


    In their impression, their junior brother should be the weakest among all the core disciples.


    Now, it was obvious that Chen Yiming was also a warrior candidate. The difference was too great, and it was difficult to accept in a short period of time.


    Suddenly, Zhang Xingfeng said, ¡°I remember that Junior Brother Chen has only joined the school for less than a year. With such talent, do you think¡­¡±


    He did not spell it all out.


    ¡°No way. Master has already decided on Wan Ya and Lin Yixuan¡¯s marriage¡­¡± Du Yuan said in surprise.


    ¡°If one is talented enough, everything can be bent to their will,¡± Zhang Xingfeng replied.


    Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui were also stunned.


    They hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out this way. They had been prepared to step in at any moment to prevent Lin Yixuan from dealing a heavy blow to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M.


    After a few seconds of silence, another loud bang rang out in the storeroom.


    Many neatly packed training robes, belts, and other miscellaneous items flew out and were scattered around the hall.


    Lin Yixuan walked out of the storeroom with a dark expression.


    At this moment, the black tie that he had used to tie his hair had fallen off. His long hair, which had been tied up in a high ponytail at the back of his head, had fallen to his shoulders.


    For some reason, his training robe was drenched, and there were a few holes in it, revealing the tight-fitting singlet underneath.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, who was the last to become a core disciple, to secretly break through to the realm of a warrior candidate,¡± Lin Yixuan said in a hoarse voice, ¡°However, that sneak attack just now was your only chance.¡±


    A killing intent appeared out of nowhere. When everyone present sensed it, they started to worry for Chen Yiming.


    After all, even though Chen Yiming¡¯s innate strength was extraordinary, his swordsmanship was far inferior to Lin Yixuan¡¯s. Lin Yixuan had been favored and nurtured by Wan Rong since he was young.


    They still didn¡¯t think highly of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Many people who have been killed by me have said similar things,¡± Chen Yiming replied, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re invincible among the warrior candidates?¡±


    ¡°Continue your sophistry. Let me show you what a true swordsman is, you boor,¡± Lin Yixuan suddenly said with a smile.


    He moved his shoulders and felt a pain in his chest. He drew his sword and charged forward in an instant, arriving in front of Chen Yiming with just one step and stabbing his sword at him.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The fatal strike was blocked by another sword.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Chen Yiming asked sarcastically, a calm expression on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Lin Yixuan¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Although he had also just broken through to a warrior candidate a few months ago, he was different from ordinary warrior candidates.


    He did not deliberately go all out to break through to the realm of a warrior candidate. Instead, he had started to meditate and draw concept diagrams from very early on. Therefore, as soon as he broke through to the realm of a warrior candidate, he was announced to be the next head by Wan Rong.


    His cultivation method was similar to Chen Yiming¡¯s back then. He had tried to break through the last and most difficult hurdle between the disciple realm and the warrior realm before reaching the warrior candidate realm.


    The difference was that Chen Yiming had completed the concept diagram after his sixth transformation.


    Lin Yixuan was at the last step, and the drawing of the concept diagram was almost complete.


    With his attack countered, Lin Yixuan quickly changed to a different tactic.


    His figure began to become hard to follow, suddenly moving in different directions from time to time. It completely went against the habits of ordinary people.


    This was a movement technique that Lin Yixuan rarely used in front of others. It was called Phantom Illusion Technique and was only used when he encountered an enemy he had difficulty dealing with. Chen Yiming belonged to this category.


    From the moment he was sent flying, he understood that he was not a match for him in terms of pure force.


    The two of them exchanged more than 10 blows at lightning speed.


    Lin Yixuan¡¯s figure kept appearing within a 10 meter radius of Chen Yiming. Lin Yixuan was trying to disrupt Chen Yiming¡¯s rhythm and seize the opportunity to attack once he made a mistake.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change from the start to the end. His feet didn¡¯t move at all, and he simply defended himself on the same spot.


    ¡°Do you have any other moves? If not, it¡¯s my turn,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly as he defended himself.


    He felt no pressure at all, as though he was toying around with an amateur.


    With Lin Yixuan¡¯s level as a warrior candidate, the combination of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique and the Phantom Illusion Technique indeed had a complementary effect on each other.


    If it was any other warrior candidate, they might not have been able to withstand the attack and Lin Yixuan would have found a weakness to exploit. However, Chen Yiming could easily see through all of his opponent¡¯s attacks with his warrior-level vision.


    ¡°You asked for it. Don¡¯t blame me if you die,¡± Lin Yixuan said seriously as he instantly retreated to create some distance.


    With that, he took out a small bottle, threw out a pill, and swallowed it.


    ¡°Taking drugs?¡± Chen Yiming asked, perplexed. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make a move.


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Lin Yixuan asked ferociously.


    At this moment, his face was red and his expression carried a hint of madness. He no longer had the cold expression of a traditional handsome man.


    After this exchange, the pill started to take effect.


    Black lines spread out from Lin Yixuan¡¯s chest and gradually covered his lower limbs. These black lines seemed to be rooted in his skin like tree roots, and an evil air appeared around him.


    ¡°This is a weakened version of internal force. It can greatly increase my speed.¡± Lin Yixuan was not in a hurry to make a move. Instead, he revealed the effect of the pill.


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    When he first obtained the cultivation method for the concept diagram, he had also cultivated something similar using the abilities from his sixth transformation.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, it¡¯s not just my speed that has increased greatly. You have to be careful not to make contact with the black lines,¡± Wang Bowen shouted anxiously. He knew how strong that power was, and that those from the disciple realm could not withstand it at all.


    If he touched it, he would be severely injured at best and severely crippled at worst.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late. Die.¡±


    Lin Yixuan didn¡¯t give Chen Yiming a chance to speak. His figure turned into a black shadow and charged forward.


    His speed was much faster than before.


    Previously, the core disciples who had undergone six or seven transformations could still barely make out what was going on. After the enhancement from the weakened version of the internal force, all they could see was a black shadow.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud sound of a fist striking a body rang out as a figure was sent flying.


    This time, the figure did not fly towards the storeroom. Instead, he flew towards the entrance of the martial arts school at an even faster speed.


    ¡°Crash!¡±


    An entire piece of glass was shattered by the figure. Countless glass shards fell to the ground, and the metal door frame broke.


    Lin Yixuan was sent flying again after using the weakened version of internal force.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    To the other core disciples, including Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui, this was like a dream. Their impression of Chen Yiming was updated once again.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s reaction speed actually suppressed Lin Yixuan. He dodged easily and perfectly avoided the black lines covering his lower limbs. Then, he punched Lin Yixuan¡¯s upper body, which was not covered by the black lines.


    What kind of talent was this? In just a year, he had surpassed Lin Yixuan, who had been nurtured since he was young. Not only that, Lin Yixuan had lost to him even after taking enhancement drugs.

 Chapter 105 - Reward (I)

    The sunlight split the space two meters in front of the school into two parts ¡ª bright and dark.


    The sunlight split the area two meters in front of the school into two parts.


    At this moment, his face was completely red. It was hard to tell if it was because of the scorching sunlight or because he was feeling angry and embarrassed.


    He was the eldest senior brother of the martial arts school, the one that everyone had thought would become the next head of the school.


    However, on this day, he had been beaten up twice by his junior brother who had been the last to become a core disciple. Even though he had taken an enhancement drug, he had not been able to fight back.


    The pride that he always had was already completely shattered at this moment.


    Chen Yiming walked towards Lin Yixuan and stopped about a meter away from him.


    At this moment, their roles had been completely reversed. Every step he took caused the hearts of the surrounding disciples to skip a beat. Lin Yixuan had become the weaker one.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Lin Yixuan suddenly laughed wildly. He had a twisted expression on his face and his hair had fallen loose, making him look like someone who had gone mad.


    That laughter completely revealed his true self, changing the surrounding disciples¡¯ impression of him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll listen to whoever is stronger. Who was the one who said that earlier?¡± Chen Yiming looked down at Lin Yixuan, his words carrying the tone of a victor.


    ¡°So what if I was the one who said it? And what if it wasn¡¯t?¡± Lin Yixuan suddenly sat up, returning to his original confident state.


    ¡°Are you going back on your word?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve already asked Su Xiuming to hand over the name list to the city government¡¯s office. I was just informing you as a formality,¡± Lin Yixuan said with a smile.


    Wan Rong had gradually handed over the job of the school head to Lin Yixuan, who was already considered to be the person in charge of the school.


    As long as the person in charge did not say anything, the name list submitted could not be changed.


    If Wang Bowen, Chen Yiming, and Teng Zhihui insisted on not participating, they would be disobeying official orders.


    At this moment, Wang Bowen walked over to Chen Yiming and suggested, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, there¡¯s no need to waste your breath on Lin Yixuan. Let¡¯s go straight to Master to resolve this issue.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Lin Yixuan laughed wildly again. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ It¡¯s useless. Master has already gone for a meeting with the Myriad Phenomena Faction. Now, I¡¯m in charge of the matters regarding the school.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t wait to see Chen Yiming¡¯s anxious and helpless expression.


    ¡°Is the head not in the city?¡± Chen Yiming asked with a sharp gaze towards him.


    Lin Yixuan sensed a hint of killing intent from Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze and was almost frightened out of his wits. However, he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it that you want to kill me, but don¡¯t dare to do it?¡± Lin Yixuan smiled.


    He stood up and deliberately patted the dust off his training robe. He even puffed out his chest and turned to face Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming looked up and realized that Lin Yixuan really believed that. The black lines had shrunk back into his chest and turned into a black dot. All the muscles in his body were relaxed, and his sword was abandoned on the ground.


    ¡°Do you really think I can¡¯t do anything to you?¡±


    Chen Yiming took half a step forward and threw a punch at Lin Yixuan¡¯s chest.


    This was not just an ordinary punch, but one that also carried with it a trace of the power of lightning.


    His power of lightning had undergone a change compared to before he had the Level-1 Undying Body talent, and it now had a life of its own.


    As long as he did not deliberately cause it to explode, this trace of lightning could continuously drain the energy around it while hiding in Lin Yixuan¡¯s body like a poison.


    Chen Yiming already had first-hand experience from cultivating the Thunder Sword Technique and the Flying Feather Sword Technique and knew that internal forces of different attributes would repel each other in the body. The degree of rejection was related to the types of internal force involved.


    The internal force cultivated from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique leaned towards darkness, while the lightning attribute leaned towards light. Even without testing it out, these two attributes would definitely cause a serious repulsion.


    Even though Lin Yixuan had completed the drawing of the concept diagram, he had just started cultivating the power in his body, so it was still weak. It couldn¡¯t even be considered an internal force, and there was a qualitative difference between it and Chen Yiming¡¯s power of lightning.


    In the end, the power cultivated in Lin Yixuan¡¯s body would be continuously absorbed by the power of lightning, and he would never be able to break through to the warrior realm.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Yixuan watched helplessly as Chen Yiming threw out a punch. He still couldn¡¯t believe that Chen Yiming would really kill him.


    The distance between the two of them was too close. Lin Yixuan was sent flying for the third time, and his body headed straight towards the rock garden in front of the school.


    There was a loud crash.


    The rocks exploded, and the water in the pool was blown away. The shattered rocks collapsed and trapped Lin Yixuan under the water.


    The other disciples in the school had also arrived outside. They watched quietly from a few meters away as Chen Yiming beat up Lin Yixuan.


    Su Xiuming and Mu Yuerong¡¯s faces were pale. They were aware of their own limits and knew that they wouldn¡¯t be a match for Chen Yiming even if they went up against him. They could only stand at the side in a daze.


    ¡°Junior Brother Chen, watch your strength. Don¡¯t really kill him,¡± Wang Bowen reminded him loudly with an anxious expression on his face.


    If Chen Yiming really killed him, he would definitely be blamed for killing his fellow disciple.


    Not only would the head of the school, Wan Rong, not tolerate such a situation when he returned, but the laws and regulations of East Lake City would also not tolerate this behavior.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This punch of mine only broke all the bones in Lin Yixuan¡¯s body. He¡¯ll have to lie in bed for a while,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly, his expression unchanged.


    Ordinary people would need 100 days to recover from their injuries, but the recovery ability of warrior candidates was extremely strong, so he would only need a week or two to recover.


    When the surrounding disciples heard this, cold sweat broke out on their foreheads. It turned out that this junior brother who was the last to join as a core disciple was not a pushover, but a force to be reckoned with.


    Chen Yiming leaped up and landed in the pool. He pulled Lin Yixuan out from under the rubble and threw him beside the pond.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Lin Yixuan coughed out the dirty water that had entered his lungs. Every part of his body was in excruciating pain, and the hatred in his heart made him feel even worse than if he had been killed.


    Seeing that Lin Yixuan couldn¡¯t move, Chen Yiming squatted down and reached towards him.


    With his experience of searching bodies, he quickly found the important items that Lin Yixuan had brought with him.


    A square seal with Wan Rong¡¯s name engraved on it.


    A small porcelain bottle that contained the pills that could allow warrior candidates to release a weakened version of their internal force for a short period of time.


    A picture with a scenery of black fog. It was a copy of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique¡¯s concept diagram.


    Without any hesitation, Chen Yiming took the small porcelain bottle and the concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique for himself.


    The pills in the small porcelain bottle were very useful to him. He could cultivate enough internal force to use once or twice as a backup, then use his internal force openly.


    On the other hand, he would temporarily keep the concept diagram as part of his collection. It would be of great use to him in the future after he managed to resolve the conflict between different types of internal force.


    When the surrounding disciples saw Chen Yiming¡¯s actions, they immediately regarded him as someone they couldn¡¯t provoke. Even if they couldn¡¯t be on good terms with him, they couldn¡¯t afford to offend him.


    Chen Yiming stood up again and said, ¡°Su Xiuming, go and make a new list. Third Senior Brother, please go with him the entire time. Make sure that he replaces the old list with the new one.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Su Xiuming looked at Lin Yixuan.


    If he didn¡¯t do as requested, Chen Yiming could easily find some excuse to deal with him. If he did as requested, he would be betraying Lin Yixuan.


    He was in a dilemma. No matter what he chose, it would be wrong.


    Lin Yixuan endured the pain in his entire body and glared fiercely at Su Xiuming. This could be considered as smashing his last shred of dignity to the ground.


    Su Xiuming¡¯s expression looked as bad as if he had just eaten feces. He hesitated for nearly a minute before speaking with Chen Yiming in the end. He then turned around and entered the school to make a new list.


    After Su Xiuming left, the other disciples heaved a sigh of relief. They were also afraid that they would be assigned to replace the name list.

 Chapter 106 - : Reward (II)

    Teng Zhihui walked over and said loudly, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, you really gave us a huge surprise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the lightning wood. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to break through to the warrior candidate realm so quickly,¡± Chen Yiming said, using the excuse he had thought of earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because of your own talent. Even if you give me a treasure like the lightning wood, I wouldn¡¯t dare to use it,¡± Teng Zhihui said with a smile.


    The new list was completed in a few minutes. Su Xiuming walked out of the school and handed the list to Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming glanced at it briefly. The names on it had changed to Lin Yixuan, Su Xiuming, and Mu Yuerong. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he passed the name list to Teng Zhihui.


    After Teng Zhihui and Su Xiuming left, Xia Yingzhe, Zhang Xingfeng, Zhao Yunrong, and Du Yuan bade farewell to Chen Yiming and quickly left.


    Chen Yiming gestured for Mu Yuerong to send Lin Yixuan to the hospital to prevent him from dying from internal bleeding. He didn¡¯t want to be accused of killing his senior brother.


    In any case, as long as Lin Yixuan continued to cultivate, the trace power of lightning would continue to grow. Sooner or later, he would suddenly die from the explosion caused by the repulsion between the two internal forces.


    There were many cases of people losing their minds and dying while cultivating the concept diagram. The outside world would only think that fate did not favor Lin Yixuan, and that he had failed at the stage of breaking through to the warrior realm.


    At this moment, only Chen Yiming and Wang Bowen were left at the entrance of the school. The two of them exchanged some opinions about the current situation.


    Wang Bowen said, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, when Master returns, I will personally explain the situation to him. I believe Master will definitely understand. After all, Lin Yixuan was only injured. He will recover after lying down for a while.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Yiming nodded. He had no intention of telling Wang Bowen the truth.


    As long as Chen Yiming insisted on not taking over the position of the head, Wang Bowen might soon become the successor of the school.


    ¡°The exact scale of the beast tide this time is still unknown. I wonder what will happen in the city.¡± Wang Bowen shook his head and continued. ¡°If there¡¯s a need, I can arrange for some experts from the Wang clan to go to your house to protect your family.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it carefully. His newly established Yiming Detective Agency mainly dealt with gathering information. The overall strength of the people he recruited was still relatively weak. Most of them had undergone less than three transformations.


    It was fine to let these people gather information, but it was not enough to protect his family.


    ¡°I will be really grateful for that,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°What are you feeling grateful for? I believe it won¡¯t be difficult for you to break through to the warrior realm. In the future, the Wang clan might even need your protection,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    The two of them weren¡¯t biological brothers, but they were closer than that. This was the friendship they had formed from the time when Chen Yiming first rose to prominence.


    At that time, there was no issue of gains and benefits between the two of them, only pure passion for martial arts. This kind of friendship was something that the friends Chen Yiming made after he rose to prominence could not compare to.


    The speed at which martial arts practitioners moved far exceeded that of ordinary people. About half an hour later, Teng Zhihui and Su Xiuming returned to the martial arts school.


    Chen Yiming confirmed with Teng Zhihui that the matter regarding the name list had been settled and sent Su Xiuming away.


    The three of them discussed how to deal with the aftermath. Chen Yiming invited Teng Zhihui to his company to help out, and Teng Zhihui agreed without much thought.


    / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M.


    After the matter was settled, the three of them left.


    ¡­


    In the center of the Nuhe Mountain Range, a canyon had been opened up.


    The canyon was nearly two kilometers wide and more than three kilometers deep. A river flowed along its bottom.


    On both sides of the river, dozens of mutant beasts were sleeping. They were all two to three stories tall, and every breath they took would raise a cloud of dust.


    Looking down from the top of the mountain, one could see a black crack that was dozens of meters long at the bottom. This was the space-travel passage leading to the otherworld in the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    At this moment, there was an inexplicable sense of oppression in the air.


    In the next moment, thousands of flying mutant beasts surged out of the space-travel passage. These bird-type mutant beasts had bodies about three to four meters long, and each of them had a long beak that shone with a metallic glint.


    After entering the blue planet from the otherworld, this group of flying mutant beasts soared into the sky in formation and flew into the sky above the center of the Nuhe Mountain Range.


    In an instant, the entire central area was covered by the bodies of the bird-type mutant beasts. The entire forest became dark, and their huge black shadows were left on the ground.


    ¡°%&$*¡±


    A flying mutant beast that was nearly 20 meters long let out a sharp cry. Its feathers were glowing with a cold metallic color, and looked like armor that the humans used.


    Its wingspan was close to 50 meters. Every time it flapped its wings, a black flame would rise up. Wherever the black flame passed, the air was distorted and blurred.


    After receiving the order, the thousands of flying mutant beasts split into three teams and flew towards Nightwater City, East Lake City, and Cloud Port City.


    At the same time, the three troops stationed around the Nuhe Mountain Range were in chaos when they saw this scene. All the soldiers stopped what they were doing and went into formation to await their orders.


    In the room where communications from the camp were conducted, a burly officer in a green military uniform was holding a landline phone and reporting the situation to someone on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Reporting, a large number of flying mutant beasts suddenly appeared in the central region of the Nuhe Mountain Range. The number is in the tens of thousands.¡±


    The other party was silent for a few seconds, and their heavy breathing could be heard.


    ¡°What¡¯s the size of the leader?¡±


    ¡°About 20 meters.¡±


    ¡°Direction?¡±


    ¡°Split into three groups, going towards Nightwater City, East Lake City, and Cloud Port City respectively.¡±


    ¡°Lead the troops and stay in place to defend and observe the situation. Report any new developments in a timely manner.¡±


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡± Once he finished speaking, the other party hung up.


    In Yongluo Town, all the people who were preparing to enter the mountain to hunt mutant beasts saw the flock of flying mutant beasts that covered the sky from afar and immediately dispersed. There was no need for any discussion or forming teams.


    ¡°Oh my god, why are there so many?¡±


    Some of them were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their lips started trembling. Their muscles were tense and their running speed was even slower than usual.


    ¡°Excuse me, excuse me¡­¡±


    Some people relied on their powerful strength and roared as they squeezed out of the crowd and fled into the distance, leaving behind the weak people who were wailing after being pushed to the ground.


    These weak people had no chance to get up after falling and were trampled into the ground by the crowd.


    Most of the fleeing people were not heading towards the city, but the wilderness, which was far away from the city.


    Because at this time, cities faced an assault from the air, which was often more dangerous than the wilderness.


    ¡­


    In East Lake City, the air raid siren suddenly rang throughout the city.


    Many children were playing among the pedestrians on the street. When the parents heard the siren, they immediately picked up their children and ran towards the nearest air raid shelter.


    The air raid shelter was built in this era to deal with the attacks of flying mutant beasts. It was equipped with reinforced concrete support pillars, and its defense was enough to withstand ordinary mutant beasts.


    When Chen Yiming heard the air raid siren, he had just returned to the entrance of Jinghu District.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, you came back at the right time.¡± The guard, Xiao Zhang, walked over to greet him with a face full of fear.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s reputation had already spread throughout the district. All the residents, property management personnel, and guards in the district knew that he had a strength that they could rely on.


    If they really encountered a disaster, following the Chen family was much more reliable than running around by themselves.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Xiao Zhang and leaped onto the wall that was more than 10 meters tall. He then leaped up again to the height of more than 10 floors.


    After jumping off the balcony of a house, he leaped to the top of a building that was more than 30 stories high.


    Only the city center had such high-rise apartments. The suburbs were all low-rise two or three-story buildings, so the field of view was extremely wide.


    Chen Yiming looked into the distance from the tall building that was 100 meters tall. The sky was dark as a group of flying mutant beasts charged towards East Lake City.


    He took out his phone and dialed the landline at home.


    ¡°Hello, Dad. Are Mom and Yingying at home?¡±


    The sound of rapid breathing came from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes. Your mother and sister are both here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the roof of the building. You guys hide at home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful too.¡±


    After hanging up, Chen Yiming sat down cross-legged and waited quietly for the air battle to start in a few minutes.

 Chapter 107 - Air Raid (I)

    In the sky a few kilometers northwest of East Lake City, 3,000 to 4,000 flying mutant beasts lined up in a row, blocking off the sunlight. The group spanned several kilometers.


    The flying mutant beasts moved extremely quickly, almost at the speed of sound. Wherever they passed, they created shock waves, just like supersonic fighter jets.


    At this moment, the group of flying mutant beasts, led by three birds that were more than 10 meters long, were rapidly charging towards East Lake City.


    Troops were stationed in all four directions: north, south, east, and west of East Lake City.


    In front of each set of troops, dozens of guided missile trucks were parked. On each of the trucks was a missile that was more than a meter in diameter and about 10 meters long.


    After these missiles detonated, a large number of steel needles would shoot out in all directions instead of having the lethality of a single point explosion. They were specially made to deal with ordinary flying mutant beasts.


    In addition, there were three warriors from the military in each set of troops. They were the leaders of the same rank who were responsible for holding back the flying mutant beasts.


    In each of the four sets of troops,the military captains who were carrying weapons on their shoulders gave the orders into the walkie-talkie almost at the same time. ¡°Get ready, fire!¡±


    A few seconds later, ¡°Bang¡­¡± The back of all the guided missile trucks lit up with a red light. Flames shot out from the bottom of the hundreds of missiles which instantly shot up into the sky, creating a large amount of white smoke.


    In the next moment, the hundreds of missiles formed a large net in the sky. The area covered by the net was about one-tenth of the area covered by the flying mutant beasts.


    This kind of coordinated attack was much more efficient than firing freely at the enemy.


    The flying mutant beasts within the range of the missile net would be hit by the missiles no matter which direction they moved to dodge the attack.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Endless explosions echoed through the sky, like a fireworks display.


    The distance of several kilometers was extremely short for both the bird-type mutant beasts and the missiles, especially since the two sides were flying towards each other. The bird-type mutant beasts had no time to avoid the missiles.


    In addition, this group of flying mutant beasts might not have fought against the advanced weapons from humans before. Most of them only adjusted their flight direction slightly when they saw this, planning to pass through the gaps in the incoming missile net.


    In the range of the missile explosions, hundreds of flying mutant beasts that were each three to four meters long fell from the sky like sacks of meat. This was equivalent to heavy objects weighing several tons falling from the sky and crashing straight towards the ground.


    At this moment, a few kilometers southeast of East Lake City, there were three watchtowers that were hundreds of meters tall.


    The corpses of hundreds of bird-type mutant beasts narrowly avoided the entire East Lake City and smashed into the area where the watchtower was.


    Rumbling sounds rang out continuously as the watchtower collapsed, leaving hundreds of holes more than 10 meters wide in the forest.


    This was the best distance for the attack that the military professionals had calculated through analysis of the historical data.


    The corpses of the dead mutant beasts had not landed in East Lake City, and the staff at the watchtower had already been told to evacuate.


    ¡°&%%#!¡±


    The remaining bird-type mutant beasts let out piercing screams and scattered in all directions. The entire group was in chaos, and many of them collided with each other.


    They had lived in a valley in the otherworld all year round and had never faced such a combat tactic.


    In an instant, before the flying mutant beasts could attack, hundreds of them were already killed by the missiles. Immediately after, hundreds more were injured due to their own confusion.


    Taking advantage of the chaos among the flying mutant beasts, hundreds of martial arts experts from the military each led three small teams and appeared at various locations in the city to ensure that every street was guarded by a team.


    Each of these martial arts experts had undergone more than six transformations, and their team members were all martial artists who had undergone more than three transformations.


    The military had such a large scale of martial arts power as a form of insurance so that they could control the martial arts factions among the civilians.


    For example, the Mantis Snake Sword School was a faction with a warrior presiding over them. There were only about 10 core disciples, which was a completely different scale from the hundreds of martial arts experts in the military.


    ¡°No wonder so many people disappeared after the war in the west ended.¡± Chen Yiming sighed when he saw this.


    Although the martial arts power of the military was only equivalent to the strength of a small portion of the civilian forces, the military¡¯s power could be combined into one large force.


    The civilian martial arts factions seemed to be huge, but they were actually scattered all around. Even if a few top factions joined forces, they would be far weaker than the combined forces of the military.


    The chaos only lasted for a minute or two. Under the cries of the three flying mutant beasts that were more than 10 meters long, the flying mutant beasts lined up again and hovered in the sky.


    At this moment, the bird-type mutant beasts no longer maintained a dense formation. Instead, they spread out in a disorderly manner.


    The bird-type mutant beasts were shocked by the missile net attack from earlier. Even the mutant beasts at the warrior realm could not make an attack at this scale.


    ¡°&%$#¡­¡± The three bird-type mutant beasts leading the group gave the order at the same time.


    The flying mutant beasts hesitated for a moment, but in the end, they obeyed the order and split into four small groups. Each group had less than a thousand mutant beasts.


    The three bird-type mutant beasts that were more than 10 meters long led hundreds of the bird-type mutant beasts towards East Lake City from the northwest. The remaining three groups launched attacks towards the city from the other three directions.


    Facing the scattered flying mutant beasts, the military did not continue to fire their missiles. This was because the price of one missile was more than a million yuan, and firing a single round had already cost hundreds of millions of yuan.


    Soon, the flying mutant beasts swooped down onto the city, and the entire East Lake City fell into chaos.


    In a low-rise house, the doors and windows were securely blocked off by cabinets, tables, and other furniture. A family of four hid under the bed and trembled.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A bird-type mutant beast randomly chose a spot to land and happened to land on the roof of this house. Its sharp claws that were glowing with a metallic luster instantly pierced through the roof, and its three to four-meter-long body directly caused the house to collapse.


    Countless bricks and stones fell down, burying the family of four hiding under the bed.


    From the beginning to the end, even though they were choking on dust and tears, a little boy and a little girl still had their mouths covered tightly by their parents so that they would not make a single sound.


    Fortunately, the mutant beast¡¯s sharp claws had landed in the hall of the house, and it quickly flapped its wings and flew up again.


    At the edge of the city center, in a commercial building more than 40 floors high, everyone rushed down the stairs through the emergency passage and elevator after hearing the air raid siren.


    However, only a few minutes had passed from the moment the air raid siren rang to the moment the military fired their missiles at the flying mutant beasts. Even with the time during which the flying mutant beasts had been in chaos, there was less than 10 minutes.


    10 minutes was not enough for thousands of ordinary people to evacuate the building successfully. At this moment, more than half of them were still stuck in the emergency passage.


    Three flying mutant beasts that were seven to eight meters long with the strength of human warrior candidates dodged the rain of bullets from the military and shook off the few warrior candidates blocking their way.


    Their metallic beaks and sharp claws pierced straight through the building. The three flying mutant beasts attacked the upper, middle, and lower portions of the building at the same time.


    One of the mutant beasts caught a glimpse of the rapidly moving elevator. Its sharp beak, which was more than three meters long, pierced through the steel-wrapped elevator with a single peck.


    Black smoke rose from the short circuit caused by the attack and the elevator instantly exploded, revealing the situation inside.


    The people at the front who had been directly in line of the beak were swallowed in one bite. The people beside them felt their legs go weak and fell down the elevator passage, their fate unknown.


    Similar scenes were happening throughout the building. Some people were stuck in the emergency passage and crushed by the flying mutant beasts, leaving behind countless broken limbs.


    There was also someone who tried to be a smart alec and combined several office desks together, then sealed up the exposed portions and hid inside them, hoping that the flying mutant beasts would not be able to see him.


    Little did he know that the building would be rocked back and forth by the three flying mutant beasts that were seven to eight meters long. The heavy concrete pillars supporting the building had long since been broken, and it would not be long before the entire building collapsed.

 Chapter 108 - Air Raid (II)

    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on the roof of a building that was 100 meters tall and watched everything unfold quietly.


    ¡°When you don¡¯t have enough power, you need to protect yourself first before trying to help everyone,¡± he sighed and muttered to himself.


    He did have the ability to change the outcome of this aerial assault to a certain extent.


    With his Level-2 swordsmanship talent and Level-1 Undying Body talent, he had the strength to be almost invincible among his peers in a small place like East Lake City. It would not even be a problem for him to fight multiple opponents at once.


    After all, he had the Level-1 Undying Body talent, which allowed him to continuously recover his stamina and internal force. He was not afraid of a tag-team battle at all.


    As he sighed, five bird-type mutant beasts flew over from afar.


    The five bird-type mutant beasts were all about seven to eight meters long. They had destroyed the buildings at the edge of the city center and continued to destroy more buildings as they made their way deeper into the city center.


    ¡°However, even if I can¡¯t use my full strength to change the outcome of this aerial assault, I can still protect an area of about one kilometer around me.¡± Chen Yiming stood up and glanced at the five bird-type mutant beasts flying towards him.


    With the enhancement from the Level-1 Undying Body talent, even the trace of lightning power from his gaze had an extraordinary amount of vital force.


    This trace power of lightning was transmitted to the five bird-type mutant beasts through an electromagnetic field, and a feeling of numbness instantly spread throughout their bodies.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming leaped forward onto a rooftop dozens of meters away. Making use of the momentum, he arrived in front of one of the flying mutant beasts in the blink of an eye.


    This flying mutant beast happened to be heading towards Jingyue District. It swooped down from the supermarket opposite the district and inexplicably felt numb from an electric shock.


    From the corner of its eye, it saw a human who was much smaller than it rushing towards it from just two to three meters away. Its pupils instantly enlarged by 30%.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    A low growl sounded.


    The bird-type mutant beast¡¯s neck was slashed by a white flash from a sword, and blood instantly sprayed out, turning into a rain of blood that fell towards the ground.


    Chen Yiming had killed a flying mutant beast in one strike. He had nowhere to land on and fell from a height of dozens of meters.


    ¡°Bang! Boom!¡±


    The sound of two heavy objects consecutively falling to the ground rang out. The first sound was much softer than the second.


    At the spot where Chen Yiming landed, a hole about three meters in diameter had opened up. Behind him, a seven to eight-meter-long bird fell into a basketball court.


    A huge hole with a diameter of more than 30 meters appeared on the basketball court. Countless specks of dust rose up and turned into a dust cloud that spread in all directions.


    The remaining four bird-type mutant beasts couldn¡¯t hide the fear in their eyes. After letting out ear-piercing screeches, they flapped their wings and flew away from Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming looked up at a bird-type mutant beast that was flying in the direction of his house. Without any hesitation, he leaped into the sky again and turned into a black shadow as he charged at it.


    His speed was extremely fast, and he caught up to the bird-type mutant beast in the blink of an eye.


    The bird-type mutant beast felt the wind behind it and the feathers on its body exploded. It flapped its wings with all its might, trying to fly higher.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Chen Yiming kicked the flying mutant beast in the stomach.


    On one side was a human less than two meters tall, and on the other was a bird-type mutant beast that was seven to eight meters long. However, the bird-type mutant beast was completely unable to withstand the attack and was sent flying.


    Chen Yiming abandoned his sword and used his feet to forcefully change the direction of the flying mutant beast, causing it to avoid the building his house was in and crash into a street outside the residential district instead.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Another loud bang rang out.


    The bird-type mutant beast¡¯s seven to eight-meter-long body split the road into two.


    The improvement that the warrior realm brought to one¡¯s body was not something that could be made up for by one¡¯s size. The difference between Chen Yiming¡¯s body and that of the bird-type mutant beast was like the difference between a steel knife and a piece of tofu.


    Even though the tofu was dozens of times larger than the knife, it could still be easily cut through by the knife.


    After killing the second bird-type mutant beast, Chen Yiming leaped back to the roof of the building where his house was. The remaining three bird-type mutant beasts had already flown a kilometer or two away.


    He stood on the roof and observed the situation in the entire city.


    The interior of East Lake City was being attacked by flying mutant beasts, and in just 10 minutes, half of it was already destroyed.


    When the flying mutant beasts encountered opponents of the same level, they often did not engage them. Instead, they focused on destroying the buildings in the city.


    In the government office area in the west of the city, all the flying mutant beasts were held back a kilometer away.


    Other than the periphery of the city center, only a small portion of the interior had been destroyed.


    Most of the flying mutant beasts that tried to break through the blockade were killed by the experts from the various martial arts schools and corporations, just like the two flying mutant beasts that Chen Yiming had killed.


    Most of the destruction was concentrated in the suburbs. Although there were also a large number of martial arts clans in the suburbs, including the seven major martial arts clans, these clans could only concentrate on defending their own bases.


    At this moment, the suburbs in all four directions of East Lake City were filled with collapsed houses, burning factories, and people running for their lives.


    Countless flying mutant beasts that were three to four meters long were killing wantonly, and it seemed as though the end of the world had arrived.


    These flying mutant beasts that were three to four meters long had the strength equivalent to a human who had undergone six transformations. They relied on their flying ability to toy with humans who had a similar level of strength.


    ¡°If the air raid had happened half a year earlier, I would probably have been like those people,¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    After recalling the tragedy caused by the beast tide entering the city, he looked at the three main battlefields in East Lake City.


    These three battlefields were related to the three flying mutant beasts that had the strength of the warrior realm. They were about the same size as the giant blazing sun lizard that Chen Yiming had killed in the Nuhe Mountain Range, and were all about 10 meters long.


    At this moment, the three flying mutant beasts were circling more than 100 meters above the city. Behind each of them were four warriors.


    These 12 warriors were all from the military. Each of them was covered in a layer of internal force. From afar, they looked like balls of flames, poisonous fog, and ice¡­


    This was created by their internal forces with different attributes. In terms of defense, it was equivalent to wearing an invisible layer of armor. As long as this layer of armor was not not completely broken through, the warriors using the internal force would not suffer any fatal injuries.


    ¡°The military actually can¡¯t deal with those three bird-type mutant beasts!¡± Chen Yiming exclaimed.


    He was certain that in the military, there were people who had gone even further in the warrior realm.


    Back when Chen Yiming participated in the auction organized by Liu Wanqing, he had heard that the incomplete warrior realm fist technique, the Danyang Fist, was used by a person who had cultivated to the second stage of the warrior realm.


    After Chen Yiming broke through to the warrior realm, his strength had been accumulating slowly, but had not improved qualitatively. Clearly, he was still at the first stage of the warrior realm.


    Even the concept diagram of the incomplete Danyang Fist Technique had been drawn retrospectively, so it was impossible for there to be a cultivation method for the second stage of the warrior realm in it. Chen Yiming had also yet to obtain any relevant clues for the next stage.


    ¡°Could it be that in this air raid, there are flying mutant beasts stronger than those in the first stage of the warrior realm who managed to hold back the military personnel from the same realm?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    After thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was most likely the case. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why the three flying mutant beasts had managed to stay alive for so long.


    As for the master realm, which was the realm after the warrior realm, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think that there would be someone of that level in East Lake City. Otherwise, the war in the west wouldn¡¯t have lasted so long.


    ¡°What a pity.¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    The air raid had happened in East Lake City, and he still had to protect his family, so he could not leave.


    If this had happened in the Nuhe Mountain Range, Chen Yiming would definitely not have missed this opportunity. He would definitely have gone to investigate.


    Although he had yet to reach the end of the first stage of the warrior realm, he still needed to plan ahead. Otherwise, he might reach a bottleneck one day.


    He had already formed a habit of breaking through the various barriers along the path of cultivation. If he was suddenly stopped because he lacked the corresponding cultivation technique, it would really be uncomfortable for him.

 Chapter 109 - Masked Man (I)

    The chase lasted for more than 10 minutes. The three bird-type mutant beasts cleverly avoided the city government¡¯s office area and the city center, circling above the suburbs instead.


    One of the teams of military warriors who were chasing after them used various tactics to try to force them to come to a stop.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Su Chengwang cursed loudly after another fruitless attempt.


    He was a warrior who could release an internal force with the ice attribute. If his internal force hit the bird-type mutant beast, it would slow down its flying speed. However, the mutant beast was not stupid and kept its guard up against him.


    Cao Zhengjun suppressed his anger and said loudly, ¡°Calm down and continue to look for an opportunity.¡±


    His internal force attribute was that of flames with an explosive power. However, since the flying mutant beasts were deliberately avoiding a fight, no matter how powerful his attacks were, it was useless if he could not hit them.


    Most of the houses in the suburbs were low-lying. Even if the military warriors had an absolute advantage in terms of numbers, the time it took for them to leap hundreds of meters into air was sufficient for the flying mutant beasts to change the direction of their flight.


    ¡°Sun Changbin, your internal force that can create a potent poison is very suitable for dealing with those flying mutant beasts that are three to four meters long. The rest of us will try our best to stall them,¡± Su Chengwang suggested with an anxious expression.


    When Sun Changbin heard this, his movements slowed down.


    What Su Chengwang said made sense. Being held back by the flying mutant beasts was not a solution.


    The poison created by his internal force would kill any bird-type mutant beast below the warrior realm if it came into contact with it. He should use it to deal with the bird-type mutant beasts that were three to four meters long and seven to eight meters long.


    Cao Zhengjun remained rational and objected, ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate. Although the flying mutant beasts do not have strong physical defense, if we lose just one person, they are very likely to take the risk to join in the killing of civilians.¡±


    If a bird-type mutant beast at the warrior realm could ignore the military¡¯s forces, it could completely destroy the entire East Lake City.


    ¡°Then what can we do?¡± Su Chengwang asked angrily.


    He naturally understood this principle. In a four-on-one situation, the flying mutant beasts would not dare to stay still for even a moment. If there was one less person, the situation might be different.


    ¡°Increase the intensity of your attacks. I¡¯ll continue to urge the heads of the martial arts clans and schools,¡± Xue Haichuan said in a low voice. His internal force attribute increased his body¡¯s strength, and he often worked together with others as a human shield. He was the least useful in this kind of pursuit.


    With that, he took out his special communication device and made a call.


    / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M.


    ¡°Alright!¡± The other three nodded.


    They released all of their internal force and took turns to leap up from the ground to attack the flying mutant beast in the air.


    In an instant, wherever the flying mutant beast flew past, flames soared into the sky, poisonous fog spread out, and a frost appeared. Various materializations of internal force appeared in midair.


    The sound of internal force being released in the air echoed throughout the entire East Lake City. It was comparable to continuous attacks from a human cannon.


    All the people hiding in the air raid shelters, homes, and bunkers revealed looks of despair when they heard the tremors. Those with weak willpower were so scared that they lost control of their bladder.


    In the chaos, unlucky flying mutant beasts of less than 10 meters long that were continuously struck by the aftershocks from the internal force explosions.


    Some of them suddenly turned into ice statues and fell to the ground, the statues shattering into small pieces of flesh wrapped in ice.


    Some of them instantly turned into pools of black water. When the black water splashed onto the ground, it made a sizzling sound and dissolved the ground into huge holes more than 10 meters wide.


    There were also those who spontaneously combusted and turned into fireballs that fell to the ground. Along the way, they ignited other combustible objects, causing one fire after another.


    The destructive power of a battle between warriors was extremely high. Even if the military warriors tried their best to control it, it would still cause immeasurable damage to East Lake City.


    The three flying mutant beasts did not take any risks. They only led the military warriors back and forth, indirectly destroying everything in their path.


    ¡­


    On the top floor of the building the Chen family¡¯s house was in, in the Jinghu district,


    Chen Yiming stared nervously at the three flying mutant beasts that were more than 10 meters long and the flying mutant beasts that were seven to eight meters long.


    Chen Yiming let out a long breath and muttered to himself, ¡°The situation has basically stabilized. After these bird-type mutant beasts that pose more of a threat were held back from reaching the city government office area and the city center, they no longer dare to approach these two areas casually.¡±


    After this matter, the idea of expanding the company as soon as possible surged into his mind.


    At this stage, the Yiming Detective Agency only had some intelligence gathering capabilities. Its combat strength was still too weak. In such a disaster that could destroy a city, it could not even protect itself.


    At this moment, two middle-aged men leaped over the outer wall of the district and used the eaves of the building to reach the top floor.


    Chen Yiming sensed that someone had jumped onto the roof. He turned around and saw two middle-aged men wearing the guard uniforms from the Wang clan¡¯s village.


    They were Wang Shiyuan and Wang Rongshan, whom Chen Yiming had seen on the many times he went to the Wang clan¡¯s village to buy cultivation resources for Chen Yingying.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Wang Bowen sent the two of us over to help you,¡± Wang Shiyuan explained.


    ¡°At a time like this¡­¡± Chen Yiming said doubtfully.


    He was interrupted mid-sentence.


    ¡°The Wang clan has their own ways of taking care of themselves. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Wang Rongshan said calmly.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled some incidents from the past.


    He was able to help Chen Yingying buy a lot of rare mutant beast meat from the Wang clan¡¯s village.


    When Lin Yixuan was announced as the next head on the day of his return, Wang Bowen did not look disappointed at all.


    Chen Yiming had thought that Senior Brother Wang was being magnanimous, but it seemed like the situation in the Wang clan¡¯s village wasn¡¯t just what it seemed on the surface.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Chen Yiming led Wang Shiyuan and Wang Rongshan down the stairs to the 12th floor and returned to Room 1203 where the Chen family was.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, open the door.¡±


    Soon, the burglar-proof door opened, and Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying appeared at the door with anxious expressions.


    Without waiting for Father Chen and Mother Chen to speak, Chen Yiming made the arrangements.


    ¡°Pack up some daily necessities. We¡¯ll move to a nearby air raid shelter immediately.¡±


    Father Chen and Mother Chen nodded and heaved a sigh of relief.


    They had actually been extremely nervous since the air raid siren sounded.


    The 12th floor was nearly 40 meters above the ground. From the floor where the Chen family was located, they could clearly observe the situation in a part of East Lake City.


    At a glance, one could see countless large flying mutant beasts wreaking havoc in the city, destroying everything in their path.


    Therefore, even if Chen Yiming reassured them repeatedly, the tall building didn¡¯t give them any sense of security. The best place to go was the underground air raid shelter.


    In less than a minute, Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying came out with their backpacks. Clearly, they had already made preparations.


    The group quickly arrived at the best-positioned air raid shelter in the city center.


    The air raid shelter was set up under a large square. The tall buildings around it were quite far away, so even if they collapsed unexpectedly, it wouldn¡¯t affect this place.


    At this moment, there were more than ten burly men in uniform guarding the entrance of the air raid shelter. Nearby, thousands of ordinary people were stopped from entering.


    ¡°This is troublesome,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t bring his family to hide in the air raid shelter from the start was that there were too many people in the air raid shelter, so it would be far more comfortable for them to stay at home.


    Secondly, he was a warrior candidate on the surface. It was impossible for him to hide with ordinary people when the city was in danger of being destroyed. Moreover, he was worried about leaving his family alone in the air raid shelter.


    Third, most ordinary people would rush to the air raid shelters immediately. He was not a person with special privileges, so he might not be able to secure entry for his family.


    Even though he was worried that they might be stopped outside, Chen Yiming still led the way and gave it a shot.


    At this moment, Zhong Tianyang was leading more than 10 team members to manage the air raid shelter. He was a member of the city guards and was the captain of the third brigade.


    When he saw Chen Yiming walking over, his body tensed up and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    It had been less than an hour since Chen Yiming had severely injured Lin Yixuan, the eldest senior brother of the school.


    However, his actions had already been noted by the city guards. All the captains of the city guards had immediately received the news that he was a dangerous person with a vicious personality.

 Chapter 110 - Masked Man (II)

    Chen Yiming sensed that something was amiss, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    ¡°Can I bring my family into this air raid shelter?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s already full,¡± Zhong Tianyang replied, his voice trembling as he stammered.


    Most of the people protected in this air raid shelter were people with connections, and each of them had an extraordinary background.


    Therefore, they had always followed strict standards. It was not crowded inside, and there was enough space to move around. It was not like the air raid shelters outside the city center, where as many people as possible were fit into it.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened and an invisible aura spread out.


    He did not consciously do this, it was simply caused by the change in his emotions. However, it still made Zhong Tianyang feel an overwhelming pressure.


    Although Zhong Tianyang was not a warrior candidate, he had undergone eight transformations. However, he had never seen a warrior candidate with such a powerful aura. He was not much different from the head captain of the city guards.


    The expressions of the ordinary people who were hanging around dozens of meters away also froze. A feeling of impending doom inexplicably welled up in their hearts.


    After being rejected by the person in charge of the air raid shelter, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t push the issue. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would act unreasonably just because he was strong.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Chen Yiming said to Father Chen and Mother Chen.


    The group was about to leave.


    At this moment, a young man beside him elbowed Zhong Tianyang¡¯s arm and even frowned.


    Zhong Tianyang turned around and was stunned for a moment. He did not understand what his team member meant at first and finally reacted a moment later.


    Before being assigned to manage the space-travel passage, the head captain of the city guards had warned them that they could adapt to the situation and make exceptions for the families of powerful civilian experts and allow them to enter the air raid shelter.


    He had brought his team members to this air raid shelter and specially instructed them regarding this matter. However, Zhong Tianyang had been frightened by Chen Yiming¡¯s expression earlier and had completely forgotten about this earlier.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, wait a moment,¡± Zhong Tianyang shouted at Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming was 18 years old, and very few people addressed him this way. Coincidentally, he had something on his mind and didn¡¯t register it, so he continued walking forward.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen had always thought of Chen Yiming as a high school student, so they didn¡¯t realize that Zhong Tianyang was referring to Chen Yiming.


    Zhong Tianyang panicked and rushed over to stop him.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, I¡¯m sorry. It was a mistake on my part,¡± Zhong Tianyang admitted honestly, ¡°According to the rules, your family meets the requirements to enter the air raid shelter, but only if you don¡¯t go in with them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks. He didn¡¯t need to think to understand the intention behind this. They wanted the civilian experts to help hold back this air raid.


    ¡°There are a total of five people on my side. Can all of them enter?¡± Chen Yiming asked. Wang Shiyuan and Wang Rongshan weren¡¯t his family, so he had to clarify first.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Zhong Tianyang hesitated for less than half a second before agreeing to it.


    Soon, Wang Shiyuan and Wang Rongshan entered the air raid shelter with Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying. Chen Yiming turned around and left.


    ¡­


    In the southern suburbs, an industrial park was formed by dozens of factories.


    This was the lifeline of East Lake City¡¯s industries. If it was destroyed, it would greatly affect the industrial ability of the city, and it would take at least a year or two to fully recover.


    In the sky hundreds of meters above it, two bird-type mutant beasts that were more than 10 meters long were circling around, staring at the large factory buildings on the ground.


    In the industrial park below, all the workers had already left. Eight warriors from the military had gathered there.


    With these warriors around, the ordinary flying mutant beasts did not dare to get within a kilometer of the area. Therefore, the industrial park still remained undamaged.


    Just as the eight warriors from the military were in a standoff with the two flying mutant beasts, a masked man in a black cloak and a bamboo hat appeared in a dense forest near the industrial park.


    The person who had arrived was Chen Yiming. He used the dense forest to hide his figure.


    Now that he had obtained the Level-1 Undying Body talent, although the consumption of mental resources by the Heart Sword had not decreased, his resistance to the mental fatigue it caused had increased greatly.


    Even if he used the Heart Sword ability three times in a row, and his mental resources were severely depleted until only a trace was left, with the unlimited stamina ability, he would only feel fatigued and would be able to automatically recover after a good rest.


    With the Level-1 Undying Body talent that could protect his life, there was no need to hide the Heart Sword ability.


    Chen Yiming knew that he only had one chance to make a move. After all, he couldn¡¯t fly. His plan was to find a suitable opportunity to kill two flying mutant beasts in one strike.


    ¡°&;%$#¡± After the two birds communicated, they swooped down in an instant.


    They were extremely fast, and their flying speed exceeded the speed of sound. Layers of air barriers were broken apart, turning into shock waves that spread out in all directions.


    At the same time, their entire bodies were burning with black flames. These special black flames were a little different from the ordinary fire-attribute internal force. They could hover a meter or two away from their bodies.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± Cao Zhengjun shouted.


    He leaped up and threw a punch in midair, aiming straight at a bird beast that was charging towards the ground.


    At the same time, he released his internal force to cover his body, and red flames engulfed his entire body.


    The red and black internal forces with the same fire attribute were about to collide in the blink of an eye.


    In fact, there was no need for his reminder. The moment the other warriors saw the flying mutant beasts diving down, they released their internal forces at the same time.


    Almost at the same instant, two warriors from each of the four directions of the industrial park activated the special powers of their internal forces. At the same time, they leaped towards the flying mutant beasts.


    The two sides would cross the distance of hundreds of meters and clash within half a second.


    Neither side had the slightest chance to dodge. They could only fight head-on with their internal forces.


    The eight martial warriors from the military had the absolute advantage in terms of strength. Their goal was to cause an explosion at the point where the internal forces collided, and to position it as far away from the industrial park as possible.


    The flying mutant beasts were not good at defense. In a one-on-four fight, they had no chance of winning. Their goal was to risk injury and let the aftershock from the internal force explosions sweep across the industrial park.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The intense explosions overlapped, with an intensity comparable to a large-scale bomb.


    In the air above the industrial park, two balls of dazzling light lit up. Immediately after, two mushroom clouds about 10 meters wide were created from the explosion.


    The shock wave from the explosion turned into a red halo that instantly spread out in all directions.


    ¡°How is that possible!¡±


    eight surprised voices shouted at the same time.


    The two flying mutant beasts were not forced back into the air by the eight people as they had expected. Instead, they spun around and crashed towards the industrial park below.


    The eight of them were in a panic, but they were still in midair. They had to wait until they landed again before they could take any action.


    A bolt of lightning flashed across heads.


    The reason was not anything complicated. The black flames extending from the flying mutant beasts¡¯ bodies were of an abnormal length. They had only needed to adjust the length of the black flames slightly to easily change their direction.


    At this moment, the two flying mutant beasts were also seriously injured. One of them had a large hole in its abdomen that was about half a meter wide.


    Inside the hole, one could clearly see smoking black flesh and destroyed internal organs. Although the wound was instantly covered by black flames again, one could still see blood flowing out of the hole.


    On the other bird beast¡¯s thigh, a piece of flesh more than a meter in diameter had disappeared, revealing a leg bone wrapped in blood vessels.


    The leg bone was not intact either. Three cracks, each as thick as a finger, had appeared on it, and thick white liquid was flowing out of the cracks.


    The only good news for the two birds was that both their wings were intact, which meant that they had not suffered any fatal injuries.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    A series of loud explosions rang out.


    The two bird beasts used the inertia from their dive and impact from the internal force explosion to crash into the industrial park.


    However, their bodies did not stop when they crashed into the ground. Under the protection of their internal force, they slid and smashed through all the obstacles in their way, only stopping when they were out of the industrial park.


    Looking down from the sky, two paths more than 10 meters wide had been plowed down across the entire industrial park. The two paths formed a cross and nearly half of the factories in the park had been destroyed.

 Chapter 111 - Many Lives (I)

    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Explosions rang out continuously, and the damage caused was no less than that caused by the flying mutant beasts.


    The two flying mutant beasts had used their bodies to destroy the industrial park, the reactors of several chemical factories had exploded, causing a large amount of burning liquid to fly out in all directions.


    Within a few seconds, a series of chain reactions occurred.


    A factory that produced clothing was originally not in the path of the destruction caused by the flying mutant beasts. However, a large amount of burning liquid flew into the factory, causing the entire clothing production base to burn.


    In a factory that produced mechanical parts, burning liquid flew into a workshop.


    In an instant, flames lit up one workshop after another like a train running along the tracks, until the entire factory was engulfed in a sea of flames.


    Thick black smoke rose from all over the industrial park. The factories that had not been directly destroyed by the flying mutant beasts also started to burn up due to the resulting chemical explosions.


    The two flying mutant beasts had successfully destroyed the largest industrial park in East Lake City.


    In addition, the more serious problem was that the flames and smoke from the industrial park were spreading beyond the industrial park. The damage to East Lake City was still increasing.


    The thick smoke contained chemical toxins. Martial arts practitioners might be able to withstand it, but if an ordinary person accidentally inhaled it, there was a high chance that they would be poisoned.


    The chemical liquid that was constantly burning could continue to ignite combustible objects along the way as it moved in the air until it was completely burned out.


    ¡°*£¤#@¡± The two birds let out excited cries. They flapped their wings and prepared to fly into the air again.


    In the warrior realm, living creatures had a powerful ability to repair their wounds.


    As long as they did not suffer any fatal injuries, they would usually be able to gradually recover after losing a piece of flesh or breaking a limb.


    The two flying mutant beasts were severely injured, and their combat strength was rapidly decreasing. However, as long as they flew back into the sky, the human warriors would still be unable to do anything to them.


    At this moment, the flying mutant beasts had achieved their goal and were preparing to retreat. The military personnel had just landed on the ground from midair, and the two sides were separated by at least one to two kilometers.


    In an instant, a figure suddenly drew a semicircle in the air and rushed to the front of the flying mutant beast with an injury on its abdomen.


    The man was wearing a black cloak, a bamboo hat, and a cloth covered his face.


    His only identifying characteristic was his raging power of lightning. The ear-piercing noise it created completely overwhelmed the sounds of small-scale chemical explosions that were still occurring in the surrounding area.


    This sudden change not only frightened the two flying mutant beasts, but also startled the eight military warriors.


    Although no one knew his true identity, the fact that a mysterious person had killed the female giant blazing sun lizard in the Nuhe Mountain Range with his raging power of lightning could not be hidden. It had already been entered into the records.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    A low growl sounded.


    A long sword covered in the power of lightning stabbed straight at the flying mutant beast.


    The lightning power on it shone brightly, and just like the black flames of the flying mutant beasts, the electric sparks jumped two to three meters away before disappearing into the air.


    The flying mutant beast subconsciously folded its wings, and black flames appeared on the surface of its wings to protect its injured abdomen.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The lightning and black flames met.


    Due to the enhancement from the Level-1 Undying Body talent, the power of lightning could travel two to three meters away from his body, greatly increasing the lethality of his attack.The attack was also secretly enhanced with his Heart Sword ability.


    The flying mutant beast let out a miserable cry.


    The barrier formed by the black flames was easily broken by the sword, as easily as a knife cutting through a watermelon.


    After breaking through the strongest layer of defense, the longsword pierced through the flying mutant beast¡¯s back from its wings.


    A large hole more than a meter wide was left in its wings, chest, and back. The flesh at the edge of the hole had been charred by the power of the lightning, and its internal organs had also been blown to pieces by the power of lightning.


    A gust of wind blew past. The remaining flying mutant beast and all the military warriors felt the temperature drop by a few degrees, even though there were flames burning everywhere.


    After nearly half an hour, one of the flying mutant beasts that had been arrogantly toying with four military warriors was easily killed by the masked man.


    Taking advantage of the fact that the other flying mutant beast had only flown a few meters because it was paying attention to its companion, Chen Yiming leaped up, creating a three-meter-wide hole under his feet.


    Seeing this, the flying mutant beast with the injured thigh hurriedly turned its head around and flapped its wings desperately.


    After witnessing the tragic death of its companion, it was filled with fear.


    On the verge of death, its body released all its potential, and the black flames extended out by another half a meter.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Chen Yiming roared.


    Seeing that the flying mutant beast was about to escape into the sky, he threw out his sword with all his might.


    The longsword that carried the power of lightning and the power of the Heart Sword turned into an arrow that shot towards the flying mutant beast.


    A blinding bolt of lightning flashed through the air, and the layers of air barriers were pierced through by the longsword, creating numerous shock waves.


    In the blink of an eye, the flying mutant beast that had just flown up and had not even reached the speed of sound was pierced through by the sword.


    The power of lightning exploded in its body, and its entire body suddenly expanded several times. The skin covering its body exploded, and small wounds appeared everywhere.


    The second flying mutant beast was also killed in one strike. Its body flew through the air for dozens of meters and landed in the forest.


    In a flash, Chen Yiming caught the falling sword and quickly disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.


    From the beginning to the end, he did not leave his name, did not come into contact with the others, and abandoned the corpses of the flying mutant beasts. The eight military warriors were left dumbfounded.


    ¡°Are¡­ are we on the same level as him?¡± Su Chengwang asked in shock. The power of ice surged from his body, and the flames burning within 10 meters of him were quickly extinguished.


    Sun Changbin nodded. ¡°From the shape of that person¡¯s internal force, he is indeed at the same level as us.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­?¡±


    Su Chengwang was interrupted by Cao Zhengjun.


    ¡°Su Chengwang, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and put out the fire.¡±


    Su Chengwang¡¯s internal force of the ice attribute happened to be the nemesis of the flames. He immediately shut his mouth and released all the internal force in his body to quickly extinguish the fire in the industrial park.


    The ability of a warrior was not something that ordinary fire engines could compare to. Su Chengwang was usually also a consultant for the city¡¯s fire department, so he had a lot of experience in extinguishing fires.


    A few minutes later, a layer of white frost formed on the ground of the industrial park that had been engulfed in a sea of flames. Only charred buildings were left as indications that a serious fire had occurred there.


    At the same time, the last flying mutant beast that was more than 10 meters long, saw its two companions die tragically from a distance. It let out a screech and retreated without looking back.


    When the other flying mutant beasts heard the screams, they stopped their destructive actions and flapped their wings to retreat from the city.


    Just like that, the flying mutant beasts that had arrived in a black cloud also left in a black cloud. When they left, the group was clearly much smaller, and about half of them remained as corpses in East Lake City.


    ¡­


    At 8 pm, the sky was cloudless, and a crescent moon hung high in the sky. Countless stars lit up the entire night sky.


    The entire city¡¯s power supply had been destroyed. Other than the city government office area, which had emergency power supplied by diesel engines, the rest of East Lake City, including the city center, was covered in darkness.


    Fortunately, the sky was bright. The white moonlight shone down on the city and chased away some of the darkness.


    After Chen Yiming brought Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying home to settle down, he was about to head to the company when he was stopped by Su Xiuming.


    Su Xiuming¡¯s expression was wooden, and he seemed to have lost all his energy. Other than that, there was a scar on his face that had just scabbed over. Clearly, he had been injured during the attack by the flying mutant beastsD.

 Chapter 112 - Many Lives (II)

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked. He had killed two flying mutant beasts at the warrior realm in a row, and the lingering murderous aura on his body had yet to dissipate.


    Su Xiuming suddenly felt awake and stammered, ¡°Master asked me to inform all the core disciples to go to the martial arts school.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Chen Yiming asked. He didn¡¯t want to go unless it was something important.


    After all, he had severely injured Lin Yixuan, and Lin Yixuan was the one Wan Rong had announced as the next head.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother¡­¡±


    Su Xiuming had just finished speaking when he broke down and started sobbing.


    After a while, he finally recovered.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother was killed by the flying mutant beasts that attacked the hospital.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming fell silent, not knowing how to reply. Although Lin Yixuan would die sooner or later, he had left him alive.


    However, he had severely injured him, causing Lin Yixuan to be completely unable to fight back when the flying mutant beasts attacked.


    ¡°What did Master say?¡± Chen Yiming asked again.


    ¡°¡­¡± This time, it was Su Xiuming¡¯s turn to be silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Chen Yiming asked in a low voice.


    A wave of pressure hit him.


    ¡°Master didn¡¯t say much. He just said that you have to be there,¡± Su Xiuming said honestly, feeling frightened.


    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Although the head of the school didn¡¯t personally guide Chen Yiming much, he was still his master in name. Since his master had mentioned his name, he had no choice but to make a trip there.


    However, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid that his master would blame him. He had already thought of a good explanation for his actions.


    The first reason was that Lin Yixuan had made such unreasonable arrangements. It was also Lin Yixuan who had suggested that whoever was stronger would have to listen to the other. He was not the one who had triggered the subsequent events.


    Secondly, Lin Yixuan had cheated by taking the enhancement drugs, causing Chen Yiming to become unable to properly gauge his strength.


    Soon, Chen Yiming followed Su Xiuming to the martial arts school.


    ¡­


    In the main hall on the first floor of the Mantis Snake Sword School,


    on the walls around the hall, a burning torch was hung every two meters. The dim yellow light illuminated the entire hall.


    Chen Yiming and Su Xiuming arrived at the school and realized that the head, Wan Rong, was not there.


    Chen Yiming walked over to Wang Bowen and asked in a low voice, ¡°Senior Brother Wang, what¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    Wang Bowen didn¡¯t answer directly. Instead, he asked, ¡°Is your family alright?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re unharmed and have returned home. The two people you sent are protecting them nearby,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Wang Bowen nodded and continued, ¡°Lin Yixuan died in an accident during the attack by the flying mutant beasts. We might have to discuss the issue of the next head later.¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn¡¯t a meeting specifically for him, there wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.


    No matter how talented Lin Yixuan was, he was already a dead man.


    On the other hand, he had achieved Lin Yixuan¡¯s accomplishments in less than a year. The head probably wouldn¡¯t make things too difficult for him.


    Before long, the head, Wan Rong, walked out of his room on the second floor and slowly descended the stairs to the main hall.


    Wan Rong only had a serious expression on his face. There did not seem to be much sadness there, as though he did not know that his future son-in-law had just passed away.


    He swept his gaze across all the core disciples in front of him.


    When he looked at Chen Yiming, Chen Yiming deliberately suppressed his aura to prevent him from noticing anything amiss.


    ¡°Lin Yixuan is already dead. All your past grudges will end here.¡± Wan Rong let the matter rest with just one sentence, not blaming any of the disciples at all.


    ¡°Master, how can we let this go? If it wasn¡¯t for Chen Yiming¡­¡± Mu Yuerong cried as she knelt down with tears streaming down her face.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and looked at Mu Yuerong.


    He could not figure out how his senior sister¡¯s brain worked.


    Previously, Lin Yixuan was about to become the Wan clan¡¯s son-in-law, but she had still followed him around. Now that he was dead, she wanted to push all the blame on him.


    He was clearly the one being bullied. If not for that unreasonable arrangement, nothing would have happened, and Lin Yixuan would not have died.


    ¡°Alright, we have to move on,¡± Wan Rong said calmly.


    His tone was stiff and emotionless, completely unlike the refined and gentle master he remembered.


    He ignored Mu Yuerong, who was still sobbing, and looked at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Yiming, look at how old Master is. Shouldn¡¯t you help me share some of the burden?¡± Wan Rong¡¯s expression changed instantly as he spoke amiably.


    As soon as he finished speaking, most of the disciples¡¯ expressions froze.


    Other than Wang Bowen and Teng Zhihui, the others weren¡¯t close to Chen Yiming. Many of them even had conflicted feelings towards him.


    ¡°Master, the people nowadays advocate freedom in love. I think so too,¡± Chen Yiming rejected him calmly.


    He had already rehearsed this situation in his mind. The words he said were all prepared in advance.


    ¡°Haha, of course. I¡¯ve never forced any disciple,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile as he stroked his white beard.


    Chen Yiming thought about it carefully. That was indeed the case. The head had always respected his disciple¡¯s opinions.


    ¡°However, your senior brothers and sisters have been cultivating for so many years, but none of them have seen any hope of breaking through to the warrior realm,¡± Wan Rong said slowly, ¡°If we can¡¯t find a suitable successor in the future, the higher-ups will send someone to take over the school. Who knows how they will deal with your senior brothers and sisters?¡±


    The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Chen Yiming understood the meaning hidden behind Wan Rong¡¯s words, but he still planned to reject him.


    If any senior brother was willing to work for his company in the future, he would not be so petty as to mind the conflicts in the past.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to reject him, Wan Rong spoke first. ¡°I forgot to tell you something regarding freedom in love. Even if you marry Wan Ya, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re not allowed to find a mistress.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze. He had underestimated his master¡¯s shamelessness. How could he say such a thing in front of so many people?


    Wan Rong smiled and continued, ¡°Master doesn¡¯t need you to marry into the Wan clan. It¡¯s fine as long as the first boy you have with Wan Ya is surnamed Wan.¡±


    Chen Yiming almost spat out his food.


    He was forcing him to become the head of the school.


    The other senior brothers also had strange expressions on their faces. They were surprised that their master would actually say such a thing.


    After all, Wan Ya had always been their master¡¯s treasured daughter.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve never met Wan Ya before. I really can¡¯t accept such an arrangement,¡± Chen Yiming refused.


    Wan Rong was rejected by the youngest core disciple repeatedly, but he wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he said, ¡°Yiming, do you know what a setup is?¡±


    ¡°Master, please tell me.¡± Chen Yiming calmed down. He planned to deal with whatever came his way. It was easy to find an excuse.


    ¡°In general, humans are still at an absolute disadvantage when compared to the otherworld,¡± Wan Rong said calmly, ¡°You broke through to the realm of a warrior candidate in less than a year. It¡¯s said that you also have a constitution that is resistant to lightning. Such talent cannot be wasted. It¡¯s more important to leave behind more descendants.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s forehead was bulging. Was his master trying to make him a stud?


    Wan Rong continued, ¡°The warrior realm is also known as the supernatural realm in the West. People will still be considered ordinary even if they cultivate to the limit of the warrior candidate realm. Only by stepping into the warrior realm will there be a difference just like that between heaven and earth.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he agreed with the statement in his heart.


    He was in the warrior realm, so how could he not understand the differences?


    The difference between the lower limit of internal force and higher limit of external force was like the difference between heaven and earth. No matter how strong a warrior candidate was, they would not be able to withstand a blow with internal force from a warrior.


    ¡°I believe you saw with your own eyes how the three flying mutant beasts at the warrior realm wreaked havoc in the city during the day,¡± Wan Rong said, ¡°As long as you agree to be the next head, I can send you to the Myriad Phenomena Faction to further your cultivation. That is where a true martial arts genius should go.¡±


    Chen Yiming hesitated when he heard this.


    The Myriad Phenomena Faction must have a cultivation method after the warrior realm. As long as he agreed, he could cultivate peacefully.


    The outside world was too chaotic. Wherever he went, he would encounter trouble. There would always be people who did not want him to cultivate peacefully and would cause trouble for him.


    ¡°In the next few days, take some time to meet Wan Ya. There¡¯s no need to be in a hurry to reject this.¡± Wan Rong¡¯s eyes lit up as he chuckled. He had taken in all the changes occurring in Chen Yiming.

 Chapter 113 - Yue Clan (I)

    The sky had turned slightly bright.


    The first ray of sunlight pierced through the gloomy darkness, revealing the appearance of East Lake City after the air raid.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    A white-feathered bird flapped its wings and streaked across the sky, swooping down.


    After passing through the charred and collapsed houses, the bird slowed down and landed on the ground of a square.


    At this moment, the square was empty. The people who usually did their morning training had disappeared, but the birds still maintained their usual habits and came here at this time to wait for the bird lovers to feed them.


    Chen Yiming walked slowly towards the company, witnessing the aftermath of the battle in East Lake City.


    A factory that provided the livelihood of more than 1000 people, and gradually expanded over the past few years or even more than a decade, was swept by the aftershocks of the battle between warriors and turned into scorched earth.


    There was a building that was 30 to 40 stories tall, and dozens of companies were located inside of it. It had now turned into a pile of rubble. Broken steel bars were all that were left standing.


    The fires had already been extinguished. It was unknown if they had been extinguished by firefighters or if they had burned to a point where there was nothing left to burn. The scars left behind could not be healed so easily.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    An old man¡¯s actions caught Chen Yiming¡¯s attention and he slowed down.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The sound of rushing wind rang out.


    The old man waved a bamboo net at the birds that were jumping back and forth in the square.


    The net was nearly a meter wide, and the birds were startled and immediately flew into the air. However, their usual habit of waiting to be fed made them slow to react.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The net hit the concrete floor, and three birds that could not dodge in time were trapped inside. They struggled hard but were stopped by the net.


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones who killed my 10 year old grandson,¡± the old man cursed.


    The scolding lasted for nearly a minute. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and walked up to crush the birds that were trapped in the net to death.


    Yesterday, this old man was a bird lover. Not only did he like to come to the square every day to feed them, but he also raised several birds of different colors in his house.


    At this moment, the white-feathered bird that was flying in the air witnessed the tragic death of its companion. It circled a few times before leaving. The old man cursed at the bird that had flown away and walked towards the next square.


    ¡­


    The Yiming Detective Agency was located on a commercial street in the city center. This place was naturally protected by the various martial arts factions, so it was not affected by the attacks of the flying mutant beasts.


    The moment he entered, Chen Yiming saw Wei Chaoyuan waiting on the sofa. For some reason, Shi Changyi had yet to arrive.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shi Changyi?¡± Chen Yiming asked as he sat down.


    ¡°We still can¡¯t use the phones. We couldn¡¯t find him for the time being,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied.


    The flying mutant beasts that were three to four meters long were under orders to destroy everything, so a large number of signal towers were destroyed.


    In the entire city, other than the special phone lines, one could only use the most primitive methods to contact others.


    ¡°Boss, I just calculated the company¡¯s losses last night. Should I report it to you now?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°During the air raid yesterday, eight out of the company¡¯s 54 employees died in an accident. These eight people included six detectives and two front desk employees.¡± Wei Chaoyuan first reported the loss of personnel, followed by the loss of fixed assets. ¡°Of the 13 strongholds in the city that the company secretly bought, eight were completely destroyed. The direct financial loss was in the tens of millions.¡±


    ¡°So little?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°The company has just started. Otherwise, the losses would be immeasurable,¡± Wei Chaoyuan replied with a nod.


    For those at the level of the third transformation, a loss in the tens of millions of yuan might make their hearts ache. For those at the level of the sixth transformation, it was still not a small sum of money.


    However, for Chen Yiming, who was already a warrior candidate on the surface, he could earn back the money in no time.


    ¡°When Shi Changyi comes, tell him what I said. One detective agency is far from enough. I need you to recruit more people.


    We should get started as soon as possible to create security companies, transportation companies, trading companies dealing with materials related to mutant beasts, and so on. You don¡¯t have to start from zero. Just use my name to buy over the relevant companies,¡± Chen Yiming instructed with a serious expression.


    ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t we taking too big a step? Where will we find so much money?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked worriedly as sweat broke out on his forehead.


    ¡°Yesterday, the head of the school gathered all the core disciples. I have a high chance of becoming the next head,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    Although he did not intend to accept the arranged marriage laid out by his master, as long as the school did not have a clear successor, the outside world would definitely think there was a high chance of him becoming the next head.


    After all, Chen Yiming had broken through to the realm of a warrior candidate in less than a year on the surface. He was more talented than the previous successor, Lin Yixuan.


    The other core disciples, including Wang Bowen, did not have any hope of breaking through to the warrior realm for the time being.


    He looked at the stunned Wei Chaoyuan and continued, ¡°We can temporarily merge with some companies that we can¡¯t buy. In any case, let¡¯s set up the framework for the corporation as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Boss, don¡¯t worry. Leave this to me.¡± Wei Chaoyuan patted his chest and promised, his eyes burning with excitement.


    The nature of society was that the strong preyed on the weak. The higher Chen Yiming¡¯s status was, the more Wei Chaoyuan could use his name to do whatever he wanted.


    Generally, small factions without any backing would either be annexed or controlled if they were targeted by a stronger faction.


    After giving out his instructions, Chen Yiming stood up and prepared to leave.


    He did not need to deal with any of the specifics. What he needed to do was to constantly increase his strength.


    ¡°Creak!¡±


    The door was pushed open and Shi Changyi rushed in.


    As soon as he entered and saw Chen Yiming, Shi Changyi said, ¡°Boss, I was just about to look for you. I have some big news to report.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Chen Yiming sat down again.


    After Shi Changyi walked over and sat down, he looked around and confirmed that there were only the three of them in the company. It was not close to their operating hours yet, so not a single ordinary employee was present. He said in a low voice, ¡°The Yue clan might be wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Continue.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The Yue clan was one of the seven great warrior clans with a warrior presiding over it. By taking advantage of the situation, he might be able to find a way to continue his cultivation after the warrior realm.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that when the bird-type mutant beasts attacked the city, the head of the Yue clan, who was in the warrior realm, happened to be out on an errand. Yue Jingtian insisted on guarding the clan and repeatedly refused the military¡¯s orders,¡± Shi Changyi replied.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Yue Jingtian just make a name for himself during the war in the west? How could he have made such a mistake?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Yue Jingtian was already extremely close to breaking through to the warrior realm, so he didn¡¯t want to get involved in any incidents at this critical moment,¡± Shi Changyi explained.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he added, ¡°At that time, the humans were fully prepared for the war in the west. The situation was different from the surprise attack this time.¡±

 Chapter 114 - Yue Clan (II)

    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Yue Jingtian was not only talented in martial arts, but also a bloodline warrior.


    It was said that his bloodline ability was extremely compatible with the Yue clan¡¯s Mountain Moving Fist Technique. At the level of a warrior candidate, he already had combat strength close to the level of those in the warrior realm.


    Chen Yiming himself was in the true warrior realm. Although he had his doubts about Yue Jingtian having combat power close to the warrior realm, this information was most likely exaggerated because it was difficult for Yue Jingtian to find an opponent at the same level.


    However, it was understandable that Yue Jingtian would make such a choice. Most people were selfish. If he could successfully break through to the warrior realm, it would be a qualitative change for him.


    ¡°However, Yue Jingtian is only a warrior candidate. Even if he made a mistake, there¡¯s no need to settle the score with the entire Yue clan, right? Is there something else going on?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Shi Changyi shook his head.


    Chen Yiming pondered for a moment before making arrangements. ¡°Shi Changyi, bring me to the vicinity of the Yue clan to observe the situation. Wei Chaoyuan, tell Shi Changyi what I told you when he returns.¡±


    Chen Yiming and Shi Changyi stood up and left for the Yue clan.


    ¡­


    After leaving the city center, they walked along the main road leading to the east of the city for five to six kilometers. At an intersection, they turned left and headed north for another two to three kilometers.


    At the end of the road was a row of villas and manors that spanned more than a kilometer. This was the Yue clan¡¯s residence.


    At this moment, there were several trucks parked at the entrance, and all kinds of furniture were piled up haphazardly. Dozens of young men were moving the furniture into the trucks.


    In a sealed room in the villa, Yue Yangpeng had a serious expression on his face. He placed his hands behind his back and quietly studied the map on the wall.


    This person was nearly three meters tall. He was wearing a custom-made loose robe, but it still could not hide his strong body. From his size, one could tell that he was not an ordinary person.


    Behind him stood a beautiful woman. She was Yue Yangpeng¡¯s wife, Mo Yanfei. She came from a martial arts clan in another city.


    She was about 1.75 meters tall and was wearing a gorgeous dress.


    The long dress reached her ankles, revealing only a small portion of her fair skin. However, one could still vaguely make out her perfect figure. She was tall, but her body was curvy at all the right places.


    Other than the couple, there was also a young man in the room. He was Yue Yangpeng and Mo Yanfei¡¯s son, Yue Jingtian.


    He was nearly 2.5 meters tall, and his face was red as he paced back and forth in the room.


    Yue Jingtian finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and said angrily, ¡°Dad, the Yue clan has suffered countless casualties for the sake of East Lake City. Just because of this matter, they want to settle the score with the entire Yue clan? I refuse to accept this.¡±


    Yue Yangpeng frowned, but he maintained his posture of studying the map.


    At this moment, Mo Yanfei also said, ¡°Yangpeng, is there no room for negotiation? Our son will soon break through to the warrior realm.¡±


    Yue Jingtian was a warrior candidate and the Yue clan had made countless contributions in the past. Both Yue Jingtian and Mo Yanfei thought that the military should have given him some leeway.


    Yue Yangpeng let out a long sigh and turned to look at Yue Jingtian. He said in a low voice, ¡°Your performance in the past year has attracted too much attention. You can almost be considered the top among the younger generation of reserve warriors in East Lake City. When East Lake City was under attack, your actions brought about an extremely bad turn of events.¡±


    When Yue Jingtian heard this, his expression froze, and he explained, ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can break through to the warrior realm within a year. One warrior is more useful to East Lake City than a hundred warrior candidates.


    At most, I¡¯ll make a promise to protect East Lake City unconditionally for 10 years. Won¡¯t that do? Must they be so merciless as to wipe us out?¡±


    At this point, his expression was fierce, and the veins on his body were bulging. He was about to lose his mind.


    Mo Yanfei, who was standing by the side, took a deep breath when she saw this. Her chest rose and fell as she added, ¡°Yangpeng, how about this? I¡¯ll ask the Mo family to help me contact them and let our son join the military and help them out unconditionally for 10 years.¡±


    In response to his wife¡¯s question, Yue Yangpeng sighed again. ¡°Our son is still a warrior candidate. How long will it take for him to break through is ultimately just empty talk. In the eyes of a true warrior, it doesn¡¯t count for anything.¡±


    Yue Jingtian was his biological son, so Yue Yangpeng naturally acknowledged his talent.


    However, history had proven that even if one was already at the brink of breaking through to the warrior realm, there were still countless cases of eventual failure.


    After all, only he knew his own progress in drawing the concept diagram. No one else could not crack open his brain to verify it.


    Yue Jingtian wanted to continue arguing when he heard this, but Yue Yangpeng stopped him. He closed his eyes and continued, ¡°The military¡¯s true goal is very simple. It¡¯s to make an example out of us to scare the civilian martial arts factions in East Lake City.¡±


    Yue Jingtian¡¯s biggest mistake was that he had attracted too much attention, and he had left a bad impression by backing out at the last minute.


    If the military did not punish him severely, others may think that they could also follow in Yue Jingtian¡¯s footsteps the next time they encountered a disaster.


    ¡°Dad, not only am I confident that I can break through to the warrior realm, but I¡¯m also a bloodline warrior. I have a bright future ahead of me. Is there really nothing we can do? I really don¡¯t want to die.¡± Yue Jingtian choked on his words as he spoke.


    He, who had never cried before, finally could not withstand the fear of death and cried out.


    After all, the military had an absolute advantage in terms of martial arts strength. If they really wanted to settle the score with any of the civilian martial arts factions, none of them would be able to withstand it.


    As a mere warrior candidate, he did not even dare to imagine that he would be able to escape from a huge organization like the military.


    The beautiful woman, Mo Yanfei, also had tears streaming down her face. She cried, ¡°Our son is a bloodline warrior. In the future, he will have the potential to reach the second stage of the warrior realm. Could it be that even if the entire Yue clan follows their orders unconditionally, they will still take our son¡¯s life?¡±


    As a mother, Mo Yanfei was easily emotional when it came to her son. She only saw a small advantage that came with being a bloodline warrior, but ignored the countless difficulties that might arise from it.


    ¡°Be rational. That¡¯s only a possibility that¡¯s far away.¡± Yue Yangpeng shook his head. ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, how could the military raise a snake in their own bosom, let alone let our son off?¡±


    When Mo Yanfei heard this, she broke down completely and fell to her knees.


    Yue Yangpeng¡¯s words were indisputable. No matter how they looked at it, they could not find a way to refute him.


    It was almost certain that the Yue clan had no way out. They would either die if they surrendered or be suppressed if they resisted.


    No matter what they chose, they would be nailed to the pillar of shame in history and become an example used to intimidate the future generations.


    ¡°In the end, the Yue clan just isn¡¯t strong enough,¡± Yue Yangpeng muttered to himself as he isolated the most fundamental issue.


    He glanced at Mo Yanfei, who was on the verge of collapse, and then at Yue Jingtian, whose face was ashen.


    ¡°Let me think of something else,¡± Yue Yangpeng said and turned to face the map on the wall.


    The only way out was to escape from East Lake City under the siege of the military.


    The possibility of this was extremely low. It could be said to be almost impossible, but there was no other way. He could only choose this path of certain death.

 Chapter 115 - Discussion (I)

    Near the Yue clan¡¯s villa, Chen Yiming and Shi Changyi appeared in a small forest. They were about a kilometer away from the Yue clan¡¯s villa, and they could see a few trucks parked at the entrance.


    Chen Yiming scanned his surroundings. With his extraordinary vision, he detected many suspicious points.


    Some farmers were tending to the vegetables in the fields, but their movements were a little unnatural and their expressions were a little strange. They didn¡¯t react at all when Chen Yiming swept his gaze over them.


    It was abnormal for them to not have any reaction when a warrior swept his gaze over them. Clearly, they had undergone some special training.


    ¡°The Yue clan is moving away openly but no one is stopping them?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    Shi Changyi, who was standing at the side, explained, ¡°Boss, the crime doesn¡¯t involve ordinary people. They should only be after those of the Yue clan head¡¯s lineage.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. This was different from the ancient times where they would execute all nine generations of the clan. They wouldn¡¯t expand the scope to include everyone in the Yue clan.


    He recalled the situation with the Li clan in the south of the city. The Li clan was only a middle-level martial arts clan in the city, while the Yue clan was one of the top seven martial arts clans in East Lake City.


    Once judgment was passed on a warrior who was the pillar of the Yue clan, the entire clan would collapse overnight. The huge amount of wealth the Yue clan had accumulated over the years and the various factions they controlled would suddenly lose their backing.


    East Lake City would at most confiscate the main assets of the Yue clan, while the rest would be left for the other factions. The impact of this incident would definitely not be small.


    ¡°Boss, the Yue clan¡¯s main assets are their most valuable ones. After the liquidation, the city will definitely organize a large-scale auction for them,¡± Shi Changyi reminded him softly.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t interested in the auction.


    The cultivation methods after the warrior realm were his goal, and things of this level would definitely not appear in the auction.


    In addition, his company was preparing to expand rapidly, so he was inevitably going to be short on money.


    After gaining a rough understanding of the Yue clan¡¯s situation, Chen Yiming sent Shi Changyi back to the company and quietly sneaked out of East Lake City alone.


    When he arrived deep in the mountains more than 10 kilometers away, he planned to use up all the lightning-based internal force in his body. Then, he would cultivate the concept diagram of the Flying Feather Sword Technique and replace the lightning-based internal force with the piercing internal force.


    ¡­


    The trading market for cultivation resources in the west of the city


    was a civilian trading point for martial arts cultivation resources. Most of the walls that were more than 10 meters tall had collapsed. Clearly, they had been damaged during the air raid and had yet to be repaired.


    At this moment, there was a commotion inside and it was even more lively than usual. Not only were there many people buying items, but there were even more people selling items.


    Some of the people who were injured in the air raid had come here to look for healing medicine suitable for the disciple realm, and others who had their weapons damaged in the air raid had come here to look for suitable replacements.


    Most of the buyers were people who had come to buy alien bird meat. The alien birds were creatures from the otherworld. Compared to the mutant beasts that evolved from creatures originally living on the blue planet, the quality of their meat was much better.


    In addition, in this air raid, the alien bird creatures had also paid a painful price. Half of the alien bird creatures that were three to four meters long had died. Most of these dead alien birds belonged to whoever killed them.


    After the battle, there were even government officials who were assigned to verify who had killed the seven to eight-meter-long alien bird creatures that were at the level of warrior candidates. Chen Yiming had reported killing two such alien bird creatures.


    With this, a large amount of alien bird meat surged into the market, causing the price to be much lower than usual. Many people were very interested because of this.


    After all, meat from the mutant beasts and alien creatures was a necessary consumable resource for cultivation. They could buy more of it while the price was lower.


    A young man stood in front of a stall and asked, ¡°Uncle, do you have any alien bird meat from the alien bird creatures that are seven to eight meters long?¡±


    The middle-aged man looked up at the person who had asked the question and realized that he was very young, probably in his early twenties.


    ¡°The alien bird creatures that are seven to eight meters long are equivalent to human warrior candidates. How many of them do you think were left behind in East Lake City? Why don¡¯t you ask if there is any alien bird meat from alien bird creatures at the warrior realm?¡± The middle-aged man curled his lips.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s voice was very loud, and most of the people passing by heard him. Many people started to laugh loudly.


    If there was really a transaction involving the meat from alien bird creatures that were seven to eight meters long, it would usually take place through an auction. The market only sold resources for cultivation at the lower levels of the disciple realm.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, just say so¡­¡±


    The young man¡¯s face turned red as the surrounding people started talking about him. After saying that, he squeezed through the crowd and left in a hurry.


    The commotion disappeared as quickly as it had come, and the onlookers quickly dispersed.


    At this moment, a younger man from the stall to the left of the middle-aged man came over and asked, ¡°Old Liang, I heard that many people went to the industrial park to search for the traces of blood from the alien bird creatures at the warrior realm. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to ask now.¡± The middle-aged man rolled his eyes and shook his head.


    Several pedestrians near the stall heard the news that there were traces of blood left behind by the alien bird creatures at the warrior realm. They immediately came closer and asked, ¡°Is that true? Is there such a good thing?¡±


    Seeing this, the middle-aged man regretted saying anything. However, he had no choice but to continue, ¡°Many people saw the masked man fight two birds that were more than 10 meters long with their own eyes. It must be true.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep us in suspense. Tell us quickly,¡± the person beside him urged.


    The middle-aged man recalled the scene he saw yesterday and said, ¡°This matter started from the confrontation between eight military warriors and two alien bird creatures more than 10 meters long in the industrial park in the south of the city.¡±


    ¡­


    After more than 10 minutes, the middle-aged man recounted what he had seen and heard from the start to the end. More and more people had gathered around him, interested to hear about what he had seen.


    By the time he finished speaking, the area within 10 meters of him was packed with people.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you just heard some rumors and exaggerated things?¡± someone in the crowd questioned him in disbelief.


    The middle-aged man was already regretting not keeping his mouth shut. When he heard the question, he became even more angry and replied loudly, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Go to the industrial park in the south of the city and take a look for yourself.¡±


    The person who questioned him retorted, ¡°You said that the masked man was the one who killed the two alien bird creatures in the end. That means that the masked man is stronger than the eight military warriors. If the masked man is so powerful, why didn¡¯t he make a move earlier?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable. In any case, that¡¯s the truth of the matter,¡± the middle-aged man responded with a red face, ¡°When the eight military warriors confronted the two alien bird creatures, the alien bird creatures were still flying more than 100 meters in the air. Humans can¡¯t fly.¡±


    ¡­


    The two of them argued a little more, but the person who questioned it still did not believe him. The middle-aged man was so angry that his face turned red.


    At this moment, a young man in a martial arts training robe interrupted the two of them and said bluntly, ¡°What he said is true. Moreover, not only were the two terrifying alien bird creatures killed by the masked man, but the beast tide in the Nuhe Mountain Range last month was mainly caused by the battle between the masked man and a giant blazing sun lizard in the central region.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± The surrounding people gasped, and many of their expressions changed.


    Most of the people who heard the news for the first time were shocked by it. Many people immediately created an image of the masked man in their own minds.


    His body was two to three meters wide and about three meters tall. His body was strong and muscular enough to fight a 10-meter-long beast head-on.


    He had a fierce personality and would start a fight whenever there was a disagreement. Once he made a move, he would destroy everything in his path, without a care for the lives of other creatures.


    ¡°Who exactly is this masked man? I heard that he successfully killed the giant blazing sun lizard in the end,¡± someone in the crowd who had heard about this news before asked loudly.


    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s¡­¡± Many people who had heard rumors started to share what they knew.


    In the end, the masked man was said to be someone from the provincial city.


    After all, the masked man had done something that even eight military warriors could not do. No one thought that such a powerful person would appear from a small civilian martial arts faction.

 Chapter 116 - Discussion (II)

    In a large conference room in the city government office district, Ren Pingsheng sat at the head of an oval table. On his left were two representatives from the city government, and on his right were two representatives from the military.


    In front of the four representatives, there was a stack of materials as thick as the width of three fingers.


    Ren Pingsheng¡¯s gaze swept across the room and finally landed on one of the city government representatives, Hong Yi.


    Hong Yi was in charge of all the government affairs in East Lake City, including the city¡¯s construction, economic activities, management of the household registry, and so on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear the report on the losses in East Lake City first.¡±


    Hong Yi had a serious expression as he lowered his head to confirm the exact numbers. He then raised his head and replied, ¡°So far, 63% of the houses in East Lake City have been destroyed. 85% of the factories have been destroyed, and 113,000 people have died. The economic loss is about 500 billion yuan.¡±


    When Ren Pingsheng heard this, his head swayed and he closed his eyes.


    When the other three representatives heard this, their hands that were on the table for support went limp and they almost fell onto the table. Each of them took a deep breath to swallow this huge loss.


    East Lake City had a population of nearly a million people, and more than a tenth of them had died in this battle. Just the population alone would take about five years to recover to its original level. In the meantime, there could not be any more disasters like being invaded by the beast tide.


    Most of the houses and factories had also been destroyed. Although they could be rebuilt, it would take at least a few years for them to recover.


    It could be said that this air raid had almost completely destroyed the ability of East Lake City to take part in a battle for the next three to five years.


    This was the reason why a large number of warriors were stationed in the city all year round. Once the beast tide invaded the city, even if humans finally drove the beast tide out, they would still suffer losses at the level that could destroy the entire city.


    A few minutes later, Ren Pingsheng reopened his eyes.


    His gaze was soul-stirring, and his body emanated the air of a superior again. It was as if the loss of composure earlier had not happened.


    ¡°Report the results of the battle.¡± His gaze landed on Han Qingshan.


    Han Qingshan was in charge of the city¡¯s defense, and the city guards and the city patrol were all under his purview.


    ¡°Almost half of the alien bird creatures in the flock were killed. 27 of the alien bird creatures that were seven to eight meters long were killed, and two of the alien bird creatures that were more than 10 meters long were killed.


    We have tabulated the information of those who have killed the alien bird creatures at least seven to eight meters long. One was killed by Gao Chengliang at the Dewan building¡­ Two were killed by Chen Yiming near the Jinghu district¡­¡±


    Han Qingshan reported the information.


    Ren Pingsheng nodded and memorized the names of the people mentioned.


    Next, it was the military representative¡¯s turn to speak.


    Xue Haichuan reported the military¡¯s losses.


    Most of the soldiers in the military were elites. Not only did they know martial arts, but they also had high-tech weapons. However, they had still lost a third of their men.


    After all, when fighting the alien bird creatures head-on in the city, tactics like using a volley of gunfire and firing cannons in formation could not be used because of the need to prevent collateral damage.


    The military could only use their numbers to fight the alien bird creatures, causing both sides to suffer heavy losses.


    Finally, the main agenda of the meeting was the military¡¯s pursuit of the three birds that were more than 10 meters long.


    ¡°Tell me the details of how the masked man killed the two alien bird creatures,¡± Ren Pingsheng said in a low voice.


    ¡°At that time, two-thirds of our military¡¯s warrior realm forces were confronting those two alien bird creatures in the industrial park in the south of the city¡­¡± Cao Zhengjun recounted the situation.


    Other than the face under the black mask, everything else, including Chen Yiming¡¯s clothes, height, weapon, internal energy attributes, and so on, had been gathered and reported.


    ¡°Tell me more about the form of the masked man¡¯s internal force.¡± Ren Pingsheng waited for Cao Zhengjun to finish before specially mentioning the form of the internal force.


    ¡°The intensity of the internal force in the masked man¡¯s body is much stronger than the eight of us. In addition, it shares some similarities with the black flames of the alien bird creatures, and can stay a certain distance away from the surface of his body.¡±


    ¡°How far exactly can it go?¡±


    ¡°It was about two or three meters at the time, but we can¡¯t be sure if it was the masked man¡¯s limit.¡±


    ¡°Can it change into various forms at will?¡±


    ¡°This was not observed.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force, which had been enhanced by the Level-1 Undying Body, was discussed and analyzed by the five people.


    The point of discussion was that at the first stage of the warrior realm, no matter how strong one¡¯s internal force was, it was not strong enough to instantly kill alien bird creatures of the same level.


    The two military warriors suspected that the masked man was someone who had broken through to the second stage of the warrior realm.


    ¡°Alright, this discussion ends here,¡± Ren Pingsheng concluded. ¡°If the masked man didn¡¯t try to trick you on purpose, then there must be something else that you didn¡¯t notice.


    As for why his internal force was visibly more intense, it should be due to his special physique. The masked man has yet to break through to the second stage.¡±


    The military was particular about following orders. Although the two representatives from the military were still suspicious, they forced themselves to stop the discussion.


    At this point, the four representatives had concluded their respective reports.


    ¡°Sir, may I know the whereabouts of the alien bird creature that is nearly 20 meters long? With that information, it will be easier for me to make the arrangements for the city¡¯s reconstruction,¡± Hong Yi asked.


    ¡°During the air raid yesterday, the overseers from Nightwater City and Yungang City rushed to the Nuhe Mountain Range to monitor that alien bird creature. After seeing them, the alien bird creature did not start a fight. It is still staying in the central region of the mountain range,¡± Ren Pingsheng replied.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ren Pingsheng interrupted him and continued, ¡°If there are no external reinforcements, the next time the alien bird creatures launch an air raid, the other two overseers and I will still be held back.


    After all, humans in the warrior realm cannot fly, while the alien bird creatures can. The three of us can only barely make the alien bird creature hesitate. If there was one less person, the alien bird creature would very likely attack the cities.


    The alien bird creature that is nearly 20 meters long corresponds to the second stage of the human warrior realm. If it successfully enters the city, I don¡¯t need to tell you what will happen.¡±


    When the others heard this, the skin on their faces twitched slightly, and their expressions turned ugly.


    In the face of an aerial assault, humans were always at an absolute disadvantage. Each alien bird creature could usually hold back several humans of the same level by themselves.


    The meeting room was silent for a few minutes before the pain brought about by the previous topic was suppressed.


    ¡°Sir, Yue Jingtian from the Yue clan refused the military¡¯s orders when the alien bird creatures attacked the city yesterday. He was guarding his clan and did not come out to help.


    The military has decided to convict the Yue clan of treason and punish them as an example to keep the civilian martial arts factions in East Lake City under our control. Please give us your approval,¡± Cao Zhengjun requested.


    Once the crime of treason was determined, not only would the clan head¡¯s lineage be convicted of the crime, but the entire Yue clan in East Lake City would also be convicted.


    ¡°How was the performance of the other six martial arts clans in East Lake City during this disaster?¡± Ren Pingsheng asked.


    The Daxia Kingdom had directly appointed the city¡¯s overseers. They usually did not manage the general affairs in the city, and were only involved in making a decision when it came to removing a top faction from the city.


    ¡°Although they played some cheap tricks, they were generally obedient and followed the military¡¯s orders,¡± Cao Zhengjun replied.


    ¡°What about the other small and medium-sized martial arts clans?¡±


    ¡°Three of them ran away at the last minute.¡±


    ¡°What about the main large corporation in the city?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the chairman. However, there were more than 10 senior executives who disobeyed orders.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the 13 martial arts schools?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t contribute that much, nor did they do anything wrong.¡±


    In the end, Cao Zhengjun added, ¡°Among the 13 martial arts schools, only the Mantis Snake Sword School encountered some problems. Not long before the alien bird creatures attacked, the next successor of the school, Lin Yixuan, was severely injured by Chen Yiming. This caused us to lose the combat power of a warrior candidate during the alien bird creatures¡¯ attack. Lin Yixuan also died in this incident due to his serious injuries.¡±


    ¡°Chen Yiming? I remember that this guy killed two alien bird creatures that were seven to eight meters long, right?¡± Ren Pingsheng paid attention to this name for the second time.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s very talented. He broke through to the warrior candidate realm after just one year of cultivation,¡± Cao Zhengjun blurted out the information, not withholding anything.


    ¡°A warrior candidate is still nothing much. It¡¯s only worth talking about if he really breaks through to the warrior realm,¡± Ren Pingsheng interjected.


    This name only left a slight impression on him, and he did not concern himself with it. In the eyes of people at the second stage of the warrior realm, warrior candidates were not qualified to be a topic in their discussion.


    ¡°Since the overall situation in East Lake City is still stable, there¡¯s no need to convict the whole clan of treason. We can just convict the Yue clan head¡¯s lineage of the crime,¡± Ren Pingsheng decided.


    With just one sentence, the Yue clan was spared from complete annihilation and only the clan head¡¯s lineage was to be punished with death.

 Chapter 117 - Barging In (I)

    At the entrance of Jinghu district, as the sky gradually darkened, the people who had gone out to work gradually returned home.


    The guard, Xiao Zhang, straightened his back and carefully verified the identities of every person entering and exiting the district. The security team a few meters away stuck to their spots without moving. Every one of them was very attentive, and they looked like a group of elite soldiers.


    The reason for this was that two big shots were sitting in a pavilion a few meters away from the entrance of the district. They were Wan Rong, the current head of the Mantis Snake Sword School, and Hong Yi, who was in charge of East Lake City¡¯s government affairs.


    Chen Yiming had just returned to the entrance of the district after leaving the city to cultivate a different internal force. Wan Rong invited him to join them in the pavilion.


    ¡°This is Sir Hong Yi, who is in charge of East Lake City¡¯s government affairs,¡± Wan Rong introduced.


    Before Chen Yiming could speak, Hong Yi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of the name of Chen Yiming from the Mantis Snake Sword School. After meeting you today, I think that you are indeed a young hero.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me,¡± Chen Yiming said humbly.


    Now that the communication systems were temporarily disrupted, the head had not contacted him in advance, so he did not know why Hong Yi had come looking for him.


    Hong Yi¡¯s expression was amiable as he continued, ¡°East Lake City has just experienced a disaster that is close to the level of destroying the entire city. Now that we are severely lacking in manpower, the day that the city¡¯s reconstruction can be completed is still far off.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He had roughly guessed the purpose of Hong Yi¡¯s visit.


    This was the cost of fame. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility that came with it.


    If the outside world had still been viewing him as a small fry who had undergone six transformations, Hong Yi would not have come to pay him a visit.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t keep you in suspense. The city has already settled the discussions to receive a batch of supplies from Luoxi City.


    However, the distance between the two cities is too far, so we need someone strong enough to escort the goods the entire way,¡± Hong Yi explained.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he sighed and continued, ¡°Now that all the cities in the Daxia Kingdom are feeling the pressure of the war with the otherworld, Luoxi City is also short-handed. We can only think of ways to resolve this problem from our side.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s heart sank.


    He already had the strength to overpower any creature in the wilderness, but since he had been busy cultivating, he had only traveled out of East Lake City to Nightwater City once.


    He only knew a little about the intensity of the war between humans and the otherworld from books. Much of the content was about what had happened in the past few years or even the past decades.


    He did not expect the cities to be so short on manpower. Luoxi City was willing to provide supplies, but they were unwilling to send anyone to escort them.


    At the same time, he felt a sense of urgency. As long as his cultivation level continued to increase, the pressure from the beast tide in East Lake City would be resolved.


    Seeing this, Hong Yi continued to persuade him, ¡°Although the beast tide has temporarily stopped, we don¡¯t know when it will happen again. Therefore, the military experts of East Lake City can¡¯t leave the city easily.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming immediately gave his agreement. ¡°No problem. When are we setting off?¡±


    No matter what, this was where he lived. It was impossible for him to be completely uninvolved in its affairs.


    In addition, with his strength, there was no risk in taking on this kind of job. It would only take up a little of his time.


    Hong Yi placed a hand on Chen Yiming¡¯s shoulder and praised him. ¡°Good, East Lake City needs talents like you who are willing to provide timely assistance.¡±


    Wan Rong, who was at the side, also revealed a pleased smile. Chen Yiming had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the city at this time. Not only had he gained enough face for Wan Rong, but he himself would also benefit greatly from it.


    The Mantis Snake Sword School was in East Lake City. After Chen Yiming took over as the head of the school in the future, he would have to build a good relationship with others within the city.


    ¡°The transport team from the city still needs some time to prepare. How about we set off tomorrow morning?¡± Hong Yi suggested.


    ¡°I have no problem with that.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    The matter of going to Luoxi City to transport the supplies back safely was settled just like that. Hong Yi quickly left. After Wan Rong instructed him about the dangers that he needed to take note of, he quickly turned around and left.


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction of the Yue clan¡¯s villa through the countless collapsed houses.


    He wanted to wait for the right time, but the sudden escort mission forced him to change his plan and prepare to barge his way into the Yue clan¡¯s villa.


    ¡­


    At 8 pm, the temperature started to turn cold, and the faint sound of insects could be heard from the forest.


    At this moment, the Yue clan¡¯s villa was brightly lit. There were still teams of guards patrolling the surroundings, chasing away ordinary people who had accidentally entered the Yue clan¡¯s territory.


    The entire Yue clan appeared as though they did not know that their clan was about to be wiped out. From a distance, they seemed to be operating just like they were before and still maintained the air of a large and powerful clan.


    ¡°Tap! Tap!¡±


    Light footsteps sounded.


    At a sentry post more than 10 meters away from the villa, the two men in charge of standing guard heard this and turned their heads toward the source of the sound.


    A man was walking towards them, wearing a black cloak and a bamboo hat with a black cloth covering his face.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± As soon as one of the men standing guard spoke, he saw a sharp pair of eyes.


    Those eyes shone brightly in the night, and it seemed as though sharp spikes were shooting out of them. Just by meeting his gaze, his tears flowed uncontrollably.


    In the next moment, the two men in charge of guarding the entrance somehow suffered heavy blows to their foreheads and collapsed on the ground.


    The black-cloaked masked man walked straight past them.


    ¡°The effect is not bad. It can be used as a long-range attack,¡± a voice muttered.


    He glanced at the two unconscious people and openly entered the Yue clan¡¯s villa.


    Chen Yiming had unleashed two streams of piercing internal force from about 10 meters away.


    Under the enhancement of his Level-1 Undying Body talent, the piercing internal force condensed in the air and did not dissipate. It crossed a short distance and hit the foreheads of the two guards.


    Chen Yiming used the same method to knock out all the ordinary people from the Yue clan along the way. Then, he arrived at a stone mountain.


    The stone mountain was five to six meters tall, and its bottom was circular, with a diameter of about ten meters.


    It was said that this was the Yue clan¡¯s treasure vault, which contained the majority of the Yue clan¡¯s most valuable items.


    When Chen Yiming heard that the Yue clan was about to be wiped out, he had tried to use Shi Changyi¡¯s subordinates to buy information about the Yue clan.


    Perhaps it was because they knew that the Yue clan would soon fall from power, but some information that was shared with the ordinary people in the Yue clan was revealed.


    ¡°Swish!¡± a sword flashed past.


    The sword light extended for nearly 10 meters, shining with a dazzling silver light. The silver light illuminated the surroundings, causing the area dozens of meters around the stone mountain to shine brightly.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The sound of something being cut rang out.


    After the flash from the sword disappeared, an oval-shaped rock with a diameter of two to three meters slid down the mountain and crashed to the ground with a loud bang.


    A hole of half a body¡¯s width appeared in front of Chen Yiming.


    The stone mountain wall around the hole was more than a meter thick. In the wall were three metal layers sandwiched in a stone layer, with each layer as thick as the width of two fingers.


    The time it would take for anyone below the warrior realm to break through the wall was sufficient for the Yue clan to react.


    Through the hole, one could see into the interior of the stone mountain.


    There was indeed a treasure vault within it, just as the information had described. There was a circular shelf inside, displaying all kinds of treasures collected by the Yue clan.


    Just as Chen Yiming¡¯s sword broke through the stone mountain, the silver light and the sound of stones falling to the ground attracted the attention of the Yue clan. The entire clan was alerted to his presence.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± A roar came from behind.


    Accompanying it was an overwhelming pressure which caused Chen Yiming¡¯s hair to sway.


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks and turned around to see a middle-aged man nearly three meters tall walking towards him.


    The person who had come was the current head of the Yue clan, Yue Yangpeng, the backbone of the clan who allowed it to maintain its position in East Lake City.


    At this moment, Yue Yangpeng was burning with rage. He felt like he had suffered a huge humiliation.


    The Yue clan was ranked in the top three among the seven large martial arts clans in the city. He could accept the military¡¯s punishment, but that did not mean that anyone could sh*t on them.


    The Yue clan had made a huge mistake, and the clan head¡¯s lineage was about to be punished. Although it was almost impossible for them to be forgiven, the final decision had yet to be made.


    Chen Yiming had openly broken into the Yue clan¡¯s treasure vault. If the Yue clan remained silent and endured it, the wolves would immediately pounce on them and devour them.

 Chapter 118 - Barging In (II)

    ¡°Are you Yue Yangpeng?¡± Chen Yiming asked. He had seen his photo among the information gathered, but the photo was only 90% similar to the person in front of him, so he wanted to confirm it.


    The other party did not respond.


    A two-meter-wide hole appeared under Yue Yangpeng¡¯s feet and he charged forward, throwing a punch at Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    There was a circular metal object on his forearm, and the additional weight increased the lethality of his punches.


    His entire arm was covered in a layer of yellow rock, which was formed by Yue Yangpeng¡¯s internal force.


    A strong wind blew past. Chen Yiming raised his hand calmly.


    With his Level-1 Undying Body talent, he did not feel any pressure when fighting a warrior at the same level as him.


    Compared to him, whether it was the strength of his internal force, endurance, attack range, or other aspects, the difference was not small.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The fist and palm collided, and the internal force from both sides exploded at the same time.


    The silver light and yellow light drowned out their figures, and the Yue clan members who were rushing over from afar had to look away.


    In the next moment, a figure was sent flying.


    The figure was Yue Yangpeng, who was nearly three meters tall and close to three times the size of the masked man.


    The people from the Yue clan nearby looked up at the figure in the air. Their voices were stuck in their throats, and they were stunned.


    A few seconds later, Yue Yangpeng crashed heavily into the ground from midair and was sent flying again. He only stopped after crashing into stone pillars three or four times in a row.


    At this moment, Yue Yangpeng¡¯s face was pale, and there was no trace of anger left on his face.


    The surface of the yellow rock layer covering his right arm was filled with cracks and holes.


    The skin on his palm under a layer of yellow rock was badly mangled. His tightly clenched fist had loosened and was trembling non-stop.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come out on your own,¡± Chen Yiming said as he walked towards Yue Yangpeng.


    The reason why he targeted the Yue clan¡¯s treasure vault was because he was not confident that he could directly find Yue Yangpeng.


    Ordinary people of the Yue clan wouldn¡¯t be able to find out about Yue Yangpeng¡¯s whereabouts. As long as he felt like hiding, it would be difficult for Chen Yiming to find him in a short period of time.


    Now that he had found his target, things became much simpler. Chen Yiming¡¯s goal had always been the cultivation method after the warrior realm.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yue Yangpeng asked hoarsely.


    He sat where he was, not intending to get up or escape. Chen Yiming¡¯s attack had shattered his confidence.


    In addition, he could not leave the Yue clan¡¯s villa at will. Otherwise, the military would find him guilty of fleeing from his crimes and would definitely send their warriors after him.


    ¡°Let me read the manual for your Mountain Moving Fist Technique,¡± Chen Yiming went straight to the point.


    When Yue Yangpeng heard this, his face turned as black as charcoal. His undamaged left hand clenched into a fist, and a layer of yellow rock quickly covered it.


    ¡°You want to go for another round?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yue Yangpeng swallowed his words. He exhaled and his left hand returned to normal.


    If he continued to attack, he would only be humiliating himself and he would get beaten up again for nothing.


    If he was seriously injured, he would have no chance of escaping from East Lake City.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Yue Yangpeng refused without any hesitation.


    Cultivation techniques below the warrior realm could be copied at will except for the most crucial concept diagram, because the content only involved the accompanying moves of the cultivation technique.


    The concept diagram was similar to the work left behind by a master painter. However, the original concept diagram was obtained from the bodies of creatures from the otherworld. It was a work of nature.


    A master painter who specialized in this could copy the original concept to a certain extent.


    As for the techniques above the warrior realm, no one had ever heard of anyone being able to replicate them.


    In short, the higher the cultivation level, the more unique the cultivation technique would be. Once it was given out, it was equivalent to removing the foundation for the clan.


    Just as Chen Yiming was thinking about how to get Yue Yangpeng to agree to his request, a set of footsteps sounded.


    The newcomers were a young man in his twenties and a beautiful woman who looked to be in her thirties.


    The young man had an anxious expression on his face. His body was as strong as an ox, and he looked like a smaller version of Yue Yangpeng.


    The beautiful woman had a worried expression on her face. She was wearing loose sportswear, but her perfect figure was still faintly visible underneath it.


    ¡°Dad, who¡­¡± Yue Jingtian rushed out from the corner of a house.


    He saw a masked man standing more than a meter away from Yue Yangpeng, looking down at him as he sat on the ground. Yue Yangpeng¡¯s hands were limp as he leaned against the stone pillar, looking like he was waiting to be killed.


    His voice gradually became smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared.


    ¡°Yangpeng.¡± Mo Yanfei followed half a meter behind Yue Jingtian. After calling out his name, she immediately shut her mouth.


    The whole family had appeared in front of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°How is it now?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Yue Yangpeng, a warrior, was trembling in anger at being threatened.


    He simply turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, pretending not to hear anything.


    Seeing this, Yue Jingtian and Mo Yanfei, who were not far away, knew that the appearance of the two of them had allowed the masked man to grasp Yue Yangpeng¡¯s weakness.


    At this moment, the two of them were filled with regret and fear. Even Yue Yangpeng, who was in the warrior realm, sat rooted to the ground and did not dare to resist. Other than being anxious, there was nothing that a young warrior candidate and a woman who had lost all her martial arts skills after getting married could do.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll only borrow it once to take a look, and will return it to you intact,¡± Chen Yiming promised.


    The Mountain Moving Fist Technique was not compatible with Chen Yiming. He only wanted to refer to the cultivation methods after the warrior realm.


    Just like when he was studying the Flying Feather Sword Technique, he only wanted to know how to proceed for his next step.


    At this time, the area around the stone mountain was quiet. Other than Chen Yiming and Yue Yangpeng¡¯s family, the rest of the people from the Yue clan had disappeared.


    Yue Yangpeng did not believe him and continued to keep his eyes closed.


    He planned to stall for time, hoping that external forces would interfere.


    In fact, if several parties started to fight, he could take advantage of the chaos and escape with his family.


    Chen Yiming saw that Yue Yangfeng had resigned himself to his fate, and turned to look at Yue Jingtian.


    From three to four meters away, he unleashed an attack using his internal force.


    A ripple appeared in the air. Before Yue Jingtian could react, he was struck in the chest by an internal force.


    His entire body bent into a crescent and he flew backwards, crashing into the stone mountain before bouncing back to the ground.


    Chen Yiming had controlled the strength of his internal force in this strike. By the time it hit Yue Jingtian, it had mostly dissipated. It wasn¡¯t meant to kill him.


    ¡°Son!¡± Mo Yanfei shouted as she ran over to help Yue Jingtian up. She found that he was not dead, but severely injured. ¡°Stop, I know where the manual is.¡±


    Mo Yanfei easily handed over the manual that Yue Yangpeng would choose to die to protect.


    ¡°You¡­ the Yue clan has been destroyed by you.¡± Yue Yangpeng glared at Mo Yanfei.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Chen Yiming urged. He was pressed for time. About five minutes had passed since he started fighting Yue Yangpeng. Time wasn¡¯t on his side.


    Mo Yanfei didn¡¯t waste any time. After laying Yue Jingtian down, she hurried away.


    A gust of wind blew past, and many leaves fell to the ground in front of the stone mountain, creating a rustling sound.


    In less than five minutes, Mo Yanfei returned with the manual.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the manual and flipped through it quickly.


    He only glanced through the moves of the fist techniques at the start, since these were of no value to him.


    When he reached the last few pages, he stopped.


    The page in front of him was not made from ordinary paper. Instead, it was a shell that looked like it came from a turtle. Paper had been used to fill in the four corners of the shell, making it the same size as the previous pages.


    He glanced at the pattern on the shell from top to bottom and knew that this was the concept diagram for this fist technique.


    He quickly flipped to the next page. This page explained the sequence of drawing the concept diagram, which was of little value to him.


    He continued to flip through the pages and realized that he had reached the end.


    On the back of the second last page was the final piece of information, and the last page was blank.

 Chapter 119 - Conditions (I)

    Chen Yiming quickly browsed through the contents of the second last page.


    There was not much information, only a few hundred words, but it took more time to read than all the previous pages combined.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    A breeze blew through the air, bringing with it a hint of coolness.


    Yue Yangpeng, Mo Yanfei, and Yue Jingtian looked nervously at the masked man, hoping that he would keep his promise.


    After memorizing the content, Chen Yiming closed his eyes and tried to recall what he had read.


    The information on this page was about the cultivation method for the transformation of internal force. The core point was the number of concept diagrams for a cultivation technique.


    For example, the concept diagram of the Mountain Moving Fist Technique was a huge mountain floating in the void.


    Looking from each of the six directions ¡ª top, bottom, front, back, left, and right of the mountain ¡ª one could obtain six concept diagrams of the same type. Each of these six concept diagrams could help a warrior candidate to break through to the warrior realm.


    One concept diagram could only reflect a small portion of the entire mountain¡¯s concept. When the six concept diagrams were combined, they could reflect a large portion of the mountain¡¯s concept.


    For a technique in the warrior realm, cultivating with three concept diagrams could change the form of one¡¯s internal force. If one cultivated a technique with six concept diagrams, this was considered by the pioneers of human martial arts as a complete technique in the first stage of the warrior realm.


    In other words, for the first stage of the warrior realm, those techniques cultivated with less than six concept diagrams were considered incomplete, and one would not be considered as a talented individual in this realm. One would also have a lower chance of completing the transformation of their internal force.


    As for cultivating techniques with six or more concept diagrams, this was the standard for those in the first stage of the warrior realm. Such techniques were suitable for all who had just broken through to the warrior realm to cultivate.


    After recalling it once, Chen Yiming confirmed that he had memorized the content from the entire page.


    Because he was extremely confident in his own strength, he immediately got the small figure in his mind to simulate the concept diagram of the Flying Feather Sword Technique.


    Upon receiving the instruction, the figure gradually melted into drops of liquid that spread throughout the entire spiritual world, forming a picture of a rainstorm.


    Next, Chen Yiming tried to deduce the other concept diagrams for the rainstorm.


    The picture of the rainstorm shook. The size of the raindrops, the speed at which they fell, and the range of dispersion changed, turning into a new picture of the rainstorm.


    However, just as the new rainstorm was about to stabilize, ¡°Crack!¡±


    The rainstorm picture formed by the spiritual figure suddenly collapsed, turning into drops of liquid that fell to the ground, causing his entire spiritual world to quake.


    Chen Yiming felt as if he had received a heavy blow to the head. Fortunately, everything had happened with his eyes closed, so the other three people present didn¡¯t notice anything amiss.


    The Level-1 Undying Body talent made Chen Yiming extremely resistant to all kinds of attacks, so the dizziness had almost disappeared in just an instant.


    ¡°What a pity! I almost succeeded,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    His Level-2 swordsmanship talent could allow him to easily complete the drawing of the concept diagram, but it was still a little short of being able to deduce other similar concept diagrams from one concept diagram.


    The path of cultivation for the next stage was clearly laid out for Chen Yiming.


    He was still a little short of deducing the similar concept diagrams from one concept diagram, but with two or three, the probability of deducing the other concept diagrams was almost 100%.


    He had two choices. He could either search for a sword technique that had more than two concept diagrams, or accumulate Skill Points and upgrade to the Level-3 swordsmanship talent.


    The difference between each level of talent was huge. For something that was very difficult to achieve for a Level-2 talent, with the Level-3 talent, it would be as easy as eating and drinking.


    The speed at which the mind moved far exceeded that of the body. It seemed like he had thought about many questions, but in reality, only a few moments had passed in the outside world.


    After Chen Yiming thought it through, he reopened his eyes and saw anxious expressions on the faces of the other three people.


    This was especially true for Mo Yanfei. Even though she had married into the Yue clan, her surname was not Yue. In essence, she was still a member of the Mo clan. However, she had made the decision to hand over the foundation of the Yue clan, the manual for the Mountain Moving Fist Technique, to an outsider.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return the manual to you.¡± With a quick hand movement from Chen Yiming, the manual flew into Yue Yangpeng¡¯s hand.


    Yue Yangpeng was stunned for a moment, then he heaved a sigh of relief. As long as the manual for the Mountain Moving Fist Technique was still around, the Yue clan would still have a chance to rise up again.


    Although this hope was slim, it was better than falling into despair.


    Having achieved his goal, Chen Yiming turned around and left, leaving the Yue clan members to watch his back as he left.


    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±


    Mo Yanfei called out and stopped the masked man who had walked a few meters away.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Chen Yiming was in a good mood as he turned to look at the woman.


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her clothes were drenched in cold sweat and clung tightly to her body. Her figure was completely revealed to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Are you interested in the other two concept diagrams of the Mountain Moving Fist Technique?¡± Mo Yanfei¡¯s red lips parted slightly as she revealed a shocking piece of information.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming looked at Yue Jingtian and then at Yue Yangpeng.


    Yue Jingtian looked confused, while Yue Yangpeng raised an eyebrow, then quickly retracted his shocked expression.


    Chen Yiming started to doubt Mo Yanfei¡¯s words. If the Yue clan really had two more concept diagrams, Yue Yangpeng¡¯s shouldn¡¯t have been willing to die rather than to hand over the manual.


    When Mo Yanfei saw this, a smile appeared on her face. She continued, ¡°The Yue clan of East Lake City moved over from the provincial city. In the eyes of the outside world, their descendants are no longer around.


    In fact, the previous head of the Yue clan, who had already passed away, was severely injured in a dangerous place. He even lost the other two concept diagrams there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Chen Yiming refused.


    The Mountain Moving Fist was a fist technique, not a sword technique. Even if he gathered three concept diagrams of the fist technique, it would not be of much use to him. They could only be used as a reference.


    His Level-2 swordsmanship talent was temporarily insufficient for him to infer a new sword technique from the concept diagrams.


    With that, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Mo Yanfei shouted anxiously. She chased after the masked man and used her body to stop him.


    Chen Yiming was forced to stop in his tracks to prevent their bodies from colliding.


    Even after gaining the Undying Body talent, he had not tempered his body with a focus on strength. Therefore, he was only slightly over 1.9 meters tall, and had a well-proportioned figure compared to those of the same level.


    However, he was still a head taller than the 1.75-meter-tall woman.


    The two of them were separated by a distance of more than 10 centimeters. Chen Yiming looked down at the woman in front of him and took in her beauty.


    After all, he was a man who had worked for many years and was nearing his thirties in his previous life. It had only been a year since he transmigrated to this world. His 18-year-old body made his heart skip a beat.


    Fortunately, his control over his body at the warrior realm allowed him to instantly stabilize himself and not let his opponent notice anything amiss.


    ¡°Even if one hasn¡¯t achieved much in martial arts, they still have the ability to slow down aging,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    If he had not seen with his own eyes that the beautiful woman in front of him had a son who was in his twenties, he would have thought about it from the perspective of his previous world. The beautiful woman was about 30 years old and was at the stage where she was no longer a youth and was becoming a mature woman.


    This stage was the most attractive to mature men.


    The corners of Mo Yanfei¡¯s mouth curled up. In front of Yue Yangpeng, who was not far away, she continued, ¡°Back then, that dangerous place not only severely injured the previous head of the Yue clan, but also caused the deaths of several people. Among the people who died, there were those who used sword techniques.¡±


    Other people didn¡¯t have Chen Yiming¡¯s ability to use a small figure in his mind to enter the spiritual world. They had to repeatedly check the concept diagram during their daily cultivation, so they would carry the concept diagram with them.


    ¡°Why should I go to a dangerous place that even the Yue clan¡¯s warriors don¡¯t dare to go?¡± Chen Yiming rolled his eyes.


    He did need to find a suitable sword technique, but there was no need to take such a big risk. If there was really no other way, he could still rely on his Level-3 swordsmanship talent.

 Chapter 120 - Conditions (II)

    Mo Yanfei chuckled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve done many investigations over the years, so we naturally know the location of the dead swordsman. However, the Yue clan and the Mo clan are not clans that use sword techniques.¡±


    Seeing that the masked man was still not interested, she added, ¡°Although the previous head of the Yue clan could cultivate the Mountain Moving Fist Technique with three concept diagrams, his strength might not be comparable to the current Yue Yangpeng.


    Among those in the warrior realm, those who are not talented are no different whether they use one or three concept diagrams. They will not be able to complete the transformation of their internal force.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he weighed the pros and cons.


    The previous head of the Yue clan was only at the same level as him. If they dared to enter that dangerous place, they must have had a certain level of confidence. However, they did not have Chen Yiming¡¯s Level-1 Undying Body talent to protect against injuries.


    If the truth was as the woman in front of him said, it was indeed worth a try. After all, he did not want to be too high-profile on the surface, so he naturally did not want to take on the position of the head of a martial arts school.


    ¡°What are your conditions?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s eyes lit up. Thinking that her plan had succeeded, she smiled and said, ¡°After the escape plan begins, Yue Yangpeng will go alone. You will escort me and my son.¡±


    ¡°I think another method is better. Take me straight to the sword manual.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming grabbed the back of Mo Yanfei¡¯s clothes. His layer of internal force allowed him to hold on tightly to her, and the two of them shot into the sky.


    The masked man led Mo Yanfei across the rooftops and they quickly rushed out of the city.


    ¡°Yanfei!¡± Yue Yangpeng roared and chased after her.


    However, in terms of speed, Chen Yiming had never lost to anyone of the same level. Furthermore, his opponent didn¡¯t think that the masked man would try to kidnap someone.


    His reaction was half a beat slower. As soon as he left the villa, he watched helplessly as the distance between them widened, and there was no longer any point in chasing after him.


    ¡­


    At a small slope about a kilometer away from the Yue clan¡¯s villa, Su Chengwang stood at the top of the slope and looked in the direction of the Yue clan. He had ice-type internal force and had been sent here to stop Yue Yangpeng from escaping.


    Two other military warriors were responsible for watching over the remaining members of the Yue clan.


    When he saw the masked man bringing Mo Yanfei out of the city, he was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t know if he should chase after them or let them go.


    The darkness of the night could not interfere with the vision of a warrior. He could clearly see that the masked man was dressed exactly the same as the one from the day before. Coupled with the fact that he could snatch her from Yue Yangpeng, he was undoubtedly the same person.


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±


    The walkie-talkie used for military communications rang, and Su Chengwang pressed the button to answer.


    ¡°Yue Yangpeng didn¡¯t escape. Go and stop the masked man. We can¡¯t let Mo Yanfei be taken away,¡± Cao Zhengjun¡¯s roar came from the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Su Chengwang replied and hung up.


    At this moment, his expression changed drastically, and he looked like he was ready to die.


    No one knew what the masked man¡¯s personality was like. If he angered him, he might kill him with one strike before he could speak.


    However, the strict discipline of a soldier made it impossible for him to back down in the face of danger.


    In a flash, he turned into a black shadow and chased after the masked man.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    East Lake City had become exceptionally quiet after the disaster. It was no longer as lively as before.


    Chen Yiming noticed that Yue Yangpeng hadn¡¯t continued his pursuit, so he slowed down to half of his original speed, allowing Mo Yanfei to catch her breath.


    The running speed of a warrior far exceeded that of someone from the disciple realm. The wind pressure and a large hand held Mo Yanfei¡¯s body firmly in place. The strong pushing force made it difficult for her to breathe.


    At this moment, his speed had decreased by more than half. Mo Yanfei¡¯s face was red, and her chest was heaving up and down. The suffocating feeling caused by the lack of oxygen slowly faded.


    ¡°Slow down, I can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a chill and her body was forced to a stop.


    A person covered in ice stood more than 10 meters away from them, blocking their path forward.


    ¡°Leave her behind.¡±


    With a shout, Su Chengwang took the initiative to attack. In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance between them.


    A hand emanating cold air charged towards Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    Su Chengwang released his internal force without holding back at all. He went all out from the start.


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across his opponent and recognized the person from his internal force.


    He did not want to make enemies with the military. In addition, the Chen family still lived on this land and needed the military¡¯s protection.


    Therefore, without using his sword, he struck out with his palm.


    Countless needle-like internal forces enveloped him like a wave.


    This was pure internal force, and it was not accompanied by any martial arts moves.


    However, with the enhancement from the Level-1 Undying Body talent, he was still able to surpass his opponent¡¯s ice-type internal force in terms of coverage, momentum, brightness, and many other aspects.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The piercing and freezing internal forces exploded three meters in front of Chen Yiming.


    Two similar rays of light, silver and white, lit up the surroundings. In an instant, the area within 100 meters was lit up as brightly as during the day.


    The figure covered in ice spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying back.


    Chen Yiming glanced at him. After confirming that he was only slightly injured, he grabbed Mo Yanfei and rushed out of the city.


    At this moment, Su Chengwang, who was sent flying in the air, heaved a sigh in his heart when he saw the masked man leave.


    It had to be known that once the internal force left the body, it would dissipate in the air in an extremely short period of time.


    This was the result of losing control of the structure of one¡¯s internal force. Only warriors that had completed the transformation of their internal force could overcome this problem.


    However, the other party¡¯s internal force was extremely strong. He could still prevent himself from losing control to a certain extent, and could defeat his opponent even though they were at the same level.


    He had experienced it for himself. The pressure the two alien bird creatures felt when facing the masked man was almost the same as if they were facing Ren Pingsheng. It felt like they were being crushed.


    ¡­


    10 kilometers away from East Lake City, by a river, Chen Yiming felt that he had put sufficient distance between them, so he stopped running and put Mo Yanfei down.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Mo Yanfei clutched her chest and coughed a few times.


    Even though less than 10 minutes had passed, she still felt suffocated and uncomfortable after running for more than 10 kilometers.


    Chen Yiming waited for Mo Yanfei to recover for a few minutes before saying, ¡°Where is the dangerous place? Let¡¯s end this quickly. The Yue clan may even receive the judgment tonight.¡±


    In his heart, he wanted to settle this matter before dawn. Then, he could return to East Lake City and follow the convoy to Luoxi City.


    After all, the speed of a warrior was extremely fast. It would not be a problem for him to cover 1000 kilometers in one night.


    ¡°Let me take a break.¡± Mo Yanfei suppressed the fear in her heart and forced herself to give a calm smile.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened, and his eyes turned sharp.


    Even though his face was covered by a black mask, there was still an invisible pressure pressing down on him.


    He hated to drag things out and waste precious cultivation time.


    ¡°No, I was wrong.¡±


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s face turned pale.


    At this moment she recalled that the other party was an evil person who had used his force to get the chance to read the Yue clan¡¯s manual.


    He had slowed down his pace earlier to let her breathe in the fresh air because she was still useful to him.


    Mo Yanfei calmed her pounding heart and said, ¡°I can bring you to that dangerous place, but after this is done, you have to send me to the Mo clan safely.¡±


    It was useless for her to return to East Lake City, so she changed the conditions at the last minute.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Yiming agreed.


    The most important figures in the Yue clan were Yue Yangpeng and Yue Jingtian. One represented the present, and the other represented the future.


    If Chen Yiming kidnapped the two of them, he would have created an irreconcilable conflict with the military.


    Mo Yanfei was a woman. Other than coming from a martial arts clan, she did not have much power.


    How could an ordinary martial arts clan dare to provoke a big power like the military? They would only stay far away.


    In addition, her surname was Mo after all. If a peripheral figure escaped, it would not affect the military¡¯s plan to make an example of the Yue clan and intimidate the civilian martial arts factions in East Lake City.

 Chapter 121 - Interception (I)

    Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out almost all the moonlight, making the surroundings pitch black.


    Waves of heat came through the air, causing the heat accumulated in her body after running to turn into sweat. Mo Yanfei¡¯s clothes, which had just been dried by the wind, were once again drenched in sweat.


    The sweltering heat and dark clouds were the prelude to a summer storm.


    Chen Yiming and Mo Yanfei stood by the river. The sound of the river splashing against the shore and Mo Yanfei¡¯s thumping heart were almost synchronized.


    A young man and a mature woman had come to the wilderness alone at night. It was inevitable that they would feel a little self-conscious.


    Although the time and place was right, when the smell of sweat on the other party¡¯s body drifted over, Chen Yiming instantly lost all interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually from Yungang City. The dangerous place is¡­¡±


    After Mo Yanfei received his promise, she was about to reveal the location of the danger zone when she was interrupted.


    ¡°Tap! Tap!¡±


    The clear sound of footsteps rang out.


    A middle-aged man with white hair slowly walked over from the darkness.


    The middle-aged man had a well-proportioned figure and was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. However, the aura he exuded made one feel an invisible pressure from dozens of meters away.


    Chen Yiming had never felt such pressure before. Compared to the military warrior he had encountered earlier, the difference was like that between a tiger and a lamb.


    ¡°Leave her here,¡± Ren Pingsheng said calmly.


    He had long known that no one in East Lake City other than him could stop the masked man. In addition, in order to prevent the battle from affecting the city, he had followed them until they were more than 10 kilometers away.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened. He wasn¡¯t worried for his own safety, but for Mo Yanfei¡¯s.


    A battle between warriors could easily affect an area of a few kilometers.


    If Mo Yanfei died here, how would he find the location of the dangerous place?


    ¡°Find a place nearby and wait for me,¡± he turned to Mo Yanfei and instructed her.


    Mo Yanfei nodded and did not waste any time. She randomly chose a direction and left.


    Seeing this, Ren Pingsheng did not stop her. Instead, he quietly waited for her to leave.


    Both of them were extremely confident in their own strength and were not afraid that Mo Yanfei would escape from them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid at all,¡± Ren Pingsheng said calmly. He was not in a hurry to make a move.


    ¡°The last two people who spoke to me in this tone didn¡¯t meet a good end.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and he remained standing at his spot.


    His opponent was only one person. Even if he lost in the end, he could rely on the recovery ability of his Level-1 Undying Body talent to withstand his opponent¡¯s attacks and escape.


    Therefore, he was not in any hurry. At most, he would get his revenge after he achieved his next breakthrough.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ren Pingsheng.¡± Ren Pingsheng revealed his identity.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you,¡± Chen Yiming replied, pretending not to know who it was.


    When Ren Pingsheng heard this, he remained expressionless, but he was secretly angry.


    As the overseer of East Lake City, his strength was enough to overwhelm the dozens of warriors in the city, so that no one would dare to go against him.


    Other than his special status, he had relied on his strength from the first stage of the warrior realm to master the transformation of his internal force.


    In terms of the stability of the internal force structure, the original internal force was similar to loose sand, while the internal force after mastering the transformation was equivalent to mud that had solidified after being mixed with water.


    This was not the only difference between the two.


    The internal force after mastering the transformation, could easily be integrated into one¡¯s blood and be maintained in a stable state.


    Then, as the blood was transported to various parts of one¡¯s body, it seeped into one¡¯s bones and internal organs. One¡¯s body which had already reached a bottleneck could continue to be tempered and become stronger.


    The strength of one¡¯s internal force would increase qualitatively and one¡¯s body would also be stronger than that of ordinary warriors.


    After one¡¯s body became stronger, the container holding one¡¯s internal force would become larger, and the amount of internal force one¡¯s body could hold would also increase.


    Logically speaking, Ren Pingsheng¡¯s internal force and body were completely superior to the masked man¡¯s.


    The masked man must have been out of his mind to talk back to him instead of looking for an opportunity to escape.


    ¡°Young man, you have to respect your seniors.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ren Pingsheng raised his right hand and spread out his fingers.


    His movements were neither fast nor slow, and he exuded the aura of a grandmaster, as if everything was under his control.


    Immediately after, a golden internal force lit up his palms and fingers at the same time, and golden beams of light shot out to form a golden net.


    The dazzling golden light emitted by the golden net lit up the surrounding forest and rivers, making it look like the sun was setting.


    ¡°Six Stars Dragon Capturing Palm!¡±


    A low growl sounded.


    The golden net left his hand and instantly expanded to more than 10 meters in diameter, enveloping Chen Yiming.


    Unlike ordinary internal force that quickly collapsed after leaving the body, the golden net continued to shine brightly without any signs of weakening.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break it apart!¡± Chen Yiming roared.


    He released his internal force without reservation, and his entire body was surrounded by a silver light.


    At the same time, dozens of sword shadows carrying the piercing internal force shot out.


    In a one-on-one battle, his internal force was no match for his opponent¡¯s internal force. However, in a ten-on-one battle, the difference in quantity could make up for the difference in quality.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Dozens of sword shadows collided with the golden net, and the sound of continuous explosions rang out.


    The golden net was instantly deformed by dozens of piercing internal forces, like a piece of spiked fur.


    Just as Chen Yiming had expected, after a moment of stalemate, both their internal forces exploded and dissipated in the air.


    After the transformation, the internal force was still an internal force, but had a stable structure through its special organization.


    Once the limit of what the internal force could withstand was exceeded, this stable structure was not impossible to break. The moment the structure was disrupted, it would also collapse like the original internal force.


    In the first round, both sides were tied.


    The surrounding obstacles were flattened by the shock wave from the internal force explosion, revealing the two people who had remained at their original spots.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ren Pingsheng said with a smile.


    He did not expect the masked man to use such a method to counter his attack. He had faced his attack head-on by expending dozens of times the amount of internal force.


    However, he did not think that the other party could last long by fighting this way.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you continuing?¡± Chen Yiming asked without backing down.


    He was not putting up a bold front. With his Level-1 Undying Body talent, as long as he was not crushed, he would not lose in a battle of attrition.


    ¡°Hehe! How long can you last with this rate of expenditure?¡± Ren Pingsheng raised his palms and two large golden nets shot out at once.


    The two golden nets formed two arcs that surrounded Chen Yiming from both sides.


    ¡°Too slow!¡±


    Chen Yiming let out a low grunt and turned into a silver beam of light that shot into the sky before the golden net could surround him.


    Hundreds of silver sword shadows fell from the sky like a storm.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless,¡± Ren Pingsheng said with a smile.


    He raised his hand and created a large, two-layered golden net to intercept the sword shadows that were coming towards him.


    With the two layers stacked together, the defense provided was more than the sum of two individual layers.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The sound of an explosion more intense than before rang out.


    The hundreds of sword shadows were easily blocked by the golden net and dissipated.

 Chapter 122 - Interception (II)

    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t flustered at all. After landing on the ground, he charged forward again, relying on the increase in speed from his piercing internal force to continue his attack.


    He had noticed a weakness. Ren Pingsheng¡¯s internal force was inclined towards the toughness attribute, which was a type of defense.


    Although he had mastered the transformation of his internal force, the main thing that was enhanced was its toughness, which had little effect on his speed.


    Faced with Chen Yiming¡¯s attacks, Ren Pingsheng had no choice but to cast a golden net to block Chen Yiming¡¯s attacks.


    The two sides quickly exchanged more than 100 blows, and each time they collided, the internal force expenditure was one to dozens.


    From the looks of it, the masked man seemed to be putting up his last fight. He ignored the intense consumption of resources by his internal force and attacked without any success.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    Ren Pingsheng let out a breath of turbid air and leaped more than 10 meters away to dodge the hundreds of silver sword shadows falling from the sky.


    This was the first time he had taken the initiative to dodge after exchanging more than 100 blows.


    At the same time, he could no longer remain calm. His heart was in turmoil.


    His opponent seemed to have an endless supply of internal force, and it would not be used up no matter what.


    He had never encountered such a freak before. He was even more special than the geniuses of the large factions in the provincial city.


    ¡°Can¡¯t hold out anymore?¡± Seeing this, Chen Yiming provoked his opponent.


    He had not forgotten the other party¡¯s contemptuous tone at the start.


    He might not be able to take down his opponent for the time being, but he had the upper hand in terms of aura.


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t celebrate too soon.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ren Pingsheng soared into the sky and leaped more than 10 meters into the air.


    His entire body shone with a golden light, and he no longer held back to conserve his internal force.


    In the blink of an eye, dozens of golden nets fell from the sky, covering an area of hundreds of meters.


    With this range of coverage, when the two of them were less than 10 meters apart, no matter how fast a warrior was, they would not be able to escape.


    However, when the golden net fell, Ren Pingsheng did not stop his movements.


    He took a deep breath and gathered his internal force at his throat area.


    ¡°Kill!¡± a loud roar rang out.


    The sound waves struck out like thunder, covering an area of dozens of meters.


    This was a type of secret technique using sound waves. It could integrate one¡¯s spiritual energy with one¡¯s internal force and produce a doubly-effective attack.


    Furthermore, the sound waves and the internal force integrated with it came from the same source. They were not blocked by the golden net, and in the blink of an eye, they moved faster than the golden net and rushed towards Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s hair stood on end. He knew that his opponent was about to reveal his trump card, but he had never been afraid of secret techniques based on spiritual energy.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    There was a low chuckle.


    Hundreds of sword shadows carrying his piercing internal force instantly shot out. This was the current limit of the frequency of his attacks.


    At the same time, a sword shadow hidden among the hundreds of sword shadows secretly had a layer of Heart Sword attached to it.


    The Heart Sword was the nemesis of techniques based on spiritual energy. Chen Yiming held a strong belief in this.


    In the blink of an eye, the sound waves hidden in the internal force collided with the sword shadow that had a layer of Heart Sword attached to it.


    Immediately after, dozens of golden nets collided with hundreds of sword shadows.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The internal forces collided and exploded. It was more intense than any previous collision. Countless shock waves turned into rings that swept out in all directions.


    The ground, which had been flattened several times, had another layer shaved off it.


    The spots at which the two of them were standing were a few meters deeper compared to the ground hundreds of meters away.


    Seeing that the sword shadows were about to lose to the golden net, Chen Yiming took a deep breath and shot out another few hundred sword shadows.


    At this moment, Ren Pingsheng, who was falling from the sky, watched as all this happened. He had the intention to add dozens of golden nets as well.


    However, after casting more than 10 golden nets, he suddenly felt that his body was weakening. In order to leave behind a path for retreat, he resisted the urge to risk everything.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Another internal force collision erupted.


    The golden net remaining from the previous collision and the dozen or so additional nets collided with hundreds of sword shadows. This time, the two sides were evenly matched.


    Shock waves continuously swept across the ground, and countless dust clouds filled the sky.


    For a moment, their figures were buried in the dust clouds, and neither of them could see the other.


    After nearly a minute, the dust gradually settled to the ground, revealing a energetic masked man and a somewhat fatigued Ren Pingsheng.


    ¡°Do you have any other tricks?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    With this one minute of recovery time, his body had already regained its energy and he could fight again at any time.


    At the same time, he also sensed that his opponent¡¯s sound wave secret technique was far weaker than his Heart Sword, and was easily broken by it.


    When Ren Pingsheng heard this, the scene in front of him blurred.


    He quickly narrowed his eyes and tried his best to maintain his composure so that the other party would not notice his weakness.


    Once one used a secret technique involving spiritual energy, they would have to suffer the resulting backlash.


    His sound wave secret technique could only be used once a day. After that, he would need to recuperate for a week. If he used it a second time, his mind would be permanently damaged.


    If he used it for the third time, he had never tried it himself, but he knew from the secret manual that there was a 99% chance that he would die instantly.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky,¡± Ren Pingsheng said and turned to leave.


    Once the sound wave secret technique was used and his opponent was still unharmed, he understood that he had lost.


    In addition, as an overseer of the city, he had a more important responsibility. He could not risk losing his life in a fit of anger.


    Chen Yiming watched quietly as Ren Pingsheng left. He had no intention of stopping him.


    Ren Pingsheng did not have the fast recovery speed that Chen Yiming had, so his physical condition was clearly worse. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Chen Yiming could hold him back.


    After all, in terms of pure internal force, Chen Yiming was far inferior to Ren Pingsheng. Ren Pingsheng might not be able to launch any more powerful attacks, but he still had the ability to protect himself.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s method of using quantity to make up for quality was useless against Ren Pingsheng before he exhausted the last of his internal force.


    Ren Pingsheng only needed to travel a little over 10 kilometers to return to the city where his safety was ensured, since Chen Yiming would never dare to fight in the city.


    ¡°Before I knew it, the city¡¯s overseer, the strongest force in East Lake City, had already lost to me,¡± Chen Yiming sighed and muttered to himself.


    He understood his current true combat strength. If he used all his trump cards, he could defeat someone at the level of Ren Pingsheng, but it would be very difficult to kill him unless the other party had a reason to risk his life.


    Thunder rumbled in the sky, and a gust of wind blew past, bringing Chen Yiming out of his rumination.


    ¡°Come out!¡± Chen Yiming said.


    He knew that Mo Yanfei was hiding nearby, at most one or two kilometers away.


    After all, Ren Pingsheng did not want the surroundings of East Lake City to be beaten beyond recognition, so he had restricted the range of the battle. The aftershock of the fight between the two only affected an area of less than a kilometer around them.


    ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Mo Yanfei replied. She walked out from behind a tree and hurried over.


    During the battle just now, her heart had almost stopped beating.


    She had never thought that Ren Pingsheng, who was at a higher level, and the overseer of East Lake City, would actually be defeated and escape in a hurry.


    Her original plan was to hide away under the Mo clan¡¯s protection after this matter.


    The Mo clan was a martial arts clan in Yungang City. As long as they denied it, Ren Pingsheng could not extend his control to Yungang City. Otherwise, he would be crossing a line that he should not cross.


    But now, the thought of living out in the open was not possible.


    The problem she was facing now was that she was only a tool that had been captured. After she was used, she might be abandoned.


    It was impossible for the outside world to easily assume that she had received the protection of the masked man when they saw him send her back to the Mo clan. After all, the two of them had gone to the dangerous place openly, so there was no way to hide it from them.


    No matter how she thought about it, it was still fruitless. The decision was not up to her, and the location of the danger zone was already something she had used to make a deal.


    For the time being, she could not think of anything else that she could use to bargain with the masked man.

 Chapter 123 - Sky Pit (I)

    The Plum Blossom Sky Pit


    was located in the middle of East Lake City and Cloud Port City, more than a hundred kilometers away from each city.


    It was a hole that was created naturally and was more than 100 meters deep and about a kilometer wide. Around it was a steep rock wall, and plum blossom trees were growing on top of it. At the bottom of the pit was an underground river.


    Looking down the pit from the sky, the hole was like a huge mouth leading to the abyss because the sunlight could not reach its bottom.


    Chen Yiming brought Mo Yanfei to the top of a tree in the forest and rushed towards their destination.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation down there?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°A giant three-tailed turtle lives in the underground river at the bottom,¡± Mo Yanfei told him truthfully.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked, ¡°Are there any treasures at the bottom?¡±


    The cultivation environment on the blue planet was better the closer one was to the space-travel passage.


    In the wilderness far from the space-travel passage, the active mutant beasts were only at the level of three transformations on average.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a strange tree at the bottom of the pit. The three-tailed turtle ate the fruit of the strange tree to cultivate, and is at the level of humans who have mastered the transformation of internal force,¡± Mo Yanfei explained.


    ¡°Do you know what use there is for the fruit of that strange tree?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that eating the fruit from the strange tree can help in the transformation of one¡¯s internal force,¡± Mo Yanfei said softly.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The fruits produced by the strange tree could help in the transformation of one¡¯s internal force. It was suitable for those with an ordinary level of talent in the warrior realm.


    That was why the previous head of the Yue clan, who was at the bottom of the warrior realm, was willing to risk his life in such a dangerous place to obtain a path for his future.


    ¡°The Plum Blossom Sky Pit is just ahead,¡± Mo Yanfei suddenly pointed ahead and reminded him.


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction she was pointing.


    In the darkness, a gap that emitted a sinister aura appeared. Even with just a glance, one could not help but stop in their tracks.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The sound of rushing wind suddenly appeared.


    A row of flying knives shot out from the darkness, targeting the masked man and Mo Yanfei.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s ears twitched as he struck out at a spot a few meters to his right with his palm.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The piercing internal force hit the flying knife, and it exploded into pieces.


    At the same time, a dazzling silver light exploded in the darkness, making the situation in the forest visible.


    There were three people, two men and one woman, standing on a thick tree branch.


    The one who had attacked was the woman. She had silver hair draped over her shoulders and was wearing a black dress with pink peach blossoms printed on it.


    The masked man had barged into the Yue clan¡¯s residence and kidnapped Yue Yangpeng¡¯s wife in front of him, then defeated Ren Pingsheng, the overseer of East Lake City.


    Because communication was temporarily cut off, the news did not reach Yungang City immediately, so the three of them did not know about it yet.


    Chen Yiming and Mo Yanfei stopped on a branch as well. The two sides faced each other from 20 to 30 meters away.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, Sister Mo.¡± Shen Qiushui¡¯s red lips parted slightly.


    Her voice echoed clearly through the forest.


    This was a type of voice transmission technique. Using internal force to vibrate the air was equivalent to using a loudspeaker to speak.


    Mo Yanfei did not respond. Instead, she turned to the masked man and said, ¡°They are from Yungang City. Yue Yangpeng left East Lake City before the alien bird creatures attacked the city because he wanted to discuss a collaboration with them.¡±


    ¡°Does that woman have a grudge against you?¡± Chen Yiming asked when he sensed that something was amiss.


    Mo Yanfei hesitated for a moment before whispering, ¡°Shen Qiushui was Yue Yangpeng¡¯s fianc¨¦e when he was young.¡±


    ¡°He broke off the engagement?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    Mo Yanfei nodded.


    The common trope of breaking off an engagement in novels from his previous world flashed across Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    Yue Yangpeng and Shen Qiushui were both ordinary warriors. According to the standards of modern society, the men were generally stronger than the women by one or two levels.


    Shen Qiushui¡¯s ideal partner was a warrior who had mastered the transformation of internal force.


    Hearing the masked man and Mo Yanfei openly discussing the unsavory events from her past, Shen Qiushui¡¯s expression turned ugly. A wave of anger welled up in her heart and she instantly lost all rationality.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Shen Qiushui¡¯s figure moved, turning into a black light as she charged out.


    While she was still in midair, she twisted her wrist and three knives flew out from her hand.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The three knives shot out in a triangular formation, sealing off the space for the two of them to dodge.


    At the same time, she drew the sword at her waist with her other hand and stabbed it towards Mo Yanfei.


    A buzzing sound rang out in the air, and countless streams of air were inexplicably drawn in. Three small vortexes and a large vortex appeared on the flying knives and the sword respectively.


    At this moment, they were still nearly 10 meters away from each other, but the leaves on the surrounding branches had already been pulled off by a strong force and were sucked into the vortex.


    This was the Shen clan¡¯s secret technique, the Thousand Way Attraction. It could produce a powerful suction force, making it difficult for the opponent to use movement techniques to dodge their attacks.


    Faced with the sudden sneak attack, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t flustered. He raised his hand and struck the air four times.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Four bursts of internal force shot out to meet the three flying knives and the long sword.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    Four explosions rang out.


    The flying knives exploded into small pieces in midair that flew back at an even faster speed.


    Shen Qiushui first sensed that the vortex barrier created by the Thousand Way Attraction Technique was emitting a sound of breaking apart before it was shattered in an instant.


    The piercing internal force was like a sharp arrow that pierced through the vortex barrier and struck Shen Qiushui straight in the chest.


    ¡°Oof!¡± She spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Shen Qiushui had carelessly neglected to not use her internal force to cover her entire body for defense. She was sent flying back.


    Fortunately, Chen Yiming had sensed that the killing intent wasn¡¯t directed at him, so he didn¡¯t have any intention of killing her. Coupled with the fact that his internal force had been continuously dissipating after leaving his body and the fact that it had broken through the vortex barrier, his internal force had already lost more than half of its power.


    In the distance, the two men standing on the thick tree branch were momentarily stunned. When they reacted, their bodies moved in a flash and they caught Shen Qiushui, who was falling down, just before she hit the ground.


    At this moment, Shen Qiushui¡¯s face had turned completely red. Her black dress had been sliced open by pieces of the knives that flew back, revealing her naked body underneath.


    The two people working were too embarrassed to even sneak a peek since they had been living in the same city for a long time. However, the masked man opposite them saw everything.


    For those at the level of the warrior realm, other than in the provincial city, there were rarely more than 50 people in the ordinary cities. Their status was above that of a million people.


    Her status as someone who was superior to others for so many years was shattered in an instant, causing her to be in a daze. She could only feel humiliated by the fact that she had been stripped naked and scrutinized by another.


    ¡°Yanfei, so you prefer someone young,¡± Xu Zhiliang suddenly said.


    Although Chen Yiming had a black mask covering his face, he still looked extremely young. After all, he was only 18 years old, and there was a clear difference between him and most warriors who were in their forties.


    After a pause, he smiled and said, ¡°No wonder you would rather die than submit to me at the previous banquet.¡±


    A secret that only the two of them knew was revealed.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he added, ¡°By the way, Yue Jingtian made such a stupid mistake, and even Yue Yangpeng won¡¯t be able to escape punishment. Did you find another young person to lean on?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow. He wasn¡¯t used to such situations.


    In his previous life, he was just an ordinary working-class person. He had only heard about high society and knew that the rich liked to play all kinds of tricks.


    After transmigrating to this world for more than a year, he had spent most of his time practicing martial arts. He had little contact with the upper class.


    He was a little surprised. Not only did the other party dare to covet the wife of a warrior, but he also wanted to force himself on her. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that Yue Yangpeng would come knocking on his door?


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s expression froze. She felt as if her heart had been gripped by an invisible hand.


    As a former member of high society, she knew exactly what Xu Zhiliang was thinking.


    Even if the masked man knew that this was a trap, this would still create a knot in his heart. If they fought later, he might not protect her again.

 Chapter 124 - : Sky Pit (II)

    The atmosphere became strange.


    At this moment, the remaining man broke the silence.


    ¡°Xu Zhiliang, stop wasting time. The three of us can work together to take him down. At most, I¡¯ll let you go first after we deal with this,¡± Hu Yinglong urged.


    ¡°I was just waiting for you to say that.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zhiliang took the lead and soared into the sky.


    He pulled out the long saber from his back and swung his arm forward.


    A line of slashes suddenly appeared in the air.


    The two ends of the slash were more than 10 meters apart, and with a slashing sound, several trees along the way collapsed.


    Shen Qiushui, who had been blinded by anger, quickly followed.


    ¡°Swish¡­¡±


    Six flying knives shot out in the shape of a hexagram in midair.


    Then, the saber and sword became one, and internal force covered her entire body. Her entire body spun like a top.


    The longsword in the middle, combined with the hexagram formed by the six flying knives, created a vortex several times larger than before. The suction force was also increased by more than 10 times.


    ¡°And me!¡±


    Hu Yinglong shouted and was the last to join in the attack.


    He jumped up bare-handed and kicked at the air in midair. He changed direction and charged over from the side of the masked man.


    At the same time, his body moved like an agile loach as he easily switched to a different stance and kicked out.


    Seven yellow rings appeared on his entire leg. The rings automatically moved down to his feet and finally gathered to form a larger and brighter golden ring.


    A powerful binding force could be felt from the distance of more than 10 meters.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all when faced with the combined attacks of three skilled warriors. He didn¡¯t even take a step forward.


    ¡°Could it be that I have an attribute that can offend others? I can¡¯t even have a moment of peace.¡± Chen Yiming sighed to himself.


    Initially, he did not intend to kill anyone. After all, the threat of the beast tide had not been eliminated, and one more warrior was one more source of strength.


    However, this did not mean that he could accept the three of them attacking him. At most, he would help them complete their responsibilities when the beast tide came.


    After all, his stamina would not be exhausted. It was just a matter of time.


    ¡°You guys are the ones who are courting death. You can¡¯t blame me.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of sword shadows suddenly shot out from the dense forest, and silver light lit up half the night sky.


    Looking down from the sky, the area within 100 meters of the silver light was like an explosion of fireworks.


    Even the underground river at the bottom of the Plum Blossom Sky Pit rippled, but it quickly calmed down again.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The sound of thunder came from the horizon.


    Within a kilometer or two of the Plum Blossom Sky Pit, the mutant beasts that had lived in the area for many years had already run away.


    The forest was silent except for the breathing of the masked man and Mo Yanfei.


    One of them was breathing much faster, while the other was breathing at an extremely long interval. It took more than a minute for the sound of breathing to repeat itself.


    Chen Yiming first searched the corpses of the two men. Then, in front of Mo Yanfei, he tore Shen Qiushui¡¯s long dress into pieces and carefully searched her body for valuable items.


    It only took a few minutes.


    Chen Yiming found nothing from Shen Qiushui. He only found one concept diagram from Xu Zhiliang and Hu Yinglong, which corresponded to a saber technique and a kick technique.


    The saber technique and kick technique were of limited use to him, so he was a little disappointed.


    Chen Yiming turned around and asked, ¡°Does Shen Qiushui have such a low status in the Shen family? Is she not allowed to have the concept diagram of the cultivation technique on her when she goes out?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The coldness and tyrannical strength displayed by the masked man made Mo Yanfei feel both love and fear. She subconsciously responded to him.


    In the next second, she quickly replied, ¡°Shen Qiushui was just engaged not long ago. This might be the reason.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How strong is the other party¡¯s clan?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a clan from the provincial city. They have a warrior who has mastered the transformation of internal force,¡± Mo Yanfei replied truthfully.


    Chen Yiming threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    If he could successfully find the sword manual left at the bottom of the pit, he could try to master the transformation of his internal force when he returned to the city.


    With his Level-2 swordsmanship talent and Level-1 Undying Body talent, he was not afraid of any enemy of the same level.


    The two of them walked forward for dozens of meters and arrived at the edge of the pit.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the sword-wielding warrior died.¡± Mo Yanfei pointed at the bottom of the pit.


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a cave on the wall about 10 meters away from the bottom of the pit.


    The diameter of the cave was two to three meters, and it was unknown how deep it was.


    ¡°At that time, that warrior was escaping and was hit by one of the giant three-tailed turtle¡¯s tails,¡± Mo Yanfei explained.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow.


    To be able to instantly kill an ordinary warrior, the giant three-tailed turtle¡¯s internal force must lean towards the strength attribute.


    Ren Pingsheng¡¯s internal force attribute leaned towards toughness, so he could deal with it by using a large quantity of his own internal force.


    However, no matter how many layers of internal force he used, it was still possible for him to break through the giant three-tailed turtle¡¯s internal force that leaned towards strength with a single strike.


    Although the Level-1 Undying Body talent gave him a powerful resistance to injuries, there was no need for him to put himself in danger. He could rely on his speed to dodge attacks from strength-based enemies.


    The lightning internal force increased one¡¯s reaction speed. It was clearly more suitable than the piercing internal force.


    ¡°Go somewhere further away and wait for me,¡± Chen Yiming instructed.


    Mo Yanfei nodded and turned to hurry away.


    Chen Yiming sat down cross-legged.


    The small figure in his spiritual world turned into a lightning diagram and began to cultivate his lightning internal force. In the outside world, he continuously released streams of piercing internal force, decreasing the piercing internal force in his body and increasing the lightning internal force.


    After nearly an hour, Chen Yiming stood up again.


    The reason why he had wasted so much time was because the recovery speed with the Level-1 Undying Body talent was too fast.


    He jumped dozens of meters and with one step, fell straight towards the cave.


    The giant three-tailed turtle¡¯s cultivation level was higher than his, so as long as he went into the pit, it would be impossible to hide from it. Therefore, he decided to obtain the sword manual as soon as possible.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    The sound of rushing wind rang out continuously.


    As he fell, the temperature dropped lower and lower. When he approached the bottom of the pit, the temperature was already close to zero.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud sound rang out.


    Chen Yiming created a hole more than 10 meters wide at the bottom of the pit.


    Immediately after, he soared into the sky and entered the cave that was more than 10 meters above.


    As soon as he entered the cave, he saw a withered corpse.


    ¡°Is this a concept diagram?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the six or seven fragments with patterns on them lying on the chest of the corpse.


    The edges of each fragment were irregular. Clearly, the concept diagram had also been damaged by the attack.


    Without thinking about whether the damaged concept diagram could be used, Chen Yiming put away the fragments and turned to leave.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    A beast¡¯s roar suddenly sounded out. In a partially enclosed environment like the pit, it was as deafening as thunder.


    ¡°This big guy is deliberately trying to lure me down,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    He could roughly guess what the giant three-tailed turtle was thinking. After guarding the strange tree for so many years, other than when it was eating aquatic mutant beasts in the underground river, it was probably sleeping.


    The concept diagrams left behind by the ordinary warriors who had died in the pit would definitely not interest those who had mastered the transformation of internal force. They would only attract ordinary warriors.


    To the giant three-tailed turtle, the ordinary warriors were like a mouse to a cat. It was just a small game to pass the time.


    Chen Yiming stepped out of the cave and saw the complete appearance of the giant three-tailed turtle.


    The giant three-tailed turtle was walking out from the bottom of the river. It was more than 20 meters long, and the shell on its back had sharp edges. Its pillar-like limbs supported its entire body. It was about 10 meters tall.


    The most eye-catching thing was its tails. Three huge tails that were more than 20 meters long and covered in barbs were raised high and were waving about continuously, stirring up the air in the pit.


    A ferocious head protruded from the turtle¡¯s shell. Its surface was covered with a layer of shell, and its two large eyes were staring at the masked man in front of the cave.


    This was the first time Chen Yiming had seen a mutant beast more than 20 meters long. The process of the giant three-tailed turtle surfacing from the bottom of the river was like a small island appearing out of thin air.


    Its body was more than 20 meters long, and it had three huge tails that were more than 20 meters long. Its total length was nearly 50 meters.


    Whether it was the three alien bird creatures of more than 10 meters that had attacked East Lake City, or the giant blazing sun lizard that Chen Yiming had encountered in the Nuhe Mountain Range, when compared to the giant three-tailed turtle, their sizes were several levels apart, just like the difference between an infant and an adult.

 Chapter 125 - Two Rewards (I)

    While the giant three-tailed turtle still had a playful attitude, Chen Yiming took the chance to sweep his gaze across the bottom of the pit.


    The bottom of the pit was slightly larger than the entrance. The ground was covered in mossy rocks and weeds. There was a pool of water more than 100 meters wide that led straight to the underground river.


    At this moment, because the beast¡¯s three huge tails were constantly waving around, the mist at the bottom of the pit had dispersed, revealing a strange little tree in the middle.


    The strange tree was more than a meter tall, and its body was covered in strange red patterns, like the blood vessels of the human body.


    On each branch, there was a fruit that was half red and half green. There were more than 10 fruits in total.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The giant three-tailed turtle opened its mouth, revealing rows of disorderly barbs on its upper and lower jaws. The barbs glowed with a metallic glint, and there were still remnants of flesh and blood on them.


    A blue pillar of water shot out from its mouth like a high-pressure water gun, aiming straight at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Dazzling blue lightning appeared and thunder resounded throughout the pit.


    Chen Yiming released his internal force with all his might, greatly increasing his reaction speed.


    His figure flashed past, and he easily dodged the water pillar that was heading towards him. He soared into the sky and used the rock wall to sprint towards the top of the pit.


    Around the cave, a gap that was 20 to 30 meters long and more than 10 meters deep appeared.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming was about to escape from the range of its attack, the giant three-tailed turtle covered a distance of dozens of meters in a single step. Its three tails shot out at the same time, smashing into the path Chen Yiming was taking to escape.


    Each tail was more than three meters thick, and its surface was covered in metal barbs. The three tails combined completely blocked Chen Yiming¡¯s path.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to use his body to test the power of the huge tails, so he somersaulted back and landed at the bottom of the pit.


    ¡°Hey! If you don¡¯t let me go, I¡¯ll steal your fruit,¡± he shouted in midair, not caring if the giant three-tailed turtle could understand him.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    A beast roar sounded out in response. Then, another pillar of water shot towards Chen Yiming.


    ¡°You forced me to do this. Don¡¯t regret it,¡± Chen Yiming shouted.


    At the same time, a thunderous sound rang out as the lightning internal force exploded beside his body.


    The direction of his fall was forcefully changed, and he dodged the water pillar that swept over.


    Once he landed, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t rush over to steal the fruits as he had said he would. Instead, he released his internal force with all his might.


    The bottom of the pit was extremely damp, and there was a thick layer of mist covering it all year round. After being disturbed by the three huge tails, the ground had almost turned into a large puddle of water.


    The lightning internal force split into bolts of lightning that streaked along the puddles away from Chen Yiming. In the blink of an eye, they had reached the giant three-tailed turtle.


    In an instant, the entire surface of the giant three-tailed turtle was covered with dancing electric arcs, and it turned from a water turtle to an electric turtle.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The giant three-tailed turtle roared in pain.


    To the giant three-tailed turtle, this level of internal force was equivalent to an ant bite.


    A layer of blue water instantly appeared on the surface of its body. All the lightning snakes were repelled by the water membrane and could not pierce through it.


    The water membrane was formed from the giant three-tailed turtle¡¯s internal force. It was at the level of having mastered the transformation of internal force.


    On the other hand, the bolts of lightning that Chen Yiming had released were just borrowing the special environment of the puddles to create a powerful effect. There was a qualitative difference in the level of their internal force.


    However, the paralyzing effect of the lightning still worked. The giant three-tailed turtle had temporarily lost all its strength.


    With the speed of a warrior, the relatively narrow space at the bottom of the pit could be traversed from one end to the other in an instant.


    Chen Yiming had planned this as well. The moment the giant three-tailed turtle was hit by the lightning bolts, he charged towards the strange tree.


    At the time when the giant three-tailed turtle released the water membrane to repel the lightning bolts, Chen Yiming was already holding three or the larger fruits in his hands.


    ¡°Hehe! Who asked you not to use your full strength from the start?¡± Chen Yiming laughed loudly.


    He soared into the sky again and jumped onto a wide area on the rock wall.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The giant three-tailed turtle panicked and caught up to Chen Yiming in one move.


    Another pillar of water shot out from its mouth, launching a simultaneous attack together with its three huge tails.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    His figure flickered left and right like a bolt of lightning, appearing randomly wherever he wanted within a space of 10 meters.


    When faced with the dense attacks from the water pillar and the huge tails, he could always rely on his faster reaction speed to dodge in advance and escape to the top of the pit.


    A few seconds later, Chen Yiming charged out of the pit under the shadow of the three huge tails.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡±


    The giant three-tailed turtle stopped its chase at the top of the pit and roared at Chen Yiming, who was dozens of meters away.


    It did not dare to leave the vicinity of the pit since it needed to protect the fruits of the strange tree from being stolen by the aquatic beasts in the underground river.


    ¡°Help me look after the strange tree. I¡¯ll come again next time,¡± Chen Yiming shouted, not caring if the other party could understand him.


    With that, he quickly turned around and left.


    When the giant three-tailed turtle heard this, two streams of air shot out from its large nostrils, causing dust to fill the air.


    Perhaps he understood what Chen Yiming meant, or perhaps he was angered by Chen Yiming¡¯s arrogant attitude.


    However, no matter what, the matter had already concluded. Three fruits had been stolen from under its nose.


    The reason was that at the start, the giant three-tailed turtle had been playing a game of cat and mouse.


    If it had used its full strength right from the start and unleashed the water membrane to protect its entire body, with the strength of Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force, the lightning bolts wouldn¡¯t have been able to paralyze it at all.


    Furthermore, Chen Yiming had never thought of using his body to fight head-on against the power of three huge tails to snatch the half-ripe fruits. After all, he didn¡¯t know how effective the half-ripe fruits would be.


    ¡­


    ¡°Hss! Hss! Hss!¡±


    Lightning flashed in the sky.


    A few seconds later, thunder rumbled.


    The strong wind blew, bringing with it dried branches and fallen leaves. Every time Mo Yanfei walked a certain distance, she had to stop again to verify which direction led towards Yungang City.


    Chen Yiming, on the other hand, was unaffected. With a blast of his lightning internal force, all the obstacles in his way were reduced to dust.


    ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯m in a rush,¡± Chen Yiming urged.


    His mind was already on the concept diagram he had just obtained.


    Although the concept diagram was damaged, he believed in the ability of the figure in his mind.


    After all, the rainstorm picture of the Flying Feather Sword Technique was only a copy, and it was also restored to the original concept diagram by the figure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mo Yanfei apologized softly.


    The external force gathered from one¡¯s muscles could also achieve a similar effect. However, Mo Yanfei had neglected her martial arts training for a long time and could not pick it up immediately.


    Chen Yiming looked up at the sky.


    It was close to midnight, and it was still long before dawn. There was still plenty of time to send her home.


    He found a place to cultivate the concept diagram that he had just obtained.


    ¡°Splish! Splash!¡±


    The raging storm that had been brewing all night suddenly fell, accompanied by a strong wind.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s lightning internal force automatically appeared on the surface of his body, repelling the raindrops from his body.


    Mo Yanfei, who was at the side, did not have such an ability. She could not even use her external force to move the obstacles blocking her way aside. At this moment, she was drenched by the rain.


    Chen Yiming turned around and was about to suggest finding a place to stop for a rest when the scene in front of his eyes stunned him.


    At this moment, Mo Yanfei¡¯s clothes clung tightly to her body, revealing her perfect and seductive figure to Chen Yiming.


    Although he had seen it twice before, the first time was only a brief glimpse of her naked body. The other time was her body in clothes drenched in sweat.


    There was a huge gap between what he was seeing now and what he had seen before.


    ¡°The rain is too heavy. Can we continue on our way after the rain stops?¡± Mo Yanfei asked softly as she met the masked man¡¯s gaze. Her face was a little hot.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze. He had the same opinion, so he nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to hide from the rain first.¡±


    Chen Yiming leaped onto the top of a tree and looked into the distance through the rain.


    There was a lake a few kilometers away, and there was a wooden house on the side nearer to the forest.


    The wooden house looked very simple. It was possible that some fishing enthusiast had used it as a temporary shelter.


    Chen Yiming landed on the ground from the top of the tree and grabbed the back of Mo Yanfei¡¯s clothes. At the same time, he used a layer of his internal force to protect her clothes from tearing.


    He leaped into the sky with her in tow and quickly arrived at the wooden house.


    ¡°Go in yourself,¡± Chen Yiming said before turning to leave.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    Before Mo Yanfei could finish her sentence, his figure had already disappeared from sight.


    She could only see a human-shaped bolt of lightning streaking across the surface of the lake. The figure ran directly across the surface of the lake, leaving ripples in his wake.

 Chapter 126 - Two Rewards (II)

    Chen Yiming traversed the lake¡¯s surface and arrived at a small island in the center.


    The island was very small, only 20 to 30 meters wide, and covered with weeds that came up to half the height of a person.


    He randomly picked a larger rock and sat cross-legged on it.


    He simply pieced together the concept diagram fragments had just obtained and placed them in front of him.


    ¡°I forgot to ask Mo Yanfei about the origins of this sword technique.¡±


    A thought suddenly flashed across Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    He now had the concept diagram, but he was still lacking the accompanying sword technique. Even if he used a similar sword technique as a substitute, its power would be much weaker.


    After all, cultivation techniques were created by the predecessors who had reached a higher realm. Chen Yiming¡¯s swordsmanship talent was not at this level yet.


    Chen Yiming took note of what he wanted to ask and tried to cultivate the concept diagram.


    When he focused on the image of the concept diagram, the small figure in his spiritual world sat cross-legged with him.


    At some point, the figure turned into threads that spread throughout the entire spiritual world.


    Immediately after, the threads gradually started to move, and the image of a meteorite falling from the sky appeared in the air.


    ¡°This is a sword technique that focuses on the strength attribute.¡± Chen Yiming deduced from the concept diagram.


    However, before he could study it carefully, the concept diagram began to change.


    First, it gradually turned transparent and dissipated, returning to the scattered threads in the spiritual world. Then, the scene changed, and two meteors that were connected in a straight line appeared in the void.


    The new concept picture kept shaking.


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s incomplete?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    From the number of fragments and what he pieced together, it should be one complete concept diagram and most of another incomplete concept diagram.


    Just as Chen Yiming thought that he was about to fail, some lines appeared out of thin air, filling in the gaps in the concept diagram. The new concept diagram started to stabilize.


    Next, Chen Yiming tried to derive the third concept diagram from the two concept diagrams.


    The scene of three meteors falling from the sky appeared in the air.


    However, before the third meteorite could materialize, its image collapsed along with the entire concept diagram.


    The spiritual world shook, and in the real world, Chen Yiming felt a hint of dizziness.


    ¡°Could it be that my judgment was wrong? Is it that deducing the third picture from the first and second pictures is even more difficult than deducing the second picture from the first picture?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    Inspiration flashed across his mind as he recalled his past cultivation experiences.


    In the disciple realm, the third, sixth, and ninth transformations were usually the key bottlenecks in the path of cultivation.


    From this, one could infer that the same was true for the concept diagrams.


    ¡°Oh right, there are still the three unripe fruits,¡± Chen Yiming suddenly thought to himself.


    Since he had the recuperative ability from his Level-1 Undying Body talent, he was not concerned with whether the unripe fruit was edible. He took one out and ate it in one bite.


    The fruit melted in his mouth and turned into a warm current that flowed through his body.


    In his spiritual world, the scene of two meteors and one partially materialized meteor falling from the sky reappeared.


    The partially materialized meteorite slowly became fully formed.


    However, during the process of materializing, the entire scene kept shaking, as if it would collapse at any moment.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming ate the second fruit without hesitation.


    The shaking scene immediately stabilized, and the materialization process continued.


    The wait was extremely torturous. In the end, the third meteorite was completely materialized after much difficulty.


    Before Chen Yiming could be happy about it, the scene started to shake again. He knew from experience that without external help, all his efforts would have been in vain.


    Without hesitation, he ate the last fruit.


    Since he had done everything he could, Chen Yiming closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander. He left everything to the figure in the spiritual world.


    Chen Yiming let out a long breath.


    After letting out this breath, a blessed feeling appeared in his heart.


    His eyes lit up as he turned his attention back to the spiritual world.


    At this moment, the three concept diagrams had fused together to form a brand new concept diagram.


    Three meteors fell from the sky and formed various shapes, including straight lines, triangles, and arcs.


    In an instant, he understood the true meaning of the transformation of internal force from the scene.


    It was an indescribable concept. With his Level-2 swordsmanship talent, he immediately understood it.


    In the real world, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up as he sensed the changes in his internal force.


    Comparing the new strength-based internal force to the lightning internal force, the difference in quantity was like the difference between a river and a stream. However, the lightning internal force was easily pushed aside.


    He looked at a small mountain by the lake and could not help but soar into the sky. He leaped into the air and unleashed a blow with his strength-based internal force.


    Just as the concept diagrams had shown, his internal force turned into a meteorite with a diameter of 20 meters and flew towards the mountain.


    Unlike the ordinary internal force that continuously dissipated after leaving the body, the brown light from the meteorite did not weaken from the beginning to the end. The surrounding two to three kilometers were illuminated just like when the sun was setting.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A loud bang drowned out the thunder in the sky.


    The meteorite directly smashed through the small mountain that was more than 100 meters tall, revealing a large black hole.


    However, it was not over yet. The meteorite collided with the layers of rock in the mountain, and shock waves began to spread out. The ground within a radius of a few kilometers began to shake.


    A few seconds later, the entire mountain collapsed with a loud bang.


    ¡°Compared to Ren Pingsheng, this internal force is on a completely different level,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile as he landed on the ground.


    The meteorite he shot out had a diameter of 20 meters, while Ren Pingsheng¡¯s golden net was only 10 meters wide.


    With the enhancement from the Level-1 Undying Body talent, his internal force could be enhanced in all aspects. Overall, the power of the two sides differed by at least five to ten times.


    With such a huge difference in strength, Ren Pingsheng could barely withstand a single blow from him.


    Chen Yiming sat down cross-legged again. He couldn¡¯t wait to replace all the internal force in his body with the strength-based internal force.


    In the wooden house, Mo Yanfei witnessed the collapse of the mountain.


    ¡°This is too¡­¡± Once the words left her mouth, she didn¡¯t know how to continue describing the rest of it.


    When she married into the Yue clan, the Yue clan was still in the provincial city. She had also heard about the deeds of the geniuses from the large factions in the provincial city.


    She knew very well that there were only two sword technique concept diagrams that were lost at the bottom of the pit.


    Most martial artists needed six concept diagrams to complete the transformation of their internal force. This was the general consensus.


    To be able to achieve this by relying on just three concept diagrams, one had to be an outstanding genius from a large faction in the provincial city.


    She knew that after so many years, there would definitely be some damage to the concept diagram. In other words, the masked man had used less than two concept diagrams to complete the transformation of his internal force.


    Such talent was unheard of even among the large factions in the provincial city.


    ¡°Why are you hesitating when there¡¯s such a good opportunity?¡± Mo Yanfei¡¯s face suddenly turned red. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.


    After making her decision, she practiced the lines she would say later in her mind as she waited.


    On the island in the center of the lake, Chen Yiming stood up, his brown internal force gradually dissipating from his body.


    This time, it took him less than half an hour to successfully switch the lightning internal force to the strength-based internal force.


    There was a qualitative difference between the two types of internal forces. The strong were stronger, and the weak were weaker. Therefore, the speed at which they were exchanged was more than twice as fast.


    He looked up at the sky.


    The storm showed no signs of letting up. Thunder continued to rumble.


    Chen Yiming recalled what he had made a note of in his mind. His figure swayed and he stepped lightly on the surface of the lake a few times, and soon returned to the wooden house.


    As soon as he pushed open the door, a burning hot body hugged him tightly.


    Chen Yiming lowered his head to take a look.


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s clothes were half undone, and her face was completely red. She stammered as she spoke.


    ¡°That sword technique¡­¡± Chen Yiming clearly had a stronger interest in the sword technique.


    However, before he could finish speaking, the beautiful woman silenced him with her red lips.


    Chen Yiming had worked for many years in his previous life. He didn¡¯t have much experience in this area, but he wasn¡¯t a rookie either. How could he not understand what the other party¡¯s intentions were?


    Coupled with the fact that he had achieved success in martial arts in this life and had an 18-year-old body, if his entire body¡¯s vital energy and blood was stimulated, ordinary people would feel that there was a burning furnace in front of them.


    This beautiful woman, Mo Yanfei, was delivering herself to his door. To Chen Yiming, what she was asking for was nothing much at all.


    It was not much different from spending money for it in his previous world. In any case, he did not need to take any responsibility.


    Hence, Chen Yiming responded with even more vigorous actions.

 Chapter 127 - Mo Clan (I)

    The sky had turned slightly bright.


    After the storm, the air became exceptionally fresh, as if all the accumulated dirt had been washed away overnight.


    The wooden house was no longer dark. A little light shone in from the window, and they could see each other clearly.


    At this moment, Mo Yanfei turned to look at the face of the young man.


    The things that had happened in the past surged into her mind. There was regret, nostalgia, and an inexplicable trace of jealousy.


    In the end, she could only comfort herself in her heart. Who would be willing to die if they could live happily? She had only made the choice that most people would make.


    She had to look forward. After a night of madness, a brand new life was beckoning to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Mo Yanfei said softly after putting her thoughts in order.


    She was following Chen Yiming¡¯s instructions to wake him up before dawn.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    He opened his eyes and saw a beautiful woman with a lithe figure turning sideways to look at him.


    Suddenly, he thought of a villain in a martial arts novel in his previous world.


    This scene was very similar to those in the novel.


    Chen Yiming had done something similar.


    ¡°Shall we set off now, or¡­?¡± Mo Yanfei asked gently.


    Her words were warm, and they struck a chord in the man¡¯s heart. The mental pressure that Chen Yiming had accumulated from practicing martial arts for a long time was finally released.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming immediately threw the matter of setting off for Luoxi City to the back of his mind.


    If they set off a little later but walked a little faster, they would still take the same amount of time to get there.


    He turned over and reviewed the fight that had happened before he went to sleep.


    In an instant, a terrifying aura appeared in a range of one or two kilometers around the wooden house.


    Countless birds were frightened by this, flapping their wings to fly away from the wooden house without looking back.


    In the forest, a black leopard was chasing a mountain deer that was running for its life in the direction of the wooden house.


    The mountain deer remembered that a powerful human was often fishing in front of the wooden house by the lake. It could always get food from that human.


    The two mutant beasts, one chasing and the other fleeing, crossed the collapsed mountain. They were only separated from the wooden house by the lake.


    Suddenly, the two mutant beasts fell to their knees at the same time as an aura swept past their bodies.


    Looking up, they found that the aura came from the wooden house.


    This aura was like the awakening of a sleeping beast. It was also like a tsunami caused by an earthquake at the bottom of the sea.


    The two mutant beasts lay trembling on the ground, not daring to move.


    A few minutes later, they got used to the pressure from the aura.


    The two mutant beasts tried their best to prop up their trembling bodies and retreat step by step. They only recovered from their fear when they were one to two kilometers away.


    More than an hour later, Chen Yiming and Mo Yanfei packed up and left the wooden house.


    At this moment, the sun had already risen, and the first rays of sunlight shone warmly on his body.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he looked up to check the sun¡¯s position.


    He had gone through several battles from East Lake City to the Plum Blossom Heavenly Pit the previous night, then fought another seven battles after he reached the wooden house.


    Due to the combined effect of factors like the energy he had accumulated from practicing martial arts for more than a year, the extraordinarily strong body of those at the warrior realm, the recovery speed brought about by the Level-1 Undying Body talent and so on, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t feel tired at all.


    Mo Yanfei followed quietly behind him.


    Although she had long abandoned martial arts, her foundation from tempering her body was still there.


    Even though she had been running around with Chen Yiming for the entire night, at the moment, she could just barely hold on. Her legs weren¡¯t so weak that she couldn¡¯t walk.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mo Yanfei said softly.


    The two of them did not stay any longer and headed straight for Cloud Port City, where the Mo clan was located.


    ¡­


    At the city gate of Cloud Port City, a group of soldiers had serious expressions on their faces as they carefully checked the identities of the people entering and exiting Cloud Port City.


    The officer at the side took advantage of the gap in the crowd and emphasized again, ¡°Keep your eyes open. If Mo Yanfei and the masked man enter the city from here, pretend you didn¡¯t see them and let them pass.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± all the soldiers shouted in unison.


    This was the third time he emphasized it, making sure that everyone remembered it.


    The reason was that after Ren Pingsheng lost to the masked man, he immediately called the city guards of Cloud Port City on the private line.


    Cloud Port City held a martial arts conference overnight to discuss how to deal with the masked man.


    After the meeting ended, the officer was hurried over overnight to handle the matter.


    In addition, a series of orders were issued to ensure that the masked man could enter and leave Cloud Port City safely.


    It was about 7 am.


    Chen Yiming and Mo Yanfei walked along the main road and prepared to enter Cloud Port City through the city gate.


    The two of them walked side by side. When the pedestrians leaving the city saw Chen Yiming¡¯s masked face, they automatically avoided him.


    Chen Yiming turned around and asked, ¡°Where is the part of the sword technique that hasn¡¯t been lost?¡±


    Mo Yanfei knew the importance of this matter and did not dare to hide it. She said in a low voice, ¡°The sword technique came from a martial arts clan with the surname Li in Cloud Port City, but this clan completely disappeared a few years ago.¡±


    ¡°Are all the descendants of the clan dead? Or did they leave Cloud Port City?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°At that time, a descendant left the city overnight with the sword manual,¡± Mo Yanfei replied.


    Chen Yiming fell silent.


    Mo Yanfei did not say anything and followed quietly beside him.


    The two of them did not notice the situation at the city gate and walked straight through it into Cloud Port City.


    The officer heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the masked man and Mo Yanfei disappear from sight.


    ¡°Do your jobs,¡± the officer instructed his soldiers and quickly left.


    After the officer left, a few soldiers who were free started to gossip in low voices.


    ¡°Today has been an eye-opening experience. I¡¯ve been guarding this place for nearly 10 years, but I¡¯ve never encountered anything like this,¡± one of the veteran soldiers said in a low voice.


    ¡°Is there even a need to think about it? Perhaps the combined forces from the entire Cloud Port City isn¡¯t even enough for him to raise a hand to fight. Otherwise, why would they give out such a cowardly order?¡± a tall and thin soldier said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The veteran soldier nodded.


    At this moment, a burly young soldier said enviously, ¡°That beautiful woman just now was one of the Mo clan¡¯s previous generation of beauties, right? I didn¡¯t expect that she could take such good care of herself. It wouldn¡¯t be unbelievable to say that she¡¯s 30 years old.¡±


    When the veteran soldier heard this, he sighed and said, ¡°Mo Yanfei was the dream girl for those in our generation. When she married into the Yue clan in East Lake City, many people were dejected.¡±


    The burly young soldier suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°The Yue clan seems to be a martial arts clan as well. That beautiful woman is openly following the masked man. Can the Yue clan take this lying down?¡±


    Due to the fact that Cloud Port City had also been attacked by alien bird creatures, most of the communications had yet to be restored. The matter regarding the Yue clan had yet to spread to the middle and lower echelons of Cloud Port City.


    ¡°Who knows? This is a matter for the upper class. In any case, I know that Yue Yangpeng from the Yue clan didn¡¯t receive such treatment when he came to Cloud Port City,¡± the veteran soldier shrugged and said helplessly.


    The burly soldier¡¯s eyes lit up as he imagined the drama involved when someone snatched someone else¡¯s wife.

 Chapter 128 - Mo Clan (II)

    The matter of Mo Yanfei meeting the masked man in secret was exposed, and Yue Yangpeng was defeated when he tried to attack the other man. After that, Mo Yanfei left East Lake City with the masked man.


    ¡°Hehe! Do you think the masked man will openly make a cuckold out of Yue Yangpeng just because he¡¯s strong?¡± the burly soldier whispered with a smile.


    The veteran soldier¡¯s expression changed. He said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say such things. Be careful that you don¡¯t get into trouble because of what you say.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the burly soldier said in fear as he suddenly realized what he had done.


    ¡­


    The Mo clan¡¯s villa was located on a hillside near the sea in the north of Cloud Port City. It was about a kilometer or two away from the sea.


    Not only did it overlook the entire Cloud Port City, but one could also feel the sea breeze. It was one of the best locations in Cloud Port City.


    At this moment, the Mo clan, who had already received the news, had prepared a high class reception.


    The current head of the clan, Mo Fengzhi, led the core members of the clan, including the previous head, Mo Zhenhe, to the door to wait.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m a little confused. I don¡¯t know what to say later,¡± Mo Fengzhi asked in a low voice.


    The city guards of Cloud Port City had informed him in advance that the masked man was an existence that could defeat a city guardian. He was not someone they could easily afford to offend.


    Although he was Mo Yanfei¡¯s older brother, he had a close relationship with Yue Yangpeng and had worked with him many times.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to deliberately curry favor. Just show some respect,¡± Mo Zhenhe replied calmly as he looked ahead.


    Mo Zhenhe had been in charge of the Mo clan for more than 20 years. A few years ago, he had just handed over the heavy responsibility of the clan to Mo Fengzhi, so he was much more experienced in this aspect.


    Chen Yiming sent her to a spot about 100 meters away from the entrance of the villa. He didn¡¯t want to get involved with the Mo clan, so he turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait, I have something to tell you,¡± Mo Yanfei said softly as she held Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    Chen Yiming stopped and turned around.


    ¡°When the Li clan was on the decline, it was my father who was in charge of the Mo clan. My father should know some insider information,¡± Mo Yanfei said softly.


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    Mo Yanfei had not mentioned this earlier, and only said it at the entrance of the villa. Her motive was obvious.


    She wanted him to step into the Mo clan and let the outside world pass the wrong judgment on their relationship.


    It was just a one-night stand. He was willing to protect Mo Yanfei, but that did not mean he was willing to be used by the Mo clan.


    Sensing Chen Yiming¡¯s displeasure, Mo Yanfei didn¡¯t dare to drag things out. She quickly explained, ¡°The Mo clan has been around for more than 100 years. Now, we have two warriors. I can guarantee that the Mo clan will work wholeheartedly for you from now on.¡±


    ¡°Can you make the decision?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    The credibility of a woman who had been married out of the clan saying such things was too low.


    ¡°Before I got married, I was in charge of most of the daily affairs of the clan,¡± Mo Yanfei replied confidently.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming thought of the descendants of some wealthy families in his previous world.


    Many strong young women participated in the clan¡¯s business and were influential in the business world.


    In comparison, Mo Yanfei¡¯s reason was barely acceptable.


    ¡°The current head of the Mo clan, Mo Fengzhi, is my big brother. All these years, when the clan encounters major matters, he has always consulted me,¡± Mo Yanfei continued.


    She was twisting the truth with these words.


    Mo Fengzhi and Yue Yangpeng had a close relationship, so Mo Yanfei was naturally involved in many of the collaborations. As long as she participated and expressed her opinion, regardless of whether it was accepted or not, it could be said that she was consulted in the matter.


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment.


    Although he had established a private intelligence organization in East Lake City, he did not have anyone he could trust to help him manage it.


    Based on the principle of not putting all his eggs in one basket, his organization needed to be expanded and divided into different forces to prevent his subordinates from secretly playing tricks on him and causing the organization to spiral out of his control.


    ¡°It better be just as you say,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± Mo Yanfei promised with a smile.


    After settling the matter, Chen Yiming and Mo Yanfei walked towards the Mo clan¡¯s villa.


    The distance of just over 100 meters felt very far to Mo Yanfei because things were going too smoothly.


    She had already made up her mind to fail the first time. She would just bring up the matter and discuss it with her brother and father before thinking of a way to get close to Chen Yiming.


    The reason things had worked out was that there was a certain difference in their knowledge of how the world worked.


    Chen Yiming had risen too quickly, and he didn¡¯t have much contact with factions in the warrior realm. He only knew that the system¡¯s talent for adding points allowed him to stand at the top of those at his level.


    He did not realize that just last night, the small part of his talent that he thought was unremarkable and displayed to Mo Yanfei was already sufficient to amaze her.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s talent and level, as long as he revealed a little of his abilities, there would be plenty of factions who would unconditionally attach themselves to him. However, in reality, the outside world would not be able to find out his true identity. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn¡¯t have the chance.


    It was easy to live under the protection of those with power and influence. Whether it was Mo Yanfei herself or the Mo clan, they needed Chen Yiming more than he needed them.


    Therefore, as long as Mo Yanfei went back and told Mo Fengzhi and Mo Zhenhe what she had seen and heard, coupled with her personal relationship with Chen Yiming, the Mo clan wouldn¡¯t hesitate at all.


    In fact, the Mo clan would most likely accept whatever conditions Chen Yiming proposed, no matter how they were.


    ¡°Welcome¡­¡± Mo Fengzhi walked forward and prepared to recite the script he had prepared.


    Just as he started to speak, Mo Yanfei ruthlessly interrupted him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in charge here. Go back to the house with Dad and wait,¡± Mo Yanfei instructed him with a look.


    This action fully showed that she still had a lot of say in the Mo clan.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze swept across the dozen or so people who had come out to welcome him.


    When Mo Yanfei spoke, he saw the change in everyone¡¯s expressions.


    Mo Fengzhi and Mo Zhenhe behaved normally. They had the strength of the warrior realm and had made preparations in advance, so they did not show any abnormalities.


    The other members of the Mo clan were already afraid of the masked man¡¯s ability to crush them. When his scrutinizing gaze fell on them, they only looked afraid and he could not tell anything else from their behavior.


    Mo Fengzhi and Mo Zhenhe did not say anything else and just let Mo Yanfei take charge of the situation.


    She first brought Chen Yiming around the Mo clan¡¯s villa, then to the Mo clan¡¯s treasure vault. Finally, she brought Chen Yiming back to her living quarters.


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s residence was very big. It could be said to be a small villa. There were all kinds of facilities inside, so there was naturally more than just one room.


    ¡°I still have something on. That¡¯s all for today,¡± Chen Yiming said bluntly.


    He was not lying. He still had to rush back to East Lake City as soon as possible and head to Luoxi City with the transport team.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take up a little more of your time,¡± Mo Yanfei said shyly as her face suddenly turned red.


    She then pulled Chen Yiming into her actual room.


    Chen Yiming was in a good mood.


    He had gained a lot from the last night up till now. Not only had he broken through to the next level, but he had also taken in a faction at the warrior realm.


    Therefore, he fulfilled the other party¡¯s small request and followed her.


    The moment he entered, he saw a large bed that could accommodate three or four people.


    A huge mural hung above the bed, depicting two young figures.


    At that time, Mo Yanfei was clearly much younger. Her face still had a youthful aura, and the air she had was completely different from how it was now.

 Chapter 129 - Setting Off (I)

    ¡°Is that a photo of you when you were 18?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly, his eyelids twitching.


    Mo Yanfei walked over to the cabinet on the large bed and placed the photo frame upright. She said in a low voice, ¡°Yes, I was quite different back then.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You looked much slimmer,¡± Chen Yiming commented as he glanced at the photo on the cabinet.


    In the photo frame was a photo of Mo Yanfei smiling brightly. She was wearing a tank top and red shorts, revealing a pair of long, fair legs.


    From the photo, her figure back then was flat instead of curvy, so there was a rather stark contrast.


    Mo Yanfei turned around and said with a smile, ¡°At that time, I was the goddess of the provincial martial arts school. There were so many suitors that they could line up all the way to the school gate.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that style isn¡¯t suited to my taste,¡± Chen Yiming said as he shook his head.


    ¡°I know,¡± Mo Yanfei replied.


    If Chen Yiming liked the pure and innocent type, she wouldn¡¯t have had a chance as she was now.


    She walked back to Chen Yiming and said softly, ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    With that, she walked to the cloakroom at the side and locked the door behind her.


    Hearing the click of the lock,


    Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He pulled out a chair and sat down.


    He could only apologize to the transport team that was waiting for him in his heart. It might take some time before he could leave.


    A few minutes later, a tearing sound came from the cloakroom, followed by Mo Yanfei¡¯s cry for help.


    ¡°This dress is really too long. Can you come in and help me with it?¡±


    There was a hint of seduction in her voice.


    Chen Yiming understood her intention and walked over to the cloakroom.


    He gently pushed open the door and entered the room.


    ¡­


    A wide area near the city gate on the west side of the city


    was where most of the logistics and transportation companies in East Lake City were located.


    At this moment, more than 100 large trucks covered in steel plates were lined up and waiting in a row.


    These large trucks had different styles, and many of them had signs of damage on the surface. These were the vehicles that East Lake City had temporarily repaired after the alien bird creatures attacked.


    Fang Hongkun and the other leaders of the operation were sitting on the steps in front of a shop next to the convoy.


    He was the deputy head of the logistics department in East Lake City, and also the person in charge of the convoy heading to Luoxi City. He was in charge of all the matters related to this operation.


    The people in charge were originally chatting about the reconstruction work after the disaster, but the topic soon changed to Chen Yiming.


    Feng Wenxing looked up at the sun and took the lead in complaining. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Why isn¡¯t Chen Yiming here yet? He made us wait the entire morning.¡±


    Fan Ronghua, who was at the side, sighed and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen too many of these martial arts geniuses who are unreliable. It¡¯s already not bad if he does come in the end.¡±


    ¡°Are we just going to wait?¡± Feng Wenxing said angrily.


    ¡°What else can we do? As long as one is strong enough, they will always have some special rights,¡± Fan Ronghua shrugged and replied.


    Feng Wenxing¡¯s expression froze when he heard this.


    The news that Chen Yiming had broken through to the warrior candidate realm after practicing martial arts for close to a year had already spread.


    Although Ren Pingsheng, a big shot at the second stage of the warrior realm, did not take him seriously, in the whole of East Lake City, only he would dare to say such a thing.


    The other martial artists in East Lake City¡¯s military and civilian factions all thought that Chen Yiming would soon become one of the new generation of warriors in East Lake City.


    Therefore, Hong Yi, who was in charge of East Lake City¡¯s government, had gone to visit him personally. Even the current head of the Mantis Snake Sword School, Wan Rong, didn¡¯t care about the fact that he had indirectly caused Lin Yixuan¡¯s death and wanted Chen Yiming to take over as the head.


    ¡°Put away your resentment. He¡¯s here,¡± Fang Hongkun said calmly.


    His tone was stern, and there was no room for disagreement.


    Feng Wenxing took a deep breath. He knew that the most important thing was to successfully transport the supplies back, so he could only suppress his emotions.


    At this moment, a figure walked over from a kilometer or two away.


    The person was Chen Yiming, who had secretly returned to East Lake City and changed into his training robes.


    He sighed in his heart. It was all Mo Yanfei¡¯s fault for being too passionate. He had momentarily lost control and was delayed by a few more hours.


    The two sides quickly met.


    Chen Yiming took the initiative to apologize. ¡°I suddenly had some inspiration when I was drawing the concept diagram, and I lost track of time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll have lunch on the road. We won¡¯t be delayed by too much,¡± Fang Hongkun said with a smile.


    His tone was gentle, completely unlike the way he had issued orders to the people he was in charge of earlier.


    When Feng Wenxing heard this, he suddenly felt aggrieved.


    How long would it take to eat a meal? Compared to the time they had waited the whole morning, the difference in duration was tenfold.


    However, his department head had no intention of blaming Chen Yiming for being late. Instead, he had taken the initiative to help him out.


    ¡°Drive as fast as you can,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    At the same time, the figure in his spiritual world turned into a black fog. The black fog spread out to create what seemed like a dark and terrifying world.


    This was the concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. After snatching the picture from Lin Yixuan, he managed to learn it in seconds.


    After cultivating a trace of the black fog internal force in his body, he released it in his palm. His entire palm momentarily turned black.


    This was what he had planned on the way back.


    After mastering the transformation of his internal force, there were not many things that could threaten his life. It was time for him to appear on the stage as a warrior.


    With the status he would gain, it would be more convenient for him to plan his cultivation, whether it was to gather more intelligence or to find sword manuals and cultivation methods for the next stage.


    Seeing this, Feng Wenxing felt like his heart was about to stop beating.


    His vision darkened and he fell back.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Yiming glanced at him.


    He lowered his hand. The demonstration he had prepared was unexpectedly interrupted.


    Fan Ronghua was the first to react. He stretched out his leg and caught the back of Feng Wenxing¡¯s head.


    ¡°Did he get a heat stroke?¡±


    The others reacted immediately and hurriedly went over to help him sit up.


    ¡°Why did he suddenly faint?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    A martial arts practitioner¡¯s physical fitness was not something an ordinary person could compare with. Compared to him, the other person¡¯s skill in martial arts might not be very good, but his body should not be so weak.


    Fan Ronghua, who knew the reason, helped to resolve the situation. ¡°He has low blood sugar. He probably forgot to eat breakfast, and the sun is too hot at noon.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Although he still felt that it was a little strange, such a small matter was not worth thinking about. In the blink of an eye, he threw it to the back of his mind.


    ¡°Fan Ronghua, get someone to bring Feng Wenxing to the hospital. We¡¯ll set off immediately,¡± Fang Hongkun instructed with a straight face.


    ¡°No problem. After I settle him down, I¡¯ll follow the last truck,¡± Fan Ronghua replied.


    After the 100-over large trucks set off, they needed to register and pass through the city gate one by one.


    During this time, every large truck had to start and stop countless times. It would take at least 10 to 20 minutes to leave the city.


    After settling the small incident, Fang Hongkun led Chen Yiming to the back seat of an off-road vehicle.


    Under the lead of the off-road vehicle, the large trucks lined up and drove openly on the main road towards the city gate.


    From a distance, the convoy looked like a long dragon, with a distance of two to three kilometers between its head and tail.


    In the end, it took nearly half an hour for all the trucks to exit the city, which was a little longer than expected.


    Then, the convoy set off along the provincial road.


    Along the way, they would enter a few cities to replenish their fuel. In about three to four days, they would cross a distance of nearly 2,000 kilometers and reach Luoxi City.


    ¡­


    On the first day, at 8 pm, the sky was getting dark, and the sun had already set.


    The convoy arrived at the planned parking spot, and everything was going smoothly.

 Chapter 130 - Setting Off (II)

    The bus was parked beside a large river. There was a wide plain around it, and the view was extremely wide, making it easy to avoid any accidents.


    There was still some time before dinner was ready. Chen Yiming, Fang Hongkun, and a few other people in charge went to the riverside.


    ¡°The upper reaches of this river pass through the Nuhe Mountain Range, so there are many aquatic mutant beasts,¡± Fang Hongkun explained.


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the surface of the water.


    Many aquatic mutant beasts were swimming in the river. The big ones were chasing the small ones, and there were flashes of red on the surface of the water from time to time.


    Suddenly, an aquatic mutant beast jumped out of the water and swallowed the mutant beasts that were being chased. With a splash, it plunged back into the water.


    From its appearance, this aquatic mutant beast had evolved from a tilapia.


    Its body was nearly two meters long. When it opened its mouth, one could see densely packed sharp teeth.


    Seeing this, Fang Hongkun made a request. ¡°A large number of aquatic mutant beasts are flowing down the river, turning the beasts feeding on them in the plains into mutant beasts. If a group of mutant beasts attacks the convoy tonight, we will need Mr. Chen¡¯s help.¡±


    The warrior realm represented the top martial arts power in an ordinary city. Age did not matter.


    After Chen Yiming revealed his internal force, which was the sign of a warrior, Fang Hongkun, as one of the higher-ups in East Lake City, had to give him sufficient respect.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Yiming agreed with a nod.


    His mission this time was to ensure the safety of the convoy.


    After all, this place was far from the space-travel passage. Even a warrior candidate was sufficient to protect the convoy.


    Now that he could openly use his power as a warrior to attack, he could destroy ordinary mutant beasts with a flick of his finger.


    As they spoke, a black shadow more than 10 meters long swam past along the bottom of the river.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Fan Ronghua shouted in shock.


    He subconsciously retreated and almost fell to the ground.


    When the others heard this, they looked over and also retreated in fear.


    Other than a few species with naturally long bodies, mutant beasts generally reached a length of more than 10 meters only at the level of the warrior realm.


    The black shadow was more than 10 meters long. If one did not carefully determine which species it belonged to, it was easy to make a misjudgment.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. That¡¯s a black snake. Snake-type mutant beasts have to be more than 20 meters long to be at the level of the warrior realm,¡± Fang Hongkun reminded them loudly.


    Hearing this, the others heaved a sigh of relief, but they still did not dare to return to their previous positions.


    A snake-type mutant beast over 10 meters long was also equivalent to a human warrior candidate.


    Most of them were at the level of six to eight transformations. If they were ambushed by the black snake, they would not be able to react in time.


    Suddenly, the black snake that had slithered away turned back again.


    Chen Yiming, who was standing by the river, seemed to have attracted the black snake¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Am I being treated as its prey?¡± Chen Yiming smiled when he saw the black snake¡¯s movements.


    At this moment, Fang Hongkun, who had retreated a few meters, said, ¡°Mr. Chen, the black snake¡¯s gallbladder can remove the poison left in one¡¯s body from consuming mutant beast meat for a long time. It¡¯s quite valuable.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    Consuming mutant beast meat for a long time could help temper the body. However, this method of relying on external forces to cultivate also brought about hidden dangers.


    Some toxins that humans could not metabolize remained in their bodies.


    Chen Yiming had no use for it himself. His internal force flowed through his entire body, and any poison would be instantly negated.


    However, Chen Yingying, who had relied on external forces to break through, needed the gallbladder of the black snake very much. This black snake gallbladder at the level of a warrior candidate was enough for Chen Yingying to use for a long time.


    ¡°I only want the snake gallbladder. I¡¯ll leave the rest of the black snake meat for the team to eat,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    With that, he took a step onto the surface of the river.


    The black snake, which was floating two meters below the river, witnessed Chen Yiming¡¯s speed.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    The black snake tried its best to escape to the bottom of the river.


    ¡°Where are you going?!¡±


    Chen Yiming shouted as his hand, covered in black fog, struck the surface of the water.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The surface of the river exploded, revealing a circular, waterless area with a diameter of more than 10 meters and a depth of four to five meters.


    Chen Yiming grabbed the snake¡¯s tail at lightning speed.


    The black fog internal force was only something he had cultivated at the last minute. The majority of the internal force stored in his body was the strength-based internal force.


    Even without the help of his internal force, his strength was not something that the black snake at the level of a warrior candidate could withstand.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    Chen Yiming easily pulled the black snake out of the river.


    Throughout the entire process, the black snake resisted with all its might. However, because the difference in their cultivation levels was too great, it was like a chick being targeted by an eagle.


    ¡°Hiss!¡±


    The black snake flicked its tongue and turned around to bite Chen Yiming.


    Among living creatures, the snakes¡¯ attack speed was among the best. If the human in front of it was only at the level of a warrior candidate, at such a close distance, he would probably have been bitten.


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t afraid of damaging you, I would have smashed you to bits with a single blow,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    He flicked the black snake¡¯s head at lightning speed.


    First, there was the sound of bones breaking. Then, the entire snake¡¯s head exploded, and bits of its brains splattered everywhere. The black snake was killed instantly.


    The power of the second stage of the warrior realm was terrifying. Chen Yiming had already tried his best to control his strength, intending to knock the black snake out.


    However, not long after he broke through, the explosive increase in strength after his body reached a new level made it impossible for him to accurately grasp it, causing the black snake¡¯s brains to fly into the river.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t mind it too much and threw the dead black snake onto the shore.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The black snake¡¯s corpse crashed into the mud by the river, and the ground shook violently.


    Its body was more than 10 meters long and half a meter thick. It weighed at least several kilograms.


    Chen Yiming took a step back to the riverbank and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t control my strength well and wasted its brain.¡±


    Each part of the black snake, which was at the level of a warrior candidate, had a certain worth.


    Special organs like the brain and gallbladder were often much more precious than snake meat.


    The other people in charge felt that it was a pity, but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. After all, Chen Yiming was the one who had killed the black snake.


    ¡°Fan Ronghua, go to the convoy and find a few people to deal with the black snake. Remember to keep an eye on them yourself. Keep the snake¡¯s gallbladder for Mr. Chen,¡± Fang Hongkun stood up and instructed.


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Fan Ronghua promised as he patted his chest.


    Soon, he found a few people to carry the black snake back to the convoy.


    Chen Yiming and Fang Hongkun didn¡¯t follow the group back. Instead, they stayed by the river.


    He swept his gaze across the river and saw countless aquatic mutant beasts trying to get at the brain matter of the black snake that had melted into the river.


    Under the surface of the river, a battle between the mutant beasts had broken out because of the brain matter of the black snake.


    Countless aquatic mutant beasts were fighting each other for the sake of the black snake¡¯s brain. Bright red spots kept appearing on the river surface, and a large number of aquatic mutant beasts were killed by their own kind.


    ¡°No wonder not a single ship dares to sail on this river even though it¡¯s hundreds of meters wide.¡± Chen Yiming sighed as he watched the battle below the river.


    As long as they passed by a large river near the space-travel passage, human ships would not be able to pass through it due to the attack by countless aquatic mutant beasts.


    ¡°Indeed, the reproduction ability of mutant beasts is generally stronger than that of humans. Now, in the sky and underwater, mutant beasts hold the power,¡± Fang Hongkun sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation with transport by sea?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    After transmigrating to this world, he had not yet been to the seaside.


    Fang Hongkun shook his head and explained, ¡°The mutant beasts in the sea are much stronger than those in the rivers. The losses from transporting by sea are too much.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming fell into deep thought.


    Between the cities, only transportation by land and transportation by river in some parts were available. It was clear that the situation of the war with the otherworld was difficult.


    After East Lake City was attacked by a flock of alien bird creatures, they could not subsist on their own resources, and had to rely on support from other cities.

 Chapter 131 - Resupply (I)

    The next day, at five in the morning, the sky had just turned bright.


    The convoy started to warm up the engines of the large trucks. 15 minutes later, they set off again.


    The convoy¡¯s destination for the day was Pengzhou City, which was more than 500 kilometers away.


    According to the planned schedule, the convoy would need to enter Pengzhou City for the first resupply before continuing on their journey on the third day.


    Other than Chen Yiming and Fang Hongkun, everyone in the vehicle, including the driver, had blissful expressions on their faces.


    Last night, Chen Yiming had generously shared the mutant beast meat from the black snake at the level of a warrior candidate.


    It wasn¡¯t just the people in charge of the transport team. Even the ordinary drivers and the people accompanying them ate a fair bit.


    The amount of energy contained in a few tons of meat from the black snake was extremely large to those who were below the level of a warrior candidate. Even though there were hundreds of people in the convoy, they were not able to eat that much.


    Those who had undergone three to five transformations would usually be full after eating a small piece of mutant beast meat.


    In addition, for the rest of the journey, everyone could still enjoy the black snake meat.


    In one of the large trucks, Zhang Dongjun held the steering wheel with both hands and stared at the road for possible potholes. Jia Weimin lowered his chair in the front passenger seat and lay down on it.


    ¡°This Mr. Chen seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I¡¯ve never heard of his name before,¡± Jia Weimin suddenly said.


    Zhang Dongjun¡¯s gaze was still fixed on the road ahead as he casually replied, ¡°From the looks of it, he¡¯s only about 20 years old. He should be the youngest warrior in East Lake City.¡±


    Jia Weimin sighed and continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I think it¡¯s too unreal. A warrior around the age of 20 has never appeared in the history of East Lake City.¡±


    Zhang Dongjun glanced to the side and said with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s there to sigh about? With someone like Mr. Chen who has such outstanding talent appearing in East Lake City, people like us can live a better life.¡±


    When Jia Weimin heard this, he smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true. After all, it¡¯s easy to find shade under a big tree.¡±


    At the same time, Zhang Dongjun and Jia Weimin weren¡¯t the only ones discussing Chen Yiming in the other trucks.


    To them, a warrior around the age of 20 would definitely not stop at this stage in their cultivation path.


    With the sudden appearance of such a genius in East Lake City, the panic brought about by the attack on the city by the alien bird creatures began to dissipate. Everyone had regained their confidence in living peacefully in East Lake City.


    Along the way, everyone was in a good mood, and the convoy did not encounter any danger.


    ¡­


    Longpo Town was still about 50 kilometers away from Pengzhou City. The convoy parked on the road beside the town and made some simple repairs. Then, they headed straight to Pengzhou City.


    At this moment, groups of people were walking over from the direction of Pengzhou City.


    Most of them had hurried expressions on their faces. They carried boxes in their hands and large bags on their backs. About 50 to 60 of them moved together in a group.


    Many of them even brought their families with them, and they were accompanied by the elderly and young children.


    Chen Yiming, Fang Hongkun, and a few other people in charge were resting on a rock by the roadside and witnessed everything.


    ¡°Something must have happened in Pengzhou City,¡± Fang Hongkun said in a low voice as he noticed something was amiss.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Yiming asked curiously.


    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that Pengzhou City has started a war at a space-travel passage near it,¡± Fang Hongkun replied.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled the time when he was delivering food for his family.


    East Lake City had started a war at the lake in the west, and countless refugees had sneaked into the city.


    It was the complete opposite of the situation in front of him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it safer to stay in the city when the war starts?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    Fang Hongkun pointed at a person not far away and replied, ¡°Look at that person¡¯s clothes.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked over and realized that the person was wearing a training robe. This meant that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.


    ¡°Most of these people should be free citizens. They don¡¯t live in a certain city permanently. Instead, they are constantly heading to cities where there are no wars,¡± Fang Hongkun explained.


    A free citizen?


    This was the first time Chen Yiming had heard of their existence.


    On careful thought, these people¡¯s way of survival did have some merit.


    These people might have made some progress in their martial arts. If dozens of them traveled together, as long as they did not get close to the location of the space-travel passage or encounter the mutant beasts, there was a high chance that they could reach their destination city successfully.


    Since there was a better option available, there was naturally no need for them to stay in a city where there was a war and fight the alien creatures from the otherworld.


    At this moment, Fang Hongkun turned around and instructed Fan Ronghua, ¡°Go and find out what exactly happened in Pengzhou City.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Fan Ronghua nodded in agreement.


    He took a few steps forward and stopped a group of people, then revealed his identity.


    The free citizens would run away at the first sign of battle, so they were naturally not the most stubborn people. When they saw the convoy parked by the roadside, they did not dare to hide anything.


    After Fan Ronghua received the news from these people, he did not immediately return. Instead, he continued to stop two more groups of people.


    After corroborating the information from the three groups to ensure that it was accurate, he returned.


    ¡°Sir, Pengzhou City is indeed fighting a war at a space-travel passage nearby, but it was Pengzhou City that took the initiative to attack the otherworld,¡± Fan Ronghua reported.


    ¡°They can actually enter the space-travel passage and launch an offensive,¡± Chen Yiming said in surprise.


    This was the first time he had heard of anyone taking the initiative to attack the otherworld.


    On the other hand, East Lake City had been on the defensive for the past year.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Fang Hongkun said in a low voice.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t understand the situation.


    Since they dared to take the initiative to attack, it must mean that Pengzhou City was powerful enough.


    No matter how one looked at it, it was much better than being attacked by the beast tide in East Lake City.


    ¡°Most of the three cities, East Lake City, Cloud Port City, and Nightwater City, were destroyed by the sudden attack of the alien bird creatures,¡± Fang Hongkun voiced his thoughts, ¡°Pengzhou City might be planning to establish a long-term base in the otherworld to prevent similar attacks from happening.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    If the war was happening on the blue planet, no matter the outcome, the humans would be the ones suffering a larger loss.


    After all, it was easy to destroy things but difficult to build them. The destructive power of the warrior realm was too strong, and the concrete buildings in the city were no different from paper in the face of such strength.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for Pengzhou City, but it might not be the same for us.¡± Fang Hongkun sighed.


    ¡°If Pengzhou City takes the initiative to attack the otherworld, the logistics pressure will definitely be huge. We have more than 100 large trucks, and the amount of fuel we need is not a small amount, especially at this critical time.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the people in charge changed drastically.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯re not here for personal matters. Would Pengzhou City dare to reject us directly?¡±


    ¡°Sir, if Pengzhou City does this, aren¡¯t they afraid that other cities will treat them the same way in the future?¡±


    Fang Hongkun shook his head and explained, ¡°War has always taken precedence over other things. Since we are involved in post-war reconstruction work, they can easily find some excuse to get rid of us.¡±

 Chapter 132 - Resupply (II)

    ¡°Are there no other cities nearby where we can resupply?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°If we had received the news yesterday, we could have changed our route in advance, but it¡¯s too late now,¡± Fang Hongkun replied.


    As the person in charge of this operation, he knew the situation of the convoy very well.


    ¡°In that case, Sir, are we still going to enter Pengzhou City?¡± a person in charge asked.


    Fang Hongkun did not answer immediately. He thought for a while and made the arrangements.


    ¡°The convoy will remain here. Save the remaining fuel for emergencies. I¡¯ll bring a few people to Pengzhou City to negotiate.


    If negotiations fail, we can only contact East Lake City to transport the fuel. It will delay us by a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to go with you?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    A warrior would always be of some use. At the very least, he would not be easily bullied.


    ¡°Pengzhou City is a large city second only to the provincial capital. It¡¯s not something a small city like East Lake City can compare to. It has a guardian at the third stage of the warrior realm,¡± Fang Hongkun shook his head and refused.


    Most ordinary warriors would be crushed when faced with someone at the second stage of the warrior realm, let alone someone at the third stage.


    He was afraid that Chen Yiming was too young and inexperienced and would get into a conflict with the people from Pengzhou City.


    If they killed him in Pengzhou City, it would be a huge loss to East Lake City. There was no need to take the risk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cultivate nearby and wait for your good news.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded, but his interest was piqued.


    What exactly was the third stage of the warrior realm like? The answer was close at hand.


    At the ordinary warrior realm, he could already defeat Ren Pingsheng, who was at the second stage of the warrior realm, and also toy with the giant three-tailed turtle.


    He felt that with his current strength at the second stage of the warrior realm, it should not be a big problem for him to escape with his life from someone at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    ¡­


    He separated from the convoy.


    Chen Yiming ran for dozens of kilometers and arrived deep in the mountains.


    He had yet to consolidate what he had gained the previous night, so he planned to use this free time to sort through it.


    He first started with the Flying Feather Sword Technique, then the Thunder Sword Technique and the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. Finally, he tried to use the three sword techniques together with the concept diagrams of the meteors.


    He had already had a certain inkling of what awaited him in the next stage.


    The martial arts techniques for the first and second stages of the warrior realm were all deduced from concept diagrams, so it was very likely that the third stage followed similar principles.


    Looking back at what he had learned when he was at the disciple realm, most of the cultivation techniques were created by imitating martial arts techniques at the warrior realm. However, they only followed the form but did not contain the core of the technique.


    It was fine for tempering the body, but there were many mistakes when using it together with internal force.


    Therefore, sword techniques below the warrior realm had been completely abandoned by Chen Yiming.


    An hour later, Chen Yiming lay on the ground to rest.


    ¡°Although the power when combined is average, the level of the technique has already increased qualitatively,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    ¡°The speed at which I obtain Skill Points has increased from 25 points per month to 75 points per month.¡±


    He summoned the martial arts talent panel.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 2; Undying Body ¡ª Level 1


    Level: Second stage of the warrior realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Skill points: 50


    The Level-3 swordsmanship talent required 300 Skill Points, so he was still short of 250 Skill Points. At the rate of gaining 75 Skill Points per month, he only needed a little over three months to accumulate enough Skill Points for the upgrade.


    Three months was a very short time for most people. For those in the warrior realm, within this period, one¡¯s strength might not increase at all.


    However, to Chen Yiming, three months was a long time. It was enough to increase his strength drastically.


    ¡°As long as I continue to increase the level of my cultivation technique, the bottlenecks in my cultivation will never catch up to the speed at which I can upgrade my talent level.¡±


    ¡°There are no bottlenecks on my path of martial arts cultivation. Even if there are, I¡¯ll just need to wait for a while to increase my talent level.¡±


    Chen Yiming gave himself some encouragement.


    After planning out how he would continue down the path of martial arts, his thoughts drifted to the guardian of Pengzhou City that Fang Hongkun had mentioned, who was at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    ¡­


    At 7 pm, the sun had already set over the peaks of the mountains, and the sky was starting to turn dark.


    After sorting out what he had learned, Chen Yiming cultivated for a while before rushing back to Longpo Town.


    Near Longpo Town, groups of people could still be seen passing by the town on the main road and heading into the distance.


    The convoy had already left the main road and was parked in a new spot in a large space.


    Chen Yiming took a few leaps and returned to the convoy. He saw that Fang Hongkun and the other people in charge had already returned, and were discussing something over a fire.


    Chen Yiming walked over and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°It was a bad outcome. Pengzhou City rejected us on the grounds that refueling for logistics purposes was completely insufficient as a reason,¡± Fang Hongkun said helplessly.


    ¡°Are we just going to wait here for the fuel to arrive from East Lake City?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The delay of a day or two was enough for him.


    Therefore, he was not disappointed to receive this news.


    ¡°Pengzhou City also told us a way to solve the fuel problem, but we have to take a certain risk,¡± Fang Hongkun said with a sigh.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Chen Yiming said nonchalantly.


    He had hidden most of his strength, but Fang Hongkun and the other people in charge did not know about it.


    ¡°The main reason why Pengzhou City took the initiative to invade the otherworld and build a stronghold was because a small city under the control of Pengzhou City was flattened by the beast tide three days ago,¡± Fang Hongkun explained.


    ¡°Three days ago?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was almost the same time as when we were attacked by the alien bird creatures in East Lake City,¡± Fang Hongkun replied.


    ¡°Could they have planned to attack at the same time?¡± Chen Yiming frowned.


    ¡°For the time being, we can¡¯t be sure of that,¡± Fang Hongkun said in a low voice.


    With that, he continued, ¡°The solution I mentioned just now is to enter the small city and transport the fuel out. However, Mr. Chen, it shouldn¡¯t have been long since you broke through to the warrior realm. There¡¯s no need to take this risk.¡±


    Fang Hongkun felt that Chen Yiming was someone who had just broken through to the warrior realm. It was difficult for him to compare to someone who had cultivated for a long time in this realm.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the beast tide leave after flattening the city?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that they didn¡¯t return to the space-time passage. They might be near the small city, or they might have gone to another place,¡± Fang Hongkun replied.


    ¡°If the beast tide is sweeping through the vicinity of Pengzhou City, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to transport fuel from East Lake City? There might be a problem on the road.¡± Chen Yiming frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. No one expected such a thing to happen,¡± Fang Hongkun said helplessly.


    ¡°I can go to the small city alone to check on the situation. We can decide based on the situation,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you, Mr. Chen.¡± Fang Hongkun bowed and thanked him.


    The problem of the fuel was settled.


    Chen Yiming hesitated for a moment before asking indirectly, ¡°Since Pengzhou City plans to build a stronghold in the otherworld, won¡¯t Pengzhou City¡¯s strength be weakened?¡±


    ¡°Actually, this matter is very tricky. Pengzhou City doesn¡¯t have the ability to send a warrior who has mastered the transformation of their internal force to guard the stronghold,¡± Fang Hongkun replied, feeling guilty for letting Chen Yiming take such a risk as soon as he broke through.


    ¡°A warrior who can transform their internal force?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The alien creatures from the otherworld aren¡¯t limited to small groups like the mutant beasts on the blue planet. Even if one is at the third stage of the warrior realm, they won¡¯t be able to withstand the attacks from endless waves of alien creatures,¡± Fang Hongkun replied.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    In the warrior realm, there was a limit to how many times one could use their internal force to launch a full-blown attack.


    Unless one had a talent for recovery like him.


    ¡°Only the warriors that have mastered the transformation of their internal force can overcome this problem. Pengzhou City must have gathered most of their martial arts power at the stronghold in the otherworld, which is why they didn¡¯t have the spare manpower to deal with the beast tide that¡¯s wandering around.¡± Fang Hongkun analyzed the situation.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming was a little disappointed.


    There was a high chance that the guardian of Pengzhou City had gone to the stronghold in the otherworld and was not in Pengzhou City.

 Chapter 133 - Killing Intent in the Night (I)

    Linghuai City was about 50 to 60 kilometers west of Pengzhou City.


    Chen Yiming headed there alone. It only took him 10 minutes to reach the vicinity of the small city.


    He stood at the top of a mountain a few kilometers away and observed Linghuai City which had been flattened by the beast tide.


    Although the sky had turned completely dark, the situation in Linghuai City could not escape Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes.


    There was not a single light in the entire city. Everywhere he looked, there were collapsed and destroyed buildings.


    However, it was not as desolate as he had expected. Instead, there were teams operating in all four directions of the city.


    They had a clear division of labor. There were teams responsible for fighting the mutant beasts left behind in the city, teams responsible for searching for loot, and teams responsible for transporting the loot.


    The teams were roughly divided into four factions, and they had a tacit agreement not to clash with each other. The remaining assets in Linghuai City were gradually being transported out of the city.


    Chen Yiming frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°So it¡¯s a group of factions that are taking advantage of the situation.¡±


    The main strength of the human military was placed in the war with the otherworld, so their control over the wilderness was far inferior to that of the cities.


    Many martial arts practitioners who had committed crimes escaped from the cities and lived in the wilderness. Over time, several underground factions had appeared.


    Most of these factions were formed by criminals who made a living by robbing transport vehicles, accepting assassination missions, smuggling controlled goods, and so on.


    Chen Yiming jumped off from the top of the mountain and landed on the ground.


    At the same time, the small figure in his spiritual world turned into the black fog concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    Internal force was continuously produced in his body, then released to cover his entire body, causing his figure to gradually disappear into the night air.


    The ability of the human eye to see depended on the reflection of light. The black fog internal force had the ability to devour light, and could fuse with the darkness of the night. To a certain extent, it could be considered a concealment ability.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The air was forced apart, creating some movement.


    Chen Yiming treaded lightly on the ground and headed to the gas station on the north side of the city like a ghost in the darkness.


    On the roof of an abandoned building at the edge of the city, the two people in charge of guarding the area kept looking around.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    One of the young men sensed that something was amiss and was alarmed by the sound of the air moving.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± another companion asked as he walked over from two to three meters away.


    ¡°I heard a strange sound just now,¡± the young man frowned and said in a low voice.


    ¡°Where?¡± his companion asked in surprise.


    The two of them were only two to three meters apart, but he did not hear anything.


    ¡°Over there.¡± The young man pointed ahead.


    His companion looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a dark street. It was dead silent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re hallucinating from your nervousness,¡± his companion said with a smile.


    ¡°I believe my ears. Something just passed by there,¡± the young man said bluntly.


    His ears had been much sharper than ordinary people since he was young, and he had almost never made a wrong judgment.


    ¡°Should we report it?¡± his companion asked.


    The young man paused, then shook his head.


    The faction he belonged to had a set of assessment criteria like a company.


    A nobody in charge of guarding the place would easily be thought of as an undercover agent if he made a report without any evidence.


    In a shadow dozens of meters away, Chen Yiming stood rooted to the ground. He had overheard the conversation between the two men.


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that the movement will cause a disturbance in the air. The black fog internal force isn¡¯t a perfect concealment ability,¡± he concluded.


    After this simple test, Chen Yiming turned around and left.


    A few minutes later, he arrived at the gas station on the north side of the city.


    At this moment, in the gas station, a middle-aged man was directing more than 10 people to fill up metal canisters with fuel, then carry them to a cart beside him.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± the middle-aged man, Liao Yong, urged them loudly.


    A young man who was carrying a metal canister onto a cart said with a smile, ¡°Second Uncle, after our team completes this trip, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be doing anything for the next three months. We don¡¯t have to worry about the quota for the missions either.¡±


    ¡°Focus on your work.¡± Liao Yong glared at him, but a smile instantly appeared on his face.


    No faction would allow their people to remain idle. If they could not complete the corresponding missions, they would be punished.


    ¡°Second Uncle, Pengzhou City is actually letting us do as we please. They aren¡¯t doing anything although we are emptying Linghuai City of its resources. This feels so unreal,¡± the young man, who had been very optimistic earlier, suddenly said worriedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s a matter for the higher-ups to worry about. We just need to finish our work and leave as soon as possible,¡± Liao Yong said sternly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just grumbling.¡± The young man nodded.


    Chen Yiming stood dozens of meters away and waited quietly.


    In his heart, he estimated the amount of fuel needed for the convoy. It would be best if they could fill up all the fuel in one go so that he did not have to stay here for too long.


    Because things were probably not that simple. Along the way, he saw that these factions were all on high alert.


    This may be a trap set by Pengzhou City, and the beast tide might return at any moment.


    About half an hour later, more than 10 carts were filled to the brim. There were about 50 canisters in total.


    ¡°Everyone, follow me. We¡¯ll do one more round, then we¡¯ll call it a night,¡± Liao Yong shouted.


    The 10 or so subordinates were shocked. No one felt that such easy pickings were a good thing. Although they did not say it out loud, they wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°This bit of fuel isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice rang out.


    Then, the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard.


    Everyone, including Liao Yong, felt their hearts skip a beat as they looked in the direction of the sound.


    The moonlight shone on the ground, causing the dark surroundings to become brighter.


    However, they could not see anyone, though they could clearly hear the sound of footsteps.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ghost!¡± Someone was instantly frightened out of his wits and turned to run.


    The others reacted and prepared to follow suit.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A loud sound rang out.


    In the blink of an eye, the first person to turn around and run clutched his neck and fell to the ground.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The other people who had just taken a step forward and were about to scatter and run felt their legs go weak as they stepped back.


    At this moment, light flashed in front of them and a figure appeared.


    The figure was Chen Yiming, who had retracted his black fog internal force.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, continue to fill up the canisters,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice as he swept his gaze across the group.


    At this moment, his voice was as terrifying as a demon from hell. Hearing his words made it difficult for them to breathe.


    Their heads were buzzing, and their bodies were frozen to the ground.


    Most of them were still feeling lucky earlier, but in the blink of an eye, things were going south.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a sword flashed past.


    The wall in front of the gas station was cut through by the flash of the sword.


    The wall became shorter, but the top and bottom parts were still stuck together and did not slide off or collapse.


    Liao Yong took a few seconds to recover and urged the others, ¡°Everyone, move. Go to the warehouse behind the gas station and find empty metal canisters to fill with fuel.¡±


    The other subordinates finally snapped out of their daze when they heard the familiar voice of their captain.


    Facing the terrifying and invincible expert, everyone lowered their heads and obediently followed the arrangements to find some metal canister to fill with fuel.


    When his 10 over subordinates had taken action, Liao Yong walked over and said obsequiously, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I promise we¡¯ll do a good job.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°a?|¡± Liao Yong didn¡¯t dare to make any objections.


    A few minutes later,


    Liao Yong spoke again and handed over a token, ¡°Sir, our team belongs to the Hong clan.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the token. On it was the familiar word ¡°Hong¡±.


    Back then, he had killed a group of people who had stolen the firearms from Nightwater City at the Stone Ring Reservoir. Then, he killed the team that were meeting these people.

 Chapter 134 - Killing Intent in the Night (II)

    From that team, he had found a token that was identical to this one.


    After returning to East Lake City, the attack by the alien bird creatures had soon broken out, and there was no time to investigate the Hong clan.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly.


    He was now at the second stage of the warrior realm, so why would he be afraid of a faction hiding in the wilderness?


    ¡°The Hong clan has a true warrior,¡± Liao Yong explained.


    People like Liao Yong had even less knowledge than those of the same level in the city. After all, they were only tools for the Hong clan and were considered external members.


    They had no idea that Chen Yiming¡¯s concealment ability was the effect of his internal force.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming lost all interest.


    Even people at the second stage of the warrior realm would find it difficult to withstand a single blow from him, let alone ordinary warriors. Killing them was not much different from killing those in the disciple realm.


    Liao Yong explained their identity, then retreated to a distance.


    He started to supervise his subordinates to prevent anyone from secretly escaping and sabotaging those who did not.


    ¡­


    After nearly an hour, Liao Yong returned to Chen Yiming and said obsequiously, ¡°Sir, the metal canisters from the gas station are all full. There are a total of 203 canisters.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°Bring your men and follow me to transport the fuel.¡±


    Liao Yong did not dare to refute him. He gave out the instructions to his subordinates. ¡°Did everyone hear that? Push the carts and follow him.¡±


    The dozen or so subordinates nodded in understanding.


    Just like that, Chen Yiming led the way, and the team followed not far behind.


    He had already used his concealment ability to scout out the location in advance. The location was close to the main road on the north of the city, and the distance was less than a kilometer.


    After the convoy arrived, they only needed to stop by the side of the main road and send people to move the metal canisters containing the fuel for a short distance. It would not take long.


    Other than that, he had also planned out the route carefully. It perfectly avoided the other teams that the Hong clan had deployed to the north of the city, as well as the sentries stationed outside the city.


    On the way, Chen Yiming reached into his pocket and pressed a button.


    In his pocket was something that looked like a pager. Fang Hongkun had given it to him in advance.


    The two of them had agreed that if things went well, Chen Yiming would press the button. After Fang Hongkun received the signal, he would lead the convoy to Linghuai City.


    10 minutes later, Chen Yiming¡¯s group arrived at the spot for temporary storage and unloaded the 50 metal canisters from the carts.


    Then, they quickly returned to the gas station to continue transporting the fuel.


    It took a total of four trips to transport all the metal canisters containing fuel to the temporary storage location.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    The fuel problem for the convoy was close to being resolved.


    No matter how the situation changed after this, the convoy only needed to be able leave this place quickly.


    If there were people who did not know what was good for them and blocked their way, they could not blame him for dealing with them, whether it was Pengzhou City, the Hong clan, or the beast tide.


    When the last metal canister was unloaded, Liao Yong jogged over and asked, ¡°Sir, the matter has been settled. Do you have any other instructions?¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I have for you.¡±


    Liao Yong smiled and waved at his subordinates. ¡°Everyone, come and greet him.¡±


    The subordinates gathered around obediently.


    Each of their faces had expressions as though they had just survived a calamity. They all felt that the identity of a member of the Hong clan made this unknown expert behave with some restraint.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± The dozen or so people were preparing to bow and thank him for not killing them.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A sword flashed past.


    From the person on the far left to Liao Yong on the far right, a vacuum was instantly created in the air.


    Before they died, everyone¡¯s eyes widened. This unknown expert actually ignored their status as members of the Hong clan and did not care about morals, killing them once they had outlived their usefulness.


    ¡°You guys are hiding in the dark and dragging down humanity, and you still expect me to keep you alive?¡±


    After saying this, Chen Yiming turned to leave.


    Although he was not a good person, he would still make contributions to the war between the humans and the otherworld.


    He would kill anyone he encountered that was from a faction like the Hong clan without any hesitation.


    ¡­


    On the north side of the city, on a wide road, a large number of man-powered carts were gathered. There were about 1,000 of them, and they were filled with the loot from Linghuai City.


    Factions like the Hong clan hid in the wilderness all year round. Fuel was a controlled resource, so manpower was most often used to transport their supplies.


    Hundreds of people who had already completed their tasks had gathered and were waiting there. From time to time, they would discuss their gains in low voices.


    Han Sixia was holding a book and checking with the team leaders one by one, recording the treasures they had looted.


    Suddenly, he sensed that something was amiss and shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s Liao Yong? Did anyone see him?¡±


    The dozens of team leaders looked at each other and shook their heads to indicate that they did not know.


    ¡°Gong Cheng, the areas you and Liao Yong were in charge of are only two streets away. Do you know where they went?¡± Han Sixia asked.


    ¡°We met once when we first arrived at the area in charge. I didn¡¯t see anyone after that,¡± Gong Cheng replied truthfully.


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you going to look for him? What are you still doing here?¡± Han Sixia said angrily when he heard this.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gong Cheng nodded.


    He turned around and called for his subordinates who were sitting by the roadside, preparing to head to the gas station.


    However, before he could gather his subordinates, a scream suddenly rang out from the crowd.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±


    Countless questions were voiced out, and hundreds of people turned to look in the direction of the scream.


    The person had already fallen to the ground, his head sliding to the side. A trail of blood several meters long shot out from the wound.


    However, everything around him was normal. It was impossible to tell how he had been killed. This mystery gave one an inexplicable sinister and terrifying feeling.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Before anyone could react, countless screams rang out. This time, 30 to 40 people were killed at the same time.


    In an instant, those who were still alive thought, ¡°There¡¯s a ghost!¡±


    Their curiosity was completely extinguished along with the lives of the 30 to 40 people who fell to the ground. They fled in all directions without hesitation.


    When one was in a desperate situation, one would often unleash unimaginable potential. Many people broke through the bottleneck in their cultivation, and their speed instantly increased greatly.


    This made them think that they had a chance of escaping with their numbers.


    However, a small improvement in the disciple realm made no difference to Chen Yiming.


    In less than a minute, the sound of air exploding rang out countless times.


    Of the hundreds of people, none of them had run more than a kilometer before they fell to the ground for no apparent reason.


    After it all ended, a figure who had hidden in the darkness after devouring the light looked at the hundreds of people lying in pools of blood.


    ¡°The other three factions involved in this matter are of the same type as the Hong clan. I should kill them before the convoy arrives. It can be considered as getting rid of a threat for the sake of the people,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    The air rippled.


    He charged straight at the gathering point of the other three factions.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming killed the few hundred members from the Hong clan, the screams of the group broke the silence in the city.


    The remaining mutant beasts in the city sensed danger and chose a random direction to escape in.


    The teams that were still carrying out their tasks realized that something had happened, so they all rushed to the gathering point of their respective factions.


    Most people subconsciously felt that they could better deal with the danger if they grouped together.


    As a result, Chen Yiming killed nearly 1,000 people at the second gathering point. The number of people killed at the third gathering point increased to nearly 1,500.


    On the other hand, at the fourth gathering point, when they heard the continuous screams ringing out, everyone realized that it was a mistake to group together. They scattered and fled.


    Chen Yiming had only caught up to 200 or 300 people when he heard a loud explosion from a few kilometers away. From the intensity and timing of the explosion, it was undoubtedly Fang Hongkun¡¯s team.


    Therefore, he stopped his pursuit and set off to meet up with the convoy.


    The entire Linghuai City fell silent again. Even the sound of a pin dropping could travel a large distance.


    The deaths of about 3,000 people had turned this place into a land of death. The air was filled with the smell of blood, and there was almost no place that was not shrouded in a strange atmosphere.


    In the city, the few people who had chosen to hide had heard the screams from the start till the end. Their bodies were already weak and they were trembling in a corner.


    Even though the massacre seemed to have ended, they still remained in hiding and did not even have the courage to stick their heads out.

 Chapter 135 - Reputation (I)

    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    1


    The roar of the engine broke the silence of the city.


    Chen Yiming led the convoy to the north of Linghuai City.


    Chen Yiming and Fang Hongkun stood on a small hill by the roadside and waited for the transport team to return with the metal canisters filled with fuel.


    A gust of wind blew past.


    ¡°Why is there a strong smell of blood? What exactly happened in Linghuai City?¡± Fang Hongkun looked toward the city and asked solemnly.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it and said calmly, ¡°Linghuai City has been occupied by four factions from the wilderness. They intended to empty the entire city of their remaining resources. I had a conflict with them just now.¡±


    ¡°Are they the Hong clan, the World Destruction Sect, the Blood Sea Fort, and the Brotherhood Alliance?¡± Fang Hongkun¡¯s expression changed as he asked.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°In the Yangtze River Delta, these four factions have the worst reputation. They dare to do almost anything and have even cooperated with the mutant beasts to attack the cities,¡± Fang Hongkun explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Hong clan is only led by an ordinary warrior. How can they be so capable?¡± Chen Yiming frowned in confusion.


    There were 20 to 30 martial artists in East Lake City.


    Chen Yiming found it hard to imagine that a faction with only an ordinary warrior would dare to do something that would shake the entire country.


    ¡°Where did you get this misinformation? The four hall masters of the Hong clan are at the warrior realm, and the current head is at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    Other than that, it¡¯s said that the previous clan head is currently in seclusion trying to break through to the third stage of the warrior realm,¡± Fang Hongkun said seriously.


    ¡°I heard it from the captain of the Hong clan¡¯s transport team,¡± Chen Yiming said awkwardly.


    Liao Yong, who was in the disciple realm, only knew a general term for the warrior realm.


    He did not dare to ask about the specific levels of the warrior realm, nor did he have the means to do so.


    ¡°In short, you have just broken through to the warrior realm. It¡¯s best if you keep a low profile.¡± Fang Hongkun rolled his eyes and warned him.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    He knew that Fang Hongkun was also thinking about his safety, afraid that he may have provoked a powerful faction like the Hong clan.


    After all, on the surface, at his level, Chen Yiming would never be able to go against the Hong clan.


    If he attracted the attention of the higher-ups of the Hong clan, it would be almost impossible to guard against them.


    The convoy quickly filled up the fuel, and many people cheered.


    Chen Yiming and the others didn¡¯t stay for long. They got into the vehicles and continued on their way to Luoxi City.


    ¡­


    At this moment, a few kilometers away from the convoy Chen Yiming was in, Zhou Li led more than 30 team members to a small wooden house in the forest.


    He was one of the captains of the Pengzhou Special Operations Unit, and was in charge of besieging the ordinary members of the Hong clan, the World Destruction Sect, the Blood Sea Fort, and the Brotherhood Alliance.


    Zhou Li knocked lightly on the wooden door and entered the wooden house.


    The facilities in the wooden house were simple. There was a table and a chair, and it served as a temporary resting place.


    A middle-aged man in loose-fitting clothes picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of hot tea. Then, he brought it to his mouth and downed it in one gulp.


    His casual clothes were slightly damaged, and his hair was a little messy. One side of his hair was clearly shorter than the other.


    ¡°Minister Zhu, all the assets transported from Linghuai City by the four factions have been collected,¡± Zhou Li reported.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Zhu Xiaozhang nodded.


    ¡°The remaining survivors from the four factions have also been transported to Pengzhou City, but the number of people is very different from what we expected,¡± Zhou Li continued.


    The plan for this siege operation in Pengzhou City was to capture the ordinary members of the four factions and send them to the front line.


    However, by the time the special operations team started their siege, most of them had already been caught and killed by Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Zhu Xiaozhang replied.


    ¡°A large number of members¡­¡± Zhou Li was about to explain.


    ¡°Someone else took this matter in their own hands,¡± Zhu Xiaozhang interrupted.


    Zhou Li nodded, knowing that this matter had exceeded the scope of what he could ask about.


    Then, he continued, ¡°The convoy from East Lake City has taken away a large amount of fuel from Linghuai City. They are heading west. Should we take action against them?¡±


    With hundreds of large trucks moving together, their speed was not fast.


    As long as they were not outside of the territory of Pengzhou City, they could stop the convoy at any time.


    ¡°They attracted the attention of many of the four factions for our siege operation. Otherwise, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly. Take the fuel as their compensation,¡± Zhu Xiaozhang replied.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Li nodded.


    After giving the report, Zhou Li left the wooden house.


    Soon, he left with his team.


    After Zhu Xiaozhang received Zhou Li¡¯s report, he took out his phone and called a secret department in Pengzhou City.


    Pengzhou City had beat them at their own game. They pretended that they did not have enough manpower to deal with the aftermath of the beast tide and set up a trap to annihilate the Hong clan, the World Destruction Sect, the Blood Sea Fort, and the Brotherhood Alliance.


    Each of the four factions had sent out a warrior to participate in the looting of Linghuai City¡¯s resources. None of the four warriors had managed to escape, and all of them were killed by the experts from Pengzhou City¡¯s military.


    Therefore, even though Chen Yiming had caused such a huge commotion, not a single warrior had made a move to stop him.


    All in all, the team from East Lake City had been used by Pengzhou City to cover their movements. However, Chen Yiming¡¯s act of killing had reduced Pengzhou City¡¯s manpower by a few thousand people.


    While both sides got what they needed, they also made the other party suffer a loss.


    ¡­


    After the convoy left Linghuai City, they did not encounter any mutant beasts wandering around Pengzhou City, nor did they encounter any other incidents.


    It took them another two days to reach Luoxi City.


    Luoxi City was a famous granary in the Daxia Kingdom.


    All this time, they had been providing support to other places in the Daxia Kingdom that were suffering from disasters and were lacking in food supplies. As a result, their status was extremely important, and their population was also increasing day after day.


    The team from East Lake City had come from another province. Even though they had made prior arrangements, they still had to go through complicated procedures to enter the city.


    Chen Yiming escorted the convoy to the city gate. He politely rejected the escort that Fang Hongkun had arranged for him and entered the city alone.


    Without a clear direction, he walked straight down the street.


    The area around him was filled with ordinary people coming and going. Compared to the traffic in East Lake City, it was like the difference between a city and a town.


    In the shops by the roadside, customers were entering and exiting continuously. None of the shops seemed to be lacking in business. Their spending power was not something East Lake City could compare to.


    In addition, the music playing on the streets made Chen Yiming feel like he had returned to the peaceful era of his previous world.


    Chen Yiming asked around and arrived at a high-end restaurant.


    The restaurant was located on the top floor of a circular commercial building, more than 200 meters above the ground. Half of Luoxi City could be seen from this place.


    After ordering his meal, he leaned back on the soft sofa and looked out at the entire Luoxi City.


    He swept his gaze across the city and roughly estimated the size of Luoxi City. He realized that East Lake City was not even a tenth of the size of Luoxi City.


    ¡°Should I move to the provincial capital with Mom, Dad, and Chen Yingying?¡±


    A thought suddenly appeared in Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    Other than the high cost of living and housing, the safety of a large city could not be compared to a small city like East Lake City. Furthermore, money was no different from waste paper to a warrior.


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was feasible.


    In terms of cultivation, he mainly relied on accumulating Skill Points over time and adding points to his talent level. It was the same no matter where he was.


    Finding the subsequent cultivation methods for the warrior realm might be easier in the provincial capital compared to in East Lake City.


    Chen Yiming gradually fell into a daze until the sound of conversation behind him interrupted his thoughts.


    There were two men and a woman sitting at another table opposite him.


    The two men were muscular and much taller than ordinary people. The woman had fine features and was wearing a knee-length dress with a long sword tied to her waist.

 Chapter 136 - Reputation (II)

    The three of them were dressed in expensive clothes, and their status was naturally not ordinary.


    ¡°Junior Sister Ningyi, there was news from Linghuai City again,¡± Liu Yuquan took the initiative to find a topic to talk about.


    Before Yang Ningyi could reply, Zhao Yuan said with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a small city that was destroyed by a beast tide? Who asked the people there not to go to the big cities? Such things happen from time to time in the Daxia Kingdom, so it¡¯s nothing worth paying attention to.¡±


    Liu Yuquan turned to glare at him, then looked back at Yang Ningyi and continued, ¡°Something big happened in Linghuai City last night. You¡¯ll definitely be curious if I tell you about it.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Liu, the dishes are about to be served,¡± Yang Ningyi said with a smile, her dimples showing.


    When Liu Yuquan saw his junior sister¡¯s smile, he didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said with a smile, ¡°Pengzhou City used Linghuai City as bait to surround the Hong clan, the World Destruction Sect, the Blood Sea Castle, and the Brotherhood Alliance. They killed four warriors in a row.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, I thought it was something big,¡± Zhao Yuan said disdainfully.


    In a big city like Luoxi City, there were many factions with ordinary warriors guarding it. In terms of status, they were even lower than the warrior candidates in East Lake City.


    The three of them had several seniors in the warrior realm. Therefore, although they were not in the warrior realm, they were already used to it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep interrupting me,¡± Liu Yuquan said angrily. He turned back and continued, ¡°It¡¯s said that Pengzhou City invited a young martial artist to help them from outside.


    However, that person who provided external aid couldn¡¯t hold back and killed thousands of ordinary members from the four factions in one go.¡±


    ¡°Does that person have a grudge against the four factions? Or does he like the feeling of killing those from the disciple realm?¡± Yang Ningyi covered her mouth and laughed.


    ¡°Rumor has it that that person has just broken through to the warrior realm, so he is now known as the ¡®God of War in the Pond¡¯.¡± Liu Yuquan smiled.


    ¡°This is too funny!¡± Yang Ningyi finally couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud.


    The God of War in the Pond was, in other words, someone who was the weakest among those of the same level and could only vent his anger on those of a lower level than him.


    This was not a good reputation, and it was easy for other warriors to look down on him.


    ¡°Pengzhou City is nearly 1,000 kilometers away from us. It¡¯s not like it happened in Luoxi City.¡± Zhao Yuan rolled his eyes and continued to undermine Liu Yuquan.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re wrong. The ¡®God of War in the Pond¡¯ has just arrived in Luoxi City today.¡± This time, Liu Yuquan was not angered. Instead, he smiled.


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s eyes widened when he heard this, and his expression did not look too good.


    He cursed in his heart. In order to please his junior sister, Liu Yuquan dared to say anything.


    If word got out, not only would it cause trouble for his school, but his fellow disciples would also be implicated.


    The smile on Yang Ningyi¡¯s face instantly disappeared. She said in a low voice, ¡°Senior Brother Liu, since he¡¯s already in Luoxi City, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to say this in public, right?¡±


    Towards the end, the volume of her voice was almost a flat line.


    ¡°There are more than 10 million people in Luoxi City. There are only a dozen or so people eating at the same restaurant on this floor at the same time. How could there be such a coincidence?¡± Liu Yuquan patted his chest and smiled.


    Yang Ningyi still didn¡¯t smile. She whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it. If someone hears and passes on the message, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t say anything else. I¡¯ll listen to Junior Sister,¡± Liu Yuquan said helplessly.


    At this time, the waiter brought the dishes to the table. The three of them quickly started another topic, and the atmosphere became relaxed again.


    Chen Yiming, who was a few meters away, had his suspicions.


    ¡°Could it be the work of the Hong clan, the World Destruction Sect, the Blood Sea Fort, and the Brotherhood Alliance? Otherwise, which warrior-level faction would be so free as to publicize this matter?¡±


    His good mood from returning to the city was instantly ruined by this matter.


    After the dishes were served and he finished them in a few bites, Chen Yiming stood up and left.


    Before entering the elevator and going downstairs, he secretly released three streams of black fog.


    Even though the black fog internal force had yet to reach the level where he had mastered its transformation, it was still enhanced by the Level-1 Undying Body talent. It struck Liu Yuquan, Yang Ningyi, and Zhao Yuan from a few meters away.


    Liu Yuquan and Zhao Yuan were both at the level of warrior candidates, while Yang Ningyi had undergone eight transformations. However, when faced with the black fog internal force, there was no difference between the levels below the warrior realm.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The three of them were hit hard and fell unconscious on the dining table.


    This was Chen Yiming¡¯s small punishment for the three of them. They would need to recuperate for half a year to a year.


    Nearly a minute later, when the restaurant received the reports from the other customers, the situation immediately became chaotic.


    The identities of the three of them were clearly not ordinary. If something happened in the restaurant and they could not find the person who had secretly attacked them, the reputation of the restaurant would inevitably be affected.


    Chen Yiming walked out of the circular commercial building and planned to return to the convoy¡¯s camp.


    However, after taking a few steps, a bird landed on his shoulder.


    These birds could barely be considered mutant beasts. They had only evolved to have a unique sense of smell, and could follow the smell within a range of 1,000 kilometers.


    Chen Yiming took the note from its foot and opened it.


    There was an address written on it, and the secret symbol agreed upon by Chen Yiming and Mo Yanfei was next to it.


    ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s news about the Li clan?¡±


    Thinking of this, his mood suddenly improved. With a flash, he disappeared from the street.


    ¡­


    In a valley more than 10 kilometers outside Luoxi City,


    Chen Yiming changed into a black cloak and entered the valley.


    This was what he had agreed with Mo Yanfei. The bird could only be released by Mo Yanfei, and he would interact with the Mo clan under the identity of the masked man.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Mo Fengzhi took the initiative to walk forward and greet him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Mo Fengzhi recalled Mo Yanfei¡¯s instructions before he left, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ve found the whereabouts of the Li clan. They¡¯re in a small town at the foot of the mountain where the Blue Cloud Sword Sect lives.¡±


    ¡°Blue Cloud Sword Sect?¡±


    Mo Fengzhi continued, ¡°A talented woman has appeared in the Li clan¡¯s new generation. She is now a disciple of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    The main entrance to the Blue Cloud Sword Sect is located on a large mountain between Luoxi City and Shangdu City. There is a grand elder at the third stage of the warrior realm presiding over the sect,¡± Mo Fengzhi told him truthfully.


    ¡°The third stage of the warrior realm?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Almost all factions at this level will set up camp outside the city,¡± Mo Fengzhi replied.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Even in a big city like Pengzhou City with a population of tens of millions, the city guardian was only at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    If a sect of this level set up camp in the city, it was inevitable that there would be conflicts between them.


    ¡°That woman from the Li clan is called Li Kun. She¡¯s a core disciple of one of the three peaks of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, the Purple Light Peak. She¡¯s at the warrior realm,¡± Mo Fengzhi continued.


    ¡°The warrior realm? She didn¡¯t invite her elders along to the dangerous place where the giant three-tailed turtle was to retrieve the concept diagrams of their clan¡¯s sword technique?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason. It seems like there was a small conflict within the clan,¡± Mo Fengzhi explained.


    ¡°Is that sword manual in the hands of Li Kun or the Li clan?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Mo Fengzhi added, ¡°The Li clan¡¯s new generation also has a young man called Li Yuanzhuo. It¡¯s said that he relied on his connections to enter the Blue Cloud Sword Sect and is now an inner sect disciple.


    I think the sword manual is most likely with Li Yuanzhuo.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming thought that it made sense.


    Only martial arts factions like martial arts schools and sects did not differentiate between genders. Martial arts clans usually had men inherit their clan¡¯s cultivation techniques.


    Therefore, no matter how talented Li Kun was, she would not be able to learn the sword technique passed down in her clan. Otherwise, she could just practice the sword technique passed down in her clan. There was no need for her to join the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    After all, the Li clan only had one concept diagram left after losing two. Only with sufficient talent could they create a new warrior with the sword manual.

 Chapter 137 - : Infiltration (I)

    Blue Cloud Town was located next to the road at the foot of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, and was only 30 to 40 kilometers away from Luoxi City.


    At this moment, the sky was turning dark, and night was about to fall.


    Cars of all sizes were parked on the empty lawn outside the town. The town was filled with people, and there was an endless stream of customers in the restaurants.


    Chen Yiming walked straight into the town and found a small restaurant with an empty table.


    As soon as he sat down, the conversation between two middle-aged men next to him drifted into his ears.


    ¡°Lao Zhou, your son, Zhou Zhenyu, is only 18 years old, but he has already reached the seventh transformation. I¡¯m really envious.¡± After Liu Heping finished speaking, he finished the white wine in his small cup in one gulp.


    ¡°Your son, Liu Mingfei, is not bad either. He has undergone eight transformations. There¡¯s a high chance that he will pass the entrance test,¡± Zhou Qingyang said humbly.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Liu Mingfei is already 20 years old. Age is a problem.¡± Liu Heping shook his head.


    Zhou Qingyang took the initiative to raise his glass and clink it against his companion¡¯s. He smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. The entrance test will last for a total of two days. We can just wait for the results quietly. We won¡¯t leave until we¡¯re drunk today.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Liu Heping clinked their glasses and downed his drink again.


    After a few drinks, the two middle-aged men quickly changed the topic away from the entrance test.


    He had coincidentally arrived at the time when the Blue Sword Sword Sect was recruiting new disciples.


    The entrance test lasted for two days.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he memorized this important piece of information.


    At this time, there would definitely be many unfamiliar faces entering the Blue Cloud Sword Sect. The timing was very suitable for him to infiltrate the sect.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming set off and went up the mountain.


    He left the town first and walked into a remote forest. Then, he covered his entire body with the black fog internal force. His entire body melted into the darkness, and he followed the only path up the mountain.


    ¡­


    At the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, in front of a row of temporary iron-plated houses beside the morning training square, dozens of fresh-faced young men and women were sitting in the open space in the square, chatting and laughing.


    At the end of the street in the square, young men and women could similarly be seen walking in the direction of the plated houses. Some of them were even carrying meal boxes.


    Chen Yiming blended into the darkness and sneaked into the sect. He wandered around and returned to the residence of the newcomers who were participating in the entrance test.


    Along the way, he did not dare to enter any houses. He only roughly memorized the layout of the buildings in the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    For example, the location of the three peaks, the library, the residential area for the outer sect disciples, the residential area for the inner sect disciples, and so on.


    Soon, the conversation between three young men and women caught his attention.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, after the swordsmanship theory assessment ended in the morning, Senior Brother Li Yuanzhuo kept us back individually and asked about our family situation. What do you think this means?¡± Tang Jinfei suddenly asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s just a normal show of concern. Senior Brother Li Yuanzhuo is really a good person. He even told me many things that I should take note of in the sword theory assessment.¡± Zhang Xiaohai was stunned.


    Jiang Huili, who was at the side, echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. After listening to Senior Brother Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s guidance, I think that even if we fail this time, there¡¯s a high chance that we can pass next year after we go back and prepare well.¡±


    Tang Jinfei¡¯s face darkened at their responses.


    He was different from the others. He came from an ordinary family and had relied on himself for his martial arts training all his life. Therefore, he was usually more cautious when handling matters.


    His intuition told him that Li Yuanzhuo was hiding something, but he could not say it out loud.


    Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice sounded from the side.


    ¡°I think Li Yuanzhuo is hinting that you guys should take the initiative to act.¡±


    The three of them turned around and saw a well-proportioned young man about 1.9 meters tall walking over.


    ¡°You are¡­?¡± Tang Jinfei asked warily.


    ¡°The same as you guys,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    His true age was 18 years old, the same age as most of the people taking the entrance test.


    He easily blended into the group of young men and women and nothing seemed to be amiss on the surface.


    At this moment, Jiang Huili said, ¡°Friend, please don¡¯t spout nonsense. The Blue Cloud Sword Sect is not an ordinary small sect. Senior Brother Li Yuanzhuo is not an elder of the sect, so how can he influence the final test results?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    The others did not know that Li Yuanzhuo had relied on his connections with Li Kun to join the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, and that Li Kun was a core disciple of the Purple Light Peak.


    Li Yuanzhuo had certain privileges among the inner sect disciples.


    ¡°The elders in the sect are responsible for the recruitment of new disciples, but it¡¯s impossible for them to personally be in charge of a small thing like arranging the name list for the matches. The disciples will definitely be in charge of it,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    At this point, it was obvious.


    Tang Jinfei looked at his two companions.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s guess coincided with his own. They both felt that there was something strange about Li Yuanzhuo.


    Zhang Xiaohai and Jiang Huili hesitated, but they still felt that there was no evidence.


    There was more than one inner sect disciple present at the venue. How could Li Yuanzhuo guarantee that he would be in charge of arranging the name list for the matches?


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming continued, ¡°There¡¯s another woman from the Li clan who is a disciple of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect. Furthermore, she¡¯s a core disciple.¡±


    As he spoke, Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s intentions were revealed. His motive was clear.


    Zhang Xiaohai and Jiang Huili took a deep breath. They no longer had any reason to refute him.


    Those who had connections had special privileges everywhere. It was very common for them to get what they wanted.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and the three of them started to discuss how much they should pay to bribe Li Yuanzhuo.


    In the end, the price was decided with an item worth 10 million yuan as the standard. None of them would offer anything worth more or less, to prevent Li Yuanzhuo from demanding too much.


    This was only a small price to pay for someone from the disciple realm who had undergone more than six transformations.


    After all, it was only a name list for the matches. Even if they could fight weaker opponents, they might not be chosen by the elders in charge of recruitment.


    After coming to a consensus, Tang Jinfei suggested, ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Let¡¯s go find Li Yuanzhuo now.¡±


    Zhang Xiaohai nodded and said worriedly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Li Yuanzhuo must have contacted more than just the few of us. It¡¯s best if we can get there before the others.¡±


    Jiang Huili also nodded, indicating that she had no objections.


    Chen Yiming naturally had no objections. He was just trying to trick the three of them into bringing him to Li Yuanzhuo.


    Thus, the four of them quietly left the crowd.


    Zhang Xiaohai walked at the front while Chen Yiming followed at the very back.


    ¡­


    The four of them walked along the main road of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect for more than a kilometer.


    They turned right and passed by the residence of the outer sect disciples. After walking for another half a kilometer, they followed the path beside the residence of the inner sect disciples and entered a peach forest.


    There was a pavilion deep in the peach forest.


    Beside the pavilion, a figure was waving his sword under the moonlight.


    His expression was focused, and his movements were precise. Every move reflected his serious attitude.


    The figure was Li Yuanzhuo, who was pretending to be focused on practicing his swordsmanship but was actually waiting for the newcomers he had interacted with during the day to come looking for him.


    Tang Jinfei, Zhang Xiaohai, and Jiang Huili quietly walked to the side and waited. Only when Li Yuanzhuo finished practicing and stopped did the three of them walk over.


    As the three of them waited, they realized that Chen Yiming had disappeared.


    However, since things had come to this, the three of them didn¡¯t want to cause any more trouble. Hence, they tacitly pretended that they hadn¡¯t met Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s black fog internal force enveloped his entire body as he blended into the darkness and waited dozens of meters away.


    Tang Jinfei, Zhang Xiaohai, and Jiang Huili chatted with Li Yuanzhuo for a few minutes.


    Probably because Li Yuanzhuo had not only interacted with these three people, and also because they had discussed the price in advance, Li Yuanzhuo looked a little unhappy. However, he still agreed in the end.


    He accepted the checks from the three of them and waved them away.


    After the three of them left the peach forest, ¡°Clang!¡±


    Li Yuanzhuo received a heavy blow to his head.


    Without making a sound, he collapsed to the ground.


    Chen Yiming dispersed the black fog internal force and squatted down to search his body.

 Chapter 138 - Infiltration (II)

    A few minutes later, Chen Yiming muttered with a frown, ¡°The sword manual and the last concept diagram aren¡¯t here!¡±


    Other than money, Li Yuanzhuo had nothing else on him.


    In this situation, Chen Yiming had no choice but to hit him a few more times.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Li Yuanzhuo woke up due to the pain.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw a face covered by a black cloth.


    He instantly understood that the masked man in a black cloak had ambushed him.


    ¡°Where are the Li clan¡¯s sword manual and concept diagram? If you don¡¯t want to die, tell me the truth,¡± Chen Yiming threatened as he made a cutting motion.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Li Yuanzhuo was a little confused and asked reflexively.


    ¡°Cut the crap.¡± Chen Yiming kicked Li Yuanzhuo in the waist.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Li Yuanzhuo screamed again, but his voice was stuck in his throat. His entire body was bent like a cooked lobster.


    Chen Yiming had reacted quickly and grabbed a handful of mud to gag him.


    ¡°Stop¡­ I¡¯ll talk.¡± Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s face was pale as he spat out the mud and stammered as he begged for mercy.


    At this moment, an endless amount of humiliation surged up in his heart. For no apparent reason, an unknown warrior had come looking for him.


    Without any hesitation, he had knocked him out, then woken him up, then punched and kicked him.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded from afar.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s ears twitched. He grabbed Li Yuanzhuo and disappeared into the peach forest. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at a remote spot on the back of the mountain.


    This place was close to the side of the mountain. If anything happened, he could directly kick him off the mountain.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Li Yuanzhuo was thrown to the ground by Chen Yiming.


    He spat out a mouthful of blood and his entire person became dispirited.


    ¡°Spare me,¡± Li Yuanzhuo begged.


    Then, he hurriedly said, ¡°The sword manual and concept diagram were given to the Blue Cloud Sword Sect when I joined the sect.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned when he heard this.


    From Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s struggling earlier, he could tell that this person had only undergone six transformations.


    At the age of 23 or 24, he had undergone six transformations and was not even close to the requirements of an outer sect disciple. However, in reality, he had become an inner sect disciple.


    Clearly, even though he had connections, he had paid a high price.


    Seeing this, Li Yuanzhuo added, ¡°The Li clan¡¯s Skyfall Sword Technique is too incomplete. The sword manual and concept diagram are placed in the library as a basic sword technique for all the disciples to refer to.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°Clean up and bring me to the library.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s eyes widened.


    The figure of the masked man in front of him had already disappeared from sight.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up,¡± a voice sounded in the air.


    Cold sweat broke out on Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s forehead.


    If he brought a stranger into the library and was exposed, even Li Kun would not be able to protect him.


    The choice he faced was whether to die now or in the future.


    After a while, Li Yuanzhuo let out a long breath and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a leaf. He then straightened up his wrinkled clothes.


    Throughout the entire process, not only were his hands trembling, but his body was also trembling uncontrollably.


    After settling everything, he walked towards the library.


    The journey of about a kilometer took more than 10 minutes.


    The library had a total of two floors.


    The first floor was filled with basic martial arts techniques. To the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, these referred to the martial arts techniques in the lowest level of the warrior realm. One could only rely on these to break through to the warrior realm.


    On the second floor were martial arts techniques that contained more than three concept diagrams. Only true disciples and above were qualified to read them. The elders of the sect took turns guarding the room.


    ¡°Junior Brother Li, you don¡¯t look too good. What happened?¡± Fan Peisong stood up from his stool and shouted.


    He was an inner sect disciple who was in charge of registration and guarding the first floor. The importance of the first and second floors was worlds apart, and there were no elders guarding this floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I might have eaten something unclean.¡± Li Yuanzhuo found an excuse and brushed it off.


    ¡°By the way, Junior Brother Li, about what I asked you to find out last time¡­¡± Fan Peisong asked.


    ¡°Wait a little longer. Li Kun has been in seclusion recently,¡± Li Yuanzhuo responded.


    With that, he walked straight in.


    After receiving his reply, Fan Peisong let him pass.


    Then, he sat back on the stool and filled in Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s name on the register.


    He had helped most of the inner sect disciples with the registration before, and there had never been any problems.


    Li Yuanzhuo stepped into the library, and his mind went blank as it buzzed non-stop.


    Once he crossed this threshold, the nature of the situation would be very different. Now that he had officially become a spy in the sect, he could only pray that he would not be discovered.


    Relying on his instincts, he walked to the bookshelf based on his memory and took down the manual for the Skyfall Sword Technique.


    However, in the blink of an eye, an invisible hand snatched the manual away.


    Li Yuanzhuo watched helplessly as the manual for the Skyfall Sword Technique gradually disappeared from his sight.


    He felt completely exhausted. He held onto the bookshelf for support and took several deep breaths.


    ¡°Junior Brother Li, are you alright?¡± Fan Peisong, who was at the door, sensed that something was amiss and shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I accidentally touched the bookshelf,¡± Li Yuanzhuo quickly found an excuse to reply.


    He was shocked by Fan Peisong¡¯s voice and regained some of his strength. He took a book from the bookshelf and pretended to read it.


    Right now, he was like a frightened bird. If there was any movement, he would suspect that he had been exposed.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming flipped through the sword manual in the corner of the first floor of the library.


    In order to prevent making any noise, he moved very quietly.


    Therefore, it took him nearly 10 minutes to finish reading it and confirm the authenticity of the sword manual.


    Fortunately, the concept diagram on the last page was actually different from the two he had deduced. It was a concept diagram of the same type.


    This meant that he had gathered four concept diagrams.


    At this moment, he did not need to test it out to feel that the meteor concept diagram formed by the figure in his mind was even more alive and perfect.


    When Chen Yiming finished reading the sword manual, Fan Peisong was still checking up on Li Yuanzhuo every once in a while, concerned about his health.


    Chen Yiming took advantage of the gaps in their conversation to leave the library.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t move quickly, but the ripples in the air couldn¡¯t be completely suppressed.


    Fan Peisong was focused on his conversation with Li Yuanzhuo and thought that it was just a gust of wind. He did not think too much about it and continued to chat with Li Yuanzhuo.


    ¡­


    At the entrance of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, two middle-aged men and a middle-aged woman stood at a high point. They looked past the mountain gate and stared in the direction of the library.


    The concealment ability of the black fog internal force could cause someone in the disciple realm to sense that something was amiss, let alone someone from the warrior realm.


    The moment Chen Yiming stepped into the library, he was noticed by the elder in charge of guarding the place. However, the Blue Cloud Sword Sect was unwilling to let a fight take place in the sect, since their disciples might get injured by accident.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not appropriate to leave just like that,¡± Huang Lieyan said calmly.


    His voice was like a huge bell ringing. As the air vibrated, the entire Blue Cloud Sword Sect heard his words.


    At this moment, in the temporary residence for the entrance test, the residence for the outer sect disciples, and the residence for the inner sect disciples, the people were in an uproar and they ran out of the houses.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the source of the sound, at the entrance of the mountain gate.


    Chen Yiming dispersed the black fog and revealed his masked figure in a black cloak.


    ¡°Are you guys going to stop me?¡±


    The sound transmission technique was extremely crude, but the hidden strength-based internal force allowed the strength of the sound wave to completely crush the previous sound.


    In the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, disciples below the warrior candidate realm instantly felt their eardrums start to bleed from the vibration of the sound waves. Their vision darkened and they fell to the ground.


    The disciples in the warrior candidate realm barely withstood the impact of the sound waves, but their heads were spinning and they were on the verge of collapse.


    Suddenly, the sect was in chaos. All the disciples were no longer watching the commotion. Other than those who had fainted, they were all fleeing deeper into the sect.


    The air was filled with a murderous aura, and everyone felt a sense of impending doom.

 Chapter 139 - Joined Forces (I)

    The middle-aged woman let out a long breath.


    Her breath rushed out like a snake and swept across the grass. The green grass instantly withered and turned yellow.


    Gong Shangqin¡¯s gaze turned from indifference to focus as she said mildly, ¡°How many years has it been? It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve met someone who can remain calm when facing the three peak masters of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect at the same time.


    I don¡¯t know if your confidence is warranted and whether you can bear the consequences for your deeds.¡±


    Gong Shangqin, the Peak Master of the Purple Light Peak, still did not treat the masked man as though he was at the same level as the three of them. This was because the cultivation technique that the masked man had stolen was only at the ordinary warrior realm.


    Not only did the three peak masters have the advantage in numbers, but the martial arts techniques they cultivated could also work together to produce a combined effect. As long as the three of them worked together, they could even hold their own against someone at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    And no matter how one looked at it, it was impossible for the masked man to be at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    Chen Yiming looked up at Huang Lieyan and sneered, ¡°How confident are you three? Earlier, one of you peak masters was defeated after just one round.¡±


    The sound that was like a huge bell ringing had spread throughout the entire Blue Cloud Sword Sect. However, the strength-based internal force hidden in the sound waves caused most of the sect¡¯s disciples to sustain internal injuries.


    The difference in strength between the two sides was obvious. His tone was merciless as he pointed out the difference in the intensity of the sound waves.


    Huang Lieyan¡¯s face twitched, and his eyes narrowed.


    He was the Peak Master of the Heavenly Dipper Peak, and had never been looked down on like this.


    However, even though he did not use his full strength, he had to admit that he could not beat the masked man.


    Therefore, a killing intent appeared in his heart.


    Seeing this, Liang Xishan said in a low voice, ¡°Senior Brother Huang, don¡¯t be fooled by his words. The opponent has only mastered a special sound wave secret technique.¡±


    Then, he turned his gaze back to the masked man. ¡°Young man, victory or defeat is not determined by words. Where did you get the confidence to fight against all three peak masters at the same time?¡±


    The Peak Master of Thunder Peak, Liang Xishan, was more than 10 years younger than the other two peak masters. His reputation might not be as good as his senior brother and sister, but his talent and strength were definitely better than theirs.


    ¡°Three people at the second stage of the warrior realm?¡± Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the three of them and shook his head. ¡°If this is all you have, I can only say that it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Hearing this, Liang Xishan, the Peak Master of Thunder Peak, felt as though he had just heard the biggest joke ever. He said calmly, ¡°How arrogant. Whether it¡¯s enough or not is not up to you.¡±


    Gong Shangqin, the Peak Master of Purple Light Peak, smiled and added, ¡°If you can get past us, the sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect will naturally be waiting for you.¡±


    Their expressions remained unchanged, but anger surged in their hearts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, lest we leave behind a huge problem,¡± Huang Lieyan, the Peak Master of the Heavenly Dipper Peak, reminded them before he made his move.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Liang Xishan and Gong Shangqin replied.


    They had already formed a huge grudge, and the masked man looked like he was still young.


    Although the three of them spoke in a carefree manner, they had already planned to kill him. They definitely could not let the masked man escape.


    Three figures flashed at the same time and surrounded the masked man in a triangular formation.


    Immediately after, three huge auras soared into the sky, covering the entire entrance of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    The combined strength of three people at the second stage of the warrior realm was extremely terrifying. Under the combination of their auras, the disciples hiding in the depths of the mountain felt their hearts skip a beat. A heavy, invisible pressure appeared out of thin air.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It was said that the sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect was at the third stage of the warrior realm. He had been worrying about how difficult it would be to find someone at this level.


    The other party was also someone who hid deep in the mountains to train. Even if he made a mistake, it would not directly affect the overall situation of the war between the humans and the otherworld.


    At this moment, in a cave at the back of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect,


    a disciple asked anxiously, ¡°Are they really going to fight?¡±


    ¡°This is bad. A single sound from earlier injured so many people. What should we do if they start fighting?¡± The person beside him suddenly said worriedly.


    The other disciples, whether they were from the inner or outer sect, were all panicking.


    Some people wanted to leave the cave and go down the mountain via the cliff to avoid them.


    ¡°Quiet!¡±


    A thunderous voice exploded in the ears of all the disciples.


    At the same time, an old figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.


    The old man pressed his hand against the wall and instantly released his internal force.


    In the next moment, the walls of the cave were covered in green patterns, completely isolating it from the terrifying aura outside.


    At the entrance of the mountain, three people stood in a triangular formation, with the masked man in the middle.


    Chen Yiming allowed the three of them to surround him. Even though he was at the intersection of their auras, he didn¡¯t move at all. His expression remained unchanged.


    This was his confidence in the talent from the martial arts talent system. Even if he was facing three experts of the same level at the same time, he did not need to take even one step back.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the three of you going to make a move?¡± Chen Yiming asked with a smile.


    He slowly pulled out the sword at his waist. At the same time, the powerful strength-based internal force surged out of his body.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± The expressions of the three changed.


    The martial arts techniques cultivated by the three peak masters were the three parts of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect¡¯s core cultivation technique. Together, they formed the technique for the third stage of the warrior realm.


    Not only could their internal force complement each other, but so could their aura.


    However, at this moment, the three of them felt an unstoppable power forcefully pushing aside their auras.


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    Huang Lieyan, the Peak Master of the Heavenly Dipper Peak, was the first to attack.


    As he slashed out, his internal force turned into a diamond-shaped, transparent spinning wheel. At first, it was only the size of a palm, but it expanded to a diameter of 10 meters in midair, becoming like a small Ferris wheel.


    Along the way, a windstorm was created as though a typhoon had swept past. A substantial cutting force spread out continuously, and wherever it passed, it destroyed everything.


    In the depths of the mountains of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, more than 10 elders of the sect stood on top of the cave that the disciples were hiding in.


    ¡°Is the masked man that powerful?¡± an elder shouted in surprise.


    This elder came from the Heavenly Dipper Peak, so he could tell at a glance that the peak master, Huang Lieyan, was not testing the waters. Instead, he directly used his internal force to unleash his strongest finishing move.


    The other elders at the side also had solemn expressions. No one had expected such a situation.


    This was because the finishing moves were usually used to catch one off guard. Once used in front of the opponent, they would definitely be on guard against it and the effect would be greatly reduced.


    In another corner of the formation, Gong Shangqin sighed. ¡°What a pity. He¡¯s so young, but he has to die here.¡±


    A memory flashed in her mind. She recalled her female disciple, Li Kun, whose talent had shocked the sect master. She had broken through from a beginner to a warrior in just three years after entering the sect.


    The longsword in her hand slashed out without any hesitation.


    Her internal force turned into a purple flame that surrounded the masked man in the blink of an eye. The purple flame burned everything, and even light could not escape from it, causing the masked man to completely disappear from their line of sight.


    In the last corner of the formation, Liang Xishan sneered. ¡°Hehe!¡±


    He was the last to attack, and slashed out with his sword.


    His internal force transformed into a thunderbird. The thunderbird charged out from behind his sword, its wings spanning a length of more than 10 meters. With a flap of its wings that were flickering with lightning, it caught up to the spinning wheel and purple flames in front of it.


    The three peak masters joined forces and used their finishing moves right from the start.


    The three martial arts techniques were originally from the same source, and the combination of their internal forces could complement each other¡¯s strengths. They had never thought of letting the masked man walk out of there alive.


    At the top of the cave where the disciples were hiding from the danger,


    ¡°Protect the cave.¡±


    All the elders¡¯ expressions changed drastically as they jumped down.


    Each of them placed their hands on the walls of the cave. Internal force seeped out of their bodies and was absorbed by the cave walls.


    For an instant, the cave shone brightly, and the walls emitted a dazzling green light.


    The walls could absorb and modify the internal force of an ordinary warrior, creating an effect similar to the transformation of internal force.

 Chapter 140 - Joined Forces (II)

    ¡°Too weak,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    At the same time, he slashed out with his sword, showing them some basic respect.


    His thick and vast internal force turned into a sphere. The sphere expanded continuously, and in the blink of an eye, it was more than 20 meters wide.


    This was the effect of his Level-1 Undying Body talent on the enhancement of his internal force. With the combined enhancement of various factors such as strength, range, and speed, it was clearly more powerful than the joined internal forces of the three peak masters.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The three streams of internal force collided with the strength-based internal force.


    The cutting force emitted by the spinning wheel was forcefully repelled. Then, the spinning wheel appeared to be caught in an indestructible wall and dissipated into the air after losing its spinning force.


    The purple flames fared worse. It could not burn through the barrier formed by the sphere and was instantly pushed away. A sea of purple flames headed back towards the three of them.


    The thunderbird¡¯s performance was about the same. Although it was the fastest, its beak, which was like the tip of a sword, pierced the surface of the sphere then instantly shattered, causing the thunderbird to disintegrate.


    The three combined internal forces were destroyed upon the first contact, and could not even put up a stalemate. From the outside, only the sphere could still be seen, and it was continuously expanding.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± the expressions of the three changed simultaneously as they shouted.


    Facing the sphere that was constantly expanding in all directions and the purple flames that were being forced back, the three of them did not care about maintaining the encirclement and retreated dozens of meters to avoid the danger.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Each of the elders who were watching from the side of the cave drew in a breath of cold air.


    ¡°The combined strength of the three peak masters is actually not a match for him. Could this masked man be at the third stage of the warrior realm like the sect master?¡± an elder screamed.


    The other elders also had strange expressions on their faces. Some were so frightened that they were speechless, some had blank expressions, and some were cursing in exasperation.


    When the disciples in the cave saw the changes in the elders, they felt like their hearts were about to stop beating.


    The Blue Cloud Sword Sect was a large sect with a leader in the third stage of the warrior realm. It had always given its disciples a sense of security as wide as the sea. However, at this moment, some cracks seemed to have appeared.


    In front of the mountain gate, after the dust settled, the masked man was revealed to be unharmed.


    With the masked man as the center, a large circle with a diameter of more than 20 meters had appeared.


    On the mountain gate, there was a plaque with the words ¡°Blue Cloud Sword Sect¡± written in gold. As the stone wall had been sent flying who knows where during the fight, the entire mountain gate was now flattened.


    Huang Lieyan, Gong Shangqin, and Liang Xishan stood side by side, their mouths agape.


    When they received the news from the elder at the library, the three of them were gathered together to discuss the talent of this batch of newcomers.


    With Li Kun as an example, Huang Lieyan and Liang Xishan were both looking for a disciple with outstanding talent.


    Originally, they had thought that just one peak master at the second stage of the warrior realm was needed to hold him back. The other two peak masters had only followed out of curiosity.


    However, the situation had developed beyond their expectations. Not only were the three of them unable to defeat their opponent, but they were also completely at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Liang Xishan no longer dared to underestimate the masked man and asked solemnly.


    ¡°With your strength, is it fun to tease us?¡± Gong Shangqin said with an ugly expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a manual for a sword technique at the ordinary warrior realm. Why don¡¯t we sit down and talk it out?¡± Huang Lieyan was the last to speak, trying to sound out the masked man¡¯s intentions.


    Of the three of them, two of them were playing the bad cop while the last one was playing the good cop. Since their sect master was at the third stage of the warrior realm, they were not too worried.


    Chen Yiming glanced into the depths of the mountains of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect and realized that what he had done was not enough to force the sect master at the third stage of the warrior realm to appear.


    His feet moved, and a shock wave exploded. He soared into the sky and leaped 100 meters into the air.


    ¡°Die!¡± A sword shadow slashed out.


    The strength-based internal force transformed into a meteor under the moonlight. The meteor had a diameter of more than 20 meters and smashed straight towards where the three people were gathered together.


    The meteorite faced a great amount of air resistance but displaced the air in its way. A white barrier formed on the surface of the meteorite, and a burning tail formed by the friction followed it.


    ¡°Should we face it or avoid it?¡± Gong Shangqin asked.


    ¡°This is the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.¡± Huang Lieyan sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re going all out. Use your secret technique,¡± Liang Xishan said in a low voice.


    The three of them looked at each other and instantly reached a consensus. They knew that they could not hold back at all.


    The masked man seemed to be in his twenties, but he was making the three middle-aged people in their forties or fifties feel as though they were facing a formidable enemy. They were forced to use their secret techniques.


    Secret techniques, whether they were spiritual or physical, would harm one¡¯s body once they were used. In serious cases, it would affect one¡¯s foundation and cause one¡¯s progress along the path of martial arts to stop.


    ¡°Dream on!¡± the three of them shouted at the same time.


    Immediately after, the three of them instantly became a few times larger. Those who were two meters in height became two and a half meters tall, and those who were two and a half meters tall reached three meters in height.


    This was a body-based secret technique that temporarily squeezed out energy from the blood cells. The temporary energy carried a trace of life force and could increase the strength of one¡¯s internal force.


    The spinning wheel, purple flames, and thunderbird slashed out at the same time.


    This time, the three of them did not dare to take any chances. The three internal forces left their bodies and instantly fused together.


    In the next moment, the three internal forces representing cutting, burning, and speed combined into one, turning into a thunderbird with a wingspan of more than 20 meters.


    At this moment, the thunderbird¡¯s size had finally reached the same level as the meteorite. A dark purple gas that resembled both lightning and fire flowed on its body, and it carried a spinning wheel in its beak.


    The spinning wheel not only provided a powerful cutting force, but also increased the speed of the thunderbird by one level.


    ¡°They really fused together.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Under the sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, there were three peaks each with a peak master. The cultivation techniques of the three peaks were definitely closely related to the sect master.


    The fusion of internal forces of different attributes was definitely an important factor in the third stage of the warrior realm. The direction for the next stage of cultivation was right in front of him.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The powerful cutting force accompanied by a sharp piercing force attacked the surface of the meteorite. The high temperature of the purple flames and lightning continued to break down the structural integrity of the meteorite.


    However, the meteorite formed by Chen Yiming¡¯s strength-based internal force was naturally tough and had the ability to restore itself.


    Even though its surface could be broken through in an instant, a huge amount of strength-based internal force would soon fill up the hole.


    In the end, amidst the continuous cycle of destruction and repair, a blinding light exploded in midair, and the meteorite and the thunderbird dissipated at the same time.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Huang Lieyan, Gong Shangqin, and Liang Xishan were in disbelief. The elders guarding the disciples by the cave were also in disbelief.


    The elders did not know that the three peak masters had even used their secret techniques, but they could not imagine that the joined three-in-one internal force could only achieve the result of a tie with the masked man.


    In their hearts, the combined strength of the three peak masters was comparable to the sect master personally taking action for a short period of time.


    At this time, Huang Lieyan, Gong Shangqin, and Liang Xishan each spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.


    This was a side effect of using the secret technique. Because the strength of each blood cell was different, the relatively weak blood cells could not withstand the pressure from the technique and melted into the blood.


    ¡°This is impossible!¡±


    The pride in their hearts shattered like a piece of glass.


    They could not understand how the masked man¡¯s internal force, which only had one attribute, could match their combined internal force.


    It had to be known that their joined internal force was a weaker version of the internal force from the third stage of the warrior realm. They had also used a secret technique to increase its power.


    ¡°It¡¯s a draw!¡± Chen Yiming was just as shocked as his opponents.


    He had thought that even if his opponents¡¯ internal forces would be able to temporarily withstand his strength-based internal force that was enhanced by the Level-1 Undying Body talent, he would still win in the end.


    It was clear that the fusion of internal forces was not a simple additive effect, but a qualitative improvement. It was comparable to the qualitative change caused by his special talent.


    After landing on the ground, Chen Yiming walked towards the exhausted trio.


    ¡°Not putting up any more resistance?¡±


    ¡°Have you already used all your trump cards?¡±


    ¡°Is your sect master not around?¡±


    Hearing the three consecutive questions from the masked man, the three of them watched helplessly as their opponent slowly approached step by step. Their pupils constricted as an invisible pressure appeared in their hearts.


    With the enhancement from the secret technique, although the three of them were not powerless to resist, the three-in-one internal force was only able to tie with their opponent. If they continued to resist, they might die even earlier.


    In their despair, the three of them subconsciously turned to look into the depths of the mountain.


    They kept praying in their hearts that it was not the critical moment of their sect¡¯s master breakthrough such that he was unable to come to their aid.

 Chapter 141 - Sect Master (I)

    The three peak masters of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect were the strongest members other than the sect master. However, in just two rounds, they had already lost their will to fight and were so frightened that they were waiting for the sect master to rescue them.


    With such an unexpected turn of events, other than the disciples who could not see the situation outside, all the elders felt that they could not breathe easily. They gulped and found that their feet were stuck firmly to the ground.


    They wanted to stop the masked man who was walking towards the three peak masters, but their bodies refused to cooperate.


    For a moment, the entire Blue Cloud Sword Sect fell silent.


    ¡°Young man.¡±


    In front of the flattened mountain gate, a thin figure had appeared at some point.


    The person was dressed in loose robes and had a head of white hair. On the surface, he looked like an ordinary old man, but his aura was as heavy as the sea.


    ¡°Sect Master?¡± Chen Yiming turned around and smiled.


    The person who had arrived was the sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, Li Daoyi.


    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re really something. My three disciples are more than 20 years your senior, but they can¡¯t even put up a fight against you,¡± Li Daoyi said calmly with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Elder, your praise is too much. The three peak masters were only defeated in one move because they were careless,¡± Chen Yiming lied through his teeth.


    ¡°A loss is a loss. There¡¯s no excuse for it,¡± Li Daoyi continued, ¡°For decades, the Blue Cloud Sword Sect has collected more than 100 types of sword techniques at the warrior realm. Young man, if you just want to read them, you can come in and have a good chat with me.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he rejected the offer. ¡°I just had a small conflict with the three peak masters, so I¡¯m too ashamed to enter the Blue Cloud Sword Sect again. Why don¡¯t you give me a few pointers right here?¡±


    He was not arrogant enough to sit with the sect master over a cup of tea.


    He only planned to exchange a few blows to test the gap between his current self and a warrior at the third stage of the warrior realm. After that, he would have to somehow make his escape.


    Li Daoyi stroked his white beard and said calmly, ¡°Young man, all of us from the entire Blue Cloud Sword Sect, including me, have martial arts talent that is more than a level lower than yours. However, you¡¯re only in your twenties, after all. You still need to be humble and ask for guidance.¡±


    There was a hint of a threat in his words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to trouble you, Elder. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Chen Yiming sighed and decided to retreat.


    ¡°Young man, you are really thick-skinned. You stole a cultivation technique from my Blue Cloud Sword Sect and now you want to leave without paying the price?¡± Li Daoyi chuckled.


    ¡°Then I thank you for your guidance, Elder,¡± Chen Yiming said with a serious expression.


    Li Daoyi was the current sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    In the Daxia Kingdom, outside of the large cities that were the capitals of the provinces, those at the third stage of the warrior realm stood at the very top.


    People of this level rarely appeared in front of ordinary people. Once they made a move, the destruction they would cause was enough to destroy a city.


    The masked man had defeated the three peak masters of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect in two rounds.


    Although he was not at the third stage of the warrior realm, his true combat strength far exceeded that of ordinary people of the same level. It was not impossible for him to fight someone of a higher level.


    The three peak masters took advantage of the confrontation between the masked man and Li Daoyi to retreat to where the other elders were standing.


    At this moment, no one spoke. Everyone was silent, and their expressions were solemn.


    After all, the combined strength of the three peak masters that was said to be comparable to the sect master in the short term was only able to result in a draw. This meant that neither of the two sides had a large advantage in strength.


    This way, even if one side was defeated, they could still easily escape.


    A gust of wind blew past, and dry leaves fell from the sky.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming was the first to make a move. His figure disappeared and reappeared 10 meters away from Li Daoyi.


    At this distance, as long as Li Daoyi did not dodge, he would definitely clash head-on with him. From this, the difference between him and the third stage of the warrior realm would be revealed.


    He focused all his internal force on his sword, and a dark brown sword shadow slashed at Li Daoyi at lightning speed.


    As soon as the sword shadow appeared, it transformed into a huge rock. The diameter of the huge rock was more than 20 meters, and it instantly filled the distance of 10 meters between them.


    ¡°The strength of ordinary people¡¯s internal force is far inferior to yours!¡± Li Daoyi praised.


    In an instant, he slashed out in response.


    With a flash of sword light, a thunderbird with a wingspan of only a few meters flew straight out. It was much smaller than the thunderbird that had formed from the three peak masters¡¯ combined internal force.


    However, not only was this thunderbird much more substantial, but it also looked more agile. Furthermore, there were no signs of the three types of internal force on the surface of its body.


    As soon as it appeared, a thunderous shout rang out. It was as if it was not formed by internal force, but was an actual living creature.


    ¡°Crack¡­¡±


    The thunderbird collided with the huge rock and instantly pierced through it. Countless cracks spread from one point to the other, as if the huge rock would break apart at any moment.


    However, the huge rock had an automatic restoration ability. In the blink of an eye, it shone brightly and the cracks closed up one after another, as if there were two huge palms that were trying to trap the thunderbird.


    The two sides were about to reach a stalemate.


    Suddenly, a buzzing sound rang out.


    The entire thunderbird completely pierced through the brown energy barrier on the surface of the huge rock and charged straight into its center.


    In the next moment, endless streams of sword light shot out from the inside of the huge rock, turning it into a spiked ball.


    The restoration ability provided by the Level-1 Undying Body talent was limited. The huge rock could not recover from the level of destruction brought about by such an explosive attack from the inside.


    ¡°I knew this would happen.¡±


    A sigh sounded.


    Immediately after, four boulders appeared in the air. They were connected by brown energy lines, similar to a long sword made of rocks.


    This longsword formed from rocks formed from internal force was the full appearance of the Skyfall Sword Technique¡¯s strongest finishing move.


    Previously, Chen Yiming had only had the concept diagram. Although he had comprehended the concept of great power contained within it, he hadn¡¯t mastered the tools to maximize the power from the concept.


    A huge sword about 100 meters long descended from the sky and smashed straight at the thunderbird that had charged out of the rubble.


    ¡°This!¡±


    The moment the three peak masters saw the huge sword appear in the sky, their eyes widened. They could not accept that the masked man had not even reached his limit earlier.


    If the masked man had used such an attack from the start, the three of them would have been crushed instantly.


    At the same time, with the sect master¡¯s appearance, the elders allowed the disciples to leave the cave. All the disciples and elders were shocked speechless when they saw this scene in the sky.


    There was a ten-fold difference between 10 meters and 100 meters. None of their mentors had ever displayed such an exaggerated attack form.


    Normally, the range of the transformation of internal force at the second stage of the warrior realm was about 10 meters.


    It was not that one was unwilling to continue expanding their attack range, but that the strength of one¡¯s internal force could at most support the stable energy structure within this range.


    ¡°Is this person actually a beast in human form?¡±


    Li Daoyi¡¯s expression became extremely solemn.


    This was completely unlike what humans on the blue planet could achieve. Instead, it was at the level of a special entity among the alien creatures from the otherworld.


    However, even though Li Daoyi had participated in the war between the blue planet and the otherworld for many years and had seen people who were 30%, 50%, or even 100% stronger than those of the same level, he had never seen anyone who was 50 times stronger than those of the same level.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Half of the thunderbird¡¯s body was still inside the boulder when it collided with the huge sword that was descending from the sky.


    The huge sword instantly shone brightly. The four huge rocks embedded in the blade emitted a dazzling light, and an invisible gravitational force was transmitted to the front layer by layer.


    The thunderbird was unwilling to give up just like that. Its entire body glowed brightly as well, and all its strength was focused on its beak to resist the attack.


    On one side was an endless amount of gravitational force from a meteorite falling through the sky, while the other side was a combined force formed by the forces of cutting, burning, and speed.


    As the two forces collided, the entire Blue Cloud Sword Sect was covered in light, and everyone temporarily lost their vision.


    In addition, the parents of the newcomers who were taking the entrance test at the foot of the mountain


    had previously sensed the commotion from the battle on the mountain and knew that something had happened in the Blue Cloud Sword Sect. Many people gathered and whispered to each other, trying to get information from others.

 Chapter 142 - Sect Master (II)

    At this moment, a huge explosion appeared at the top of the mountain, and a powerful shockwave swept down the mountain. The parents¡¯ expressions changed drastically, and they fled towards the town in fear.


    The sounds of collision went on for nearly a minute before revealing a huge pit created from the destruction.


    The hole was not deep, only 20 to 30 meters in depth. Clearly, even though the huge sword won in the end, most of its power had been used up.


    ¡°My strongest finishing move can rival an ordinary attack from my opponent.¡± Chen Yiming came to a conclusion.


    With his strength at the second stage of the warrior realm, his attack power had reached the lowest level of the third stage of the warrior realm.


    This meant that those at the third stage of the warrior realm would not be able to severely injure him easily. Ordinary attacks were not enough to overcome the recovery ability of his Level-1 Undying Body talent.


    ¡°What a strong internal force!¡± Li Daoyi sneered. ¡°I thought that I had originally thought highly enough of you, but from the looks of it, I¡¯ve far underestimated you.¡±


    ¡°Elder, you flatter me. I was just born with a better physique.¡± Chen Yiming took a deep breath and felt his body regain its strength.


    He could freely use the power of an ordinary warrior without worrying about the speed at which he could recover his energy.


    However, after using his strongest finishing move at the second stage of the warrior realm, the recovery speed brought about by his Level-1 Undying Body talent was no longer enough to support his extravagant energy expenditure. He needed nearly a minute to recover.


    ¡°This is just a casual attack from me, and you can still use the same finishing move a few more times,¡± Li Daoyi said with a smile. He was in no hurry to attack.


    ¡°Elder, you can try a few more moves. I¡¯ll play along anytime,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    His expression did not change, but he was already looking for an opportunity to escape. After all, he had already tested his abilities as he wished, and there was no need to fight Li Daoyi to the death.


    ¡°Are you from the blue planet?¡± Li Daoyi suddenly asked.


    ¡°Elder, why do you say that?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°What a pity.¡± Li Daoyi sighed and continued, ¡°Even if you are a rare genius among humans, I can¡¯t let you leave alive today.¡±


    In his heart, he guessed that the masked man had the potential to become a martial arts master. However, since he had already formed a huge grudge with the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, he could not be blamed for killing him.


    After all, he was the head of a sect. It was impossible for him to have the heart of a saint and let a genius the sect had formed a grudge with grow further.


    ¡°Are you that confident? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be embarrassing yourself?¡± Chen Yiming laughed.


    ¡°Young man, let me teach you a lesson. The warrior realm is not the disciple realm. No one can fight an opponent from a different level.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Li Daoyi slashed out with his sword.


    The sword light transformed into three thunderbirds. One attacked from the front while the other two flanked him from the side.


    All of a sudden, the masked man was targeted by three thunderbirds at the same time. No matter which direction he dodged in, it did not seem like a good choice. It seemed as if he had fallen into a desperate situation.


    Of course, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t just stand there and get attacked.


    The moment Li Daoyi made his move, he had also launched an attack with a huge sword formed from four huge rocks.


    At the same time, the figure in his mind turned into the black fog concept diagram, and black fog internal force appeared in his body.


    Then, under the concealment effect of the black fog internal force, he took advantage of the fact that the huge sword was temporarily holding off the three thunderbirds and shot towards the bottom of the mountain, escaping without looking back.


    This was his trump card for escaping. Even if the other party caught up to him, it would be difficult for him to accurately determine his position in the dark night. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t believe that the other party had the ability to launch a destructive attack like him.


    ¡°Crack¡­¡±


    The huge sword only lasted for about 10 seconds before it was torn apart by the three thunderbirds.


    After the dust settled, the masked man had already disappeared.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±


    Li Daoyi¡¯s expression turned ugly. He could vaguely tell from the sound of the footsteps that the masked man had already escaped down the mountain, but he could not see him at all.


    Seeing this, the three peak masters jumped to Li Daoyi¡¯s side and reported, ¡°Sect Master, the other party has a special concealment ability.¡±


    The elder who discovered that the masked man had sneaked into the library had reported his concealment ability to the three peak masters. However, the three peak masters had not reported this information to the sect master. After all, they did not expect that they would be defeated.


    By the time Li Daoyi appeared to save the three peak masters, Chen Yiming had already dispersed his black fog internal force. As a result, only Li Daoyi didn¡¯t know that the masked man had a special concealment ability.


    Li Daoyi¡¯s expression darkened when he heard this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after him now. The three of you, bring all the elders and chase after him immediately. As long as you find him and stall him for a moment, I¡¯ll rush over and kill the masked man.¡±


    After saying this, his figure flashed as he ran down the mountain.


    ¡­


    In Blue Cloud Town, the parents who had escaped earlier saw that the battle had ended, and many of them started to return.


    In their hearts, a top sect like the Blue Cloud Sword Sect could not have met a problem that they could not solve.


    While Li Daoyi was arranging the pursuit, Chen Yiming had already reached the foot of the mountain.


    ¡°I can only treat you all as my tools this time.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the four huge rocks forming a huge sword that was 100 meters long appeared in midair and crashed into an empty area in front of the Blue Cloud Town.


    The strongest among the parents of the newcomers were only at the ordinary warrior realm. Most of them were martial arts practitioners at the disciple realm.


    Seeing the 100-meter-long sword appear in the sky, they panicked on the spot. Many people fell to the ground.


    When the huge sword landed with a loud bang, no one dared to stay put. The crowd made the decision to escape in almost a second.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    With so many people covering for him, he did not believe that Li Daoyi still had the ability to find him. Even if he immediately mobilized technological weapons from Luoxi City, it would be too late.


    Because this place was only 30 to 40 kilometers away from Luoxi City, Chen Yiming would have already returned to the city with his speed as a warrior.


    There were tens of millions of people in Luoxi City. In the sea of people, Li Daoyi could not do anything about it.


    Chen Yiming hid in the darkness and ran towards Luoxi City.


    A few minutes later, ¡°Young man, I¡¯ve found you.¡±


    A thunderous voice echoed through the forest and spread far away.


    Li Daoyi was running across the tree tops when he heard a commotion hundreds of meters away.


    He jumped down from the top of the tree and sped up, covering a distance of hundreds of meters in an instant.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the person you¡¯re looking for,¡± a middle-aged man raised his hand and shouted, afraid that he would be mistaken for the person that he was after.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Li Daoyi cursed angrily.


    He had already encountered several of these people who had unintentionally helped the masked man cover his tracks.


    He casually struck out with his palm without even using his internal force.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The middle-aged man was sent flying, his body exploding in midair.


    From the beginning to the end, he did not know why he had been killed. He died in the forest for no reason.


    Li Daoyi did not even look at him. His figure moved and he continued his pursuit.


    A few kilometers away from where the middle-aged man died, Chen Yiming analyzed the situation in his heart after hearing Li Daoyi¡¯s voice several times.


    ¡°How ruthless. He is going to kill all the innocent people who are escaping towards Luoxi City.¡±


    With this thought, he did not dare to linger any longer and continued running towards Luoxi City.


    10 minutes later, in a forest a few kilometers away from Luoxi City, Huang Lieyan caught up with Li Daoyi and reported, ¡°Sect Master, our people in Luoxi City have replied. We can send out a helicopter now and use the thermal imaging scanner to help search for him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Li Daoyi shook his head.


    ¡°Our people also replied that they can seal off all the city gates, including the city walls,¡± Huang Lieyan continued after a pause.


    ¡°Forget it. What if ordinary people find the masked man? Can they stop him? By the time we arrive, the masked man will already have entered the city,¡± Li Daoyi sighed and said helplessly.


    ¡°Then are we just going to let the masked man off?¡± Huang Lieyan whispered.


    ¡°Of course not. Otherwise, in a few years, I might be the one being chased to my death,¡± Li Daoyi replied.


    After some thought, he made the arrangements. ¡°The deaths of these innocent people who were killed in the pursuit are all on the masked man. We will also announce to the outside world that the masked man has stolen the Blue Cloud Sword Sect¡¯s signature sword technique. From now on, we will issue a bounty to hunt down the masked man.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Huang Lieyan nodded.

 Chapter 143 - Return (I)

    A distribution center in the east of Luoxi City


    was the point for the exchange of goods. The supplies for East Lake City were being loaded onto the trucks here.


    At this moment, there were many containers piled up, and it was a busy scene.


    The transport team separated the supplies into different categories and filled up the boxes.


    Chen Yiming pretended that he just returned from a full meal and walked slowly towards the convoy¡¯s camp.


    Fan Ronghua put aside his supervision job and walked over to report, ¡°Mr. Chen, someone came over just now.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Chen Yiming pretended not to know anything.


    ¡°The person who came claimed to be an elder of the Meteor Sword Sect,¡± Fan Ronghua replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone like that. Why would he suddenly look for me?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    When Fan Ronghua heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°It seems that three disciples of the Meteor Sword Sect were injured by hidden weapons during a meal.¡±


    ¡°A hidden weapon?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the elder said,¡± Fan Ronghua replied.


    ¡°And then?¡± Chen Yiming pretended to be confused and asked.


    ¡°After learning that Mr. Chen specialized in swordsmanship, he left immediately,¡± Fan Ronghua replied.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    On the surface, he was a new warrior who had yet to master the transformation of his internal force. It was generally believed that his internal force could not leave his body to attack others.


    In addition, most people specialized in one aspect in the path of martial arts. Chen Yiming was also very young, so no one would think that he was an expert in both swordsmanship and hidden weapons.


    Therefore, when the elder focused his suspicions on the hidden weapon, Chen Yiming was naturally eliminated as a suspect.


    Fan Ronghua finished his report and quickly returned to supervise the loading of the supplies.


    Before long, Fang Hongkun rushed back.


    Without even stopping for a breath, he shouted at Fan Ronghua, ¡°Fan Ronghua, get everyone to move. Once the vehicles are loaded, the convoy will set off immediately.¡±


    Fan Ronghua received the order and entered the convoy without asking for a reason. The orders were passed on from truck to truck.


    After Fang Hongkun finished giving out the instructions, he saw that Chen Yiming was also present.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, something huge happened in Luoxi City. I wanted to bring you to some of the attractions tomorrow, but it seems like that¡¯s no longer possible,¡± Fang Hongkun said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I want to return to East Lake City as soon as possible too.¡± Chen Yiming pretended not to care.


    Fang Hongkun sighed and took the initiative to tell him the news. ¡°Just now, a few people in charge and I were having a meal with the head of the logistics department in Luoxi City when we suddenly received a shocking piece of news.¡±


    ¡°What news?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°The Blue Cloud Sword Sect¡¯s signature sword technique was stolen by a masked man,¡± Fang Hongkun replied.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming was confused.


    An ordinary warrior realm sword technique that had been thrown on the first floor of the library was actually changed to the sect¡¯s signature sword technique.


    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that a huge battle at the warrior realm will break out in Luoxi City, so it¡¯s best if we leave this troublesome place as soon as possible,¡± Fang Hongkun said helplessly.


    ¡°How could the sect¡¯s signature sword technique be stolen so easily? I think there¡¯s something strange here,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    He wanted to check how others viewed this matter so that he could better deal with it.


    If the situation got too bad, he could only lay low for a while.


    Fang Hongkun sighed and explained, ¡°A technique at the third stage of the warrior realm leads straight to the top of the warrior realm. Even if they know that the news is most likely false, there will still be people who will try to take action.¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Mr. Chen, you¡¯ve just broken through to the warrior realm, so you might not know much about this.


    The difference between the three stages of the warrior realm is countless times greater than the nine transformations of the disciple realm combined.


    If a big shot at the level of the third stage of the warrior realm makes a move, even a big city like Luoxi City will find it difficult to withstand it. If our convoy is affected even a little, it will be the end for us.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    His strongest finishing move was the 100-meter-long sword formed by four huge rocks. When it descended from the sky, it could destroy everything within a radius of several kilometers.


    However, this was only equivalent to a casual attack from Li Daoyi. It was not Li Daoyi¡¯s limit.


    On the other hand, in the ordinary warrior realm, one¡¯s internal force could not leave the body to attack. Being able to destroy a small building with one punch and kick was already the limit.


    Fang Hongkun naturally didn¡¯t think highly of Chen Yiming, who was only an ordinary warrior.


    ¡­


    It was 2 am.


    The convoy had packed up the supplies overnight and set off on their way back to East Lake City.


    When they reached the east city gate, they were stopped for an inspection.


    A large number of soldiers were stationed at the city gate. There were teams on both sides of the city gate, and one team was stationed on the city wall every 10 meters. Each team had a high-powered light that was constantly shining in all directions, not letting any corners go unwatched.


    At this moment, two young soldiers jogged over to the off-road vehicle.


    ¡°Sorry about this, but we have orders from the higher ups. Please cooperate with us for a simple inspection.¡±


    Fang Hongkun turned to Chen Yiming and explained, ¡°A sect at the level of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect still has a lot of influence even if they aren¡¯t based in the city.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as though he knew nothing about this.


    In his heart, he had a new understanding of the influence of someone at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    If someone at that level wanted to do something, even a big city like Luoxi City with a population of tens of millions would also give him face.


    The two of them naturally got out of the car and cooperated with the inspection.


    The inspection was not complicated. It was just a simple registration of personal information, including names, gender, where they came from and where they were going, and their purpose in coming to Luoxi City.


    Finally, he took a photo.


    At the same time, not only Chen Yiming and Fang Hongkun, but all the people accompanying the large trucks in the convoy were cooperating with the inspection.


    Finally, after nearly half an hour, the convoy was finally allowed to leave the city.


    On the way back,


    no faction dared to attack the convoy that was under the command of Chen Yiming, who was a warrior. It took them three days to transport the supplies to East Lake City.


    ¡­


    East Lake City, West City Gate.


    The damage caused by the alien bird creatures was still there. The city gate, along with the city walls at both ends, had suffered a lot of damage that had yet to be repaired.


    Chen Yiming alighted at the city gate and saw Ren Pingsheng waiting for him.


    ¡°Young man, you did very well on this trip.¡± Ren Pingsheng was the first to speak.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same, as if he didn¡¯t know him.


    Of course he knew him. Not long ago, he had beaten him up so badly that he had no choice but to escape.


    Fang Hongkun introduced him to Chen Yiming. ¡°This is Ren Pingsheng, the guardian of East Lake City. He¡¯s at the second stage of the warrior realm.¡±


    The two of them were briefly introduced to each other and even shook hands.


    Ren Pingsheng handed over an invitation and said with a smile, ¡°There are many things to do in East Lake City. We need a young warrior like you to give everyone new hope. In two days, East Lake City will hold an auction.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Yiming accepted the invitation.


    After sending out the invitation, Ren Pingsheng did not say anything else and quickly left.


    After they left, Chen Yiming asked Fang Hongkun, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this auction?¡±


    Fang Hongkun had a good impression of Chen Yiming. He had stepped forward when East Lake City needed him and helped the transport team bring the supplies back to the city.


    Hence, he told him in a low voice, ¡°This auction was decided before the convoy set off. It¡¯s related to a clan with a warrior.¡±


    When Chen Yiming heard about the warrior clan, he instantly understood what had happened.


    The matter with the Yue clan should have been settled and their belongings had all been handed over.


    The reconstruction of East Lake City required a huge amount of money. In order to maximize the remaining value of the Yue clan, an auction involving the warrior realm was being held.

 Chapter 144 - : Return (II)

    The most well-funded factions in East Lake City were the martial arts schools, clans, and large corporations led by warriors.


    Chen Yiming, who had been away from home for a week, didn¡¯t linger for long.


    He took out the snake gallbladder that had been saved for him, and politely declined Fang Hongkun¡¯s offer to send him to his house. He carried the snake gallbladder and walked alone in the direction of the Jinghu district.


    ¡­


    At home, nothing much had changed from when Chen Yiming left. They had only added some cups and two new lights.


    ¡°Brother, what are you holding in your hand? It¡¯s bloody,¡± Chen Yingying asked in surprise.


    ¡°This is food for you,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    The gallbladder of the black snake at the level of a warrior candidate was about the size of a basketball.


    In order to keep it as fresh as possible, it had been kept at a low temperature the entire time. Therefore, it was not much different from when the black snake had just died. The blood on it was still bright red.


    ¡°Do I really have to eat this?¡± Chen Yingying¡¯s expression changed slightly, and her eyes widened.


    ¡°This is the black snake gallbladder. It can remove the poison accumulated from consuming mutant beast meat for a long time,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    Seeing that Chen Yingying was still hesitant, Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°This is a black snake gallbladder at the level of a warrior candidate. It¡¯s impossible to buy it outside. The money you spend on cultivation for a year is probably equivalent to a small piece of this snake gallbladder.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Before Chen Yingying could react, Father Chen and Mother Chen gasped.


    They were just ordinary people, so they would not have imagined that the ordinary-looking snake gallbladder was actually a priceless treasure.


    ¡°You prodigal daughter,¡± Mother Chen couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    Chen Yingying also reacted at this moment and retorted, ¡°How can you blame me?¡±


    At the side, Father Chen coughed and said, ¡°Alright, why are you so agitated? Don¡¯t compare our family¡¯s current situation to that of the past.¡±


    Hearing this, Mother Chen glared at him and insisted, ¡°Do you think you can squander all our money away just because we are in a better situation now?¡±


    Previously, Chen Yingying had spent more than a million yuan on martial arts every month. However, as Chen Yiming¡¯s martial arts level increased, the cultivation resources he provided for Chen Yingying became more expensive.


    Chen Yiming watched his family bicker and didn¡¯t stop them.


    They were not really quarreling. It was just that they were too bored at home and had to find something to do.


    ¡­


    On the second day after returning to East Lake City, Chen Yiming slept until the sun had risen completely.


    The smell of home made him completely relax his tense nerves. Therefore, even though he had woken up long ago, he did not get out of bed.


    After getting up, he made a call to the company.


    ¡°Beep¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Shi Changyi¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll drop by the company later,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    With that, he was about to hang up.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Boss. The company is no longer where it used to be. It has moved to Xinyi Building.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Chen Yiming hung up.


    Although he was already at the second stage of the warrior realm, he could not just leave the company alone and not care about what was happening in East Lake City.


    After washing up, Chen Yiming talked to Father Chen and Mother Chen before leaving for Xinyi Building.


    The Xinyi Building was located in the center of East Lake City, about a kilometer away from the Jinghu district. It had a total of 45 floors and was one of the tallest commercial buildings in East Lake City.


    The city center hadn¡¯t been affected by the attack from the alien bird creature, so the streets were bustling with people. It took Chen Yiming nearly 10 minutes to reach Xinyi Building.


    At this moment, a red carpet and flower basket had been placed at the entrance of the building. Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan were already waiting at the entrance.


    Beside him was a row of receptionists. They were all about 1.7 meters tall and were wearing high heels, the black stockings showing under their knee-length skirts.


    Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan greeted Chen Yiming from afar once they saw him.


    ¡°Boss, after you set off, there was news that you had broken through to the warrior realm. The company¡¯s development changed drastically every day, and it reached its current size a week later,¡± Shi Changyi explained.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    The reputation of the warrior realm was a trump card. As long as Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan did not offer harsh conditions, there would be almost no problems with the company¡¯s acquisition of assets.


    Countless small and medium-sized companies in East Lake City were begging to join Chen Yiming¡¯s company.


    Chen Yiming followed the two of them into the building. Under the welcome from the receptionist, they took the elevator to the top floor.


    The top floor was Chen Yiming¡¯s personal office. There were meeting rooms of various sizes, and all the modern facilities were available.


    After the three of them sat down at the tea table, a beautiful secretary immediately poured them some tea.


    After the secretary left, Shi Changyi whispered, ¡°Boss, that was Xiao Yao, the personal secretary we arranged for you.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at Xiao Yao, who had automatically left the office.


    She was over 1.7 meters tall, had an oval face, smooth black hair, and was wearing a black suit.


    Her figure and appearance would score close to full marks among ordinary people. She did not look weak or helpless, and clearly had some martial arts foundation.


    This was a rare sight in a small city like East Lake City. She was a level higher than the receptionists from the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters.


    ¡°Tell me about the company¡¯s situation first,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    When Shi Changyi heard this, he put away his trivial concerns and explained, ¡°The company basically didn¡¯t spend a single cent on the acquisition. Wei Chaoyuan and I even repeatedly compared the companies that wanted to join us.


    Now, compared to the other martial arts companies in East Lake City, our scale is still slightly smaller. However, the general framework has already been established, and we are extending our reach into all areas in East Lake City.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Shi Changyi¡¯s performance was pretty good, and he had behaved roughly in line with his thoughts.


    He did not need the company to provide him with much strength. Instead, he needed to be able to gather valuable information.


    To him, most of the information was worthless. Therefore, he had to spread out his net to ensure that he could obtain the information he needed as soon as possible.


    ¡°Boss, the company has set up 11 hunting teams. Should they be gathered near one space-travel passage or be scattered around a few space-travel passages?¡± Wei Chaoyuan asked.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled how the Blue Cloud Sword Sect had tried to kill him.


    ¡°11 hunting teams are a little too few. We should expand to as many as 100 teams.


    In addition, the hunting teams need to focus on gathering information. Not only should they be stationed in this province, but we should also send people to the neighboring provinces,¡± Chen Yiming instructed.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Wei Chaoyuan nodded.


    At the end, Chen Yiming roughly estimated that his Level-3 swordsmanship talent would allow him to comprehend a sword technique unique to him from the concept diagrams.


    This sword technique would always allow him to look ahead in his path of cultivation, and was an important way for Chen Yiming to keep his subordinates in check in the future.


    The speed at which Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan cultivated to the warrior candidate realm would definitely not be able to catch up to the speed at which he upgraded his talent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t slack off on your own cultivation. When you break through to the warrior candidate realm, come to me to receive the sword technique for the warrior realm,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    When Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan heard this, their eyes turned red as they tried their best to hold back their tears.


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll do our best,¡± they promised in unison.


    No one was completely selfless. The two of them had helped Chen Yiming go from setting up a small detective agency to owning a large corporation. Naturally, they had their own requests.


    However, Chen Yiming¡¯s talent was too shocking. Breaking through was as easy as eating and drinking for him. Naturally, the company¡¯s development wasn¡¯t hindered by much, so the two of them were too embarrassed to mention their requests.


    Chen Yiming knew this as well. Therefore, he had decided that all the core members of his faction would cultivate his unique sword technique in the future.


    This way, as long as they cared about their progress in martial arts, they would never be able to escape from his control.

 Chapter 145 - Myriad Phenomena Sect (I)

    In the training hall of the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters, other than Chen Yiming, all the core disciples had returned to the headquarters of the martial arts school. They were practicing in pairs to check their recent cultivation progress.


    After Lin Yixuan¡¯s accidental death, the Mantis Snake Sword School had returned to the status of not having a clear candidate for the next head.


    As long as Chen Yiming was still unwilling to take over the position of head, the other core disciples would still stand a chance.


    Xia Yingzhe, Zhang Xingfeng, Zhao Yunrong, and Du Yuan practiced for a while before finding a corner to chat.


    ¡°Junior Brother Zhang, I remember that the Morning Wind Hunting Team offered you a contract with a high salary. Why did you suddenly break it and return to the school?¡± Xia Yingzhe asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s a long story. Not only did I ask for Master¡¯s help, but I also paid a huge sum of money to terminate the contract,¡± Zhang Xingfeng replied with a bitter expression.


    ¡°What about you guys?¡± Xia Yingzhe asked Zhao Yunrong and Du Yuan.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same as Senior Brother Zhang. It¡¯s just that I signed an ordinary consultant contract with the Zheng clan, so the termination fee wasn¡¯t that high.¡± Zhao Yunrong sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°I originally planned to go to the provincial city, Jiangnan City, for half a year. If not for the alien bird creatures attacking the city, I wouldn¡¯t be in East Lake City anymore.¡± Du Yuan touched the back of his head and smiled.


    Xia Yingzhe placed his hand on Du Yuan¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to think the same way as me. However, I plan to relax while participating in the sect disciple selection in Jiangnan City.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± The three of them gasped and looked at him suspiciously.


    ¡°What are you guys thinking? I just want to be an outer sect disciple and do some odd jobs. I just want a stable life,¡± Xia Yingzhe said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not easy either. In East Lake City, we are core disciples of the martial arts school. In the eyes of those large sects in Jiangnan City, it¡¯s difficult for us to even cross the bar to becoming outer sect disciples,¡± Zhang Xingfeng said with a bitter smile.


    Zhao Yunrong and Du Yuan nodded. They also admired Xia Yingzhe¡¯s courage in trying out this route.


    Not everyone was willing to start out at the bottom of the sect in the provincial city. Those who did not have confidence in their martial arts talent were mostly willing to stay in a place like East Lake City.


    At the same time, Teng Zhihui was called to the storage room in the martial arts hall by Mu Yuerong.


    ¡°Junior Sister Yuerong, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Teng Zhihui asked with concern.


    ¡°Third Senior Brother, I have something to ask you,¡± Mu Yuerong said with a forced smile.


    ¡°Ask away. I won¡¯t hide anything from you,¡± Teng Zhihui said seriously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t interact much with Junior Brother Yiming. What¡¯s his personality like?¡± Mu Yuerong asked softly after observing the position of the other disciples.


    Teng Zhihui recalled how Chen Yiming had invited him to start a business together when they were forced to leave the school. He smiled and said, ¡°Junior Brother Yiming is similar to Senior Brother Wang. He¡¯s very generous.¡±


    Mu Yuerong smiled when she heard this and asked, ¡°Then can you help me apologize to Junior Brother Yiming? Previously, because of Eldest Senior Brother, I had a conflict with Junior Brother Yiming.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing. Leave it to me,¡± Teng Zhihui patted his chest and promised.


    Eldest Senior Brother Lin Yixuan had already died, and Teng Zhihui had returned to the side of his goddess, Mu Yuerong, even though she still behaved the same way as before.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight,¡± Mu Yuerong said with a smile.


    Mu Yuerong heaved a sigh of relief when she received Teng Zhihui¡¯s assurance.


    Who would have thought that Chen Yiming, who had joined the sect the latest among the core disciples, would suddenly gain so much fame and continuously break through to the sixth transformation, the warrior candidate realm, then the warrior realm?


    At the last bottleneck of drawing the concept diagram, others would need to progress carefully and it would take them several years to complete it. But to Chen Yiming, it was as if the bottleneck didn¡¯t exist.


    They had only met for a short period of time, but it was already enough to make all the fellow disciples feel inferior.


    After Chen Yiming left the company, he headed straight to the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    After coming into contact with the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, he now knew that a sect of this level had a technique that led straight to the peak of the warrior realm. He wanted to learn more about the Myriad Phenomena Sect from the school¡¯s head.


    When he pushed open the door, he saw that all his senior brothers and sisters were present.


    ¡°Junior Brother Yiming, you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Yiming, long time no see.¡±


    Xia Yingzhe, Du Yuan, and the other senior brothers walked over with a smile and greeted him.


    It was completely different from when they ignored the fact that Lin Yixuan was making things difficult for Chen Yiming, Wang Bowen, and Teng Zhihui.


    Chen Yiming nodded and did not give any further response.


    He walked towards Wang Bowen.


    ¡°Senior Brother Wang, I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you for your help last time,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to thank me for? You¡¯re now a big shot at the level of the warrior realm. I¡¯ll need you to take care of me in the future,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    ¡°No problem. If there¡¯s anything, Senior Brother Wang, feel free to ask,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°I was just waiting for you to say that. My skin is extraordinarily thick,¡± Wang Bowen said with a smile.


    For two people who had a good relationship with each other, they would not care whether the other party¡¯s cultivation level matched their own.


    It was just like how when Chen Yiming was at the initial stage of martial arts and needed mutant beast meat to cultivate, Wang Bowen had readily shared his own connections to help him.


    After a brief chat, Chen Yiming got down to business. ¡°Senior Brother Wang, where is Master Wan?¡±


    Wang Bowen replied in a low voice, ¡°After knowing that you have returned to East Lake City, Master Wan has stayed on the second floor this whole time. He is probably waiting for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Under the gazes of his senior brothers and sisters, Chen Yiming walked up the stairs. After reaching the second floor, he turned a corner and arrived at Wan Rong¡¯s study.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    Chen Yiming knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Wan Rong¡¯s voice sounded from the study.


    Chen Yiming pushed open the door and entered the study.


    The study was still the same as before.


    There were all kinds of long swords hanging on the wall, representing a swordsman¡¯s love for swords. They had been in Wan Rong¡¯s collection for many years.


    Wan Rong was wearing a loose white training robe and sitting at the tea table. On the table was a cup of hot tea that had just been brewed.


    ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Wan Rong took a sip of hot tea and asked with a smile.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same as he walked over and sat down opposite him. He said calmly, ¡°I want to meet Wan Ya first before considering it.¡±


    In his previous life, after graduating and working for a few years, his family had arranged several blind dates for him every New Year because he had not met anyone suitable.


    To Chen Yiming, a blind date was just a meeting between two people where they shared a simple meal.


    As long as he did not agree, his family could not force him into it.


    ¡°No problem. I will respect the opinion of you young people,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    Chen Yiming keenly grasped the meaning behind Master Wan¡¯s words.


    Wan Ya did not seem too satisfied with the arranged marriage either.


    This way, things would be much easier to resolve. After all, he had the experience from going on dozens of blind dates.


    ¡°Master Wan, after breaking through to the warrior realm, how does one continue on the path of martial arts?¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t ask about the Myriad Phenomena Sect directly. Instead, he asked about the subsequent cultivation techniques for the warrior realm.


    When Wan Rong heard this, he took another sip of tea to moisten his throat and asked, ¡°Do you know how the warrior realm is divided?¡±


    ¡°Master Wan, please enlighten me,¡± Chen Yiming replied patiently.

 Chapter 146 - Myriad Phenomena Sect (II)

    ¡°The warrior realm is divided into three stages, corresponding to the level of mastery of internal force.


    The first stage is when one has just broken through to the warrior realm. At this stage, the internal force formed in the body is like a pile of loose sand.


    The internal force can only be controlled when it is held in one¡¯s hands. Once it leaves one¡¯s body, it will dissipate instantly,¡± Master Wan explained.


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    He had a serious expression on his face, like a student listening to a lecture.


    Wan Rong paused and glanced at Chen Yiming before continuing, ¡°The second stage of the warrior realm involves the transformation of internal force.


    Simply put, the internal force has obtained a stable energy structure. Even if the internal force leaves one¡¯s body, this type of structure would not be broken.


    It can be said that in the second stage of the warrior realm, once one makes a move, it will be like a human cannon.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Master Wan, please teach me the techniques for the second stage of the warrior realm.¡±


    His voice was strong and filled with hope.


    When Wan Rong heard this, he almost choked. He coughed once, then said calmly, ¡°The transformation of internal force normally requires six concept diagrams of the same type to aid in cultivation.


    Before I was sent to East Lake City, I only comprehended one concept diagram. I needed to enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect to comprehend the remaining five concept diagrams.¡±


    ¡°What are the conditions for joining the Myriad Phenomena Sect?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    A thought flashed across Wan Rong¡¯s mind. ¡°It seems that what this kid really wants to ask about is the situation of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.¡±


    The ultimate goal of bringing Chen Yiming and Wan Ya together was to find a backer for the Wan family even after 100 years.


    Being able to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect was naturally better than staying in East Lake City and becoming the head of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    After some thought, Wan Rong continued, ¡°Those below the age of 20 and at the level of a warrior candidate will definitely be able to become an outer sect disciple. Those at the level of the eighth transformation will need to see their luck.


    If an outer sect disciple mastered the cultivation technique of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, they would automatically be promoted to an inner sect disciple.


    If you are lucky, you might be able to directly become a true disciple in one of the 12 inner courts.¡±


    When Chen Yiming heard this, he roughly compared the situation with the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    They both had disciples in the outer sect, and the three peaks corresponded to the 12 inner courts.


    From this, it could be seen that the Myriad Phenomena Sect might be stronger than the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    ¡°Master Wan, do you have any tips?¡± Chen Yiming probed.


    He did not have that much time to climb up the ranks from an outer sect disciple.


    If he did not have a shortcut to quickly come into contact with the concept diagrams of the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s cultivation technique, he might as well hide in East Lake City and increase his talent before charging back to the Blue Cloud Sword Sect to try and inherit its legacy.


    Or he could transform into a masked man again and infiltrate other sects of the same level.


    ¡°Back then, I was a true disciple,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    When Chen Yiming heard this, he knew that Master Wan had connections in the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Hence, he made a request. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you, Master Wan.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll bring you to meet Wan Ya at the auction tomorrow,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Chen Yiming agreed.


    He did not have many choices at the moment. Becoming a true disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect was the easiest way, and upgrading his talents to fight his way back to the Blue Cloud Sword Sect was only the last resort.


    After all, unless Chen Yiming had the strength to crush Li Daoyi and kill him instantly, Li Daoyi could completely destroy the sect¡¯s secret technique before he died.


    ¡­


    At 8 pm,


    in a villa in the suburbs of Cloud Port City.


    The villa was not big. It consisted of three small buildings, a swimming pool, and an open-air flowerbed.


    At this moment, there were dozens of guards outside the villa. Every five meters, one person stood guard in all directions, not allowing strangers to approach.


    The villa was brightly lit, and soft music was playing in the hall.


    Mo Yanfei was wearing a silver silk nightgown. She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back against the leather sofa.


    She held a glass of red wine in her hand and took a sip from it from time to time.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Mo Yanfei said when she felt the disturbance in the air.


    She was the one who had provided information from Cai Yuanzhuo to Chen Yiming. The Mo clan had always been secretly keeping an eye on the situation at the Blue Cloud Sword Sect. Naturally, they had guessed that Chen Yiming had a special concealment ability.


    Chen Yiming dispersed the black fog and revealed himself.


    Mo Yanfei was not a little girl. Chen Yiming had been away for a week, and his anger was at its peak.


    ¡°We still need to continue gathering information on the Blue Cloud Sword Sect in secret,¡± Chen Yiming suppressed his urge and instructed.


    Mo Yanfei opened the bottle and poured a glass of red wine, then walked over to Chen Yiming.


    She handed over the glass filled with red wine and smiled. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the red lips in front of him and downed the red wine in one gulp.


    The alcohol content of the red wine was not high to begin with, so his expression did not change at all after drinking it.


    Then, he continued, ¡°We still have to send someone to secretly find out about the situation in the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Report to me after you¡¯ve sorted it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to do it immediately,¡± Mo Yanfei said with a smile.


    She took the empty wine glass from him and placed it back on the table and turned around. She wrapped her arms around Chen Yiming¡¯s waist and leaned into his embrace.


    After Chen Yiming mastered the transformation of his internal force, the internal force had automatically fused into his blood and circulated throughout his body.


    In the past 10 days, even though he had strengthened his body in all aspects, including strength, agility, and speed, his height still remained at around two meters.


    The 1.75-meter-tall woman only reached his chest.


    Chen Yiming heard the woman¡¯s heartbeat and felt her body temperature rising.


    He stretched out his hand behind the woman¡¯s long legs and picked her up.


    A cry rang out.


    The beautiful woman wrapped her arms around the back of Chen Yiming¡¯s neck and gave him a warm response.


    Soon, the villa was enveloped by a powerful aura, giving off a signal that no one was to approach it.


    ¡­


    At 1 am,


    the battle ended when the beautiful woman was unable to continue.


    Naturally, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t force her. After all, there was still a long way to go. He had to leave some things to look forward to.


    In the room,


    under the dim yellow light, two figures were revealed.


    Mo Yanfei leaned on Chen Yiming¡¯s shoulder to recover her exhausted strength.


    ¡°An inconspicuous porcelain bowl might appear at the auction held in East Lake City,¡± Mo Yanfei suddenly said.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Chen Yiming said in surprise.


    Mo Yanfei leaned close to his ear and whispered, ¡°The porcelain bowl was passed down by the Yue clan¡¯s ancestors. The previous generation¡¯s head of the Yue clan accidentally discovered that the porcelain bowl could actually purify the blood essence of mutant beasts.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming instantly understood why Yue Jingtian, a descendant of a martial arts clan, had become a bloodline warrior.


    It had to be known that although the technology level on the blue planet was not low, so a large number of biological laboratories around the world had been working hard to crack the secrets of the bloodline warriors.


    However, there was only occasional progress. Chen Yiming guessed that there might still be a few items that had landed on the blue planet like the porcelain bowl.


    If they could successfully crack the secret of the bloodline warriors, the humans on the blue planet would be able to create a large number of bloodline warriors and catch up to the otherworld in terms of combat power.


    The war between the blue planet and the otherworld might undergo a huge change.


    Therefore, the value of this porcelain bowl was immeasurable, be it as a bargaining chip in the future or for him to develop a bloodline warrior in his own faction.

 Chapter 147 - Blind Date (I)

    In a brightly lit villa on the west side of East Lake City, armed soldiers could be seen everywhere near the villa, constantly patrolling the surroundings.


    This time, all the warrior-level factions in East Lake City were invited to participate in the auction. Therefore, be it the security or the format, they were all conducted according to the highest standards.


    Ordinary middle and lower-level martial arts factions were not even allowed to approach, let alone participate.


    In the main hall of the villa, jade-like lamps were mounted on the walls on both sides, and the crystal chandeliers hanging above emitted a white light that made it look as bright as day.


    The guests who had arrived early gathered in groups of two or three. They chatted in low voices as they enjoyed the pastries and wine provided by the organizers.


    Wan Ya and a young man were mixed in the crowd.


    ¡°Xiao Ya, why did your family suddenly arrange another marriage for you? Are they forcing you into it without considering your thoughts at all?¡± Gu Chen frowned and asked.


    ¡°Brother Chen, things aren¡¯t that bad yet. It¡¯s just a simple meeting,¡± Wan Ya replied in a low voice.


    Gu Chen nodded and smiled again. ¡°Things are different now. A month ago, I was still a warrior candidate, so you didn¡¯t dare to reveal our relationship to your family. You were forced to temporarily agree to the marriage with Lin Yixuan to buy time.


    But now that I¡¯ve already broken through to the warrior realm, no one can stop us. We¡¯ll go see your father later and get your blind date to scram.¡±


    ¡°Brother Chen, don¡¯t be anxious. After all, the Kunshan Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect are enemies. Let me talk with my father in private first. There¡¯s no need to start a conflict with our family,¡± Wan Ya persuaded.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you,¡± Gu Chen said in a low voice, ¡°However, there¡¯s no need to go along with the blind date this time. Just reject it outright.¡±


    Wan Ya¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she said hesitantly, ¡°I heard from my father that the person he wants to introduce to me is only 18 years old, and he¡¯s already in the warrior realm.


    If I reject him directly, wouldn¡¯t I be offending him? There¡¯s no need for that, right?¡±


    Gu Chen¡¯s expression froze. He paused for a moment. ¡°The time needed to break through to the next level from the warrior realm is 10 or 20 years.


    Even if that person¡¯s martial arts talent is better than mine, we will still be in the same realm in the short term. We don¡¯t have to be afraid of him at all.¡±


    Wan Ya pondered for a moment and explained, ¡°Brother Chen, that person is my father¡¯s disciple after all. I don¡¯t think we should get into a bad relationship with our family over such a small matter. After all, it¡¯s just a blind date, not an engagement.¡±


    Gu Chen took a deep breath.


    He also knew that his girlfriend¡¯s suggestion was the most rational approach, but he still felt a surge of anger in his heart. He even felt a little aggrieved.


    The first reason was that the Kunshan Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect were enemies, and secondly, he was not strong enough to overcome all the obstacles in their way.


    As a member of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Wan Rong was very unlikely to agree to let him marry Wan Ya, unless he was willing to abandon the connections he had gathered in the Myriad Phenomena Sect over the past decade.


    ¡°Brother Chen, hide for a moment.¡±


    Wan Ya suddenly reminded him softly.


    She had been paying attention to the flow of people entering and exiting the hall, and suddenly saw Wan Rong entering with a young man by his side.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Gu Chen knew that this was not the time to let his emotions affect his decisions. He walked away naturally after he replied.


    After Wan Rong and the young man entered the hall, he walked out from behind them.


    Wan Ya let out a long breath and calmed her nerves before walking towards Wan Rong.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re here,¡± Wan Ya said with a smile.


    Chen Yiming glanced over and saw a young woman walking over.


    The woman was dressed in a light yellow outfit with a black belt around her waist. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and her arms were covered by long sleeves made of transparent gauze, revealing her fair skin.


    She had a pair of watery eyes and a bright smile on her face. She looked like a big sister next door.


    When Wan Rong saw who it was, he turned around and introduced, ¡°Yiming, she is my youngest daughter, Wan Ya.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The first impression Wan Ya gave him was not that of a willful little girl.


    This way, things would not be so difficult, and there would be a lot of room for negotiation.


    ¡°You youngsters should take the chance to interact. I¡¯ll go find my old friends and catch up with them,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he left without waiting for a reply.


    After Wan Rong left, Chen Yiming and Wan Ya chatted briefly and got to know each other.


    At this moment, a large number of guests were entering the hall one after another. The conversations became more and more intense, and there was even music playing.


    The two of them chatted as usual, and they needed to stick together to hear each other clearly.


    Soon, both of them used the excuse that they did not like the noisy environment in the main hall to exit the hall and take a walk along the cobblestone path in the courtyard.


    Both sides had the intention to find out what the other was really thinking.


    The courtyard path was quiet and almost empty. There were many trees on both sides of the path, and every 10 meters or so, a street lamp provided a faint light.


    Even though she was the passive party, Wan Ya took the initiative to start a conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing martial arts for almost 10 years. I have already reached the warrior candidate realm three years ago, but I haven¡¯t made much progress in drawing the concept diagram.


    I heard that you have only practiced martial arts for a year and have already broken through to the warrior realm as easily as a hot knife cuts through butter. Can you share some of your experience?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow.


    The figure in his mind had automatically completed the drawing of the concept diagram for him. He had never tried to understand what obstacles other warrior candidates had faced when trying to break through to the warrior realm.


    It was like climbing a mountain. Others needed to constantly find a relatively flat spot and climb to the top step by step.


    On the other hand, he had leaped straight to the top of the mountain. He did not pay any attention to the steepness of the mountain, so he naturally did not know how to resolve the difficulties that others faced.


    ¡°Keep a calm attitude and persevere on,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    Wan Ya smiled and said, ¡°The elders in my sect also said something similar, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have any effect on me. Many times, I wonder if my martial arts talent is insufficient to support me to break through to the warrior realm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because her martial arts talent is too low.¡±


    Chen Yiming made a judgment in his heart.


    In the outside world, his expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, ¡°Let nature take its course. Perhaps one day, everything will fall into place.¡±


    This was his own experience. He would patiently wait for the Skill Points to accumulate and upgrade his talents. He did not have to think too much about it.


    Wan Ya was not angry when she heard this. She changed the topic. ¡°The true disciples of the twelve courts of the Myriad Phenomena Sect are at the warrior realm. Don¡¯t you plan to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m considering it at the moment,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    This was not a lie. He was different from other warriors. Changing to other cultivation techniques was as easy as eating and drinking. He did not have to face the problem of giving up his decades of effort and starting over from the beginning.


    If another sect specializing in swordsmanship offered him better terms, he would also consider it.


    Wan Ya smiled again and said, ¡°We might be fellow disciples soon, but I specialize in the Flying Crane Sword Technique. There¡¯s a high chance that we won¡¯t be in the same inner court.¡±


    The 12 inner courts of the Myriad Phenomena Sect each cultivated a different sword technique.


    The combination of the twelve inner court sword techniques formed the sect¡¯s ultimate sword technique.

 Chapter 148 - Blind Date (II)

    ¡°We have many more chances to interact in the future,¡± Chen Yiming replied expressionlessly.


    It was good news for him that they would not be in the same inner court. After all, he had too many secrets, and it was easier to get exposed if anyone got too close.


    However, if they interacted more, he might be able to secretly learn the Flying Crane Sword Technique.


    Then, he would use a similar method to secretly gather all the sword techniques from the 12 inner courts and integrate them into the complete ultimate sword technique of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    The two of them exchanged words as if they were friends who shared the same interests.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s goal was to learn more about the Myriad Phenomena Sect from Wan Ya so that he could prepare for his plan to secretly learn the sword techniques.


    Wan Ya¡¯s goal was to figure out Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts from their conversation and find a suitable reason to reject the arranged marriage.


    On the same courtyard path dozens of meters away from the two of them,


    Gu Chen had walked out of the main hall, but he did not leave the villa. Instead, he walked along the courtyard path and thought about a way for Wan Ya to smoothly reject the arranged marriage.


    He had already learned from Wan Ya that her blind date was also a warrior.


    This way, the simplest and most effective method of threatening him would not work, making it much more difficult to reject the arranged marriage.


    Suddenly, Gu Chen saw Chen Yiming and Wan Ya walking together along the courtyard path in the distance.


    Their bodies were very close, about a fist¡¯s length apart.


    In addition, the two of them were chatting and laughing. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not notice Gu Chen¡¯s figure dozens of meters away.


    His girlfriend was actually smiling brightly at a stranger. This made Gu Chen¡¯s blood boil. He wanted nothing more than to beat Chen Yiming up.


    Gu Chen clenched his fists tightly, revealing the well-defined muscles on his arms.


    He thought about how both of them had just broken through to the warrior realm. Even though Chen Yiming was more talented, he was clearly much younger than him. What the other party had accumulated at the disciple realm was definitely far less than him.


    Based on this, he guessed that Chen Yiming¡¯s current strength was inferior to his.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a small lesson first,¡± Gu Chen muttered to himself with a ferocious expression.


    He walked towards the two people who were chatting and laughing.


    ¡°The focus of the Flying Crane Sword Technique and the Mantis Snake Sword Technique is different, and¡­¡±


    When Gu Chen was about 10 meters away, Wan Ya who was turning sideways to face Chen Yiming caught a glimpse of her boyfriend walking towards them.


    She was instantly shocked and her voice broke off mid-sentence.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his thoughts and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He completely treated Gu Chen, who was walking towards him, as a passerby. His mind was focused on the sword techniques of the 12 inner courts.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly remembered that the Myriad Phenomena Sect is divided into 12 inner courts. The sword technique cultivated by each inner court is different.


    As for the combination of the 12 sword techniques, that is the complete form of the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s sword technique. I feel a sense of despair that it is so far out of my reach.¡± Wan Ya instantly calmed down and smiled bitterly.


    Chen Yiming nodded and turned his attention back to the 12 sword techniques of the Myriad Sect.


    He could understand Wan Ya¡¯s words. This was a sign that her talent could not match up with her progress on the path of martial arts.


    Most people in the warrior realm spent their entire lives comprehending one technique and still found it difficult to break through to the second stage of the warrior realm, let alone comprehending 12 techniques.


    Under normal circumstances, one needed to comprehend six concept diagrams to break through to the second stage of the warrior realm. For the ultimate sword technique of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, one would need to comprehend 72 concept diagrams to break through to the third stage of the warrior realm.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know if being at the level of an internal force master could increase a human¡¯s lifespan, but he knew that it couldn¡¯t be done at the warrior realm.


    In other words, the more concept diagrams one needed to comprehend, the more difficult it would be to break through to the third stage of the warrior realm.


    He did not know if those in the Myriad Phenomena Sect needed to comprehend all 12 sword techniques before they could break through to the third stage of the warrior realm, or if they would only use a few of them as a foundation to break through.


    If it was the former, then the difficulty of breaking through using the cultivation technique of the Myriad Phenomena Sect would undoubtedly far exceed that of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    Just as Gu Chen and the two of them were about to pass each other, Gu Chen thought angrily in his heart, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m invisible?¡±


    He also pretended to be thinking about something. At the same time, he secretly gathered strength in his shoulders and moved his body slightly to the side so that their shoulders could touch.


    ¡°Bang! Crack!¡±


    First, there was an explosion as the air was compressed, followed by the clear sound of bones breaking.


    Gu Chen was sent flying more than 10 meters away and crashed into the courtyard wall. With a loud bang, a track several meters long appeared in the courtyard.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°Report to the captain. We¡¯ll go over together.¡±


    More than 10 soldiers patrolling the villa heard the commotion and quickly rushed to the scene.


    A few seconds later, the injured Gu Chen was surrounded by a group of soldiers.


    Gu Chen¡¯s head was buzzing. He kept replaying the scene of strength being crushed by Chen Yiming. It looked like he had been seriously injured and was unconscious.


    Bone fractures were considered light injuries for warriors. It would take less than a day for them to recover.


    On the courtyard path, the two of them watched as Gu Chen was surrounded by the soldiers, but they did not go over.


    ¡°I was thinking about something and accidentally bumped into someone,¡± Chen Yiming said awkwardly as he regained his senses.


    Gu Chen¡¯s body was much weaker than his, and when they collided, he felt no different from someone in the disciple realm, so he did not notice that anything was amiss.


    Wan Ya¡¯s expression did not change. She suppressed the worry in her heart and said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. The standard of this auction is very high. The ambulance will arrive soon.¡±


    She was also shocked by the difference in their strength and subconsciously recalled Wan Rong¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Chen Yiming¡¯s martial arts talent is among the best even in the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The future of the Wan clan depends on you.¡±


    Soon, a soldier walked through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, can you tell us what happened just now?¡± the soldier asked.


    His tone was respectful as he gave Chen Yiming the choice to speak or keep silent.


    The information about the martial artists from East Lake City who had been invited to the auction had long been sent to the patrolling soldiers. Therefore, the soldier recognized the young man in front of him at a glance. He was a big shot at the warrior realm.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the road just now and accidentally bumped into someone,¡± Chen Yiming said honestly.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing else. That person only suffered some minor injuries from his fracture. We just need to help him bandage it,¡± the soldier replied with a nod.


    After clarifying the matter, the soldier quickly left.


    Wan Ya checked the time on her watch and suggested, ¡°The auction is about to start. Why don¡¯t we go back to the main hall now?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought of the porcelain bowl and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two of them turned around and walked back along the path they had come from. Behind them, the sirens of an ambulance sounded.


    On the way back, the atmosphere became a little solemn. It was no longer as cheerful as when they first arrived.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. He thought about the different situations that could happen during the bidding for the porcelain bowl and came up with various countermeasures.


    Wan Ya¡¯s thoughts were all on Wan Rong¡¯s instructions.


    In the next two generations of the Wan clan, there were no descendants with outstanding martial arts talent. At the moment, there was no one who could support the Wan clan and break through to the warrior realm. Therefore, Wan Rong had previously wanted to welcome Lin Yixuan into the clan as his son-in-law.


    Her current boyfriend, Gu Chen, was from an opposing faction. This was a difficult problem to resolve, and it even overshadowed the good news that he had broken through to the warrior realm.


    Her blind date partner, Chen Yiming, was from a martial arts school under the Myriad Phenomena Sect. He didn¡¯t have the problems that her current boyfriend¡¯s identity brought, and his talent was much higher.


    She wasn¡¯t a young girl anymore. She didn¡¯t know if she should sacrifice herself to help her clan. After seeing the difference in strength between Gu Chen and Chen Yiming, her heart started to waver.

 Chapter 149 - Unforeseen Circumstances (I)

    Chen Yiming and Wan Ya entered the main hall again.


    At this moment, all the martial artists who had been invited to the auction in East Lake City had already arrived. Each of them had brought a few young juniors with them.


    The auction was not only an opportunity to compete for treasures, but also an opportunity to make friends and introduce the younger generation to each other.


    The head of the Flowing Cloud Sword School, An Yuhong, stood close to Wan Rong, followed by a young woman.


    The young woman had an innocent face and fair skin. Just by standing there, she attracted a lot of attention.


    ¡°Master Wan, I¡¯m really envious of your ability to teach your disciples. This time, one of your young disciples became a warrior without any of us knowing,¡± An Yuhong said with a smile.


    ¡°As a master, I can only provide some guidance. The main thing is the disciple¡¯s efforts,¡± Wan Rong said humbly.


    This was the truth. Chen Yiming had even snatched the concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique from Lin Yixuan. Before Wan Rong could give him any guidance, Chen Yiming had already broken through to the warrior realm.


    ¡°By the way, why don¡¯t I see your genius disciple, Chen Yiming? Could it be that you are afraid that we might poach him and didn¡¯t bring him over on purpose?¡± An Yuhong continued to tease him.


    ¡°How is that possible? It¡¯s just that Master An came a little late. My disciple and daughter didn¡¯t like the environment here and went outside to get some fresh air,¡± Wan Rong said truthfully.


    An Yuhong was a little disappointed, but she returned to normal in the blink of an eye and continued to chat with Wan Rong about the topic of disciples.


    The young woman behind her clenched her fists when she heard this unexpected news.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t alone. Instead, he was with Wan Rong¡¯s youngest daughter. This wasn¡¯t the situation that her master had told her beforehand.


    Chen Yiming and Wan Ya, who had returned to the main hall, found where Wan Rong was and walked over.


    When An Yuhong saw him, she paused her conversation with Wan Rong and smiled.


    Wan Rong glanced at An Yuhong and introduced her to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°This is the head of the Flowing Cloud Sword School, An Yuhong.¡±


    Chen Yiming secretly sized her up.


    Of course, Chen Yiming knew about the Flowing Cloud Sword School. He still remembered the scandal involving their disciple, Liu Qingqing, from when he first started practicing martial arts.


    Before Chen Yiming could speak, An Yuhong pulled the young woman behind her to her side and smiled.


    ¡°This is my disciple, Shen Suping. You two are of similar age, so you can interact more in the future.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Yiming agreed.


    He wanted to keep his options open. After all, even if Wan Rong was his master, Wan Rong¡¯s first priority was still the Wan clan. His disciples could only be ranked second.


    Wan Rong stood at the side with a calm expression, as if he didn¡¯t care at all.


    He didn¡¯t object to An Yuhong forcefully introducing someone to Chen Yiming. This was normal, and everything stemmed from Chen Yiming¡¯s performance in martial arts.


    If Chen Yiming was still the young man who had undergone six transformations, An Yuhong wouldn¡¯t have paid special attention to him, nor would she have taken the initiative to bring Chen Yiming and her female disciple together.


    At this moment, an organizer walked onto the stage and announced the official start of the auction.


    The invited guests headed to their respective seats. Chen Yiming, Wan Rong, and An Yuhong were no exception. The three of them didn¡¯t continue chatting and went on their own ways.


    As Chen Yiming was still a disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School, his seat was arranged next to Wan Rong. Wan Ya was designated as a guest accompanying Wan Rong.


    In the end, the three people sat side by side with Wan Ya on Chen Yiming¡¯s left, and Wan Rong on his right.


    After sitting down, Wan Rong noticed that something was amiss and smiled at Wan Ya. ¡°Relax, there¡¯s no need to think too much.¡±


    Wan Ya nodded and forced a smile.


    The reason was that Shen Suping¡¯s appearance and Wan Rong¡¯s attitude made her suddenly understand the current situation.


    This was a deal between two warriors. She had no right to negotiate.


    Wan Rong and Chen Yiming had probably discussed everything beforehand. In the end, it all depended on Chen Yiming¡¯s decision.


    After the guests were seated, the first treasure to be auctioned was placed in a glass box and brought to the hall on a cart.


    Before the organizer could introduce it, the atmosphere had already been stirred up. The treasures collected by the warrior clans were enough to make people pay up for them.


    ¡°This is the Five Elements Heaven Trampling Steps, a footwork technique that leads straight to the warrior realm.¡±


    As soon as the organizer finished speaking, the crowd could no longer control themselves and erupted into a noisy discussion.


    The first item was already at the level of a finale item for other auctions.


    This footwork technique that the Yue clan had collected had a complete concept diagram. Not only did it attract the attention of those who specialized in footwork, but it was also equally attractive to those in the warrior realm.


    Wan Rong cast a glance at the troubled Wan Ya and said, ¡°Yiming, many warriors usually specialize in an additional cultivation technique. Are you interested in footwork?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when I reach a bottleneck in my swordsmanship,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    It was not that he was not interested, but that he had not added any talent in footwork. Therefore, it was not worth wasting his time on footwork.


    ¡°It¡¯s very good that you can stay calm. Usually, because it¡¯s difficult to improve on one¡¯s main cultivation technique, one would use other cultivation techniques to make up for some of their shortcomings,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    The internal force cultivated from the first and second stages of the warrior realm was of a single attribute.


    If one wanted to become more comprehensive in combat ability, one could only rely on cultivation techniques with different internal force attributes to make up for the difference when they were below the third stage of the warrior realm.


    As long as it was not two internal forces with attributes that caused a serious conflict, one could have a primary force and a secondary force. One would have only a small portion of the secondary internal force, and it would not cause an imbalance in the internal forces.


    Wan Rong used this rare opportunity to teach Chen Yiming some general knowledge about the warrior realm.


    The two of them seemed to have forgotten that an auction was being held on the stage.


    Chen Yiming nodded as he humbly received the guidance.


    Previously, he had just been trying to get by. Although he was very strong, he was limited by his environment and did not know much common knowledge about this world.


    Many of his previous guesses were confirmed by Wan Rong¡¯s words.


    This tipped the scales in his heart. A sect at the peak of the warrior realm like the Myriad Phenomena Sect would definitely have a lot of information that Chen Yiming needed.


    Even if he could increase his talent, he should not become a boorish person who only had talent. After all, just because he had not made any missteps in his cultivation so far, it did not mean that he would not do so in the future.


    Therefore, he realized that joining Myriad Phenomena Sect was not something he should dismiss lightly, even if he has to start out as an outer sect disciple.


    Time passed quickly as he focused on his thoughts. Before he knew it, more than an hour had passed. Most of the treasures from the auction had been sold off.


    It was time for the third last item.


    ¡°This is a porcelain bowl from an unknown source, and its use is unclear.¡±


    The organizer waited for the porcelain bowl to be brought over before introducing it.


    There were very few reactions from the audience. Most of them did not know much about bloodline warriors, so they did not think much of it.


    ¡°100 million!¡±


    ¡°200 million!¡±


    ¡°250 million!¡±


    ¡­


    Although the porcelain bowl did not attract much attention, it was still the third last item to be auctioned. There were still bids placed on it continuously.


    The bidders were basically all civilian martial artists from East Lake City. After the bid exceeded 200 million, the increase in the price quickly decreased.


    ¡°The secret of Yue Jingtian¡¯s bloodline warrior might be in this porcelain bowl.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice rang out, passing on the information to all the warriors who were participating in the auction.


    ¡°One billion!¡±


    Immediately, someone raised the bid to more than one billion yuan.


    ¡°1.1 billion!¡±


    Immediately, a higher bid followed.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he sighed inwardly.


    As expected, he should not have held onto any hope. Even if the bloodline warriors of the Yue clan were only an exception and there was no subsequent success, there would always be people who would harbor suspicions. It was just that there was no evidence.

 Chapter 150 - Unforeseen Circumstances (II)

    The voice that reminded the audience earlier was probably from someone who knew that he did not have the ability to fight for it, but was unwilling to let others buy it easily.


    Wan Ya suddenly asked, ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you say before that becoming a bloodline warrior would greatly increase the chances of breaking through to the warrior realm?¡±


    The appearance of the porcelain bowl made Wan Ya suddenly realize that there was still a way out. She could break through to the warrior realm and become the pillar of the Wan clan.


    Wan Rong didn¡¯t mind letting Chen Yiming know. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The porcelain bowl isn¡¯t an all-purpose bowl. There¡¯s a high chance that it can only purify the blood essence of one type of mutant beast.


    If one wants to break through to the warrior realm by becoming a bloodline warrior, this involves the problem of the compatibility of the cultivation technique. However, it is very unlikely for the sword technique that you are cultivating to be compatible with it.


    So don¡¯t let your imagination run wild, unless you can get detailed information about the porcelain bowl from Mo Yanfei.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Wan Ya pouted. The glimmer of hope that had just been ignited was instantly extinguished.


    The reason why Mo Yanfei could openly move about in Cloud Port City was all because of the mysterious masked man.


    After the Yue clan settled the matter, the martial arts world in East Lake City had guessed that Ren Pingsheng, who was at the second stage of the warrior realm, might have been defeated that night.


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    He recalled that when the Yue clan was being liquidated, he was on his way to Luoxi City. Naturally, Yue Yangpeng and Yue Jingtian were sentenced to death without any hesitation.


    At this moment, Ren Pingsheng threw out the porcelain bowl as bait for luring out the masked man.


    If the masked man did not react, Mo Yanfei would immediately be thrown into jail.


    It was impossible for Mo Yanfei not to know this. Her motive for telling him about the porcelain bowl last night was probably because she wanted Chen Yiming to snatch it as the masked man.


    This way, she would be able to intimidate Ren Pingsheng and also keep the porcelain bowl. It would be killing two birds with one stone.


    When the price increase reached three billion, it started to decrease. However, something unexpected happened.


    ¡°10 billion!¡±


    A price that exceeded what the martial arts factions in East Lake City could afford was blurted out by a young man.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at the young man.


    One side of his chest and shoulder were bandaged. After bidding 10 billion yuan, he took out his phone and started making a call.


    ¡°It¡¯s the person I accidentally injured,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    When Wan Rong heard this, he gave Wan Ya a meaningful look. Then, he instantly turned to look at the young man.


    Wan Ya¡¯s heart tightened. She instantly understood that their secret relationship had not been hidden from Wan Rong.


    A feeling of despair rose in her heart. She understood that although her father did not interfere in her private life, she probably could not make the decision regarding her arranged marriage.


    At this moment, discussions about the young man started up.


    ¡°It¡¯s Gu Chen from the Kunshan Sect.¡±


    Soon, someone recognized the young man and spoke.


    ¡°Kunshan Sect!¡±


    Many people gasped.


    The Kunshan Sect was a large sect in Jiangnan City, the provincial city. The combined martial arts power of the entire East Lake City was far inferior to the sect.


    The individual martial arts factions in East Lake City were so weak in comparison that they could be crushed by the Kunshan Sect with a single finger.


    At this moment, after Gu Chen¡¯s identity was exposed, all the sounds of bidding disappeared.


    Clearly, the martial arts factions in East Lake City, even if they had a strong backing, were unwilling to directly offend the Kunshan Sect.


    The heads of a few martial arts schools, including Wan Rong, also started to make calls to report the news about the porcelain bowl to the factions behind the martial arts schools.


    However, the heads of the martial arts schools were different from Gu Chen, a disciple of the Kunshan Sect. After all, they were outsiders to the sects. The factions behind them would not be mobilized just because of their words.


    At the same time, in an underground secret base in East Lake City, all the warriors from the military were gathered. They sat around a large conference table and waited quietly.


    ¡°Ring! Ring!¡±


    The phone rang.


    Cao Zhengjun picked up the phone.


    ¡°Something has happened at the auction. Everyone, gather at the villa immediately.¡±


    Ren Pingsheng¡¯s message came through.


    All the military warriors present heard the news.


    After the call ended, all the military warriors stood up and walked out of the secret entrance, quickly rushing to the villa.


    ¡°Kunshan Sect? Does that person have a powerful backing?¡± Chen Yiming asked Wan Rong.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Kunshan Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect are martial arts factions of the same level, and they are enemies,¡± Wan Rong explained.


    ¡°Is that porcelain bowl that valuable?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He still did not know that everything had happened because of him. If he had not agreed to go on a blind date with Wan Ya, Wan Ya would not have rushed back to East Lake City from Jiangnan City. Gu Chen naturally would not have participated in this auction.


    The impression of the masked man that Ren Pingsheng had was that he was still at the first stage of the warrior realm. It was Ren Pingsheng¡¯s original plan to limit the competition for the porcelain bowl to within East Lake City.


    Ren Pingsheng did not expect anyone to reveal the function of the porcelain bowl, or that there were even disciples of the Kunshan Sect present.


    Although he was a city guardian, he was only at the second stage of the warrior realm. It was not suitable for him to directly announce that the porcelain bowl auction was void in front of the Kunshan Sect.


    Now that the situation had changed, the chaos caused by the porcelain bowl was still not over. It was not only possible for it to stir up several large sects at the level of the Kunshan Sect in the province,


    but if Chen Yiming attacked with his full strength as the masked man, the huge sword formed by four huge rocks would be extremely eye-catching. The Blue Cloud Sword Sect would definitely receive the news that the masked man had appeared. The most direct link would be Mo Yanfei.


    ¡°That depends on the level of power of the one who has the porcelain bowl. A large sect like the Kunshan Sect is completely capable of using the porcelain bowl to nurture bloodline warriors,¡± Wan Rong replied in a low voice.


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    The large sects at the third stage of the warrior realm had abundant martial arts resources.


    In their hands, the porcelain bowl would be of far more use than it was to the Yue clan.


    ¡°This is not something we can participate in. I¡¯ve already informed the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    There¡¯s a high chance that a huge battle will break out near East Lake City tonight. It will involve people at the level of the heads of the inner courts,¡± Wan Rong glanced at Wan Ya and said calmly.


    When Wan Ya heard this, she tried her best to control her emotions.


    The heads of the inner courts were big figures in the second stage of the warrior realm, and the head of the Flying Crane Court was in this realm.


    She had only seen the head of the Flying Crane Court attack from afar. It was just an ordinary sword move which


    slashed out with the internal force that had completed its transformation from one shore to the other of a river, which was more than 100 meters wide. In an instant, a vacuum was formed, as if the river had been cut in half by a sword.


    The shocking scene was still vivid in her mind, allowing her to clearly understand how powerful the second stage of the warrior realm was.


    Chen Yiming pretended to have a serious expression as he looked at Gu Chen. He didn¡¯t notice Wan Ya¡¯s strange expression.


    He was considering the timing to make a move. If he made a move too early, he would easily be surrounded and attacked. Once he killed too many heads of the various sects, the masked man would definitely be blacklisted by the various factions.


    It would be terrible if he forced an internal force master to make a move.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think that he could withstand someone at the level of the martial master realm.


    The auction was suddenly put on pause.


    Not long after, the organizer received a message from someone and handed the porcelain bowl to Gu Chen with trepidation.


    Gu Chen did not leave immediately. Instead, he waited for a few more minutes. After receiving a call, he left the hall in a flash.


    The martial arts school heads looked in the direction that Gu Chen had left in and glanced at their phones.


    They knew in their hearts that the people from the Kunshan Sect had reacted faster and that the reinforcements had probably already set off towards East Lake City.


    The heads of the martial arts schools, including Wan Rong, immediately chased after Gu Chen without hesitation. They could not let Gu Chen leave their line of sight so easily. Otherwise, they would not be able to explain themselves to their superiors.

 Chapter 151 - Crushed (I)

    It was late at night.


    Deep in the woods more than 10 kilometers south of East Lake City, Gu Chen ran at full speed, with several figures chasing closely behind him. The school heads did not stop him, and only followed closely dozens of meters away.


    The bandages on his chest and shoulders had fallen off at some point. Coupled with the inevitable movement of his arms when he was running, his newly healed rib cage cracked open again.


    A piercing pain came from his body, causing Gu Chen¡¯s speed to decrease significantly. Naturally, he could not easily escape from the figures behind him.


    ¡°These external school heads are really annoying,¡± Gu Chen thought angrily.


    He recalled the martial arts schools that the Kunshan Sect had set up in the small and medium-sized cities around Jiangnan City. Every time those school heads went up the mountain to see the heads of the inner courts, they would respectfully ask a true disciple like Gu Chen to pass on the message.


    Most of the heads of the inner courts were focused on their own cultivation, and the management of the inner courts were basically left to the true disciples.


    Although the school heads were once true disciples, they had been sent out as external members for many years. Their relationship with the sect was thus not as good as that of the current true disciples.


    Therefore, even if the school heads were much older than the current true disciples and might be stronger, their status was much lower.


    Gu Chen suddenly stopped and turned around.


    He did not want his injuries to worsen. There might be a battle at the level of the inner courts¡¯ heads later on, and he could not afford to be completely defenseless.


    As expected, the school heads chasing after him also slowed down and stopped. The two sides still maintained a distance of dozens of meters.


    Gu Chen swept his gaze across the surroundings and said with a ferocious expression, ¡°None of you can leave later.¡±


    His voice was filled with extreme anger, as if he wanted to vent out all the humiliation he had suffered due to Chen Yiming on the school heads.


    Upon hearing this, the school heads looked at each other and fell into a dilemma.


    The head of the Kunshan Sect, who was rushing over, would not take them seriously. It was not impossible for him to kill them directly.


    However, if they retreated just like that, it would be difficult for them to explain themselves to the factions backing them. After all, the information had already been passed on.


    ¡°With the cultivation techniques of the Mantis Snake Sword School and the Divine Wind Martial Arts School, you are more suitable for staying behind than the others. I¡¯ll wait for your good news later,¡± Lei Bojun said with a smile.


    With that, he turned and left without looking back.


    ¡°Brother Lei is right.¡±


    A few other heads reacted and turned to leave.


    In the blink of an eye, only Wan Rong from the Mantis Snake Sword School and Wang Zuoliang from the Divine Wind School were left.


    Wang Zuoliang had an extremely tall figure. His long arms and legs were clearly extraordinary.


    The Divine Wind Leg Technique he cultivated was good for both short range and long range fights. When facing someone of the same level, he could usually attack or retreat at will.


    Even when facing an opponent at the second stage of the warrior realm, as long as the other party did not specialize in speed, he did not need to be afraid.


    Furthermore, the Kunshan Sect¡¯s cultivation techniques were all focused on the fists. They specialized in lethality, not speed.


    Wang Zuoliang glanced in the direction in which the others had left and said with a smile, ¡°School Head Wan, if this continues, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be taking a bullet for no reason.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The top priority of the Kunshan Sect is the porcelain bowl. Why would they care about nobodies like us?¡± Wan Rong replied calmly with a smile.


    ¡°That makes sense. In any case, we didn¡¯t do anything to Gu Chen. After they arrive, we can just retreat.¡± Wang Zuoliang nodded.


    Their words echoed through the forest without hiding anything.


    When Gu Chen heard this, his expression turned ugly.


    The two of them did not take him seriously at all and were behaving like he was not there.


    This was especially true for Wan Rong, who was the biggest obstacle between him and Wan Ya. The thought of letting his master kill Wan Rong in passing appeared in his mind. This way, the issue of his relationship with Wan Ya would be resolved easily.


    Although he could not officially marry her, if he took her in as a mistress, the Kunshan Sect would view it as a kind of victory for their disciples.


    The three of them were in a stalemate. Gu Chen did not continue to escape. Wan Rong and Wang Zuoliang even retreated to 100 meters away, quietly waiting for the heads of the various inner courts to arrive.


    Three to four kilometers away from Gu Chen and the school heads, Chen Yiming walked forward slowly. Beside him was Wan Ya, who had begged to follow him when he left the villa.


    At this moment, Wan Ya could not hide the anxiety on her face. She was very worried that Gu Chen would be surrounded by the school heads.


    In her eyes, Gu Chen had just broken through to the warrior realm and was injured. No matter how she looked at it, it was impossible for him to defeat several school heads at the same level.


    ¡°The head of the Kunshan Sect might appear at any moment. Should we hurry up?¡± Wan Ya couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice.


    ¡°The porcelain bowl is the Kunshan Sect¡¯s target. There¡¯s no need for the inner court heads to kill the school heads,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    After the explanation, they continued on their way.


    After a long silence, Wan Ya said worriedly, ¡°At the second stage of the warrior realm, one would have completed the transformation of his internal force. With just a casual strike, one can easily crush an ordinary warrior. Will my father be in danger?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at Wan Ya and said casually, ¡°The black fog internal force cultivated from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique naturally has the ability to conceal one in the dark. If Master Wan wants to retreat early, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Chen Yiming had had many experiences with this and had made use of the advantages brought by the black fog internal force first-hand.


    Although one would not be completely concealed, as long as he kept a distance, he would not be afraid of enemies in the darkness of the night even if they were one level higher than him.


    Back when Li Daoyi had chased after him for dozens of kilometers, Chen Yiming had used a trick to get others to cover for him.


    However, even if there were no other people around, it would be very difficult to find someone in such a large area if they lost their target immediately.


    Wan Ya nodded and gave up on the idea of rushing Chen Yiming.


    At the same time, she didn¡¯t dare to leave Chen Yiming¡¯s side. In a battle between warriors, if a warrior candidate didn¡¯t have someone to protect him, he might die if he got caught in the fight.


    The two of them walked near a small river.


    A tall figure suddenly appeared under the willow tree dozens of meters away.


    He had a burly figure and long hair that draped over his shoulders. Even the darkness of the night could not hide his unusually strong arms. Even though he was just standing there, one could tell that he had not come with good intentions.


    ¡°With the alien bird creatures¡¯ attack and the transportation of emergency supplies, Chen Yiming, you were lucky enough to survive for a while longer. Tonight, it¡¯s time to seek justice for my eldest disciple, Wu Yunsheng,¡± Lei Bojun said with a long sigh.


    On the second day after the warriors¡¯ conference had ended, Lei Bojun found out from his disciple that Wu Yunsheng had gone to find trouble with Chen Yiming.


    Before Lei Bojun could go to the scene to personally investigate, a flock of alien bird creatures attacked the city. After that, all the warriors were assigned to various tasks to rebuild the city by Ren Pingsheng.


    However, within two days, there was suddenly news that Chen Yiming had broken through to the warrior realm. It was obvious who the murderer was.


    However, Chen Yiming was in charge of transporting supplies essential for East Lake City. Lei Bojun didn¡¯t dare to attack Chen Yiming during this period.


    It was only tonight that a good opportunity appeared.


    Wan Rong was held back by Gu Chen, and Chen Yiming had walked out of East Lake City alone. Wan Ya, a warrior candidate, didn¡¯t have much combat strength.

 Chapter 152 - Crushed (II)

    Chen Yiming and Wan Ya stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°What should we do? It¡¯s Lei Bojun, the head of the Tongbeiquan School,¡± Wan Ya said nervously.


    In her eyes, new warriors like Gu Chen and Chen Yiming were definitely no match for veteran warriors like Lei Bojun.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. Just wait for me here,¡± Chen Yiming replied calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he walked towards Lei Bojun.


    ¡°You still dare to approach me instead of escaping?¡± Lei Bojun said coldly.


    He was extremely surprised by Chen Yiming¡¯s actions.


    Chen Yiming sighed and replied, ¡°Wu Yunsheng couldn¡¯t see his own strength clearly, and I didn¡¯t expect his master to be the same. Since the two of you insist on making things difficult for me, don¡¯t blame me for what happens.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not joking?¡± Lei Bojun laughed.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Lei Bojun¡¯s deep voice sounded.


    He charged forward and covered his entire body with internal force in the blink of an eye. He threw a punch at Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    Before the punch landed, a huge amount of air was compressed, creating an explosive sound.


    A dark red internal force appeared like a layer of armor. This was the internal force cultivated from the Tongbeiquan Technique.


    This internal force could stack up and greatly increase the strength of one¡¯s body. When facing an opponent of the same level, there were very few who could compete with them. Even when fighting with alien creatures from the otherworld, one would not be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same as Wu Yunsheng back then.¡±


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks and stood his ground. He also threw out a punch.


    The surface of his fist was covered with a layer of black fog internal force. Between the black fog internal force and his fist, there was another layer of strength-based internal force.


    The brown strength-based internal force was at the second stage of the warrior realm. Under the cover of the black fog internal force, Lei Bojun did not notice it at all.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Their fists collided head-on.


    A shockwave appeared from the point of contact, turning into circular ripples that swept out.


    Next, Lei Bojun instinctively tried to use the finishing move of the Tongbeiquan Technique, which could make use of consecutive punches in an extremely short period of time to achieve the effect of instantly increasing his attack power.


    However, he could only watch helplessly as the dark red internal force was broken through, and his arm instantly lost all its strength.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s fist broke through the dark red internal force. The strength-based internal force flowed through Lei Bojun¡¯s arm and reached his chest before exploding.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Before he died, Lei Bojun was dumbfounded.


    Even with his internal force protecting him, the strength-based internal force that exploded in his body still caused Lei Bojun¡¯s body to instantly expand a few sizes, becoming like a ball.


    After Lei Bojun swelled up a few sizes, a hole exploded in his back. Then, he was sent flying into the river.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same as Wu Yunsheng back then.¡±


    Lei Bojun shrank back to his normal size like a deflated ball in midair. Chen Yiming¡¯s words still echoed in his ears.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    Water was displaced from the river.


    Lei Bojun¡¯s corpse sank into the river and traveled downstream.


    The strength-based internal force had exploded in his chest, and all the vital organs in his body were blown to pieces. His body had stopped moving before he could even put up a struggle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to Wan Ya and shouted.


    Without waiting for Wan Ya to come back to her senses, he continued on his way at the same speed as before.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Wan Ya wanted to ask why Lei Bojun was so weak, but in the end, she did not say anything.


    She glanced at Lei Bojun¡¯s corpse, which was bobbing up and down in the water, and quickly followed Chen Yiming.


    ¡­


    Gu Chen, Wan Rong, and Wang Zuoliang were in the forest.


    A roar suddenly sounded from afar, as if a large truck was approaching.


    Without a doubt, this was the sound of someone at the second stage of the warrior realm traveling at full speed.


    ¡°School Head Wan,¡± Wang Zuoliang said with a smile.


    ¡°This is all we can do,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Wang Zuoliang¡¯s figure seemed to have turned into a gust of wind. One could only feel the flow of air, but his figure had already disappeared.


    In the same way, Wan Rong¡¯s figure suddenly turned dark, and he disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run if you have the guts,¡±


    Gu Chen cursed when he saw this.


    He could only watch helplessly as the two of them left.


    After a few breaths, ¡°Boom!¡±


    A figure leaped to Gu Chen¡¯s side from afar, creating a huge pit a few meters wide.


    The dust settled, revealing a figure.


    This person had a well-proportioned figure and was wearing an ordinary long-sleeved shirt. He did not look much different from an ordinary person.


    ¡°Master, the two school heads who were monitoring me have just escaped. They were continuously transmitting their location. Hurry up and capture them,¡± Gu Chen pleaded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Just give me the porcelain bowl.¡± Cheng Shikun shook his head and refused.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Chen was unwilling, but he did not dare to refute his master. He could only hand the porcelain bowl to Cheng Shikun.


    Cheng Shikun took the porcelain bowl and put it away. He instructed, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for you to follow me. Stay far away.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Gu Chen nodded.


    He took a deep breath, chose a direction at random, and quickly left.


    The battle at the second stage of the warrior realm was not something that ordinary warriors could participate in. No matter how angry Gu Chen was, he did not dare to stay.


    Cheng Shikun glanced at Gu Chen, who had left. He did not leave and just stood there waiting.


    Less than a minute after Gu Chen left, another roar sounded from afar. This time, it was even louder than the one from Cheng Shikun. It was as if a convoy was driving over.


    ¡°Court Head Cheng, those who see should get a share.¡±


    ¡°Court Head Cheng, let¡¯s share the good stuff.¡±


    Before they arrived, a few voices had already sounded out.


    Not only that, but their voices were also transmitted through a special internal force technique, causing them to be audible for several kilometers.


    The school heads in charge of providing Gu Chen¡¯s position smiled at each other, knowing that their mission had been completed.


    They all moved further away and found a mountain to watch the huge battle that may happen between those at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    However, no one noticed that Lei Bojun was missing.


    ¡­


    A few kilometers away, Chen Yiming also led Wan Ya to the top of a nearby mountain.


    ¡°Yiming, you¡¯re here too.¡± Wan Rong¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the air.


    A figure gradually appeared from afar and walked over to them.


    ¡°Master Wan,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    He was a little puzzled that Wan Rong could accurately pinpoint his location.


    ¡°I left a special mark on Wan Ya,¡± Wan Rong explained.


    At the same time, he gave Wan Ya a meaningful look.


    Wan Ya was on the receiving end of Wan Rong¡¯s gaze.


    Her expression froze, and she felt like she was being imprisoned. She had a new understanding of her father, Wan Rong. This was something that had not happened before even when she had agreed to marry Lin Yixuan.


    Recalling Lei Bojun, who had been instantly killed, she suddenly understood.


    With Lin Yixuan, even though she was going to marry him, Wan Rong didn¡¯t interfere with her private life. However, with Chen Yiming, even though she had just gone on a blind date with him, Wan Rong was guarding her tightly.


    Not only did he hint that she knew of Gu Chen¡¯s existence, but he also openly revealed that he had a special method to track her location.


    This meant that she was completely under Wan Rong¡¯s control. Even if she ran away, she could not escape.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Although he did not know what kind of secret technique it was, it was impossible for it to work on him, since all external forces would be repelled from a body that was covered by internal force.


    Wan Rong walked to Chen Yiming¡¯s side and looked at the forest where Gu Chen had been earlier.

 Chapter 153 - Revealing Oneself (I)

    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Colorful lights lit up the sky, and a muffled explosion sounded from the depths of the forest.


    Immediately after, a large area of the forest began to be razed to the ground. Towering trees fell one after another in the fight at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a huge storm in Jiangnan province. In the past, treasures like the porcelain bowl were directly handed over to Jiangnan City. I wonder what Ren Pingsheng is trying to do,¡± Wan Rong sighed with a serious expression.


    Chen Yiming asked in surprise, ¡°Will it attract the attention of those at the third stage of the warrior realm?¡±


    That night, when Chen Yiming had forced Ren Pingsheng to retreat, no one else knew the truth behind the matter. They still felt that Ren Pingsheng¡¯s actions had hidden intentions that they could not understand.


    ¡°Big figures at this level have restrictions on their actions. They are not allowed to participate in the disputes of the lower levels.


    However, there might still be a huge battle. Not only will the heads of the large sects fight for it, but other medium-sized factions might also take action,¡± Wan Rong explained.


    ¡°No wonder the Yue clan didn¡¯t dare to publicize it when they obtained the porcelain bowl and only used it on Yue Jingtian.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°The main thing is that the situation now is different from more than 10 years ago. Back then, the research on bloodline warriors had only just begun. Time was needed to verify the effects.


    But now, Jiangnan City has already established a bloodline warrior army. This army is made up of hundreds of warriors, and they are making contributions on the battlefield.¡±


    Wan Rong sighed.


    From here on, he continued to voice what he had guessed.


    ¡°Ren Pingsheng probably didn¡¯t expect the large sects to have such a big reaction. In recent years, in order to cooperate with the research of the bloodline warriors in the province, the large sects have taken the initiative to hand over many such treasures.


    After this battle, the value of the treasures used to develop bloodline warriors will probably increase exponentially. Once that happens, there will be a bloody battle.¡±


    Chen Yiming remained silent.


    He thought of the opportunity for his family members to rebuild their martial arts foundation.


    As long as he was strong enough, he would be able to find a suitable treasure to develop a bloodline warrior. At that time, not only Chen Yingying, but even Father Chen and Mother Chen could embark on the path of martial arts.


    The opportunity to prolong the lifespan of his family lay with the bloodline warriors.


    Just as Chen Yiming and Wan Rong were deep in thought, the scope of the battle gradually increased. It seemed that before long, the mountain they were on would also fall within the range of the battle.


    Seeing this, Wan Rong said in a low voice, ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t have the chance to observe the battle at the second stage of the warrior realm. There are rules that forbid disputes among humans from affecting the cities. We¡¯ll return to East Lake City immediately.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Chen Yiming agreed with a nod.


    Once he returned to East Lake City, he could part ways from Wan Rong and Wan Ya.


    At that time, the outcome of the battle would be decided, and it would be just the right time for him to make an appearance.


    Soon, the three of them rushed back to East Lake City.


    ¡­


    In the Eastern Lake, less than 100 kilometers away from Jiangnan City and less than 10 kilometers away from the entrance of the Kunshan Sect, there was a small island with a diameter of more than a kilometer in the center of the lake. The Kunshan Sect had sent disciples to guard it all year round, and they regularly got rid of the mutant beasts in the lake, developing the island into a tourist attraction.


    Therefore, tourists came all year round to tour around the island.


    At this moment, after being affected by the battle, not to mention the tourists, but even the disciples of the Kunshan Sect had all retreated.


    On the island in the middle of the lake, three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect were sitting quietly with their backs against each other on the roof of the highest hotel. More than 10 factions had surrounded the island, trapping the three of them there.


    The Kunshan Sect¡¯s fist technique was named the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist. It was a fist technique that was completely targeted at the body¡¯s organs. The three of them, Shi Qingxin, Xu Zhansheng, and Cheng Shikun, were the heads of the inner courts with techniques targeting the heart, liver, and kidney respectively.


    The clothes of the three inner court heads were slightly tattered, and patches of blood had stained their clothes red. They looked rather disheveled and no longer had the composed demeanor they used to have.


    At the warrior realm, one had internal force to protect themselves. Unless one broke through the defense of internal force, it was very difficult to injure the body.


    The three inner court heads were all at the second stage of the warrior realm. Even with their combined strength, they were still severely injured. Clearly, they had been through many battles.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any news yet? Could it be that the sect master doesn¡¯t plan to make a move?¡± Cheng Shikun let out a long breath and asked anxiously.


    Shi Qingxin glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Court Head Cheng, what¡¯s the use of being anxious at a time like this? Who asked your disciple to foolishly bid for the porcelain bowl? Now, our Kunshan Sect has become the target of concerted attacks¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Is there anything wrong with what he did?¡± Cheng Shikun stood up and said angrily.


    ¡°Calm down. The factions outside won¡¯t go so far as to go all out against the Kunshan Sect for a porcelain bowl. We just have to wait patiently for news,¡± Xu Zhansheng said in a low voice.


    On the surface of the water around the island, there was more than one faction that had someone at the third stage of the warrior realm presiding over it.


    The main reason why the three inner court heads had only suffered light injuries after breaking through the encirclement was because there were too many factions participating in the fight.


    Most of the factions did not intend to risk their lives, and only wanted to prevent others from benefiting easily from this situation.


    After Cheng Shikun vented his anger, he sat down again.


    The wait was extremely torturous, and the three of them fell silent.


    After a while, Cheng Shikun suddenly asked doubtfully, ¡°Could it be that the other four inner court heads are deliberately stalling for time and haven¡¯t reported this to the sect master?¡±


    ¡°This is no joke. How would they dare to do that,¡± Shi Qingxin said coldly.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they dare to? During the conflict with the Myriad Phenomena Sect half a year ago, someone deliberately dragged us down,¡± Cheng Shikun said angrily.


    ¡°How can you use such groundless accusations as evidence?¡± Shi Qingxin said in a low voice.


    Because the two of them had different opinions, they started arguing again after calming down.


    Xu Zhansheng waited for the two of them to finish arguing before saying,


    ¡°We can¡¯t rule out this possibility. The Eastern Lake is already very close to the Kunshan Sect.


    Unless something has happened in the sect, even if the sect master doesn¡¯t make a move, the other inner court heads should also have come to help.¡±


    ¡°Do you still think the other inner court heads wouldn¡¯t dare to mess around?¡± Cheng Shikun looked at Shi Qingxin.


    Shi Qingxin frowned and did not reply.


    Among the seven inner courts of the Kunshan Sect, the combination of cultivation techniques would be greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, on the surface, all the inner court heads and disciples would group up to take action together.


    However, in truth, they were not all united. There would be conflicts of interest between the inner courts.


    Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng were close to each other, so after receiving Cheng Shikun¡¯s request for help, Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng immediately set off.


    When the three of them finally broke out of the encirclement and arrived at the secret base of the Kunshan Sect in the Eastern Lake, they sent a message back to the sect asking for more reinforcements, but there was still no news from them.


    Around the island in the middle of the lake, more than 10 factions were scattered around, and from time to time, someone would report back to the factions backing them.


    No faction was willing to take the initiative to fight the three inner court heads to the death, including the large sects on the same level as the Kunshan Sect.


    Chen Yiming appeared with a black mask covering his face and dressed in a black cloak. He had just arrived after following the traces of the battle.


    He used his black fog internal force to conceal his body and stood under a poplar tree by the river, observing the situation before him.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past, carrying with it fallen branches and leaves. Many of them were stopped in the air by his concealed figure.


    On the surface of the lake dozens of meters away from Chen Yiming,


    ¡°Come out and stop hiding,¡±


    an old man in a loose robe noticed the abnormality by the lake and spoke.


    This person had white hair and white eyebrows. Although he was old, his eyes were bright, and he did not have the turbidity of an old man.


    An old woman accompanied the old man.


    Although she looked old, she had a head of thick black hair.


    Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and from her back, it was impossible to tell that she was an old woman.

 Chapter 154 - Revealing Oneself (II)

    The moment the old woman turned around, she shot a steel needle towards the spot at which Chen Yiming was hiding.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The steel needle was covered with a layer of spiral airflow. This airflow was formed by internal force, allowing the speed of the steel needle to easily exceed the speed of sound. Furthermore, it did not weaken at all along the way.


    Clearly, the old woman was at the second stage of the warrior realm, not the ordinary warrior realm.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming dispersed the black fog internal force and dodged the steel needle easily with a slight movement. He remained standing where he was.


    The old man and woman revealed surprised expressions and did not continue the fight.


    The steel needle was a probe to test the opponent¡¯s level. After knowing that both sides were of the same level, there was no need to fight recklessly.


    ¡°Elders, what¡¯s the situation on the island?¡± Chen Yiming asked, not hiding the fact that he had just arrived.


    Furthermore, the tone of his voice revealed his age.


    ¡°Young man, your strength is not bad,¡± the old man said with a smile.


    The old woman at the side said coldly, ¡°Are you alone? Hurry up and go back to your seniors. This is not a place where you should be.¡±


    She was extremely dissatisfied with how the masked man dodged her steel needle. His casual movements did not seem to pose any threat to her.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming asked, ¡°There are only three people on the island, but there are so many of you. What are all of you afraid of?¡±


    His words were simple and direct, cutting straight to the point like a knife.


    It was not only the old man and the old woman who felt uncomfortable when they heard this. The people from the other two factions near them glared angrily at the masked man when they heard this.


    It was easier said than done. This person seemed to only be good at boasting, but was unable to take any action.


    This was their opinion of the masked man.


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t make it sound so easy. If you have the guts, you can attack first,¡± the old woman said coldly.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that her strength didn¡¯t allow her to do so, she really wanted to string this young man up and beat him to a pulp.


    ¡°Young people should know how to respect their elders,¡± the old man lectured. The smile on his face had disappeared.


    ¡°As expected, stubbornness has a lot to do with age.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming took a step across the water and arrived in front of the faction that had been glaring at him.


    They were two burly monks wearing monk robes with shiny bald heads.


    One of them was holding a monk¡¯s staff, while the other was holding a Buddhist Commandment Blade. Their muscles were firm, and their faces were twisted in anger as they glared at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Monks, practicing martial arts consumes a lot of energy. What can you use to replace the mutant beast meat?¡± Chen Yiming suddenly thought of this and asked curiously.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re courting death,¡± the two monks raised their weapons and shouted angrily.


    Their expressions were fierce, as though they might attack at any moment.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not proper monks,¡± Chen Yiming commented as he observed their muscular figures.


    In his heart, a monk¡¯s main job should be to study Buddhist teachings. Martial arts could only be a secondary focus.


    On the other hand, these two monks were about to attack at the slightest provocation. It was completely not what he expected from accomplished monks. It was obvious that they were on the wrong path.


    As soon as he finished speaking, ¡°Die!¡±


    The water beneath the feet of the monk holding the staff exploded, and his figure instantly disappeared and reappeared in front of the masked man.


    The staff emitted a dazzling golden light before transforming into the top half of a Buddha¡¯s figure. The Buddha had six hands, and the golden light emitted from each of the palms shot towards the masked man.


    Suddenly, it seemed as though seven attacks were happening at the same time.


    ¡°Is this a Buddhist martial arts technique?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise before the attack reached him.


    He wanted to see if there was anything different about the Buddhist martial arts.


    He threw a punch forward to meet the attack head on, his fist carrying the strength-based internal force.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A wave of air swept across the lake, causing the water to rumble.


    Immediately after, a large splash erupted, covering the figures of the two opponents.


    The commotion attracted the attention of everyone, including the three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect. They all turned to look in the direction of the masked man and the monk.


    ¡°Ah!¡± a scream rang out.


    The monk¡¯s staff had broken into several pieces. Blood flowed from his hands as he flew back at an even faster speed.


    ¡°Other than his appearance being a little scary, I don¡¯t see any difference from other martial arts techniques.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s comments echoed throughout the Eastern Lake.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Immediately after, the sound of another collision rang out.


    The monk holding the Buddhist Commandment Blade was stunned by his companion¡¯s defeat and was crashed into by the flying monk.


    The two of them flew across the lake until they reached a small hill on the island in the middle of the lake. They slid for 10 meters before stopping. A long crater was created in their path.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The old man and woman nearby swallowed their phlegm.


    Even though they had seen it with their own eyes, they still thought that they might have been seeing things.


    In their impression, when they were besieging the three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect, the two monks had not only cooperated very well, but their strength was also extraordinary among those at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    With the two of them working together, they forced one of the inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect to continuously be on the defensive.


    However, now, it was as if they were being casually defeated by a warrior who was one level lower than them.


    At the same time, not only the old man and woman, but the others were all so shocked that their jaws almost dropped.


    They all suspected that the masked man¡¯s young voice was just an act. He was very likely an old monster at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    On the rooftop of the hotel on the island, when the three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect saw this, a few drops of cold sweat appeared on their foreheads.


    This was especially true for Cheng Shikun. He was the court head who had been forced into a corner by the two monks.


    No one knew the combat strength of the two monks better than him. They might be weaker than him in a one-on-one fight, but they could not be underestimated if they worked together.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure flashed and he returned to the old woman¡¯s side. He asked, ¡°Which of the court heads of the Kunshan Sect has the porcelain bowl now?¡±


    His voice was not deliberately amplified by any internal force technique, but the effect was not reduced at all. Everyone heard him clearly.


    The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. A bad feeling welled up in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    This was part of Chen Yiming¡¯s plan. All the forces participating in the encirclement had appeared, so it was the right time for him to make a move.


    If he had tried to snatch it from the start, the forces that had rushed over might not have understood the situation and he would have had no choice but to kill them.


    The second stage of the warrior realm was considered the backbone of a province¡¯s top combat power. If too many people died at once, the investigation would be carried out to the end.


    There was no need for him to get into so much trouble.


    The old man and woman¡¯s faces were pale. They no longer dared to flaunt their seniority.


    This was especially true for the old woman. She was afraid that the masked man would use their previous conflict as an excuse to attack her.


    ¡°It¡¯s with Cheng Shikun of the Kunshan Sect.¡±


    The old woman did not hesitate. She pointed at one of the three inner court heads on the rooftop.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the rooftop and noted the person that the old woman was pointing at.


    In the next moment, his figure flashed and he arrived on the rooftop in just three steps.


    An invisible pressure, like a tsunami, pressed down on the three inner court heads.


    The expressions of the three of them changed drastically as they exchanged glances with each other.


    Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng didn¡¯t say a word. They simply turned their heads in the other direction, completely leaving the decision up to Cheng Shikun.


    Seeing this, Cheng Shikun cursed his bad luck in his heart.


    If he handed over the porcelain bowl and returned to the sect, not only would he be blamed for the failure of this operation, but he would also be mocked by the other court heads.


    If he didn¡¯t hand it over, he didn¡¯t have the confidence that he would be able to withstand a single attack from the masked man. The monks who had been defeated in just one blow had set an example.


    In addition, even if he brought the porcelain bowl back to the sect, he would not be the one to own it. He would have to hand it over to the sect master.


    In this case, there was no need to think about whether to keep his life or the porcelain bowl.


    Hence, Cheng Shikun smiled bitterly and reached for the porcelain bowl.

 Chapter 155 - Porcelain bowl (I)

    Just as the masked man was forcing Cheng Shikun to hand over the porcelain bowl, at some point, only waves were left on the surface of the wide lake.


    The dozen or so factions that had participated in the encirclement of the three Kunshan Sect court heads had all retreated into the forest by the lake.


    Among them, the monk with the Buddhist Commandment Blade carried his injured companion and rushed into the forest without looking back, giving up on the fight for the porcelain bowl.


    Seeing that the two monks had given up, the other medium-sized factions in the Jiangnan province only hesitated for a moment before retreating one after another.


    After the first round of battles reduced their numbers, the masked man, who was suspected to be at the third stage of the warrior realm, had instantly cleared most of the remaining factions from the battlefield.


    At this moment, only the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Jiyang Sect were left, and both of them only had one division head each.


    On the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s side was the head of the Mantis Snake division, Zhou Xuesheng. He had long hair that was black and white, and was dressed like a scholar. He had a refined and easygoing air about him.


    On the Jiyang Sect¡¯s side was the head of the Chiji School division, Su Xuyang. He had golden hair and a tall and burly figure. His large spear was stabbed into the mud beside him, and he looked just like a lion in human form.


    ¡°Division Head Su, there are only the two of us left. Even if there are three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect, the two of us are not their match. Why don¡¯t we leave together?¡± Zhou Xuesheng looked in the direction of the island and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Division Head Zhou, feel free to leave with those people. It¡¯s enough for me to stay here alone,¡± Su Xuyang said with a smile.


    Zhou Xuesheng thought nothing of it and muttered to himself, ¡°The Jiyang Sect mainly focuses on strengthening the human body. No wonder you guys value bloodline warriors so much.


    Could it be that your sect master has already secretly set up an ambush nearby? It¡¯s just that it wasn¡¯t good to break the rules earlier and snatch it directly.¡±


    Hearing this, Su Xuyang sat down cross-legged and said calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for the Myriad Phenomena Sect? Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of staying here?¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng laughed and did not say anything else.


    The two of them had tested each other and were able to understand each other¡¯s intentions.


    Generally speaking, the second stage of the warrior realm was not much stronger than cannon fodder in front of someone from the third stage.


    The two of them had taken the risk of being killed by the masked man and stayed nearby to monitor the movements of the porcelain bowl for the Sect Master of the faction they belong to. They had both received their Sect Master¡¯s instructions.


    Everyone had tacitly agreed that the masked man was at the third stage of the warrior realm. When the porcelain bowl was in the hands of the masked man, the sect masters would then snatch it from him.


    Even if it was still against the rules, they would not be crossing the lines by much, and Jiangnan City would not pursue the matter too much after this.


    On the rooftop of the hotel on the island, when Cheng Shikun saw the vast majority of the forces surrounding them had left without any hesitation.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and consoled himself that this was not a crime of war. He instantly thought of a reason to explain himself when he returned.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    His movements changed from hesitant to decisive as he handed the porcelain bowl to the masked man.


    Chen Yiming took the porcelain bowl and examined it carefully.


    The porcelain bowl was intact and undamaged. There were some incomprehensible patterns carved on the outside, and there were scattered bloodstains in the bowl. The bloodstains were still dark red.


    It was indeed the same as what he had seen at the auction.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave after obtaining the porcelain bowl.


    When Mo Yanfei mentioned the porcelain bowl to him that night, she did not know much about it. She only knew that Yue Jingtian had used it to become a bloodline warrior.


    As for how to use the porcelain bowl, only the previous head of the Yue clan and the current head of the clan, Yue Yangpeng, knew about it.


    Chen Yiming sized up Cheng Shikun.


    He had learned from Wan Rong that there were rules that restricted those in the third stage of the warrior realm to prevent them from interfering in the disputes among those in a lower level.


    The three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect were being watched by him, and would not be able to send the latest news to the Kunshan Sect anytime soon. Therefore, he did not need to leave in a hurry.


    This way, the simplest method was to interrogate Cheng Shikun directly.


    After all, what the inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect could come into contact with was not something that the Yue clan could compare to. It was more reliable to learn how to use treasures like the porcelain bowl from him.


    When Cheng Shikun saw this, his expression changed drastically. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    He kept trying to guess the masked man¡¯s thoughts.


    Wasn¡¯t it enough that he had snatched the porcelain bowl? Did the masked man still want to kill him?


    Among the three of them, he was the closest to the masked man. Would it be too late to run now?


    Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng, who were a few meters behind him, had the same change in expression.


    They exerted force under their feet in secret. Once the masked men showed any signs of trying to kill them, they would immediately jump off the building and flee for their lives.


    ¡°Tell me what you know about how to use treasures like this porcelain bowl,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    When Cheng Shikun heard this, he let out a long breath.


    He had almost tried to risk his life to escape earlier.


    He calmed his pounding heart and explained, ¡°For this type of treasure, one needs to judge based on the patterns on the outside to determine which type of dire beast is compatible with it.


    Then, one would capture a large number of that species of dire beast and experiment with their blood essence one by one. The corresponding dire beast¡¯s blood essence would create an obvious reaction when placed in the porcelain bowl.


    As for the time needed to purify the blood essence, firstly, it is related to the bowl itself, and secondly, it is related to the level of the dire beast. This can only be determined after many tries.¡±


    He revealed everything he knew in one go, not daring to hide anything.


    Chen Yiming fell silent.


    The way it was used was similar to the conventional way of doing experiments in his previous world.


    This confirmed that it was unlikely that Cheng Shikun had deliberately deceived him.


    ¡°Based on this bowl¡¯s patterns, what kind of dire beast should be used?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    When Cheng Shikun heard this, he pointed with his finger. ¡°At the top of the pattern is a blurry cloud diagram. It should be a flying-type dire beast.¡±


    ¡°Flying-type dire beast? How could the Yue clan have the ability to capture it?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    The beasts on the blue planet had evolved due to the influence of the space-travel passage from the otherworld, and were collectively known as mutant beasts on the blue planet. The alien creatures native to the otherworld were collectively named dire beasts.


    Flying-type dire beasts were much more difficult to capture than those on land.


    The Yue clan was only an ordinary warrior clan, and they did not have the ability to do it alone.


    ¡°Perhaps the Yue clan¡¯s ancestors were lucky and picked up the porcelain bowl in the area where the flying dire beasts live,¡± Cheng Shikun explained.


    Chen Yiming nodded, satisfied with Cheng Shikun¡¯s answer.


    ¡°If there¡¯s any problem, you¡¯ll have to answer for it,¡± Chen Yiming said before disappearing from the sight of the three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect.


    After the masked man left, the three Kunshan Sect court heads looked around.


    After confirming that the masked man had really left, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    How could a porcelain bowl be more important than his own life? He felt like he had narrowly escaped with his life.


    ¡°Court Head Cheng, how can you tell the other party all your precious knowledge without changing anything at all?¡± Shi Qingxin was a little angry and questioned him.


    ¡°You still have the cheek to say that? Why didn¡¯t you say anything when the masked man forced me to hand over the porcelain bowl?¡± Cheng Shikun retorted unhappily.


    ¡°The porcelain bowl is with you. What should I say?¡± Shi Qingxin snorted and replied.


    ¡°The situation was so tense back then. If it were you, would you be able to sort out your thoughts? Wouldn¡¯t you be afraid of being seen through?¡± Cheng Shikun argued back.


    The two of them suddenly started arguing.


    Shi Qingxin felt that Cheng Shikun was too stupid. He was not able to adapt to the situation at all and had given away the information too easily.


    Cheng Shikun felt that he was lucky to have kept his life. Shi Qingxin did not understand the pressure he was facing back then.


    Xu Zhansheng glanced at the two of them and did not try to mediate the conflict.


    The three of them had just escaped from the jaws of death. He understood that Cheng Shikun and Shi Qingxin urgently needed to vent and divert the remaining fear in their hearts.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. At least you knew your place and didn¡¯t dare to lie to me.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice sounded from nearby.


    The three of them had just calmed down from the fear brought about by the masked man when they suddenly heard the voice. Their bodies stiffened and their hearts almost stopped beating.


    They turned their heads mechanically in the direction of the voice.

 Chapter 156 - Porcelain Bowl (II)

    In the shadows at the corner, a figure appeared from the darkness.


    The figure was the masked man who had left and returned.


    ¡°I guarantee that every word is the truth. It¡¯s all the knowledge gathered by the Kunshan Sect over the years,¡± Cheng Shikun said as he trembled.


    Shi Qingxin¡¯s face was ashen.


    He did not expect the masked man to turn around and return.


    He was afraid that the other party might be in a bad mood and decide to kill him.


    Just as a strange silence fell over the rooftop of the hotel on the island, ¡°Court Head Chen, Court Head Shi and Court Head Xu, why is the situation different from what you said?¡±


    Suddenly, a voice sounded from afar.


    Immediately after, the figures of three men and one woman from the Kunshan Sect quickly leaped onto the rooftop of the hotel on the island.


    The leader was the head of the inner court specializing in techniques attacking the lungs, Wang Zhiqing.


    He was in his prime and had a strong figure. Although he was only wearing an ordinary training robe, he still had an imposing aura.


    Wang Zhiqing walked over and saw the porcelain bowl in the masked man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Who is he? Why does he have a porcelain bowl in his hands?¡± Wang Zhiqing questioned Cheng Shikun.


    Cheng Shikun had a displeased expression on his face. He didn¡¯t want to bother with Wang Zhiqing and the other inner court heads, who had only just arrived.


    He quickly recalled that half a year ago, during the conflict with the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Wang Zhiqing had also failed to provide timely support.


    Wang Zhiqing¡¯s excuse after the incident was that he had not received any concrete information, so he wanted to defend against the enemy from luring the tiger out of the mountains to launch a sneak attack on the Kunshan Sect.


    Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng were also silent.


    They were also unhappy with Wang Zhiqing and the other court heads¡¯ delayed response.


    The Kunshan Sect was only about five kilometers away. If they had immediately provided support once they received the news, they would have already returned to the sect with the porcelain bowl, and there would have been no need to face the masked man.


    ¡°Why are you sneaking around? Hurry up and hand over the porcelain bowl.¡±


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Wang Zhiqing turned to the masked man and said with a sinister expression.


    As soon as he finished speaking, before Chen Yiming made a move, Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng reacted in fear.


    They were not afraid of a god-like opponent, but of a pig-like teammate.


    In Jiangnan province, the big figures at the third stage of the warrior realm were in seclusion all year round. The sect master of the Kunshan Sect was already at the very top, and he was already used to being above everyone else.


    If not for the fact that they had seen the defeat of the two monks, the three of them would have done the same.


    ¡°That person¡­¡±


    Cheng Shikun wanted to remind him, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by the masked man.


    ¡°It looks like I can¡¯t be too kind. Otherwise, things will never end,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    His voice was like the laughter of a demon, and it was as though a heavy hammer had smashed into the hearts of Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng. The three of them stopped breathing for a moment.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A sword flashed past.


    The thick and vast strength-based internal force turned into a sphere that continuously expanded. In the blink of an eye, it had reached more than 20 meters in diameter and continued to expand in the direction of the four inner court heads.


    ¡°Brat!¡±


    The four inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect led by Wang Zhiqing cursed loudly.


    The four of them happened to have their attention focused on the masked man, and they instantly reacted and attacked together. Four streams of internal force from the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist Technique struck out at the same time.


    Four internal forces of different colors fused together.


    This was the complete technique of the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist. One punch could damage several major organs in the opponent¡¯s body at the same time, and cause mental damage from seven different emotions.


    It could be said to be a sinister technique that injured the opponent¡¯s martial arts foundation.


    Therefore, the Kunshan Sect was well-known in the Jiangnan province. Large sects of the same level were generally unwilling to clash with them.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Internal force exploded from both sides at the same time.


    Countless streams of energy shot in all directions.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    The hotel under their feet could not withstand the impact and collapsed in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Interesting!¡±


    As Chen Yiming fell to the ground, he carefully experienced the power of the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist.


    He felt a strange power affecting his internal organs through the defense of his internal force.


    However, perhaps because the resistance of the Level-1 Undying Body talent was too strong, the strange power dissipated completely without having much effect.


    At the same time, the figure in his mind opened its eyes and swept its gaze across the spiritual world. The same strange power turned into black smoke and dissipated into the spiritual world.


    ¡°I seem to be able to perfectly restrain the effects of the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    His physical recovery and resistance were extremely high, and he was least afraid of such unorthodox powers.


    After all, this strange power had no defined source and could not be used against his powerful physique.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The two sides landed on the ground of the island at the same time, creating eight holes in the ground. The distance between them widened to dozens of meters.


    Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng turned to escape after landing.


    Chen Yiming slashed out again without hesitation.


    He had already figured out the basics of the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist Technique, so he did not hold back this time.


    The four boulders formed a huge sword that spun as it stabbed at the four leaders of the Kunshan Sect not far away.


    The four inner court heads led by Wang Zhiqing were focused on the masked man. They did not realize that the three court heads had already fled for their lives.


    Although they were shocked by the other party¡¯s overwhelming strength such that they were not at a disadvantage even though it was one against four, they did not have any intention of retreating. They were certain that they could wear out the other party since it was four against one.


    Thus, they worked together to execute another Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    The four of them had just made a move and were still in the posture of delivering a punch when they saw a huge sword that was longer than the distance between them charge towards them.


    This was completely beyond their understanding. They had never seen anything like it before.


    ¡°Could he be at the level of the sect master?¡±


    the four of them thought to themselves.


    However, it was too late for them to dodge.


    The huge sword behaved as though it had cut into tofu, easily breaking through the four streams of internal force that had fused together.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    At the last moment, the four of them unleashed all their potential and threw out another Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist, trying to block the huge sword with their combined attack.


    However, there was a limit to their strength. First, their protective internal force was shattered, and then their bodies were attacked by a huge force, as if a pyramid had appeared on their backs.


    The four of them could not withstand it and were easily crushed by the huge force.


    A large number of broken limbs flew in all directions, creating a continuous sound of water splashes.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The huge sword that had crushed the four inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect crossed the lake and stabbed into a huge mountain on the other side of the lake.


    A few seconds later, the mountain shook violently and collapsed into a pile of rubble. The rubble covered an area of two to three kilometers, and there were broken rocks dozens of meters in diameter scattered everywhere.


    While the four inner court heads continued to attack the masked man, Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng had split up and escaped a few kilometers away.


    Hearing the tremors behind them, the three of them turned around at the same time and saw a huge mountain collapsing.


    Using a sword to slash at the mountain showcased the destructive power of the third stage of the warrior realm.


    ¡°These four useless teammates.¡±


    The three of them had dark expressions on their faces. They cursed under their breath and looked up in the direction of the Kunshan Sect. They unleashed all their potential and fled towards the sect.


    Even if the masked man immediately chased after them, at least one or two of them would be able to escape back to the Kunshan Sect.


    As long as they returned to the Kunshan Sect, the three of them would be able to obtain the protection of the sect master.


    At the same time, the head of the Mantis Snake division, Zhou Xuesheng, and the head of the Chiji School, Su Xuyang, were both scared out of their wits. They no longer dared to stay nearby and help their sect masters monitor the movements of the porcelain bowl.


    The two of them disappeared into the forest like frightened birds.


    In a radius of a few kilometers around the island in the middle of the lake, the masked man was the only one left alone to quietly watch the few people who had fled in all directions.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure flashed as he quickly left the place.

 Chapter 157 - Aftermath (I)

    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of an air barrier exploding rang out from the horizon.


    This was the sound of someone at the level of the third stage of the warrior realm traveling at top speed.


    There was no way to hide the sound like that of a supersonic plane breaking through the air barrier, unless one could merge their body into space to travel quickly.


    Once the speed exceeded a certain limit, the breaking through sound of the air barrier would be like shining a light in the dark night.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes flickered as he changed the direction he was heading in to East Lake City. His figure turned into a black fog and entered the depths of the forest. He wasn¡¯t moving quickly, but his figure disappeared without a trace.


    Beside the island in the middle of the lake, four figures rushed to the collapsed mountain almost at the same time.


    As far as the eye could see, the dust caused by the falling rocks had yet to completely dissipate. Broken rocks with sharp corners could be seen everywhere.


    The people who had arrived were Zhou Xuesheng, Su Xuyang, and the sect masters of the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Jiyang Sect.


    The sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Ye Jianyuan, had a head of white hair, but he looked like a middle-aged man.


    With a gentle wave of his hand, an invisible ripple spread out. All the smoke and dust were drawn by a force and drifted deep into the forest.


    His body was different from that of an ordinary person. His arms were like those of an ape, and his legs were like those of a mantis. He had a stocky build, and his entire body was developed to give him an advantage over his opponents. Just by standing there, he gave off a ferocious aura like that of a dire beast.


    Not far behind him, ¡°Tap! Tap!¡±


    The sect master of the Jiyang Sect, Wei Tianlong, walked over step by step. Wherever he passed, the grass quickly withered and spontaneously combusted.


    He was more than three meters tall, with messy hair draped over his shoulders. His eyes were as big as bells, and the skin on his body was a bronze color, as though he was born with a layer of copper skin.


    The surging blood in his body was burning like a furnace. Just by unintentionally releasing a little bit of it to the outside world, it made one feel like a scorching power was surging towards them.


    Zhou Xuesheng, who was beside Ye Jianyuan, pointed at the ruins of the mountain and said in a low voice, ¡°Sect Master, this is the place where the masked man attacked them with the sword.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan glanced around and said calmly, ¡°The power of this sword has completely exceeded the second stage of the warrior realm. It has reached the ordinary level of the third stage of the warrior realm.¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s expression was solemn as he said in a low voice, ¡°This way, according to the information we received from our people in Luoxi City, combined with the extent of damage to this mountain, the masked man should be the one wanted by the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s best not to provoke him easily.¡±


    There was more than one type of internal force with the ability to turn one invisible. Chen Yiming had never used the Mantis Snake Sword Technique in front of others as a masked man, so it was difficult to confirm his identity.


    Chen Yiming would only reveal his identity when he used the 100-meter-long sword formed from four consecutive boulders. After all, with such destructive power, he could be ranked among the strongest in the province.


    This way, it would be difficult to grasp Chen Yiming¡¯s exact whereabouts. This would indirectly give the outside world a huge deterrent, and even Ye Jianyuan wasn¡¯t willing to offend him easily.


    At this moment, Wei Tianlong came over and said calmly, ¡°Sect Master Ye, the masked man¡¯s combat strength has only reached the threshold of the third stage of the warrior realm. His true level should still be at the second stage of the warrior realm. How can we let him off so easily?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan didn¡¯t think much of it and said with a smile, ¡°Sect Master Wei, ignoring the fact that we were a step too late, even if we made it just in time, do you have the confidence to hold him back?¡±


    Wei Tianlong¡¯s expression did not change as he retorted, ¡°We are one level higher than the other party. How will we know if we don¡¯t try?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan shook his head and said in a low voice, ¡°Li Daoyi of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect might have had the same thoughts as you back then. What was the outcome?


    Moreover, it¡¯s just a porcelain bowl used to develop bloodline warriors. Once we make a move, we might destroy everything within a radius of 100 kilometers. How will you explain this to the higher-ups in Jiangnan province?¡±


    Wei Tianlong¡¯s expression froze, and he could not refute him.


    On the blue planet, the reason why one¡¯s movements were restricted at the third stage of the warrior realm was because at this level, their destructive power was too strong.


    If there were no restrictions, before the outcome of the war between the blue planet and the otherworld could be determined, its environment would already be destroyed by human martial arts experts.


    The reason was that Chen Yiming¡¯s true combat strength had reached the peak on the blue planet.


    Other than the mysterious internal force master, the only people in the province who were stronger than Chen Yiming were the sect masters of a few large sects, as well as the few people who remained as the foundation of the large sects.


    Even after adding the small number of big shots in the provincial city, there were at most 20 people.


    Without being able to quickly take down the masked man, even a sect master like Ye Jianyuan would not make a move easily. This was because if he failed, he would create a troublesome enemy for the sect.


    Ye Jianyuan looked at the Eastern Lake again. The bright red color on the surface of the lake had yet to completely dissipate. He smiled and said, ¡°Sect Master Wei, we shouldn¡¯t be the ones who should be the most anxious.¡±


    Wei Tianlong glanced at the lake and smiled. ¡°Xuyang, on the way here, you mentioned that the masked man killed four inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect with one strike?¡±


    Su Xuyang replied in a low voice, ¡°Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. The four inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect were crushed by the huge sword in the blink of an eye.¡±


    Wei Tianlong nodded and said with a smile, ¡°More than half of the inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect died in one night. This is not an ordinary grudge that can be resolved by paying a suitable price.¡±


    The atmosphere by the lake suddenly became relaxed.


    Both the Jiyang Sect or the Myriad Phenomena Sect were happy to see the Kunshan Sect suffer heavy losses. Even though the two factions might condemn the masked man on the surface after this, they might not truly feel this way in private.


    Suddenly, a thunderous explosion rang out from the direction of the Kunshan Sect.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan and Wei Tianlong looked at each other and smiled.


    If they did not leave now, when the sect master of the Kunshan Sect arrived at the scene of the tragedy, he might suspect that the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Jiyang Sect had joined forces to set up a trap to kill the four inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect.


    In the next moment, the four figures disappeared at the same time, and the lake fell silent again, leaving only the sound of water splashing against the shore.


    The sect masters of the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Jiyang Sect had arrived while causing a huge commotion then quietly left.


    Not long after, there was an explosion comparable to a ten-ton bomb. Then, there was a tremor like an earthquake that swept in all directions.


    The island in the middle of the lake was a famous tourist spot in the Eastern Lake. Under the furious punch of the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, large pieces of the ground broke off and sank into the depths of the lake.


    ¡­


    In a secret villa in the suburbs of Cloud Port City, ¡°There¡¯s still no news of the final situation.¡±


    Mo Yanfei looked anxious as she paced back and forth by the window.


    From time to time, she would send a message through a special bird to communicate with the two generations of the Mo clan¡¯s heads, Mo Fengzhi and Mo Zhenhe.


    The Mo clan had been a martial arts clan in Cloud Port City for decades. Not only did they have a large number of spies in Cloud Port City, but they also had a small number of intelligence agents in various cities in Jiangnan province.


    As soon as the auction started, they sent out a large number of intelligence agents to gather as much information as possible about what had happened at the auction.


    By this time, a large amount of information had been gathered, and Mo Yanfei roughly knew what had happened at the auction.


    Gu Chen, a true disciple of the Kunshan Sect¡¯s inner court focused on the kidney, had won the bid for the porcelain bowl and successfully left East Lake City with it.


    Then, there was news that many factions had surrounded the three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect.


    This news made Mo Yanfei unable to remain calm.


    She, who knew about the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, knew that Chen Yiming could easily snatch the porcelain bowl from the three court heads of the Kunshan Sect.


    The problem was that Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t suppress the Kunshan Sect, and the Mo clan¡¯s roots were in Cloud Port City. Even if the Kunshan Sect couldn¡¯t find the masked man, they could still go after the Mo clan.


    In the conflict between Chen Yiming and the Kunshan Sect, the Mo clan was like a child sandwiched between two adults. They could be destroyed if they were even slightly affected.


    Suddenly, a strange flow of air appeared.


    Chen Yiming dispersed his black fog internal force and revealed himself by the window.

 Chapter 158 - Aftermath (II)

    ¡°Pack up and hide in East Lake City with me,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    The only person in the Mo clan who knew his true identity was Mo Yanfei. As long as he hid Mo Yanfei and did not let the Mo clan have any contact with her, even if the Kunshan Sect captured all the members of the Mo clan and interrogated them one by one, it was impossible for them to find out the true identity of the masked man.


    He just needed to endure it for another two to three months. If the Kunshan Sect refused to give up, Chen Yiming could upgrade his talent and attack the sect.


    Nothing was more effective than beating them up. As long as he made the Kunshan Sect feel afraid, they would naturally be able to let go of all the hatred they had formed.


    Mo Yanfei nodded and immediately turned around to return to the bedroom. She packed several pieces of clothing into a handbag.


    She was taking refuge, not going on a vacation, so she packed simply.


    After spending less than a minute to pack up, she came out of the bedroom.


    Before they left, Mo Yanfei asked in a low voice, ¡°What are the arrangements for the Mo clan?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°The inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect refused to let me go. I killed four of them with one strike. The sect master will definitely not let this go easily.


    The Mo clan is the only link to the masked man. Inform them to find a place to hide for a time.¡±


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    When Mo Yanfei heard this, she took a deep breath.


    This news was too shocking for her. The severity of the matter far exceeded her guess. Not only had Chen Yiming snatched the porcelain bowl from them, but he had also killed four Kunshan Sect court heads.


    It had to be known that the city guardian, Ren Pingsheng, was the last line of defense in East Lake City. He was only at the same level as the inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect.


    When the alien bird creatures attacked the city, the city guardians of East Lake City, Nightwater City, and Cloud Port City held off the largest alien bird creatures leading the flocks in the wilderness.


    Although the three cities had still suffered serious losses in the end, at least the cities were still standing. They could recover after rebuilding for a few years.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s sword had destroyed a martial arts power stronger than the three cities with just one blow.


    Mo Yanfei composed herself and digested this shocking news. Then, she took out a piece of paper.


    She wrote on the note, ¡°In danger of extermination.¡±


    She whistled, and a messenger bird landed on her shoulder from the roof.


    She tied the note to the bird¡¯s leg with a thin string and threw it lightly. The bird flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing into the night sky.


    Chen Yiming watched quietly from the side, having no intention of helping the Mo clan.


    He was not a saint. If the Mo clan wanted to use their close relationship with the masked man to improve their clan, how could they not accept the corresponding risks?


    If the Mo clan could hold on for two to three months and pull through this crisis, the Kunshan Sect might have already been defeated by Chen Yiming. The Mo clan would naturally be able to make use of this situation to become famous.


    At that time, even the city guardian of Cloud Port City would have to give the Mo clan face. The Mo clan would instantly become a martial arts clan with an extraordinary status in Cloud Port City.


    After Mo Yanfei used the messenger bird to send the news to the Mo clan, Chen Yiming carried the beautiful woman in his arms.


    He had only obtained the concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, and had yet to master the transformation of the black fog internal force. He could not cover both of them at the same time if they walked side by side.


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s body trembled. This was a novel experience, and the pressure from the matter with the Kunshan Sect immediately dissipated.


    Chen Yiming felt her warmth in his arms and suppressed the heat rising in him. The black fog internal force allowed the two of them to blend into the darkness.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A breeze blew past.


    Chen Yiming carried the beautiful woman and rushed towards East Lake City.


    After returning to East Lake City, Chen Yiming brought her to an apartment rented by his company.


    The apartment was in the city center, so Mo Yanfei didn¡¯t need to go out. Chen Yiming would arrange for special personnel to deliver food to the apartment regularly.


    Chen Yiming was busy for almost the entire night. Before the auction started, he spent a lot of effort to find out more about the Myriad Phenomena Sect from Wan Ya. He went to deal with Lei Bojun, who was blocking his way, and then went to the Kunshan Sect to retrieve the porcelain bowl.


    During this time, there had been several battles. He had fought a battle of wits and courage with the enemy, and was slightly mentally exhausted.


    Mo Yanfei, on the other hand, had been on tenterhooks the entire night after hearing about the events at the auction.


    At this moment, everything had finally settled down. The two of them needed to release the emotions they had accumulated in their hearts. Soon, it became like firewood encountering a raging fire and could not be stopped.


    Chen Yiming only returned home quietly at four in the morning.


    ¡­


    The sun rose in the east, chasing away all darkness.


    Chen Yiming slept until he woke up naturally. When he woke up, it was already 10 am.


    After washing up, he left for the company.


    Along the way, the road was filled with pedestrians. The lives of ordinary people had not changed at all, and the disturbance in the martial arts world had not affected those at the lower levels.


    When he arrived at the office, he found Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan already waiting for him.


    From their faces, it was clear that the company had probably received the news.


    Chen Yiming sat down in the boss¡¯s chair and said, ¡°Tell me, what happened at the company?¡±


    Shi Changyi¡¯s expression was solemn as he reported, ¡°As soon as the company opened today, someone came in and asked to put up a wanted poster.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The power of the Kunshan Sect could not be underestimated. They could actually interfere with the internal affairs of East Lake City.


    It was also possible that since the porcelain bowl had come from East Lake City, and four court heads had just died in one night, the matter had shaken the whole province.


    In order to appease the Kunshan Sect, Ren Pingsheng took the initiative to cooperate with the arrest warrant for the masked man.


    Wei Chaoyuan added with a worried expression, ¡°Boss, a large company in the building next door previously sent news that after they refused to post the wanted poster, a disciple of the Kunshan Sect came to teach them a lesson.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked in surprise, ¡°The disciples of the Kunshan Sect are so forceful. Aren¡¯t the higher-ups in East Lake City going to interfere?¡±


    Wei Chaoyuan said with a bitter smile, ¡°I immediately sent someone to find out more. It¡¯s said that as long as no one dies, they won¡¯t agree or object to it.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming understood Ren Pingsheng¡¯s attitude. He asked, ¡°Have the martial arts schools with warriors presiding over them also put up the wanted poster?¡±


    Wei Chaoyuan continued, ¡°Other than the few martial arts schools with a strong backing, the other martial arts schools in East Lake City have obediently followed the instructions.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and made the arrangements. ¡°Then we¡¯ll follow the crowd and do as they say.¡±


    At this moment, there was no need to act rashly and go against the Kunshan Sect, which would increase the risk of his identity being exposed.


    After Shi Changyi and Wei Chaoyuan received Chen Yiming¡¯s orders, they quickly went to deal with the matter.


    Before Chen Yiming arrived, the two of them had stalled for a few hours with the excuse that their boss was not around.


    Before long, a wanted poster was put up at the entrance of the company.


    On the wanted poster was a masked young face. The most obvious feature was the murderous gaze.


    Many employees of the company went over to look at it curiously.


    ¡°Why is there a wanted poster here?¡±


    Some employees who had been busy with work since they arrived at the company and had yet to receive the news asked the people beside them.


    ¡°You actually don¡¯t know?¡± Someone at the side laughed.


    Soon, someone explained, ¡°I heard that it happened last night. The masked man on the wanted poster snatched the last item from the auction.


    He fought his way out of East Lake City. In the end, it¡¯s said that more than 10 warriors died.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    The surrounding people gasped. Even the employees who had already heard the news were no exception.


    In their understanding, the warrior realm was a single level and did not know that it was divided into different levels.


    To them, he was an unreachable big figure. The boss of their own company was such an existence.


    They had heard that after their boss broke through to the warrior realm, he established a large corporation in a week. It had expanded from about a dozen people to more than 10,000 employees.

 Chapter 159 - Storm (I)

    On the second floor of the Mantis Snake Sword School headquarters was Wan Rong¡¯s study.


    After leaving the company, Chen Yiming contacted Master Wan over the phone and went to the study to discuss the matter of becoming a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Chen Yiming and Wan Rong sat opposite each other at the tea table.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The sound of the senior brothers and sisters sparring with their swords continuously rang out.


    ¡°Sizzle!¡±


    The sound of water boiling came from the teapot in front of him. Soon, white steam rose from the pot.


    Wan Rong took a small sip of hot tea and said with a smile, ¡°You and your second senior brother have no intention of becoming the head of the school. Your other senior brothers and sisters have been full of motivation these past few days, and all of them seem to have returned to the time when they first entered the school.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to look at the training hall and said in a low voice, ¡°Master Wan, my goal is to cultivate my own martial arts. I don¡¯t want to be restricted to East Lake City to nurture potential disciples for the Myriad Phenomena Sect.¡±


    Wan Rong sighed and muttered to himself, ¡°Among the remaining disciples, your talent is too outstanding, and the others are not talented enough. I have been waiting year after year for someone to take over the position of the head, but we still can¡¯t find a suitable candidate¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming had a calm expression on his face as he listened quietly.


    There was originally a very suitable candidate for the head, Lin Yixuan. He had been nurtured by Wan Rong since a long time ago, and their relationship was much closer than Chen Yiming, who had only been in the school for only a year.


    However, things were unpredictable. Lin Yixuan insisted on finding trouble with Chen Yiming, and Chen Yiming was forced to fight back.


    Wan Rong said a lot at one go. Sensing Chen Yiming¡¯s silence, he felt a little helpless. If his disciple was too strong, even as his master, it would be difficult for him to change his mind.


    After all, the root of the problem was the continuation of the Wan clan after Wan Rong passed away.


    In the end, the master-disciple relationship was only between Wan Rong and Chen Yiming. The Wan clan held too little weight in this relationship. In reality, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t even know where the Wan clan was.


    In the end, Wan Rong laid his cards on the table and said, ¡°Division Head Zhou from the Mantis Snake division is currently at the Myriad Phenomena Sect. I won¡¯t make any excessive requests of you. I just need you to leave a position for Wan Ya as a mistress.¡±


    Having something was better than nothing. Wan Rong also knew that Wan Ya¡¯s private affair would not be hidden forever, so he did not ask for an official marriage.


    As long as the Wan clan could get involved with Chen Yiming through Wan Ya, there was no difference between this and the situation with the Mo clan and the masked man through Mo Yanfei.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Yiming agreed.


    His mistress wouldn¡¯t be his official wife, and their statuses were worlds apart. Furthermore, they were master and disciple, so this request wasn¡¯t too much. It was still acceptable for Chen Yiming.


    Wan Rong smiled again when he heard Chen Yiming¡¯s reply.


    After resolving the problem on his disciple¡¯s side, there was only Wan Ya¡¯s side left. The problem with Wan Ya and Gu Chen was not difficult to resolve. Wan Ya did not have the ability to disobey her father¡¯s orders.


    Just like that, the two of them discussed it in private and settled the matter. From the beginning to the end, Wan Ya had only gone on a blind date before she was given by Wan Rong to his disciple as a mistress.


    Wan Rong was in a good mood at this moment. He continued, ¡°The fight for the porcelain bowl last night had already ended. In the end, it was snatched away from the hands of the Kunshan Sect by a masked man. Not only did the Kunshan Sect return empty-handed, but they also paid the price of four inner court heads dying.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and pretended to be surprised. ¡°Such a heavy price. No wonder I heard about the Kunshan Sect¡¯s arrest warrant when I went to the company this morning.¡±


    Wan Rong poured away the tea that had already turned cold and poured out another cup of hot tea. He took a sip and said with a smile, ¡°The arrest warrant is just something that bullies those without any strong backing.


    However, East Lake City will become a troublesome place in the future. Follow me to the Myriad Phenomena Sect as soon as possible to prevent any unexpected accidents from happening.¡±


    The Mantis Snake Sword School was backed by the Myriad Phenomena Sect. They completely pretended not to know about the arrest warrant, and the disciples of the Kunshan Sect did not dare to come and demand for it.


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°I can set off anytime.¡±


    Wan Rong also smiled and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s do it tomorrow. I¡¯ll let Division Head Zhou know later.¡±


    With the recommendation of Wan Rong, the head of an external faction of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Chen Yiming would be able to bypass the annual recruitment process and meet the division head directly.


    This was the purpose of the large sects setting up martial arts schools in various cities. They wanted to recruit disciples who had met the requirements of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Furthermore, it could allow the young geniuses from small and medium-sized cities to directly enter the inner sect through the martial arts school and receive the best training.


    ¡­


    At the same time, in a large conference room in the government office area of East Lake City, the warriors from the military were all gathered. Every one of them had a serious expression on their faces as they discussed the battle that had happened last night with the people around them.


    Xue Haichuan happened to be sitting beside Cao Zhengjun. He turned around and whispered, ¡°This is really strange. The other school heads have all retreated safely, except for Lei Bojun from the Tongbeiquan School. Why would an ordinary warrior like him get involved in the battle against the three inner court heads from the Kunshan Sect?¡±


    Cao Zhengjun let out a breath and said in a low voice, ¡°Lei Bojun¡¯s body has yet to be found. This is just everyone¡¯s guess for the reason why he disappeared for no reason. Perhaps there¡¯s another reason behind it.¡±


    There were very few people in the wilderness. Other than the main roads between the cities, there were only occasional hunting teams passing through the forests and rivers.


    Lei Bojun¡¯s corpse floated downstream with the current. Unless it happened to pass by a city, once it was stranded in that corner, there was a high chance that it would become food for the mutant beasts.


    Even if the remains of the corpse were discovered, it would remain an unsolved case.


    Xue Haichuan nodded and sighed. ¡°The battle caused by this porcelain bowl was really tragic. Even the Kunshan Sect paid the price with the deaths of four inner court heads. Fortunately, our military didn¡¯t participate in it. Otherwise, we might have been completely wiped out.¡±


    Cao Zhengjun glanced at him and said in a low voice, ¡°The city guardian has long expected that the masked man might appear. From the beginning to the end, our job was to prevent the fight for the porcelain bowl from affecting East Lake City.¡±


    Xue Haichuan smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m just making a guess. If East Lake City was really affected, won¡¯t we have to hold him off as the first line of defense? We might even be killed in one move.¡±


    Cao Zhengjun paused for a moment and reminded him, ¡°It won¡¯t even be one move. It¡¯s said that four of the Kunshan Sect¡¯s court heads were killed by the masked man in one move. We would probably have been killed by the aftershock.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xue Haichuan patted his head and realized that he had overestimated himself.


    His impression of the masked man still remained as it was from before.


    With the combat strength displayed by the masked man in this battle, not to mention ordinary warriors like them from the military, even the city guardian, Ren Pingsheng, could not withstand a single blow from him.


    Even if they, the military warriors, attacked together, there was a high chance that they would not be much different from those at the disciple realm. The other party could kill them all with just a casual attack.


    In another corner in the conference room, Sun Changbin pestered Su Chengwang.


    Sun Changbin teased, ¡°Brother Su, you were bragging to us back then that you almost stopped the masked man, but you were defeated with just one move.¡±


    When Su Chengwang heard this, his face turned red. He smiled and said, ¡°That was before. The speed at which the masked man¡¯s strength improved was naturally not something I could compare to. Besides, at that time, the city guardian could still fight with the other party for a long time, but look at how the four court heads of the Kunshan Sect were crushed this time.¡±

 Chapter 160 - Storm (II)

    Sun Changbin did not think much of it and continued to tease him. ¡°Brother Su¡¯s ice attribute internal force of ice is still the most impressive. In the future, I can boast to others that I once had a colleague who almost had a 50% chance of winning against the masked man.¡±


    When Su Chengwang heard this, he almost choked. He hurriedly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t go out and say that. You¡¯ll be harming me. The truth is that I was sent flying by a strike from the masked man. It¡¯s obvious that he was holding back.¡±


    Sun Changbin smiled and said, ¡°I was just joking. Who asked you to brag? Did you really think we would believe you?¡±


    Su Chengwang¡¯s expression froze.


    He could only bear the consequences of his own boasting.


    Fortunately, only a few colleagues in the military who were at the warrior realm knew about it. No one would spread the news.


    The conversation in the meeting room became louder and louder, gradually turning into a commotion.


    Suddenly, the door to the conference room opened.


    Ren Pingsheng walked straight in, followed by a middle-aged man.


    He was only wearing an ordinary sleeveless shirt, but it could not hide the strong outline of his body. He emitted a powerful aura from head to toe, like a ferocious beast at the top of the food chain.


    The meeting room fell silent, and the military warriors stopped their discussion.


    Ren Pingsheng introduced, ¡°This is the new guardian of East Lake City, Feng Zhijiang.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the military warriors changed.


    In their hearts, they had already vaguely sensed that the matter of the porcelain bowl auction seemed to have escaped Ren Pingsheng¡¯s control.


    The original plan was to limit it to East Lake City, but in the end, it expanded to the entire Jiangnan province, and indirectly caused the death of four inner court heads from the Kunshan Sect.


    The four inner court heads cultivated the special technique passed down in the Kunshan Sect. When they worked together, they could enhance each other¡¯s strength. Their strength was higher than four city guardians.


    From the perspective of combat power alone, the death of four inner court heads at once was a huge matter that shook the entire province.


    Ren Pingsheng continued, ¡°I¡¯ll be going to Jiangnan City for some investigation in the next few days. During my absence, everyone has to cooperate with the new city guardian.¡±


    After explaining his work, Ren Pingsheng quickly left the conference room.


    The military warriors watched helplessly as Ren Pingsheng left. They all felt a little desolate stemming from the regret that one would not be able fulfill their role as a hero.


    Everyone knew very well that even if there were no major problems after the investigation, it was impossible for Ren Pingsheng to not be punished.


    His departure this time also meant that he would not return. East Lake City would enter the era of the next city guardian.


    ¡­


    In the depths of the forest behind the mountain of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect,


    countless sword shadows floated in the air, followed by waves of heat that continuously spread out from the forest.


    After a long time, once everything returned to normal, a young woman sheathed her sword and stood up.


    She was wearing a white Taoist robe. Her black hair was like a waterfall, and her face had a cold expression. There was a purple flame mark between her eyebrows, which accentuated her fair and delicate skin, which looked like white jade.


    She was a core disciple of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect¡¯s Purple Light Peak¡¯s, Li Kun.


    Outside the forest, Li Yuanzhuo pretended to be calm. When the forest quietened down, he walked deeper into the forest. The team led by the Li siblings and a few other core disciples was about to be sent to Jiangnan province to investigate the whereabouts of the masked man.


    Along the way, he kept weighing the pros and cons. Should he tell his sister that he had been forced by the masked man to enter the library to find the Li clan¡¯s Skyfall Sword Technique?


    Even though the masked man had caused a huge commotion in the Blue Cloud Sword Sect that day, neither the elders nor the sect master suspected that he had brought the man into the library.


    The first reason was that no one in the Li clan had cultivated the Skyfall Sword Technique to the extent of transforming their internal force.


    Secondly, the Li clan¡¯s ordinary warrior-level sword technique did not catch the attention of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect at all. The elder who had accepted the sword manual had not read it seriously at all. Moreover, the first floor contained basic martial arts techniques, and functioned like a library where every disciple could read and return the books.


    Third, the Blue Cloud Sword Sect had placed all their attention on the cultivation techniques on the second floor. Li Yuanzhuo had returned to his residence after the incident and secretly placed the copied version back on the first floor of the library. In the end, no one suspected that he was a spy.


    Li Kun had a cold expression on her face. When she saw Li Yuanzhuo walking over, she said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s set off directly.¡±


    With that, she stepped forward.


    Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s expression was ugly. He stopped Li Kun and stammered, ¡°Sister, I have something important to report to you.¡±


    There was a hint of humility in his words. This was caused by the difference in their cultivation levels. Li Kun was in the warrior realm while he was in the disciple realm.


    Although he was the son of the current head of the Li clan, Li Kun, who had broken through to the warrior realm, had already escaped the shackles of the clan. On the other hand, the Li clan needed Li Kun to obtain the protection of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    Li Kun¡¯s expression was still cold as she said coldly, ¡°What is it? Tell me quickly.¡±


    Not only was Li Yuanzhuo not talented, but he also did not work hard at his cultivation. In addition, he had used her name to cause trouble in the outer sect many times.


    Therefore, she did not have a good impression of Li Yuanzhuo. It was only because of her clan that she tolerated Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s actions.


    Li Yuanzhuo looked around to make sure that no one was nearby. He leaned close to Li Kun¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I was the one who brought the masked man into the library last time.¡±


    Li Kun did not react immediately. After a pause, her eyes widened and she could no longer maintain her cold expression.


    She glared fiercely at Li Yuanzhuo, and a murderous aura emanated from her.


    Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly explained in a low voice, ¡°I was forced to do it. That masked man was interested in the Li clan¡¯s Skyfall Sword Technique. What could I do?¡±


    Li Kun ignored Li Yuanzhuo¡¯s excuses and forced herself to calm down.


    What had happened had already happened. The fact that Li Yuanzhuo was still alive and well meant that his actions had not been discovered.


    Li Kun asked with a cold expression, ¡°Since you didn¡¯t get exposed, why are you telling me this now?¡±


    The more people knew about the matter, the higher the chance of it being exposed.


    Li Yuanzhuo wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said with a bitter smile, ¡°The masked man is a powerful person who can stand against the Sect Master. I was afraid that you would investigate too seriously, so I had no choice but to tell you about it.¡±


    Then, he added, ¡°I think we should just put on an act on this trip to Jiangnan province. Even if we really find any clues, we have to pretend that we didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    When Li Kun heard this, she glared at Li Yuanzhuo again.


    Li Yuanzhuo had become a traitor and was preparing to drag her down again.


    If not for the fact that she was also from the Li clan, she really wanted to kill him on the spot.


    Li Yuanzhuo had revealed everything and waited at the side for his sister¡¯s decision.


    Li Kun was conflicted. On one hand, she was from the clan, and on the other hand, she was indebted to the sect.


    After thinking for a long time, she said coldly, ¡°That is not appropriate. Not only do we have to investigate this matter seriously, but we also have to confirm that we know where the masked man is hiding before reporting it to the sect. We can¡¯t let the masked man have another chance of escaping.¡±


    Li Yuanzhuo broke out in a cold sweat and said anxiously, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Li Kun looked at Li Yuanzhuo with her beautiful eyes filled with killing intent, causing Li Yuanzhuo to swallow his words.


    The perfect solution was to let the sect master kill the masked man. Once he died, the truth would be buried in the past. Other than Li Kun and Li Yuanzhuo, no one else would know the truth.


    At the same time, in a secret chamber in the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, Huang Lieyan, the Peak Master of the Heavenly Dipper Peak, came over to bid farewell to Li Daoyi.


    Huang Lieyan knelt on one knee and promised, ¡°Sect Master, I will definitely find traces of the masked man on this trip.¡±


    Li Daoyi, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes and said calmly, ¡°The Kunshan Sect has the greatest grudge against the masked man. You don¡¯t have to rush to the front rashly. Your main focus is to gather information.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    After bidding him farewell, Huang Lieyan turned around and left the secret chamber.


    When Huang Lieyan arrived at the mountain gate, all the core disciples and inner sect disciples of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect had already arrived.


    The group quickly descended the mountain and rushed towards Jiangnan province.

 Chapter 161 - Entrance (I)

    In a mountain range more than 20 kilometers south of Jiangnan City, Xiangyun Restaurant was in a small town at the entrance of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    In the restaurant, a few customers chatted in low voices from time to time. The sound of pots and pans clanging could be heard from the kitchen as food was being prepared.


    Chen Yiming and Wan Rong sat around a dining table and waited for the food to arrive.


    Not far away, a young woman sobbed with tears in her eyes. ¡°Master, I entered the martial arts school when I was 12 years old. I¡¯ve never slacked off for even a day in the past six years, but I can¡¯t even pass the requirements to become an outer sect disciple?¡±


    The middle-aged woman in front of her let out a long sigh and comforted her. ¡°Jinghong, the age limit for outer sect disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect is 20 years old. This is just one attempt. You still have a chance next year or the year after.¡±


    In the various cities in Jiangnan province, core disciples were constantly being recommended to the Myriad Phenomena Sect by the heads of the martial arts schools.


    Every core disciple who went to the Myriad Phenomena Sect for the first time had a lot of hope for their future. They fantasized about entering the Myriad Phenomena Sect to cultivate and become a warrior in the future like the head.


    However, reality was cruel. Most of the core disciples of the martial arts school could not meet the standards to become an outer sect disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect within the age limit.


    The young woman still had a disappointed expression on her face. She smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve resigned myself to my fate. Actually, I¡¯ve already learned about their situation from my senior brother. At the age of 18, they¡¯re already at the end of the age limit. The chances of them passing in the next two years will be even lower.¡±


    The middle-aged woman closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them again and said calmly, ¡°The Myriad Phenomena Sect is a large sect that can be ranked among the top in the entire Jiangnan province. This is a place where true martial arts geniuses gather. They only care about those who have potential and are worth nurturing.


    As for the young people recommended by the martial arts schools, about 80 to 90% of them would be eliminated. Therefore, Jinghong, you don¡¯t have to be too discouraged.


    With your talent, it¡¯s not too difficult for you to reach the warrior candidate realm. At this level, you are already standing at the top of Yi¡¯an City.¡±


    The middle-aged woman said a lot in one breath. These words were all true, but they were still a little painful for the young woman to hear.


    The young woman was silent for a moment. After collecting her emotions, she looked up and said, ¡°Master, I understand. I won¡¯t be dispirited easily.¡±


    The middle-aged woman also revealed a smile. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that you stand no chance at all. You have to know that women generally have a better talent for meditation. Jinghong, you might be the one to create the miracle and return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect as a warrior one day.¡±


    Cultivating the concept diagram and tempering the body were two completely different cultivation paths.


    This involved one¡¯s will. Those with a strong will could often withstand greater mental pressure. In a situation where one was about to break through to the warrior realm, there was a very small chance that one could break through with just their tenacious will.


    Chen Yiming heard the conversation between the middle-aged woman and the young woman.


    Hearing the middle-aged woman¡¯s last sentence, ¡°return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect as a warrior,¡± he and Wan Rong looked at each other.


    Wan Rong was a little embarrassed and said in a low voice, ¡°Yiming, you were already 17 when you entered the school. Your situation is different from others. I¡¯ve never seen anyone in your situation.¡±


    He entered the martial arts school at the age of 17 and broke through to the warrior realm at the age of 18. In a year, he had undergone nine transformations and entered a meditative state to draw the concept diagram.


    In the eyes of the outside world, Chen Yiming¡¯s ridiculous breakthrough speed was just like a pearl covered in dust.


    However, the truth was even more ridiculous than what he saw. Chen Yiming¡¯s true cultivation level was at the second stage of the warrior realm, where he had mastered the transformation of his internal force.


    ¡°Your food is ready.¡±


    A waiter pushed a food cart over to Chen Yiming¡¯s side.


    After placing the dishes on the table, the waiter picked up the list on the table and used a pen to cross out the dishes that were already served.


    After confirming that all the dishes had been served, the waiter quickly pushed the empty food cart away.


    When the middle-aged woman and the young woman heard Wan Rong¡¯s words, they glanced at Chen Yiming before continuing with their meal.


    In their subconscious judgment, since he had only entered the school at the age of 17, he must have been brought by the master to broaden his horizons. He could not even be considered cannon fodder.


    Chen Yiming had no interest in their contemptuous gazes.


    Both tables fell silent as they ate.


    Not long after, the middle-aged woman and the young woman left the restaurant and disappeared in the direction away from the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    After Chen Yiming and Wan Rong finished eating, they rested for a while before walking out of the town and heading up the mountain to the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡­


    10 minutes later, Wan Rong brought Chen Yiming to the entrance of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect had a mountain range behind it. From the entrance, one could see the buildings on the mountains.


    Each of the 12 inner divisions occupied one mountain peak. Countless disciples were focused on their cultivation, giving off a completely different atmosphere from the foot of the mountain.


    A huge archway stood at the entrance. The words ¡°Myriad Phenomena Sect¡± could be clearly seen on it.


    The disciples from the Myriad Phenomena Sect who were in charge of guarding the mountain gate kept reminding the disciples who had returned to the mountain gate to show their identity tokens. Only after confirming that there were no mistakes did they let them pass.


    Wan Rong walked forward and showed his identity token, explaining the situation to the disciples guarding the mountain gate.


    Then, Chen Yiming was called over to register his name.


    Soon, Wan Rong led Chen Yiming into the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Along the way, Wan Rong introduced the areas to Chen Yiming as they walked past.


    Chen Yiming compared the Myriad Phenomena Sect to the Blue Cloud Sword Sect and realized that the sect was much larger. Be it the size of the sect or the number of disciples, there was a huge difference.


    This was especially true for the library. This was the most important place in the sect. Each division of the Myriad Phenomena Sect had its own library, while the Blue Cloud Sword Sect shared a library.


    Wan Rong pointed at a group of outer sect disciples who were practicing their swordsmanship and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s where the outer sect is.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked in the direction he was pointing.


    A thick mountain seemed to have been cut in half by a sword.


    There was a circle of low houses around it, and in the middle was a wide square. In the square, there were more than 1,000young men and women practicing the sword techniques of their division.


    Wan Rong continued, ¡°The outer sect disciples are usually at the level of seven or eight transformations. When they break through to the warrior candidate realm, they can automatically advance to the inner sect corresponding to the martial arts technique they cultivate.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect was indeed one of the top sects in the entire Jiangnan province. The level of seven or eight transformations was already at the level of the clan head of an upper- or middle-level martial arts clan in East Lake City, while this was at the bottom of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    They passed by the mountain peak of one of the inner divisions.


    Wan Rong continued, ¡°The 12 inner divisions are the foundation of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The inner sect disciples are formed by warrior candidates and warriors. Among those inner sect disciples, those who have the potential to break through to the second stage of the warrior realm can become the true disciples of the head of the division.¡±


    Chen Yiming sensed the hidden meaning in Wan Rong¡¯s words and asked, ¡°What does it take to have potential? Can it be tested?¡±


    Wan Rong let out a long breath and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if you break through to the warrior realm at an extremely fast speed, there¡¯s a high chance that you will have to go through a test.


    This is because there have been similar cases in the past. They progressed through the disciple realm like a hot knife cutting through butter, but at the warrior realm, they suddenly became mediocre.¡±

 Chapter 162 - Entrance (II)

    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he was worried.


    If there was a test similar to a full body checkup, his strength that far exceeded that of an ordinary warrior might be exposed.


    Seeing this, Wan Rong continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry too much. Such examples are extremely rare. Those who don¡¯t encounter too many obstacles when drawing concept diagrams in meditation mostly have outstanding spiritual talent.


    The main content of the test is to give you some time to comprehend the concept diagram and then let you copy it. Unless you are secretly a master artist, it can be told at a glance whether you have comprehended the essence of the concept diagram or not.¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    The situation was not as bad as he had expected. It was just a test of his ability to comprehend the concept diagram.


    This was too simple for him. He could completely control the time he took to give the division head a satisfactory result.


    However, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t understand the speed at which ordinary true disciples could comprehend the concept diagram. He asked curiously, ¡°Master Wan, what are the requirements for comprehending the concept diagram?¡±


    When Wan Rong heard this, he instantly recalled the glorious times in the past and said with a smile, ¡°You asked the right person about this. I was once a true disciple too.


    Usually, in a month, the concept diagram that is copied will meet the requirements if it has 30% of the essence.¡±


    Wan Rong didn¡¯t hold back at all and told Chen Yiming everything he could.


    Chen Yiming nodded in understanding.


    This way, since he had found out the criteria for copying the concept diagram from Master Wan, there would be no more obstacles preventing him from becoming a true disciple.


    Not long after, the two of them followed a small path around the mountain and crossed a few mountain peaks to arrive at the mountain peak where the Mantis Snake division was located.


    The inner sect disciple guarding the Mantis Snake division glanced at Wan Rong¡¯s identity token and let him pass without saying anything.


    After the two of them entered, they walked along the cobblestone path.


    Along the way, they left the path and passed through a bamboo forest. Finally, they arrived at a spring.


    A stream of clear spring water flowed out continuously. The water flowed along a concave channel and into the special collection equipment at the foot of the mountain.


    Zhou Xuesheng, who was dressed as a scholar, was sitting cross-legged on a huge rock.


    Chen Yiming had an impression of the factions that had besieged the three inner court heads of the Kunshan Sect that night. He recognized this person immediately.


    ¡°I am Wan Rong from the Mantis Snake Sword School in East Lake City. Greetings, Division Head.¡± Wan Rong walked over and bowed.


    When Wan Rong was a true disciple of the Mantis Snake School decades ago, the division head was not Zhou Xuesheng.


    Zhou Xuesheng glanced at Chen Yiming and said calmly, ¡°Chen Yiming, stay behind. You wait outside first.¡±


    With that, he waved his hand and sent Wan Rong away.


    Wan Rong knew the rules and did not stay any longer. He turned around and left.


    After Wan Rong disappeared from sight, Zhou Xuesheng smiled and said, ¡°I heard from your master that you only officially entered the school to cultivate at the age of 17. After that, did you use any external means to break through?¡±


    During the disciple realm, using external forces to break through would generally affect one¡¯s potential in the disciple realm. At the warrior realm, one mainly cultivated the concept diagram, so they would generally not be affected.


    However, a large sect like the Myriad Phenomena Sect had extremely strict requirements for their true disciples. Any uncontrollable factors brought about by trickery would be carefully eliminated, and they would try their best to prevent any outsiders from sneaking in.


    ¡°I used the purple lightning stone and lightning wood to temper my body,¡± Chen Yiming replied truthfully.


    What was there to hide? If the Myriad Phenomena Sect wanted to investigate, they could easily obtain this information.


    Zhou Xuesheng pondered for a moment and said, ¡°It seems that your physical talent is very outstanding. The purple lightning stone and the lightning wood are both lightning-based treasures, and the Mantis Snake Sword Technique is not a lightning-based sword technique. The raging power of lightning is not something that ordinary people can withstand.


    This way, the strength of your internal force will surpass most people of the same level.¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng could tell at a glance that Chen Yiming¡¯s advantage was that his body was stronger than most people of the same level. As for his internal force, it was cultivated from his body, so its strength was naturally closely related to his body¡¯s condition.


    Zhou Xuesheng asked again, ¡°Are these the only two? Have you used any spiritual treasures to help you draw the concept diagram?¡±


    Spiritual treasures were extremely rare, but it was not impossible to obtain them.


    If he used such a treasure to help him break through to the warrior realm, his potential would be greatly reduced. After all, it was impossible for him to use spiritual treasures all the time in the future.


    ¡°No,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    His words were firm and did not sound guilty at all.


    Zhou Xuesheng nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t. However, the Mantis Snake division will still send someone to investigate. If they find out that you hid it from us, you will be expelled from the Myriad Phenomena Sect.¡±


    With that, he jumped off the huge rock.


    ¡°I believe your master has already told you the corresponding content of the assessment. Let¡¯s start directly. Let¡¯s test your grasp of the black fog internal force first.¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng pulled out the longsword on his back. The longsword glowed with a jade-like luster, and his long black and white hair fluttered in the wind. In an instant, his elegant and easygoing aura turned into a sharp sword intent.


    ¡°Division Head, please provide your guidance,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    After he finished speaking, he also drew the sword at his waist. His sword was much more ordinary, and it only shone with a black metallic luster. He stood against the wind, and even though he restrained his aura, he still gave off a feeling of a soaring sword intent.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Zhou Xuesheng praised.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s aura gave off an extraordinary feeling. It was an aura of extreme confidence. This wasn¡¯t something that could be faked. It was an aura that only a true sword genius would have.


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    with a flash, Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s figure disappeared.


    This was a high-end combat technique using the black fog internal force. Taking advantage of the lag in the visual feedback, even if Chen Yiming and Zhou Xuesheng were both at the second stage of the warrior realm, it could not be avoided since they were a short distance from each other.


    Chen Yiming knew that Zhou Xuesheng was only testing him, so he didn¡¯t overreact. He just covered his entire body with the black fog internal force that he had cultivated.


    His black fog internal force was cultivated at the last minute. No matter how strong his Level-1 Undying Body talent was, under the condition that it had to cover a large area, it was only 20% to 30% stronger than the black fog internal force of an ordinary warrior.


    This matched Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s understanding of his outstanding physical talent.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The two black fog internal forces collided.


    They were both black fog internal forces, but one had mastered the transformation of the internal force, while the other was only an ordinary black fog internal force.


    As expected, Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s sword pierced through the internal force covering Chen Yiming¡¯s body.


    Immediately after, at the moment when Chen Yiming¡¯s defensive internal force was pierced, Zhou Xuesheng retreated.


    The entire process was controlled perfectly. Chen Yiming¡¯s clothes weren¡¯t even damaged.


    Zhou Xuesheng reappeared at his original position and said with a smile, ¡°Very good. Your internal force is 20 to 30% stronger than most warriors. This will make you feel like a fish in water during battles.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t provide any explanation.


    It was more than just like a fish in water. He had always been like a bulldozer, crushing everything in his path. As a result, he rarely thought about how to use his internal force.


    Zhou Xuesheng continued, ¡°Next, it¡¯s your turn to attack. Let me see your mastery of the sword technique.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and his figure swayed.


    He copied the high-level combat technique that Zhou Xuesheng had used earlier.


    The two of them quickly exchanged more than 10 blows.


    During the process, Zhou Xuesheng continuously praised Chen Yiming¡¯s astonishing learning ability. Unknowingly, he had started to use more and more high-end combat techniques with his black fog internal force.


    Chen Yiming displayed his talent in swordsmanship while secretly learning the combat techniques that Zhou Xuesheng had displayed.


    The reason was that Chen Yiming¡¯s Level-2 swordsmanship talent gave him a strong understanding of swordsmanship.


    As long as the combat techniques used by Zhou Xuesheng were still within the range of the swordsmanship, they would not be able to escape Chen Yiming¡¯s ability to secretly learn them.

 Chapter 163 - Days (I)

    A week passed in the blink of an eye.


    Below the mountain, the Kunshan Sect and the Blue Cloud Sword Sect had set up an inescapable net to search for traces of the masked man from East Lake City to the Eastern Lake and from East Lake City to Cloud Port City.


    This was especially true for the Kunshan Sect. They had mobilized most of their forces, and every disciple had been promised a handsome reward. It was a very thorough search.


    On the mountain, ever since Chen Yiming met Zhou Xuesheng that day, he had been arranged to stay in the residence of the disciples of the Mantis Snake division. He would temporarily be an inner sect disciple.


    Each house had four rooms, and each disciple lived alone in one of the rooms.


    The duration of the assessment for copying the concept diagram was one month. During this time, Chen Yiming could freely enter the library of the Mantis Snake division and reference all the concept diagrams of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique was an assessment technique from the Mantis Snake division. There were nine complete concept diagrams of the black fog here.


    From the true disciples of the Mantis Snake division to the disciples from the outer sect who wanted to enter the Mantis Snake division, the difference between them was the level of mastery of the black fog concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    On a sunny morning, a breeze blew past the branches of the willow tree, making a rustling sound.


    On the stone path, disciples from the Mantis Snake division were coming and going. On the cliff not far away, some were practicing their swordsmanship as the sun rose, and some were discussing the problems they had encountered in their cultivation.


    The entire Mantis Snake division was enveloped in a thick atmosphere of martial arts cultivation, and was filled with vitality.


    Chen Yiming blended into the crowd and arrived at the library of the Mantis Snake division.


    Because the 12 inner divisions each had their own library, the Mantis Snake division¡¯s library only had one floor, which was divided into two areas.


    In one area, there was various information about the cultivation techniques of the warrior realm and martial arts for the disciples to reference. In the other area, nine concept diagrams of the black fog were hanging there.


    After showing his identity token to the elder stationed there, Chen Yiming stepped into the library.


    At this moment, there were already many disciples in the library who had arrived earlier than Chen Yiming. Most of them were reading the books left behind by their predecessors, looking for ways to resolve the problems they had encountered during their cultivation.


    Chen Yiming gave them a brief glance before entering the area with the black fog concept diagrams.


    The nine concept diagrams were like murals hanging on the surrounding walls, and each was about two meters long and wide.


    During the past week, Chen Yiming had secretly completed the transformation of the black fog internal force after comprehending the nine concept diagrams. However, he would still come every day and behave like a normal disciple.


    Now, he was trying to fuse the black fog internal force and the strength-based internal force, trying to figure out the path of cultivation for the third stage of the warrior realm in preparation for incorporating the concept diagrams of the other inner divisions in the future.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to fuse them.¡±


    Chen Yiming found an empty spot and sat down cross-legged. He closed his eyes and thought to himself.


    In the spiritual world, the figure in his mind received the order. One hand turned into a meteorite while the other turned into a black fog. The whole figure gradually split into two.


    Soon, the phenomenon of a black fog gradually fusing with a meteorite appeared in his spiritual world.


    However, after a short while, the meteorite expanded a few times, then began to shake continuously, and its structure became unstable.


    After a long time, the black fog was suddenly pushed out of the meteorite. Then, the energy structures of the meteorite and the black fog began to collapse, dissipating into scattered spiritual energy.


    ¡°It lasted a little longer than the last time.¡±


    Chen Yiming opened his eyes and rubbed his swollen temples.


    The concept diagram of the black fog and the concept diagram of the meteorite represented two completely different stable energy structures. If he wanted to fuse them together, he would need to construct countless suitable connections between them.


    There was no reference for these suitable connections, so Chen Yiming could only try them out one by one.


    This time, Chen Yiming had failed again. He was still far from mastering the fusion of the black fog concept diagram and the meteorite concept diagram.


    After resting for a few minutes, the figure in his mind regained its vitality under the enhancement of his Undying Body talent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue to start with a simple combination,¡± Chen Yiming closed his eyes again and thought to himself.


    The figure in his mind received the order and began to repeat the process from earlier.


    However, it was a little different this time. Instead of trying to completely fuse the black fog with the meteorite, he made the black fog turn into a cloud that lifted the meteorite up.


    During this process, Chen Yiming repeatedly tried to create a suitable connection point so that the black fog could overcome the strength-based concept of the meteorite.


    He failed again and again.


    Chen Yiming tried various simple combinations of the two, allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of the black fog concept diagram and the meteorite concept diagram.


    He no longer only knew how to use them simply. Instead, he had a deep understanding of the various nodes and combinations of the concept diagrams.


    This was one of the rare times when he completely relied on his own ability to figure things out and try to take a path that others had not taken.


    Chen Yiming was so immersed in the new understanding he was gaining that he completely forgot about the passage of time.


    He did not notice the movements of the other disciples around him. They came and went, and finally, he was the only one left.


    It was only when someone patted him on the shoulder that he snapped out of his daze.


    The elder stationed at the library smiled and said, ¡°You have to pay attention to not overwork yourself during cultivation. It¡¯s already midnight. It¡¯s time to go back and rest.¡±


    Chen Yiming rubbed his swollen head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I grasped something new during my cultivation and forgot about the time.¡±


    He had cultivated from early in the morning to midnight, and the small figure in his mind had collapsed and recovered from more than 100 times. If it were anyone else, they would have long developed a serious mental problem. It was only because of his talent that he had been able to persist with it.


    The elder guarding the library sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been in charge of the library for more than 10 years, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a disciple like you.


    You have been cultivating the concept diagram for the entire day. Clearly, your spiritual talent is extraordinary.


    You should cherish what you have and not let your body suffer from over-exhaustion.¡±


    He had a good impression of this diligent new disciple, so he specially reminded him.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and rest first.¡± Chen Yiming still felt like he hadn¡¯t done enough. He only felt a little tired and was far from reaching his limit.


    However, the Myriad Phenomena Sect had their own rules. These rules were also set up for the safety of their disciples, so he had no choice but to follow them.


    Chen Yiming quickly left the library and walked towards his lodgings.


    When he pushed open the door, two of the other three disciples who lived in the same house had already returned.


    Seeing Chen Yiming enter, Qian Bingnan, who was practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard, stopped and shouted, ¡°Are you here to spar?¡±


    Qian Bingnan had a muscular body and was often naked from the waist up. He was passionate about sparring and was a competitive person.


    Chen Yiming shook his head and rejected the offer. ¡°I still have something to do. Ask Dai Yuanhang to spar with you.¡±


    Beside the stone table in the courtyard, Dai Yuanhang, who was flipping through some information, raised his head and sighed. ¡°Sparring like this won¡¯t help with comprehending the concept diagram. It¡¯s a complete waste of time and energy.¡±

 Chapter 164 - Days (II)

    Dai Yuanhang had a well-proportioned figure and was dressed in casual clothes. He liked to read the books written by his predecessors. The way to progress on the path of martial arts was to break through to the next realm, not to determine the level of one¡¯s combat strength within the same realm.


    Qian Bingnan, who had been rejected again, had a look of disappointment on his face. He muttered to himself, ¡°Where did Bai Hengliang go tonight? Could he have gone on a secret date with some junior sister from the outer sect?¡±


    Bai Hengliang, the self-proclaimed most handsome man in the Mantis Snake division, was passionate about elegance in combat, so he often sparred with Qian Bingnan.


    ¡°You guys continue. I¡¯ll go back to my room first.¡± Chen Yiming entered his room, intending to continue his cultivation that had been interrupted by the elder.


    Not long after Chen Yiming returned to the house, Bai Hengliang also returned to the courtyard. As soon as he entered, he was pestered by Qian Bingnan.


    ¡°Tell me honestly, did you go after some junior sister from the outer sect?¡± Qian Bingnan shouted.


    His voice was so loud that people in the other houses nearby could clearly hear him.


    Bai Hengliang felt a little guilty, but his expression remained unchanged. He said in a low voice, ¡°How could that be? I was too focused on practicing my swordsmanship and didn¡¯t check the time.¡±


    Qian Bingnan said seriously, ¡°Really? Then let us spar a little.¡±


    Bai Hengliang grumbled to himself. He moved his feet and said in a low voice, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you see my improvement today.¡±


    Dai Yuanhang glanced at the two of them and put away the information on the stone table. Then, he returned to his room and consciously made space for the two of them.


    Soon, the sound of swords colliding could be heard from the courtyard. The two of them were only fighting with their sword techniques. They did not use their internal force so that they could prevent themselves from accidentally damaging the courtyard.


    Not long after, Bai Hengliang¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop! It¡¯s already very late. Most of the others are already resting.¡±


    Qian Bingnan nodded and did not object. Fighting before bed was a form of relaxation for him.


    The two of them sheathed their swords and returned to their rooms.


    Chen Yiming relied on his strong recovery ability and cultivated until late at night before falling asleep.


    Just like that, an ordinary day ended.


    The inner sect¡¯s arrangements for their disciples were based on their ability to help each other in their cultivation.


    Although the three disciples who lived in the same house as Chen Yiming had different personalities, their talents were considered top-notch in the Mantis Snake division. They were all inner sect disciples with the potential to become true disciples.


    ¡­


    It was another morning.


    Chen Yiming woke up early and prepared to head to the library to leave a perfect impression that he was both talented and hardworking on Division Head Zhou. He wanted to ensure that he would be promoted to a true disciple after a month.


    At the stone table in the courtyard, Dai Yuanhang, who was flipping through some information, looked up and asked, ¡°So early? Are you going to the library again?¡±


    Chen Yiming replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Dai Yuanhang asked again, ¡°Can you rely on just your own research?¡±


    The philosophy of the martial arts world was that one could only go further by standing on the shoulders of giants.


    He often stayed in the library, but mostly referred to the information left behind by his seniors. However, there were many times when he saw Chen Yiming staying in the area with the concept diagrams.


    Chen Yiming replied truthfully, ¡°I plan to try it out by myself first. Then, I¡¯ll check the information to find answers to my questions.¡±


    When Dai Yuanhang heard this, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°That¡¯s good. I thought you were stuck on your own.¡±


    Chen Yiming knew that the other party had misunderstood, but he didn¡¯t want to explain himself. He headed straight for the library.


    As the door to the library opened, more than 10 inner sect disciples rushed in.


    After reaching a certain level in martial arts cultivation, it was usually like this. If one encountered a problem, they would try to resolve it by looking up information from their seniors. If they failed again, they would continue to look up more information from their seniors.


    This cycle repeated itself.


    Therefore, early in the morning, many disciples rushed to the library to try to find solutions to the problems they had encountered the day before.


    Chen Yiming followed the crowd into the library. He didn¡¯t head to the concept diagram area immediately. Instead, he searched for information about the main and secondary cultivation techniques for the warrior realm on the bookshelf.


    The disciples in the inner sect, including the true disciples, were still at the ordinary warrior realm.


    Information regarding the fusion of internal force at the third stage of the warrior realm would definitely not be placed in the library of the Mantis Snake division.


    However, all buildings had to be built from the ground up. Clearly, the combination of the main and secondary cultivation techniques of the warrior realm was at the core of the fusion of internal forces.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming picked a book from the bookshelf. It was titled ¡°Detailed Explanations on the Combination of Swordsmanship Techniques and Secondary Cultivation Techniques in the Warrior Realm¡±. He then found a random seat and sat down.


    The minutes and seconds passed by. Half an hour later, with his understanding of swordsmanship from his Level-2 swordsmanship talent, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t encounter any information that he could not understand. He flipped through the entire book in one go.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry to verify the information he had read. He got up and stood in front of the bookshelf to search for more information.


    In the morning, ¡°Primary and Secondary Cultivation Techniques Complement Each Other in Their Attributes¡±, ¡°Primary and Secondary Cultivation Techniques Complement Each Other in Terms of Internal Force¡±¡­


    Chen Yiming went through all the information he could find in the library that was potentially useful.


    As he flipped through the information, Chen Yiming felt many suspicious gazes on him.


    This kind of behavior was very unusual in the eyes of the inner sect disciples. It was easy for others to think that he was anxious to achieve success quickly, but Chen Yiming didn¡¯t mind.


    When he became a true disciple, these doubts would naturally disappear.


    Chen Yiming finished reading the last book, ¡°On the Maximum Power Amplification of the Combination of Primary and Secondary Cultivation Techniques¡±. He was eager to try out what he had read and planned to find a remote place to experiment.


    Suddenly, someone poked him in the shoulder. Chen Yiming turned around and saw a fair-skinned and beautiful figure in a long dress.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, but I saw that you had been looking for information about the primary and secondary cultivation techniques for the entire morning. Can I ask you a question?¡±


    Chen Yiming sized her up and smiled. ¡°No problem. Go ahead.¡±


    Men were visual creatures after all. The trace of charm revealed by the pretty woman¡¯s innocence added a lot to her already top-notch appearance.


    In addition, Chen Yiming¡¯s true strength was above that of the entire Mantis Snake division, including the division head. In his heart, he treated himself as a senior to these inner sect disciples.


    Lastly, the woman had asked politely. Her tone put him in an extremely good mood.


    Therefore, as long as it didn¡¯t affect Chen Yiming in any serious way, he wouldn¡¯t reject her request.


    ¡°Thank you. By the end of this year, I¡¯ll have been in the sect for three years. I¡¯ll be descending the mountain to carry out a mission soon,¡± Su Mo¡¯er explained the reason and sat on a chair at the side.


    ¡°I picked a secondary sword technique with the ice attribute, but I could never resolve the problem of combining the fog with the ice.¡±


    Chen Yiming exchanged glances with the woman openly, causing her to avoid his gaze.


    He could guess the woman¡¯s motive for choosing this secondary sword technique.


    The Mantis Snake Sword Technique was originally a speed-based technique that specialized in assassination. The black fog internal force had its own concealment ability, and it could be used to escape.


    The ice attribute internal force could kill the enemy at a low temperature, with a speed reduction effect.


    With the combination of these two internal forces, if faced with an opponent at the same level with not much difference in strength, the enemy would be slowed down, while she would be able to speed up. The woman¡¯s ability to survive would be greatly enhanced.


    The main problem the woman faced was that the two types of internal force countered each other to a certain extent.


    In this situation, if she simply cultivated two types of internal forces, not only would they not complement each other, but they would also weaken each other, causing the opposite effect.

 Chapter 165 - Suggestion (I)

    Each person had a different level of control over their internal force. The same solution wouldn¡¯t work for everyone. Therefore, Chen Yiming thought for a while. After about a minute, he asked, ¡°Have you considered adding another cultivation technique?¡±


    ¡°Two types of internal force are already very difficult for me,¡± Su Mo¡¯er explained truthfully. The light in her eyes instantly dimmed.


    Division Head Zhou had also mentioned Chen Yiming¡¯s suggestion.


    Introducing a third type of internal force into her body would create a barrier between the conflicting black fog and ice internal forces.


    However, internal force was created from the combination of the physical body, mind, and concept diagram. Different people had different spiritual talents, causing their control over internal force to be worlds apart.


    For most people in the warrior realm with not much talent, the strength of their spiritual power only allowed them to control one type of internal force. The second stage of the warrior realm was their limit.


    However, this limit was only the theoretical limit. In reality, less than one in a hundred could create a miracle and complete the transformation of internal force.


    Those who barely had some spiritual talent could control two different types of internal force in their bodies at the same time to support a secondary cultivation technique.


    However, in the end, these people only had slightly better control over their internal force than the weakest warriors. About one in ten of them could complete the transformation of their internal force.


    The remaining nine people would feel that there was no hope of breaking through, so they would use a second cultivation technique. When the two internal force attributes complemented each other, the strength of the internal forces would be 20 to 30% stronger than a single internal force.


    Above that was a genius with spiritual talent who could control more than three types of internal forces in his body at the same time.


    Most of these geniuses could complete the transformation of their internal force. A small number of them could go on the path to fuse their internal forces.


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    The most common and simple solution would not work for Su Mo¡¯er.


    She could only consider the ratio of the black fog and ice internal forces in her body. It was equivalent to using Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s talent to tailor a solution for her.


    This way, a new problem appeared. It was difficult to accurately quantify one¡¯s spiritual talent, so it could only be roughly divided into several levels.


    Chen Yiming could only make a judgment based on Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s control of the two internal forces.


    Once there was a problem with this solution, at best, it would waste Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s cultivation time. At worst, she would lose control of the two internal forces in her body, causing the two internal forces to collide and explode in her body like fireworks.


    Seeing this, Su Mo¡¯er suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not just consulting one person¡¯s opinion. If anything goes wrong, I won¡¯t blame anyone.¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. He understood that Su Mo¡¯er wasn¡¯t a rash person, so he combined the information he had read in the morning and the experience he had gained from trying to fuse the two types of internal force, and proposed a solution.


    ¡°I thought of a solution based on the assumption that your talent is sufficient to barely control the two internal forces of different attributes. You can cultivate the black fog internal force and the ice attribute internal force at a ratio of 7:3.¡±


    Su Mo¡¯er stared at Chen Yiming in disbelief. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she asked, ¡°Of all the people I¡¯ve consulted, like the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect and Division Head Zhou who have studied the cultivation techniques, everyone has emphasized that safety should be put first. They suggested that I should mainly use the ice attribute internal force and treat the black fog internal force as secondary.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°The cultivation technique was created by someone else. How can there be no risk when taking on a different cultivation path?¡±


    Chen Yiming had naturally not made the suggestion to trick Su Mo¡¯er.


    The highest level of personnel that Su Mo¡¯er could come into contact with was probably someone at the level of the division head.


    This way, other than Chen Yiming, almost all the people she had consulted about her problem could only provide a solution based on the information left behind by their seniors.


    Other than Division Head Zhou, these people had probably never experienced the fusion of internal forces of different attributes.


    As for Division Head Zhou, he probably wouldn¡¯t rashly test out the combination of two conflicting internal forces on himself without having the prior experience of his predecessors as a reference.


    On the other hand, for Chen Yiming¡¯s case, since the meteorite and ice shared some similarities, even if Chen Yiming had never tried it himself, he could still deduce the corresponding solution from the experience he had gained from trying to fuse the black fog internal force with the strength-based internal force.


    Chen Yiming was 70% sure that if she cultivated the black fog and ice internal forces at a ratio of 7:3, the black fog would surround the ice crystals and be dispersed.


    This ratio and form perfectly matched the effect that Su Mo¡¯er wanted to display the most. If she focused on the ice attribute internal force, she would be giving up on the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, which she was best at.


    Su Mo¡¯er blushed and explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that your solution is the complete opposite of everyone else¡¯s¡­¡±


    In the end, she did not continue. Her meaning was clear.


    If Chen Yiming was right, wouldn¡¯t that indirectly prove that even Division Head Zhou had lost to him in terms of their understanding of the internal force?


    Chen Yiming only smiled and didn¡¯t reply.


    He didn¡¯t have anything to lose even if Su Mo¡¯er didn¡¯t trust in his solution. However, if she did, he would naturally provide additional help to further his research on the fusion of internal forces.


    Suddenly, a few voices sounded from outside the library.


    At the time when Su Mo¡¯er consulted Chen Yiming about her problem, it was already dinnertime. Other than the two of them, the other disciples who were reading in the library had all gone to the canteen to eat.


    Now that the disciples who had gone to the canteen to eat had returned, Su Mo¡¯er thanked him and ran out of the library.


    Chen Yiming glanced at her departing figure and shook his head. He placed the book ¡°On the Maximum Power Amplification of the Combination of Primary and Secondary Techniques¡± back on the bookshelf and left the library.


    No matter how beautiful a girl was, he did not need to have her in his life.


    Even without Su Mo¡¯er, there would be another Lin Mo¡¯er.


    His own cultivation was the most important thing. Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t wait to test the power of the combination of the strength-based internal force and the black fog internal force.


    ¡­


    After a simple lunch in the canteen of the Mantis Snake division, Chen Yiming returned to his room.


    The dark night provided him with an environment where he could advance and retreat freely. Chen Yiming had already heard about the actions of the Kunshan Sect and the Blue Cloud Sword Sect from the other disciples.


    Therefore, he planned to go down the mountain in the evening and find a remote place to experiment.


    He pushed open the door of the house and saw Dai Yuanhang reading through some information.


    There was only one person in the entire house. Qian Bingnan and Bai Hengliang were not there.


    Dai Yuanhang was a talented researcher in the martial arts world, and he disliked fighting from the bottom of his heart.


    Ever since Chen Yiming entered the house, he had only seen Dai Yuanhang in the library and the house. Furthermore, he was always reading through some information.


    Dai Yuanhang put down the documents in his hand and looked at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°How is it? Did you understand the information in the library?¡±


    In the morning, after the two of them exchanged a few words, Dai Yuanhang¡¯s impression of Chen Yiming changed to that of someone who would personally practice and experience things before looking up information to solve any problems he encountered.


    In Dai Yuanhang¡¯s opinion, this type of person was stronger than someone like Qian Bingnan who only focused on his muscles.


    However, a week¡¯s time spent together was too short. They still needed to communicate more before he could make an accurate judgment.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. There are all kinds of information in the library of the Mantis Snake division. It¡¯s much better than below the mountain,¡± Chen Yiming replied casually.


    This was the truth. Almost all the warriors in East Lake City were at the bottom of this realm and would remain at this level for the rest of their lives. This included the Mantis Snake Sword School. Most of the information on martial arts was about the disciple realm, and there were almost no records about anything above the warrior realm.


    This caused Chen Yiming to rely completely on his talent from the system to break through so far.

 Chapter 166 - Solution (II)

    Seeing that Chen Yiming was about to return to his room, Dai Yuanhang suddenly said, ¡°I just encountered a problem. I couldn¡¯t think of anything after a whole day. Can you help me with it?¡±


    For the whole week, all of them just did their own thing.


    Why did he suddenly encounter a problem?


    Chen Yiming glanced at him and said, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Dai Yuanhang pushed the information in his hand in the direction of the stone table near Chen Yiming. He pointed at the spot he had drawn and said, ¡°Here.¡±


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the document. Coincidentally, it was a question similar to Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s.


    ¡°When testing the lethality of the combination of the steam internal force and the black fog internal force from 1:9 to 9:1, an unexpected phenomenon occurred. Whether the ratio is 7:3 or 9:1, the lethality will be weakened compared to the steam internal force alone. As for the ratio of 3:7, although the lethality will also decrease, the range of the attack will increase sharply.¡±


    He suspected that Su Mo¡¯er had also consulted Dai Yuanhang. Otherwise, why would it coincidentally be such a similar problem?


    Seeing that Chen Yiming was silent, Dai Yuanhang thought that he had asked about something that the other party had never heard of before.


    ¡°Generally speaking, the steam internal force is mainly used to deal damage. The black fog internal force is used as a secondary force for concealment. Under normal circumstances, it should be at a ratio of 9:1 to conceal one without reducing the lethality.¡±


    After less than two seconds, Dai Yuanhang said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I asked Division Head Zhou, but he wasn¡¯t sure why either.¡±


    However, things were often unpredictable.


    Chen Yiming suddenly nodded and said, ¡°Internal force is a type of superpower. It can¡¯t be understood purely from observing natural phenomena. Whether the black fog internal force accounts for 10% or 30%, it¡¯s equivalent to having impurities that can seriously disrupt the basic structure of the steam internal force.


    As for the black fog internal force, there¡¯s no such problem. Instead, it will provide a certain amount of enhancement because it¡¯s also in the form of a gas.¡±


    He did not need to think too much to know that the senior who raised this question had subconsciously applied the laws of nature to the internal forces.


    However, this senior should only be an ordinary warrior. He had not mastered the transformation of internal force and was relatively isolated from the martial arts world. Most warriors would not share their precious experience with him.


    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t randomly combine the two types of internal force like Chen Yiming. He was not able to consider the problem from the perspective of the compatibility of the two types of internal force.


    ¡°Impurities? That seems to make sense.¡±


    Dai Yuanhang¡¯s eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he thought it over in his mind.


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Chen Yiming had hit the nail on the head. This was something he had never thought of, or rather, was completely unfamiliar with.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Unless one has mastered the transformation of internal force, the internal force in one¡¯s body is just like water in a water tank.


    Although the black fog internal force doesn¡¯t conflict with the steam internal force on the surface, it has actually become an impurity. It will hinder the explosion of the steam internal force,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    He had never encountered such a problem before because the figure in his mind was clearly stronger than all the people that Chen Yiming had encountered so far.


    Even before he mastered the transformation of his internal force, the figure in his mind could still forcefully suppress the two different types of internal force.


    After reading the information left behind by his seniors in the library, he instantly understood what he could not comprehend in the past.


    ¡°How did you think of this?¡± Dai Yuanhang asked suspiciously.


    He did not believe that he, who had ascended the mountain earlier than the other party, would be inferior to him in the field of martial arts research.


    ¡°I learned it from the information in the library this morning,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Dai Yuanhang frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Is that so? It seems that although I¡¯ve read all the information in the library, I¡¯m still far from understanding it completely. I¡¯ll have to spend more time studying in the future.¡±


    Dai Yuanhang had always firmly believed that talent was only a shortcut to success for geniuses.


    Geniuses often could not completely understand the reason for their breakthroughs.


    For example, at the moment of life and death on the battlefield, one¡¯s potential would be instantly unleashed, and one would be able to break through to the next level in an instant.


    As for genius researchers like him who had completely figured out the relevant principles, they would one day be able to completely solve the mystery of cultivation and turn breakthroughs to the next level into something that was no longer limited to geniuses.


    This was not just his imagination as a mere warrior. A human at the master realm had once said something similar.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Dai Yuanhang. One moment, he seemed to be on steroids, and the next, his expression was solemn as if he was deep in thought.


    He stood up from the stone table and returned to his room. He simulated the combination of the strength-based internal force and the black fog internal force in his spiritual world.


    ¡­


    It was evening.


    Chen Yiming registered at the mountain gate and descended the mountain.


    Because he was not sure when he would be able to return, or if he would be able to return that night, he did not plan to sneak out. Instead, he registered to prevent anyone from finding out that he had gone missing and causing unnecessary trouble if he did not return in time.


    When he arrived at the small town at the foot of the mountain, the sky had yet to turn completely dark. Chen Yiming entered a restaurant and ate dinner while waiting for night to fall.


    At this moment, there were many customers in the restaurant, chatting about the latest news from the past two days.


    Most of them were martial arts practitioners who were doing business with the Myriad Phenomena Sect. They mainly helped the shops in the town to transport the goods from the surrounding cities.


    Then, the shops would sell their goods to the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect who were unwilling to travel far.


    As they were running back and forth between the surrounding cities and the Myriad Phenomena Sect, nothing that happened along the way could escape their eyes.


    ¡°Yesterday morning, the masked man who caused a storm in Jiangnan province made a move again,¡± a burly middle-aged man shouted at his companions at the dining table.


    An old man at the table next to the middle-aged man interrupted, ¡°What are you shouting about? It¡¯s been almost a day. Did you think that any of us had not heard the news?¡±


    Chen Yiming was eating at one of the tables and was confused.


    How dare someone impersonate him and ruin his reputation? Even if Chen Yiming killed someone, it would be because they provoked him first.


    Even for the porcelain bowl, it was a treasure that belonged to the Yue clan. Mo Yanfei used to be a part of the Yue clan, so after the Yue clan was wiped out, it was naturally hers to inherit.


    Mo Yanfei was now his woman, so it was not a problem for him to keep the porcelain bowl.


    The middle-aged man was a little angry and shouted at the old man, ¡°Can¡¯t we talk about it if it¡¯s something you already know? Why are you meddling in other people¡¯s business?¡±


    The old man ignored him and picked up his chopsticks to eat. As he ate, he took a sip of wine.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s companion reminded him softly, ¡°That¡¯s the head of the Green Mountain Sect. Don¡¯t get too excited.¡±


    The flames of anger in the middle-aged man¡¯s heart were mostly extinguished when he heard these words.


    Although the Green Mountain Sect was only a small street faction in Jiangnan City, it was still a warrior faction.


    Those who were in the ordinary warrior realm but were not from a large sect were not considered important figures in Jiangnan City, but their status still far above that of those in the disciple realm.


    Fortunately, the old man did not take further action in response to the middle-aged man¡¯s rude words. The restaurant quickly returned to its normal atmosphere, and the customers started to chat to pass the time.


    Chen Yiming stayed a little longer.


    From the other diners¡¯ conversations, he found out that many people were pretending to be the masked man.


    There were several successful cases of those pretending to be the masked man and using his reputation to intimidate others.


    The families, clans, and sects who had been targeted were all frightened out of their wits. They were afraid that the masked man would start a massacre, so they did not put up any resistance and allowed the fake masked men to steal their treasures.


    Of course, although there were those who had succeeded, there were even more who had failed. As cases of those who pretended to be the masked man and used his identity to intimidate others continued to be exposed, such foolish actions began to disappear.


    Throughout the entire process, these fake masked men, whether they succeeded or failed, became Chen Yiming¡¯s tools and helped him toy with the Kunshan Sect and the Blue Cloud Sword Sect.


    From the tone of the other diners, Chen Yiming could tell that the two factions were extremely angry.


    This was especially true for the Kunshan Sect. At the start, the sect master had personally made a move, but they all turned out to be fakes.


    Many of the unlucky fake masked men were killed on the spot by the sect master of the Kunshan Sect. However, they still could not completely deter those who tried to steal the limelight by pretending to be the masked man.


    After all, in martial arts, without absolute talent, one had to rely on hard work to earn money.


    Many of the fake masked men had the intention to gamble on it. If they succeeded, they would become rich overnight. If they failed, they could just think of a way to escape.

 Chapter 167 - Experiment (I)

    Night fell.


    Under the cover of the black fog internal force, Chen Yiming ran west for nearly 100 kilometers and arrived at a remote forest.


    This was already the border of Anhui province. Because it was more than 100 kilometers away from the nearest city, mutant beasts could be seen searching for food everywhere in the forest.


    A green snake was hiding in the grass. Suddenly, it felt a sense of impending doom. It stuck its head out of the grass and tried to escape.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A circular wave of air exploded in midair.


    The airwaves spread out and happened to reach the green snake, causing its body to instantly explode into two.


    The green snake was not able to figure out the source of the danger before it was killed by the aftershock of Chen Yiming¡¯s sprint.


    Chen Yiming did not notice the green snake that had died tragically. He chose a valley and leaped a few times to reach the peak of a nearby mountain.


    In the afternoon, integrating the information left behind by his seniors in the library, Chen Yiming had continuously simulated the combination of the two concept diagrams in his mind.


    In his spiritual world, the black fog was like a thin membrane that was firmly attached to the surface of the meteorite.


    With the strong control of the figure in his mind, he finally obtained a new concept diagram that could barely be considered a fusion of the two internal forces.


    Rather than truly fusing the two different types of internal forces into one, the new concept diagram depicted one part joined to the surface of the other. This would allow the strength-based internal force to have an additional concealment ability.


    However, because there was no qualitative change through the fusion, the strength of his internal force was still the same as before.


    The valley was silent, and only the rustling of leaves could be heard.


    When the predators in the forest sensed the aura of a terrifying creature like Chen Yiming, they had already hidden themselves.


    Chen Yiming stood at the top of the mountain and looked down at the entire valley.


    He took a long breath, and a terrifying aura rose up from his body like a huge abyss opening up.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A sword light slashed out, and the air shook as waves of invisible ripples spread out.


    However, one did not see anything strange within his field of vision. It was as if it was just a facade, and only the sound of the air trembling could be heard.


    In the next moment, ¡°Boom!¡±


    A stream in the valley suddenly broke apart for no apparent reason. Mud splashed in all directions, and a pit more than 20 meters in diameter appeared at the point of collision.


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    From the results of his first field experiment, the strength-based internal force seemed to be completely incompatible with the black fog internal force.


    In a battle where there was not much difference in strength, the vibration in the air caused by the friction between the boulders and the air could not be hidden at all. This made the boulder¡¯s concealment ability completely useless.


    This could only be used to intimidate opponents who were weaker than him. However, he could just crush such opponents.


    ¡°The 12 inner courts are all under the Myriad Phenomena Sect, but they are also relatively independent. There¡¯s no one in the sect who doesn¡¯t know about the concealment ability of the black fog internal force. It¡¯s definitely not realistic to rely on its concealment ability to sneak into the library of the other inner courts.


    Although I only obtained a little experience regarding the internal force fusion this time, I¡¯ll treat it as a foundation for the future.¡±


    Chen Yiming comforted himself.


    Suddenly, the image of a person carrying a huge glowing weapon in a game from his previous world appeared in his mind.


    An invisible huge sword? A small figure holding a huge sword?


    The length of the huge sword could reach about 100 meters. If it was completely invisible, it would look like one¡¯s reach had increased by 100 meters.


    If such an increase in reach was exposed to the opponent, with the high speed of the warrior realm, the huge sword would appear extremely cumbersome, so it would naturally be of little use.


    However, if the opponent didn¡¯t see it and was caught off guard, he might be struck repeatedly by Chen Yiming¡¯s huge sword.


    This way, with the strength of his internal force that far exceeded his opponent¡¯s, his opponent might be beaten to a pulp.


    Chen Yiming took a deep breath and clenched his right fist. An invisible sword appeared in his hand.


    Immediately, a powerful aura that far exceeded the previous one spread out, causing the mutant beasts hiding in the valley to fall to the ground. Whether they lived or died was completely up to the heavens.


    This was the finishing move of the strength-based internal force, combined with the concealment ability of the black fog internal force.


    It was clearly just one person standing on the mountain top, but his right hand gave off a sense of oppression that seemed to cross any distance.


    Fortunately, the internal force did not have much physical weight. Otherwise, if he really held a 100-meter-long sword, the mountain would have collapsed from the pressure.


    He waved his right hand, and the air barrier 100 meters in front of him was instantly broken by the invisible sword.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A mountain peak at the side suddenly suffered a violent impact.


    The collision happened so suddenly that the mutant beasts hiding on the mountain peak did not understand what had happened. They fell to the bottom of the valley along with the shattered mountain peak.


    In a few short moments, half of the mountain turned into debris, increasing the height of the entire valley floor by a few meters.


    The stream and forest in the valley and more than a hundred mutant beasts were all buried under the debris, turning the terrain into a pile of rubble.


    If a hunting team that often came to this valley to hunt came again, they would probably think that they had taken the wrong path and entered a different valley.


    ¡°This is a novel way of fighting in the dark night,¡± Chen Yiming said excitedly.


    Other than the strength of one¡¯s internal force, the biggest difference between one who had mastered the transformation of one¡¯s internal force and an ordinary warrior was that one could use long-range internal force attacks.


    The only disadvantage was that it consumed a lot of energy. Long-range internal force attacks were not like short-range attacks. They consumed the same amount of energy each time they were used.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s finishing move with the strength-based internal force, the 100-meter-long sword, coupled with the concealment ability of the black fog internal force, was equivalent to a short-range attack.


    In terms of energy consumption, with the recovery speed of the Level-1 Undying Body talent, he could directly use his huge sword to attack in close combat. He only needed to restore the damaged parts so he did not need to worry about the energy consumption of the internal force.


    It was completely different from the huge sword finishing move from before, where he needed nearly a minute to replenish his energy after each attack.


    Suddenly, the image of him carrying a 100-meter-long sword and fighting his way into the Blue Cloud Sword Sect surfaced in his mind.


    ¡°Li Daoyi is at the third stage of the warrior realm. When we fought earlier, he didn¡¯t treat me as a normal opponent at all.


    Even if my invisible sword could easily withstand Li Daoyi¡¯s normal attack, it is impossible for Li Daoyi not to have any hidden trump cards.


    There¡¯s no need to settle the score with Li Daoyi so quickly.¡±


    Chen Yiming suppressed his urge to test it out.


    This was just one simple experiment. He had only wanted to verify the effect of the combination of two different internal forces, but he did not expect to accidentally discover a new way of fighting in the dark.


    He had gained quite a bit from this trip, which was not made in vain. His combat strength when fighting at night had increased by a definite amount.


    Furthermore, he had gained a lot of inspiration from it. However, there were too few sword techniques that could allow him to master the transformation of his internal force at the moment. He only had the Mantis Snake Sword Technique and the Skyfall Sword Technique.


    The reason was that other than the core cultivation techniques of the corresponding inner court in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, all the cultivation techniques in the library, including the three concept diagrams, required points to purchase.

 Chapter 168 - Experiment (II)

    Only the concept diagrams that were incomplete and could only be used as reference were available to the disciples for free.


    To earn points, one needed to complete missions for the sect. Chen Yiming had only joined the sect for a week, so he didn¡¯t have any points yet.


    As for the free cultivation techniques that he had been eyeing for a long time, he could not use them for the time being. He had to wait until he had accumulated enough Skill Points to upgrade his swordsmanship talent to the third level.


    Many ideas that he had could only be tested in the future.


    After achieving his goal, Chen Yiming had no intention of staying any longer. He melted back into the darkness and left.


    When Chen Yiming returned to the residence, a group of disciples from the Kunshan Sect went to the valley to investigate.


    The masked man that Chen Yiming turned into was considered to be at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    Therefore, as long as a situation like the collapse of a mountain which resembled a natural disaster was discovered, a hunting team passing by would report it to the Kunshan Sect in return for a reward.


    These Kunshan Sect disciples were the team that had received the news and been sent to the scene of the incident.


    ¡°Gasp! I¡¯ve never heard of an earthquake in this area, but half of this mountain peak actually collapsed for some reason,¡± a young disciple of the Kunshan Sect said.


    Another male disciple frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Since half of the mountain still remains standing, it should have been caused by a single strike.


    In this case, it was either caused by a big shot at the third stage of the warrior realm, or by the masked man we are looking for.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Let¡¯s quickly report the situation,¡± a muscular male disciple urged.


    After the news was reported on a private phone line, the group of disciples from the Kunshan Sect quickly received a reply to put a pause on their search for traces of the masked man.


    The disciples of the Kunshan Sect looked at each other in confusion.


    The clues were clearly right in front of them, but the higher-ups of the sect had suddenly changed their minds.


    They did not know what the reason was, but they knew that something huge must have happened that tied the hands of the Kunshan Sect¡¯s sect master.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming pushed open the door to the house and realized that Qian Bingnan, Dai Yuanhang, and Bai Hengliang were all there. The three of them were chatting enthusiastically, and Qian Bingnan in particular was so excited that his face was red.


    Seeing Chen Yiming return from outside, Qian Bingnan couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°Have you heard? The willow tree cores that mature once every three years on the East Sea Mist Island are ripe for picking. It¡¯s time for the various factions to fight for them again.¡±


    As long as the roots were not destroyed, after losing its core, the willow tree could still grow back.


    Due to the fact that the tree cores on the Mist Island were harvested as soon as they had matured, the next batch of willow tree cores would take approximately the same time to mature again.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued and he sat down at the stone table.


    Chen Yiming might not have known about the willow tree cores before he had joined the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    However, he had already gained a lot of martial arts knowledge through the library in the Mantis Snake Court.


    Both plants and animals could evolve under the influence of the space-travel passage in the same way. After evolving, the plants were called mutant plants.


    However, compared to animals that could move about freely, plants that were rooted in place had a much lower chance of evolving.


    The reason was not that animals had more talent than plants, but that most plants were too far away from the space-travel passage. The plants near the space-travel passage could easily be trampled by mutant beasts before they could grow successfully.


    In the Plum Blossom Sky Pit, the strange tree guarded by the giant three-tailed turtle was one of these mutant plants.


    The mutant fruits produced by mutant plants usually contained the essence of what the mutant plants had accumulated over time. Whether it was mutant beasts or humans, most of the mutant fruits could help with their cultivation.


    This was also one of the reasons why there were far fewer mutant plants compared to mutant beasts and humans.


    Qian Bingnan waited for Chen Yiming to sit down before continuing, ¡°It would be great if we could get one of them. We¡¯re talking about the core of a willow tree after it evolved, after all.


    I heard that it can not only help one comprehend the concept diagrams of water and earth attribute internal forces, but also improve one¡¯s physique and martial arts talent by a small margin.¡±


    It would help one comprehend the concept diagrams of the water and earth attribute internal forces, and improve one¡¯s physique and martial arts talent.


    The former was useful for Chen Yiming¡¯s meteorite concept diagram, but it wasn¡¯t something he urgently needed. After he upgraded his swordsmanship talent to Level 3, there was a high chance that the effect would be better.


    However, the latter was very useful to Father Chen, Mother Chen and Chen Yingying. Especially for Chen Yingying, whose progress in tempering her body was still very slow even though Chen Yiming had provided the best conditions for her.


    If he could obtain a large number of willow tree cores, not only could he increase Chen Yingying¡¯s martial arts talent, but he could also help Father Chen and Mother Chen improve their physiques.


    Across the stone table, Dai Yuanhang couldn¡¯t help but give them a dose of reality. ¡°Stop daydreaming. There aren¡¯t even enough willow tree cores for the court heads. How can the disciples get their hands on it? Unless you go to the Mist Island to fight for it yourself.¡±


    Bai Hengliang still had some resentment towards Qian Bingnan from the previous night, so he smiled and said, ¡°I think we can give it a try. Qian Bingnan, your combat strength is one of the best among the inner sect disciples of the Mantis Snake Court. If you¡¯re lucky, you might be able to snatch a willow tree core.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to Qian Bingnan and asked, ¡°Are you going to Mist Island?¡±


    As an inner sect disciple waiting for the court head¡¯s assessment to be promoted to a true disciple, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t find a suitable reason to go to Mist Island.


    If Qian Bingnan planned to go, he could use the excuse that they were working together and go along with him.


    Qian Bingnan¡¯s expression froze. He didn¡¯t reply to Chen Yiming, but instead, he shouted at Bai Hengliang. ¡°If you dare to go, I¡¯ll go too. Whoever backs out is a coward.¡±


    Bai Hengliang was a little embarrassed and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve made some progress in my cultivation of the concept diagram recently. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll join in the fun.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, I knew you wouldn¡¯t dare to,¡± Qian Bingnan muttered.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of us go to Mist Island together? We can watch from afar. If there¡¯s a chance, we¡¯ll make a move. If not, we can just forget it,¡± Chen Yiming suddenly suggested.


    Bai Hengliang¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Qian Bingnan, someone invited you. Are you afraid to go?¡±


    Qian Bingnan¡¯s face turned red, and he was put on the spot. After a while, he explained, ¡°Do you really want to go? Those willow trees that have evolved into mutant plants are not easy to deal with. Each willow branch is equivalent to a human hand.


    Countless willow branches covered in internal force can stab out at the same time. Humans of the same level would find it difficult to withstand them.¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could speak, Dai Yuanhang reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. There¡¯s a strange phenomenon on Mist Island. Almost all the willow trees are above the ordinary warrior realm.


    It was said that in order to prevent the willow trees on Mist Island from being completely destroyed, the new willow trees in the disciple realm would be absorbed by the other willow trees as nutrients if they could not break through to the warrior realm within the corresponding time.


    Therefore, it¡¯s very inappropriate for ordinary warriors to go there. You cannot deal with the willow trees in the warrior realm, and willow trees in the disciple realm are very rare. Unless you happen to be at the edge of Mist Island, there is no chance of encountering such trees at all.


    In addition, even if there happens to be a suitable target, with a large group of big shots at the second stage of the warrior realm around, they might snatch the willow tree core from you.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and did not continue to insist on inviting Qian Bingnan to Mist Island.


    Qian Bingnan had invited Bai Hengliang, but Bai Hengliang had found an excuse to reject him. Chen Yiming had invited Qian Bingnan, but Qian Bingnan had not dared to accept. In the end, Chen Yiming had no choice but to find another excuse to go to Mist Island.


    Qian Bingnan and Bai Hengliang didn¡¯t take it to heart. Both of them thought that Chen Yiming, who had just joined the sect for a week, didn¡¯t understand the situation, which was why he had thought of heading to Mist Island.


    Mist Island was the battlefield for the likes of the court heads. The inner sect disciples, including the true disciples, were still too weak. If they recklessly participated in the fight, they could easily lose their lives on Mist Island.


    Dai Yuanhang, Qian Bingnan, and Bai Hengliang quickly continued to discuss the news about Mist Island.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say much and just listened to their conversation.


    Soon, Chen Yiming got a rough idea of the situation on Mist Island from the three of them.

 Chapter 169 - Mission (I)

    The next morning,


    in the mission hall of the Mantis Snake Court.


    The 12 inner sects were in charge of the martial arts schools established in various cities. The heads of the martial arts schools could set the remuneration and post missions to the respective mission halls.


    In addition, the mission hall had an ongoing goal to collect various types of martial arts resources. The most common way was to collect special materials from mutant beasts and dire beasts.


    The inner sect disciples of the Mantis Snake Court could also issue missions here to find other disciples with the ability to help them solve their problems.


    Some wealthy descendants of the martial arts clans often exchanged martial arts resources for points to focus on cultivating on the mountain in search of an opportunity to break through.


    As for those disciples who did not have such qualifications, they naturally had to contribute to the sect first before discussing the rewards.


    After all, the Myriad Phenomena Sect was not a charity. Instead, it was a martial arts faction formed by a group of court heads and elders led by the sect master. They had gathered a large number of young people with outstanding martial arts talent in the province.


    In the Myriad Phenomena Sect, there were members at the upper, middle, and lower levels. Even ignoring the free supply of contribution points, the Myriad Phenomena Sect would have difficulties making ends meet.


    In addition, things that were too easy to obtain were often not treasured. Therefore, the Myriad Phenomena Sect also needed to continuously throw out attractive items to unite all the court heads, elders, and inner and outer sect disciples in the sect.


    Chen Yiming arrived at the mission hall early in the morning. This was the first time since he entered the sect that he didn¡¯t go to the library early in the morning.


    He greeted the elder in charge of the mission hall and went to a screen in the hall.


    This screen could be used to issue and accept missions. However, if he wanted to issue a mission, he had to hand over the reward to the elder in charge of the mission hall in advance.


    The elder of the mission hall was equivalent to a neutral third party. After the mission was completed, he would hand over the reward to the person who completed the mission.


    Chen Yiming took less than a minute to figure out the entire process.


    He read the missions from the top of the list.


    Mission 1: Strengthen internal force


    Description: The fifth space-travel passage in Yungui Province, the third space-travel passage in Gumeng Province, and the ninth space-travel passage in Sanchuan Province are often visited by the iron-clawed black-striped tigers.


    Requirements: Capture the iron-clawed black-striped tiger alive and bring it back to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, or bring back the preserved blood essence.


    Reward: 500 grams of blood essence stone.


    Published by: Mantis Snake Court true disciple, Zhong Chuanhai.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the reward.


    The blood essence stone was a special kind of crystal produced in the otherworld. It was formed from the blood essence emitted by powerful dire beasts and could usually be found only in the nests of the dire beasts.


    Its function was to strengthen the body, and it was also effective for the warrior realm. It could shorten the time needed to temper the body.


    The blood essence stone was not only useful to him. His breakthrough speed was too fast, so his physical strength was still continuing to increase.


    In addition, he could give the rest to Father Chen and Mother Chen. It could slow down their body¡¯s decline and strengthen their physique to slow down their aging.


    However, after reading the description carefully, Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was greatly reduced.


    Of the places listed for where the iron-clawed black-striped tiger often appeared, the exact location was not provided. It was not worth wasting so much time for this amount of reward.


    Mission 2: Exchange pointers


    Description: Martial arts is not a closed-door cultivation. Everyone cultivates the same primary cultivation technique. Only by verifying each other¡¯s progress can you continue to improve.


    Requirements: An inner sect disciple at the warrior realm who can spar for three hours every day.


    Reward: One tael of silver moon flower, monthly payment.


    Published by: Mantis Snake Court inner sect disciple, Qian Bingnan.


    Chen Yiming had no interest in the second mission. When he glanced down and saw that the person who had posted it was Qian Bingnan, he was speechless.


    Unexpectedly, this disciple who lived in the same house came from a powerful family. A faction that could move around in the otherworld was not something that the factions living on the relatively peaceful blue planet could compare to.


    Although the silver moon flower was not particularly precious, it was still a plant unique to the otherworld. It was actually being used as a training reward.


    It could be seen that Qian Bingnan was actually a typical second-generation martial arts practitioner. He was both rich and good at fighting.


    ¡­


    Mission 14: Escort


    Requirements: Escort a disciple who has undergone six transformations back to his hometown in East Sea Province.


    Reward: One Cloud Mist Fruit.


    Published by: Fang Xiong, Head of the Mantis Snake Sword School in Three Rivers City.


    What a coincidence.


    The cloud mist fruit was a fruit produced by a mutant plant.


    This fruit seemed to have no physical form, like a cloud that had gathered together. It was just nice that it was helpful for comprehending the concept diagram of the black fog from the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. To the disciples of the Mantis Snake Court, it was not a loss to obtain it even at a 30% premium.


    On the other hand, the fight for the willow tree cores was about to break out on the Mist Island of the East Sea. Before the dust settled, the entire East Sea Province would definitely be filled with people from all walks of life. The influx of people would not only include the martial arts factions of the Daxia Kingdom.


    For School Head Fang to offer such a reward for his disciple¡¯s safe return, his family must be a large merchant clan with a rich collection. Coincidentally, something must have happened to his family, and they needed this disciple to rush back to East Sea Province.


    Was this disciple the first in line to inherit the clan?


    Fang Xiong was hiring an inner sect disciple from the Myriad Phenomena Sect to escort him home. No matter how strong an inner sect disciple was, they were only at the ordinary warrior realm at most.


    On the blue planet, even if it was an escort across borders, it was not worth paying such a price.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s sharp senses told him that things weren¡¯t that simple.


    However, while the other inner sect disciples may not dare to get embroiled in the turmoil in East Sea Province, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have any such concerns.


    The cloud mist fruit was a treasure that could be used at the first stage of the warrior realm. To Chen Yiming, its level was too low. If there was anyone looking for trouble, he could just assassinate them.


    If something really happened, there was a good reason for him to stay in East Sea Province and secretly participate in the fight for the willow tree cores on the East Sea Mist Island.


    Chen Yiming made his decision and typed in his personal information on the screen to accept the mission.


    When Chen Yiming stood up and prepared to leave the mission hall,


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    The elder in charge of the mission hall called out to Chen Yiming.


    This elder was wearing a loose Taoist robe with all kinds of symbols and runes drawn on it. He was smiling like a kind old man.


    However, this kindness was only shown when he was facing the disciples of the Mantis Snake Court. The mission hall was in charge of the remuneration for the missions that had already been submitted. Without sufficient strength, one would not have been assigned to be in charge of this place.


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks.


    Since he did not know the elder, he wondered if there was a problem with his attempt to accept the mission.


    ¡°Elder Sun from the library told me about you,¡± Zhang Mingshou said with a smile.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief and replied politely, ¡°Elder Sun must have spoken too highly of me.¡±


    The elders had their own circles. Chen Yiming had already become a potential true disciple who was waiting for his assessment. In addition, his diligence in practicing the black fog concept diagram had caught the eye of Elder Sun. Thus, the other elders of the Mantis Snake Court quickly knew of him.


    Zhang Mingshou¡¯s expression turned solemn as he continued, ¡°This escort mission to East Sea Province involves the replacement of the head of a martial arts clan.


    The other party is paying a generous price because they want to use your power to suppress the wavering factions in the clan.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    The thoughts of the disciple who issued the mission could not be hidden from the elders of the mission hall.


    Although he was strong enough not to be concerned about it, it was a kind reminder from the elder. There was no need to reject it.


    Zhang Mingshou continued to remind him, ¡°After the escort mission ends, the other party might throw out another tempting mission. It¡¯s up to you to decide if you want to take it up or not.


    However, I suggest that you make a timely return. East Sea Province is currently in a troubled period. Even if that warrior clan can¡¯t do anything to you, if you are accidentally injured, Court Head Zhou will not be able to leave Mist Island easily. There are many factions who have a grudge against the Myriad Phenomena Sect. These factions might take the opportunity to surround and attack you when you are alone and injured.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Elder,¡± Chen Yiming said gratefully.


    This was a troublesome matter. There was a group of flies surrounding him, and he could not just wipe them all out. After all, on the surface, he was only a warrior who had just broken through a short while ago.

 Chapter 170 - Mission (II)

    Once he took action as the masked man, it would mean that both Chen Yiming and the masked man were connected to the warrior clan at the same time, and the outside world would easily suspect him to be the masked man.


    It was not worth the risk of exposing his identity to obtain the willow tree cores or the cloud mist fruit.


    ¡°Go on. Be careful.¡±


    Zhang Mingshou smiled again and waved his hand, indicating that Chen Yiming was free to go.


    Chen Yiming thanked the elder again and set off for Three Rivers City.


    When he stepped out of the mountain gate, he felt mixed emotions. A sense of belonging that he had never felt before suddenly surfaced in his heart.


    Being on the mountain was very different from below the mountain. With a sect master at the third stage of the warrior realm holding down the fort, he felt less burdened by worldly affairs when on the mountain.


    Most people only had one goal, and that was to go further on the path of martial arts. The interactions between disciples were almost all related to martial arts.


    This kind of environment was relatively pure. For example, Su Mo¡¯er would only consider descending the mountain for missions or when the deadline of three years for entering the sect was up.


    When she encountered problems in her cultivation, she didn¡¯t care about her reputation at all. Not only did she consult Court Head Zhou and some inner sect disciples, but she also felt no shame in asking Chen Yiming, her junior who had just joined the sect for a week. All she wanted was to increase her chances of succeeding in her cultivation.


    Dai Yuanhang, an inner sect disciple who lived in the same house, reminded Chen Yiming of the top students in his previous world who focused on scientific research. Other than sleeping and resting, he spent most of his time studying martial arts.


    Qian Bingnan seemed to be a person who only cared about his strength, but for the sake of a chance to improve, he was willing to pay a price that others would think was unnecessary to find other disciples to spar with him.


    There were also the two elders at the library and the mission hall. Chen Yiming had stayed in the Mantis Snake Sword School for a year, but Grandma Wei, who was in charge of the library, and Elder Yin, who was in charge of the supplies, were only concerned with their work. They rarely interacted with the core disciples.


    Finally, there was the Mantis Snake Court¡¯s Zhou Xuesheng. Compared to Wan Rong, at least for now, he hadn¡¯t tried to use his position to get Chen Yiming to join the sect for his own gain.


    On the other hand, the society below the mountain was not much different from his previous world. In fact, because of the strength of their martial arts, experts who had achieved success in martial arts pursued status, money, benefits, and so on.


    There were very few people who had the spirit of martial arts exploration. Once they felt that their potential was exhausted, there were very few who would dare to risk their lives to pursue it further even if there was a slim chance of succeeding.


    The martial arts factions below the mountain were mostly disciples who had been eliminated from the mountain and those who were not talented enough to go up the mountain when they were young.


    They could use the excuse of letting the more capable ones do the exploration, but Chen Yiming, who had the martial arts talent system, couldn¡¯t agree with that.


    After all, even if Chen Yiming could continuously increase his talent, there would come a day when he would no longer have anyone to follow in the path of martial arts on the blue planet.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to rely on one person to explore the unknown path of martial arts. One day, Chen Yiming would need the entire blue planet¡¯s martial arts world to participate.


    At that time, it would naturally be better if there were more people like Su Mo¡¯er and Dai Yuanhang.


    This way, Chen Yiming would need to use his strength to support a relatively stable environment so that these people could focus on their martial arts without any worries.


    ¡­


    Three Rivers City


    was located at the border of the southwest corner of Jiangnan province.


    The area and population were about the same as that of East Lake City. They were both considered small to medium-sized cities.


    The martial arts factions here were naturally not very strong. An ordinary warrior was already considered a famous big shot in the city. His words and actions would have a significant impact on the martial arts world in Three Rivers City.


    There were a large number of factions in the disciple realm that were like branches hanging off the big trees that represented these big shots in the warrior realm.


    It was only a matter of time before those who insisted on not taking sides with any warrior factions would be wiped out for some reason or another.


    ¡­


    At the headquarters of the Mantis Snake Sword School in Three Rivers City, after the head, Fang Xiong, received the news, he led a group of core disciples and stood at the door to wait.


    All of them were wearing the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s training robes and had long swords at their waists.


    At this moment, one of the core disciples who had not participated in the outer sect disciple assessment asked an older core disciple curiously,


    ¡°Third Senior Brother, what exactly is the Myriad Phenomena Sect like?¡±


    The third senior brother, Huang Guangjun, instantly recalled his embarrassing experience during the assessment and smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just that the size of the martial arts school is larger, there are more disciples, and the overall martial arts level is higher.


    Other than these, the process of the disciple¡¯s promotion is not much different. The students of the branch school correspond to the outer sect disciples, the core disciples to the inner sect disciples and the true disciples, and the head of the school to the court head.¡±


    The young man who had asked the question was called Li Chunsheng. He became even more curious and continued to ask, ¡°Then what type of disciple is coming down from the Myriad Phenomena Sect today?¡±


    The head of the school and the other disciples were all present, so Huang Guangjun could not refuse to answer. Hence, he explained, ¡°The outer sect disciples are only slightly stronger than me. He might be an inner sect disciple or a true disciple.¡±


    Li Chunsheng continued to ask, ¡°Is there a huge difference between an inner sect disciple and a true disciple?¡±


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect was the holy land for martial arts in the hearts of the disciples.


    At this moment, Li Chunsheng was already imagining the scene of him passing the outer sect disciple assessment under the guidance of his master and joining the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    After all, those who could become core disciples of the martial arts school were already considered the most talented among the younger generation in Three Rivers City.


    However, in order to prevent the core disciples from losing confidence, the head did not allow the older core disciples who had participated in the outer sect assessment to tell the younger core disciples the truth of the situation.


    Therefore, young disciples like Li Chunsheng, who was often praised as a genius in Three Rivers City, had no idea how high the elimination rate was for outer sect disciples.


    Huang Guangjun glanced at his eldest and second senior brothers, who were trying their best to hold back their laughter. He inexplicably felt a surge of anger in his heart, so he replied, ¡°How would I know? I didn¡¯t pass the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s assessment.¡±


    Li Chunsheng did not think much of it. For some reason, a small universe grew in his heart.


    The head, Fang Xiong, had once encouraged him not to give up easily, and said that when he was 18, he would bring him up the mountain to participate in the outer sect disciple assessment.


    From the time he joined the branch school to the time he became the top disciple in the branch school and was promoted to a core disciple, his path of martial arts seemed to be smooth sailing.


    He successfully completed the first transformation, and since then, he had managed to achieve a breakthrough almost every year. Every month, he would see improvement in his abilities, and it seemed as though he would not encounter any obstacles that he could not overcome and could continue to break through on his path of martial arts.


    His past successes had given him an endless amount of confidence. He had thought that participating in the assessment at the age of 18 was the right age, but he did not know that he was actually only able to participate in the assessment at the age of 18 because of his lack of talent.


    He was making use of the years from the age of 15 to 18, when he was at the golden age of practicing martial arts, to unearth as much of his potential as possible. Finally, he would fight for his last hope at the ages of 18, 19, and 20.


    Thinking of it this way, Huang Guangjun suddenly felt much better.


    As someone who had been through this before, he could roughly guess what Li Chunsheng was thinking. He had an inexplicable sense of confidence and imagined that in the future, a group of people, including the head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, would come to the door to welcome him to join the sect.


    Suddenly, he sighed in his heart. Memories of the past could not help but surge into his mind. His persistence in martial arts had only changed after going through the assessment.


    Huang Guangjun had participated in the recruitment of the Myriad Phenomena Sect that year. He had seen a large number of geniuses from various places who were similar to him, but in the end, he had returned in defeat.


    His once burning heart was instantly doused in cold water. Because of this, he had been dispirited for nearly three months before he gradually recovered.


    He realized that the martial arts school was only a place for martial arts training. In the end, he still had to return to his clan.

 Chapter 171 - Movement (I)

    Chen Yiming was a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s Mantis Snake Court.


    The news that this person was about to come to the Mantis Snake Sword School in Three Rivers City strongly stimulated the yearning the young disciples like Li Chunsheng had to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Many young disciples remained silent, but they started to think about finding an opportunity to get to know him.


    Suddenly, the head, Fang Xiong, who had been silent all this time, reminded them, ¡°Be quiet. He¡¯s here.¡±


    The disciples who were still discussing in low voices fell silent. Many of them looked around for Chen Yiming¡¯s figure.


    However, the pedestrians and vehicles on the street were still the same as before.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    They were puzzled, but no one dared to question the head¡¯s words.


    For a time, they felt like they were ants on a hot pan. The short wait of a few seconds felt like a few minutes instead.


    At this moment, from a few streets away, there was the sound of a loud bang.


    The rumbling sound was not only heard by the disciples of the martial arts school, but also by all the pedestrians on the street. In the blink of an eye, the street was in chaos. Amidst the shocked cries, the pedestrians hurriedly found a place to hide.


    Other than Fang Xiong, everyone nearby, including the disciples of the martial arts school, thought that something had happened in Three Rivers City. Otherwise, why would there be sounds like that of artillery shells exploding in the city?


    Immediately after, all the disciples of the martial arts school were stunned by the scene in front of them.


    The rumbling sound gradually approached the martial arts school. Suddenly, a figure appeared at the end of the road. In their vision, a blurry figure was running in midair.


    It was Chen Yiming, who was rushing over.


    Most of the people in the city were ordinary people. If he had traveled on the ground, the strong wind created by his movements would easily cause chaos in the city.


    Therefore, Chen Yiming thought of this method that wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone and would save him some time.


    Running in midair was something that those in the warrior realm would commonly use for a short period of time in battle. This was because every step required one to make the internal force under one¡¯s feet explode and produce a recoil, pushing one¡¯s entire body forward.


    Other than those with extremely huge reserves of internal force, very few warriors would rely on this method which quickly used up their internal force for their normal journeys.


    Fang Xiong did not mind this and maintained his smile. He thought that the person from the Myriad Phenomena Sect who had left the mountain this time was a disciple who liked to put on airs and maintain his status as a disciple of the sect.


    The disciples at the side could not remain as calm as their master and could not help but exclaim.


    ¡°How is that possible!¡±


    ¡°How can a person run in midair?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he brought technological equipment to help him fly?¡±


    These disciples were almost scared silly. They widened their eyes and watched as the figure approached from afar and turned into a cannon that shot into the sky, arriving in front of them from 100 meters away.


    This time, even without the head¡¯s reminder, since the disciples of the martial arts school had already forgotten all about the script they had prepared beforehand, they did not dare to say anything.


    In the eyes of these disciples, this was a young man who was about their age.


    Even though his hair was slightly disheveled by the wind, his aura was as deep as the sea. When they met his piercing gaze, they subconsciously averted their eyes.


    ¡°Are you the inner sect disciple from the Mantis Snake Court, Chen Yiming?¡±


    Fang Xiong asked when he arrived.


    At the same time, he was in shock that the new arrival had completely overturned his previous evaluation.


    The disciple from the Myriad Phenomena Sect who had left the mountain this time was not like ordinary inner sect disciples. Instead, he was like someone who was at the top of the true disciples.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me,¡± Chen Yiming said as he glanced at the plaque above the school.


    With one foot in the third stage of the warrior realm, he was standing together with ordinary warriors and those in the disciple realm.


    Even though Chen Yiming had already restrained his aura, he was still overwhelming Fang Xiong and his disciples.


    ¡°You must be Fang Xiong, the one who issued the mission. Where¡¯s the disciple who requested you to post the mission?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze swept across the disciples in front of him and finally stopped on a young man who looked to be about 15 or 16 years old.


    This young man was a little different from the other disciples of the martial arts school. He was much calmer than the others, and at least on the surface, he did not look too shocked.


    ¡°Xu Zhang, come here,¡± Fang Xiong called out to the youth Chen Yiming had noticed.


    Xu Zhang walked out from among the disciples and said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m Xu Zhang. I¡¯ll leave the matter of my escort back to East Sea Province to you. The Xu clan will definitely reward you handsomely after this.¡±


    Fang Xiong waited for Xu Zhang to finish greeting him and was about to tell Chen Yiming some insider information about the Xu clan, but he was quickly interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. Let¡¯s set off immediately,¡± Chen Yiming urged.


    There was no precise time for the opening of the Mist Island in the East Sea. Once the factions participating in the competition for the willow tree cores had gathered, the cores from the willow trees that were stronger would quickly be harvested and fought over.


    Compared to when the Mantis Snake Court¡¯s Zhou Xuesheng had left, Chen Yiming was already half a day late.


    If he did not hurry up, by the time he arrived at the Mist Island, the willow tree cores might have already been completely harvested.


    When Xu Zhang heard this, he was momentarily at a loss.


    This inner sect disciple of the Mantis Snake Court was about to set off without any discussion, completely disrupting the plan he had thought out.


    He had originally planned to start laying out the bait from the moment they met and slowly lure him in. Then, before entering East Sea Province, he would discuss the final terms of the deal.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming understood that Xu Zhang had pretended to be calm earlier, but once there was a disruption to his plan, he would be thrown into confusion.


    Fang Xiong was not too surprised. Many disciples on the mountain were like this, so he helped Xu Zhang out of the situation. ¡°Hurry up, if you have something to say, you can do it on the way.¡±


    Once Xu Zhang walked over, Chen Yiming grabbed his collar and held him like a chick. He leaped up and rushed off in the direction of the East Sea province.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    A middle-aged man immediately got out of the off-road vehicle that had been parked by the roadside. He shouted at the two people who were gradually disappearing from his sight.


    At the entrance of the school, not only were the remaining disciples confused, but even Fang Xiong was confused by Chen Yiming¡¯s actions.


    This disciple from the Myriad Phenomena Sect could use a car, but insisted on traveling on foot. Although the speed of a warrior in the wilderness was much faster than a car, and he could travel in a straight line across the mountain range,


    wasn¡¯t he afraid that he would use up too much internal force and be ambushed by others?


    The truth was that Chen Yiming felt that driving was too slow. If he took his time to get to East Sea Province and the fight for the willow tree cores had already ended, he would have wasted his time.


    After all, he had already completely comprehended the concept diagram of the black fog. The cloud mist fruit was useless to Chen Yiming. It was just something he was using to fool others.


    ¡­


    During a short break on the journey, Xu Zhang took the initiative to tell Chen Yiming about the Xu clan¡¯s situation.


    Xu Zhang was the eldest son of the current head of the Xu clan in West Bamboo City in East Sea province. As an heir, he was sent to the Mantis Snake Sword School in Three Rivers City in Jiangnan province to practice martial arts. His goal was to enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    However, things were unpredictable. After his father, Xu Ao, had lost an arm to a sneak attack from three warriors, his third uncle, Xu Kai, had somehow broken through to the warrior realm.


    Although Xu Ao¡¯s combat strength had weakened after losing an arm, he was not afraid of Xu Kai since they were both at the same level.


    The fundamental problem was that Xu Kai had caused the clan to split into two and sold himself as a disciple to the Cloud Sea Sect in East Sea Province. The Cloud Sea Sect was a large sect on the same level as the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and the Xu clan was thus suppressed by them.


    At this moment, Xu Zhang patted his chest and promised, ¡°As long as you can stand on my father¡¯s side, the Xu clan will give you two more cloud mist fruits as payment.¡±


    The cloud mist fruit was useful for all cultivation techniques with the smoke attribute. This was also the main reason why Xu Zhang entered the Mantis Snake Sword School and aimed to join the Mantis Snake Court of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Chen Yiming glanced at him without much interest. ¡°Did the Xu clan find a mutant plant that can produce the cloud mist fruit in the East Sea?¡±

 Chapter 172 - Movement (II)

    It was obvious that the cloud mist fruit was not just a treasure from the Xu clan¡¯s collection since they were able to give out three at once as a reward. There was a high chance that they had some way of producing it continuously.


    At the same time, he grew more interested in the warrior clans in the East Sea province. The human factions in the East Sea were much weaker than those in the mainland, but they had more resources.


    Chen Yiming had previously faced off against the giant three-tailed turtle that was guarding a strange tree. It was at the second stage of the warrior realm, while the Xu clan was only an ordinary warrior clan. How could they own a mutant plant?


    Xu Zhang smiled confidently and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. With the Xu clan¡¯s help, becoming a true disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect will not be a dream.¡±


    At this point, Xu Zhang felt relieved and thought that everything was falling into place.


    He did not think that any inner sect disciple of the Mantis Snake Court could resist such a temptation.


    The cloud mist fruit could only serve a support role, and comprehending the concept diagram depended mainly on one¡¯s own talent. However, no one knew if it would really be effective for them.


    As long as most people acknowledged that the cloud mist fruit was useful for comprehending the internal force of the smoke attribute, the cloud mist fruit would have a corresponding value.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens first.¡±


    Chen Yiming was a man of his word, so he didn¡¯t make a promise easily.


    His goal was still the willow tree cores on Mist Island. After his trip to Mist Island, he would consider it if it was not too troublesome.


    When Xu Zhang heard this, his expression froze.


    This was not the answer he wanted at all. For a moment, he felt short of breath, and he was rooted to the spot.


    Xu Zhang could only blame himself for being too unlucky. Any other disciple of the Mantis Snake Court who accepted this mission would probably not be able to resist the temptation.


    However, it just so happened that a fight had broken out on the East Sea Mist Island, and various factions from the East Sea province had surged in. The other disciples felt that the risk they would be taking was not proportional to the gains they would receive, so no one was willing to accept this mission.


    After all, not everyone was like Chen Yiming, who could complete the missing concept diagrams just by eating two mutant fruits.


    Otherwise, the heads of the large sects would not have such a status. The truth was that it was extremely difficult to master the transformation of internal force. Even true disciples only had a chance of mastering it, and most of them would fail in the end.


    The break was short, and it was mainly for Xu Zhang, whose body couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Chen Yiming quickly grabbed Xu Zhang again and continued on their way.


    ¡­


    A few hours later, the two of them arrived at a beach opposite East Sea province.


    Chen Yiming put Xu Zhang down again and looked out at the vast sea.


    A few kilometers away, an aquatic mutant beast suddenly appeared on the surface of the sea, creating a huge wave that was dozens of meters tall.


    This aquatic mutant beast had evolved from an unknown fish. Its body was more than 20 meters long, and from its aura, it was only at the ordinary warrior realm. However, its size was completely different from the land-based mutant beasts.


    If a human, who was also in the warrior realm, was bitten and dragged by it to the bottom of the sea, it would be almost impossible for the human to fight against the strength of its internal force.


    At this moment, Xu Zhang¡¯s legs were trembling and he was about to cry. ¡°Big Brother, are we really not going to Heron Port City to cross the sea?¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to go back on your word. I¡¯ll leave you here. Get someone to bring you across the sea or back to Three Rivers City.¡±


    He had already set out half a day late. If he continued to dawdle, there would be nothing left for him on Mist Island.


    If Xu Zhang was afraid, he would not even need to go to East Sea province and could just rush to Mist Island.


    Xu Zhang broke out in a cold sweat, not knowing what to do.


    He was too unlucky to have encountered a disciple from the Myriad Phenomena Sect who was not in his right mind.


    As long as a warrior avoided danger in advance, the chances of something going wrong were very low. Every year, only a few unlucky ones would die when attempting a sea crossing.


    However, he was not a warrior. If a team of warriors tried to cross the sea together, they would be able to take care of each other. The mutant beasts at the ordinary warrior realm would not dare to provoke them.


    The probability of encountering an aquatic mutant beast at the second stage of the warrior realm was similar to finding a needle in a haystack. After all, the sea was too vast.


    Most of the aquatic mutant beasts of this level were also located in the deep sea, and the probability of encountering them when they surfaced was extremely low.


    Seeing that the other party couldn¡¯t make a decision, Chen Yiming suggested, ¡°How about this? Go to Heron Harbor City and find someone to escort you across the sea.


    There should be quite a number of warrior teams accepting such jobs over there. Let¡¯s meet up again in West Bamboo City where your clan is.¡±


    For the Xu clan¡¯s problem, there wasn¡¯t much difference if he delayed it for a day or two. After leaving Xu Zhang here, Chen Yiming could head straight to Mist Island.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xu Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. He also felt that this was a good suggestion.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe in Chen Yiming¡¯s strength, but he felt that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have any experience crossing the sea. In addition, he would be a burden.


    Without the protection of a team formed by several warriors, even if he encountered some enemy that was too strong for him to deal with, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Chen Yiming, who was in the warrior realm, to make an escape. However, he would be in trouble as someone in the disciple realm.


    ¡°Then take care of yourself.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared in a flash.


    In the next moment, his figure had already reappeared on the sea dozens of meters away. Xu Zhang was left alone by the sea with the sea breeze howling in his ears.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    The surface of the sea exploded continuously, and the figure sped across the surface of the sea until it became smaller and smaller, gradually turning into a black dot that finally disappeared into the horizon.


    ¡°Dad, wait for me. Only the two of us know about the island where the cloud mist tree is. How can Third Uncle fight against us?¡±


    Xu Zhang cheered himself on in his heart and let out a low roar. He quickly rushed off in the direction of Heron Port City.


    ¡­


    Mist Island was located in the northeast of East Sea province, about 400 to 500 nautical miles away.


    This distance was not too far. Countries separated by the sea were usually thousands or even tens of thousands of nautical miles apart.


    With such a long distance between them, when faced with the threat of the aquatic mutant beasts in the sea, not only were ships unable to sail across the sea, but even ordinary warriors would not dare to cross such a distance easily.


    As a result, in this era on the blue planet, there was very little communication between the countries that were separated by the sea. Most of the new humans born after the arrival of the space-travel passages could not even name the countries across the sea.


    Chen Yiming sped across the surface of the sea.


    His internal force continued to explode, and he covered a distance of hundreds of meters in one leap.


    The aquatic mutant beasts watching the surface of the sea from underwater could only see a black shadow continuously across the surface.


    From the distance he moved with each leap, one could tell that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. Therefore, very few mutant beasts dared to jump out of the water and attack Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s so boring on the sea.¡±


    He originally wanted to find a few suitable opponents and have some quick battles. He would be killing time while also testing whether he could crush the mutant beasts in the sea at the same level.


    However, a mutant beast at the second stage of the warrior realm probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in a small fry like him who had hardly any meat on his bones.


    Feeling a little angry, Chen Yiming unleashed his internal force and leaped hundreds of meters into the air.


    While in midair, he threw out his strongest finishing move, the 100-meter-long sword formed by four huge rocks created from his internal force.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, a bowl-shaped hole with a diameter of more than 1,000 meters was opened up on the surface of the sea. Countless weak aquatic mutant beasts that were active near the surface of the sea were killed by the shock waves caused by the collision.


    Due to the acceleration under the influence of gravity, although the huge sword was only a few hundred meters away, the impact from the collision was greatly increased.


    However, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t win against the sea¡¯s ability to restore itself.


    Immediately after, a large amount of seawater flowed back into the bowl-shaped hole, and it quickly returned to its original state.


    Chen Yiming landed back on the surface of the sea and swept his gaze across the area.


    The surface of the sea in a range of a few kilometers was dyed red. However, even though there were countless corpses of mutant beasts floating on the surface of the sea, the mutant beasts in the deep sea did not make any movement at all.


    After waiting for a few more minutes, not even a single mutant beast at the warrior realm appeared.


    Chen Yiming shook his head. He didn¡¯t know if it was because the commotion wasn¡¯t big enough, or if the mutant beasts in the sea didn¡¯t care for the food. After all, the sea was full of creatures.


    However, he did not have time to waste here. He could only confirm the direction of Mist Island again and continue on his way.


    10 to 20 minutes later, all was silent again.


    Suddenly, a huge mouth about five meters in diameter emerged from the water and swallowed a large number of corpses in one big gulp.


    In the next few minutes, more and more mutant sea creatures appeared. There were those in the disciple realm, and a few in the warrior realm.


    The large number of corpses were quickly eaten up, and the sea regained its calm, leaving only the whistling of the sea breeze.

 Chapter 173 - Mist Island (I)

    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The sounds on the battlefield were like countless cannonballs exploding, and they spread out in all directions from Mist Island.


    Chen Yiming, who had put on a black mask and a black cloak, searched for a while in the general direction of the island. Following the sound of the explosion, he found the location of the island.


    This was an island with a radius of more than 10 kilometers. The entire island was covered in a layer of thick fog. From outside the island, he could see that there was a large dense rainforest.


    ¡°Fortunately, I parted ways with Xu Zhang,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he looked at the situation on Mist Island.


    At this moment, he was on the west side of the island. He could see tracks left behind by humans every few hundred meters. These tracks were like roads that led straight into the depths of the island.


    Judging from the commotion from the battle on Mist Island, there were already teams approaching the huge tree in the middle of the island. This huge tree was about 100 meters tall. Compared to the other mutant plants on the entire island, it was like a crane among chickens that broke through the cover of the fog and pierced through the clouds.


    Chen Yiming chose a random track and blended into the fog before venturing deep into the island.


    On both sides of the track, there were mutant plants of various colors. Some of them emitted an alluring smell, some of them seemed to have huge mouths that were hanging open, and some of them had strange fruits on them.


    Chen Yiming ignored all of these. These mutant plants that no one cared about were either too young or too weak, or they were useless for human cultivation.


    Before long, he encountered two groups of people fighting each other near a pond.


    On one side were two old men, and on the other were a couple in their thirties and a middle-aged woman.


    Chen Yiming was hiding in the fog. The two old men pointed at the couple more than 10 meters away and cursed, ¡°Kid from Fragrance City, don¡¯t push your luck. The Yinfeng Sect was the first to discover this place.¡±


    The woman in the couple was about 30 years old. She had shoulder-length light golden hair, and was wearing a strapless top and lace hot pants. She had a pair of long fair legs and crystal sandals on her feet, which revealed her pale pink toenails.


    On the surface, she did not look like a martial arts practitioner at all. Instead, she looked like a rich socialite who had come to Mist Island for a vacation.


    She brushed her long hair behind her ear, making it impossible for the male disciples of the Yinfeng Sect to look away. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the first time the Hao clan from Fragrance City has participated in the fight for the willow tree cores on the Mist Island, but this is the first time I¡¯ve heard anyone saying that whoever discovers it will get ownership of it.¡±


    The taller of the old men said coldly, ¡°The Hao clan from Fragrance City? The clan that has more females than males?¡±


    The moment he finished speaking,


    the face of the man from the couple suddenly twitched.


    The tall old man¡¯s words had hit a sore spot. The Hao clan was a strange martial arts clan. All the men in the clan were useless in martial arts, and all their martial arts talent was found in the women.


    As a result, not only were the heads of the Hao clan women, but they also had to constantly get talented males to marry into the clan.


    To a certain extent, martial arts talent was decided by both parents. Even if the descendants of the two warriors were not nurtured well, they could usually reach the warrior candidate realm.


    The man in the couple was a warrior candidate. To reach this level at about the age of 30 was already quite an achievement for someone who was not from a large sect on the mountains.


    A trace of anger flashed across the man¡¯s eyes. Not only was the old man rude to him, but the uncultured disciples under him also did not know how to hide it and kept staring at his wife.


    No man could stand such behavior.


    He also sneered, ¡°The Yinfeng Sect can only hide in the wilderness. It¡¯s not some big sect. Bring it on if you dare.¡±


    As soon as the man finished speaking, the middle-aged woman from the Hao clan beside him took a step forward and added, ¡°Which of you trash from the Yinfeng Sect dares to provoke the Hao clan? Be careful that we won¡¯t destroy your entire sect.¡±


    When the disciples beside the old man heard the word ¡°trash¡±, they were instantly enraged.


    From the name, one could tell that the Yinfeng Sect was not a formal sect. In fact, the entire sect was active in the wilderness of the East Sea province, and most of their jobs involved assassinations. They had always been on the blacklist of various cities.


    Most of these disciples were orphans picked up by the two elders. However, even though they had been picked out from a large group of orphans, they were still unable to escape their status as members of the Yinfeng Sect.


    Facing the upper-level warrior clans in the big cities, they were naturally inferior. However, without the old men¡¯s orders, they did not dare to act rashly.


    The short old man suddenly smiled fiercely and said, ¡°It¡¯s true that we can¡¯t defeat you in Fragrance City, but this is the East Sea Mist Island. If you anger our Yinfeng Sect, no one will be able to obtain the core from the willow tree by the pool.¡±


    After the short old man spoke, the two sides fell into a stalemate again.


    Other than being a few sizes thicker than an ordinary willow tree, there seemed to be nothing special about the warrior-level willow tree by the pool. Its branches fluttered in the wind.


    The Yinfeng Sect and the Hao clan needed two warriors to focus on holding back the willow tree. The others would use special bombs to deal a fatal blow to the immobilized willow tree.


    However, if either the old man or the Hao clan wanted to cause trouble, the other party would definitely not dare to make a move easily. Once the other party seized the opportunity and caused one to be entangled by the willow branches, even those in the warrior realm could not guarantee that they could escape.


    Of course, if the four warriors worked together, with four against one, no matter how many willow branches there were, they would not be a match for the four of them. After all, the willow tree had evolved from plants on the blue planet, and was not some special plant from the otherworld.


    However, the Hao clan would not trust a faction like the Yinfeng Sect, which often schemed against others. Similarly, the Yinfeng Sect did not have the habit of working together with others. They only knew how to launch sneak attacks and bully the weak.


    Chen Yiming observed the situation from the side.


    The Yinfeng Sect led by the two old men was a faction that belonged to the East Sea province. Although the Hao clan was based in Fragrance City, they could send out two warriors at once. Clearly, the Hao clan was not weak, and this was not the first time they had participated in the fight for the willow tree cores on Mist Island.


    Both factions knew more about Mist Island than Chen Yiming, so they just happened to lead the way for him.


    After making his decision, Chen Yiming dispersed his black fog internal force and revealed himself.


    ¡°Who is it!¡± the tall old man exclaimed.


    The others also noticed that a masked man had appeared less than 10 meters away from them.


    The two women from the Hao clan were first shocked, then relieved.


    As long as they were not allies of the Yinfeng Sect, it was fine. Otherwise, even if the Hao clan was unwilling, they would have no choice but to retreat.


    The competition for the willow tree cores on Mist Island was at most in the middle stage. No one would be stupid enough to risk their lives now.


    Seeing that the masked man was alone, the short old man threatened, ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve been spying on us for a long time. Are you courting death?¡±


    When the disciples of the Yinfeng Sect saw the old man¡¯s attitude, they also glared at Chen Yiming. No one could simply overlook the fact that they were being secretly watched.


    For a moment, the Yinfeng Gate was restless, as though the two old men were about to lead their disciples to surround and kill the masked man if he could not give them a satisfactory explanation.


    Chen Yiming shook his head and spoke with his actions.


    He clenched his right hand, and a 50-meter-long sword formed by two huge rocks appeared in front of the people from the Yinfeng Sect and the Hao clan.


    This huge sword was completely formed from internal force and hung above the heads of the people from the Yinfeng Sect.

 Chapter 174 - Mist Island (II)

    Silence descended on the battlefield.


    ¡°Where did this second stage warrior come from?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions froze, especially the two old men from the Yinfeng Sect. The wrinkles on their faces were almost twisted into a knot.


    ¡°Big shot, what¡¯s the point of bullying the weak in the periphery instead of going to the center of Mist Island?¡±


    The two elders roared in their hearts.


    The transformation of internal force was a sign of the second stage of the warrior realm. Those in the disciple realm might not know it, but how could the two elders from the Yinfeng Sect not know it?


    Although there was only a difference of one realm between the two of them, it would not take much effort for the masked man to wipe out their entire sect.


    A young man from the Hao clan couldn¡¯t help but ask the middle-aged woman in a low voice, ¡°Third Aunt, we¡­¡±


    As soon as he started speaking, the middle-aged woman glared at him, and the young man did not dare to continue.


    Suddenly, the tense atmosphere around the pool was broken by the willow tree.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    A green willow tree core automatically popped out of the tree and fell a few meters away from the willow tree.


    Without the willow tree core, the aura of the entire tree became visibly weaker. More than half of the willow branches instantly turned yellow, and more than 10 of them were broken by the wind.


    Chen Yiming dispersed his huge sword and moved next to the willow tree core in a flash.


    Glancing at the willow tree that seemed to have lost most of its energy, he picked up the green core of the willow tree.


    The core of the willow tree was the fruit of the mutant plant. The essence of the willow tree accumulated day after day was stored in it. It was just the size of a palm, and it felt warm to the touch and was constantly emitting a fluorescent light.


    Not far from the pool,


    as the willow tree took the initiative to surrender its core, and Chen Yiming took the initiative to disperse his huge sword,


    the Yinfeng Sect heaved a sigh of relief, and the Hao clan let go of their worries.


    Such an outcome was completely acceptable to them. As long as they stayed at their spots, they believed that this big shot would leave soon.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Chen Yiming tore the willow tree core into pieces with his teeth and swallowed it all.


    The Level-1 Undying Body talent gave his body a comprehensive enhancement, and the willow tree core was digested and absorbed by his body in the blink of an eye.


    In his spiritual world, the figure in his mind suddenly received a trace of spiritual light and automatically turned into the concept diagram of a meteorite.


    Countless lines appeared out of thin air, and the fourth concept diagram of the meteorite gradually appeared. In the end, the progress stopped at about a third of the diagram.


    ¡°The concept diagram of the meteorite belongs to the earth attribute. The huge roots of the willow tree are rooted in the soil, so its essence contains the water and earth attributes.


    If I could eat a large amount of the willow tree cores, I might be able to complete the missing part of the concept diagram without waiting for my Level-3 swordsmanship talent.


    Having the complete concept diagrams of the meteorite and the complete black fog concept diagrams will also reduce the difficulty of me investigating the secret of fusing internal forces.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Now, he had no choice but to plan ahead. His swordsmanship talent mainly improved his understanding of the sword.


    If no one told him the specific method to fuse his internal forces, it would be useless even if he secretly learned the complete cultivation techniques of the 12 inner courts of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Finding all 12 inner court cultivation techniques was equivalent to Chen Yiming owning a mountain of treasure. However, he still had to find the key to enter the mountain himself.


    However, he would already be progressing extremely quickly if he was promoted to a true disciple. It was impossible for him to be appointed as a court head within a short time of joining the Myriad Phenomena Sect without making any significant contributions.


    Without reaching the level of a court head, he would not be able to come into contact with the sect master at all.


    This way, there were only two ways. One was to spend time to climb to the top of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, step by step. The other was to rely on himself to figure it out.


    Spending time to climb the ranks was definitely the last resort. With the martial arts talent system, his talent would definitely not be a problem. The key to figuring it out was the accumulation of knowledge.


    In other words, he had to master as many complete concept diagrams as possible. Then, with the powerful recovery ability of the figure in his mind, he could continuously fuse the different types of internal forces and slowly unearth the secrets behind their fusion.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first or second time you¡¯ve participated in the competition for the willow tree cores. Each of you must have a map of the distribution of the willow trees,¡± Chen Yiming said as he stared at the people from the Yinfeng Sect and the Hao clan with a burning gaze.


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the two old men and the two women in charge of the Hao clan trembled.


    For those at the second stage of the warrior realm, exploring Mist Island was much easier than for ordinary warriors like them. Only the big shots who came to Mist Island for the first time needed something like a map of the distribution of the willow trees.


    They were really unlucky. If they followed the masked man, they might have to return empty-handed. They would have to wait another three years for the willow tree cores, if not the huge sword that had dissipated would probably appear above their heads again.


    ¡°No map?¡±


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and opened his palm slightly, as if he was about to create the huge sword again.


    The two old men in charge of the Yinfeng Sect had scolded him earlier. As one of the strong, he could not be easily offended, so it was not unfair for him to demand the map as compensation.


    ¡°How could that be? But I have the map in my head,¡± the woman from the Hao clan quickly explained.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was about 100 meters away from the two elders from the Yinfeng Sect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up.¡±


    The two old men from the Yin Wind Sect looked at each other and ordered their disciples while the masked man was distracted by the woman from the Hao clan.


    At the same time, the two of them threw out three smoke bombs with each hand, making a total of 12 smoke bombs.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    Continuous explosions rang out, followed by a large amount of black smoke that spread out and enveloped a radius of several hundred meters.


    The two old men from the Yinfeng Sect waited for the black smoke to completely block his line of sight. They did not escape in the direction away from the island because the sea was too wide for them to escape that way.


    They exerted strength under their feet, leaving behind a huge pit as they fled into the depths of the island.


    At this moment, Mist Island was completely engulfed in the battles between the humans. As long as they were not caught up in any of it, they believed that it would be very difficult for the masked man to catch up to them.


    ¡°A faction like the Yinfeng Sect that has done all sorts of bad things in the wilderness is indeed impossible to work with.¡± Chen Yiming shook his head.


    The two elders from the Yinfeng Sect would rather risk their lives to escape than believe that Chen Yiming was a good person who would keep his promise.


    At the same time, under the cover of the black smoke, a huge net formed by the black fog¡¯s internal force spread out with Chen Yiming as the center.


    Although the Level-1 Undying Body talent was a talent that could increase the overall strength of one¡¯s body, there were still differences in the aspects of recuperation, strength, and so on.


    The toughness attribute was one of the areas it was particularly advantageous for. This allowed the connection between each unit of black fog internal force to become like a thin thread, and the distance between them was much further than normal.


    The nine complete concept diagrams of the black fog allowed Chen Yiming to create a huge net with a diameter of nearly a kilometer.


    The two old men from the Yinfeng Sect and all their disciples were still unable to escape the range of the huge net even though they had split up and fled at the same time.


    ¡°Crack¡­¡±


    He would first kill the two elders from the Yinfeng Sect, then kill their disciples.


    In a few breaths, these people were all killed before they could escape the range of the huge net.


    At this moment, the thick black smoke had blocked the vision of everyone from the Hao clan. They could only hear the screams in the distance. No one knew how Chen Yiming had killed everyone from the Yinfeng Sect.


    This was also something Chen Yiming had done on purpose. If the two old men from the Yinfeng Sect hadn¡¯t used their special smoke bombs, he wouldn¡¯t have revealed the transformation of his black fog internal force in front of everyone.


    Instead, he would have used his strength-based internal force to crush his opponent. The strength-based internal force could not compare to the black fog internal force for the purpose of assassination.


    After all, most of the internal forces with the smoke attribute could be used for concealment. It would be very difficult for the sect masters of the Kunshan Sect and the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, who had a grudge against Chen Yiming, to narrow the scope to the Mantis Snake Court of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    However, the transformation of this internal force was too obvious. If he used it as a masked man, as long as there was one person who saw it and leaked the true form out, there would be a lot of trouble.

 Chapter 175 - Working Together (I)

    Not long after, the smoke from the smoke bombs gradually cleared, allowing the Hao clan to regain their vision.


    Near the pool, the thick smell of blood filled the air. Corpses were lying everywhere on the ground.


    These corpses had their throats cut open by a sword, and blood was flowing out of the wounds on their necks. The bodies of the people from the Yinfeng Sect, who were still alive, were still twitching from time to time.


    Such a tragic scene was deeply engraved in the hearts of all the Hao clan members, making it difficult for them to breathe normally for a long time. They were afraid that they would offend the masked man and become one of the corpses on the ground in the next moment.


    The young woman among the two heads of the Hao clan took a deep breath and introduced herself. ¡°I am Hao Yuying. On behalf of the Hao clan, I will serve you unconditionally during your time on Mist Island.¡±


    Chen Yiming was very satisfied with Hao Yuying¡¯s tactful response.


    It wasn¡¯t just because she had a good figure that was pleasing to the eye and made Chen Yiming feel good.


    She was more self-aware, unlike the people from the Yinfeng Sect, who were still moving freely even though he had already revealed his huge sword.


    ¡°The rest of the Hao clan will wait here. Follow me to the center of the island,¡± Chen Yiming instructed Hao Yuying with his hands behind his back.


    The masked man¡¯s words echoed clearly in the ears of everyone in the Hao clan. Most of their eyes flickered as they involuntarily glanced at Hao Yuying.


    Hao Yuying could feel their gazes on her from behind. Some had hoped that she would stand up and take on the responsibility, some were angry and wanted her to think of another way, and some wanted her to think of the bigger picture for the Hao clan.


    Although they were all from the Hao clan, the different members of the clan had their own thoughts.


    Hao Yuying was only stunned for a moment before she recovered and revealed a smile that was like a flower blossoming. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you alone.¡±


    With that, she took two or three steps and stood by the side of the masked man.


    Without another word, she led the way into the depths of the island.


    Chen Yiming walked alongside Hao Yuying without a change in expression.


    He had never thought of explaining anything to the Hao clan.


    There were many women around him now, and he had no intention of doing anything to Hao Yuying.


    The reason why he had asked Hao Yuying to go alone was because he had been secretly observing the situation and knew that she was the one who had made the final decision among the two women in charge of the Hao clan.


    As for the other small fries from the Hao clan, they were just a burden. Chen Yiming had no interest in taking care of them.


    That was why he had made the decision to only take one of the two warriors with him. He had left the middle-aged woman from the Hao clan where she was to protect the rest of them.


    Otherwise, without a warrior holding down the fort, the rest of the Hao clan would probably all die on Mist Island. This was not Chen Yiming¡¯s intention.


    The two of them gradually disappeared into the rainforest.


    Most of the Hao clan members by the pool heaved a sigh of relief. Many of them sat on the ground and took in huge breaths of the fresh air to calm their racing hearts.


    Hao Yuying¡¯s husband was Zhao Yan. At this moment, he kicked a rock by the pool, and the rock, which was about a meter in diameter, was instantly blown to pieces from the impact.


    As a warrior candidate, he did not dare to refute the masked man, but the force from his body could easily shatter rocks.


    Seeing this, a middle-aged man walked over and comforted him. ¡°In the path of martial arts, each level is harder than the last. It¡¯s extremely difficult to break through to the next level if one¡¯s talent isn¡¯t good enough.


    From another perspective, this might be your chance to break through to the warrior realm.


    Besides, at this point, is face that important? After you return from Mist Island, you should discuss it with Yuying and see if you can gain something from it.¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s words were not unreasonable.


    The willow tree cores formed by a willow tree at the warrior realm was a consumable item for Chen Yiming¡¯s daily cultivation. It wasn¡¯t too precious. There were many places on the blue planet that produced willow tree cores. He only needed to be willing to spend time searching for them.


    However, to ordinary warriors, it was a rare treasure that they had to risk their lives to fight for.


    As for those in the warrior candidate realm who were still searching in the dark for their path forward in the martial arts world, it was like a light that was very likely to change one¡¯s fate drastically.


    Zhao Yan was stunned and bit his lip.


    He was a warrior candidate who had married into the Hao clan. Furthermore, he was the husband of the strongest woman in the Hao clan, Hao Yuying. However, he actually had no status in the Hao clan.


    At this moment, the other men from the Hao clan also looked at Zhao Yan. From their gazes, Zhao Yan received the same message.


    ¡°In any case, you¡¯re just trying to rely on someone stronger. Otherwise, why would you marry into our Hao clan?¡± a young man from the Hao clan suddenly said in a low voice.


    With someone taking the lead, more gossip quickly entered Zhao Yan¡¯s ears.


    ¡°He already called out Yuying to accompany him alone. Why are you still conflicted?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re still being stubborn even though you will benefit from it. Just bear with it for a while. On the surface, aren¡¯t you still Yuying¡¯s husband? The Hao clan won¡¯t kick you out.¡±


    ¡°If you really can¡¯t take this lying down, then find someone weaker than you outside and use the same method to get back at him.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Zhao Yan shouted with a ferocious expression.


    Not only did the Hao clan make him feel extremely disappointed, but they also kept crossing the line. Finally, he could not help but explode.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a murderous aura shot over, forcing Zhao Yan to suppress his anger.


    ¡°What are you shouting for? Look at the situation now. In the future, even if the other party makes any extreme requests, you have to do as he says. Otherwise, the Hao clan will not let you off.¡±


    The middle-aged woman¡¯s words echoed in Zhao Yan¡¯s ears.


    When Zhao Yan heard this, his face darkened.


    As someone in the warrior candidate realm, he was already a member of high society. He knew very well the various things that happened in high society that exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.


    However, when such a thing happened to him, he could not accept it at all. However, he could not change his mind after marrying into the Hao clan.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hide his powerful aura at all, and his journey with Hao Yuying was smooth sailing.


    His goal was not just one or two willow trees. The efficiency of collecting the willow tree cores that way would be too low. His goal was to find a group of willow trees at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    Now that Hao Yuying was leading the way, there was naturally no need to act like a headless fly and rely solely on luck to find them.


    ¡°Although I didn¡¯t see the fight for the willow tree cores on the island three years ago with my own eyes, from the information gathered from various parties, the mysterious valley in the north of Mist Island is the area with the highest density of willow trees and where it is most difficult to harvest the cores other than at the center of the island where the huge tree is.¡±


    On the way, Hao Yuying gave her response after hearing Chen Yiming¡¯s request.


    Her heart was pounding so hard that she could not calm down. This was completely different from what she had expected before she set off.


    At first, she thought that the masked man¡¯s target was the willow trees at the warrior realm.


    The willow trees at this level were already no match against the strength displayed by the masked man. Whether it was three or five or more than ten willow trees gathered together, the difference in cultivation level would overpower the willow trees who could only be harvested without putting up any resistance.

 Chapter 176 - Working Together (II)

    Instead, his true goal was a large number of willow trees at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    At this level, the willow branches could turn into countless spears that shot out. Without a team leader at the third stage of the warrior realm, it would be very difficult for humans of the same level to successfully harvest them.


    After all, the willow trees were a clan, and the human experts were split into many factions.


    In terms of cooperation, the willow trees could help each other deal with external enemies, while humans not only had to deal with the enemy, but also had to be on guard against their own.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t explain further and the two of them continued on their way.


    Not long after, the two of them arrived near the valley that Hao Yuying had mentioned.


    Chen Yiming soared into the sky and arrived at the top of a tree with a wide view of the entire valley.


    There was a thick fog outside, so those who did not know the exact location would only stumble on it by luck. The scene in the valley was like a paradise. Not only were there willow trees, but there were also all kinds of strange flowers and plants.


    In the center of the valley, surrounded by many mutant plants, was a clear spring that covered dozens of square meters.


    Wisps of smoke rose from the surface of the spring. These wisps of smoke remained near the surface of the spring, as if they had a mind of their own.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the clear spring is connected to the roots of the mutant plants in the entire valley. The essence of water and earth has been accumulated here over the years. It¡¯s even more precious than the willow tree cores.


    If humans can cultivate in it, they can cleanse the impurities in their bodies and improve their warrior-level martial arts talent.¡±


    Hao Yuying leaped to the top of the tree and followed the masked man¡¯s gaze.


    This was the first time Chen Yiming had encountered something that could improve one¡¯s martial arts talent. It was a pity that he didn¡¯t know about this beforehand. Otherwise, he would have secretly brought Chen Yingying along.


    This thought was extinguished by Chen Yiming in the blink of an eye. He wasn¡¯t strong enough yet, so even if he wasn¡¯t afraid of those at the third stage of the warrior realm, it wasn¡¯t realistic for him to bring Chen Yingying along.


    Just as Chen Yiming was sizing up the interior of the valley,


    ¡°Swish, swish, swish¡­¡±


    The sound of rushing wind rang out continuously as figures landed on the mountain wall at the edge of the valley.


    The crowd near the valley, who had stopped there just like Chen Yiming and Hao Yuying, was in an uproar.


    Most of these people were the subordinates of the big shots at the second stage of the warrior realm, and they were in charge of keeping an eye on the valley.


    Seeing that the fight in the valley was about to begin, and that their faction¡¯s big shot had yet to appear, some people hurriedly took out their special communication devices to contact their faction.


    ¡°This is too exciting!¡±


    Hao Yuying clutched her thumping chest. Even if she could only watch from the side, she could still learn a lot from it.


    She knew very well that if not for the fact that the masked man was beside her, she would not have approached this place at all. Once these big shots started to invade the valley, she might be severely injured if her internal force was affected by even a casual attack.


    As a heavily injured warrior, on the way back to East Sea province, not only did she have to deal with the hunters in the sea, but she also had to deal with the humans who might take advantage of her weakness to launch a sneak attack on her. If she added her feminine body to the mix, it could be said that she would have a slim chance of survival.


    Chen Yiming hid under the leaves on the treetops and didn¡¯t join in immediately.


    The figures at the edge of the valley were in no hurry to make a move. Everyone tacitly waited for more humans to appear.


    Soon after,


    ¡°Boom!¡± A sound like a thunderclap rang out.


    Another three factions had rushed over. Because time was tight, these last three factions had naturally rushed over with all their might, causing them to be unable to hide their presence.


    ¡°They¡¯re from the Fragrance City¡¯s Stargate Tower. It¡¯s the three tower masters, Wang Hongxing, Shen Baiyao, and Lin Fuchang,¡± Hao Yuying suddenly exclaimed in a low voice.


    Although Fragrance City was not big, the population density was extremely high. It was as prosperous as the neighboring provincial city.


    The Stargate Tower had three masters at the second stage of the warrior realm guarding it. Although it could not compare to the large sects at the provincial level, it was already considered a top faction at the lower level.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the three inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Other than Zhou Xuesheng, he didn¡¯t know who the other two were.


    Other than that, he did not see any other inner court heads from the Kunshan Sect near the valley. Perhaps they were afraid that the death of another inner court head would seriously affect the future of the Kunshan Sect, so they decided to hide behind the mountain gate.


    Chen Yiming smiled and asked, ¡°Are the three tower masters very strong?¡±


    Hao Yuying did not dare to hide anything and told him the truth, ¡°The three tower masters are already top-notch experts among those in the same realm on their own. It¡¯s said that when the three of them join forces, they can fight against those at the third stage of the warrior realm without exhausting their internal force.


    This level of strength is something that everyone in Fragrance City knows about. Therefore, even the city guardian cannot overpower the Stargate Tower.


    The Stargate Tower occupies half of the sky in Fragrance City. Any business that occurs has to go through their approval. Otherwise, it will cause a countless amount of trouble.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it.


    The Blue Cloud Sword Sect was a large provincial sect with a leader at the third stage of the warrior realm. Back then, the three peak masters were also said to be able to make a qualitative increase in their strength if they worked together, but they were still beaten half to death by his huge sword.


    Having already gained some experience from exploring the fusion of internal force, he could tell at a glance that the three peak masters, and the three tower masters in front of him, had at most grasped the framework for the fusion of internal force.


    The three different internal forces were connected together in a rough framework, creating an effect of mutual enhancement. It was on the same level as his black fog internal force covering the surface of the huge sword to achieve the effect of concealment.


    However, it was definitely far from a qualitative increase in strength. There was a high chance that those people who were at the same level as them who were easily crushed by them would talk them up to save their own face.


    Immediately after, Hao Yuying then introduced the factions she recognized to Chen Yiming.


    The four commanders of the Thunder God Mercenary Group: Wang Shelong, Zheng Chenghai, Li Yangang, and Zhang Yuanhu.


    The three humanoid mutant beasts of the Beast Sect: Yu Changliang, Zhang Dingkai, and Xu Changxiong.


    The four great guardians of the Snake God Sect, the large sect in the Crimson Ghost Kingdom that bordered the Daxia Kingdom.


    ¡­


    The factions participating in the fight in the valley spread out and kept a certain distance from each other.


    Only a small portion of the factions were recognized by Hao Yuying. Together with the unidentified factions, there were nearly 50 second stage warriors gathered in the valley.


    ¡°The Snake God Sect, which isn¡¯t a martial arts faction from the Daxia Kingdom, actually dares to get involved with this matter. Aren¡¯t they afraid of being surrounded by the forces from the Daxia Kingdom?¡± Chen Yiming asked Hao Yuying.


    The East Sea Mist Island was within the territory of the East Sea province. Even though the sea was so vast that it was almost endless, and it was difficult to stop them, they should not have dared to participate openly.


    After all, the willow tree cores produced by the trees on Mist Island every three years were already insufficient for the few coastal provinces near the East Sea province in the Daxia Kingdom.


    This was especially true for factions like the Hao clan and the Yinfeng Gate. If they were unlucky, they might return empty-handed.


    Hao Yuying lowered her voice and replied, ¡°The Crimson Ghost Kingdom and the Daxia Kingdom share a border. Due to the difference in strength between the two sides, Daxia Kingdom can almost be considered its vassal state.


    In addition, the Snake God Sect has a good relationship with the factions in Daxia Kingdom. They sell their unique snake incense to a large number of martial arts factions in the coastal provinces in the south of Daxia Kingdom.


    Their snake incense is considered a commonly used item in the otherworld. Therefore, the few coastal provinces in the south tacitly agree that the Snake God Sect is partly considered a faction of Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    The Snake God Sect had contributed their unique snake incense, an action which was equivalent to using money to buy a ticket to enter the Daxia Kingdom.


    This ticket allowed the Snake God Sect to operate in Daxia Kingdom to a certain extent.

 Chapter 177 - Suggestion (I)

    When the last three factions arrived at the valley, it was clear to everyone that the operation to harvest the willow tree cores in the valley was about to begin.


    In the entire Mist Island, only those who had mastered the framework for internal force fusion or had several big shots at the second stage of the warrior realm in their group would dare to participate.


    Those who had only mastered the transformation of their internal force and were working alone were either searching for willow trees elsewhere on the island or hiding near the valley like Chen Yiming.


    ¡°The war between humans and the otherworld is still in a tense state. There¡¯s no need for us to fight among ourselves like three years ago, causing not only half of the spoils to be destroyed, but also half of the people to die.


    I have a suggestion. How about splitting the willow tree cores and spiritual spring in the valley according to the level of the various factions present?¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng, one of the three court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, suddenly spoke.


    The expressions of the other two court heads did not change. Clearly, they had discussed this beforehand.


    Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s black and white hair fluttered in the wind. He was dressed like a scholar, and coupled with his status and strength as one of the twelve inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, his words sounded reasonable to everyone¡¯s ears, causing all the factions present to have no choice but to consider it carefully.


    At this moment, the area around the valley fell silent.


    If it was purely distributed according to the level of the factions, it meant that the gains would be a fixed amount.


    To the three masters of the Stargate Tower, who were as confident as the three inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, they were limited by the level of their factions. If they followed this plan, it would be equivalent to suffering a loss.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate either, but the Myriad Phenomena Sect is powerful. We definitely can¡¯t be the ones to start the objection.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to observe the situation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    The three tower masters communicated with their eyes. They were actually not very willing to go along with the suggestion, since their true combat strength was among the best of the factions present.


    Under normal circumstances, the share that could be obtained based on one¡¯s strength would definitely be much more than directly distributing the spoils due to the casualties from the relatively weaker factions.


    The four commanders of the Thunder God Mercenary Group were in a different situation from the three tower masters of the Stargate Tower. They were just four like-minded people who had worked together to form an organization. The cultivation techniques they cultivated did not belong to the same system.


    Although there were four of them and they seemed to have the advantage in numbers, their true combat strength was only ranked at the bottom among the factions present.


    They were the ones who were likely to suffer injuries or even death if they competed normally for the willow tree cores based on their own abilities.


    The four of them also communicated in secret.


    ¡°Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s suggestion is more beneficial than harmful to us. I think we can stand on his side.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. If we fight to the bitter end like three years ago, the share we can get will not be much more than if we split it directly.¡±


    ¡°I agree. There¡¯s no need for us to risk our lives for the extra share. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Due to their lack of strength, the four members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group were naturally inclined to split the harvest directly.


    In addition, several factions in a similar situation as the Thunder God Mercenary Group also had the same idea.


    In that moment, Zhou Xuesheng had indirectly joined forces with several factions at the lower ranks with his suggestion, allowing the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s words to gain more authority.


    The Snake God Sect was not a martial arts faction of the Daxia Kingdom. In the Crimson Ghost Kingdom, it was a martial arts faction at the same level as the Myriad Phenomena Sect. With the four guardians working together, due to their advantage in numbers, they could even suppress the three inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    At this moment, the four guardians were discussing in low voices in their foreign language.


    ¡°Are we going to stand against Zhou Xuesheng?¡±


    A large sect like the Myriad Phenomena Sect had always been an important ally of the Snake God Sect. Otherwise, if such a large sect targeted them when they were within their sphere of influence, the Snake God Sect would have no choice but to give up on their activities in that area.


    ¡°I object. There is more than one sect with the same level of strength as the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Furthermore, we are currently in their territory, so it¡¯s best for us to keep a low profile.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, Mist Island is part of the territory of Daxia Kingdom. If we are too high-profile, they might find an excuse to join forces and kick us out first.¡±


    Just as they were about to decide on their plan, one of the guardians suddenly reminded them,


    ¡°Wait a moment. I have something to say. This is most likely a conspiracy. The first thing we should consider is the battle at the center of Mist Island.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s impossible for the Daxia Kingdom to ignore the willow tree at the center of the island. The leaders of the large sects have yet to appear.¡±


    The most precious treasure on Mist Island was the huge tree in the middle of the island, the willow tree king. The willow tree king was at a level that corresponded to the third stage of the human warrior realm.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Unless those sect masters appear to attack the willow tree king, if we take our share in the valley first, who knows what those sect masters will do?¡±


    ¡°I agree. If we can¡¯t confirm that the battle with the willow tree king in the middle of the island has begun, our Snake God Sect would rather retreat.¡±


    On the surface, the sect masters of the large sects had to abide by the corresponding rules. They could not interfere in the battle among those below them without a valid reason.


    However, the rules were just rules. Even if they were caught, no one would be able to find out who had done it. Being killed and having the treasure stolen was the same as dying in vain.


    ¡°How should we split it?¡± Su Xuyang from the Jiyang Sect glanced around and asked.


    The Jiyang Sect was a large sect that could go against the Myriad Phenomena Sect. With someone so powerful standing out to question the suggestion, many factions heaved a sigh of relief.


    Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals. The Jiyang Sect was one of the few factions that had the right to influence the distribution of resources. If the other factions that were weaker than the Myriad Phenomena Sect tried to discuss this with Zhou Xuesheng, they would easily be silenced.


    ¡°All the factions present are divided into three levels according to their strength. They are factions formed by people at the second stage of the warrior realm, factions that can cooperate with each other to increase the strength of their internal force, and factions led by a warrior at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    The first two types of factions will get a share of the willow tree cores in the valley in a 3:7 ratio. The spiritual spring will be split equally among the remaining factions,¡± Zhou Xuesheng said calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone¡¯s expressions changed.


    The willow tree cores formed by the willow tree at the second stage of the warrior realm was helpful for the cultivation of the concept diagram. However, compared to the spiritual spring nurtured by all the willow trees in the entire valley, although it was also very precious, it was still a level lower.


    Factions like the Thunder God Mercenary Group had not been expecting to get a share of the spirit spring. Although a 30-70 split of the willow tree cores was inferior to a 40-60 split, there was no need to risk their lives in a battle.


    Just by spending some time on Mist Island, they could already receive some willow tree cores. In their hearts, they subconsciously felt that it was acceptable.


    As for factions like the Jiyang Sect that were at the same level as the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s suggestion was also completely acceptable.


    After all, by performing the distribution according to their strength, the spiritual spring would be split by only a few factions. This could ensure that they each obtained as much of the spiritual spring as possible. They might even be able to obtain more of it than they had three years ago.

 Chapter 178 - Suggestion (II)

    Only the middle-level factions represented by the three tower masters of the Stargate Tower found it difficult to accept, because their goal was not only the willow tree cores but also the spiritual spring.


    Other than the fact that the three tower masters did not have someone at a higher level to support them, their true combat strength was not inferior to the three inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. If they relied on their own abilities, even if they gave the Myriad Phenomena Sect face, they would still be able to gain something if they obtained less than the other party.


    On the other hand, if they split it according to their strength, the portion of the spiritual spring that they originally had a chance of obtaining would be completely snatched away. They would not even be able to get a single drop of it.


    As for the Snake God Sect, although their combat strength was among the strongest among the people present, as a foreign faction, they knew their own limits. Even Zhou Xuesheng had never considered their opinions.


    Soon after, ¡°The Jiyang Sect has no objections.¡±


    Su Xuyang and the two court heads beside him agreed after some discussion.


    With the Jiyang Sect taking the lead, the remaining factions at the same level as the Myriad Phenomena Sect quickly voiced their agreement.


    Immediately after, ¡°We have no objections either. Everything will be distributed according to Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s arrangement.¡±


    After the strongest factions expressed their stance, the factions with the lowest combat strength expressed their stance almost immediately.


    Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s suggestion was supported by most of the factions present. Only the factions in the middle had yet to express their stance.


    The valley was quiet, and the willow trees could not understand what the humans were discussing.


    Countless glowing willow branches fluttered in the wind, ready to fend off the humans¡¯ attacks at any moment.


    The three tower masters of the Stargate Tower had ugly expressions on their faces. They looked at the other factions of the same level as them, hoping that someone would stand up and object.


    The other factions in the middle also looked at each other and understood that they were all against it.


    However, after a minute or two, no one was willing to take the lead and represent the middle-level factions to oppose Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s suggestion.


    This was the result of the difference in their overall strength. The middle-level factions, with the three tower masters at the top, were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered in the face of Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s plan.


    Knowing that it was difficult to carry out their objections, all the middle-level factions would become disunited. Even if they were unwilling, they could only accept the fact that their share of the spiritual spring would be snatched away.


    The three tower masters of the Stargate Tower sighed at the same time, as if everything was already settled.


    ¡°I want a share too.¡±


    Chen Yiming watched as everyone was about to reach an agreement to divide the resources in the valley peacefully.


    As Zhou Xuesheng was his master in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he naturally had no intention of snatching anything from him. Therefore, he could only quickly reveal himself and take what was rightfully his.


    The Thunder God Mercenary Group was active in the space-travel passage in the Nangui province.


    The overall strength of the Nangui province was inferior to that of the Jiangnan province. The Thunder God Mercenary Group had always had the intention of heading to a more developed province in the Daxia Kingdom to develop themselves. Now was an opportunity to befriend the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    In addition, there were several provinces between Nangui province and Jiangnan province, and there were many people who were hidden behind masks on the island. Therefore, they did not realize that the masked man was the fierce man who had killed four heads of the Kunshan Sect in Jiangnan province.


    The strongest of the four commanders in the mercenary group, Wang Shelong, was like a humanoid dinosaur with a full body of lightning armor when he was stirred up. His favorite thing to do was to tear apart dire beasts with his bare hands.


    He was more than three meters tall, and his upper body was naked, revealing his strong, tanned muscles. These muscles had been tempered by the power of lightning for many years, and one could feel the violent power contained within from just a glance.


    At this moment, Wang Shelong walked towards the masked man step by step. Every step he took caused the ground to tremble, and it was as if the entire valley shook.


    ¡°Where did this fool come from? This is not a place for a lone wolf like you.¡±


    His eyes were fixed on the figure of the masked man. When he was at a suitable distance, he would launch a thunder attack, hoping to leave a good impression on the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s Zhou Xuesheng.


    The masked man¡¯s response was one of disdain.


    Chen Yiming had no interest in dealing with such a small fry. If he didn¡¯t know what was good for him, he could just teach him a lesson.


    He just stood there quietly, waiting for someone to answer his question. He did not deliberately turn his gaze to Zhou Xuesheng, in case the other party saw through his disguise.


    Wang Shelong¡¯s expression darkened at Chen Yiming¡¯s disdain. At this moment, his back was facing Zhou Xuesheng, so he didn¡¯t see him lose his composure. Instead of waiting till he reached the optimal attack range, he charged straight at the masked man.


    At the same time, a set of lightning armor formed on Wang Shelong¡¯s body. Under the cloak of the lightning armor, his height increased from more than three meters to four meters.


    The average height of an ordinary house was three meters. It would not be an exaggeration to call one a giant if one was four meters tall. Coupled with the layer of lightning armor, it was as though the legendary God of Thunder had descended from the heavens.


    ¡°Which remote village did this kid come from? He¡¯s courting death!¡±


    With a loud roar, a fist the size of a sandbag swung out.


    The surface of his fist was covered with a glove. This was the transformation of Wang Shelong¡¯s lightning internal force. The violent power of lightning could greatly increase the lethality of his fist.


    Chen Yiming clenched his right hand.


    A 20-meter-long sword shadow appeared in the air. There was no need to use a 100-meter-long sword to deal with such a small fry. In terms of head-on combat, he had never encountered an opponent of the same level.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A loud explosion rang out.


    Chen Yiming swung his 20-meter-long sword, which instantly crossed the distance of 20 meters between them and collided with Wang Shelong¡¯s fist.


    ¡°How dare you compare your body with mine? Die!¡±


    The moment before the collision, Wang Shelong roared loudly. The power of lightning in his body suddenly got a little brighter. Other than his hidden trump card, he could also maximize the destructive power of his fist.


    This was a head-on clash of strength, the most direct form of battle between men.


    However, the outcome did not go as most of the people present thought it would. Other than the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the Jiyang Sect, and a few other factions, they had not recognized the masked man.


    The light from the huge brown sword that was as hard as a rock broke through the armor formed by lightning and struck Wang Shelong in the chest.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Wang Shelong spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot. He felt that his sternum had cracked and had stabbed into his muscles. His eyes widened to the size of bells, and his head was buzzing. He could not accept the outcome of being crushed by his opponent.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    A few cries of surprise rang out from the factions at the edge of the valley. Wang Shelong¡¯s figure was flying back at an even faster speed, and he was headed straight into the valley.


    However, because it was too unexpected, even the remaining three commanders of the Thunder God Mercenary Group did not react in time and could not stop him.


    ¡°Huh!¡± Chen Yiming muttered in a low voice.


    Earlier, he had only wanted to teach his opponent a small lesson, so he did not use much strength. He had only severely injured his opponent.


    It was not his intention to send him flying into the valley.


    In the valley,


    ¡°Crash¡­¡±


    Facing Wang Shelong, who had accidentally barged into the valley, the entire forest of willow trees were in an uproar. Countless willow branches pointed up like spears, ready to stab at the figure in midair at any moment.


    Many people at the edge of the valley closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight of the tragedy that was about to unfold.


    Immediately after,


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The spear-like willow tree branches were like 10, 000 arrows fired at the same time, piercing through Wang Shelong¡¯s lightning armor and producing a metallic sound.


    In a short period of time, the spears formed by the willow tree branches could only leave small cracks on the lightning armor. They couldn¡¯t break it like Chen Yiming.


    Because the impact from the spear was not in the direction of his fall, Wang Shelong¡¯s figure only had a slight change in direction, and he continued to fly back into the valley.


    This was equivalent to Wang Shelong entering the forest of willow trees, which were equivalent to the second stage of the warrior realm, by himself.


    Even if the lightning armor could withstand the attacks for a while, it was impossible for it to not break after the continuous attacks from the spear-like willow tree branches.

 Chapter 179 - : One Against Six (I)

    The entire place fell silent.


    The sound of Wang Shelong fighting against the willow forest alone echoed in everyone¡¯s ears.


    However, the rumbling sound that started when Wang Shelong fell to the ground lasted only for less than a few seconds before it was replaced by the sound of someone being strangled.


    Everyone knew that Wang Shelong, who was caught by countless willow branches, would not be able to last long before he was strangled to death.


    Sure enough, a little more than 10 seconds later, the sound of metal breaking suddenly rang out, followed by a scream.


    After that, most of the willow trees in the valley returned to normal, and only a sucking sound could be heard.


    The willow branches had turned into needles for drawing blood, and Wang Shelong¡¯s body was sucked dry in the blink of an eye, turning into fertilizer for the willow tree forest.


    The remaining three commanders from the Thunder God Mercenary Group stared at the masked man with burning eyes. Everyone else also focused their gazes on the masked man.


    Wang Shelong was the strongest person in the Thunder God Mercenary Group. Among the big shots who were participating in the fight in the valley, his strength was only slightly below average.


    However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the masked man who could destroy Wang Helong¡¯s Thunder God Armor with one strike was at the top of the hierarchy.


    ¡°Who exactly are you? Our Thunder God Mercenary Group has no grudge with you, but you targeted Wang Shelong and caused him to die on the spot.


    If there¡¯s no explanation, don¡¯t blame us for dealing with you together,¡± the remaining three members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group said in a low voice.


    Their words subconsciously isolated the masked man from all the other factions. At the same time, they wanted to use this opportunity to suppress the other party. As long as no one stood out to expose him, it was equivalent to the masked man standing against the other 10-over factions alone.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered with the Thunder God Mercenary Group, who didn¡¯t have the right to comment on the distribution of the resources in the valley. He stood quietly and waited for Zhou Xuesheng, the leader of the distribution plan, to speak.


    The court heads of the Jiyang Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect, including Zhou Xuesheng, knew the background of the masked man, and immediately cursed the Thunder God Mercenary Group in their hearts. If they had a death wish, they didn¡¯t need to drag other innocent people down with them.


    The tragic deaths of the four court heads of the Kunshan Sect were still fresh in their minds. On the surface, the court heads stayed silent, but in reality, they had already made the decision to escape. They were just waiting for some faction to make a rash move.


    As for the other factions who did not know the truth, their first reaction was that although the masked man was strong, he was working alone. If all of them worked together and attacked him, they could crush the masked man in the blink of an eye.


    With this thought in mind, many people were not in a hurry to make a move. They were just waiting to see how this masked man, who did not follow the rules and wanted to forcefully participate in the distribution, would end up.


    After a while, just as the remaining three members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group started to panic, the three humanoid mutant beasts from the Beast Sect stood up and negotiated with the Thunder God Mercenary Group. ¡°Give us the blood essence from three mutant beasts at the second stage of the warrior realm, and we will work with you. The six of us can attack together.¡±


    The Beast Sect was established by three bloodline warriors. Yu Changliang, Zhang Dingkai, and Xu Changxiong received the titles of Wild Lion, Raging Bear, and Demonic Elephant based on their bloodline abilities.


    All three of them had extraordinary figures, and none of them were shorter than three meters. Under normal circumstances, the two people with the titles of Raging Bear and Demonic Elephant were already about 3.5 meters tall. Coupled with their broad shoulders, just by standing there, they blocked the line of sight within a three meters radius, giving off the feeling that one was facing a real dire beast from the otherworld.


    Once they used their bloodline abilities, they could directly transform into dire beasts from the otherworld. A large truck weighing about 10 tons, a speeding train, and a ship carrying about 100 people were not much different from toys in their hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s attack together and avenge Wang Shelong.¡±


    The remaining three members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group gritted their teeth as their hearts bled.


    The Thunder God Mercenary Group had obtained the blood essence of mutant beasts at the same level as them through their hard work and risking their lives, just like what they were doing on Mist Island. Asking for three portions of blood essence at once was simply asking for too much.


    However, the three of them had no choice but to agree. Otherwise, the mercenary group would lose all face.


    ¡°There are still people who aren¡¯t afraid of death?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. This was the first time he had encountered a bloodline warrior of the same level.


    The glint in his eyes did not go unnoticed by anyone present. Most of them did not care and were just waiting to watch a good show. On the other hand, the court heads of the Jiyang Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect felt their hearts skip a beat and they almost turned to escape.


    There were also many people who hoped that the masked man would kill off those from the Thunder God Mercenary Group and the Beast Sect. This way, the rest of them would be able to get a larger share of the resources.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    In front of everyone, the remaining three commanders from the Thunder God Mercenary Group and the three mutant beasts from the Beast Sect walked side by side towards the masked man.


    Each of their weights were not the same as that of ordinary humans. If not for the fact that the entire Mist Island was reinforced by the huge roots of the mutant plants, large pits would have been formed with each step they took.


    Most of the factions present could not help but communicate in secret.


    ¡°Do you think the masked man will turn around and run?¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not a possibility, but a certainty.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s one against six. Unless he¡¯s at the third stage of the warrior realm, I can¡¯t think of any way for the masked man to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If one side gets wiped out, we¡¯ll get a small profit. If both sides are defeated, we gain a huge profit. In any case, we¡¯ll be the ones at an advantage in the end.¡±


    No one was optimistic about the masked man fighting against six people at the same level.


    Under normal circumstances, no matter how strong the masked man was, he would at most be 1.5 to 2 times as strong as Wang Shelong. On the other side, there were six opponents. Even if they did not work together, if the six of them took turns fighting, they could still exhaust the masked man and bring him to his death.


    The Jiyang Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s Sect


    court heads looked at each other and communicated in secret.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys going to take the opportunity to leave? Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll start a massacre later?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, why don¡¯t you guys take the lead?¡±


    ¡°How about we leave at the same time after those six fools make their move?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. There¡¯s no need to play tricks on each other at this time. Our survival is the most important.¡±


    Very few factions present knew that the masked man¡¯s true combat strength had already crossed the threshold of the third stage of the warrior realm. The moment the masked man appeared, only one person had the right to speak in the valley.


    As for immediately contacting the sect master in the center of the Island, no one dared to do so in front of him. With the example of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect¡¯s Li Daoyi being able to defeat but not kill him, the court heads did not have much confidence in their sect master¡¯s ability to finish him off.


    This way, if they rashly made a move that would upset the masked man, he might kill them in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°You are indeed powerful. We have some respect for you. Why don¡¯t you apologize to the Thunder God Mercenary Group and talk things out with them?¡± Wild Lion Yu Changliang suddenly tried to persuade the masked man.


    As long as the matter could be resolved, the Beast Sect would not be afraid of the Thunder God Mercenary Group which was missing one commander going back on their promise to hand over the blood essence when their level was in the middle tier of the factions present.


    This was their plan to kill two birds with one stone. If the masked man was willing to pay the price and reconcile with the Thunder God Mercenary Group, the Beast Sect would not only avoid casualties, but also obtain the benefits they had agreed upon beforehand.


    ¡°I want to see how strong a bloodline warrior is,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at him and said calmly.


    The expressions of the three humanoid mutant beasts from the Beast Sect turned ugly. The other party seemed to want to do things the hard way.


    The three commanders of the Thunder God Mercenary Group were even more furious. Wild Lion Yu Changliang was not only demanding an exorbitant price, but also wanted to continue to bleed the mercenary group dry.


    ¡°Cut the crap. Let¡¯s kill him together,¡± Zheng Chenghai from the Thunder God Mercenary Group urged.


    ¡°Since you are so confident, don¡¯t blame us for bullying you with our numbers.¡±


    Wild Lion Yu Changliang¡¯s expression darkened, and his eyes flickered with a fierce glint.


    In everyone¡¯s eyes, the masked man¡¯s words were no longer just a provocation. He was looking down on the six of them who had joined forces.

 Chapter 180 - One Against Six (II)

    Which big shot at the second stage of the warrior realm was not an influential figure presiding over a faction in the province? Wild Lion, Raging Bear, and Demonic Elephant were all also bloodline warriors, so their status was higher than the others by half a step.


    Six big shots working together was a scene that was impossible for anyone to see other than in such a situation when they were fighting for important resources like those on Mist Island.


    ¡°When we capture him later, don¡¯t be in a hurry to kill him. Let me crush him with my foot.¡±


    Demonic Elephant Xu Changxiong turned around and laughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Let me practice my punches first. My hands have been itching badly recently.¡±


    Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai laughed as well.


    Seeing this, most of the factions at the edge of the valley shook their heads and sighed.


    No matter how strong one was, within the same level, there was still a limit. With one against six, the masked man still wanted to fight them head-on.


    ¡°Come with me as quickly as possible.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the Wild Lion Yu Changliang suddenly sped up, turning into a shadow that charged at the masked man.


    At the same time, with a roar, all the muscles in his body began to tremble, and a mysterious power erupted from his body. This mysterious power was the ability of a bloodline warrior, the beast transformation.


    In an instant, Yu Changliang changed from running upright to running on all fours.


    In addition, his entire body had undergone a huge change. Spiked brown hair naturally grew out of his body, and a metallic lion tail swayed continuously to maintain his balance as he ran.


    Judging from his appearance, he had completely turned into an actual lion-type mutant beast.


    Finally, a bright red armor covered the surface of his body, and it looked as if his entire body was engulfed in flames. This was formed from the internal force of the Wild Lion, Yu Changliang. It brought about a comprehensive increase in strength, agility, and stamina.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    With a roar, the lion claw covered in internal force armor swung at the masked man.


    This was a powerful body no different from that of a mutant beast.


    The lion claws crossed a distance of several meters and broke through several air barriers, causing the sound of explosions to ring out.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all when faced with the Wild Lion Yu Changliang¡¯s sudden attack. Bloodline warriors were part of his future plans, so he only formed a normal 20-meter-long sword. He didn¡¯t intend to turn his opponent into meat paste.


    A brown light that gave off a heavy and hard feeling bloomed from the masked man¡¯s right hand. After the huge sword solidified in the air, it made a slash that could cut through anything and everything, aiming straight at the lion claw.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The huge sword and the lion claws clashed head-on as expected.


    Immediately, a loud bang rang out, and an invisible wave of air swept out in all directions. The bright red and brown colors mixed together, instantly obscuring the outcome of the fight from everyone¡¯s view.


    In the next moment, a sound like glass shattering rang out. Just like Wang Shelong¡¯s lightning armor, the armor formed from the Wild Lion¡¯s internal force only lasted for a moment before collapsing.


    ¡°Even Wild Lion was defeated so easily?¡±


    The big shots at the edge of the valley suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Although the combination of Wild Lion, Raging Bear, and Demonic Elephant was only equivalent to the middle level of the factions present, if they worked alone, they would still be slightly stronger than Wang Shelong from the Thunder God Mercenary Group. After all, the bloodline warriors¡¯s abilities were not for show, and the enhancement from the beast form was very strong.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. Die.¡±


    Wild Lion Yu Changliang had retreated the moment his lion claws collided with the huge sword. Although the armor formed by his internal force had been broken, he had only suffered minor injuries because he had not really fought it out with his opponent.


    At the same time, a dazzling beam of light was reflected off the tip of the lion tail, which was glowing with a metallic glint.


    Taking advantage of the fact that all the attention was focused on the lion claws and the huge sword, the lion tail had suddenly lengthened and circled behind the masked man, turning into a spike that pierced straight towards his back.


    ¡°Flashy moves.¡±


    Chen Yiming let out a low grunt. He felt a sharp wind behind him as a brown shield appeared at his back.


    This was formed by the accumulation of his internal force. It was not too refined, and he was purely making use of the strength of his internal force to wait for the lion tail¡¯s attack.


    The next moment, ¡°Crack!¡± A crisp sound rang out.


    Unexpectedly, there was no stalemate between the piercing force from the lion tail and the shield formed by the internal force. It was like a toothpick stabbing at a diamond. The strength of the lion tail was still far from sufficient to break through Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be possible!¡±


    Wild Lion Yu Changliang, who was closest to the masked man, subconsciously shouted.


    After experiencing it personally, he could not accept the feeling of powerlessness when facing an opponent who was supposedly at the same level as him. It was like someone at the disciple realm facing a warrior. This was too much of a blow to him.


    The beast transformation ability of bloodline warriors could usually allow their strength to rise to a higher level. For example, the Wild Lion Yu Changliang and Wang Shelong from the Thunder God Mercenary Group were at the same cultivation level. However, in reality, after transforming into a beast, Yu Changliang was at the same level as Zhou Xuesheng from the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    To Chen Yiming, the bloodline warrior at the same level was only able to increase his strength by a little. The lion tail¡¯s attack on the shield was even less serious than an ant bite.


    Chen Yiming was extremely disappointed in the abilities of the bloodline warriors. Other than changing a person¡¯s martial arts talent, it didn¡¯t seem to have much potential.


    While Wild Lion Yu Changliang was still in a daze, Chen Yiming had abandoned the huge sword in his right hand and punched out with his left fist.


    This was just an ordinary punch and there were no signs of any special techniques. However, it gave the Wild Lion Yu Changliang the feeling that it was as heavy as the sea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll die if I get hit by this punch!¡±


    This was what Wild Lion Yu Changliang¡¯s intuition told him. There was no need to analyze or think deeply about it. He understood it inexplicably in the face of his death.


    Just as Wild Lion Changliang was about to be finished off, ¡°Take this!¡± A powerful roar sounded.


    From the corner of his eye, Chen Yiming saw a Raging Bear form that stood up just like a human.


    Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai, had grown to about six meters tall from his human form, which was equivalent to the height of a building of two storeys. Chen Yiming only reached the height of his leg. In front of the Raging Bear, he seemed just like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.


    In addition, Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai was covered in a set of dark brown armor. This was formed by his internal force.


    The only difference from Wild Lion Yu Changliang was that although the internal force of Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai also enhanced his body, it did not increase his strength, agility, or speed equally. Instead, it mainly increased his strength.


    At this moment, due to the light from the internal force explosion, Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai only knew that the Wild Lion Yu Changliang, could not break through his opponent¡¯s defense. He did not know that Wild Lion Yu Changliang was about to face his death.


    Seeing that Wild Lion Yu Changliang was about to be hit by the masked man¡¯s punch, Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai did not hesitate to meet the masked man¡¯s punch with his own fist.


    ¡°Kneel!¡±


    At the same time, Demonic Elephant Xu Changxiong¡¯s roar came from above Chen Yiming.


    A Demonic elephant that was even taller than the bear raised its front limbs. The Demonic elephant was nearly seven meters tall, and its two front limbs were abnormally developed, appearing to be like two steel pillars.


    The entire body of the Demonic elephant was bathed in a black light. The black armor formed by his internal force caused the Demonic elephant to put an even stronger pressure on his opponent.


    Moreover, the Demonic elephant¡¯s body completely blocked out the sunlight from the sky. Its entire body was like a heavy truck that was lifted up at a 45-degree angle.


    In addition, the internal force attribute of the Demonic elephant was even more extreme than that of the Raging Bear. It only increased his strength, and his terrifying strength was almost unmatched by those of the same level. This was how he had obtained the title of Demonic Elephant


    If one was stepped on by Demonic Elephant Xu Changxiong, the strength of the Demonic elephant¡¯s body, along with the enhancement from gravity and his internal force, would add up to a huge force. Unless one¡¯s body was enhanced for defense, one¡¯s internal force would not be able to withstand it.


    Therefore, the thing that Demonic Elephant Xu Changxiong loved to do the most was to use his strength to crush his opponent into meat paste. This feeling of crushing his opponent was something he would never get sick of.


    ¡°Only your appearance is terrifying.¡±


    Chen Yiming snorted again.


    His left fist, which was covered in the strength-based internal force, struck the Raging Bear that had helped the Wild Lion out of his predicament.


    In addition, his right hand clenched into a fist again. The huge sword gradually formed, and before it had completely materialized, it stabbed towards the Demonic elephant above his head.

 Chapter 181 - New Change (I)

    The masked man had defeated the Wild Lion first, and then fought the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant without being forced to take a single step back. He was also about to face a pincer attack from the remaining three members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group.


    Whether they were really going to fight one against six was only a topic of conversation before the two sides started to fight. Other than a few people who knew about the background of the masked man, no one had seriously considered this possibility.


    However, everyone¡¯s relaxed expressions started to turn serious after Wild Lion was easily defeated. All their gazes were attracted by the battle in front of them.


    Could the masked man really fight six people alone?


    With the Thunder God Mercenary Group joining forces with the Beast Sect, would they be able to win? Or would it be a draw? Or would they lose?


    If it was a draw or a defeat, with such a fierce person forcefully intervening, the distribution of the valley¡¯s resources would change again. The share that was distributed to the masked man would definitely be redistributed from the share given to all the factions present.


    Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was attracted by the battle, a small group of people rushed into the rainforest without hesitation and left the valley.


    This small group was led by the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Jiyang Sect.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect was one of the top factions present, and Zhou Xuesheng was the one who had suggested peacefully distributing the resources in the valley.


    Most of the people were still waiting for the situation to change. No one had expected such a thing to happen.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    In an instant, Chen Yiming¡¯s left fist met the Raging Bear¡¯s palm, and his sword met the Demonic Elephant¡¯s stomp.


    Immediately, a loud explosion rang out on the battlefield. Countless streams of energy flew in all directions, raising clouds of dust.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The screams of the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant rang out.


    When the people at the edge of the valley who were paying attention to the outcome of the battle heard these two screams, their hearts skipped a beat.


    This was the worst outcome. Although there were still three people from the Thunder God Mercenary Group left among the six of them who would immediately join in the encirclement from behind the masked man, the three humanoid mutant beasts from the Beast Sect had all been defeated. No one thought highly of the Thunder God Mercenary Group which was weaker than them.


    After all, these were six people who had teamed up at the last minute. Under the circumstances that their cultivation techniques could not work together, they were limited by the space in the arena, so it was difficult for them to attack the masked man at the same time.


    Immediately after, the six-meter-tall Raging Bear was sent flying out of the dust clouds. One of its front limbs had already disappeared, and a huge bloody hole had appeared on the side of its chest.


    From the bloody hole, one could see the inside of the Raging Bear¡¯s body. The heart, the source of life, could no longer be found. The hole in its chest was full of internal organs that had been blown to pieces.


    No matter what stage one reached in the warrior realm, one¡¯s body would still be made of flesh and blood. Unless one had a special recovery ability, once one¡¯s protective internal force was shattered, one¡¯s body would usually be unable to resist the internal force attacks.


    Raging Bear Zhang Dingkai was killed by the masked man with one blow.


    At the same time,


    a large hole formed in the back of the seven-meter-tall Demonic Elephant, and a violent internal force spewed out along with a large amount of flesh and internal organs.


    This was caused by the huge sword formed by the strength-based internal force that broke through the Demonic Elephant¡¯s internal force armor and pierced through its abdomen.


    The hunter would one day become the hunted. The Demonic Elephant had relied on its size to crush countless enemies into meat paste in the past. On this day, he had encountered Chen Yiming, who had upgraded his talent using the system.


    In a clash of strength, the weaker side would undoubtedly be defeated.


    The Demonic Elephant Xu Changxiong was killed by the masked man with one strike.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The Wild Lion Yu Changliang watched helplessly as the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant died tragically. The thought of joining forces with the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant to attack the masked man instantly disappeared.


    Could it be that the masked man was at the third stage of the warrior realm?


    Wild Lion instantly rejected this guess. This was because Mist Island was being watched by various factions. It was impossible for him to openly break the rules and make a move.


    Various thoughts flashed across his mind, but all he could think about was how to escape.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    Seeing that Wild Lion was about to turn around and escape, Chen Yiming swung his sword down.


    Wild Lion had suffered an injury to one of his front limbs to begin with. When he felt the pressure from behind his head, he shouted in his heart,


    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you can¡¯t dodge it!¡±


    Wild Lion unleashed all the potential in his body, and his speed increased by 10%. It seemed as though he had already run out of the attack range of the huge sword.


    However, an unforeseen event that shocked everyone suddenly occurred. The huge sword increased in length from 20 meters to 50 meters in an instant, and a black shadow once again shrouded the path that Wild Lion had taken to escape.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The 50-meter-long sword smashed down, crushing the Wild Lion into the ground.


    With the previous examples of the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant, no one had expected that Wild Lion would be able to survive.


    This was also the truth. The attributes of the Wild Lion¡¯s body were more balanced, which also meant that his strength was inferior to that of the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant. Before he could even let out a scream, he was smashed into a pulp.


    The Wild Lion Yu Changliang was killed by the masked man with a slash.


    The three members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group had already stopped in their tracks and were preparing to attack the masked man when the Raging Bear and the Demonic Elephant screamed. At this moment, they had already turned around and were fleeing towards the sea.


    However, how could Chen Yiming be so soft-hearted and let them live? The 50-meter-long sword instantly lengthened again until it was about 100 meters long.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    He swung his sword three times in a row.


    In the middle of their escape, three members of the Thunder God Mercenary Group exploded like human bombs, turning into a bloody mist that filled the sky and dissipated into the rainforest.


    The Thunder God Mercenary Group had been completely annihilated.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s talent was a top-notch talent that he had carefully selected from the system. Although his talent level was still very low, it was not something that the humans on the blue planet could compare to.


    According to the talent system¡¯s standards, the talents of the three bloodline warriors from the Beast Sect would not even be able to make it into the system¡¯s list of talents.


    In terms of numbers, the three bloodline warriors of the Beast Sect could reach about 1.2 times their normal strength with their bloodline abilities. On the other hand, Chen Yiming was able to increase his combat strength by 10 to 20 times.


    The difference in talent caused a battle among those of the same level to end in a crushing defeat for one side.


    ¡°He¡¯s too strong.¡±


    The remaining people at the edge of the valley fell into a dead silence, and a layer of fog clouded over their hearts.


    The joined forces of the Beast Sect and the Thunder God Mercenary Group did not reach a tie, nor had they lost. Instead, they had been annihilated. This outcome was too terrifying, and it exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.


    From the beginning to the end, the masked man did not even frown. His expression remained the same, and his every move carried a casual air.


    On the other hand, the six people from the Beast Sect and the Thunder God Mercenary Group had died on the spot one after another without causing any damage to their opponent.


    They were all at the same level, so why was there such a huge difference in their combat strength?


    Did they have to join forces to fight the masked man?


    For a moment, the various factions present did not know what to do. They all looked towards where Zhou Xuesheng had been.


    In the next moment,


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    A huge question mark appeared in everyone¡¯s hearts. They were all stunned and stood rooted to the spot.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions froze as they realized a serious problem.


    Those who had already escaped along with Zhou Xuesheng must have known some insider information in advance.


    Otherwise, there was no reason for them to give up the entire valley without even thinking about resisting or discussing it with the masked man.


    This valley was the most valuable area other than the willow tree king in the middle of the island.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the area and asked the same question in his heart.


    He had originally planned to first intimidate all the factions present, then discuss the distribution of the resources in the valley with his master, Zhou Xuesheng. However, now that his master had disappeared, there was no need for any further discussion.


    He retracted his huge sword to a length of three meters and dug out the corpse of the Wild Lion from the ground. He then started to loot the body in front of everyone.


    Next, he did the same with the other five corpses.


    ¡°The valley is mine. Do you have any objections?¡±


    Chen Yiming arrived at the edge of the valley. On his back was a bag of willow tree cores that he had found on the corpses.


    The collar of his cloak was raised high, covering a portion of his face, allowing the person in front of him to see only his terrifying gaze.


    At this moment, the masked man¡¯s question was like a demon speaking. It was as though anyone who objected would be eaten up by him in the next moment.

 Chapter 182 - New Change (II)

    ¡°We have no objections.¡±


    The people from the dozen or so factions at the edge of the valley replied in unison.


    These people were all big shots in the outside world, but at this moment, they were like docile sheep and had no intention of making an objection.


    ¡°Let¡¯s disperse then, and go on our own ways,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at them and said calmly.


    He walked into the valley step by step, not caring if these factions would attack him while he was fighting the willow tree forest.


    If there was someone who did not know what was good for him, the huge sword would be waiting for him.


    Even if all of them attacked together, it would only take one strike to get rid of them.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The big shots from the various factions had no choice but to agree.


    They did not dare to stay any longer and went off in different directions.


    ¡­


    Just as the various factions gathered in groups of two or three and headed into the rainforest,


    a 100-meter-long sword appeared from within the valley, allowing everyone to clearly see that someone was fighting in the willow tree forest.


    Immediately after, ¡°Rumble¡­¡± The continuous sounds of collisions were accompanied by a series of tremors that shook the ground. The entire Mist Island could clearly feel the vibrations and it felt as though that end of the world had arrived.


    Such power clearly belonged to one who had reached the third stage of the warrior realm. If not for the fact that the entire island was held in place by all the mutant plants, especially the willow tree king in the middle of the island,


    the valley would not be able withstand even these few blows from Chen Yiming. It would have been shattered into pieces and separated from the rest of the island.


    ¡°This is obviously against the rules. Why aren¡¯t the higher-ups stopping him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s really strange that there¡¯s still no movement in the middle of the island.¡±


    The many factions that had been chased away by Chen Yiming started to discuss in low voices.


    The main topic of discussion was that the masked man was breaking the rules and bullying them, who were only at the second stage of the warrior realm and were much weaker than him.


    Judging from the commotion coming from the valley, it was a good thing that no one had gone up against him. Otherwise, even if they attacked together, they would be defeated by him with just one move. They would only have been sending themselves to their deaths for no reason.


    However, about 10 minutes later, even though the valley had regained its peace, no one had appeared to uphold for them as they had hoped.


    This way, the entire valley was monopolized by just one person on this trip to Mist Island.


    In the valley, what could be seen was a scene of devastation. All was still.


    The air was filled with a murderous aura. Each of the willow trees had been cut in half by an overwhelming force. Countless willow branches had lost their previous liveliness and fell weakly to the ground.


    Mutant plants were different from mutant beasts. Their huge roots were their foundation. As long as the roots were not completely destroyed, it would not take long for the mutant plants to grow new branches.


    These willow trees which had their cores taken away would grow a new core after three years. Therefore, every three years, many big shots would descend on Mist Island.


    In the middle of the valley,


    Chen Yiming was soaking in the spiritual spring. All the willow tree cores he had collected were placed beside the spring.


    He closed his eyes and carefully experienced the effects of the spiritual spring.


    Within his body, a terrifying power seemed to have awakened from its sleep and was greedily absorbing the energy from the spiritual spring.


    At the same time, a cyclone gradually spread out with Chen Yiming at its center.


    This was not all. An invisible suction force appeared out of thin air from under the valley.


    The willow tree roots that were buried deep in the soil were trembling non-stop. They had intended to break through the soil and fight to the death, but a sense of powerlessness suddenly descended upon them. In the end, they could only let their energy essence continue to flow out.


    At the same time, in the spiritual world, the figure in his mind automatically formed the concept diagram of the meteorite and filled the entire spiritual space.


    Countless new lines gradually appeared on the concept diagram, making it more realistic.


    Chen Yiming watched quietly as the figure in his mind improvised. He witnessed the same type of concept diagrams of the meteorite were automatically being deduced.


    ¡°From the looks of it, I can make use of this opportunity to complete the full set of concept diagrams of the meteorite,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    The willow tree cores and the spiritual spring were both condensed from the essence of water and earth in the willow tree forest over the years.


    The essence of water and earth was equivalent to a fragment of the water and earth attribute concept diagram. As long as one was talented enough, they would naturally be able to infer the missing parts of the concept diagram.


    This was equivalent to a thick encyclopedia. With different levels of intelligence, the amount of knowledge one could gain from reading the encyclopedia was worlds apart.


    As he inferred the concept diagrams of the meteorite, Chen Yiming felt as if his soul had received a blessing.


    Many of the problems that had appeared during the fusion of the strength-based internal force and the black fog internal force were suddenly resolved as the concept diagrams of the meteorite gradually became complete.


    It was as if this was just how it should be. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need to think much about it.


    ¡°I have taken another big step forward in my exploration of internal force fusion,¡± Chen Yiming said excitedly.


    Previously, he had used the complete information on the concept diagram of the black fog and the incomplete information on the meteorite concept diagram to study the fusion of the two internal forces.


    This indirectly increased the difficulty of the research.


    Even with his Level-2 swordsmanship talent, he could only develop a simple combination of two types of internal force. He was still far from being able to fuse two types of internal force together.


    In the outside world, Chen Yiming suddenly opened his eyes.


    The figure in his mind was in charge of completing the concept diagrams of the meteorite. He only needed to wait for the results.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    As far as the eye could see, an aura of decline had filled the valley.


    The willow trees, which were already severely injured, seemed as though they would die completely in the next moment, with only their last breath left.


    His gaze then fell on the large pile of willow tree cores beside the spiritual spring.


    At this moment, the glowing willow tree cores were clearly weakening. It was obvious that the essence of water and earth energy in them was being absorbed by Chen Yiming along with the essence from the spiritual spring.


    Suddenly, the martial arts talent panel appeared in front of him.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 2; Undying Body ¡ª Level 1


    Level: Second stage of the warrior realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Skill Points: 100


    ¡°I¡¯m still 200 Skill Points away from 300. I¡¯m still about two months away from increasing my talent level. Why would it appear now?¡± Chen Yiming was puzzled.


    As soon as this thought appeared, the martial arts talent panel changed again.


    The box of the Undying Body talent was outlined by a golden light, which immediately attracted Chen Yiming¡¯s attention.


    When Chen Yiming focused his attention on it, a notification appeared in the lower right corner. ¡°Upgrading to the Level-2 Undying Body talent requires 271 Skill Points.¡±


    ¡°Why did the requirement suddenly decrease by 29 Skill Points?¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, the number 271 changed to 270.


    ¡°Gasp!¡± Chen Yiming sucked in a breath of air.


    Ever since he obtained the martial arts talent system, the Skill Points needed for upgrading to the next level of each talent were fixed. This situation had never happened before.


    Fortunately, Chen Yiming had an almost-terrifying ability to understand the situation.


    With his various methods of slowly accumulating Skill Points and his daily cultivation experience, he roughly understood the reason for the decrease in the Skill Point requirement.


    Chen Yiming had been cultivating day after day to obtain Skill Points. The number of Skill Points he had was just a gauge for his progress in accumulating Skill Points.


    In essence, he had transformed the results of his daily cultivation into Skill Points that could be used to upgrade his talent level.


    And now, he was performing some unknown sort of energy transformation while he was cultivating in the spiritual spring. However, after the absorbed energy essence was transformed, it only enhanced his Undying Body talent.


    ¡°So relying only on daily cultivation is only equivalent to the beginner mode.¡± Chen Yiming let out a long breath.


    The decrease in Skill Points required for upgrading the Undying Body talent allowed him to understand the core of the system.


    As his talent level continued to increase, the Skill Points he could obtain from his daily cultivation would gradually become insufficient.


    If he wanted to speed up the process of upgrading his talent, he had to exit the beginner mode and look beyond the safe but slow method of obtaining Skill Points.


    Otherwise, it was very likely that one day, his lifespan would reach its limit before his talent was able to reach the requirement to break through to the next level.


    In the end, he could only die while clinging on to the system.


    With the system, as long as he had enough resources, Chen Yiming¡¯s talent could increase indefinitely.


    Therefore, Chen Yiming shouldn¡¯t be pursuing things like combat strength, treasures, cultivation techniques, and so on.


    His ultimate goal was to live forever.


    It had to be known that the main characters in his previous world¡¯s fantasy novels had all successfully achieved their goal of eternal life.


    Chen Yiming was also someone who had transmigrated and had the help of the system, so he couldn¡¯t fall behind.

 Chapter 183 - : Attack (I)

    In the middle of Mist Island, near the area where the willow tree king was, Ye Jianyuan, the head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, stood quietly in the middle of a small lake with his hands behind his back.


    His white hair fluttered in the wind, and an invisible aura spread out from his body, chasing away anyone who accidentally approached the lake.


    The surroundings were silent. There were vertical cracks on the trunks of more than 10 willow trees by the shore. The willow tree cores were missing, and the cracks were gradually closing up.


    Suddenly, the sounds of three streams of rushing wind could be heard.


    The thick fog around the lake was dispersed by the wind. The calm surface of the lake rippled, and the three people who had rushed over had broken the silence.


    These were the three court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect who had escaped from the valley.


    On the way from the valley to the lake, Zhou Xuesheng released his black fog internal force to cover the other two court heads. They had moved at the speed of a turtle to prevent the masked man from spotting them.


    Only when they were close to the lake did the three of them heave sighs of relief and continue at their full speed.


    Zhou Xuesheng leaped from the shore to Ye Jianyuan¡¯s side and said with a serious expression, ¡°Sect Master, the masked man suddenly appeared in the valley. The three of us were forced to retreat.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan still stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, ¡°I saw it.¡±


    The 100-meter-long sword had pierced the sky, and the entire island was alarmed by it.


    This was the power of someone at the third stage of the warrior realm. It actually appeared in an area other than the willow tree king on the island. It was inevitable that people would be concerned about it.


    A large number of factions at the bottom of the warrior realm had already stopped searching for the willow trees and turned to the nearby factions to find out what had happened.


    After all, although the willow tree cores were precious, it was not as precious as one¡¯s own life.


    If the power coming from the valley showed signs of spreading to the entire Mist Island, most people would immediately consider how to safely leave the island.


    Zhou Xuesheng asked with a pained expression, ¡°Sect Master, the Myriad Phenomena Sect didn¡¯t get any of the spiritual spring in the valley this time. What should we do next?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan glanced at the three court heads and said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be anxious. The spiritual spring is in the valley and won¡¯t run away. The sect master of the Kunshan Sect has yet to appear. Our Myriad Phenomena Sect can just wait and see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Zhou Xuesheng and the other two court heads heard the information about the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, they immediately felt relieved.


    The spiritual spring covered an area of dozens of square meters. Unless it was transferred to special containers for transport, it was impossible to bring it out from the island.


    No one, including Ye Jianyuan, thought that the masked man would be able to consume much of the willow tree cores and spiritual spring on the spot.


    In addition, the masked man had always been a lone wolf, so it was impossible for him to transport the spiritual spring away.


    Therefore, Ye Jianyuan was not in a hurry at all. He planned to let the sect master of the Kunshan Sect lead the front line, while he sat back and reaped the benefits.


    ¡­


    In an unfamiliar area in the sea dozens of kilometers away from Mist Island, the sea breeze was blowing from time to time while waves crashed into each other.


    A ship of about 30 meters long was stationed quietly on the surface of the sea.


    An old man in his fifties sat cross-legged at the bow of the ship.


    He had a head full of white hair and a long white beard. He was wearing a simple robe, and from the outside, he looked like an ordinary old man.


    However, no one would think that he was an ordinary old man since he had come here alone.


    This person was the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan.


    At this moment, three groups of disciples from the Kunshan Sect had arrived at the bow of the ship.


    Lu Zhenshan stood up and frowned. ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep an eye on the four guardians of the Snake God Sect? Why did all three teams return at the same time?¡±


    Some time back, the Kunshan Sect had lost four court heads in just one night. The sect¡¯s middle-level forces had been severely depleted, and they urgently needed core disciples to fill the vacancies in the ranks of the court heads of the sect. Training a court head was not just a matter of teaching them the cultivation techniques, but also providing them with the corresponding cultivation resources.


    Lu Zhenshan had not appeared for a long time because he wanted to avoid dealing with the rules of the outside world. He had sent his disciples to secretly keep an eye on the four guardians of the Snake God Sect, planning to secretly attack them later.


    After all, the Snake God Sect was not a martial arts faction of the Daxia Kingdom. The overall strength of the country they belonged to was far weaker than the Daxia Kingdom, so Lu Zhenshan had targeted them.


    A disciple walked out and reported, ¡°Sect Master, something happened in the valley on Mist Island. The situation didn¡¯t develop as we expected.¡±


    Lu Zhenshan¡¯s expression darkened as he urged, ¡°Cut the crap and get to the point.¡±


    Cold sweat broke out on the disciple¡¯s forehead as he said with a trembling voice, ¡°The masked man suddenly appeared and occupied the entire valley. Now, all the willow tree cores and the spiritual spring have fallen into the hands of the masked man.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Lu Zhenshan¡¯s white hair stood on end. With the ship as the center, an invisible force swept out in all directions, and a large amount of seawater became waves that were pushed aside.


    The ship¡¯s position dropped by a few meters.


    Such a scene was as though a disaster was about to occur.


    However, this was only caused by the angry aura released by someone at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    If he really made a move, it would cause a man-made disaster.


    The expressions of the three groups of disciples from the Kunshan Sect froze.


    They were standing close to Lu Zhenshan and could feel a pressure like a tsunami coming at them. They were like small boats that could be overturned by the large waves at any moment.


    This was the difference in the level of their internal forces. In front of Lu Zhenshan, the internal force of an ordinary warrior was no different from a piece of paper.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A vacuum with a diameter of more than 100 meters suddenly exploded on the surface of the sea.


    The sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, became like a humanoid fighter jet and charged straight towards Mist Island.


    The disciples of the Kunshan Sect behind him were buried by the seawater that rushed back to fill the gap left behind.


    When the disciples surfaced again, they could only hear continuous explosions coming from the distance.


    ¡­


    In the valley, Chen Yiming leaped out of the spiritual spring and landed on the ground.


    Around him was a forest of willow tree roots that barely had any traces of life left. The willow tree cores beside the spiritual spring had already turned into a pile of powder, and the energy essence contained in them had been completely absorbed.


    The spiritual spring behind him had completely become like ordinary spring water and had lost its previous vitality.


    All the energy essence in the entire valley had been absorbed by Chen Yiming, leaving only a little trace of life in the willow tree roots for them to grow and be harvested again three years later.


    ¡°My body feels like it is a perpetual motion machine,¡± Chen Yiming said as he stretched out his hands.


    This was a change given to his body by his Level-2 Undying Body talent. He could feel the vitality of his cells, and it was as though each cell had a life of its own.


    Moreover, there were invisible circuits connecting the cells to each other.


    As long as any damaged cells were not completely dead, the undamaged cells could transmit their vitality through the circuits so that the damaged cells could recover.


    This was a form of hardiness that usually existed only in the embryonic phase.


    He called out the martial arts talent panel in his mind.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship a?? Level 2; Undying Body a?? Level 2


    Level: Second stage of the warrior realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Skill Points: 15


    Seeing that the 100 Skill Points he had painstakingly accumulated had become 15 points, Chen Yiming felt terrible. This meant that the Level-3 swordsmanship talent upgrade would be delayed again.


    The improvement in his understanding of swordsmanship brought about by his Level-3 swordsmanship talent was what he needed to study the fusion of internal forces by himself.

 Chapter 184 - Attack (II)

    Fortunately, it was only a matter of time. However, his Level-2 Undying Body talent was not bad either. At the very least, his combat strength had increased more than his swordsmanship talent.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming could vaguely sense that his previous combat strength was about 10 to 20 times that of the second stage of the warrior realm, while it was now 30 to 60 times stronger.


    The reason was that his body had received another all-round enhancement, and the strength of his internal force had also increased.


    In terms of numbers, it was about three times stronger than before.


    The martial arts talent panel disappeared.


    Chen Yiming clenched his right hand into a fist, and a long sword formed from the strength-based internal force appeared in the air.


    The sword was engraved with complicated patterns and emitted a brown glow. There was a heavy aura flowing inside, just like a real sword.


    This was condensed from the complete concept diagram of the meteorite. Its maximum length was still only 100 meters, but its strength was three to five times that of before.


    This meant that when fighting someone at the level of Li Daoyi, the sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, his opponent would not be able to block Chen Yiming¡¯s strongest move with just a casual strike.


    The sword extended and finally turned into a 100-meter-long sword.


    The ground in the valley below the huge sword was crushed by an invisible force, creating a ravine that was 100 meters long.


    This was caused by a special field force. It was somewhat similar to gravity and could increase the power of the strength-based internal force. It was a special effect obtained from the complete concept diagram of the meteorite.


    Chen Yiming casually dispersed the huge sword and sensed that his internal force had returned to its full value. He smiled and said, ¡°Not only is its lethality higher, but the internal force consumed for this finishing move can be restored in just the time needed for me to take a single breath.¡±


    At this point, he felt that upgrading to the Level-2 Undying Body talent was more suitable than upgrading to the Level-3 swordsmanship talent.


    The huge increase in his current combat strength gave him the confidence to deal with the two sect masters of the Kunshan Sect and the Blue Cloud Sword Sect. Furthermore, he could obtain the resources needed for his cultivation more easily.


    For example, he had originally not planned to participate in the fight for the core of the willow tree king in the middle of the island. However, the situation was different now. He had the ability to get a share of the loot.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to head to the center of the island, ¡°Where are you going?!¡±


    A thunderous voice sounded from the horizon, carrying an incomparably heavy and vast meaning behind it. Before he arrived, the voice of the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, had already spread throughout the entire Mist Island.


    Most of the people on the island leaped to a high point near them and looked in the direction of the sound.


    In the distance, a black dot could be seen quickly approaching the island.


    Layer after layer of air barriers were forcefully broken by his body, causing ripples to spread out. From afar, it looked like fireworks had exploded, and the aftershock affected an area of 1,000 kilometers.


    Wherever the black dot passed, a semicircular pit appeared. The corpses of a large number of marine creatures that were shaken to death floated on the surface of the sea in his wake, and he was creating a bloody path behind him.


    ¡°Which sect¡¯s master is it?¡± Many people exclaimed.


    With this level of power, even though he was still quite a distance away from the island, people still felt afraid and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.


    With just a glance at him, they felt as though the end of the world had arrived. Their bodies were telling them to run.


    On a small lake in the middle of the island, the head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Ye Jianyuan, glanced at the willow tree king in the distance when he heard Lu Zhenshan¡¯s voice.


    The willow tree king did not react at all to Lu Zhenshan, who was at the same level as it and was rapidly approaching the island. Countless golden willow branches hung down naturally from the tree, as though it was not concerned by anything.


    ¡°Something is amiss,¡± Ye Jianyuan said in a low voice.


    Compared to nine years ago, the willow tree king¡¯s aura did not seem to have changed, but there was something strange about its behavior.


    The core of the willow tree king ripened once every nine years, unlike the cores of the other willow trees that ripened once every three years.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sect Master?¡± Zhou Xuesheng asked.


    Ye Jianyuan turned around and said in a low voice, ¡°I feel that something is amiss. Go back to East Sea Province and wait for me.¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s expression changed, and he asked again, ¡°What about the disciples in charge of transporting the willow tree cores and the spiritual spring?¡±


    Other than Ye Jianyuan, the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and the three court heads led by Zhou Xuesheng, there were also 12 true disciples selected from the various inner courts.


    These true disciples carried various tools. They were mainly responsible for transporting the loot that had been obtained, and were also here for their training.


    ¡°Bring them all with you,¡± Ye Jianyuan replied.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The three court heads did not ask any further and left the lake, heading straight to the location of the disciples they had brought along.


    There were a few other factions that made similar arrangements.


    Without exception, these factions were all at the same level as the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    In the mysterious valley, ¡°The vast sea is all around you. Let¡¯s see where you can escape to this time.¡±


    With a loud laugh, a slightly old figure landed on the ground from midair.


    It was as if an earthquake had occurred in the valley. Countless rocks slid down the edge of the valley, and many of the willow tree roots that had only a trace of life left in them were killed by the tremor.


    However, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t too concerned about it. Three years later, the willow tree cores and the spiritual spring would no longer be of any use to him. As for Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying, they wouldn¡¯t need that much either. As long as not all the willow trees died, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly.


    There was no doubt about the identity of the person who had arrived. There was only one possibility, and that was the sect master of the Kunshan Sect.


    ¡°The Kunshan Sect has no feud with you. It¡¯s just a simple porcelain bowl. Why did you kill four of my sect¡¯s court heads?¡± Lu Zhenshan questioned him, thinking that the masked man was already a dead man.


    In his opinion, since the masked man had been held back by him, it was impossible for him to escape from under his nose, so he was not in any hurry to attack.


    ¡°That night, when the three court heads who were still alive returned to the sect, did they not tell you what had happened? It was the four court heads who attacked me first. I was just acting in self-defense.¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the sect master of the Kunshan Sect with interest.


    Could it be that he also had a hidden talent for luck?


    If the sect master of the Kunshan Sect appeared to cause trouble for him before he used the spiritual spring and the willow tree cores, he could only helplessly retreat while taking a small amount of the willow tree cores with him. With his powerful recovery ability, he could retreat while fighting.


    His powerful recovery ability perfectly countered the Kunshan Sect¡¯s Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist. He could endure some minor injuries for the sake of draining his opponent¡¯s internal force, so Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all.


    However, the sect master of the Kunshan Sect had only appeared in front of him after his combat strength had increased by another level. Wasn¡¯t he a perfect punching bag for him to test the extent of his enhanced combat strength?


    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to twist your words even at the brink of death. How do you feel now? The current me is just like you from that night, and you¡¯re just like the four court heads of the sect from that night,¡± Lu Zhenshan said with a fierce expression.


    At this moment, he had completely revealed his true appearance. He no longer had the image of an ordinary old man.


    ¡°I naturally have something to rely on since I dared to come to Mist Island. Do you really think I¡¯m afraid of your Kunshan Sect?¡± Chen Yiming smiled.


    Lu Zhenshan glanced at him and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°So what if you found someone to rely on? Even if I have to pay with my life, you won¡¯t be able to leave Mist Island alive.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming understood that the other party had misunderstood him.


    The support that Lu Zhenshan was talking about was an external source of help from someone at the same level as him. Little did he know that he had already undergone another transformation compared to 10 minutes ago.


    The roles of hunter and prey had already been reversed within the past 10 minutes.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was relying on his own strength.


    No matter how confident the other party was now, he would cause him to feel several times more despair in a short while.

 Chapter 185 - Man-made Disaster (I)

    In the valley, two tsunami-like auras collided in the middle of the spiritual spring, causing a suffocating pressure to appear within a range of one kilometer.


    A scene of ice and fire spread out in all directions, forming a restricted area in the valley.


    Comparing the valley and the area around the willow tree king, the latter was like a peaceful scene, while the former was like the prelude to a disaster.


    At this moment, most of the factions on Mist Island had already learned of the masked man¡¯s past deeds. They had also found out that the disciples of the large factions had retreated in advance.


    All of them realized the seriousness of the matter.


    Should they leave or stay?


    Unlike the willow tree king, which could not be moved, the fight between these two human experts was equivalent to a moving disaster.


    If they continued to go after the remaining willow tree cores on the island, they would die on the island if they were hit by the aftershock of the battle.


    On the sea, a small boat carrying a few people was heading towards East Sea province.


    Within the range of a few kilometers, there were many other ships that were heading in the same direction.


    ¡°This is a once-in-three-years opportunity. Are we just going to give it up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How many such opportunities are there during one¡¯s golden age of martial arts cultivation? Even if one obtains the willow tree core three years later, the chances of one breaking through then might not be higher than they are now.¡±


    ¡°But do you dare to stay? Even the disciples of the large sects have made arrangements to leave early.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡±


    All that was left were their long sighs.


    Immediately after, someone comforted him. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s better than losing one¡¯s life.¡±


    Some of the people who had retreated with the disciples of the large sects had left the island regretfully.


    To these factions who had left the Mist Island in advance, the outcome of the battle had nothing to do with them. At the same time, the trip to Mist Island was basically over.


    On the sea near the island, a few middle-aged men and women were standing on a rock.


    Not far away, there were many factions with the same goal as them. Everyone consciously followed the coastline and maintained a certain distance from each other.


    ¡°Many factions have retreated in advance. I¡¯m a little panicked.¡±


    ¡°According to the records from the past decade, when the battle with the willow tree king started in the center of the island, there were still many willow trees that had not been discovered. This time, there will be even more. Let¡¯s wait and observe the situation.¡±


    ¡°But a battle at that level is not something we should get close to.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. If the situation isn¡¯t right, we¡¯ll escape into the sea and retreat.¡±


    With these middle-aged men and women as the representatives, a large group of factions that were still reluctant to leave Mist Island spread out and stayed by the sea near the island.


    If the situation was bad, the battle between the sect master of the Kunshan Sect and the masked man would further expand to the entire Mist Island. In that case, they could only rely on their own luck to try and evacuate.


    If the situation developed in a good direction and the battle was kept within the valley, they could still go onto the island to search for the willow trees.


    In the rainforest deep inside the island, a small group of people was traveling quickly.


    ¡°Hurry! No one has stepped into the forest in front of us yet.¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯m too nervous. My brain is running out of oxygen.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for everyone? Hang in there a little longer. With great risk often comes great reward. How things go in the future depends on our luck today.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go all out. I¡¯ll either pave my future or die on Mist Island.¡±


    A small number of factions took advantage of the fact that their competitors were either retreating or observing the situation to risk their lives and continue searching for the willow tree cores on the island.


    Although their competitors had decreased by more than half, the danger they faced was also increased by 10 times or even 100 times. After all, it was equivalent to making a move under the nose of the Kunshan Sect¡¯s sect master and the masked man.


    If they were hit by the aftershock of the internal force explosion during the battle, ordinary warriors would either die on the spot or be severely injured.


    Just as the factions participating in the competition for the island¡¯s resources made their own choices, the expression of the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, gradually turned solemn. He was no longer as confident as before.


    The deaths of the four court heads were already a fact. The questioning earlier was more of a test. Both sides had already engaged in a spiritual battle involving their auras.


    However, he did not manage to gain the upper hand in terms of his aura. This meant that regardless of who was stronger or weaker, the two of them were at least on the same level.


    This way, it would be much more difficult for him to kill the other party by himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good, but that¡¯s even more reason that I can¡¯t let you live.¡± Lu Zhenshan¡¯s gaze narrowed, and his expression became unprecedentedly serious.


    At the same time, a vast amount of internal force was released from his body, causing his entire body to be bathed in a seven-colored light. This was a manifestation of the fusion of the seven internal forces from the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist Technique.


    In Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes, after Lu Zhenshan fused seven types of internal force, the resultant internal force appeared as an armor covering his body. However, compared to the internal force that had only changed in form, the strength of the fused internal force was dozens of times stronger. This was a qualitative change caused by the fusion of internal forces.


    Using houses as an example, the internal force of an ordinary warrior was like a pile of sand on the ground. After the transformation, the internal force was like a house made of mud.


    The internal force after the fusion of internal forces of different attributes was like a house built with reinforced concrete.


    There was a qualitative difference in the strength of the sand pile, the house made of mud, and the house built from cement. Under normal circumstances, it was a gap impossible for a qualitatively weaker internal force to overcome.


    ¡°Seven-colored light!¡±


    All the people in the rainforest, on the sea near the island, and even those on the ships more than 10 kilometers away from the island clearly saw the phenomenon that had appeared in the direction of the valley.


    From the light, one could sense a power that surpassed all else. Without a doubt, this was the peak that countless people in the warrior realm were pursuing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s evacuate from Mist Island as soon as possible!¡±


    There were still factions searching for the remaining willow trees in the rainforests on the island. Some of them were trembling and discussing with their companions with shaking voices.


    At this moment, all their courage from before had dissipated. This was what the weak humans were really thinking when facing a crisis comparable to a natural disaster.


    ¡°Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan¡¯s figure suddenly flashed, and he appeared in front of the masked man at the speed of light.


    Chen Yiming naturally wouldn¡¯t just sit back and wait for death to come to him. A longsword formed from his strength-based internal force appeared in his hand. The longsword was made up of nine small meteors, and the strange patterns on it shone with a brown light.


    The brown light emitted an overwhelming pressure that was like that of a meteorite from outer space. To a certain extent, it even overshadowed the seven-colored light. This was something that a normal human like Lu Zhenshan could not imagine.


    With the enhancement from his talent, his internal force had increased by dozens of times. Chen Yiming could now fight someone of a higher level than him.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist collided head-on with the sword formed by the strength-based internal force. It was as if a huge bomb had exploded on the ground.


    The impact formed by the internal force collision turned into countless sharp swords that shot out in all directions. Everything in their path was mercilessly cut apart.


    In addition, the shock wave from the explosion formed a ring that continuously expanded and collided with the rock walls of the valley.


    An endless amount of rubble exploded like a huge firework, and the entire valley was instantly razed to the ground.


    In the rainforest on the island, ¡°Be careful! Dodge carefully!¡±


    Facing the large amount of rubble that was flying over, someone noticed that there were fragments of internal force hidden within them and shouted to their companions.


    Some of these internal force fragments were formed by Chen Yiming¡¯s strength-based internal force, while the rest were formed by Lu Zhenshan¡¯s internal force from his Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist.


    Although the fragments were only as small as a fingernail, due to the difference in the strength of their internal force, no matter which one it was, they would be crippled if they came into contact with it.


    In the middle of the small lake in the willow tree king area, ¡°Things are getting out of hand,¡± Ye Jianyuan whispered. He waved his left hand gently, and a large number of internal force fragments were stopped by an invisible barrier.


    These internal force fragments, which had lost their owner¡¯s control, were weapons for killing those at a lower level. However, they were not a source of concern for Ye Jianyuan, who was at the same level. He could easily get rid of them.

 Chapter 186 - Man-made Disaster (II)

    At the same time, on the sea near Mist Island, ¡°Run! Run! Run!¡± countless people shouted loudly. They did not even care about using ships and directly fled towards the sea.


    For warriors, crossing the sea relied on their own strength. Ships were just a vehicle that allowed them to have a comfortable place to rest.


    It did not matter if they were not using a ship. It was just that the conditions were a little poorer, and they had a harder time running on the surface of the sea for the entire journey.


    At this moment, their previous wishful thinking had disappeared. The main reason was that the masked man had not been suppressed by the sect master of the Kunshan Sect.


    It seemed like there was a high chance that both sides would fall into a stalemate. This way, the entire Mist Island would fall within the range of their battle.


    Chen Yiming and Lu Zhenshan, who were at the ruins of the valley, were separated again.


    A large number of spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the internal force armor on Lu Zhenshan¡¯s fist. The seven-colored light flickered and the cracks disappeared, returning back to its original state.


    On the other hand, the sword formed by the masked man¡¯s internal force was intact. The moment the sword and fist collided, the damaged sword had automatically repaired itself. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need to do anything.


    At this moment, the difference in their recovery speed was clear.


    Chen Yiming had the Level-2 Undying Body talent. Using his internal force to condense a long sword was equivalent to drawing water out of a reservoir. The amount of water could fill up a fire truck.


    Furthermore, this reservoir was connected to an underground river, so he could continuously replenish the water in it.


    Lu Zhenshan, on the other hand, had the physique of an ordinary person. His body, which served as a container for his internal force, was only equivalent to a pond. The water could not be drawn indefinitely from the pond.


    Under normal circumstances, practicing cultivation techniques was like replenishing the water in the pond when it rained. During the rest of the time, the water in the pond could only be replenished by the surrounding soil.


    One relied on the soil to replenish its water, while the other relied on the underground river to replenish its water. The default recovery speed of both sides was on completely different levels.


    Therefore, in a fight between people of the same level, Lu Zhenshan had to consider how he could conserve his internal force. On the other hand, Chen Yiming never had to consider the problem of his internal force being exhausted.


    ¡°How does my Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist feel?¡±


    A smile appeared on Lu Zhenshan¡¯s face. He could vaguely sense that the other party¡¯s recovery speed was faster than his, but a simple attack could not completely determine the difference.


    The lethality of his Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist was not reflected in its strength, speed, and agility, but in the damage it did to the organs and spirit of the opponent.


    Even if it was an opponent of the same level, after fighting him for a long time, they would still feel their bodies gradually weakening. This was caused by internal injuries inflicted by his fist.


    Relying on this lethality, the Kunshan Sect had risen in fame. Even factions of the same level did not dare to provoke them.


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to being bitten by an ant,¡± Chen Yiming replied calmly.


    With his Level-1 Undying Body talent, he was confident that he could withstand the damage from the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist.


    Now that he had gained the Level-2 Undying Body talent, there was an invisible circuitry between his cells through which his life force flowed. The lethality of the Five Labor and Seven Wounds Fist was nullified by the powerful life force as soon as it entered his body.


    As for vitality, Chen Yiming, who had a recovery-type body talent, could obtain as much as he wanted. As long as it wasn¡¯t instantly exhausted, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°At this moment, are your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and mind feeling very uncomfortable?


    Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t the end. The worst is yet to come.¡±


    The masked man seemed to be putting on a strong front, but Lu Zhenshan smiled instead. He was certain that his fist technique had taken effect.


    He heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. His endurance was not as good as his opponent¡¯s, but he did not believe that the masked man could withstand the internal injuries caused by his internal force before he exhausted his own internal force.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Every time he told the truth, no one would believe him. He was unable to do anything about it.


    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s go again!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan laughed loudly and took a step forward. There seemed to be an invisible staircase in the air for him to ascend to the sky, and he leaped into the air.


    For people at the third stage of the warrior realm, the ground was already a form of restraint. Unless one had a special technique that allowed them to escape underground, the ground was a natural barrier.


    However, it was different when he was in the air. He could attack from all directions.


    The seven-colored light blossomed again. Seven different types of internal force fused into one and were focused on his fist.


    If such a scene had happened at night, half of the sky would have been lit up in seven colors. However, even during the day, it was still as dazzling as a firefly in the night. All the people fleeing a few kilometers away witnessed this.


    When the people who had just escaped to the shore from the rainforest saw this scene, they suddenly plunged into the sea and used the natural barrier of the sea to block the remaining shockwaves.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    It was rare to find a suitable opponent, and Chen Yiming¡¯s fighting spirit lit up his eyes.


    He exerted strength from his feet and leaped into the air in the same way as his opponent. It seemed like he was running in midair, then leaped straight up into the sky.


    The longsword formed by the strength-based internal force in his hand was also activated by him. It was like a meteor crashing into the earth as it faced the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist again.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming and the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, started fighting in midair.


    When the strength of one¡¯s internal force reached their level, unless one of them could completely destroy the other¡¯s protective internal force in one strike, it was often a competition of who could withstand more blows.


    For Lu Zhenshan, every punch he made would worsen the masked man¡¯s internal injuries. He only needed to wait for his opponent to be unable to withstand his internal injuries for him to win.


    As for Chen Yiming, every time his opponent resisted his powerful sword strike, he would need to use up his internal force to repair his defense. As time passed, his opponent would not be able to withstand it either.


    The two of them continued to fight. To the people on the sea near the island, it seemed like a brown rock and the seven-colored light were striking each other repeatedly.


    With every collision, a storm that could destroy a city would form from it. Countless internal force fragments flew out like sand in a sandstorm.


    The tremors could be felt on the sea within 10 kilometers of the island. These tremors were caused by the repeated collisions, which were equivalent to continuously using large amounts of artillery shells to attack a single spot.


    Even though they were a safe distance away, countless people¡¯s eardrums still hurt from the sounds of the impact. It was as if their eardrums had been struck by a hammer.


    It had to be known that most of these people were at the warrior realm, not the disciple realm.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    When Lu Zhenshan¡¯s fist landed on Chen Yiming¡¯s protective internal force, it was as if an ordinary person had punched a rock.


    Once or twice, he did not feel anything amiss. After dozens of times, even with the protection of his internal force, he still felt a dull ache.


    When he saw that the other party¡¯s expression remained unchanged, he found it difficult to remain calm.


    This was no longer just at the level of a strong defense. He was already beginning to doubt whether the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist had caused any internal injuries to the masked man.


    On Chen Yiming¡¯s side, he didn¡¯t take a single step back when faced with Lu Zhenshan¡¯s heavy punches. Instead, he continued to fight him head-on.


    If he was punched, he returned the attack with a strike from his sword.


    The lethality of the Five Labors to Seven Wounds Fist came from its ability to cause internal damage to the opponent.


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming¡¯s strength was displayed openly. His moves didn¡¯t change much, and he focused on landing his attacks.


    The two sides, one causing internal damage and the other on external damage, were waiting to see who would be the first to lose and put an end to this head-on battle.


    After more than 100 blows, Lu Zhenshan finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and found an opportunity to quickly retreat.


    It was not that he could not continue, but that he had used up more than half of the internal force in his body. He had originally wanted to save most of his internal force to participate in the fight for the core of the willow tree king later.


    However, he did not expect to waste so much of it on the masked man. Furthermore, his opponent¡¯s expression had not changed at all, causing his absolute confidence at the start to fall into a bottomless pit.

 Chapter 187 - Who Is the Prey? (I)

    Silence returned to the ruins of the valley.


    Looking down from the sky, a circular pit about a kilometer in diameter had appeared.


    At the bottom of the pit, some golden willow tree roots were revealed. These were the roots of the willow tree king in the middle of the island.


    Only the willow tree king, who was at the same level, could easily withstand the aftershock of the battle between Chen Yiming and Lu Zhenshan. The willow tree roots in the valley that had only a trace of life left in them had long been destroyed.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the protective armor formed by his strength-based internal force. A brown light flowed through it, as though it had not been damaged at all.


    Compared to Li Daoyi from the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, Lu Zhenshan¡¯s Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist Technique was weaker on the surface. It wasn¡¯t enough to break Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force protection.


    The strange attacks that could cause internal damage to the body were countered by his recovery ability.


    In terms of overall threat, Lu Zhenshan was inferior to Li Daoyi.


    ¡°Are you an alien from the otherworld?¡± Lu Zhenshan suddenly asked.


    His gaze was fixed on the masked man¡¯s face, and he carefully observed every change in his expression, trying to trick him into revealing his background.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    An alien?


    So there were actually humans in the otherworld as well. Chen Yiming had never encountered any information about them.


    There were only two possibilities. Either it was a taboo for humans on the otherworld to come to the blue planet, or his level on the surface was too low and he was still not able to come into contact with information related to the aliens.


    ¡°Who exactly are you? You actually took 100 punches from me and still look fine,¡± Lu Zhenshan continued to mutter to himself.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, he smiled and said, ¡°Why are you feeling tired so soon? What other secret techniques do you have? Hurry up and use them. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even have a chance later.¡±


    The two of them had only exchanged more than 100 blows, and they were far from reaching the limit of Lu Zhenshan¡¯s internal force. If Chen Yiming wanted to hold his opponent back on Mist Island, he had to trick him into using all his internal force to fight him.


    However, while Lu Zhenshan had initially seemed to want to take revenge at all costs, at this moment, he suddenly returned to the appearance of an ordinary old man, and became calm and collected.


    ¡°Hehe, your words are too fake. I¡¯m not that stupid,¡± Lu Zhenshan said with a smile.


    He had a totally different attitude from when he thought he was facing an enemy of a lower level.


    Knowing that his revenge was temporarily unachievable, he immediately switched from offense to defense, not giving the enemy a chance.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming knew that Lu Zhenshan had realized that the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist was useless against him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not up to you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, with a flash, he raised the sword formed by his internal force and charged at Lu Zhenshan.


    At the same time, three swords formed from the strength-based internal force materialized beside him and shot out like three missiles.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming had finally revealed the terrifying speed at which his internal force could be replenished after he had gained the Level-2 Undying Body talent. It was as if his internal force would never be fully consumed, and he could use it freely.


    It had to be known that for close-range attacks, there was only a need to repair the damaged parts, while for long-range attacks, the internal force used was completely depleted. The consumption speed of internal force for these two types of attacks was not on the same level.


    Usually, they would only use long-range attacks when they were suppressing those at a lower level. In order to maximize their lethality in a fight at the same level, they would usually focus their internal force at one point and unleash it all at once.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhenshan narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. He suddenly released the internal force from his fist, then his body swayed and he retreated in a flash.


    At this moment, how could he not understand that his opponent had not used his full strength earlier? A sense of danger welled up in his heart.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I seeing things? Could this be the true strength of the masked man? What he displayed earlier was all a lie?¡±


    In the area near the willow tree king on the island, the few people who were preparing to sit back and reap the rewards were dumbfounded.


    Among these people was Ye Jianyuan from the Myriad Phenomena Sect. They were all at the third stage of the warrior realm. Previously, because Lu Zhenshan had not appeared for a long time, they were not in any hurry to attack the willow tree king.


    They had thought that when the masked man faced Lu Zhenshan, he would be in a sorry state from the chase. His greatest use would be to exhaust Lu Zhenshan and restrain him in the upcoming battle with the willow tree king.


    However, the situation was completely different now. The masked man¡¯s aura had the absolute upper hand, and it was like a meteorite falling from the sky.


    Lu Zhenshan had instead become the one fleeing, and did not dare to fight him head-on.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Three consecutive tremors shook the entire Mist Island.


    Lu Zhenshan¡¯s Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist was not completely useless. The three swords formed from internal force missed and stabbed into the ground instead.


    However, the longsword formed by the nine rocks perfectly replicated the powerful impact described in the concept diagram of the meteors.


    Every strike was like a meteorite falling to the ground, turning into a shockwave that swept through the entire island and was felt by all the willow tree roots.


    At the same time, the ground cracked open, creating countless ravines. Countless tree roots were broken into several pieces as a result.


    The dust that filled the sky turned into a sandstorm, and the thick mist that covered Mist Island was blown away. The rainforest on the ground was also not spared, and it was completely unable to withstand the impact from the shock wave.


    Lu Zhenshan, who was in the midst of fighting the masked man, saw the destructive power formed by the three swords from the corner of his eye as he retreated.


    The destructive power was too strong!


    This was almost like a technique made for war!


    His Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist mainly targeted the human body. On the surface, its destructive power was far inferior to this.


    In addition, his internal force could not be used so extravagantly in a fight between people of the same level. If he wanted to cause such destructive power, he would probably have to use up a tenth of his internal force all at once.


    To Lu Zhenshan, this was too wasteful. He had never considered it.


    ¡°You¡¯re still running? Three swords aren¡¯t enough. Let¡¯s see where you can hide when I use nine swords,¡±


    Chen Yiming said in a low voice. He took a deep breath and activated the internal force in his body.


    In an instant, he used his internal force to form nine perfect swords, which made him feel a slight sense of fatigue. Fortunately, after the attacks from the nine swords ended, his internal force would already have recovered to its full capacity, so he did not have to worry too much.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the nine swords lined up above his head.


    Every sword was the same as before. Carrying the impact of falling from the sky, they shot out so quickly that it seemed as if they were teleporting from one place to another.


    Lu Zhenshan¡¯s expression finally changed drastically.


    Where did this monster come from?


    Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he would die from using so much internal force?


    Could this person¡¯s internal force capacity be as large as the sea?


    An inexhaustible supply?


    Countless questions popped up in his mind, but no one could answer them.


    He gritted his teeth and unleashed three consecutive internal force attacks from his fist. This was the limit of what his body could withstand. If he used too much internal force, he would suffer from internal injuries.


    It was three against nine, and he was definitely outnumbered. He would definitely not be able to block all the swords.


    And the situation was exactly like this.


    Three bursts of internal force from his fist blocked four of the long swords, causing them to deviate from their intended direction. Lu Zhenshan then used his movement technique to dodge two more long swords.


    He could not dodge the last three swords. He could only use his internal force to defend himself.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    On the island, it was as though a volcano had erupted.


    The part of the island around the valley ruins was completely separated from the rest of the island. However, due to the willow tree king¡¯s huge roots, it was still in a semi-detached state.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Accompanying the groundbreaking tremors, Lu Zhenshan¡¯s scream rang out.


    The internal force from the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist was at the mid-to-low level of defense among those of the same level. Even though he was desperately repairing his internal force defense, it was still full of spiderweb-like cracks.


    Usually, offense was the best defense.


    Although Lu Zhenshan¡¯s protective internal force was not completely broken, a small portion of the impact from the longsword still hit his body through his defense.

 Chapter 188 - Who Is the Prey? (II)

    It was as if an ordinary person had been struck by a hammer three times in a row. Lu Zhenshan¡¯s body, both internally and externally, had suffered a powerful blow and was severely injured.


    ¡°I injured him in just one round!¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He had underestimated the lethality of the strength-based internal force. Not everyone had the same recovery ability as him.


    The internal force protection was the most important defense in the warrior realm. Once the protective internal force showed signs of breaking, the body would not be able to withstand it for long.


    Just as Chen Yiming was preparing for the next round of attacks with another set of nine swords, within a range of 10 kilometers of the island, the sky began to change color. A large amount of water vapor suddenly condensed in the air, gradually turning into a thick mist that blocked out one¡¯s vision.


    In just a few seconds, a thick mist that covered an area of 10 kilometers had formed, hiding Mist Island from the sea.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Following the aftermath of Chen Yiming and Lu Zhenshan¡¯s fight, the people who had already escaped from the island gasped.


    Some of these people were on ships, and some were standing on the surface of the sea, watching the battle at the peak of the warrior realm.


    They could clearly see the thick mist gradually covering a large area on the sea. It was precisely because of this that everyone panicked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we see Mist Island any more?¡±


    ¡°How would I know why?¡±


    ¡°Has such a thing happened before?¡±


    ¡­


    The range of the mist was already on the same level as the range of a natural disaster. Everyone hurriedly retreated another 10 kilometers and gathered again to discuss the changes on the island.


    An internal force master!


    Soon, they thought about the strongest type of martial artists among the humans.


    This was the realm at the peak of human martial arts on the blue planet. They came and went without a trace. It was impossible to know how many people there were without reaching the same level.


    Everyone only knew that only an internal force master was the only one who could truly resolve the super-large beast tide that the otherworld had launched against the blue planet.


    When they thought about the origin of the name ¡°Mist Island¡±, a bad feeling surfaced in their minds.


    ¡°Could it be that the willow tree king has broken through to the master realm?¡±


    This guess was not baseless.


    The human factions would harvest the willow tree cores on the island every three years and attack the willow tree king every nine years.


    At the same time, in order to allow the island to produce a steady supply of willow tree cores, only a small number of willow trees died during each harvest. Most of the willow trees only had their cores removed.


    All the willow trees on the island would have to recover after being attacked time and time again.


    The harvesting operation of humans had the effect of helping the willow trees to decide to shed their old shells and start over. This could actually help the trees break through to the next cultivation level.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this day to come so soon!¡±


    Someone sighed.


    The willow tree cores were a type of poison that the human factions had no choice but to consume. Even though everyone knew that sooner or later, Mist Island would give rise to an existence that could not be suppressed,


    the problems that might appear in the future would naturally be resolved by the people in the future. This was what most people thought.


    On Mist Island, ¡°The willow tree king actually broke through to the next level!¡±


    Other than Chen Yiming, the people still on the island instantly understood what was going on from the range of the mist.


    The internal force masters had the ability to use the power outside their own bodies for themselves.


    This power was the power of nature that drifted between heaven and earth.


    Otherwise, it was impossible for one to change the weather with just his own internal force.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming and the others relied on their own abilities to escape from the thick mist.


    Other than Chen Yiming, who didn¡¯t know the seriousness of the matter, everyone¡¯s faces were filled with fear. This was the reverence they had for the power of nature.


    The improvement from the third stage of the warrior realm to the master realm was countless times greater than that from an ordinary person to the third stage of the warrior realm.


    No matter how many people there were in the warrior realm, they were still not a match for a master.


    Suddenly, ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The three swords formed from the strength-based internal force stabbed into the ground in front of Lu Zhenshan, forcing him to come to a stop and circle around them.


    ¡°What exactly is happening here?¡±


    A slightly immature male voice echoed in Lu Zhenshan¡¯s ears.


    This voice belonged to Chen Yiming. It sounded like the voice of a demon, and the fear on Lu Zhenshan¡¯s face intensified.


    ¡°The willow tree king has broken through. Run!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan was afraid that the masked man would continue to pester him, so he told him the truth.


    The short pause he had made earlier had greatly reduced his chances of escaping the mist.


    As expected.


    ¡°Swish, swish, swish¡­¡±


    Dozens of tree roots shot out of the mist, half of them aiming at Lu Zhenshan and the other half at Chen Yiming.


    These tree roots had already turned from a faint golden color to a solid golden color. Previously, the willow tree king had been putting on an act to lure the humans led by Ye Jianyuan from the Myriad Phenomena Sect to the center of the island.


    Run!


    The nine swords above Chen Yiming¡¯s head shot out to block the tree roots that were coming at him.


    At the same time, his figure flashed and he disappeared into the thick mist.


    Faced with the threat of death, how could he still be bothered to conceal his identity? The black fog internal force instantly covered an area of about 10 meters, and his figure turned into a small black cloud that moved towards the sea.


    This wasn¡¯t because Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t cover a larger area, but because he was afraid that he would attract too much attention and cause the willow tree king to focus on him.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The sound of rocks exploding came from behind him. The nine swords formed by the strength-based internal force had undoubtedly been shattered by the tree roots.


    This was the first time Chen Yiming had seen his strength-based internal force being destroyed. Those at the master realm were indeed terrifying and he could not provoke them for the time being.


    Not far away, Lu Zhenshan was feeling terrible.


    At this moment, he did not dare to pay any attention to the new tricks the masked man had just used.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Facing the tree roots that were coming after him, Lu Zhenshan cursed. He released four consecutive punches with his internal force.


    After that, he endured his internal injuries and fled towards the nearest shore without looking back.


    After this battle, if he was still alive, the masked man would be Lu Zhenshan¡¯s mortal enemy. This grudge was far beyond what the masked man had achieved by killing the four court heads of the Kunshan Sect.


    In contrast to Lu Zhenshan¡¯s state, after running for a distance, Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    He realized that although the willow tree king would determine his location from where he made contact with the thick mist, then send out tree roots to go after him.


    However, even the willow tree king couldn¡¯t accurately control such a large area of mist especially after the mist had left its body. Chen Yiming could use the black fog to disperse the thick mist.


    This way, even though the willow tree king could still locate the black fog, with a buffer of about 10 meters, Chen Yiming could easily avoid the pursuit of dozens of tree roots.


    At the same time, several battles broke out on the island.


    The way Ye Jianyuan, the head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, dealt with the situation was exactly the same as Chen Yiming.


    However, because he was too close to the willow tree king, he was facing the pursuit of hundreds of tree roots and willow branches.


    ¡°I was too careless this time!¡±


    Even with the black fog confusing the willow tree king and hiding his body¡¯s true location, Ye Jianyuan was still in danger. Not only were his clothes tattered, but there were also many bloodstains on his body. Clearly, he had suffered serious injuries.


    For someone at the master realm, even when facing a warrior at the peak of the warrior realm, the protective internal force was not much different from paper. Once one was caught by the tree roots and willow branches, there was no chance of survival.


    At this moment, the sect master of the Jiyang Sect, Wei Tianlong, had turned into a ball of raging flames, like a phoenix bathed in flames.


    Along the way, other than the willow tree king¡¯s roots and willow branches, all the other mutant plants spontaneously combusted. The ground was charred, and the thick mist condensed into raindrops under the high temperature.


    However, the high temperature could only affect an area of dozens of meters. This range was too small for the thick mist that covered a distance of 10 kilometers.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept this!¡±


    Wei Tianlong let out a furious roar. As he fled, he fought the willow tree king¡¯s roots and willow branches.


    Although the Jiyang Sect¡¯s cultivation technique was known for its powerful head-on combat strength, it was far from enough to deal with someone at the master realm.


    Whether it was his powerful body or the scorching flames, in front of the willow tree king who was at the master realm, he was like a child facing an adult.


    In addition, their positions were similar to Ye Jianyuan¡¯s. They were both near the willow tree king¡¯s area, and the attacks from the willow tree king were much more concentrated than those aimed at Chen Yiming and Lu Zhenshan.


    Before long, the battle in the scorched land had ended.


    The scorched earth was still nearly a kilometer away from the sea, and he was still far from escaping the range of the willow tree king¡¯s pursuit. Wei Tianlong was extremely strong in a head-on battle at the same level, but he was the one who had died the fastest.

 Chapter 189 - Benefactor (I)

    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The loud sounds of the sect masters fighting the willow tree king rang out continuously from Mist Island.


    A large portion of the thick mist was dispersed at the spots where the battles were occurring. It was as if the air trapped in a ball had suddenly exploded in all directions. Countless internal force fragments scattered in all directions and hit the surface of the sea.


    However, the thick mist that covered a range of 10 kilometers quickly filled up the exposed areas.


    The master realm had the power to change the natural phenomena, making the sect masters at the peak of the warrior realm feel as powerless as martial artists facing a celestial being.


    No matter how they struggled, it seemed like they would be trapped in the willow tree king¡¯s domain forever.


    On the sea, the spectators could roughly make out the location of the battles. Coupled with the scene formed by the internal force battles, they could tell which sect master was fighting with the willow tree king.


    Unless one happened to be at the site of a large-scale beast tide from the otherworld, there was no chance for one to witness the moves of humans, mutant beasts, and mutant plants at the level of the master realm.


    ¡°This¡­ The master realm is actually so terrifying!¡±


    Some of the people¡¯s mouths were hanging open in shock.


    ¡°Hehe, what¡¯s there to be surprised about? I¡¯ve seen an even more terrifying sight on the battlefield in the otherworld. A huge palm that reached the sky destroyed an entire super-large beast tide with one strike,¡± someone beside him said.


    It was unknown if this person was telling the truth or if he was exaggerating the news that he had heard from others.


    Suddenly, an elder muttered to himself, ¡°We all owe that masked man our lives.¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice was not loud, but it struck deep into everyone¡¯s hearts.


    This was the truth. If the masked man had not appeared on Mist Island and fought with the Kunshan Sect¡¯s Sect Master, Lu Zhenshan, they would definitely still be searching for the willow tree cores on the island.


    Many people were stunned for a moment and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. If we hadn¡¯t retreated in advance, we wouldn¡¯t have survived.¡±


    The sect masters of the large sects who were struggling to escape were still in danger of dying on the island.


    When facing the willow tree king, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, most of the people at the peak of the warrior realm would be held back on the island and eventually end up as fertilizer.


    A middle-aged man shook his head and sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, the masked man has always been a lone wolf. We won¡¯t have a chance to repay him for saving our lives.¡±


    Many people rolled their eyes at the middle-aged man.


    Repay his kindness?


    Would he even be concerned with a small fry like you?


    He was probably just trying to take advantage of the situation. His true goal was to cozy up to someone powerful.


    More and more people started to talk about the masked man. Just as the masked man was being praised as their savior,


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The three teams of disciples from the Kunshan Sect were also among them. Some of the disciples could not help but stand up and curse.


    The masked man had fought with the sect master of the Kunshan Sect and chased these people out of Mist Island. All the good reputation had been taken by the masked man, but no one felt that they owed the Kunshan Sect anything.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The middle-aged man, who had been shaking his head while sighing and saying how he wanted to repay the masked man, immediately shut his mouth.


    The Kunshan Sect was a large sect in the province after all. Most of the factions could not afford to offend them. It would be troublesome if they targeted them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you guys have done?¡±


    Everyone present looked a little unhappy, but no one retorted. They could only mutter to themselves.


    Lu Zhenshan, the sect master of a large sect at the peak of the warrior realm, actually did not care about his reputation at all and participated in the disputes among those at a lower level through making use of loopholes in the rules.


    This action had already been seen through by most of the factions. Otherwise, why hadn¡¯t they appeared?


    Although they could not be sure which faction they were targeting, it was still a thorn in their hearts.


    What if it was themselves being targeted?


    Not only had the opportunity that he had worked so hard for been snatched away, but in order to not leave any evidence, those from the faction that had been targeted would definitely lose their lives.


    How could they not bear a grudge for such an act of bullying the weak?


    ¡­


    Mist Island, by the sea near the ruins of the valley.


    A ball of black fog suddenly made a small turn and quickly approached Lu Zhenshan, who was constantly dodging the tree roots and retreating towards the sea.


    At this moment, because they were already very far from the center of the island, and the willow tree king had to deal with several people at once, the intensity of the tree roots¡¯ attacks had already decreased.


    Compared to when they first started to escape, the intensity of the attacks had decreased by about a third.


    ¡°Ye Jianyuan, what are you doing?!¡±


    Seeing a ball of black fog quickly approaching, Lu Zhenshan cursed.


    The Kunshan Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect were enemies to begin with. The two factions had been at odds with each other year after year, creating an irreconcilable feud between them.


    It was obvious what the other party¡¯s motive was when they met at this time.


    Chen Yiming chuckled to himself and remained silent.


    A shadow longsword formed from the black fog internal force shot out from the thick mist.


    The black fog and thick mist were both smoke-based, causing the concealment ability of the shadow sword to increase.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan, who had just moved to dodge the tree roots, was stabbed by the shadow sword and almost lost his balance.


    This was not all. The tree roots that were chasing after the masked man suddenly stopped and turned to attack Lu Zhenshan, increasing the pressure on him. He was suddenly in a desperate situation.


    This was equivalent to Chen Yiming working together with double the number of tree roots to deal with Lu Zhenshan.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan did not have the luxury to curse at him. He was forced to use the internal force from his fist to block some of the tree roots before flying back in retreat.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    Before he could catch his breath, three more shadow swords shot out from the thick mist.


    The shadow swords were ambushing him from the front while the tree roots chased after him from the back. Lu Zhenshan almost spat out a mouthful of blood.


    How unlucky was he?


    First, he encountered the masked man who was a thorn in his side, then the willow tree king who had broken through to the master realm, and finally, he was stopped by Ye Jianyuan, his enemy.


    Any one of these events had a small probability of occurring. Three of them happening one after another was something that would only occur in novels. It was hard to imagine that such a thing would happen in reality.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break it!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan endured his internal injuries and roared. He instantly shot out two streams of internal force from his left and right fists. One blocked the three shadow swords, and the other blocked the tree roots.


    However, just as Lu Zhenshan was about to retreat, nine more shadow swords shot over from all directions, sealing off all his routes of escape.


    Even though the willow tree king had broken through to the master realm, compared to the willow branches that were attacking at high speed, the tree roots¡¯ attacks were still mainly concentrated at one spot.


    Speed was not what the tree roots were good at. Otherwise, no one would have a chance to escape from the island.


    On the other hand, the shadow sword was more suited for sneak attacks. It was slightly less lethal than the sword made from the strength-based internal force, but at this moment, with the help of the tree roots, it was the most suitable choice.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    An earth-shattering explosion rang out.


    Unable to dodge, Lu Zhenshan could only use his internal force to withstand the sneak attack from the nine shadow swords.


    This caused him to be severely injured. Three shadow swords pierced through his body and his protective internal force, which had already cracked, and stabbed him in both shoulders and one of his thighs.


    At the last moment, he forcefully mobilized his internal force to block the attack. He barely managed to keep his body intact and prevent his limbs from being destroyed by the internal force explosions.


    At the same time, Lu Zhenshan shouted amidst the explosions.


    ¡°How can the willow tree king, which has broken through to the master realm, only have this kind of tricks?¡±


    ¡°You deliberately delayed me. Even if you kill me, you can forget about escaping alive.¡±


    This was indeed the case. The power of the master realm to change the weather should not have been used only to create a thick mist.


    Chen Yiming frowned and didn¡¯t continue to attack.


    Although he could not be sure if Lu Zhenshan was telling the truth or not, or if he was only telling half the truth, he had managed to obtain some useful information.


    As the sect master of a large sect at the peak of the warrior realm, Lu Zhenshan had come into contact with more advanced knowledge than Chen Yiming.

 Chapter 190 - Benefactor (II)

    The other party definitely knew how powerful the master realm was, unlike him.


    At this moment, escaping with his life was the most important thing. Whether he could leave Lu Zhenshan on Mist Island was secondary.


    Suddenly, it was as if the willow tree king had responded to Lu Zhenshan¡¯s words.


    Countless dazzling golden lights shone out from under the ground of the entire island.


    From the sky, the thick mist covering an area of 10 kilometers was instantly pierced through like a porcupine, and countless golden chains reached out into the sky.


    On the sea where the spectators were gathered, ¡°What¡¯s that!¡± someone screamed loudly.


    The golden chains not only pierced through the thick mist, but also the clouds above the island.


    In addition, the clouds were absorbed by the golden chains in the blink of an eye and completely disappeared.


    ¡°This is too scary. Can those sect masters escape?¡±


    Most people were puzzled.


    If the golden chains instantly absorbed the clouds, one would probably die immediately upon making contact with it. Those below the master realm would not be able to withstand it at all.


    ¡°Sect Master¡­¡±


    The disciples of the Kunshan Sect were all worried as they stared intently in the direction of Mist Island.


    They had just experienced the death of four court heads. If the sect master died here, the Kunshan Sect would suffer more than just heavy losses.


    There was no need to say what the consequences would be.


    At the periphery of the island, near the sea, facing the sudden attack from the golden light coming from underground, Chen Yiming quickly dodged. At the same time, he spread the black fog to a range of 100 meters, giving him more room to move.


    The golden chains attacked in a straight line. Although they were extremely fast, Chen Yiming used his internal force to maintain a height of more than 10 meters in the air in order to dodge the tree roots coming from underground.


    The black fog had concealed his exact location, and there was a distance of more than 10 meters between them. This was enough for him to find a gap to avoid the golden chains that reached out to the sky.


    Below, ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan, who had only just managed to catch his breath, suddenly laughed.


    Bright red blood flowed out of his entire body, and he had turned into a bloody figure.


    The Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist targeted the five internal organs of the human body, so he could naturally use that strange power to strengthen his internal organs.


    A sense of vitality emanated from Lu Zhenshan¡¯s body. Chen Yiming had experienced this feeling before. It was similar to the appearance of an invisible circuitry between his cells that could transfer vitality from one cell to another.


    This was a secret technique that the Kunshan Sect could cultivate from the complete Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist Technique.


    They could get attacked first before counterattacking to injure their opponents. Usually, they would use that strange internal force to continuously stimulate their internal organs. Coupled with a special concoction that produced additional life force, their internal organs would receive a vitality boost.


    When they needed to risk their lives, they would use their strange internal force to stimulate the special parts of their organs and release the life force that was usually stored in them.


    As time passed, there would be a qualitative change. For a short period of time, the effect would be similar to that of Chen Yiming¡¯s Undying Body talent.


    ¡°Ye Jianyuan, just you wait. The dispute between the Kunshan Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect is just irreconcilable!¡± Lu Zhenshan said ruthlessly.


    Of course, he did not know what abilities the willow tree king, who had broken through to the master realm, was hiding, but it was definitely not that simple.


    When Chen Yiming stopped, he thought that it was because Ye Jianyuan had chickened out at the last moment. He had decided to split the risk between the two of them and prioritize his own survival.


    After the first wave of attack from the golden chains ended, the second wave started after the golden chains locked on to all of the humans¡¯ positions.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Lu Zhenshan traveled almost in a straight line and charged towards the shore as though he was teleporting.


    There were countless golden chains blocking the way for hundreds of meters, and many screams sounded along the way.


    Lu Zhenshan didn¡¯t have Chen Yiming¡¯s black fog ability to conceal his body. The golden chains could accurately lock onto his position, so it was naturally impossible for him to avoid them completely.


    The large amount of vitality and internal force in his body was constantly being absorbed by the golden chains. Fortunately, they were quickly separated after making contact, and there was an endless stream of additional life force to replenish it. Coupled with the additional resistance brought about by the activity, he could barely hold on.


    Otherwise, under normal circumstances, Lu Zhenshan would have long been sucked dry by the power of the master realm.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I never planned to let you leave,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he followed Lu Zhenshan.


    At the same time, the black fog that was originally 100 meters wide instantly expanded to nearly a kilometer, covering Lu Zhenshan.


    The sea was right in front of Lu Zhenshan when his vision suddenly turned black.


    This forced him to stop in his tracks. There were golden chains everywhere. If they pierced straight through his body, no amount of additional life force would be enough to counter the willow tree king¡¯s absorption ability.


    When did Ye Jianyuan¡¯s black fog expand?


    He had clearly put enough distance between them?


    Lu Zhenshan and Ye Jianyuan were old rivals, and they knew each other very well.


    The strength of the internal force after fusion was far stronger than the internal force of a single cultivation technique. The strength of Ye Jianyuan¡¯s black fog internal force alone could at most support him to expand the black fog to a range of 100 meters.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the real Ye Jianyuan!¡±


    In an instant, a terrifying thought appeared in his mind.


    Then, ¡°The quantity and strength of the shadow sword from before are also different.¡±


    Lu Zhenshan recalled the previous scene in his mind and discovered more abnormalities.


    The reason why he had not noticed it earlier was mainly because he was in a life-and-death situation where the tree roots were threatening him. He did not have the time to think about it.


    Secondly, at that time, a large number of cracks had already appeared on his internal force defense, and the effectiveness of his protection had decreased greatly. He subconsciously thought that it was not unusual for it to be pierced through by the nine shadow swords.


    At this moment, as Ye Jianyuan¡¯s longtime opponent, he realized that something was amiss when he calmed down to think about it.


    In particular, Ye Jianyuan¡¯s black fog had always been used as a supplementary ability. Its lethality had always come from the internal force after fusion, not the shadow sword formed by the black fog internal force.


    Nine shadow swords.


    There was someone who had such a habit.


    Was it him?


    The masked man¡¯s appearance suddenly appeared in his mind.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Under the cover of the black fog, the 100-meter-long sword formed by the strength-based internal force struck Lu Zhenshan, who was standing still, and sent him flying.


    ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah!¡±


    Continuous screams rang out.


    Lu Zhenshan¡¯s body collided with the golden chains, instantly attracting the attention of the willow tree king. A few more golden chains instantly shot out from the ground and pierced through his limbs and chest.


    Lu Zhenshan¡¯s protective internal force collapsed. Immediately after, his flesh, fat, internal force, and other things that could be absorbed were all extracted like water by the golden chains.


    The entire process only lasted for a few moments. Lu Zhenshan struggled with all his might, but because he had lost a large amount of flesh and blood, his entire body felt as weak as if it had lost all its strength.


    Finally, his entire body was blown away by the wind, turning into a large amount of powder that scattered all over the ground.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming, who was not far away, gasped.


    Even the vitality brought about by the Level-2 Undying Body talent might not be able to withstand the golden chains from the willow tree king.


    The only good news was that even though the willow tree king had broken through to the master realm, its intelligence was still not very high. All its attacks were still based on its instincts.


    From the way it used the golden chains, it could be seen that although it was powerful, its movements were not very flexible. It was just shooting out randomly.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming took one last glance at the powder, which was all that was left of Lu Zhenshan¡¯s corpse, and charged out of the island under the cover of the black fog.


    However, the escape from the island was still not over. He was still within the range of the thick mist.


    As expected, very soon, ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    At the bottom of the sea near the island, thick golden tree roots shot out of the water like sea monsters, chasing after the black fog in which Chen Yiming was hiding.


    Countless tree roots, like tentacles, surrounded Chen Yiming from all directions.


    At the same time, a large number of golden chains shot towards Chen Yiming.


    However, after leaving the island, the space to dodge had become infinitely larger. On the other hand, the golden chains had to be shot out from the willow tree king¡¯s body.


    Under the cover of the black fog, Chen Yiming easily dodged the attacks from the golden chains and tree roots.

 Chapter 191 - Funeral (I)

    Two days later.


    At the port of Coconut Island City, the capital of East Sea Province, Chen Yiming arrived empty-handed and traveling light. He was wearing a training robe from the Myriad Phenomena Sect as he alighted from the cruise ship.


    Beside him were Xu Zhang, who was wearing the Mantis Snake Sword School¡¯s training robe, and some of the Xu clan¡¯s subordinates.


    The cruise ship came from West Bamboo City. Along the way, it maintained the escort of several warriors and circled around the coast to reach Coconut Island City.


    On the sightseeing cruise ship, there was a special coating on the bottom of the ship to expel mutant beasts. In addition, they had hired warriors to escort them. Every trip cost a lot, and ordinary small martial arts factions could not afford such an expense.


    This was what Xu Zhang¡¯s faction had done to express their intentions. All of this was to curry favor with Chen Yiming, a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    At this moment, there were already private cars waiting by the roadside. A few more followed behind, forming a convoy.


    Seeing this, the pedestrians near the docks stopped and watched.


    ¡°Look over there. There¡¯s someone from the Myriad Phenomena Sect,¡± a tall and thin young man whispered.


    ¡°In the past two days, the Myriad Phenomena Sect has become famous in East Sea Province.¡±


    The burly man beside him nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, their sect master is among those who successfully escaped from Mist Island during the incident,¡± the tall and thin young man said in a low voice.


    ¡°If only I could join a large sect like the Myriad Phenomena Sect,¡± a short man beside them said enviously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big problem. Go back to sleep. You can do anything you want in your dreams,¡± the tall and thin man laughed coldly.


    ¡°Hehe, and a single ferry ticket can make you go bankrupt.¡±


    The burly man also laughed.


    The incident that happened on Mist Island two days ago had shaken East Sea Province and even half of the Daxia Kingdom.


    The death of several sect masters, the mysterious masked man, the disappearance of Mist Island, the breakthrough of the willow tree king, and so on had become the hot topics for discussion.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm as he and Xu Zhang quickly got into the car at the front. While the crowd continued their discussion, they sped away.


    The purpose of this trip was to go to the funeral parlor in Coconut Island City and participate in the memorial service for the sect master of a large sect who had died on Mist Island.


    Chen Yiming had originally been escorting Xu Zhang back to West Bamboo City and was about to return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect when he suddenly received an order from Zhou Xuesheng¡¯s disciple. He was forced to change directions and head to Coconut Island City.


    In order to ensure that the escort mission to West Bamboo City was as flawless as possible, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reject the hospitality of Xu Zhang¡¯s faction.


    In the car, in order to avoid an awkward silence, Xu Zhang said, ¡°The Mantis Snake Sword Technique is indeed worthy of its reputation. Now, everyone is saying that the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect relied on this technique to easily get out of a life and death situation.¡±


    Xu Zhang¡¯s target was the Mantis Snake Court to begin with, and Chen Yiming was a disciple of the court. Naturally, he would seize the opportunity to praise the Mantis Snake Court¡¯s cultivation technique.


    Not many people knew the true situation on Mist Island better than Chen Yiming. He held back his laughter and nodded. ¡°You have a point. The black fog internal force is indeed good for escaping.¡±


    Xu Zhang¡¯s expression froze. The moment this disciple from the Mantis Snake Court spoke, he had lowered the value of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique. He did not know how to continue.


    Usually, sword techniques focused on killing, and the Mantis Snake Sword Technique was naturally the same. In the dark night, it was often difficult for the enemy to withstand the fast sword attacks coming under the cover of darkness.


    Chen Yiming was only using the black fog internal force as a support because the strength-based internal force was more compatible with his Undying Body talent.


    After a moment of awkwardness, Xu Zhang immediately changed the topic. ¡°Even though they were both facing the willow tree king, I heard that the sect master of the Kunshan Sect died on the island, but the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect was unharmed.


    This is really too impressive. The difference between the two sides is obvious. From now on, the Kunshan Sect will definitely be left far behind.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor. The sect master of the Kunshan Sect was forced to retreat during the fight with the masked man. His internal force must have been greatly exhausted. This might be the reason why he died on the island.¡±


    The sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, had been killed by him. However, at that time, the entire Mist Island was covered in a thick mist, and only he knew the truth. Therefore, he could only use the scene that the spectators saw as an explanation.


    Xu Zhang thought to himself, ¡°Of course I know this.¡±


    However, this person was too straightforward. As a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he actually did not elevate his own sect and belittle his enemy.


    Xu Zhang could only agree. ¡°That¡¯s true. The sect master of the Kunshan Sect is a little unlucky. No one expected that the masked man would be so strong. The sect master was suppressed instead.¡±


    Not long after, the convoy arrived at the funeral parlor in Coconut Island City.


    At this moment, the entrance of the funeral parlor was completely cordoned off. There were people in charge of verifying their identities, and it was not like anyone could enter as they pleased.


    As a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Chen Yiming walked straight into the funeral parlor.


    Xu Zhang, on the other hand, was stopped and asked to leave. Although he was a disciple of the Mantis Snake Sword School, the school was actually just an external organization that was used to search for talented people. He was not a true member of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    The Xu clan was only a small martial arts clan in West Bamboo City. In a provincial city like Coconut Island City, they did not amount to much and he did not have the right to attend the memorial service.


    The funeral parlor was filled with many people who had come to attend the memorial service.


    Other than the factions that had participated in the trip to Mist Island, they were mainly the upper echelons of the East Sea Province, including the government, the military, and some civilian factions.


    Chen Yiming scanned the area and took some time before he found Zhou Xuesheng.


    At this moment, the other two court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect were not around. There were a few disciples beside Zhou Xuesheng, and one of them was Su Mo¡¯er, whom Chen Yiming had met before in the library.


    Su Mo¡¯er had previously given Chen Yiming the impression that she only wanted to cultivate on the mountain. She was very afraid of taking risks and was unwilling to leave the mountain to carry out missions.


    However, she had actually followed Zhou Xuesheng to a dangerous place like Mist Island.


    Chen Yiming thought of something.


    It seemed like he was wrong. The chances of the willow tree king breaking through to the master realm were extremely low.


    Most of the time, a large provincial sect like the Myriad Phenomena Sect would have three court heads protecting the disciples on Mist Island. No faction would dare to provoke them easily. This way, there would not be much danger.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so many people to come.¡±


    Chen Yiming walked over and greeted them.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Zhou Xuesheng said when he saw who it was.


    ¡°I wonder what happened that caused Master to call me over?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Logically speaking, the Myriad Phenomena Sect was not in a situation like the Kunshan Sect, where the sect master had died. Although there were many people of different factions in the East Sea Province, no one would dare to attack the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡°Jiangnan province has already started to prepare to build a long-term stronghold in the otherworld. After the sect master escaped from Mist Island, he has already been arranged to oversee it. Therefore, we need to be careful,¡± Zhou Xuesheng explained in a low voice.


    Since the precious willow tree cores could mainly be found on Mist Island, the higher-ups of Jiangnan Province had originally planned to officially start the stronghold plan after the trip to Mist Island ended.


    However, who would have thought that two sect masters of large sects would die in Jiangnan province on this trip to Mist Island?


    However, this involved a huge plan by the entire Daxia Kingdom. Therefore, even if the top forces in Jiangnan province were weakened, they still had to follow the original plan.


    This was an open secret among the upper echelons of Jiangnan province. However, Chen Yiming¡¯s level was too low, so he didn¡¯t know about it.

 Chapter 192 - Funeral (II)

    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    The sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Ye Jianyuan, had gone to the otherworld to oversee the stronghold. This meant that the Myriad Phenomena Sect had suddenly lost its strongest backing. In fact, the entire Jiangnan province was in the same situation.


    This way, the deterrence of the Myriad Phenomena Sect would naturally decrease greatly in the short term. They had to move as a group outside of Jiangnan province to prevent anyone from attacking them.


    After passing on the message to Chen Yiming, Zhou Xuesheng arranged for them to wait where they were. Then, with a serious expression, he went to discuss it with the other two court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    After Zhou Xuesheng left, Su Mo¡¯er took the initiative to say, ¡°Junior Brother, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±


    It had been two days since the incident on Mist Island, but her face was still a little pale. Clearly, she had not completely calmed down since then.


    The male true disciples nearby who didn¡¯t know him looked at him with displeased expressions as they sized Chen Yiming up.


    Although they came from different inner courts, they were one level higher than Chen Yiming on the surface. Previously, they had already heard from Zhou Xuesheng that this inner sect disciple would come to meet them.


    The team led by Zhou Xuesheng already had Su Mo¡¯er, who was a burden to them. However, Su Mo¡¯er had a good figure and had some level of charisma, so everyone subconsciously ignored her weaker combat strength.


    As for Chen Yiming, they didn¡¯t know him, so they subconsciously labeled him as a burden.


    In one team, there were two burdens. Chen Yiming suddenly felt like he was an unwelcome addition.


    However, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered about it. ¡°I happened to be on a mission in East Sea province. I didn¡¯t expect to suddenly be summoned here.¡±


    Su Mo¡¯er pursed her lips and whispered, ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯re really daring. If it were me, I would definitely stay quietly in the mountains.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow and said calmly, ¡°I heard that several sect masters from large sects died on this trip to Mist Island. Senior Sister, I¡¯m honestly impressed that you actually dared to participate.¡±


    Su Mo¡¯er blushed and quickly explained, ¡°That¡¯s not it. In the past, there wasn¡¯t much danger on Mist Island. I was only trying to make use of my last chance to master the transformation of my internal force, so I begged the court head to bring me along¡­¡±


    After she spoke, she sighed regretfully. ¡°Unfortunately, the valley that produces the most willow tree cores was monopolized by one person. We worked so hard for nothing the entire time. We didn¡¯t get anything out of it.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt a little bad about it and stopped teasing Su Mo¡¯er.


    The entire valley¡¯s willow tree cores and the spiritual spring had been sucked dry by him alone. In the end, even the roots of the willow trees had been destroyed by him and Lu Zhenshan.


    Even without the willow tree king breaking through to the master realm, the valley would not have recovered in three years.


    Since they had missed this opportunity to get the willow tree cores this time, it meant that they had lost the chance forever.


    Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s face was filled with disappointment. Once she started talking, it was as if she could not stop. She continued, ¡°Junior Brother, I¡¯ve discussed the plan you suggested to me with the court head. He said that it makes sense, but he thinks that the risk is still very high. I¡¯ll have to consider it carefully.¡±


    Hmph! Woman, do you know what you missed?


    Chen Yiming nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to play it safe. I was just throwing out a suggestion.¡±


    Chen Yiming, who had mastered two complete concept diagram techniques, had a clearer understanding of the fusion of internal force, let alone the simple combination of two types of internal force.


    However, on the surface, he was just an inner sect disciple. It was normal for others to not have confidence in him.


    It would work out if she believed Chen Yiming, but if she didn¡¯t, she would just remain stuck. Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t the one who would have any regrets.


    Hearing this, Su Mo¡¯er became even more discouraged.


    Since Chen Yiming had already said so, she didn¡¯t dare to take her future lightly. Furthermore, she was a timid person.


    The speaker did not have any special intent behind his words, but the listener would read into it and find some meaning behind it.


    The look that the nearby male true disciples gave Chen Yiming changed from displeased to hostile.


    A mere inner sect disciple was actually so arrogant as to casually give pointers to others after learning a little.


    It had to be known that the problem Su Mo¡¯er was facing was not an ordinary problem. If she was not careful, it was very likely that her martial arts path would be cut off.


    Chen Yiming ignored their gazes.


    Who was the frog at the bottom of the well would be revealed soon.


    Every dog had its day. He hoped that when the time came, they would not shamelessly come over to beg for guidance.


    Soon after, melancholic music rang out.


    The host came to the stage and announced the start of the memorial service.


    The atmosphere in the entire venue suddenly became oppressive. Many people could not help but put themselves in the shoes of those who had died. They might be the next to die.


    Zhou Xuesheng reappeared and brought the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect to the back. They lined up and waited for their turn to go up and offer their prayers.


    First, it was the higher-ups of the East Sea Provincial Government and the military. Then, it was the representatives of the various martial arts factions. Chen Yiming and the others following Zhou Xuesheng were among them.


    There were professional photographers at the side who recorded these scenes.


    Soon, it was their turn.


    Following the crowd, the group arrived in front of the photos.


    These photos were divided into two types. There were five in the top row, and dozens of photos at the bottom.


    The photos on top were of the leaders of the large sects who had died. Most of the photos below were of people who had died from the aftershock of the battle between Chen Yiming and Lu Zhenshan.


    Great reward comes with great risk. While most people had evacuated in advance, these people had gone to the place where the two warriors at the peak of the warrior realm were fighting to find the willow tree cores.


    Once they could not dodge the flying internal force fragments, they would die instantly.


    ¡°Jiangnan province actually lost two sect masters from large sects at once.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed to himself.


    He read the brief descriptions under the photos and found out that the sect master of the Jiyang Sect, Wei Tianlong, was also on the list of people who had died. The other three sect masters were from East Sea province, Minzhou province, and Yuedong province.


    Even with the sudden death of two sect masters, the long-term plan to have a stronghold in the otherworld continued as planned.


    On the other hand, this also meant that the overall level of martial arts in Jiangnan province was not on the same level as most other provinces. Among all the provinces in the Daxia Kingdom, only a few provinces were stronger than Jiangnan province.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and the others returned from the stage.


    ¡°Our Jiangnan province is really unlucky. Many other provinces along the coast have not lost a single sect master,¡± Su Mo¡¯er pouted and whispered.


    As a member of Jiangnan province, she felt an indescribable discomfort.


    This was probably how one felt sad at the loss of one¡¯s kind.


    Chen Yiming glanced at her and whispered, ¡°This isn¡¯t entirely a bad thing, right? At least not for us.¡±


    As a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, if he could not obtain the method to fuse the internal force from his own sect, it should not be a problem to get it from the enemy, the Kunshan Sect, right?


    Perhaps, those things would be like a hot potato for the Kunshan Sect at this moment. If he took over the sect as the masked man, he could stop the other factions from spying on him.


    The Kunshan Sect was no longer strong enough. They had to retire from their position as a large sect at the provincial level. However, at the very least, their scale was not something that the lower-level factions could compare to for the time being. It should not be a problem for them to protect themselves.


    Zhou Xuesheng glared at Chen Yiming, indicating for him to keep his mouth shut.


    At this moment, the memorial service was still ongoing. It would not be appropriate if others had heard him. Some things were better left unsaid.


    The disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, who were previously frowning, relaxed at Chen Yiming¡¯s words.


    The one who benefited the most from the loss of power of the Kunshan Sect was naturally the opposing faction, the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The two factions had conflicts all year round, and the more conflicts there were, the more they knew about each other.


    Now that the sect master of the Kunshan Sect had fallen, they had to shrink their sphere of influence. The Myriad Phenomena Sect could often make a move faster than other factions.


    All the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect would benefit indirectly.

 Chapter 193 - Monthly Assessment (I)

    The moon was shining brightly, and the autumn wind was blowing.


    In a courtyard of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Dai Yuanhang and Bai Hengliang sat around the stone table, both of them a little distracted.


    Time passed quickly. During the concept diagram cultivation assessment last month, Dai Yuanhang did not perform too well. His ranking among the inner sect disciples fell to the middle upper level.


    Half of the month would soon be over, and the next assessment was not far away. Thinking back on what he had learned during this period of time, he could not feel any substantial improvement.


    If his results at the next assessment remained the same or continued to fall, it clearly meant that the other inner sect disciples were improving faster than him. It also meant that he had entered a bottleneck in his cultivation and was starting to fall behind.


    This was a huge blow to him, and he became a little frustrated.


    Bai Hengliang, on the other hand, had been friendzoned by a junior sister from the outer sect he liked. This junior sister from the outer sect had gotten to know a true disciple from another inner court and no longer accepted his date invitations.


    There was still a huge difference between an inner sect disciple and a true disciple.


    The completion of the original concept diagram was generally around 60% for true disciples, and 30% for inner sect disciples.


    The degree of completion represented the level of mastery of the concept diagram. Although 60% completion was still a distance away from mastering the transformation of internal force, it was more than enough to cultivate a secondary warrior realm technique.


    At 30% completion, the upper limit was to cultivate a secondary technique of the warrior realm. At most, one could only chase after the tail of a true disciple.


    Therefore, even if everyone was stuck at a bottleneck forever, true disciples would usually at least become the head of a martial arts school after leaving the mountain, while inner sect disciples would often become fighters under some faction.


    The head managed a martial arts school on his own, while the fighter was only a member of a faction. The difference in status between the two was huge, and the future of a true disciple was naturally not something that inner sect disciples could compare to.


    Dai Yuanhang suddenly closed the book on the stone table and glanced at the entrance of the courtyard. He said in a normal tone, ¡°You said that Chen Yiming has been missing for a few days. Why isn¡¯t he back yet?¡±


    A few days ago, the two of them had discussed the fusion of their internal force. Chen Yiming had gained his approval, and at this moment, he urgently needed someone who shared the same interests as him to discuss the problems he had encountered in his cultivation.


    Bai Hengliang, who was thinking about his junior sister¡¯s smile, woke up from his daze. He frowned and replied, ¡°It should be quite chaotic in East Sea province now. He should be returning with the team led by the court head.¡±


    Not only was the sect master of a large sect in Jiangnan province assigned to a stronghold in the otherworld, but all the provinces in the entire Daxia Kingdom were in a similar situation. It was just that the timing was slightly different.


    As a result, the Daxia Kingdom had temporarily lost the deterrence brought about by those at the peak of the warrior realm, causing the factions in the wilderness to become especially active.


    They changed the topic.


    ¡°I heard rumors today that after the next assessment, a portion of the inner sect disciples will have to leave the mountain to carry out missions,¡±


    Dai Yuanhang sighed and muttered to himself.


    For a research-type disciple like him, what he was most afraid of was leaving the mountain of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Bai Hengliang ignored him and fell into a daze again. To him, while personal cultivation was very important, so was his beautiful junior sister. After losing her, he needed some time to recover.


    In the courtyard, Qian Bingnan, who was practicing his swordsmanship, stopped and shouted, ¡°Dai Yuanhang, don¡¯t be afraid. The sect master of the Kunshan Sect has died. This is a good opportunity to go down the mountain and earn points with your contributions.¡±


    When Dai Yuanhang heard this, he rolled his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t get along with someone like you who only cares about your muscles.¡±


    Qian Bingnan did not think much of it and placed his hand on Dai Yuanhang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Even if you have to leave the mountain, don¡¯t you still have me to protect you?¡±


    Dai Yuanhang slapped Qian Bingnan¡¯s sweaty hand away in disdain. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not certain who¡¯s protecting who.¡±


    Qian Bingnan¡¯s previous assessment results were not as good as Dai Yuanhang¡¯s. In other words, his control over his internal force was worse than Dai Yuanhang¡¯s. Although actual combat was affected by many factors, in theory, Dai Yuanhang was indeed the stronger of the two.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming returned to the Myriad Phenomena Sect. He pushed open the door and asked,


    ¡°I heard you guys talking about the assessment from afar. Could it be that those who did badly will be sent down the mountain?¡±


    Chen Yiming was very interested in the assessment. He wasn¡¯t really concerned about the results, but how far he should display his abilities.


    Qian Bingnan¡¯s face was filled with excitement as he took the initiative to say, ¡°That¡¯s right. The sect master of the Kunshan Sect died in an accident. This is a good opportunity to snatch their territory. When the time comes, we brothers will work together to earn points.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°What I really wanted to ask about is the assessment.¡±


    Seeing that Chen Yiming, who he could click well with, had returned, Dai Yuanhang relaxed a little. He said sternly, ¡°Chen Yiming, don¡¯t listen to Qian Bingnan¡¯s nonsense. You¡¯ve just entered the sect and are at the stage of rapid improvement. How could you be sent down the mountain?¡±


    The books on the mountain were not something that the martial arts schools at the foot of the mountain could compare to. Generally, the disciples who just entered the sect would undergo a period of rapid improvement before their growth stabilized.


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved. I¡¯m just a little worried about the assessment.¡±


    The topic was brought back to what he wanted to hear about.


    Dai Yuanhang waved his hand and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a big problem even if the results for your first assessment are not ideal. After that¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    From Dai Yuanhang, he learned about the situation during the previous assessments.


    Very few true disciples could replicate 80% to 90% of the concept diagram. Most of them reached around 60%, while inner sect disciples usually reached around 30%. 40% was considered a good grade.


    Within half a year of entering the sect, 20% was the normal level.


    Considering that he had to display top-notch talent at the disciple level in order to quickly surpass his status as a disciple and enter the core of the Myriad Phenomena Sect,


    Chen Yiming had to perform exceptionally well in this assessment.


    ¡­


    After returning to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, a week passed.


    As a new disciple, Chen Yiming stayed in the sect without going outside.


    Every day, he would research the problems he encountered during the internal force fusion. From time to time, he would go to the library to read through the information left behind by his seniors. He would also often find opportunities to communicate with the elder in the library.


    On the mountain, although most of the disciples still maintained their normal cultivation pace, they could still feel the change in the atmosphere. The naturally harmonious and quiet atmosphere had disappeared, and was replaced by a sense of urgency.


    The reason was that going down the mountain to carry out a mission meant that they would have to fight. Everyone was trying to make last-minute preparations to improve their combat ability as much as possible.


    To the disciples of the large sects, their future was full of limitless possibilities. They did not want to simply be defeated on one of their missions.


    Below the mountain, the various provinces began to implement the plan to establish a long-term stronghold in the otherworld for the Daxia Kingdom. For a time, the wilderness became lively again.


    With the sect masters at the peak of the warrior realm gone, the big shots at the second stage of the warrior realm were the top combatants in the wilderness.


    Because there were more people at this level than at the level of the sect masters of large sects, the conflicts between them naturally became very frequent.


    The situation in Jiangnan province was especially dire. The Jiyang Sect and the Kunshan Sect had suddenly shrunk their sphere of influence, leaving countless territories unprotected.


    Unless they did not have enough strength, no faction could resist the temptation to take over the territory for free, causing much bloodshed.


    The Blue Cloud Sword Sect was a large sect near Luoxi City. After receiving the news from Mist Island, they immediately called all the people they had sent to Jiangnan province back to the sect.


    Furthermore, while Li Daoyi was assigned to the stronghold in the otherworld, the three peak masters each brought a group of disciples to stay in Luoxi City.


    This was to prevent the masked men from attacking the sect and wiping out the Blue Cloud Sword Sect in one fell swoop.

 Chapter 194 - Monthly Assessment (II)

    However, what attracted the most attention in the civilian martial arts world was not the disputes between the various large factions, but the Hao clan, who had returned to Fragrance City.


    Due to the fact that no one from the Yinfeng Sect was alive, only the Hao clan knew that they had made contact with the masked man. Furthermore, everyone who was present at the time was grounded as soon as they returned to the clan.


    Back then, many factions had seen Hao Yuying lead the masked man over to the valley.


    There were rumors that Hao Yuying¡¯s situation was similar to Mo Yanfei¡¯s. The Hao clan did not admit or deny it. Since there was a precedent, the outside world also tacitly agreed that this news was true.


    Therefore, the Hao clan instantly became a rising power in Fragrance City. The various factions in the city quickly sent gifts to befriend them, and even the city guards held a banquet for the Hao clan.


    Although this was a misunderstanding, and Chen Yiming had left after escaping from the willow tree king¡¯s mist, the Hao clan didn¡¯t dare to explain themselves.


    The reason was that if the Hao clan revealed the truth, there were more than one or two factions that had a grudge against the masked man. They could not do anything to the masked man, but they could do something to the small Hao clan.


    This was especially true for the Kunshan Sect. They had indirectly blamed Hao Yuying for Lu Zhenshan¡¯s death and wanted nothing more than to wipe out the entire Hao clan.


    Therefore, even though they knew that if the truth was exposed in the future, the entire Hao clan would fall from the clouds into the abyss, they had no choice but to hold on to the lie.


    ¡­


    Another week passed.


    In the concept diagram area in the library of the Mantis Snake Court,


    all the true disciples and inner sect disciples were gathered. The monthly assessment for their concept diagram cultivation was underway.


    Dozens of wooden tables were arranged in five rows. Stools, pens, and paper were already prepared.


    Every disciple of the Mantis Snake Court was focused on copying the nine black fog concept diagrams hanging on the walls.


    The nine black fog concept diagrams shared some similarities but also had many differences. If the concept contained within them was not truly comprehended, there would be many mistakes when copying them.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Some of the disciples¡¯ faces were red. They had felt that the outcome would not be good even during the assessment. They would definitely not be able to escape from leaving the mountain to carry out missions.


    ¡°Stay calm,¡± Dai Yuanhang kept telling himself in his heart.


    After he copied the last concept diagram, he looked up at Chen Yiming and saw that he had a relaxed expression on his face. This made him feel indescribably envious.


    Zhou Xuesheng stood close by with his hands behind his back. He could see the expressions in the disciples¡¯ faces.


    Generally, for disciples who had been in the sect for more than two years, their cultivation progress could be said to have stagnated. The purpose of the monthly assessment was to motivate the disciples and remind them of their own cultivation progress.


    This was the conclusion that the various large sects had come to over the years. It could allow their disciples to maintain a determined heart even if they were at a bottleneck.


    This was something that small sects in the martial arts world could not compare to. The environment in the small sects was not competitive enough. Those with outstanding talent often did not have any competitors. As time passed, they would easily become arrogant, causing them to slack off in their cultivation.


    Before long, it was time for the judgment.


    The disciples could not leave yet. Zhou Xuesheng started from the left and scored all the disciples on the spot.


    The total score was 100 points, and 10% completion would be given 10 points.


    ¡°Xu Shang, 27 points!¡±


    ¡°He Yuexia, 33 points!¡±


    ¡°Li Minze, 72 points. Not bad!¡±


    His score had increased compared to the last time, and he received a compliment from Zhou Xuesheng.


    ¡­


    ¡°Zhang Jianpeng, 87 points. Keep it up!¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng reviewed it carefully before giving his score.


    As soon as he finished speaking, many disciples took a deep breath.


    Zhang Jianpeng was the strongest true disciple of the Mantis Snake School. He had scored 86 points in the previous month¡¯s assessment, but in just a month, he had actually improved by one point.


    This made many disciples find it hard to believe that they had been stuck at the level of 30 or 60 points. They had not improved at all for several months, and if they did not perform well, their points might even drop by one or two points.


    Zhang Jianpeng had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His long hair draped over his shoulders, and he was dressed in white robes. Just by standing there, he exuded the aura of a leader.


    His gaze was as undisturbed as an ancient well, and he did not care about the quiet discussions happening around him at all. He had separated himself from the other disciples.


    This was the truth. To achieve such results at the age of 20, he was almost certain to master the transformation of his internal force in the next five to 10 years.


    This meant that even if he had not truly broken through, he was not on the same level as the disciples around him.


    ¡°The rest of you, don¡¯t be discouraged. Remember to keep a pure heart as you progress along your own paths.¡±


    Sensing that a few disciples had suffered a huge blow, Zhou Xuesheng reminded them and walked towards Chen Yiming.


    As the newest inner sect disciple, Chen Yiming¡¯s seat was placed at the end of the row.


    ¡°¡­Is this really a concept diagram you copied?¡±


    After flipping through the nine pictures several times, Zhou Xuesheng suddenly asked.


    The concept diagrams in front of him were no different from the ones on the surrounding walls. Even if it was him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do any better.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Chen Yiming almost rolled his eyes. The ink had not even dried yet. Was there any need to ask?


    At this moment, his true combat strength was more than enough to protect himself. Therefore, in order to come into contact with the complete cultivation technique of the Myriad Phenomena Sect as soon as possible, he did not mind being viewed as a martial arts genius and becoming the center of attention.


    ¡°Could it be that the cloud mist fruit is hiding some kind of secret?¡± Zhou Xuesheng muttered to himself, ignoring the disciples around him.


    He knew that Chen Yiming had accepted an escort mission and obtained the Xu clan¡¯s cloud mist fruit as a reward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Chen Yiming laughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Wan Rong has really grown old. Back then, he was still a true disciple. Now, he can¡¯t even do a good job of selecting disciples,¡± Zhou Xuesheng continued to mutter to himself.


    Wan Rong had reported that Chen Yiming had broken through to the warrior realm in a year.


    From the looks of it, he had wasted nearly a year of Chen Yiming¡¯s time by keeping him at the small martial arts school.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The surrounding disciples were all curious and focused their gazes on Zhou Xuesheng and Chen Yiming.


    The court head¡¯s shocked face was something that he had never displayed even when dealing with the best of the true disciples, Zhang Jianpeng.


    Was he too bad? Or too outstanding?


    For a moment, before Zhou Xuesheng gave the score, everyone still had some doubts.


    A moment later, ¡°Chen Yiming, 100 points!¡±


    The results were blurted out by Zhou Xuesheng.


    ???


    The surrounding disciples were all stunned, including Zhang Jianpeng, who had remained calm the entire time.


    Most of the disciples had a feeling that this newcomer might be very powerful, or even at the level of a true disciple, but no one dared to guess that he would get full marks from the start.


    This meant that he had mastered the transformation of the black fog internal force during the first assessment and was already on the same level as the court head.


    How could anyone be like this?


    Was the cultivation of the concept diagram that simple?


    Was this talent at the level of the successor of the sect?


    Could they really be disciples of the same generation as the future sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect?


    Countless questions flashed across the disciples¡¯ minds.


    At this moment, Zhou Xuesheng had mixed feelings.


    What he did not know was that Wan Rong had also faced the same predicament.


    His disciple had just joined the sect, and in the blink of an eye, before he had given him any guidance, his disciple was about to move on to the next level. This made his master feel very uncomfortable and useless.


    Su Mo¡¯er was also paying attention to this junior brother who was still a newcomer.


    At this moment, she was dumbfounded and could barely think.


    The scene of her asking him for a solution suddenly appeared in her mind. Every word he said suddenly became extremely convincing.


    He must be right.


    Su Mo¡¯er had no choice but to think so.


    If they were to compare just their talent in cultivation of the concept diagram, one could easily conclude that even the court head, Zhou Xuesheng, was inferior to Chen Yiming.


    She recalled that she didn¡¯t have much confidence in Chen Yiming¡¯s suggestion and had revealed her decision to him at the memorial service. Her face turned red and she wished she could bury her head in the ground just like an ostrich.

 Chapter 195 - Framework (I)

    Another three days had passed since the day of the monthly assessment.


    During this time, the name ¡°Chen Yiming¡± was not only known to everyone in the Mantis Snake Court, but also to the other 11 inner courts of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    His experiences since stepping onto the path of martial arts had not only become a topic for discussion among the inner and outer sect disciples, but also among the upper echelons of the Myriad Phenomena Sect at the level of the elders and court heads.


    He had completed the leap from the disciple realm to the warrior realm in a year, and used another month to complete the cultivation of the transformation of his internal force.


    Such a cultivation speed had never been seen before in the history of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Even the current sect master, Ye Jianyuan, could not compare to him.


    At the very least, Ye Jianyuan had spent much more time at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    Whether he could maintain his unstoppable momentum in the future and complete the internal force fusion at the third stage of the warrior realm or not, the disciples had already made it sound like Chen Yiming was going to become the next sect master.


    The elders and heads of the court were much more rational.


    This was because the complete cultivation technique of the Myriad Phenomena Sect was extremely profound. It used 12 different types of internal force as the foundation. The more types of internal force one cultivated at the same time, the greater the pressure on one¡¯s mind.


    This way, after completing the fusion of 12 types of internal force, one¡¯s combat strength would definitely surpass those of the same level. However, the threshold for breaking through would also be much higher.


    Jiangnan province was one of the largest provinces in Daxia Kingdom. Even though the Myriad Phenomena Sect had taken root here, and generations of martial arts geniuses had entered the sect, there were still many times in history when their legacy had almost died out.


    Just because his cultivation at the second stage of the warrior realm went smoothly, it didn¡¯t mean that his cultivation at the third stage would be just as smooth. Therefore, whether he could truly become the next sect master would still require further observation of Chen Yiming¡¯s cultivation of multiple types of internal force.


    ¡­


    On a mountain road in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Zhou Xuesheng had just brought Chen Yiming to take a look at the concept diagrams of the other 11 inner courts. The two of them were walking back to the Mantis Snake Court along the mountain path.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect had a set of rules for nurturing geniuses. Even if Chen Yiming¡¯s talent was outstanding, they wouldn¡¯t let him study the sect¡¯s core cultivation techniques for a long time. Instead, they would allow him to take a simple look around before letting him choose an inner court cultivation technique.


    The first reason was that cultivating 12 cultivation techniques at the same time was not only difficult, but it was often equivalent to biting off more than one could chew, which would affect one¡¯s confidence in martial arts cultivation.


    Secondly, it was to prevent the sect¡¯s secret techniques from being leaked. After all, Chen Yiming had only joined the sect for a short period of time. The higher-ups felt that he didn¡¯t have a deep sense of belonging to the Myriad Phenomena Sect yet, and they needed time to see if he was worth nurturing as the next sect master.


    ¡°Which of the cultivation techniques from the other inner courts do you feel the strongest about?¡± Zhou Xuesheng suddenly asked in a low voice.


    The path of martial arts was ultimately a personal journey. Only he would know if a cultivation technique was suitable for him. Therefore, Zhou Xuesheng didn¡¯t overstep his boundaries and let Chen Yiming choose for himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with the Flying Crane Sword Technique,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Considering that Wan Ya was an inner sect disciple of the Flying Crane Sect, he chose an inner court where there was someone that he knew.


    Zhou Xuesheng nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll communicate with the court head of the Flying Crane Court when I get back. In the future, you can enter and leave the library of the Flying Crane Court at will.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Chen Yiming said solemnly.


    No one knew that after just one round of viewing, Chen Yiming had secretly learned all the concept diagrams.


    Zhou Xuesheng organized his thoughts for a moment and continued, ¡°There¡¯s no detailed method for how to achieve the fusion of internal force. There¡¯s only a general direction, which is to try to build a larger framework to stabilize the newly added concept diagrams.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming asked in surprise, ¡°Even the previous sect masters of the Myriad Phenomena Sect couldn¡¯t come up with a good method?¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng sighed and explained, ¡°This is the reason why there are very few people at the third stage of the warrior realm.


    Everyone¡¯s spiritual strength is different, so the framework each person constructs is different. The problems they encountered during the internal force fusion were naturally also different.


    Therefore, whether or not one can break through in the end will depend on the timing, location, and one¡¯s own strength. If any of these is missing, one will fail.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded, then asked in confusion, ¡°Does this framework mean that one concept diagram is the main thing, and the others are just added as support?¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng said solemnly, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the experience passed down from the sect masters of the Myriad Phenomena Sect who had broken through successfully. It¡¯s impossible to obtain a stable concept diagram by directly fusing them. It can only be done by embedding them in the gaps between the concept diagrams.¡±


    Chen Yiming was enlightened.


    With one main force and 11 supporting forces, which force was used as the main cultivation technique would give rise to very different fusion results. Furthermore, the size of the framework would be different, and the order and location of the embedding would not be the same. No wonder there was no detailed method.


    On the other hand, he had only figured out a portion of the path that he needed to take. Searching for the connection points between the concept diagrams was an essential process, but he had never thought of using one as a support.


    This was not a simple connection. Instead, it was equivalent to building a concrete pillar. The cement served as the main body, and the steel bars inside were used as fillers.


    In the end, the result of fusing different internal forces was using multiple types of internal force to support one¡¯s main internal force.


    Zhou Xuesheng looked at Chen Yiming, who was deep in thought, and thought of something. He reminded him, ¡°The consumption of one¡¯s mind and spirit when fusing internal force is far greater than when one cultivates a single cultivation technique. What I was talking about just now was the entire cultivation process.


    Now, you need to proceed step by step. Start with the fusion of the two internal forces and find the connection between them. Don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew.¡±


    What Zhou Xuesheng had reminded him about was exactly what Chen Yiming had been researching.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    He had secretly learned the concept diagrams of the 12 inner court cultivation techniques and obtained the general idea of the internal force fusion from Zhou Xuesheng. It could be said that he had obtained the last missing pieces he needed to complete the internal force fusion.


    All that was left was to rely on time to figure out the connections between the 12 inner court cultivation techniques one by one, then determine which one was the main cultivation technique.


    ¡­


    In the courtyard, Qian Bingnan pushed open the courtyard door and entered. When he saw Dai Yuanhang sitting at the stone table in a daze, he shouted,


    ¡°Even your pen has fallen to the ground. Don¡¯t feel like studying anymore?¡±


    Dai Yuanhang scratched his messy hair and replied, ¡°You¡¯re really carefree. At the very least, I maintained the same score as the last time. Your score has dropped by another point.¡±


    Qian Bingnan didn¡¯t think much of it and said calmly, ¡°Scores are just numbers. It doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ve forgotten the concept diagram I comprehended. Let¡¯s go and eat together.¡±


    Dai Yuanhang was feeling frustrated, so he nodded in agreement. He turned to the room and shouted, ¡°Bai Hengliang, do you want to eat together?¡±


    After a while, Bai Hengliang replied weakly, ¡°You guys go ahead. I want to continue sleeping.¡±


    Qian Bingnan asked in surprise, ¡°What happened to Bai Hengliang?¡±


    Dai Yuanhang spread out his hands and said helplessly, ¡°He is probably brokenhearted and on top of that, he didn¡¯t perform well in the monthly assessment.¡±


    Those with poor grades would be assigned to go down the mountain to carry out missions. Some people looked like they did not care on the surface, but their mentality was still affected. Bai Hengliang was such a person.


    During the assessment, his mind was disturbed by distracting thoughts, so his score was much less than last month¡¯s assessment.

 Chapter 196 - Framework (II)

    Qian Bingnan and Dai Yuanhang did not try to persuade Bai Hengliang, and the two of them left the house.


    As soon as they walked out of the inner sect disciples¡¯ residential area, they met Chen Yiming, who had just returned.


    Chen Yiming had comprehended all the concept diagrams of the black fog in just one month. Qian Bingnan and Dai Yuanhang would have to consult him if they encountered any problems in their future cultivation.


    Hence, after some persuasion, Chen Yiming was dragged to the canteen by the two of them to eat together.


    The canteen in the Mantis Snake Court was not an ordinary canteen. All the ingredients came from precious mutant beasts. With the help of nutritionists who specialized in this field, the mutant beast meat was made into delicious meals.


    Chen Yiming, Dai Yuanhang, and Qian Bingnan entered the canteen, causing a commotion.


    ¡°Look!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the person who scored 100 points in the previous monthly assessment!¡±


    ¡°His figure is so well-proportioned. I want to go up and touch him!¡±


    1


    Many female disciples¡¯ eyes lit up as they chatted in low voices.


    Those who could enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect did not think that they were inferior to others.


    ¡°What a bunch of shallow women,¡± the male disciples said, although they were secretly envious.


    When a female disciple heard this, she retorted, ¡°What¡¯s the use of being jealous? This is talent. You can¡¯t do anything about it even if you are envious.¡±


    These words were like a bucket of cold water that brought many people back to reality.


    Mediocrity was something that was judged based on comparison with others. All of the people here were considered geniuses in their respective martial arts schools below the mountain. On the other hand, when they came to the mountain, compared to the geniuses sent to the Myriad Phenomena Sect from the major cities in Jiangnan province, the difference was obvious.


    ¡­


    Another week passed.


    In the depths of the mountain range behind the Myriad Phenomena Sect, by a small river,


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on a large rock with his eyes closed. In front of him was the river which was surging downstream. There were already changes in the internal forces in his body.


    Each unit of internal force was centered around the strength-based internal force. Around it was a twelve-sided frame, on which the 12 types of internal force from the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s cultivation techniques were distributed.


    The twelve internal force attributes were: swiftness, penetration, dissolution, explosion, compression, hardness, heat, coldness, illusion, cutting, recovery, and superposition.


    In his spiritual world, the concept diagrams were the same.


    This wasn¡¯t because Chen Yiming had completed the internal force fusion. He had only combined the 13 types of internal force to cultivate them together.


    Relying on his strong control over his internal force, he adjusted the order of the 12 types of internal force every once in a while, causing the 12 types of internal force to collide with each other and also collide with the strength-based internal force.


    He continued to search for the connections between different internal forces.


    This was Chen Yiming¡¯s bold experiment because he knew that he would one day be able to increase his swordsmanship talent by three or four levels.


    Since each of the sect masters of the Myriad Phenomena Sect had a different core internal force out of the 12 types, it was also the right path for him to integrate the 12 types of internal force from the Myriad Phenomena Sect into his strength-based internal force.


    This also brought about another benefit. When he attacked as a masked man, others would not notice anything amiss. However, if he used any of the inner court cultivation techniques as the core, it would be easy for others to see through him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes flew open, and a sharp glint flashed across them.


    He stood up and clenched his right hand into a fist. A longsword that emitted a strange light appeared.


    The strange light on it was embedded in the sword like gems, adding a mysterious color to the sword. It was no longer a monotonous brown color.


    At the same time, he clenched his left hand into a fist, and a long sword condensed from his strength-based internal force appeared.


    ¡°From the aura emitted by the two swords, I can tell that the one in my right hand is stronger than the one in my left.¡± Chen Yiming was very satisfied.


    It had taken him nearly a week to complete the framework with the 12 types of internal force supporting the strength-based internal force as the core. Fortunately, he succeeded in the end and his efforts were not in vain.


    After the general framework was built, all that was left was to tweak it over time.


    A thought came to his mind, and the swords in Chen Yiming¡¯s hands collided.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Under his control, his internal force remained stable, but several cracks still appeared on the sword in his left hand.


    On the other hand, a strange light suddenly lit up on the longsword in his left hand, preventing it from being damaged.


    ¡°The fusion of internal force is indeed not just a simple qualitative change. Above that, it establishes the foundation of the master realm. Below that is an enhancement of the transformation of the internal force.


    Unbelievable. I only completed the general framework, but it can already bring about such an obvious increase,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    Using the strength of his internal force which he had mastered as a comparison, his Level-2 Undying Body talent increased the strength of his internal force by 30 to 60 times.


    Now that the framework was built with the strength-based internal force as the core, the increase was 50 to 80 times.


    From the aura released by Lu Zhenshan¡¯s secret technique back then, it was probably at this level. In other words, Chen Yiming¡¯s casual attack had reached the limit of Lu Zhenshan¡¯s secret technique.


    The secret technique couldn¡¯t last long, which meant that Chen Yiming had the ability to kill the sect master of a large sect head-on.


    The only pity was that the strange light on the surface of the sword was too obvious. It had characteristics very similar to those of the 12 cultivation techniques of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    He needed to complete the fusion of his internal forces and make the strange light fuse completely with the sword, creating a new form, so that it would not be seen through.


    Otherwise, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t dare to use it unless it was a matter of life and death. After all, there was always someone stronger than him, and there was still the pressure of the master realm above him.


    As the masked man, he was completely unrestrained in his actions. There was no need to expose his identity.


    ¡­


    Back at the residence, Chen Yiming received a letter from East Lake City.


    The letter was from the company. It summarized the situation in the Chen family, the changes in the company, and the news around East Lake City following Chen Yiming¡¯s rise in fame after the monthly assessment in the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    The Chen family was doing well. Not only were there martial arts experts from the Chen corporation guarding their residence, but there were also warriors from the East Lake City government stationed nearby.


    The Chen corporation had also received strong support from East Lake City. It had the reputation of being the number one martial arts faction among the civilians, even though Chen Yiming who was in charge of the faction was still in the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Most of the remaining content was about the Chen corporation¡¯s expansion.


    For example, how much the number of people had increased, how much the number of hunting teams had increased, and which cities the teams had been stationed to.


    Thanks to Chen Yiming¡¯s influence, the company¡¯s development was smooth sailing. It had started to expand out of East Lake City and into the surrounding cities.


    In addition, from most of the information, Chen Yiming gathered that the Mo clan had returned to Cloud Port City. The person in charge had changed to Mo Yanfei, and the previous head of the clan had retired due to his health issues.


    Mo Yanfei must have deliberately asked the Chen corporation to gather this information because Chen Yiming had instructed her not to take the initiative to contact him when he went up the mountain.


    After all, Chen Yiming was in a large sect like the Myriad Phenomena Sect. No matter how well he hid himself, he couldn¡¯t guarantee his safety. The best way was to completely prevent any information from being intercepted.


    Finally, it was mentioned that there was a warrior who wanted to join the Chen corporation. However, the company¡¯s management was at a lower level than him, and they needed Chen Yiming¡¯s instructions.


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment.


    There was nothing else that the Myriad Phenomena Sect could teach him for the time being. He also had plans to return to East Lake City in the near future, so he wrote in his reply that they would discuss everything when he returned.

 Chapter 197 - Descending the Mountain (I)

    After writing the letter, Chen Yiming placed it in an envelope and sealed it. He would get someone to send it back to East Lake City later.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    At this moment, someone knocked lightly on the courtyard door.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    Chen Yiming put away the letter and looked up.


    The courtyard door opened and Su Mo¡¯er walked in nervously.


    Compared to the first time they had met in the library, although Su Mo¡¯er was very nervous, Chen Yiming felt a sense of confidence coming from her.


    Her black hair was tied behind her back, and she was in a black outfit. There was a long sword tied to her waist, and she was dressed like a heroine. She looked like she was about to leave the mountain.


    ¡°Have you resolved the problems with your secondary cultivation technique?¡± Chen Yiming asked, even though he already knew the answer.


    Su Mo¡¯er nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I followed your suggestion.¡±


    ¡°The combination of the black fog and ice attribute internal force should have greatly improved your ability to protect yourself. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to leave the mountain to carry out the mission,¡± Chen Yiming said, his tone hinting that he was chasing her away.


    Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s movements were too slow. Chen Yiming had wanted to use her as a tool for his internal force fusion research.


    However, the framework for Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force fusion had been set up. The other party had completely lost the value she had to Chen Yiming.


    Su Mo¡¯er was speechless. The other party had suddenly stopped being proactive. He had been her junior brother who enthusiastically answered her questions not too long ago.


    Fortunately, she had always been thick-skinned, so she asked, ¡°Is there any other way to resolve this? I haven¡¯t completely given up on mastering the transformation of my internal force.¡±


    Chen Yiming almost rolled his eyes. She was shamelessly asking him for help.


    Su Mo¡¯er¡¯s current situation was that she had cultivated a secondary ice attribute internal force. This meant that her control over her internal force was much lower than before, when she only cultivated one type of internal force.


    She knew that her own talent was insufficient for mastering the transformation of her internal force, so she could only rely on the second type of internal force to increase her combat strength.


    Chen Yiming said mercilessly, ¡°If you can obtain a large number of treasures like the willow tree cores and disperse the second type of internal force, you might have a chance.¡±


    When Su Mo¡¯er received his answer, the last trace of hope disappeared.


    Regarding the willow tree cores, since there were a large number of disciples following the court head, each disciple might not even get a quarter of a piece under normal situations.


    If she acted alone, it meant that she had to risk her life to fight for it.


    A large number? That was unrealistic.


    Su Mo¡¯er chatted briefly with him for a while longer. After expressing her gratitude, she left the house.


    After she left, Chen Yiming glanced at the empty courtyard.


    Among the inner sect disciples, other than those with high scores who could stay on the mountain, the rest had been assigned to leave the mountain to carry out missions. Dai Yuanhang, Bai Hengliang, and Qian Bingnan had already set off.


    Chen Yiming also moved out. At the entrance of the sect, he registered his return home with the disciples guarding the gate before leaving the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Of course, leaving the Myriad Phenomena Sect was not a simple matter.


    Returning to East Lake City was just a cover. His true goal was to sweep through the places where mutant beasts and plants were gathered in Jiangnan province.


    That day in the valley, the entire willow tree forest and spiritual spring had helped him upgrade his Undying Body talent in advance.


    As for the Level-3 Undying Body talent, it required 3,000 Skill Points. If he relied on his daily cultivation to accumulate the Skill Points, he did not know when he would be able to accumulate enough Skill Points. In addition, he still had the Sword Technique talent to spend his Skill Points on.


    Now that his combat strength had increased again after the internal force fusion framework was built, Chen Yiming was confident that he could take the initiative to attack.


    ¡­


    In Jiangnan province, at the intersection hundreds of kilometers north of Nightwater City and west of Cloud Port City, a group of people walked along the rocky path. This was the team that had entered the wilderness to hunt mutant beasts.


    The only young woman in the group suddenly stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ye Yisha?¡± A question came from the team.


    Ye Yisha waved her hand to signal for everyone to be quiet. Then, her long, elf-like ears trembled as she listened to the vibrations that ordinary people could not hear.


    This ability was something she was born with. It was what she relied on to survive in the hunting team as a young and beautiful woman.


    ¡°Ye Yisha, could it be that a group of mutant beasts has come out to hunt for food?¡±


    Seeing that her long ears had stopped trembling, someone asked anxiously.


    Ever since the various provinces joined in on the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s plan to establish a long-term stronghold in the otherworld, the strength of the human factions on the blue planet had weakened to a certain extent, especially at the level of those at the peak of the human¡¯s combat strength.


    The mutant beasts also sensed that something was amiss, so they moved around more frequently and boldly than before.


    As a result, not only were there conflicts between the human factions in the wilderness, but they were also fighting mutant beasts frequently.


    Even though this hunting team had members with special abilities like Ye Yisha, they were still very careful, afraid that they would be ambushed by the mutant beasts.


    ¡°The tremors are different from when the mutant beasts pass through. There¡¯s a high chance that a powerful creature is moving in this direction,¡± Ye Yisha said in a low voice with a serious expression.


    A wrinkled old man¡¯s turbid eyes lit up again. ¡°Regardless of whether it is a human or mutant beast, let¡¯s quickly find a place to hide. As long as we don¡¯t encounter it head-on, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    He was the captain of this hunting team, and his name was Li Shou. Although he was old, he was very experienced in the wilderness, so he had yet to completely retire.


    Ye Yisha added, ¡°The vibration I heard just now was different from what I¡¯ve experienced in the past. It felt like it was far beyond my imagination.¡±


    These words shocked the entire hunting team.


    Ye Yisha¡¯s special ability had never gone wrong, so everyone could not help but worry.


    Without any urging, the group quickly found an area in the forest where rocks had fallen.


    Rocks that were about the height of a person were scattered on the ground. The hunting team spread out and used the rocks as cover to hide from the powerful creature that would pass by later.


    Because of Ye Yisha¡¯s special ability, she stayed behind a rock with the captain of the hunting team, Li Shou.


    ¡°Captain, I keep feeling that something is amiss. Why don¡¯t we not go to the sea of flowers?¡± Ye Yisha suddenly suggested in a low voice.


    The sea of flowers was a place where mutant beasts and plants gathered in the northwest of Jiangnan province. It was similar to Mist Island in the East Sea and a special type of dew was produced there.


    However, because this dew was condensed from the essence over just one day, it naturally could not compare to the willow tree cores formed over three years.


    In addition, there were mutant beasts at the peak of the warrior realm who had been living in the sea of flowers for a long time. For humans of the same level, it was a pity to give up on them.


    This caused the sea of flowers to become a dangerous place that had existed for a long time, attracting humans who were not afraid of death to go and search for opportunities to break through.


    The other members of the hunting team were only a few meters away from each other. When they heard Ye Yisha¡¯s soft suggestion, they all looked over.


    The sea of flowers was equivalent to a restricted area, but with Ye Yisha around, the team would always be able to turn misfortune into good luck. Of course, the team would only move around the periphery of the sea of flowers.


    Now that this person, who could be said to be the most important person in the team, suddenly suggested not to go to the sea of flowers, they could not help but feel nervous.


    After all, no one knew how long Ye Yisha would stay in this team. She might suddenly be poached by a stronger faction one day.


    Li Shou frowned, unable to make a decision at that moment.


    The special dew produced by the sea of flowers could also slow down aging. As an old warrior, he needed this dew to maintain his combat ability.

 Chapter 198 - Descending the Mountain (II)

    Seeing this, Ye Yisha¡¯s expression changed. Other than her, the entire hunting team, including the captain, was unwilling to give up. As the only one with a different opinion, it was difficult for her to influence the group¡¯s decision.


    If she insisted on not going to the sea of flowers, it would probably cause many people in the team to have wild thoughts.


    ¡°After that powerful creature passes through the border and leaves, Ye Yisha, try to listen again. If it still feels the same, we¡¯ll return directly,¡± Li Shou sighed and replied after a long time.


    Ye Yisha¡¯s special ability was too important to the hunting team, so he decided to compromise in the end.


    After that, the hunting team fell silent and waited nervously for the powerful creature to pass through the border.


    Suddenly, ¡°Boom!¡± the void seemed to have exploded, and a thunderous sound came from the horizon. Then, a tsunami-like aura swept past.


    After Chen Yiming left the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s territory, he went all out. This way, he wasn¡¯t able to hide the commotion he caused.


    Even though they were still far away, every member of the hunting team hiding behind the rocks felt as if their hearts were being pressed down by a rock. They labored to take each breath.


    Such a scene was unheard of. The captain, Li Shou, had previously watched from afar when two warriors at the second stage of the warrior realm fought, but compared to this, it was not an exaggeration to say that the difference was like that between a firefly and a bright moon.


    At this moment, the hunting team no longer had any intention of heading to the sea of flowers. They only had one thought, and that was to hide in the city first no matter what happened.


    Fortunately, this powerful creature came and went quickly. In a few moments, the oppressive feeling disappeared. This made everyone in the hunting team thank Ye Yisha from the bottom of their hearts.


    Without Ye Yisha, the team would not be able to detect and dodge in advance. If they bumped into the creature, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    ¡°Do any of you know the exact location of the sea of flowers?¡±


    An unfamiliar voice almost caused the hunting team¡¯s hearts to jump out of their chests.


    Chen Yiming had never seen any information about materializing a spiritual familiar. He didn¡¯t know what level it was at, but this must have made their perception extremely sharp.


    If these people hadn¡¯t been hiding behind the rocks, Chen Yiming would have thought that they were just a group of passersby. However, he had noticed their abnormal actions.


    This piqued Chen Yiming¡¯s interest. How did the old man, who was at most at the ordinary warrior realm, manage to hide with a group of disciples?


    It had to be known that when he was traveling at full speed, his body would usually arrive at the location before the sound of his movements did. This was the result of his body breaking through the sound barrier.


    Under normal circumstances, this group of people would not have been able to react in time.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The hunting team hiding behind the rocks thought that the powerful creature had left, so someone stood up and asked.


    They were in the middle of nowhere, and they did not even notice that someone had come up close to them. How could they not be shocked?


    A young man was standing quietly a few meters away from them.


    He was wearing a black cloak, and his face was indescribably strange.


    This was the effect of Chen Yiming using the illusion-based internal force of the Nightmare Court to hide his true appearance. It allowed those who saw his face to see what they subconsciously thought he looked like.


    In other words, in the eyes of different people, Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance was different.


    It wasn¡¯t rare to see this type of internal force with the illusion attribute. Chen Yiming only used its simplest function, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of being associated with the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There were also some smart people in the hunting team who thought of the worst outcome.


    That powerful creature might be the one in front of them. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain how someone could approach them without warning with Ye Yisha around. Furthermore, he had taken the initiative to speak before being discovered.


    Li Shou understood the situation in just a moment, so he walked out from the crowd and said respectfully, ¡°Sir, the sea of flowers is about 30 kilometers north of here.¡±


    With that, he pointed in a specific direction.


    Chen Yiming nodded and asked, ¡°How did you guys notice that I was passing by?¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, the entire group fell silent. The hearts of every member of the hunting team started beating faster, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.


    This time, they knew that they could not hide it from the young man.


    Ye Yisha took the initiative to step forward and explain, ¡°I was the one who noticed it. I was born with ears that can hear vibrations that normal people can¡¯t.¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the young woman.


    She had a beautiful face and was wearing tight-fitting clothes that accentuated her hot figure, especially her long legs and perky butt.


    He then sensed that the aura she emitted was not even that of a warrior candidate.


    No wonder she dared to join a hunting team filled with men alone. She actually had a special ability.


    ¡°Sir, are you going to the sea of flowers?¡±


    Li Shou asked first to show his respect. Without stopping, he explained, ¡°Our hunting team has been in and out of the sea of flowers many times. We can guide you for free.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    He could tell at a glance that the old man was afraid that he would steal Ye Yisha from the team.


    However, this was exactly what he had in mind. He wanted to take away Ye Yisha, who he suspected to be a bloodline warrior.


    Ye Yisha, who had a special perception ability, could be used for research in the future or become his subordinate.


    ¡°No need. You guys are too weak. You¡¯re wasting my time.¡±


    Chen Yiming rejected him outright. Then, he looked at Ye Yisha and said, ¡°Follow me to the sea of flowers.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The hunting team was dumbfounded. Everyone was instantly stunned.


    The team¡¯s means of entering and exiting the sea of flowers had been brazenly snatched away. From the other party¡¯s tone, there was no hesitation, nor was there any intention of explaining anything.


    Li Shou took a deep breath and did not dare to make a sound. He let Ye Yisha make the decision.


    The other members of the hunting team looked at Ye Yisha, hoping that she would reject him.


    ¡°What level is this person at? He picked a lowly disciple like me to go with him because of my special ability.


    What if I join the large faction behind this person and am surrounded by warriors like Li Shou? What will happen to me, who is only at the disciple realm?¡±


    At the thought of this, Ye Yisha could not suppress her desire to spread her wings.


    The threshold was an obstacle no matter where one was. The factions at different levels had set their own bar for entry. Only a small number of people could be accepted as an exception.


    Her martial arts talent was considered outstanding in a small city, but among those wandering the wilderness, it was considered to be mediocre.


    The resources that a small city could provide were limited to the level of the disciple realm.


    Therefore, in order to make use of the golden age for cultivating martial arts, she had no choice but to use her special ability to join a hunting team led by warriors.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m willing to go with you,¡± Ye Yisha replied firmly.


    With that, she walked away from the group and stood beside Chen Yiming.


    The surrounding hunting team members watched helplessly, and no one dared to speak. Li Shou instantly seemed to have aged a few years and lost a lot of his energy.


    Even warriors who had mastered the transformation of their internal force could easily kill this hunting team, let alone this mysterious person.


    In the face of such an unknown expert, no one dared to say no.


    Chen Yiming took in everyone¡¯s expressions. As a disciple of a large sect, he naturally wouldn¡¯t take someone from them for nothing. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have anything suitable to give them as compensation.


    ¡°I heard that the sea of flowers produces a special kind of dew. When the time comes, take some out and give it to them.¡±


    Ye Yisha nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The members of the hunting team, including Li Shou, immediately felt much better.


    Even though they were still very disappointed, Ye Yisha was not theirs to own, and they had not signed any contract with her. Naturally, there was no reason for them to stop her from getting closer to others.


    If he could give some compensation, it meant that this mysterious expert was not from an evil faction. He might be the sect master of a large sect who did not want others to know his identity.


    This was already an excellent outcome for the hunting team.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Chen Yiming reminded Ye Yisha.


    His strength-based internal force extended to her body, turning into brown armor.


    This scene broadened the horizons of the hunting team. This was a technique that made use of the transformation of internal force.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A huge hole appeared in the ground, and dust filled the air. At the same time, two brown streams of light shot into the sky.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Ye Yisha exclaimed as she watched the scene around her quickly disappear.


    She had never experienced such a feeling of flying. Her body was protected by the armor formed by the internal force, and she did not feel any discomfort.


    The worldview of everyone in the hunting team was updated.


    The two brown streams of light moved through the air like human fighter jets and gradually disappeared into the horizon.


    ¡°What!¡±


    A member of the hunting team gasped and asked Li Shou, ¡°Captain, what level is he at?¡±


    Li Shou shook his head helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡±

 Chapter 199 - Bloodthirsty Wolf (I)

    At the edge of the sea of flowers, there was a gathering point for adventurers.


    Bars, restaurants, shops, and so on could be seen everywhere. The buildings were constructed using cheap materials, and they could be quickly rebuilt if they were destroyed by mutant beasts.


    Some large corporations had set up bases here permanently to purchase the goods that the hunting teams brought out from the sea of flowers. In return, the hunting teams could also obtain simple supplies from the gathering point.


    Chen Yiming led Ye Yisha along a man-made path, passing through the gathering point and preparing to enter the sea of flowers.


    At this moment, on both sides of the path, row after row of peddlers who had set up stalls focused their gazes on the two of them.


    Ye Yisha was a member of the hunting team that often entered and exited the sea of flowers. Many people knew who she was.


    Coupled with her long legs and perky butt, how could such a beautiful figure not attract the attention of these men in the wilderness?


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming¡¯s face was covered in the illusion-based internal force. With just his black cloak, no one immediately linked him to the masked man.


    ¡°Sir, this is a gathering point for adventurers. The sea of flowers is right ahead,¡± Ye Yisha explained in a low voice.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes narrowed. He ignored the gazes of the people around him and looked in the direction of the sea of flowers.


    A forest full of mutant plants was visible in front of him. It was like a fantasy forest.


    One could vaguely make out the exotic flowers and plants that emitted a strange glow, arousing one¡¯s desire to step into the sea of flowers.


    In the depths of the sea of flowers, the roars of beasts could be heard from time to time, reminding humans not to ignore the existence of mutant beasts.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Ye Yisha with Li Shou¡¯s hunting team?¡±


    In the gathering place, someone couldn¡¯t help but ask when he saw Ye Yisha traveling with a young man.


    Ye Yisha had a special ability, but her combat strength was too weak. Although Li Shou was old, he was still a true warrior. That was why he could ward off the other factions at the warrior realm who were interested in her.


    Now, it seemed like Ye Yisha was relying on her special ability to avoid danger to wander around the wilderness with her boyfriend.


    ¡°Ye Yisha¡¯s ability can allow the team to avoid danger very well. Also, her hot figure is enough to tempt people. Isn¡¯t your Blood Wolf Hunting Team interested?¡±


    a middle-aged man with a scar on his face suddenly asked.


    ¡°Hehe! You say it so nicely, but why isn¡¯t your Blood Red Hunting Team taking action?¡± not far away, another burly middle-aged man asked.


    The two of them were the captains of their respective hunting teams which were at the warrior realm. They both had the intention to snatch her away for themselves.


    There were many people who had the same thoughts as the two of them, but they could not see through the young man¡¯s true combat strength for the time being. In addition, Ye Yisha did not seem like someone who would be stupid enough to let herself be preyed upon by a pack of wolves.


    All of them who had the intention to steal her away hoped that someone would not be able to resist attacking and testing the young man¡¯s abilities. If he was really Ye Yisha¡¯s boyfriend, they could not be blamed.


    No one would reject taking in a beauty who even came with a special ability to avoid danger.


    ¡°Could it be the person from the Mist Island incident?¡± someone suddenly asked his companion in a low voice.


    His words did not explicitly state that he was the masked man, but it made the hearts of those who heard him turn cold.


    The sea of flowers and Mist Island were both places with many mutant plants. Although the young man¡¯s face was different from the one on the arrest warrant, his clothes were of the same color and style.


    All of a sudden, just based on the characteristics of their clothes and the connection between the sea of flowers and Mist Island, the group of adventurers were scared out of their wits.


    All of them who had previously looked at Ye Yisha, who was beside the young man, with a burning gaze, thought of a terrifying outcome. Their faces gradually turned pale and their bodies trembled.


    According to the rumors, Lu Zhenshan, the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, a large sect in Jiangnan province, had died indirectly because of the masked man. They were just a group of ordinary warriors, so how could they not be afraid?


    Chen Yiming turned around and asked, ¡°Can you find out the exact location of the two bloodthirsty wolves?¡±


    The sea of flowers was mainly a gathering place for mutant plants, but no mutant plants at the peak of the warrior realm had been born. The biggest reason was that there were two bloodthirsty wolves, one male and one female, at the peak of the warrior realm that had been living in the sea of flowers for a long time.


    Other than the special dew produced by the sea of flowers, his other goal was to hunt these two bloodthirsty wolves.


    Ye Yisha was a little confused when she heard him ask about the bloodthirsty wolves.


    The two bloodthirsty wolves, one male and one female, were equivalent to the guardians of a dangerous place like the sea of flowers. Otherwise, they would have long been wiped out by the Jiangnan province and the sea of flowers turned into a place for the steady production of the special dew.


    Of course, there was more than one reason for this. The main reason was that there was not enough manpower to deal with them. The war with the otherworld and the defense of the various cities had divided the strength of the entire Jiangnan province.


    It was obvious why the person beside her was asking about the exact location of the bloodthirsty wolf. She was only at the disciple realm, but she had to participate in a battle that was three levels higher than her.


    Just thinking about it made her feel afraid. A battle of that level was equivalent to an ordinary person rowing a raft on a stormy sea.


    Just one wave could pull her and the raft into the sea.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, the faces of the people at the gathering point were no longer just pale. Their faces had turned ashen, and they looked like they were at the mercy of the young man.


    The young man had not tried to be secretive about it at all and his words were clearly heard by everyone present.


    Since he mentioned the bloodthirsty wolves, unless the young man was the masked man, who else could he be? These words seemed to have turned into a sharp blade that stabbed at their hearts.


    If they were not careful, this would be their grave.


    After a while, Ye Yisha stammered, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Powerful mutant beasts rarely hide their aura. Instead, they will continue to emit their aura and chase away other weak mutant beasts that have trespassed into their territory.


    I can roughly determine the strength of these beings by listening to a special vibration and lock onto the location of the two bloodthirsty wolves.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    With that, he walked towards the sea of flowers.


    He had asked Ye Yisha to help determine the location of the two bloodthirsty wolves mainly because he wanted to get rid of them in one strike and not give the wolves any chance to escape.


    Seeing this, Ye Yisha quickly followed.


    The two of them walked one after the other, with Ye Yisha nearly half a body¡¯s length behind.


    Nothing happened?


    Were they dreaming?


    Did nothing really happen?


    Many people let out a long sigh.


    Immediately after.


    Was it a fake?


    Was the young man bluffing?


    How dare he use the identity of the masked man to deceive the entire group of adventurers!


    The incidents of people pretending to be the masked man had happened more than once or twice not too long ago. All of them had heard about it.


    Chen Yiming walked straight towards the sea of flowers, causing everyone to go from feeling lucky that they had escaped death to feeling furious at him. This change occurred in just a few seconds.

 Chapter 200 - Bloodthirsty Wolf (II)

    Suddenly, the silence in the gathering point was broken.


    ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah!¡±


    One after another, people covered their fingers and screamed. Each of them had one of their thumbs cut off for no reason.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    After the screams ended, they heard the sound of rushing wind.


    A silver thread had appeared in the air at some point. This thread was only as thick as a strand of hair. If not for the fact that they were not ordinary people, they would not have been able to see the thread had cut their fingers.


    The silver-white threads were formed by Chen Yiming using the cutting attribute internal force from the Flying Crane Sect.


    Even the captains of the hunting teams in the warrior realm were no exception. Their protective internal force was no different from paper in front of the silver-white threads.


    This time, the group of adventurers went from being furious to feeling like they had fallen into an abyss. They were afraid that the silver thread would slide towards their heads at the next moment.


    In just a few breaths, all of their hearts seemed to have flown up into the air like a rocket, then crashed back to the ground.


    Even if martial arts practitioners had strong hearts, they could still suffer serious internal injuries. This scene would forever leave an indelible shadow in their hearts.


    Ye Yisha, who had just entered the sea of flowers, heard the screams behind her and her heart tightened.


    This person was extremely powerful. He could decide the life and death of many warriors without even turning his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin. Determine the location of the bloodthirsty wolves as soon as possible.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s urging voice rang in Ye Yisha¡¯s ears. She had no choice but to suppress her thumping heart and use her long, elf-like ears to search for them.


    ¡­


    About 10 minutes had passed since Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared into the sea of flowers.


    The entire gathering point fell into a dead silence again. All of the people had their wounds bandaged with gauze to stop the bleeding, but there were still some fragments of internal force left on their fingers.


    This internal force was like a poison that penetrated their bones. It could not be expelled from the body by one¡¯s own internal force at all, preventing them from reattaching their severed thumbs on the spot.


    The first reason for this was the difference in the quality of their internal forces. The second was that no matter which type of internal force Chen Yiming used, it would be enhanced by his Undying Body talent. Even if it was only a small fragment, it would be very difficult to destroy.


    Just as everyone was thinking hard about how to reattach their severed thumbs, ¡°Boom!¡±


    A loud sound comparable to the explosion of a large bomb came from the depths of the sea of flowers.


    It was as if an earthquake had occurred. Everyone could feel the ground under their feet shaking.


    At this moment, they no longer cared about the problem of their severed thumbs. All of them looked towards the depths of the sea of flowers.


    In the distance, dust rose into the sky, and a large patch of the forest had been wiped away. With just one blow, an empty area of more than a kilometer in diameter had appeared in the sea of flowers.


    Clearly, that area was where the battle had broken out.


    At the same time, the peace in the sea of flowers was instantly broken. Countless mutant beasts were alarmed and rushed out of their nests. They all looked in the direction where the loud noise and tremors had come from.


    With two bloodthirsty wolves at the peak of the warrior realm guarding the sea of flowers, it had been a long time since destruction on this level had occurred.


    As a result, some of the weaker mutant beasts did not understand what was going on.


    Immediately after. ¡°Ah!¡± the cry of a bloodthirsty wolf rang out.


    Its voice was filled with grief and pain. His cry could be heard throughout the entire sea of flowers and the gathering point outside.


    This was not an ordinary roar of pain. Instead, it conveyed the feeling of death. It meant that the bloodthirsty wolf had been beaten to the brink of death.


    At this moment, the countless mutant beasts in the sea of flowers were no longer alarmed. Instead, they revealed looks of despair, as if they were facing a natural disaster.


    Only those at the master realm could crush those at the peak of the warrior realm. The master realm represented a man-made disaster. This had always been the consensus among them.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    The entire sea of flowers instantly erupted into chaos. Countless mutant beasts scrambled to escape from the battle.


    The entire sea of flowers was in chaos. The fleeing mutant beasts crushed everything in their path, including the mutant plants that could not move away easily.


    It was as if the mutant beasts in the sea of flowers had initiated a beast tide to attack the human cities nearby.


    In the sea of flowers, a kilometer away from the location where the battle had erupted, Ye Yisha was protected by a brown barrier. This was a barrier formed by Chen Yiming¡¯s strength-based internal force to prevent her from being affected by the aftershock of the battle and the fleeing mutant beasts.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    At this moment, she heard the screams of the bloodthirsty wolves and saw the mutant beasts fleeing for their lives.


    These mutant beasts used to be existences that she and the hunting team had to avoid at all times. They were ferocious and terrifying enough to threaten human cities.


    But now, they did not even look at her and were racing against time to escape. They did not even have the slightest intention to fight back.


    Ye Yisha was speechless. She could not imagine how strong that person was. After all, she was only at the disciple realm, and the incident on Mist Island was not something she could come into contact with.


    At the gathering point at the edge of the sea of flowers.


    ¡°Run! Run!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, the mutant beasts are going to crush this place.¡±


    ¡°Calm down and don¡¯t panic. Try your best to gather and evacuate together.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me! Wait for me!¡±


    The shops, restaurants, stalls, and hunting teams were in a mess.


    Faced with the beast tide that was about to charge out of the sea of flowers, how could they care about anything else? Everyone¡¯s priority was to escape.


    This was especially true for the people in the shops. They were originally from the martial arts factions in the city. They had just sent the news back and had been assigned to observe the situation.


    However, before they could receive their next order, a battle broke out in the depths of the sea of flowers. Following that, a beast tide was triggered. They wished they had two more legs to run even faster.


    From the loud sounds and the earthquake to the cries of the bloodthirsty wolves and everyone¡¯s retreat, only a short time had passed. It was only a few moments.


    What had happened to the powerful bloodthirsty wolves?


    Why did it just wail?


    What exactly was happening here?


    The battle had ended too quickly!


    A doubt appeared in the hearts of the people who were escaping. This was not what they had expected. It was too unbelievable.


    Logically speaking, after testing each other¡¯s strength, a battle of that level would quickly affect the entire sea of flowers.


    Otherwise, there was no need for the mutant beasts to escape immediately, and there was no need for the people at the gathering point to retreat. Everyone could just quietly sit back and wait for the outcome to be decided.


    Just as everyone rushed out of the gathering point, ¡°Roar!¡±


    The roar of another bloodthirsty wolf sounded.


    For some reason, the people who were escaping felt that something was amiss. This did not sound like it was extremely angry because it was facing an intruder who had invaded its territory and wanted to tear him to pieces.


    Instead, they could vaguely sense the fear hidden within, as if it was bluffing to make its enemy retreat.


    In the next moment, ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    An extremely exaggerated sound of running came from the depths of the sea of flowers. The commotion was like an earthquake. It was obvious that it was a powerful creature like the bloodthirsty wolves.


    However, before anyone could react, the bloodthirsty wolf fled without a fight.


    Another explosion comparable to a large bomb rang out. The people running were shocked again and almost fell to the ground from the tremors.


    This time, the bloodthirsty wolf did not even let out a cry. Peace returned to the depths of the sea of flowers. Only the mutant beasts and the humans outside were still running into the distance.


    What was going on?


    Could the battle have ended just like that?


    Could it be that the bloodthirsty wolf had been tamed?


    None of the people who were still escaping thought that the two bloodthirsty wolves had already been killed. They all thought that the two bloodthirsty wolves had been subdued by the young man using his strength and special techniques.

 Chapter 201 - Beast Tide (I)

    Just as Chen Yiming attacked the two bloodthirsty wolves, the news that the masked man had disguised himself and appeared in the sea of flowers, and that he was hunting the two bloodthirsty wolves, had already spread throughout the entire Jiangnan province.


    Not only did the higher-ups of Jiangnan province immediately hold a meeting to discuss the matter, but all the martial arts factions in Jiangnan province were also paying close attention to the outcome of the battle at the sea of flowers.


    At this time, most of the forces from the Jiangnan provincial government and the sect masters of the various large sects had gathered at the newly established stronghold in the otherworld. Only the defense force guarding the provincial capital, Jiangnan City, was left.


    This defense force was the last line of defense. Without any special orders, they could only defend Jiangnan City and would not leave the city easily because of anything.


    This way, the masked man who was at the peak of the warrior realm would not only influence the disputes between the various factions, but also affect the situation in the entire Jiangnan province.


    In a conference room in the office area of the Jiangnan City government, ¡°What is the true motive of this mysterious expert who doesn¡¯t want to reveal his identity or communicate with others?¡±


    Wang Ronghui, one of the three big shots of Jiangnan City at the peak of the warrior realm, was in charge of the safety of the provincial capital. He kept slapping the conference table with his right hand.


    This mysterious expert had first appeared less than half a year ago during the incident of the beast tide that attacked East Lake City. According to the information reported back then, he was at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    Since he was not at the peak of the warrior realm back then, he was not a matter of concern for the higher ups in Jiangnan province.


    Then, there was the conflict with the Blue Cloud Sword Sect in Luoxi City. According to the information submitted after the incident, it was suspected that he had used a special ability to escape from the sect master of the Blue Cloud Sword Sect, Li Daoyi.


    At that time, because the incident did not happen in Jiangnan province, it did not attract the attention of those at the provincial level.


    Finally, during the incident on Mist Island in the East Sea, according to the information gathered by all parties, he already had the combat power to suppress the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan.


    At this level, the higher ups of the Daxia Kingdom might only record the incident and continue to collect more information.


    However, in a province, he was no longer someone who could be ignored. He had a certain amount of influence on the situation in a province.


    Unfortunately, the higher-ups of Jiangnan province still received disappointing responses after many conversations with Mo Yanfei from the Mo clan.


    ¡°According to the information we just received, this mysterious expert wants to fight one against two and challenge two bloodthirsty wolves at the peak of the warrior realm at the same time.


    This person did not care about the situation in Jiangnan province at all. It is not difficult for the three of us to join forces to defeat the two bloodthirsty wolves, but it would not be easy for us to kill them.


    He¡¯s only one person. If he fails in his challenge, what if the two bloodthirsty wolves take advantage of the lack of defense in Jiangnan province to attack the human cities to take revenge? That would be terrible.¡±


    At the conference table, Zhang Renhou, who was also one of the three big shots of Jiangnan City, had a worried expression on his face. In his mind, he was already thinking about how to deal with this reckless act.


    Now that Jiangnan province was affected by the plan to establish a new stronghold in the otherworld, the three big shots of Jiangnan City could not leave the city at will.


    The three of them could already imagine the scene of citizens fleeing to Jiangnan City, the provincial capital if the two bloodthirsty wolves went on a rampage to take revenge on the humans.


    Asking for help from the higher ups in charge of the nation would be very difficult, unless it was a beast tide that endangered the entire Jiangnan province. After all, the situation in each province was similar, and it was very difficult to move additional manpower over to help Jiangnan province.


    ¡°This mysterious expert is a little too brazen. If the situation in Jiangnan province is ruined because of this, who can bear the consequences? I think it¡¯s better to issue an order through the Mo clan¡¯s Mo Yanfei. Forbid him from making any moves without our permission at this time.¡±


    Song Chuansheng, one of the three big shots of Jiangnan City, had an ugly expression on his face as he put forth a suggestion in a stern tone.


    Wang Ronghui frowned and said seriously, ¡°Calm down a little. The worst outcome is only what the three of us imagined. There¡¯s no need to jump to such a conclusion. Moreover, with the current complicated situation, we don¡¯t have the strength to coerce the other party.¡±


    Zhang Renhou sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The three of us have to stay in Jiangnan City. If we offend the other party, it will only make the situation worse. There¡¯s really no need for that.¡±


    Among the three big shots, Wang Ronghui and Zhang Renhou were both against Song Chuansheng¡¯s suggestion to give an order to restrict the other party¡¯s movements.


    Song Chuansheng slapped the conference table angrily, causing it to break apart.


    As the higher-ups of Jiangnan province, they had never felt so aggrieved. Even the sect masters of the large sects did not dare to disobey the orders to go to the otherworld to help establish a stronghold there.


    But now, this expert among the civilians was hiding his identity and had actually made the three guardians of Jiangnan City unable to do anything about him. They were completely ignored when they tried to recruit him, and Jiangnan province could not spare the manpower to bring him under their control.


    It could be said that the three guardians of Jiangnan City could only watch helplessly as this person wreaked havoc. Other than ordering the major cities to be on guard, there was nothing they could do.


    Challenging two bloodthirsty wolves alone?


    He could only hope that the outcome would not be the worst case scenario that they had imagined.


    ¡­


    In the depths of the sea of flowers, the two empty areas that were more than a kilometer long created two spaces in this place that were like forbidden zones for humans.


    Looking down from the sky, one could see two wolf corpses about 50 meters long lying motionless on the ground. Their bright red blood dyed the surrounding area red for hundreds of meters.


    The waists of the two wolf corpses bent abnormally, as if they had been broken by something.


    The sea of flowers was originally filled with all kinds of unpredictable dangers, but the surroundings of the two wolf corpses fell into a dead silence. There were no mutant beasts around.


    It was only at the periphery further away from the empty spaces that a small number of mutant plants were still alive and trembling. These mutant plants had their huge roots rooted deep underground, so they had been lucky enough to avoid the aftershocks of the battle.


    At this moment, a figure in a black cloak was sitting cross-legged beside the wolf corpses.


    The specks of light flowing through the wolf corpses gradually dimmed until it completely disappeared. In the end, other than their size, they were no different from ordinary wolf corpses.


    These specks of light represented the essence of the blood and flesh of the bloodthirsty wolves. They had a similar effect to the willow tree cores, and they could only help Chen Yiming reduce the Skill Points needed for his Level-3 Undying Body talent.


    ¡°The requirement has been reduced by 100 Skill Points,¡± Chen Yiming opened his eyes and muttered under his breath.


    The two bloodthirsty wolves at the peak of the warrior realm had helped him save a month¡¯s worth of Skill Points.


    Currently, he had yet to find a way to reduce the Skill Points needed to upgrade his swordsmanship talent. Therefore, he did not dare to waste the Skill Points that he had accumulated over the years. He had to leave all of them for his Level-3 swordsmanship talent.


    This way, he would need to rely on hunting mutant beasts and mutant plants to obtain the Skill Points needed for his Level-3 Undying Body talent.


    ¡°The structure of the internal force fusion has increased my combat strength beyond my expectations.


    Coupled with the extraordinary strength of the internal force and the huge amount of internal force I have, the 12 types of supporting internal forces were not inferior to the bloodthirsty wolves.


    After barely withstanding the attack from the huge sword formed by the strength-based internal force, the bloodthirsty wolves no longer had the strength to withstand the subsequent explosion of the 12 internal forces.¡±


    Chen Yiming stood up and glanced at the wolf corpses beside him.


    An enemy at the peak of the warrior realm was no longer someone he needed to avoid. With his strongest finishing move, he could kill them in one strike.


    However, the strongest finishing move that clearly showed the 12 internal force characteristics of the Myriad Phenomena Sect could only be used in private against mutant beasts and mutant plants.

 Chapter 202 - Beast Tide (II)

    Before the internal force fusion was completed, unless it was in a remote and uninhabited area in the wilderness, it could not be used on human opponents.


    ¡°I hope there¡¯s more to gain from this.¡±


    Thinking that there was still a large amount of special dew in the sea of flowers that could reduce the Skill Point requirement, Chen Yiming left the empty space he had created and walked straight into the forest filled with strange flowers and plants.


    The two wolf corpses at the peak of the warrior realm were abandoned just like that.


    In the future, if an adventurer had the ability to transport the wolf corpses out of the sea of flowers, they would also discover that the quality of the materials on its body had decreased greatly.


    Although the wolf corpses weren¡¯t completely worthless, they had become useless to Chen Yiming.


    ¡­


    As Chen Yiming walked through the various areas in the sea of flowers, absorbing the special dew and reducing the Skill Point requirement for his Level-3 Undying Body talent,


    ¡°How unlucky. The sea of flowers has always been a paradise for adventurers. Why would there suddenly be a mutant beast riot? I¡¯m really going to suffer a loss this time. My three carts of goods were thrown to the road in the wilderness just like that.¡±


    At the city gate in the southwest of the sea of flowers, a middle-aged man cursed.


    The dozen or so people following him were dejected. Although they had survived, they had lost three carts of goods. Their income for the next few months might decrease greatly.


    Without money, one would not be able to buy the mutant beast meat needed for cultivation, causing a chain reaction that would delay one¡¯s cultivation progress.


    They were members of a small logistics transport company. The middle-aged man was their boss and captain of the transport team. The company had been traveling between the cities around the sea of flowers all year round. However, they did not expect to encounter a group of mutant beasts charging out of the sea of flowers on the way.


    At that time, facing the mutant beasts that were charging over from afar, the middle-aged man had held back his tears and abandoned his car and goods to escape to Creek Mountain City.


    Many people who were queuing up to enter the city, like the middle-aged man, were constantly complaining to the people around them and exchanging information they had heard.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that it was a beast tide caused by the two bloodthirsty wolves deep in the sea of flowers. They were preparing to attack the surrounding cities. I have friends from the hunting team who were exploring the sea of flowers. They heard the roars that shook the entire sea of flowers,¡± someone who knew part of the inside story said.


    ¡°No way! Then what¡¯s the use of escaping back to Creek Mountain City? We should run to a city further away.¡±


    As the person who knew part of the truth revealed part of the situation, there was a commotion among the people queuing to enter the city.


    However, without the soldiers guarding the city stepping in, the crowd quickly returned to normal. This was because the wilderness around the city was already filled with wandering mutant beasts.


    Instead of passing through the encirclement of countless mutant beasts alone, it was better to enter the city first.


    When all the humans in the city gathered together, even if the worst-case scenario of the city being destroyed occurred in the end, these martial arts practitioners who were living in the wilderness all year round would still be able to run faster than ordinary people, allowing ordinary people to take the fall for them and hold back the mutant beasts.


    In Creek Mountain City, ¡°Stop right there. We¡¯ve already entered a state of war. Everyone, go back to your homes and hide as soon as possible.¡±


    Teams of soldiers who were maintaining law and order in the city walked along the streets. From time to time, they would give orders to the pedestrians who were still lingering outside.


    ¡°What exactly is happening here?¡±


    Some passers-by could not help but ask the soldiers about it. There were all kinds of rumors and versions, making it impossible for them to remain calm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay any longer. Don¡¯t ask anything you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    The soldier did not explain the reason and scolded them loudly. The reason was difficult to explain properly. Only a strong command could maintain order in an anxious city.


    Once Creek Mountain City received the order from Jiangnan City, the entire city quickly took action. Some of the troops began to patrol the city, while others climbed up the city walls.


    In addition, a large number of troops had gathered. Batch after batch of military supplies were transported out of the warehouse, and military vehicles were quickly equipped.


    Everything was to deal with the beast tide that could attack the human cities at any moment.


    ¡­


    In the wilderness dozens of kilometers around the sea of flowers, ¡°Everyone, pay attention. It¡¯s time to go all out.¡±


    In a forest, the captain of the hunting team, Hua Guangmin, cheered on his team members.


    They did not escape in the direction of the city. Instead, they retreated further away. However, other than the captain who was a warrior, the team members were all at the disciple realm. In the end, they would inevitably encounter the mutant beasts that could run faster than them.


    Dozens of meters away, more than 10 two-headed rabid dogs that were three to five meters long blocked their path under the lead of a three-headed rabid dog that was about 10 meters long.


    These rabid dogs all looked very hungry. What the hunting team did not know was that the reason they were hunting them was to stock up on food.


    This was because the mutant beasts in the sea of flowers were also as frightened as the humans.


    This was especially true for some mutant beasts that were closer to the battlefield. They watched helplessly as the bloodthirsty wolves were beaten to the brink of death by the huge sword that had descended from the sky.


    Facing such a powerful human, even if the mutant beasts sensed that peace had returned to the sea of flowers, they did not dare to return for the time being.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Soon, the battle between the hunting team and the rabid dogs broke out.


    Both sides would not give up until they achieved their goals. The hunting team did their best to break out of the encirclement, while the rabid dogs treated the humans as their food.


    The captain, Hua Guangmin, slashed at the three-headed rabid dog with a large saber covered in internal force, stopping the warrior-level mutant beast.


    The three-headed rabid dog was not afraid at all and pounced at Hua Guangmin.


    Not only were the sharp claws the weapons of the three-headed rabid dog, but the three heads could also extend a certain distance and bite at the enemy from three directions with their fangs.


    The other team members were in groups of three, standing back to back and fighting as they retreated.


    However, although the hunting team had two more people compared to the number of two-headed rabid dogs, the two-headed rabid dogs still had the advantage of having twice the number of heads. It was still difficult for the team to keep up with their attacks.


    Half an hour later, ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    Half of the hunting team had died before they managed to break out of the encirclement. Some of the team members were so choked up that they could not speak.


    Their brothers, who had watched over each other day and night, had died in the wilderness and were eaten by multiple rabid dogs. Such a scene replayed in their minds repeatedly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to grieve. Let¡¯s save our strength for our escape,¡± Hua Guangmin sighed and tried to persuade them.


    Under the protection of the captain at the warrior realm, some of the team members in the wilderness had enjoyed too much peace and stability. As a result, they were not much stronger than the second and third generation disciples of the martial arts clans in the city.


    The battle between humans and mutant beasts and the war with the otherworld was essentially a fight to the death. There was no logic to it.


    Even though it was cruel, if one could survive a battle, one could often strengthen one¡¯s will and quickly tap into one¡¯s body¡¯s potential, breaking through a hurdle that one could not overcome even if they cultivated for a long time.


    Many human experts had fought their way out of a sea of blood and corpses, except for Chen Yiming, who had cheated using the system.


    At the same time, not only was the hunting team led by Huang Guangmin attacked by mutant beasts, but the human factions¡¯ camps in the wilderness were also not spared.


    With a radius of about 100 kilometers around the sea of flowers, whenever the humans and mutant beasts met, the two sides started fighting for no reason, starting a battle between the humans and the mutant beasts.


    Fortunately, everything did not go according to the worst-case scenario that the three big shots of Jiangnan City had imagined.


    This was because the humans had lost the leader of a large sect, and the mutant beasts also did not have the two bloodthirsty wolves to lead them.


    Under a strange combination of circumstances, soldiers faced soldiers, generals faced generals, and kings faced kings. Neither side had the combat strength of the peak of the warrior realm, so it was naturally unlikely for either side to be easily crushed in a battle.

 Chapter 203 - Name List (I)

    Battles broke out outside the sea of flowers, but it was peaceful within the sea of flowers.


    The sea of flowers that was originally a forbidden area for humans had become Chen Yiming¡¯s backyard at this moment. It was like a paradise away from the outside world.


    The mutant plants remained motionless, allowing the special dew to be absorbed completely by him. From the beginning to the end, they did not resist or attack.


    ¡°The requirement for the Level-3 Undying Body talent has decreased by another 100 Skill Points.¡±


    Chen Yiming summoned his talent panel and glanced at the number for his Level-3 Undying Body talent.


    Only a small portion of the reduction was due to the contribution from the special dew. Most of it was due to the contribution of the mutant plants themselves.


    Of course, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t kill the chicken to get the eggs. The talent of the plant species allowed them to gradually recover as long as their roots weren¡¯t severed.


    Chen Yiming walked up to Ye Yisha and waved his hand, causing the internal force barrier to dissipate into thin air. He said, ¡°Hurry up and collect all the special dew you want. We still have to go to the next place.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not over yet?¡± Ye Yisha¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth fell open.


    She looked at the young man in front of her in surprise. Under the influence of the illusory internal force, the face of the expert she admired appeared in front of her.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Ye Yisha, who was about to become a fangirl, and added, ¡°With me here, the mutant plants won¡¯t resist. You can drop your guard and act quickly.¡±


    The mutant plants knew when to draw on their advantages and when to avoid disadvantageous situations. In the face of a powerful creature that far exceeded their skill level, their behavior changed from that of ferocious plants to ordinary plants.


    Not long after, Ye Yisha collected the special dew and filled up the containers she carried with her.


    The mutant plants that she had collected the dew from all looked delighted. Compared to Chen Yiming¡¯s method of gathering, Ye Yisha¡¯s actions were much more gentle.


    She was not like Chen Yiming, who didn¡¯t spare the mutant plants¡¯ bodies when he took the dew.


    The two of them walked out of the sea of flowers.


    In the distant mountains, the mutant beasts that had been staring in the direction of the sea of flowers ran even further away.


    ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Ye Yisha turned around and asked.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hide anything and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that the giant steel-spear spiders¡¯ gathering place in the south of Jiangnan province is the most dangerous area in the entire province¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Ye Yisha was dumbfounded.


    The giant steel-spear spiders were creatures that had deadly weapons all over their bodies.


    The spider spears, which were comparable to steel, not only had the advantage in numbers, but were also poisonous. Humans of the same level were generally unwilling to fight them.


    Other than that, the giant steel-spear spiders were creatures that lived in catacombs underground. The narrow combat environment was extremely disadvantageous to humans, causing very few adventurers to go there.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that no adventurer has gone to the catacombs where the giant steel-spear spiders live for a long time. I¡¯m very interested in finding out how many spider emperors have been born there,¡± Chen Yiming continued.


    Interested?


    Ye Yisha cursed in her heart and asked weakly, ¡°Do I have to enter the catacombs too?¡±


    The catacombs were created by the giant steel-spear spiders. There were only two ways to move in the underground passage: forward or backward. As a woman, Ye Yisha had no intention of entering if she had a choice.


    It was not that she did not believe in the strength of the person beside her.


    It was because if anything happened, she would not be able to escape with her small body. She would definitely be eaten by the giant steel-spear spiders in the cave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. After we confirm the location of the spider emperors, I¡¯ll send you out to the surface first,¡± Chen Yiming explained, seeing through her worry.


    The catacombs might be a terrain that restricted movements for ordinary warriors, but it would not be a problem for him who only needed one strike to kill the spiders.


    Ye Yisha thought for a moment and felt a little relieved. However, she quickly became nervous again.


    The situation in the catacombs was different from the sea of flowers. There was only one type of creature, the giant steel-spear spiders, inside.


    How could the two of them not be discovered by the keen senses of the giant steel-spear spiders when they entered the catacomb directly?


    She imagined the scene of the densely packed giant steel-spear spiders suddenly charging out from all directions.


    At the thought of this, her face turned pale.


    ¡­


    The gathering place of the giant steel-spear spiders was 500 to 600 kilometers away from the sea of flowers.


    If Chen Yiming wanted to return to East Lake City before nightfall, he couldn¡¯t travel slowly.


    After leaving the sea of flowers, he carried Ye Yisha and traveled as quickly as a fighter jet. They headed straight for the southern part of Jiangnan province, attracting the attention of the various factions and the three big shots of Jiangnan City.


    In the conference room, the remains of the conference table that had been destroyed by Song Chuansheng had been quickly cleaned up and replaced with a new one.


    The three big shots of Jiangnan City frowned.


    They had received news that the bloodthirsty wolves might have died. They had just ordered people to enter the sea of flowers to further confirm the outcome of the battle.


    However, before they could rejoice, news of the masked man heading south arrived.


    ¡°The situation is still under control. The mutant beasts don¡¯t have the strength of the peak of the warrior realm, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for us to defend the cities.¡±


    Wang Ronghui broke the silence.


    Due to the unique situation of the sea of flowers, the defense of the surrounding cities was stronger.


    In Creek Mountain City, which had a population similar to that of East Lake City, two guardians who had mastered the internal force transformation had been assigned to guard the city. The same was true for the military.


    In addition, because the sea of flowers produced special dew, there were many adventurers at the warrior realm.


    Overall, the defensive power of Creek Mountain City was about two to three times that of East Lake City.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time to be at ease yet. It¡¯s best if we give the order to send some of the higher-ups from the large sects to provide support to prevent the city from being invaded by mutant beasts,¡± Song Chuansheng suggested.


    The higher-ups of the large sects he was referring to were people at the level of the court heads and peak masters.


    Now that the sect master of the large sects had left the mountain, the strength of the entire Jiangnan province¡¯s large sects had been weakened. Almost all the higher-ups were holed up in the sects guarding the mountain gates, so a large number of disciples had been sent down the mountain to keep track of the situation.


    The conference room fell silent again.


    Wang Ronghui and Zhang Renhou did not give their opinions immediately.


    Under the current situation, if they forcefully sent those court heads and peak masters out of the mountains, although there was a high chance that they would not dare to disobey the orders, such a move would undoubtedly offend them.


    As the higher-ups of a province, if the people under them were completely disappointed in them, the entire Jiangnan province would become a mess. There would definitely be a huge problem during the next crisis.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    Before they could come to a conclusion, there was an anxious knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door to the meeting room was pushed open and an officer quickly walked over.


    ¡°Report. We just received news that the masked man is moving in the direction of the catacombs where the giant steel-spear spiders live.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, three terrifying auras were immediately emitted in the meeting room, causing the officer who was reporting the news to feel his hair stand on end. He was like a small tree facing a storm.


    ¡°How dare he?¡±


    Song Chuansheng slammed his fist against the conference table angrily again.


    The poor conference table that had just been replaced broke apart again.


    Wang Ronghui and Zhang Renhou took a deep breath and quickly suppressed their auras.


    Because very few adventurers went to the catacombs, very little information was available to the civilians. However, as the higher-ups of Jiangnan province, they naturally had detailed information about the catacombs.


    There were nine spider emperors in the catacombs. In terms of numbers, they were on completely different levels from the two bloodthirsty wolves in the sea of flowers.


    All along, these nine spider emperors had been a huge threat to Jiangnan province. They were worried that one of them would one day break through to the master realm.


    The three big shots of Jiangnan City had once tried to make a report to the higher-ups, requesting the help of those at the master realm to wipe out the nest.


    However, because of the special underground environment in the catacombs and the space-travel passage connected to it underground, the nine spider emperors could directly obtain food from the other side of the space-travel passage and retreat to the otherworld whenever they sensed danger.


    In addition, the martial arts masters had more important matters to attend to, so it was difficult for them to help out. Under the circumstances that the nine spider emperors were staying in the catacombs and did not come out to cause trouble, the matter of wiping out the nest had been put aside until now.

 Chapter 204 - Name List (II)

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and stop him now.¡±


    Song Chuansheng suddenly stood up and was about to leave.


    ¡°Calm down! Come back here.¡±


    Wang Ronghui shouted, ¡°Are you going to violate the plan laid out by the higher-ups? Besides, what¡¯s the use of you going? Is your fist as strong as the other party¡¯s? Why should others listen to your orders when you have no one backing you up?¡±


    Song Chuansheng¡¯s foot froze in midair.


    The masked man had always refused to respond to the olive branch thrown out by the three big shots of Jiangnan City. Wasn¡¯t he making it clear that he didn¡¯t want to expose his identity and be restrained by them?


    With the combat strength that the other party had displayed, the three big shots of Jiangnan City would not be able to do anything to him without the aid of someone at the master realm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too agitated. Sit down first.¡±


    Zhang Renhou tried to smooth things over and continued, ¡°No matter what the final outcome is, the most important thing now is to get the cities in the south to take precautions.


    Once the masked man¡¯s destination is confirmed to be the catacombs, the central cities and the provincial capital, Jiangnan City, must also take action and send reinforcements to the southern cities.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s time for the higher-ups of the large sects to contribute.¡±


    Song Chuansheng still couldn¡¯t let it go. As one of the three big shots of Jiangnan City, he was feeling very aggrieved, so he brought up the previous matter again.


    ¡°That might not be enough. We have to inform the medium-sized sects and small martial arts factions to wait for the order to move.¡±


    This time, Wang Ronghui and Zhang Renhou sighed and did not continue to object to the suggestion. Instead, they added to it.


    Once the masked man started a war with the nine spider emperors in the catacombs, some of the giant steel-spear spiders would escape to the otherworld, while others would escape the catacombs and crawl out of the ground.


    No one could predict how many giant steel-spear spiders had been born in the catacombs over the years.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the cities in the south of Jiangnan province received orders from Jiangnan City. Soon, the central cities and the civilian martial arts factions also received their corresponding orders.


    This meant that the masked man¡¯s destination had been confirmed to be the catacombs in the south.


    In a private room in a high-end hotel in Liuhe City in the middle of Jiangnan province, ¡°This is too unlucky. I heard that the Xixia Sect was surrounded by mutant beasts. The entire sect might be wiped out.¡±


    A few disciples from the medium-sized sects were drinking and joking about the beast tide that had broken out in the sea of flowers.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± someone said in surprise.


    ¡°Not only is it true, but a huge scandal has also broken out. The Xixia Sect¡¯s sect master has actually died of old age and they have been hiding it from the public. It¡¯s only now that they have been exposed because they were seeking help from the outside world,¡±


    the well-informed disciple said slowly as he held back his laughter.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    The people in the private room immediately started to laugh loudly.


    With the death of the old sect master, it was common for the new sect master to not have the strength to take on the heavy responsibility, causing the sect to be wiped out.


    However, it was rare to see this situation where a sect was affected by the beast tide and wiped out because of it.


    Suddenly, a phone rang.


    After the well-informed disciple picked up the call, he received an order from his master to return to the sect immediately.


    On the phone, he was told to bid farewell to his family as soon as possible. A portion of the disciples would be arranged to go to the southern cities to defend against the giant steel-spear spiders that might crawl out of the catacombs.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After joy comes sadness. They had just been laughing about the Xixia Sect, but in the blink of an eye, they could not escape from the bad situation facing them.


    The giant steel-spear spiders were extremely ferocious killers from underground, and were creatures that made people tremble in fear just by hearing about them.


    At the thought of facing such a creature, everyone in the private room shivered. If they could choose, they would rather be sent to the cities around the sea of flowers.


    ¡­


    In the Kunshan Sect, ¡°Outrageous!¡±


    The court head, Cheng Shikun, threw his teacup to the ground.


    When it rains, it pours. The Kunshan Sect had first lost four court heads, then their sect master. Now, they were arranged to go to the southern cities to deal with the giant steel-spear spiders that were about to climb out of the ground.


    Although there were much fewer people requested from them compared to the other large sects, and only a team led by one court head was arranged to go over, the catacomb was regarded as a forbidden land by the adventurers. Naturally, there was a reason for this. The lethality of the giant steel-spear spiders was at the top of those within the same realm.


    The Kunshan Sect could not afford to lose another court head.


    Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng sighed with heavy expressions on their faces, but they did not say anything.


    The members of the Kunshan Sect unanimously agreed that the blame lay first with Gu Chen, and second with Cheng Shikun. Without Gu Chen taking away the porcelain bowl, the Kunshan Sect would not have suffered the series of disasters that followed.


    Therefore, Cheng Shikun and his disciple, Gu Chen, could not escape the order to go to the southern cities to deal with the giant steel-spear spiders.


    Unless the two of them defected from the Kunshan Sect, they needed to make up for their mistakes and appease the resentment of the others.


    ¡­


    In the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the inner sect disciples of three courts were urgently summoned back to the sect, including those from the Mantis Snake Court.


    Chen Yiming was still a true disciple, so compared to the other inner courts, the Mantis Snake Court had one more person at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    Therefore, the first choice to go to the southern cities to deal with the giant steel-spear spiders was the Mantis Snake Court.


    ¡°Court Head, why is our Mantis Snake Court being arranged to go?¡±


    Su Mo¡¯er was about to cry. She had been placed on the list of disciples to go over by Zhou Xuesheng because she had successfully cultivated a secondary ice attribute internal force.


    If she could turn back time, she would rather continue to try to master the transformation of her internal force than to try to master a second cultivation technique.


    ¡°This trip is not completely without benefits for you. Train your will on the battlefield,¡± Zhou Xuesheng said sternly.


    He was a little disappointed with disciples like Su Mo¡¯er. They were like flowers in a greenhouse that could not withstand hardships.


    As for the Mantis Snake Court being the first choice to go to the cities in the south, the reason was simple. If anything happened to Zhou Xuesheng, Chen Yiming would immediately be able to take over the position of court head. That way, the position would not be vacant for a long time.


    The other inner courts had yet to nurture a successful successor.


    ¡°Senior Brother Zhang, please take care of me.¡±


    Some inner court disciples approached Zhang Jianpeng and tried to form a group with him.


    Zhang Jianpeng ignored them, feeling furious.


    As the one formerly at the top of the true disciples in the Mantis Snake Court, he would originally have been arranged to stay in the sect, but Chen Yiming had quickly risen to replace him.


    This caused Zhang Jianpeng¡¯s status to drop greatly. As the second strongest disciple, he was naturally on the list to go to the cities in the south.


    ¡°Qian Bingnan, aren¡¯t you panicking at all?¡± Bai Hengliang asked with a tearful expression.


    Other than Dai Yuanhang, the other two people in the same house as Chen Yiming were on the list.


    ¡°The battlefield is where we can maximize our potential. My entire body is overflowing with excitement.¡±


    Qian Bingnan smiled.


    As soon as he said this, not only did he encourage himself, but he also gave up on the idea of running away.


    Bai Hengliang felt even worse. At this moment, he was extremely envious of Dai Yuanhang, who did research every single day.


    Among the disciples of the same level, Dai Yuanhang was considered weak in actual combat strength and was considered a research-type talent. As a result, he was not chosen by Zhou Xuesheng since there were better choices.


    ¡­


    At the same time, in the central city of Jiangnan province, other than the large and medium-sized sects, the members of the small martial arts factions were also summoned by people who specially came to deliver the message.


    The difference was that the members of the small martial arts factions were unified and led by the military.


    For example, some warrior clans only had one leader in the warrior realm and some disciples.


    If they split up and went to the cities in the south, not only would their forces be too weak, but they would also encounter all kinds of problems along the way. It would also be easy for them to disobey orders and turn around to hide in the wilderness.


    After all, small-scale martial arts factions were not as large as large-scale sects. There were only less than 10 core members, and the price of betraying the city was not that high.


    Therefore, to be on the safe side, they did not want these people to think about defecting.

 Chapter 205 - Catacombs (I)

    A stream of light streaked across the air.


    Chen Yiming descended from the sky with Ye Yisha. He scanned his surroundings and realized that the catacombs had changed completely.


    On the surface, the area above the catacombs was not large, only about seven to eight kilometers wide. The bulk of it was underground, and countless underground passages were connected with each other. Humans could not really explore the area thoroughly.


    At this moment, the military had set up positions around the surface of the catacombs. A large number of cannons and tanks were arranged around the catacombs.


    There was not enough time for them to set up a complete barrier. There were large gaps between the military bases.


    There were a large number of soldiers in military uniforms in the camp. The artillery shells had already been loaded and were ready to be fired at any moment.


    In the distance, transport vehicles appeared continuously, heading in the direction of these military bases. Not only were they carrying supplies, but there were also teams of engineers.


    At this moment, three soldiers were standing back-to-back on the sentry tower, monitoring the situation in all directions.


    A soldier suddenly realized that two unfamiliar figures were approaching the catacombs.


    ¡°There¡¯s a situation. An unfamiliar young man and a woman have appeared over there. They are heading towards the military formation,¡± the soldier said loudly.


    There were very few adventurers who would come to the catacombs to begin with. It had now been turned into a war zone, yet an unfamiliar young man and a woman suddenly approached.


    Because the soldiers were only responsible for monitoring the movements in the catacombs and were not informed of the underlying reason for establishing the military bases, they treated the two of them as ordinary adventurers.


    In the blink of an eye, Chen Yiming and Ye Yisha were about to pass through the watchtower and enter the catacombs through the gap between the military bases.


    Such an unannounced intrusion naturally made the soldiers on the watchtower nervous.


    ¡°Stop! This place has been turned into a war zone. You are not allowed to approach it at will.¡±


    The three soldiers shouted a warning. When they saw that the other party was about to move forward, they raised their weapons and aimed at them.


    ¡°Are we going to barge our way through like this?¡± Ye Yisha was a little worried and asked in a low voice.


    She was only at the disciple realm, so the bullets from the guns were still very intimidating. She subconsciously felt that it was not appropriate.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to waste time,¡± Chen Yiming replied simply.


    Next, he ignored the soldier¡¯s warning and continued walking in a straight line, as if he was preparing to barge into the military camp.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Seeing that the other party was determined to barge in, a soldier fired a warning shot.


    However, he was not aiming at the person, but at the ground half a meter in front of him.


    However, to the soldier¡¯s surprise, the bullet hit an invisible barrier and exploded. The young man and the woman were unharmed.


    ¡°It¡¯s an adventurer at the warrior realm.¡±


    The soldier involuntarily put down his gun and quickly took out his walkie-talkie to report to his superior.


    Even if those in the disciple realm had protective techniques, they would not take the risk of being injured to face the bullets head-on. However, the soldiers with simple firearms could not fight against those in the warrior realm.


    When the soldiers at the front heard the gunshots, they were alarmed. Many cannons and tanks turned around and prepared to fire at any moment.


    Chen Yiming ignored all of this and continued to move forward at his original speed.


    ¡°Adventurer, this place has been turned into a war zone. Stop right there.¡±


    A loudspeaker sounded from the military camp, signaling a warning.


    The order given by the three big shots of Jiangnan City was to send troops to establish military bases to guard against the giant steel-spear spiders that might climb out of the ground.


    Due to their pride, they naturally could not reveal the truth openly. Therefore, the soldiers did not know what kind of person was in front of them.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Facing someone at the warrior realm, more than 10 cannons and tanks fired one after another.


    The flames drowned out the young men and women who were trying to force their way in. The thick smoke and dust covered the figures, making it impossible to see the effect of the attacks.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s speed was not hindered at all.


    Ordinary artillery and tank attacks could not even shake the internal force barrier that he had erected. They were so weak that he was not bothered at all.


    Just as the cannons and tanks were waiting for the next round of firing orders, two figures suddenly walked out of the smoke and flames.


    The woman was clearly shocked, but the young man beside her had no change in expression. The black cloak he was wearing was not damaged at all.


    ¡°A warrior who has mastered the transformation of internal force!¡±


    The officer in charge of giving the order knew that conventional weapons were useless against experts of this level, so he did not continue to give the order to fire.


    As for the more powerful unconventional weapons such as vacuum bombs and nuclear bombs, they were not something that ordinary officers could decide to use.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Without any orders, the soldiers did not dare to fire at will. As a result, the morale of the entire military camp was suppressed by the unfamiliar experts before they even encountered the giant steel-spear spiders.


    Their opponent did not even have any interest in counterattacking, as if they were as helpless as ordinary people facing a god.


    Next, the young man and the woman passed through the military camp and entered the catacombs under the watchful eyes of the artillery and tank formations.


    ¡­


    On the floor of the catacombs was a forest.


    Holes two to three meters in diameter appeared on the ground without any pattern.


    The depths of the catacombs were dark. In this environment where there were only two ways to move, forward or backward, those who were not confident enough in their own strength would lose the courage to go any further at just one glance.


    ¡°Which hole should we choose?¡± Chen Yiming asked as he looked around.


    There were so many underground passages that it was impossible to determine the direction. If he had not met Ye Yisha, he would only have been able to rely on brute force to charge into the catacombs.


    This way, it would be easy to alert the spider emperors in advance.


    Ye Yisha wiped the sweat from her forehead and listened carefully. After a while, she replied, ¡°I can only determine the general location now. We need to enter the underground passages to determine the exact location.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it doesn¡¯t matter which hole I choose,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    Therefore, he grabbed Ye Yisha¡¯s hand and felt the warmth from it as he jumped down from the nearest hole.


    As they fell, the light in front of them gradually disappeared. A few seconds later, the two of them landed on wet ground.


    Judging from the time during which they were falling, the difference in height was about 30 meters. Ye Yisha, who was a weakling in the disciple realm, might be injured from the fall. This forced Chen Yiming to change from grabbing her to carrying her horizontally.


    The two of them had only known each other for less than half a day, and Ye Yisha had not even seen the other party¡¯s true appearance. At this moment, her face was completely red, and her heart was racing uncontrollably.


    The surroundings were pitch-black, and he could not even see his own fingers. Chen Yiming had no choice but to shoot out a trace of blazing internal force.


    A red light immediately dispelled the darkness around them. Not only did it allow the two of them to regain their vision, but it also illuminated a giant steel-spear spider that was hanging upside down.


    This was an empty underground cave. There were some broken bones of mutant beasts in the corners. When they landed, they encountered the ferocious giant steel-spear spider, which gave off a sinister and terrifying feeling.


    This giant steel-spear spider was only at the disciple realm. Even though it had spread out its eight legs that were like steel spears and covered an area of nearly 10 meters, it still did not have any courage to fight against internal force users.


    Just as the giant steel-spear spider was about to escape, it was hit by an unknown attack and fell to the ground with a bang.

 Chapter 206 - Catacombs (II)

    ¡°Is this the giant steel-spear spider that is called a deadly weapon?¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the underground creature.


    Not only were the eight legs like steel spears, but they were also covered in sharp barbs. If they pierced into a creature¡¯s body, they could cause a huge amount of damage.


    In addition, one could vaguely see green venom on its two fangs that were glowing with a metallic luster. They could inject the venom into the enemy¡¯s body the moment the eight legs restrained them.


    Physical damage coupled with poison damage was indeed something that ordinary people did not dare to provoke.


    ¡°There was once a city near the catacombs. Because they were afraid that the giant steel-spear spiders would suddenly attack the city one day, the population gradually decreased as the people drifted to other cities until finally, no one dared to stay behind,¡± Ye Yisha whispered a piece of history.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Chen Yiming asked curiously.


    He was skeptical about this. The giant steel-spear spiders lived in a dark underground environment all year round, so why would they climb out of the ground in large numbers to attack human cities?


    ¡°I was born in a small city in the south of Jiangnan province. My ancestors were from that city,¡± Ye Yisha explained.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze. He was standing in a different position, so he could see differently.


    The giant steel-spear spiders in the cave could force humans to abandon the city and retreat. Clearly, it was not as simple as it seemed. There must be a deeper reason that Ye Yisha did not know about.


    He looked at the other three tunnels in the cave.


    ¡°Which direction should we go in?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    After this, more underground passages would appear. He could only rely on Ye Yisha to find the way for them.


    Ye Yisha listened carefully again and pointed at one of the passages. ¡°This way.¡±


    Chen Yiming had no objections and took the lead to enter the passage. Ye Yisha quickly followed.


    The terrain in the catacombs was complicated, like a maze.


    For adventurers, they needed to leave marks along the way. Otherwise, once they got lost, they would definitely be surrounded by the sea of spiders.


    After walking for nearly 10 minutes, Chen Yiming could sense the movement of the giant steel-spear spiders in the tunnel. The two intruders who had entered the cave had clearly been noticed.


    ¡°This is bad. We are blocked from the front and back this time. We can¡¯t avoid them,¡± Ye Yisha explained.


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks. Two streams of internal force of the cutting attribute turned into silver threads that shot out in both directions.


    ¡°Hss! Hss! Hss!¡±


    Many giant steel-spear spiders were pierced by the threads.


    No matter what form of protection the steel-like legs provided to the spiders, even if it was covered in internal force, it was still as fragile as paper when faced with Chen Yiming¡¯s silver threads.


    In just a few seconds, the corridor fell silent.


    Facing an expert who could instantly kill their own kind, the giant steel-spear spiders behind did not continue to move forward. Instead, they retreated to the surrounding passages and went into hiding.


    ¡°These are the giant steel-spear spiders!¡±


    Ye Yisha, who was following behind Chen Yiming, shouted in her heart as she watched the giant steel-spear spiders die along the way.


    These giant steel-spear spiders were of various sizes. The corpses of the big ones could block the entire passage. At this moment, they were all like deflated balloons, and they had died on the spot.


    She counted silently in her heart and multiplied the number she got by two. In just a few seconds, nearly 100 giant steel-spear spiders had been killed.


    What did that mean?


    If these nearly 100 giant steel-spear spiders broke out of the ground and started a massacre in the city, ordinary small cities might be in danger of being destroyed.


    Chen Yiming naturally saw the danger hidden within the catacombs.


    Although humans could build steel walls to withstand the attacks from the mutant beasts, it was completely impossible to defend against an attack from underground. These catacombs were indeed worthy of being called the most dangerous area in Jiangnan province.


    At the same time, he had the thought of destroying the entire catacombs after killing the spider emperors.


    With his speed of replenishing his energy, he could use continuous attacks to kill the giant steel-spear spiders at the disciple realm with the shockwaves.


    However, on second thought, it was unrealistic. Wasn¡¯t this just like creating an earthquake?


    It was completely like killing 1,000 enemies and losing 800 of his own troops at the same time.


    After that, they did not encounter much resistance along the way.


    Ye Yisha listened carefully every few turns to determine the spider emperors¡¯ locations.


    For some reason, the spider emperors remained indifferent even though Chen Yiming had killed many of the giant steel-spear spiders.


    Another suspicious point was that there were a large number of remains of creatures living on the surface that had appeared deep underground. Compared to the remains of the passage near the surface in the first half of the journey, the creatures here were completely different.


    ¡°There seem to be¡­ nine spider emperors, and they aren¡¯t far from each other,¡± Ye Yisha suddenly stopped in front of a passage and stammered.


    Although Chen Yiming had just killed two bloodthirsty wolves in the sea of flowers, the numbers of two and nine were not on the same level. Ye Yisha was so frightened that her legs went weak.


    Nine of them?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same, not caring about the difference in numbers.


    Strong was strong, weak was weak. Chen Yiming could vaguely sense that his current combat strength was above the peak of the warrior realm, and was at the middle level below the master realm.


    With the difference of half a level, the nine spider emperors could not break through his defense at all, and he could kill each of them with just one strike.


    Seeing that the person beside her had no intention of retreating, Ye Yisha asked weakly, ¡°We agreed that you would send me out to the surface first.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Just follow me. There won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Faced with the suspicious situation that they only encountered after entering the catacombs, Chen Yiming still needed Ye Yisha, his human radar, to determine the direction. Of course, he couldn¡¯t let her leave now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So this man was a liar. However, in terms of strength, the two of them were as different as giants and ants, so how could Ye Yisha dare to object?


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming and Ye Yisha approached the spider emperor¡¯s caves, the half-asleep spider emperors woke up.


    One of the spider emperor¡¯s caves


    was a huge underground space. It was about 100 meters in height, length and width. The ground was covered by the remains of countless creatures, and it was just like a land of bones.


    Each of its eight limbs were just long enough to reach the edges of the cave, and the giant steel-spear spider was lying on the bones in the cave.


    Its body emitted a green glow that dyed the entire cave in a green light. The remains on the ground instantly became smaller, and finally turned into a liquid that seeped into the soil.


    In addition, the edge of the cave expanded a little, and even a portion of the soil had melted away.


    This was the poison-attribute internal force that had been enhanced by the fusion of the spider emperor¡¯s internal force.


    Suddenly, the green light shone brightly as the spider emperor crawled into the underground passage from the cave. It headed in Chen Yiming¡¯s direction, and the tunnel along the way was constantly melting, becoming a size that its huge body could pass through.


    The other eight spider emperors nearby fell back into a half-asleep state after sensing the commotion.


    The spider emperors did not think that anyone who entered the catacombs could defeat the giant steel-spear spiders of the same level.


    In the underground passage,


    ¡°It¡¯s here¡­ one of the spider emperors is here.¡±


    Ye Yisha¡¯s voice trembled.


    This was different from the situation in the sea of flowers. Back then, Chen Yiming had placed her outside the range of the battle, but she was right next to him now.


    Her small body would be destroyed just like that if there was a small accident.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the end of the tunnel.


    He didn¡¯t expect a spider emperor to foolishly charge over. Wasn¡¯t it just sending itself to its death?


    Although the underground passage was suitable for escape, if he rushed forward, the passage would become a restraint. If Chen Yiming stabbed out with his sword, the Spider Emperor would not even have a place to hide.


    And the situation turned out exactly like that.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    10 seconds later, Ye Yisha was dumbfounded.


    The green light on the spider emperor¡¯s body quickly extinguished. It did not even manage to put up a decent resistance and had died just like that.


    From the beginning to the end, it was not much different from when he encountered the giant steel-spear spider that was much smaller than the spider emperor. It was all over with a single strike.


    Ye Yisha looked at the melted underground passage and subconsciously pressed herself even closer to Chen Yiming.

 Chapter 207 - : Slaying the Spider Emperors (I)

    On the ground above the catacombs, the dense forest was the best hunting environment for the giant steel-spear spiders. Not only did adventurers have to defend against sneak attacks from underground caves, but they also had to guard against the attacks from the bushes and trees.


    At this moment, due to Chen Yiming¡¯s invasion of the catacombs, a large number of giant steel-spear spiders had crawled out of the holes in the ground.


    ¡°Hss hss hss¡­¡±


    Pairs of eyes filled with killing intent appeared all over the forest.


    From afar, it looked like dense black pearls were hanging from the bushes and branches.


    Those who did not know about the creatures in the catacombs could easily mistake them for some kind of strange fruit. The consequences of rashly approaching them were unimaginable.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A soldier in charge of monitoring the catacombs suddenly fired a shot.


    This gunshot broke the peace between the forest and the military camp.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are there gunshots?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the creatures from the catacombs have come out?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! I don¡¯t believe those creatures can really withstand the dense bombardment and rush out. We can have a taste of roasted spider legs later.¡±


    The soldiers, who had been tense all this time, put down what they were doing and turned to look in the direction of the forest.


    Under the gaze of more than 100 military camps, a commotion broke out in the forest, causing a chain reaction that exposed the giant steel-spear spiders inside.


    Other than the spider emperor, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, having modern technological weapons were enough to give the soldiers the courage to fight against these creatures.


    After all, the giant steel-spear spiders were not flying creatures. If they wanted to attack the military base, they had to withstand the bombardment from the military.


    ¡°Tsk! Oh my god, why are there so many?¡±


    The catacombs were different from the other places where mutant beasts gathered in Jiangnan province. Not only did they live in an underground cave environment, but they could also obtain food from the otherworld that was connected through the underground space-travel passage.


    Therefore, there was no accurate answer to how far this species had evolved.


    At this moment, the first wave of giant steel-spear spiders were at least 3000 to 5000 strong.


    This number made the soldiers, who had been full of confidence, feel half guilty that the military bases were only half-built.


    Just as the soldiers were feeling shocked, the officers¡¯ orders came through the walkie-talkies. ¡°Everyone, shoot immediately. Fire at will.¡±


    Clearly, not only did the soldiers realize that the situation was not looking good, but the officers also had similar thoughts. As a result, they did not even have the time to test the waters before giving the order to go all out.


    In the hundreds of military bases, the square formation formed by the troops seemed to have woken up at this moment.


    The machine guns were connected to magazines and the muzzles were leveled. The tanks rotated and the barrels were raised. The cannons were loaded and aimed at the target. The rocket trucks were in position and their directions adjusted.


    In addition, because they were facing creatures on the ground, dozens of armed helicopters were sent over from the surrounding cities. Their propellers spun as they flew into the air.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    In an extremely short period of time, hundreds of military troops opened fire at the same time.


    Metallic bullets shot out from the countless guns, falling like the rain.


    There was no need to aim at a specific target at all, because the guns were only used to deal with the giant steel-spear spiders below the warrior realm.


    This type of giant steel-spear spiders also formed the bulk of the group.


    At the same time, countless black dots streaked across the sky and descended to the ground, enveloping the forest on the surface of the catacombs.


    These were fired from the cannons and the tanks. Each of these were special armor-piercing shells that were specially designed to deal with the protective internal force of the warrior realm.


    Those with powerful internal force could withstand two hits, but these would all eventually be broken by the dense barrage of armor-piercing bullets.


    Finally, rockets and missiles spewing flames shot out from the rocket trucks on the ground and the helicopters in the sky.


    Rockets and missiles were the conventional most powerful weapons in a military formation. With the aid of the precise targeting devices installed on them, these were aimed straight at the larger giant steel-spear spiders.


    As the human military troops opened fire, the giant steel-spear spiders that had crawled out of the ground were in a dilemma.


    If they moved forward, they would have to withstand the bombardment from the military to leave the area around the catacombs. If they moved back, there was another God of Death that was wreaking havoc within the maze of catacombs.


    This was really a difficult situation for the giant steel-spear spiders. They had been staying quietly underground and only occasionally entered the otherworld or crawled out of the ground to hunt. After that, they would return to their caves and fall into a deep sleep.


    Unexpectedly, on this day, many of their fellow creatures had been suddenly killed by the powerful invader. They had just crawled out of the ground to avoid the invaders¡¯ attacks when they were attacked by human technological weapons.


    However, it was precisely this hesitation that caused the spiders to block each other¡¯s paths when they wanted to retreat, causing the giant steel-spear spiders to fall into a situation where they had lost the initiative.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Countless flames exploded in the forest, raising an endless amount of soil into the air and causing thick smoke to envelope the entire area.


    Scorching flames, sharp metal fragments, and the shockwaves caused by the explosions swept through the entire forest. Countless giant steel-spear spiders let out incomprehensible screams.


    Each of their eight steel spear-like legs could cover their entire body and protect them from most attacks.


    However, this kind of dense artillery attack was completely impossible for them. As long as there was a slight gap, they would be injured.


    In particular, even adventurers rarely went to the catacombs, and they had not interacted with the human military for a long time. Most of the giant steel-spear spiders had not encountered any technological weapons before, so they did not know how to deal with such an attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled!¡±


    Seeing that the giant steel-spear spiders in the forest could not retreat back to the holes in the ground for the moment, the officers smiled.


    Perhaps those at the warrior realm would be difficult to completely kill with one round of fire, but most of them were at the disciple realm and would definitely not be able to survive.


    They could already imagine that under the second and third round of attacks, most of the giant steel-spear spiders would be wiped out.


    Kill! Kill! Kill!


    The soldiers who were firing continuously saw that they were about to win, and their morale was immediately boosted.


    At this moment, the barrels of the guns and cannons were heating up, and they did not even bother to wipe the sweat off their bodies. All the soldiers were immersed in the thrill of killing the giant steel-spear spiders.


    This was a form of fanaticism that came with being in a favorable situation. It allowed one to temporarily forget their fatigue and chase away the fear in their hearts.


    And the situation turned out exactly like that.


    The giant steel-spear spiders at the warrior realm were much fewer than those at the disciple realm.


    As for the giant steel-spear spiders in the disciple realm, they still needed to rely on their bodies to withstand the bombardment of bullets and rockets.


    Countless limbs were blown away. There were eight-legged steel spears, sharp poisonous fangs, body parts, and organs that produced the venom everywhere.


    Although the venom was highly toxic, its level was ultimately too low. It would either burn to ashes in the sparks or splash onto the surrounding soil.


    Only the giant steel-spear spiders which had mastered the transformation of their internal force could use their poison-based internal force to kill a large number of human military troops.


    The human troops took advantage of the situation and attacked. After two more rounds of bombardment, the forest on the surface of the catacombs fell completely silent.


    The surviving giant steel-spear spiders had all retreated into the holes in the ground. The forest had been completely destroyed, revealing the broken limbs of the giant steel-spear spiders all over the ground.


    ¡°We won!¡±


    The cheers of countless soldiers erupted from various military camps.


    The soldiers rarely encountered creatures like the giant steel-spear spiders that were unfamiliar with the attack methods of the human military.


    If it was any other mutant beast gathering place, due to the constant conflict with humans, the creatures would definitely not have foolishly gathered together and waited for the bombardment.


    Beep! Beep! Beep!


    ¡°Report. The giant steel-spear spiders that crawled out of the ground have been destroyed.¡±


    The officers also reported the results of the battle to the command center at the back.


    ¡°Stay in formation and be on alert!¡±


    Soon, the command center sent back an order not to spare any giant steel-spear spiders that still wanted to escape.


    In order to deal with the giant steel-spear spiders in the catacombs, other than the cities around the sea of flowers and a few cities in the north, the three big shots in Jiangnan City had almost mobilized all the forces they could bring in from more than half of Jiangnan province.


    Next, an endless stream of troops would arrive from all over. There would also be civilian martial arts experts in charge of the killing operation.


    At this moment, from the situation with the first wave from the catacombs, not only did the soldiers believe that they would win, but the officers also believed it. Those at the command center also firmly believed it.


    Everyone was unprecedentedly excited. The war at the catacombs was already leaning towards the human side.


    ¡­


    Just as both sides turned peaceful again,


    there was an endless stream of giant steel-spear spiders scurrying about in the catacombs. Due to the strong threat posed by Chen Yiming, they were crawling out from the underground passages to the caves near the surface.

 Chapter 208 - Slaying the Spider Emperors (II)

    Gradually, some of the caves were filled up. With the constant urging from those behind them, the spiders at the front either crawled out of the ground or dug out new caves.


    Below the ground, where humans could not see, more giant steel-spear spiders were gradually gathering. They were only waiting to reach a critical point before climbing out of the ground.


    This time, it was no longer thousands, but tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of them.


    The humans were naturally also preparing for battle.


    Unlike the giant steel-spear spider¡¯s anxious state, the military engineers seemed to have an endless amount of strength as they continued to build all kinds of facilities.


    Some of the civilian experts from the southern cities also rushed to the front with their teams.


    Their main mission was to withstand the attacks from the warriors among the giant steel-spear spiders, as well as to continue the attack after the giant steel-spear spiders retreated. They wanted to kill as many of the spiders as possible.


    Suddenly, a miserable cry echoed through the underground passages.


    The barbs on the legs and the fur on the bodies of all the giant steel-spear spiders below the peak of the warrior realm stood up, and their bodies instantly stiffened.


    This cry came from one of the spider emperors.


    The nine spider emperors were the rulers of the catacombs. The spiders also relied on them to hunt for prey in the otherworld.


    It could be said that without these nine spider emperors, the giant steel-spear spiders would not have been able to grow to such large numbers.


    In the depths of the ground that humans had yet to explore, the caves dug by the giant steel-spear spiders extended to the underground area below the existing human cities around the catacombs.


    The hidden danger far exceeded the expectations of the three big shots in Jiangnan City. Once the nine spider emperors reached the master realm, the entire Jiangnan province would be threatened by the giant steel-spear spiders.


    When all the giant steel-spear spiders left their frozen states and listened carefully to the battle between the invader and the spider emperors, in just an instant, the entire catacombs fell silent again.


    One of the strongest spider emperors had been completely defeated after letting out a miserable cry.


    Run! Run! Run!


    Previously, most of the giant steel-spear spiders had thought of staying far away and waiting for the spider emperors to deal with the invader before returning to their caves.


    Now, they only had one thought, and that was to escape.


    The spider emperor had been instantly killed. Without the need for any explanation, it meant that the invader was no longer at a level that they could deal with.


    The giant steel-spear spiders dug a new underground passage and headed towards the surface.


    The sounds of tunnels being dug rang out from everywhere and spread out like an earthquake.


    In the human military camp.


    ¡°I felt a vibration. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Could there have been a sudden earthquake?¡±


    Sensing the movement from under their feet, the soldiers were stunned.


    If they really encountered a natural disaster, there might be new variables introduced to the battle. If it was serious, it might even force the military to retreat.


    ¡­


    Immediately after. there was a loud bang.


    All the soldiers were still worried about the earthquake and felt dizzy from the loud sound. Their heads buzzed and their vision turned black.


    Many people fell to the ground.


    From the soldiers to the officers, everyone had looks of fear on their faces. They turned towards the source of the loud sound and saw that a pit nearly a kilometer in diameter had exploded in the area of the catacombs.


    No one dared to get close to see how deep the pit was.


    A huge amount of soil turned into a rain of soil that shot out in all directions. Even the military camps a few kilometers away were not spared. It was clear how terrifying the scale of the explosion was.


    This was not all.


    From deep within the bottomless pit, a green light shot into the sky. Even though it was daytime, the light was still extremely bright and was clearly visible to the humans.


    Other than that, before anyone could understand what was going on, the pit had visibly expanded.


    ¡°This¡­ this, this, this!¡±


    The soldiers were so shocked that they could not put their thoughts into words.


    In the eyes of the soldiers, there must be a volcano hidden under the pit. Otherwise, why would it suddenly explode?


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey¡­¡±


    After the officers reacted, they called the headquarters to report this sudden development.


    Such a large-scale destructive power was already beyond their ability to deal with. They had to ask the higher-ups for their orders.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Even the heads of the large factions in the southern cities who had led the teams to provide support widened their eyes.


    They knew the reason for their deployment. The root cause was that the masked man wanted to make a move on the spider emperors in the catacombs. Everyone was here to deal with the aftermath.


    The destructive power that had appeared in front of them was definitely not something that even their sect master could achieve.


    At this moment, in the underground passages, the tide of giant steel-spear spiders did not react much differently from the humans. Their bodies, which had just recovered, froze on the spot again.


    The invader was fighting one against eight and started a battle with the remaining spider emperors.


    There was no creature that did not fear the strong, which were labeled as deadly weapons. Even the ferocious giant steel-spear spiders were no exception.


    Deep underground, near the space-travel passage.


    Kill! Kill! Kill!


    The eight spider emperors had dozens of eyeballs that were each larger than a person. They stared fixedly at Chen Yiming, the intruder, and emitted a strong killing intent.


    The green glow was formed by the internal force of the poison attribute. Under the enhancement of the internal force fusion, the combined strength of the eight spider emperors melted all the soil around them in just a few seconds, forming a pit hundreds of meters deep.


    At this moment, not far behind the eight spider emperors, the space was flickering, and a spatial rift appeared, emitting an indescribable aura.


    ¡°A space-travel passage?¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming instantly understood why the catacomb could produce nine spider emperors.


    Coincidentally, as he swept through the gathering place of the mutant beasts to reduce the Skill Point requirements for upgrading his talents, he could also resolve this huge hidden problem.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In contrast to Chen Yiming who was calm and unbothered by the revelation, Ye Yisha, who was standing at the side, was about to foam at the mouth.


    Compared to the spider emperors, who were at the peak of the warrior realm, a human at the disciple realm was like an ant facing an elephant.


    In front of her, there were spider emperors that were comparable to skyscrapers and were considered to be alien creatures. Furthermore, eight of them were staring at her at once.


    Even with the person beside her protecting her, her world was spinning. Her entire body felt weak and powerless, and she could only lean against Chen Yiming to barely hold on.


    ¡°This temperature?¡±


    Chen Yiming felt the weakness in Ye Yisha¡¯s body and knew that the upcoming battle with the eight spider emperors might leave a trauma in her heart.


    This was a problem that was often encountered when passing down martial arts.


    The best solution was to not let her see too many situations that exceeded her level.


    Therefore, he released a wave of illusory internal force to cover Ye Yisha, preventing her from seeing anything.


    While Chen Yiming was distracted, ¡°Swish, swish, swish!¡±


    The green light on the eight spider emperors¡¯ bodies glowed brightly, and a huge amount of poisonous internal force transformed into spider fur that shot towards Chen Yiming like a storm of needles.


    The spider emperor¡¯s poison-based internal force could even melt internal force of the same level. The combined attack from eight of them was even more terrifying. In the outside world, this round of attacks could completely destroy an ordinary city.


    However, when it hit Chen Yiming¡¯s protective internal force, it made a sizzling sound and only melted a little of his protection before it was instantly repaired.


    Other than increasing the size of the pit, there was no other effect.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to attack.¡±


    Ye Yisha¡¯s vision was already blocked, so Chen Yiming went all out and used his strongest finishing move.


    Under the enhancement of the 12 different types of internal force, the strength of the 100-meter-long sword formed by the strength-based internal force instantly exceeded that of any single spider emperor.


    Next, the huge sword that was glowing with a strange light slashed out without any fancy moves.


    In the enclosed environment of the pit, it was naturally not easy to dodge in a short period of time. Only five spider emperors successfully jumped up and dodged the huge sword before sticking to the rock walls.


    As for the remaining three spider emperors, the protective internal force of the first spider emperor was instantly broken, and its body was blown up in the air. Then, the huge sword carrying its remains collided with the second and third spider emperors.


    The strength-based internal force was originally good at suppressing others with strength. Coupled with the difference in the strength of the internal forces, it naturally made the battle very simple. The weaker side would only be crushed if they faced it head-on.


    In the end, he destroyed three of the spider emperors with one slash of the huge sword, which then crashed into the wall of the pit that had just been created. This caused the people in the military position to feel another earthquake just as they regained their footing and caught their breaths.


    The people watching the pit saw cracks appear on the ground. The damaged rock layers turned into countless irregular pieces of rock that fell to the bottom of the pit.


    ¡°What exactly is going on down there?¡±


    This was beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. It was not something that someone at the level of a sect master could do.


    This was the truth. If the sect master of a large sect dared to challenge the nine spider emperors alone, he would be torn to pieces in no time.


    If it was that easy to deal with, the three big shots of Jiangnan City would have long resolved the issue of the danger hidden in the catacombs.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Chen Yiming¡¯s huge sword had struck the rock wall and the falling rocks had caused a certain amount of interference, the remaining five spider emperors unleashed their strongest finishing move.


    Five poisonous spears shot towards Chen Yiming from different directions.


    The poison spear was formed by condensing and compressing the spider emperor¡¯s internal force to the maximum. It had internal forces of the spinning attribute and tough attribute, which combined with the melting effect of the poison internal force.


    The three internal force attributes were all made to increase the lethality, and the fusion of these internal forces was even more terrifying.


    Even the sect masters of large sects had to avoid the attacks from the spears, let alone five times the number of poison spears. No one dared to test and see if their protective internal force could withstand the attacks.


    However, the strongest finishing move of the five spider emperors was not intended to kill the intruder in front of them.


    When Chen Yiming used his internal force to withstand the five poisonous spears, he was only held back for a moment. However, the five spider emperors in front of him had already rushed into the space-travel passage and disappeared from his sight.

 Chapter 209 - Otherworld (I)

    ¡°Time really flies!


    The incident where I was chased by Li Daoyi from the Blue Cloud Sword Sect seemed to have happened not long ago.


    But now, the nine spider emperors which are already the most difficult to deal with among those below the master realm in Jiangnan province, are running around like chicks and getting killed by me.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the space-travel passage not far away and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The essence from the corpses of the four spider emperors helped to reduce the Skill Points needed for his Level-3 Undying Body talent by another 200 points.


    With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the illusory internal force that enveloped Ye Yisha.


    The most direct effect of the illusion attribute was to reflect the result that one really wanted to see. In Ye Yisha¡¯s eyes, the spider emperors had the advantage in numbers. The two of them fought and retreated, and finally managed to escape.


    ¡°Where are the spider emperors? We¡¯re finally safe!¡±


    Ye Yisha looked around and took a deep breath.


    Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and her clothes clung tightly to her body, revealing the curves underneath. At this moment, she looked like a frightened cat, and her entire body was limp and weak.


    ¡°Are you alright now? Let¡¯s go,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at the spatial rift and said calmly.


    Why were they back at this place?


    This seemed to be the spider emperor¡¯s lair?


    When she noticed the spatial rift in front of her, Ye Yisha¡¯s eyes widened. She remembered that the two of them had clearly run far away. Due to the difference between reality and the illusion she had seen, she was not able to wrap her mind around the situation.


    Chen Yiming had no intention of explaining the situation. He walked straight towards the spatial rift.


    Regarding the otherworld, even after he became a true disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the information he could gather was still limited. After all, the disciples of the sect were still focused on their own cultivation at this stage.


    Chen Yiming only knew that the otherworld was extremely dangerous. On the blue planet, ordinary warriors might be considered famous.


    In the otherworld, he would only be an ordinary adventurer. If he was not careful, he would lose his life.


    This was also the reason why he had not taken the initiative to enter the unknown otherworld through the space-travel passages.


    Now that five giant steel-spear spiders had just escaped into the otherworld through the space-travel passage, it meant that it was unlikely that there were any existences there that could threaten his life.


    In addition, he had Ye Yisha, his subordinate who was like a human radar, by his side.


    At this moment, it was a good opportunity to enter the otherworld and explore it.


    Seeing this, Ye Yisha¡¯s forehead started to heat up again.


    She was doomed!


    Were they going to enter the otherworld?


    How could she survive like this!


    She looked towards the entrance to the pit again. It was hundreds of meters above her.


    However, even if she managed to get out from there, she would only end up as food if she faced the giant steel-spear spiders alone.


    In the end, Ye Yisha was forced to follow Chen Yiming obediently and walk towards the spatial rift.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming stepped into the spatial rift, the huge aura that he had been emitting disappeared from the cave. All the giant steel-spear spiders recovered from their frozen state.


    The behavior of those who were weak, not daring to move when facing those who were much more powerful, was especially obvious in mutant beasts that did not have much intelligence.


    ¡°Hss hss hss!¡±


    This time, throughout the entire catacombs, the giant steel-spear spiders, including those that had mastered the transformation of internal force, began to dig their way out of the ground.


    The sound of the three spider emperors exploding was deeply imprinted in the minds of each of the giant steel-spear spiders. The aura of the remaining five spider emperors had disappeared first, followed by the aura of the intruders.


    Without a doubt, the intruders had chased them into the otherworld.


    None of the giant steel-spear spiders dared to stay in their nests in the catacombs. While the invaders were gone, they only had one thought: to get as far away as possible.


    In the human military bases.


    ¡°Something seems to have exploded in the pit.¡±


    The commotion caused by Chen Yiming destroying three spider emperors with one strike caused a commotion among the soldiers and officers.


    Everyone stared at the pit, trying to see what was going on.


    At first, it was as if a volcano had erupted underground, and a hole had formed in the ground. Then, a green light soared into the sky, as if a powerful creature had started a fierce battle. Finally, peace had returned.


    ¡°Sigh, this timing is terrible.¡±


    The martial arts experts who had come to provide support were pale and trembling.


    They knew that if a battle of this level spread out, they were sure to meet their ends at this distance.


    Just as everyone was still struggling with the problem of the pit, suddenly, all of them felt that something was amiss under their feet.


    All the giant steel-spear spiders in the catacombs dug up the soil at the same time. The tremors caused by their combined efforts could not be concealed at all. It was countless times larger than the galloping of 10,000 horses.


    ¡°How many giant steel-spear spiders are there in the catacombs?¡±


    At this moment, everyone was panicking, as though they were ants on a hot pan.


    The situation had taken a sharp turn. The giant steel-spear spiders did not crawl out of the holes in the vicinity of the catacombs. Instead, they dug upwards from underground and sneaked around, avoiding the direct firepower from the human technological weapons.


    ¡°Ring! Ring!¡±


    The special phone rang. The officer picked it up and placed it to his ear.


    ¡°Retreat 10 kilometers immediately.¡±


    It was the latest order from the command center.


    ¡°Roger that,¡± the officer replied loudly.


    Retreating 10 kilometers meant that the military camp that had been built would be abandoned. The humans had miscalculated the number of giant steel-spear spiders in the catacombs.


    However, just as he put down the phone, before he could give the orders to the various troops,


    as far as the eye could see, from the forest on the surface of the catacombs to the far end of the military encampment more than 10 kilometers away, giant steel-spear spiders broke out of the ground one after another. All of them were instantly surrounded by the spiders.


    Under normal circumstances, no matter how one sneaked around underground, it would not be as fast as moving on the ground. However, if there were enough of them, the humans would have their escape routes surrounded before they could even start to evacuate.


    If this scene was reduced in scale by a hundred times, it would be like a large group of crabs packed close together on the beach.


    No matter how big the crabs were, humans could pick them up with one hand. As for the giant steel-spear spiders, they were already three to five meters tall at the disciple realm. When they opened their eight legs, they covered an area of about 10 meters.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Now that they were in a sea of giant steel-spear spiders, all the humans were instantly stunned and left speechless from the shock.


    The humans¡¯ original plan was to use technological weapons to kill the giant steel-spear spiders first. If the situation changed, they would retreat as they fought.


    At this moment, the technological weapons had completely lost their advantage.


    The machine guns could not form a dense net of fire. The tanks, cannons, and rockets could not be used to bombard the enemy at will. Only the helicopters in the air sensed that something was amiss and could fly up into the air to avoid the attacks.


    In the blink of an eye, a melee battle between the humans and the giant steel-spear spiders began.


    Kill!


    Their strong willpower, which had been tempered by years of war, allowed the soldiers to quickly recover.


    Each soldier quickly inserted bayonets into their rifles. These bayonets were made from special ores from the otherworld, and were enough to pierce through the defenses of creatures in the disciple realm.


    Small teams were formed with three to five people each, and they positioned themselves with their backs to the tanks and other defensive facilities. They used the rifles with bayonets as their spears to deal with the giant steel-spear spiders that had broken out of the ground.


    At the same time, the martial arts experts who had come to provide support gathered everyone in their teams.


    Each person held their weapons tightly in their hands and was extremely tense as they stared at the giant steel-spear spiders that could attack at any moment.


    The situation on the human side was completely out of control. They could only try their best to break out of the encirclement. No one was confident that they could survive.


    Soon, the melee fights officially began.


    Why were there so few adventurers heading to the catacombs?


    Why were the giant steel-spear spiders called deadly weapons?


    At this moment, when the two sides truly clashed, the humans felt despair.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    At the level of the disciple realm, the human teams that were standing in formation to confront the giant steel-spear spiders were scattered by the attacks from underground before they could really fight the spiders.


    This was a technique used by creatures like the giant steel-spear spiders that could sneak about underground.

 Chapter 210 - Otherworld (II)

    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The human team reacted and launched their counterattack against the giant steel-spear spiders.


    However, it seemed as if a single giant steel-spear spider had taken the initiative to allow itself to be surrounded by the team. Swords, machetes, and bayonets struck the giant steel-spear spider¡¯s body.


    At the same level, its eight steel spear-like legs wrapped around its body and turned into a layer of protective armor. It was not affected at all by the weak attacks.


    Immediately after, taking advantage of the gap in its opponents¡¯ attacks, it opened up its body. Its eight spear-like legs and two poisonous fangs stabbed towards one member of the human team.


    The team members at the side wanted to help, but they were instantly attacked by the other giant steel spear spiders.


    In the blink of an eye, the human team was separated, and each person had to face several giant steel-spear spiders of the same level.


    At the same time, at the warrior realm, the giant steel-spear spiders who had mastered the transformation of internal force could unleash their terrifying lethality.


    During the gaps between the attacks of their eight spear-like legs, poisonous internal force could be shot out from its fangs. Patches of green fog spread out, melting the humans at the disciple realm upon contact.


    For human experts of the same level, it was already dangerous enough for them to block the eight spear-like legs that were strengthened with internal force when fighting one on one. They could not take care of the other team members at all.


    The martial arts experts on the human side could only suppress their anger and hold back the giant steel-spear spiders as much as they could.


    However, soon, more giant steel-spear spiders of the same level participated in the siege. From one on one, it gradually became one against many.


    The battle had only lasted for a few minutes, but many human teams had already been wiped out. It seemed like it was impossible to break out of the encirclement.


    ¡°Beast, you¡¯re courting death!¡±


    A shout suddenly came from the horizon.


    The voice was like rolling thunder, instantly making all the giant steel-spear spiders stop as though someone had pressed the pause button on them.


    The human reinforcements at the peak of the warrior realm had arrived.


    The person who had arrived was a city guardian who had received the news that the masked man and the spider emperors had started a war. He had been temporarily mobilized from a large city in the south by one of the three big shots of Jiangnan city.


    Unfortunately, he did not expect the spider emperors to be so weak. He had arrived a little too late to fight with them.


    ¡°Hss hss hss!¡±


    Without the spider emperors holding down the fort, the giant steel-spear spiders naturally did not dare to make an enemy out of someone of this level. They dug through the soil and hid underground again.


    The sea of spiders that had covered more than 10 kilometers disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    These giant steel-spear spiders had originally meant to escape. The humans¡¯ military troops just happened to be blocking their escape route, so they were attacked.


    The humans had also miscalculated the number of giant steel-spear spiders in the catacombs. In just a few minutes, more than half of them had died. If the reinforcements had been a few minutes later, no one would have survived the attack from the sea of spiders.


    Soon, the news that the humans had suffered heavy losses was passed on.


    A total of more than 10,000 people had died, and countless military supplies had been destroyed. This shocked the three big shots of Jiangnan city.


    However, the problem with the catacombs was far from over.


    Without a source of food from the otherworld across the space-travel passage, the giant steel-spear spiders naturally would not gather again. Instead, they spread to the entire southern city.


    Due to the high cost of fighter jets in the sky, humans were at a complete disadvantage when fighting against flying creatures. As for the area under the ground, humans had never tried to conquer it.


    The giant steel-spear spiders, which could move underground, were about to start a war that would sweep through the southern cities of Jiangnan province in order to obtain food.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming and Ye Yisha stepped into the spatial rift and the space around them changed.


    In the next moment, they felt as if their feet were back on solid ground, and their bodies had become 10 times their original weight.


    Chen Yiming only felt a little uncomfortable and his strong body easily withstood the additional pressure. However, Ye Yisha¡¯s lower limbs went limp and she fell to the ground.


    In the otherworld, the gravity that living creatures felt was completely different from on the blue planet. It was about 10 times stronger.


    Here, those in the disciple realm were no different from the ordinary people on the blue planet. They were at the bottom of the food chain and were the food for all the other powerful creatures.


    This was his first time stepping into the otherworld, so Chen Yiming tensed up to deal with any possible attacks.


    As far as the eye could see, there was a forest formed by towering trees. These trees were all more than 100 meters tall.


    Around him was a pile of rocks. Rocks more than 10 to 20 meters tall could be seen everywhere, completely hiding the spatial rift.


    Through the gaps in the forest, one could vaguely make out a lake several kilometers away. However, the lake was so large that one could barely see the edge.


    If not for the fact that there was a huge mountain on the other side, Chen Yiming would have mistaken it for the sea.


    In the distant sky, a few flying creatures were circling around. As they were too far away, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t determine their exact size.


    After confirming that there was no ambush waiting for them, Chen Yiming finally checked on Ye Yisha.


    ¡°It hurts!¡±


    After Chen Yiming pulled Ye Yisha up, she patted the dust off her bottom and suddenly gritted her teeth.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the bouncing action before looking away again.


    ¡°I think I pulled a muscle down there,¡±


    Ye Yisha whispered with a red face.


    The disciple realm could only barely withstand the additional burden of 10 times the gravity, and this required special training.


    She had made too big of a movement just now, and she had pulled a muscle in her bottom.


    ¡°Try applying the special dew from the sea of flowers.¡±


    Chen Yiming had the Level-2 Undying Body talent and had never thought about how to deal with injuries. Hence, he gave a random suggestion.


    ¡°It feels warm. It seems to be effective.¡±


    Soon, Ye Yisha, who had a wet patch on her bottom, turned her front towards Chen Yiming to hide her embarrassment.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t concerned. His attention was completely focused on the changes in his body.


    After a short while, he discovered that the speed at which he accumulated Skill Points had doubled. From about 100 Skill Points per month on the blue planet, it increased to about 300 to 500 Skill Points per month.


    As for how much it could increase, he still needed to test it himself. At the moment, he could only get a rough idea.


    This meant that the effectiveness of cultivating martial arts in the otherworld would also increase exponentially. This was because the increase in Skill Points was dependent on his cultivation over time.


    In other words, as long as he cultivated in the otherworld for a month, he would be able to accumulate more Skill Points than what he needed for his Level-3 swordsmanship talent.


    ¡°Try listening and see what you can hear,¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Ye Yisha knew that the other party had brought her along for a reason, so she quickly put aside her embarrassment and carefully listened.


    She was also very curious about whether her special ability was any different from that on the blue planet.


    As her long elf-like ears trembled, the vibrations that ordinary people could not understand were received by her ears and converted into information that Ye Yisha could understand.


    This time, the listening state lasted for about a minute, much longer than usual.


    ¡°I can only hear the vibrations up to 10 kilometers away. Any further and there is an unknown disturbance,¡± Ye Yisha took a deep breath and stammered.


    On the blue planet, she could hear abnormal vibrations from hundreds of kilometers away. In the otherworld, the distance was greatly shortened, and her special ability instantly became useless.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming was a little disappointed.


    However, it was understandable. He felt that in the otherworld, unlike on the blue planet, there was not as much life between the sky and the earth. At the same time, there was a kind of pressure on them.


    For example, mobilizing internal force was more difficult than on the blue planet, but this additional burden would in turn make the tempering of the body more effective.


    In addition, the power of his internal force was also suppressed. Even though Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t tested it himself, he could still sense that the range of damage was reduced by at least 10 times at the same level.


    When he thought about how human technological weapons could not be used in the otherworld, it could be seen that the rules of the otherworld were definitely different from those on the blue planet.


    On the other hand, Ye Yisha was only at the disciple realm, so it was not surprising that her special ability was greatly suppressed.

 Chapter 211 - Support (I)

    The sky was clear.


    Although the surroundings looked peaceful, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    The otherworld was a very different world from the blue planet.


    Martial arts had gradually risen up and taken over the place of technological weapons on the blue planet. The reason for this was the invasion from the otherworld.


    The mysterious power that could allow a living creature to continuously evolve through cultivation was known in the different countries as spiritual energy, essence energy, spiritual essence, and so on.


    Until now, the research on this mysterious power was still at the stage of application.


    In short, even someone as strong as the human master realm could not analyze the essence of the mysterious power. Therefore, in this era, martial arts cultivation was still a path that only humans with the requisite talent could take.


    It was still far from the golden age of martial arts where everyone was an expert. As a result, the number of combatants at the lowest rank on the blue planet and in the otherworld was completely incomparable.


    ¡°It seems that my first experience in the otherworld can only stop here.¡±


    Chen Yiming let out a long sigh, his interest waning.


    Ye Yisha¡¯s special ability was not much stronger than Chen Yiming¡¯s naked eye after being suppressed in the otherworld.


    At the peak of the warrior realm, 10 kilometers was no longer a safe distance, let alone for those of the master realm.


    It was enough for him to have a place to stay in the otherworld that could allow him to cultivate safely. Any further exploration could wait until he completed the internal force fusion and increased his combat strength to the next level.


    Chen Yiming took one last look at the scenery of the otherworld before turning around and walking towards the spatial rift.


    Ye Yisha heaved a sigh of relief and quickly followed.


    The space around them changed.


    Chen Yiming and Ye Yisha had returned to the catacombs.


    The surroundings were dead silent. The aura of the giant steel-spear spiders had already disappeared, leaving only the remains of the three spider emperors at the bottom of the pit.


    Chen Yiming glanced at them, then jumped out of the pit with Ye Yisha.


    After that, he did not stay for long and left for East Lake City.


    ¡­


    East Lake City, Bright Lion Square.


    Hundreds of burly martial arts practitioners dressed in the same tight-fitting clothes were lined up in rows.


    These people were all from the Chen corporation¡¯s hunting team. Each of them was carefully selected from the elites and had plenty of experience in the wilderness.


    None of them were weak, and their levels were all above the eighth transformation of the disciple realm.


    The onlookers not far away were discussing this.


    The Chen corporation was a huge faction that had risen rapidly in East Lake City recently.


    Thanks to Chen Yiming¡¯s reputation as a genius disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the Chen corporation¡¯s status in East Lake City was unparalleled. It was a faction that many martial arts practitioners wanted to join.


    This was because there was no other civilian martial arts faction that had a warrior who had mastered the transformation of internal force.


    In the middle of the square, Chen Yiming was surrounded by Wan Rong, Wan Ya, and his former fellow disciples from the Mantis Snake Sword School. Ye Yisha had already been assigned to Mo Yanfei¡¯s side to take on the work of gathering intelligence.


    In order to improve his reputation, it would be convenient for him to become a higher-up of the Myriad Phenomena Sect in the future and come into contact with things on a higher level.


    As soon as Chen Yiming returned to East Lake City, he decided to personally lead a team to support the cities around the sea of flowers, and the operation to eliminate the scattered giant steel-spear spiders in the southern cities.


    ¡°Yiming, please take care of Wan Ya and these useless disciples,¡± Wan Rong said with a smile.


    As Chen Yiming had publicly reported that he was going home, Wan Rong had called Wan Ya back when he heard the news. In addition, Chen Yiming had gone to the sea of flowers, the catacombs, and the otherworld, so they had enough time to catch up with him.


    ¡°No problem, Master Wan.¡± Chen Yiming nodded in agreement.


    His current situation was similar to returning to his hometown in glory. Naturally, he would do his best to take care of his former fellow disciples.


    Other than Wang Bowen, the disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School beside him were silent and could not help but feel reserved.


    His former fellow disciples were now feeling as distant from him as if they were standing at the bottom of the mountain while he was at the top of the mountain. They were on completely different levels, so they naturally did not know what to talk about with him.


    Soon, the team set off.


    Chen Yiming activated his black fog internal force, which turned into a ball of black smoke that enveloped all of them.


    He did not plan to travel slowly. Instead, he used the advanced technique of the black fog internal force to bring everyone to the battlefield quickly.


    A ball of black smoke that covered an area of dozens of meters rose into the sky and moved through the air, crossing the city wall and heading northwest.


    ¡°You¡­ you can even do this?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s actions shocked the surrounding onlookers.


    This was too unexpected. This method was unprecedented, so much so that the Chen corporation would receive even more attention in the future.


    ¡°Making the right choice is more important than working hard. This has always been the case.¡±


    Wan Rong, who was still standing in Bright Lion Square, sighed in his heart.


    He had taken in many disciples in his life. Not only were there disciples from the martial arts school, but there were also many who had been nurtured by the Wan clan since they were young.


    However, even with all these disciples combined, they were still far inferior to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°A warrior who has mastered the transformation of internal force can actually bring people to the battlefield so quickly!¡±


    In a corner of the city wall, the military warrior Su Chengwang sighed loudly with an envious expression.


    He instantly realized how superior this technique was. It could even be applied for fighting mutant beasts.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Our military can also consider learning this technique.¡±


    Cao Zhengjun also thought of the same thing and nodded.


    The new city guardian, Feng Zhijiang, who was standing in the middle of the group of military warriors, pretended not to hear them.


    To use one¡¯s internal force to protect a group of disciples while moving at high speed, and not just one or two people, but more than 100 people, required extremely strong control over one¡¯s internal force. This was not something that ordinary people at the same level could do.


    In addition, relying on the explosion of internal force to move in midair would consume a large amount of internal force.


    Without a strong physique and recovery speed that exceeded most people of the same level, using this method to enter the battlefield was equivalent to courting death if one faced enemies of the same level.


    At this moment, the 100 elites from the hunting team who were wrapped in the black smoke were all shocked.


    It could be said that many people had joined the Chen corporation previously because they were aiming at the leader who was at the second stage of the warrior realm and who was even a genius disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Some of these people could not help but have some hidden motives.


    For example, by relying on their strength and underhanded methods, they could gradually kick out the original higher-ups and replace them.


    Now, they were deeply convinced by Chen Yiming¡¯s abilities and did not dare to have any ill intentions towards his leadership.


    Unknowingly, Chen Yiming¡¯s move had suppressed the unstable factors caused by the rapid expansion of the corporation.


    ¡­


    On the battlefield in the sea of flowers, Creek Mountain City.


    Due to the fact that they had adopted a defensive strategy right from the start, more and more mutant beasts were wandering around the wilderness. All the transportation routes were cut off, and Creek Mountain City was besieged by the mutant beasts.


    At this moment, the news that the giant steel-spear spiders had crawled out of the ground and spread to the entire southern city had already reached Creek Mountain City. Panic spread to everyone¡¯s hearts.


    They were stuck without supplies from the outside world, and the food stored in the city was limited.


    Once there was a shortage of food, the city would be in chaos without the need for the mutant beasts to take any action.


    In the conference room, a meeting among the warriors was underway.


    With the city guardian, military warriors, and civilian warriors, there were a total of ten over people.


    From the moment the beast tide rushed out of the sea of flowers to the moment the city was surrounded, various possible solutions had been discussed over and over again, but they still could not find a good way to break out of the situation.


    The reason was that the warriors in the city could not leave the city rashly. They had to be wary of the hungry mutant beasts.


    Suddenly, an officer barged into the meeting room without knocking.


    ¡°Something is happening outside the city!¡±


    Everyone in the meeting room was shocked and instantly thought of the beast tide.


    For Creek Mountain City, regardless of whether they successfully repelled the mutant beasts in the end, they would suffer heavy losses.


    ¡°Phew! Someone is killing the mutant beasts.¡±


    The officer took a deep breath and continued to explain.


    When the people in the meeting room heard this, their expressions turned from worry to anger.


    His words were unclear, and they almost thought that a beast tide had attacked. If not for the pressing matter at hand, they really wanted to give him a good scolding.


    Soon, the warriors from Creek Mountain City left the meeting room and rushed to the city wall to check on the situation.

 Chapter 212 - Support (II)

    Outside the city, the mutant beasts were frightened and began to flee in all directions.


    One kilometer.


    500 meters.


    200 meters.


    In the blink of an eye, a ball of black smoke had caught up to them.


    This group of mutant beasts was formed by dozens of steel-backed boars. Their strong bodies allowed them to be like charging, beast-shaped tanks when they ran.


    However, under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, the strongest warrior-level steel-backed boar was enveloped by the black smoke and let out a scream.


    The soldiers watching the battle on the city wall were still wondering whether the steel-backed boar was injured or killed when dozens of shadow swords shot out, each of which nailed a steel-backed boar to the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Countless people gasped.


    If this group of steel-backed boars had charged at the city wall, they could have completely destroyed the city wall that was more than 100 meters long. But at this moment, they had been killed instantly.


    The black smoke dissipated. Other than a young man, the other people quickly moved to harvest the materials from the steel-backed boars.


    A few minutes later, the steel skin on the backs of all the steel-backed boars was peeled off.


    These pieces of steel skin were suitable for making into armor that was both close-fitting and had high defense.


    They then cut up the steel-backed boar at the warrior realm and divided the mutant beast meat into small pieces, which were distributed among the 100 over people.


    As for the mutant beast meat of the steel-backed boars at the level of the disciple realm, Chen Yiming had no intention of taking it. He simply abandoned the corpses where they lay on the ground.


    Then, the group of people were enveloped by the black smoke again and quickly chased after the other mutant beasts.


    When the guardian of Creek Mountain City led the group of warriors up the city wall, they just happened to see this scene.


    The speed at which they eliminated the mutant beasts was too fast. Even if the guardian of Creek Mountain City personally took action, he would still need to attack several times in a row to have the confidence to kill the steel-backed boar at the warrior realm.


    Not everyone¡¯s internal force attribute leaned towards lethality. With the steel skin that was strengthened by internal force, it was not so easy to kill the boar instantly.


    The mutant beasts fled in all directions. It was usually very inefficient to chase them down one by one, and it was easy for them to attack from all directions.


    Just as the people on the city wall were asking each other who the young man was, a few kilometers away, two two-tailed cats that had mastered the transformation of internal force stopped the ball of black smoke.


    The two-tailed cats had evolved from wild cats. They no longer looked weak, and their bodies had already exceeded 20 meters in length. Their eyes emitted a terrifying glint.


    Their two long tails swayed gently, emitting a silver glow. Even the people watching the battle on the city wall could not help but be attracted by it, and for a moment, they fell into a daze.


    ¡°It¡¯s fake!¡±


    A deafening voice exploded in everyone¡¯s ears.


    The guardian of Creek Mountain City noticed the small movements of the two-tailed cat and shouted.


    The group of warriors was shocked and broke out of their daze. In an instant, cold sweat broke out on their backs.


    This was too terrifying. They fell into the trap even though they were a few kilometers away.


    If they were confused in battle, the consequences would be unimaginable. They might even be killed without even knowing how they died.


    ¡°Why is there only one left?¡±


    Looking at the two-tailed cat facing the ball of black smoke, the group of warriors asked in confusion.


    However, this time, even without the reminder from the city guardian, everyone knew that the number was fake. From the beginning to the end, there was only one two-tailed cat.


    The other soldiers at the disciple realm were not so lucky. The loud shout from the city guardian did not wake them up.


    Rows of soldiers were lying in various positions on the passages on the city wall. Every one of them had a blank look in their eyes and saliva was dripping from the corners of their mouths.


    When the city guardian and dozens of warriors saw the soldiers, their expressions turned solemn.


    If this two-tailed cat held back the city guardian and confused the high-level warriors, Creek Mountain City might be instantly destroyed by the beast tide.


    At that time, even if Creek Mountain City had another city guardian to defend it, it would probably be difficult for them to fend off the beast tide alone.


    Of the hundreds of thousands of people in the city, very few would be able to escape. Most of them would become food for the mutant beasts.


    At this moment, it was quiet outside Creek Mountain City. The fleeing mutant beasts stopped in their tracks and watched.


    The reason why the mutant beasts wandered freely in the wilderness was because there were powerful creatures among the mutant beasts that were able to make human cities fear them.


    Of course, if those at the peak of the warrior realm appeared again, without the support of the two bloodthirsty wolves in the sea of flowers, the mutant beasts that had escaped from there would continue to run away.


    On the city wall, the soldiers who were still confused and could not wake up were carried away on stretchers by the soldiers who had rushed over from the city and sent to the hospital for treatment.


    The people who were still watching the battle were extremely anxious.


    The outcome of the battle between the young man and the two-tailed cat was no longer just the result from a mere battle. It would affect the next move of Creek Mountain City.


    Chen Yiming could tell that the two-tailed cat¡¯s internal force was of the illusion attribute. The reason why he didn¡¯t attack it immediately was because he wanted to appear normal.


    After putting on a show, he rode the black fog and approached the two-tailed cat in a flash.


    ¡°Swish swish swish!¡±


    Shadow swords shot out from the black smoke one after another, creating a sword formation in the air that sealed off all routes of escape for the two-tailed cat.


    The two-tailed cat let out a sharp cry. Its entire body lit up with a dazzling silver light, and it left behind a fake illusion at its original spot. Its true body nimbly moved out of the sword formation.


    This was the result of Chen Yiming suppressing his strength. Otherwise, the two-tailed cat would have been nailed to the ground by the sword formation in the blink of an eye.


    The two sides quickly exchanged more than ten blows.


    Among those at the same level, the two-tailed cat¡¯s direct combat strength was not that strong. What it was good at was confusing its opponents and finding their weaknesses during the fight, then waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.


    If it encountered an enemy who was stronger than it, it could even create an illusion when it fled to interfere with the enemy¡¯s pursuit. Its ability to survive was top-notch.


    From the looks of it, the two sides were well-matched. On the whole, it was determined that the young man was stronger. After all, he was carrying more than 100 burdens along with him.


    This made the people on the city wall heave a sigh of relief.


    It was impossible for the two-tailed cat not to understand the situation that its opponent could still fight to a draw while having so many burdens. It would probably find an opportunity to retreat soon.


    From the looks of it, Creek Mountain City was not in any danger of being destroyed for the time being.


    After a few more rounds, the two-tailed cat indeed had the intention to retreat temporarily, just as the people on the city wall had expected.


    However, how could Chen Yiming just let it leave?


    ¡°Swish swish swish!¡±


    Another row of swords shot out. However, the strength of the shadow sword¡¯s internal force had increased by several times, and its speed had also increased by 30%.


    The two-tailed cat¡¯s hair stood on end as it sensed the impending danger. After leaving behind an illusion, it unleashed all its potential to retreat.


    This was not the end. As it retreated, it kept changing directions and created two more illusions.


    In a short period of time, three illusions was the limit of the two-tailed cat¡¯s abilities. This was its strongest confusion attack.


    However, Chen Yiming also had the illusion-based internal force, and the strength of his internal force far exceeded that of the two-tailed cat. It could be said that the illusions that were used to interfere with his attacks were useless.


    Under Chen Yiming¡¯s precise calculations, the three shadow swords pierced through the two-tailed cat¡¯s protective internal force, from its heart to its tail, pinning it to the ground.


    ¡°Just now, both sides were evenly matched. Why did the tables suddenly turn?¡±


    The spectators on the city wall were dumbfounded.


    The defense strength of the internal force with the illusion attribute was indeed the lowest among those of the same level.


    However, to be able to pierce through it with one strike, other than the fact that the young man¡¯s internal force was mainly focused on lethality, his strength must also be at the top of his level.


    Time was running out, so Chen Yiming ignored the stunned crowd on the city wall.


    He dispersed the black fog and arranged for his people to quickly deal with the corpse of the two-tailed cat.


    Its fur, which had been nourished by the internal force of the illusion attribute for many years, had a magical ability. It could be peeled off and made into a defensive equipment imbued with the illusion ability.


    As for the remaining parts of the body, with the combined efforts of more than a hundred people, they were quickly divided into small pieces, and each of them was packed in a large bag.


    In the end, even its blood was collected in special containers.


    The two-tailed cat was not of much use to Chen Yiming, but all of its materials were like treasures to the Chen corporation.


    The team would leave some manpower in the surrounding cities and rent a warehouse to store the loot they had obtained along the way. After the battles with the mutant beasts ended, they would transport the loot back to East Lake City.

 Chapter 213 - Name (I)

    In a large shopping center in the city center of Creek Mountain City, under the command of a middle-aged man, hundreds of workers cleared out the various miscellaneous items left behind, trying their best to empty out the space.


    This middle-aged man was a manager from the Chen corporation assigned to Creek Mountain City. Chen Yiming had made the necessary arrangements before leading the team out.


    The reason why they hadn¡¯t rented a factory in the suburbs to temporarily store their loot was firstly because the Chen corporation didn¡¯t lack this bit of money, and secondly because Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t left behind much manpower for defense.


    The city center was the territory of the major factions in the city, not some unknown small fries. It was also close to the government¡¯s office area. If anything happened, it would also be easier to investigate later.


    At this moment, even though the city was under threat from the mutant beasts, it did not stop people from being curious. Many people even came out of their houses and stood on the streets nearby to watch.


    Among the onlookers were the owners of the shops in the shopping center.


    Initially, they had firmly refused the contract that was offered which provided compensation for their rent. However, on the orders from the higher-ups, they could only obediently take their respective compensation and sign their names on the contract.


    The number of onlookers increased, gradually blocking off the entire street.


    ¡°Disperse!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you hear us!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t block the way!¡±


    Suddenly, a few teams of soldiers appeared and fired warning shots.


    The onlookers who had blocked the street were all chased away to the sidewalk on both sides.


    This made all of them even more curious. They had heard that the situation outside the city was dire. Now the shopping center had suddenly been vacated, and soldiers had appeared to chase away the crowd and clear a path in the streets.


    This kind of treatment was not something that ordinary people could enjoy. At the very least, there had not been such an example in Creek Mountain City for several years.


    Not long after the soldiers cleared the way, a ball of black fog floating in midair appeared at the end of the street. In the next moment, it had already moved to the front of the shopping center.


    The black fog dissipated, revealing the members of the support team led by Chen Yiming.


    All the members had returned with a full load. There were dozens of skins from the steel-backed boars, meat from a steel-backed boar at the warrior realm, and meat from a two-tailed cat at the second stage of the warrior realm.


    If not for the fact that all the members of the team were elites from the hunting team, it would have been difficult for them to bring these spoils of war with them.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°What are these?¡±


    The crowd was in an uproar, and everyone had an incredulous expression on their face.


    Although they did not know what these people had brought with them, the remnant aura they gave off placed a terrifying pressure on them.


    In addition, these people had appeared by moving about in the black fog.


    All of these reminded everyone that a big shot with an extraordinary status had arrived in Creek Mountain City.


    When the soldiers saw that the crowd had started to get restless, they took out long ropes and tools to completely seal off the street in the shopping center.


    Unless they were at the peak of the warrior realm, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care much about them. However, the elites of the Chen corporation¡¯s hunting team and the disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School heaved a sigh of relief.


    The goodwill from the military in Creek Mountain City undoubtedly reduced the pressure on the people who stayed behind in the shopping center.


    Even the elites of the Chen corporation¡¯s hunting team and the core disciples of the martial arts school were still far inferior to the spoils from the second stage of the warrior realm.


    It was equivalent to an ordinary person guarding a mountain of gold. They relied on the deterrence created by Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements on the battlefield.


    Soon, the lobby of the shopping center was filled with the loot.


    The pieces of steel skin and large bones gradually took over the concrete floor.


    The spoils from the two-tailed cat took up the most space. Its body was more than 20 meters long, and even though it was cut into small pieces, it was still a shocking amount.


    The support team led by Chen Yiming left three elite members of the hunting team to guard the area.


    Then, they turned back into a ball of black fog and soared into the sky, disappearing from sight.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of them coming to Creek Mountain City?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for the news of what had happened in the shopping center to spread throughout Creek Mountain City.


    The news that Chen Yiming had killed the two-tailed cat outside the city was quickly publicized by Creek Mountain City.


    With the support of a powerful external faction, the lifeless atmosphere in the city immediately saw a turn for the better.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    There were a total of three human cities in the sea of flowers. They were Creek Mountain City, Huiling City, and Jiahe City.


    The night environment was usually the home ground for mutant beasts, but at this moment, they were being chased.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s team swept their way from Huiling City to Jiahe City under the concealment of the black fog.


    Their prey were mainly mutant beasts that had mastered the transformation of their internal force.


    They did not deliberately search for mutant beasts at the ordinary warrior realm unless they happened to encounter them.


    As for the mutant beasts at the disciple realm, in order to increase their efficiency, other than the especially precious materials, the rest were abandoned in the wilderness.


    For a moment, in the area between Huiling City and Jiahe City, the tremors caused by the stampede of thousands of mutant beasts made it impossible for the two cities to sleep.


    ¡°Is the beast tide going to attack the city at night?¡±


    Countless people hiding at home thought of this possibility and could not fall asleep at all.


    The abnormal movements of the mutant beasts naturally did not only affect ordinary people. The martial arts factions in the city also could not sleep at night. The core members gathered together to discuss a solution.


    Normally, humans could indeed gain a certain advantage by relying on the steel barrier of the city wall. However, if the city wall was broken through by the beast tide, it would become a cage and prevent people from escaping in time.


    Jiangnan province lacked the strength of someone at the peak of the warrior realm. When facing the beast tide, they had to take the initiative to leave the city since their ability to kill mutant beasts was severely lacking.


    This issue was immediately exposed, leaving everyone in a dilemma.


    Fortunately, the higher-ups of Huiling City and Jiahe City quickly revealed the good news they had obtained from Creek Mountain City and the true reason for the beast tide.


    Only then could they suppress the panic in time and prevent the city from falling into chaos.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally been rescued!¡±


    Countless people were in tears as they lit incense and prayed for their safety.


    The sea of flowers had maintained a balance with the surrounding three cities for many years.


    This balance was suddenly broken, as if the mutant beasts were about to attack the city and cause both sides to suffer heavy losses. It was truly terrifying.


    On the other hand, the martial arts factions in the city had sensed a huge opportunity.


    The powerful mutant beasts outside the city were killed, and the situation had instantly reversed. Next was the stage for the humans. The three cities around the sea of flowers could harvest a large amount of material from the mutant beasts.


    Many factions gathered their troops overnight and waited for dawn to break before charging into the wilderness.


    After Chen Yiming swept through the area around the sea of flowers, he had killed a total of five mutant beasts that had mastered the transformation of internal force and dozens of ordinary warrior-level mutant beasts.


    At this point, when comparing those above the warrior realm, the difference in numbers between the beast tide and the three human cities was huge. Next, it was time for the humans to surround and kill the mutant beasts.


    The name ¡°Chen Yiming¡± could be said to have shaken the three cities overnight. His achievements made the city guardians feel ashamed.


    Though they had all mastered the transformation of their internal force, their true combat strength were on completely different levels. The city guardians who could only guard the city were at most at the middle level, and the weaker ones were at an even lower level.


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming, who could kill a large number of mutant beasts of the same level, was undoubtedly at the top of this realm.


    While Chen Yiming led the team south, the shopping center in Creek Mountain City was directly protected by people assigned by the city guardian. No incidents were allowed there.


    This was not on account of his status as a member of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, but a treatment obtained through his actual combat results.

 Chapter 214 - Name (II)

    In Jinzhou City, among the southern cities of Jiangnan province, there was only one large city which had a population of more than 10 million people. It was guarded by a guardian at the peak of the warrior realm.


    After Chen Yiming gathered his spoils at the shopping center in Creek Mountain City, he led his team straight to the southern cities.


    Their first stop was Jinzhou City.


    This was the center of the entire battlefield in the south. If there were any abnormalities in the wilderness, they would immediately be reported to Jinzhou City.


    The group walked along the bustling street.


    There were many customers in the surrounding shops. There were people shopping, eating, and drinking tea.


    ¡°Big cities are indeed different. Jinzhou City doesn¡¯t seem to be affected by the war at all.¡±


    Wang Bowen sighed after he entered the city and carefully confirmed his observations.


    ¡°There are guardians at the peak of the warrior realm guarding the large cities. With this level of strength, the giant steel-spear spiders can¡¯t make up for it with just numbers.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled.


    No one knew the true situation of the catacombs better than him.


    The spider emperors were either dead or had run away. In reality, the humans had an absolute advantage in terms of top combat strength.


    Although the number of giant steel-spear spiders was terrifying, if they were facing all the cities in the south of Jiangnan province, their overall strength would definitely be inferior to that of humans.


    However, since the giant steel-spear spiders could sneak around underground, they had the ability to fight against the humans.


    ¡°You have already established yourself in the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The sect is much closer to Jiangnan City than East Lake City. Aren¡¯t you considering moving your faction and your family to Jiangnan City?¡±


    When Wang Bowen saw Jinzhou City¡¯s performance in the war, he immediately had a thought.


    ¡°There are good and bad things about moving to Jiangnan City. It¡¯s just like how none of the large provincial sects set up their headquarters in Jiangnan City.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think that there was anything to hide.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. As the center of the province, there are many restrictions.¡±


    Wang Bowen sighed.


    He understood what Chen Yiming was trying to say. He was confident that he could become someone on the level of the sect master, so he had made plans in advance.


    This confidence wasn¡¯t completely baseless. After all, Chen Yiming had made another huge breakthrough not long after joining the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡­


    The Peninsula Hotel was the best hotel in Jinzhou City.


    The heads of the large factions and peak masters who were supporting the southern cities were all arranged to stay here.


    At this moment, in the hotel lobby, Gu Chen, the disciple of the Kunshan Sect, was looking for the hotel manager.


    ¡°A luxury suite? Give me an explanation for why the Kunshan Sect is treated differently from the other large sects,¡± Gu Chen questioned him angrily.


    When he traveled with the court head, Cheng Shikun, they had always been given the presidential suite. Although the strength of the Kunshan Sect had decreased greatly, they would not be looked down on like this.


    If there were really not enough rooms, why didn¡¯t they make arrangements earlier? Why did they have to arrange for them to stay in the same hotel?


    The people from their opposing sect, the Myriad Phenomena Sect, were staying in the presidential suite, while the people from the Kunshan Sect were staying in the luxury suite. This made the Kunshan Sect feel ashamed.


    ¡°There are indeed not enough rooms. I¡¯ll communicate with the higher-ups immediately and help you change hotels as soon as possible.¡±


    The hotel manager was a thin middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes. He had been pushed out to take the blame. As he explained the situation, he bowed and apologized, repeatedly giving his assurance.


    The reason was that the higher-ups of Jinzhou City had received the news that Chen Yiming was in the sea of flowers and had resolved the predicament of three cities by himself. He had then led his team south to provide support there.


    On the battlefield, there were battles between those who had mastered the transformation of their internal force. Achieving a draw, a defeat, or killing the opponent were completely different outcomes.


    The head of the Kunshan Sect, Cheng Shikun, was fighting the giant steel-spear spiders of the same level one-on-one. He was only evenly matched with the spiders, while Chen Yiming had the ability to kill them.


    As a result, Chen Yiming¡¯s support was far more valuable than Cheng Shikun¡¯s.


    The Peninsula Hotel had already made arrangements for the team led by the court head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Zhou Xuesheng. Now, Chen Yiming was leading another team over from Jinzhou City.


    In order to prevent a conflict and to protect the Kunshan Sect, they had no choice but to adjust their original arrangements and move the Kunshan Sect, which had an old grudge with the Myriad Phenomena Sect, to another hotel.


    Assigning them to the luxury suite was just a reasonable excuse to chase them out.


    ¡°Hurry up and get it done. When my master comes, he won¡¯t try to reason with you,¡± Gu Chen¡¯s expression was ugly as he shouted.


    The Kunshan Sect was currently weak, so after Cheng Shikun came to Jinzhou City, he did not go straight to the hotel to rest. Instead, he went visiting to look for a few of their allies.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll get right on it.¡±


    The hotel manager heaved a sigh of relief and agreed.


    At this moment, a large group of people entered the hotel lobby from the outside.


    It was Chen Yiming and his group. Wan Ya was right beside him.


    As Chen Yiming stood out more and more in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, not only did Wan Rong talk to her about the future of the Wan clan many times, but she also gave up on the thoughts that she shouldn¡¯t have had.


    After witnessing Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements in the three cities in the sea of flowers, she had even thought of a reason to break up with Gu Chen. She was just waiting for the right opportunity to talk to him.


    Resisting the clan¡¯s arrangements would only harm Gu Chen. This was also for his own good.


    ¡°Welcome to the Peninsula Hotel!¡±


    The hotel manager, who had already received all the information about the important guests, quickly went up to them and took the initiative to help with the check-in procedures.


    Between Chen Yiming and Gu Chen, one was a rare genius who had the potential to become the sect master of a large sect, while the other was a disciple of a large sect that was on the decline. There was a huge difference in status and strength between them. The hotel manager naturally knew who was more important.


    Soon, a key card to the presidential suite was handed to Chen Yiming.


    Other than Wan Ya, the others also received their own room cards. However, unlike Chen Yiming, it was only a standard room.


    The Wan clan had already publicized their actions openly, so the hotel manager had naturally received instructions from his superiors. Therefore, Wan Ya was left empty-handed and was arranged to stay in the presidential suite together with Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Chen Yiming, why didn¡¯t you die to the mutant beasts?¡±


    This scene made Gu Chen, who was watching, furious. He cursed in his heart.


    He clenched his fists tightly. Drops of blood flowed out from the breaks in the skin and finally dripped to the ground.


    His girlfriend had been snatched away, and he had even witnessed the scene in person. If not for his lack of strength, he would have killed him on the spot.


    However, no matter how angry he was, it could not change the difference in their strength. Therefore, he could only swallow his anger for the time being and make plans for the long term. After all, he firmly believed in his promise with Wan Ya.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. To the current him, it was useless even if the sect master of a large sect came.


    If one strike did not work, he would need at most two strikes.


    After instructing the elite members of the hunting team to rest well, he walked straight to the elevator.


    Wan Ya¡¯s face turned red. She hesitated for a moment before following him.


    To be honest, she didn¡¯t want to follow Chen Yiming into the presidential suite in front of Gu Chen.


    However, since things had come to this, she had no choice. If things blew up, she and the Wan clan would be the ones to suffer.


    When the elevator door closed, the elite members of the hunting team sensed that something was amiss, but they did not know the inside story and did not dare to discuss it casually.


    However, the disciples from the Mantis Snake Sword School were different. Many of them secretly looked at Gu Chen.


    After all, Gu Chen was a warrior. Chen Yiming could look down on him, but it didn¡¯t mean that others could as well.


    He was already leaning against the sofa in the living room. His eyes were listless and his face was pale, as if he had fallen seriously ill.


    ¡°Everyone has worked hard. Go and rest quickly.¡±


    Seeing this, Wang Bowen urged everyone to leave.


    Soon, the hotel lobby became empty again, leaving behind only a few beautiful receptionists and Gu Chen, who was still leaning against the sofa.


    Light music echoed in the hotel lobby as the fish swam around the tanks on display.

 Chapter 215 - Showing off Disciples (I)

    In a bamboo forest villa in the western suburbs of Jinzhou City, a tea party was about to begin. The organizer was Lin Qianfan, the guardian of Jinzhou City.


    The heads of the various sects, as well as the leaders of the medium-sized factions, had all received invitations to attend the tea party in name.


    In reality, before the full-scale battle with the giant steel-spear spider, Lin Qianfan had come forward to divide the areas that each person was responsible for.


    It was evening.


    There was still some time before the tea party started, but some people had already arrived early.


    At a stone table in the bamboo forest, Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang sat opposite each other. Tea was placed on the stone table.


    One was the head of the Kunshan Sect, and the other was the head of the Jiyang Sect. The two major sects were in the same boat, and both of them had lost their sect masters on the trip to Mist Island.


    ¡°Brother Cheng, how¡¯s your cultivation going? The Kunshan Sect can¡¯t be without a leader for long,¡± Su Xuyang put down his teacup and asked.


    ¡°Brother Su, you¡¯re flattering me. I¡¯m already very satisfied to be able to keep my life.¡±


    Cheng Shikun sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°A warrior who has only mastered the transformation of internal force can only play a limited role in the overall situation. If Brother Cheng can break through, the past mistakes will be nothing,¡± Su Xuyang continued.


    ¡°Of course I know that, but how can the fusion of internal force be that easy to master? At the moment, I¡¯ve only mastered the transformation of three types of internal force, and I¡¯m already feeling the strain,¡± Cheng Shikun said lightly with a bitter expression on his face.


    The complete cultivation technique of the Kunshan Sect required one to master seven types of internal force. If one wanted to try the final fusion of internal force, mastering the transformation of seven types of internal force was only the foundation.


    ¡°Brother Cheng, why don¡¯t you try to fuse the three types of internal force? If you create a miracle, the position of sect master will be easy to obtain.¡±


    Su Xuyang raised his eyebrows and made a suggestion.


    ¡°This¡­ forget it. I know my own limits.


    I¡¯m already at a loss trying to follow the path that my predecessors have taken. Trying to create a new path recklessly is akin to trying to commit suicide.¡±


    Cheng Shikun shook his head and rejected the suggestion.


    Internal force fusion was not easier with fewer types of internal force. It involved the qualitative change caused by the combination of different internal forces.


    The more internal force attributes there were, the easier it was for this qualitative change to occur. However, it also brought about a greater challenge to the control of internal force.


    The Kunshan Sect¡¯s cultivation technique had seven types of internal force, and the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s cultivation technique had 12 types of internal force.


    The fusion of internal force for the former involved fewer internal force attributes. The most difficult point was the final fusion of internal forces. For the latter, the most difficult point was the cultivation of all 12 types of internal force to the level of mastering their transformation.


    As for those with less than six types of internal force, they could usually only be combined in a simple manner, which was equivalent to majoring in a secondary cultivation technique.


    Using three types of internal force to complete the cultivation of internal force fusion seemed to be a way to greatly lower the threshold for breaking through to the next level. But it was discovered that this way, it was countless times more difficult to complete the cultivation of internal force fusion.


    ¡°Brother Cheng, just take my words as a joke. Don¡¯t take them to heart.


    The truth is that a young man who has the makings of a sect master has actually appeared in the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Why don¡¯t our factions become allies and help each other to share the burden?¡± Su Xuyang said bluntly.


    Facing the rising Myriad Phenomena Sect, the Jiyang Sect, which had once enjoyed the show on the side, had no choice but to lower their arrogant heads.


    By becoming allies with the Kunshan Sect, which was also weak, the Jiyang Sect which was the stronger of the two would not be afraid of any backlash and might even obtain many benefits.


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s great, but now that my standing within the sect is weak, I have to wait for this matter to end before returning to the mountain to discuss it with the others,¡± Cheng Shikun sighed and explained.


    ¡°No problem, but the Myriad Phenomena Sect has sent out that young man who has the potential to become the sect master. How about you temporarily become allies with our Jiyang Sect in your own capacity?¡±


    In the end, Su Xuyang revealed his true motive.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements in the sea of flowers, Cheng Shikun probably wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a sneak attack from him.


    Su Xuyang knew that the other party would not have much room to refuse.


    As expected.


    Cheng Shikun was silent for a moment before finally agreeing.


    The Kunshan Sect had sent him as a court head, while the Myriad Phenomena Sect had sent three court heads and Chen Yiming.


    In terms of cultivation level, there was already a difference of one against four.


    Needless to say, Chen Yiming had already achieved the good result of killing mutant beasts of the same level around the sea of flowers.


    He had only planned to pretend to stay in the city. If the city guardian really sent him deep into the wilderness, he would find all kinds of reasons to reject him.


    With the Jiyang Sect as an ally, it would be much safer for him.


    Just as the two of them were about to become allies and toast each other with a cup of tea, ¡°So the two of you were hiding here. You made it difficult for me to find you!¡±


    A familiar voice sounded.


    Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang looked at the newcomer with awkward expressions on their faces.


    The head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Zhou Xuesheng, strode over and sat down on an empty stone bench.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Court Head Zhou?¡± Su Xuyang said solemnly.


    His expression was a little ugly since he was caught discussing an alliance with Cheng Shikun.


    ¡°Why is Court Head Su so serious? Back on the island in the middle of the lake, the two of us were still mocking the four court heads of the Kunshan Sect who were foolishly killed in a single strike.¡±


    Zhou Xuesheng smiled as he picked up an empty cup and poured himself some tea.


    The moment he finished speaking, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Cheng Shikun¡¯s expression changed drastically. He wanted to flare up, but he did not have the confidence to do so. He could only grit his teeth and glare at him.


    The situations of the Kunshan Sect, the Jiyang Sect, and the Myriad Phenomena Sect were very different.


    The Kunshan Sect was the weakest. If there was a conflict, the Kunshan Sect would definitely be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Court Head Zhou, you must be joking. When did I say something like that?¡±


    Su Xuyang firmly denied it.


    After what Zhou Xuesheng had said, Cheng Shikun might not be able to refuse under the pressure of the situation, but the matter of forming an alliance with the Kunshan Sect was still a little uncertain.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. We¡¯re all from the older generation, so we know what we¡¯re doing.


    However, why didn¡¯t you bring your disciples over? It¡¯s easy to get out of touch with society if you stay on the mountain for too long. You should bring them out to broaden their horizons,¡± Zhou Xuesheng finished his tea and continued.


    These words were like a sharp sword stabbing straight into his heart. As the court head of a large sect, who did not have dozens or even hundreds of disciples?


    However, a disciple like Chen Yiming who had the potential to become the sect master was rare even in the history of the sect.


    ¡°The Myriad Phenomena Sect is really lucky.¡±


    Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang cursed in their hearts.


    If Chen Yiming was a disciple of the Kunshan Sect or the Jiyang Sect, they would be able to minimize the impact of their current sect masters¡¯ deaths.


    After all, the higher-ups of the provincial city would not sit back and watch one faction dominate over the others. Once the situation of two peak-level warriors from one faction appeared, the other large factions would be overwhelmed.


    Therefore, even if the large sects were on the decline, it would not be a problem for them to last for another few years or even another 10 years.


    During this period, as long as one of the thousands of genius disciples could be like Chen Yiming and be nurtured with the best resources, with the birth of a new sect master, the large sects that were on the decline could be reborn.


    ¡°My new disciple has been unable to calm down and stay on the mountain to cultivate. He has been running around causing trouble all day.


    Yesterday, the three cities in the sea of flowers were in chaos. I came to you guys to make a suggestion. The disciples should interact more.


    Let those disciples who are feeling smug after achieving some results know that there is always someone better than them,¡± Zhou Xuesheng pretended not to see their ugly expressions and muttered to himself.


    These words made Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang almost vomit blood. This was too shameless. He was purely bullying them.

 Chapter 216 - Showing off Disciples (II)

    The difference between mastering the transformation of internal force and the ordinary warrior realm was so great that even all the chief true disciples of the two large sects combined could not compare to him.


    With the difference in their cultivation levels, they would be defeated one by one. There was no point in interacting with each other.


    ¡°When my disciple comes, I¡¯ll bring him to you for some guidance. Don¡¯t worry and just show him your moves. Even if he¡¯s injured, I won¡¯t blame anyone,¡± Zhou Xuesheng pretended not to see anything and suggested.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang felt a little faint and were left speechless.


    Chen Yiming had killed mutant beasts of the same level around the sea of flowers, so his combat strength was extraordinary.


    Although he was young and had only mastered the transformation of his internal force for a short time, Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang were not confident that they could achieve such a result.


    Talent was often unreasonable, making the older generation feel dejected.


    If they really wanted to spar, Cheng Shikun and Su Xuyang would be the first to back down, afraid that they would be taken advantage of.


    Seeing this, Zhou Xuesheng who was madly showing off his disciple shook his head and quickly stood up to leave.


    Initially, he only planned to disrupt the alliance between the Kunshan Sect and the Jiyang Sect. However, as he spoke, he somehow went off track.


    Thinking about how almost all the sect masters who could threaten Chen Yiming had been sent to the otherworld, he couldn¡¯t help but show off his disciples to further increase the reputation of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡­


    At the Peninsula Hotel, the elevator door opened and Chen Yiming walked out.


    With his outstanding achievements in killing mutant beasts, he was naturally also invited by the city guardian, Lin Qianfan.


    After resting in the presidential suite for a while, he prepared to head to the bamboo forest villa for the tea party.


    Wan Ya held Chen Yiming¡¯s arm with one hand and walked awkwardly. It was as if she needed Chen Yiming as a support. Otherwise, she might fall.


    She had changed into a casual sleeveless dress. The skirt reached her knees, making her legs look longer and her figure more outstanding. Then, she tied a black ribbon around her neck.


    She had light makeup on, but it still could not hide her blush.


    Her bold outfit and shy appearance made her look like a newlywed.


    Chen Yiming felt refreshed.


    Wan Ya came from a warrior clan, so her intelligence was still high. Although she was in a relationship, the last line of defense was still there. Chen Yiming had already sent people to investigate her past.


    Unlike the masked man, Chen Yiming still had to maintain a positive image on the surface. This would help him move towards a higher level.


    Because of Chen Yiming, the Chen clan would definitely become an influential martial arts clan in the future.


    This way, if Wan Ya¡¯s innocence was ruined before she entered the Chen clan, even if she was related to Wan Rong, she would become a stain on Chen Yiming¡¯s reputation in the future. It would be easy for others to make a fuss about it.


    It was different from how relaxed Chen Yiming felt.


    Gu Chen, who was still waiting on the sofa in the hotel lobby, was stunned. His gaze stopped on Wan Ya.


    The way his girlfriend walked, the way she dressed, and the expression on her face told him without a doubt what had happened between the two of them up there.


    The vows they had exchanged, the promises they had made in the past, the strong trust between them, were all shattered like a mirror.


    Wan Ya had once sworn that she would save her most precious moment for their wedding night, but¡­


    ¡°Things have to end eventually.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at him and gestured.


    Against a small fry like Gu Chen, if Chen Yiming made a move now, he would easily be accused of bullying the weak. It wasn¡¯t worth it.


    When Wan Ya heard this, her heart almost jumped out of her chest. Then, she took a deep breath and nodded before walking towards Gu Chen.


    At this moment, Gu Chen came back to his senses. He looked like he was crying and smiling at the same time, and his heart felt like it had been stabbed by someone.


    This was the sorrow of the weak. They could only watch helplessly as everything happened, not daring to do anything to stop it.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a good person, but we¡¯re not compatible.¡±


    Wan Ya deliberated for a moment before saying just one line.


    She did not explain any further. Everything was clear without her having to say any more.


    Wan Ya, who had turned her back on her past, quickly returned to Chen Yiming¡¯s side.


    The two of them walked out of the Peninsula Hotel and headed straight for the bamboo forest villa.


    Gu Chen, who seemed to have lost his soul, could only watch as the two of them slowly disappeared at the end of the street.


    1


    The decline of the Kunshan Sect had caused him to lose his greatest backing. Furthermore, he was not as skilled as others. Before he could make a comeback, their child might have already grown up.


    ¡­


    In the living room of the villa, a tea party was going on.


    The city guardian, Lin Qianfan, had a head of white hair and his face was red. He sat at the head of the table.


    He was dressed in a simple long robe and had a pair of bright eyes. Just by appearing there, he gave off an imposing aura.


    This was the aura of a superior. He had been in charge of a large city with more than 10 million people for many years. Even if he restrained his aura, no one could ignore his existence.


    Each of them received information about the areas they were assigned to from Lin Qianfan.


    The task assigned to them was mainly to eliminate the giant steel-spear spiders that had appeared.


    The atmosphere was very relaxed. Everyone had already received the news that the spider emperors had completely disappeared.


    This way, before the spider emperors returned, it would only be a matter of time before the spiders were wiped out from the southern cities with the support of the factions from the entire province.


    At this moment, on a wall in the hall, a huge LCD screen displayed the areas that the guests were responsible for.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Those who could attend the tea party were at least at the level of the court heads and peak masters of the various large sects, and the leaders of the medium-sized factions. All of them were famous figures in Jiangnan province.


    However, at this moment, most of them gasped.


    The LCD screen displayed a map of the cities in the south of Jiangnan province. The map was red in color and was divided into areas by black lines.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, an area about ten times the size of the other areas that was the most eye-catching had the name ¡°Chen Yiming¡± on it.


    It was common knowledge that the size of the area each person was responsible for roughly reflected their combat abilities in the eyes of the higher-ups in Jiangnan province.


    In other words, to a certain extent, by openly announcing the true combat strength of everyone present, one could tell at a glance what level they were at.


    ¡°How embarrassing.¡±


    The leaders of the medium-sized factions were extremely ashamed. After practicing martial arts for so many years, they could not compare to a young man who was not even 20 years old.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who can¡¯t do it. The others can¡¯t either.¡±


    Then, he took a second look at the court heads and peak masters of the large sects. These people instantly regained their lost confidence.


    Soon, the crowd started to discuss in low voices.


    The content of the discussion was the area that the Kunshan Sect was in charge of.


    The Kunshan Sect¡¯s Cheng Shikun was not only in charge of an extremely small area, which was about the same as the leader of a medium-sized faction, but also far away from the area Chen Yiming was in charge of.


    One was in the west, and the other was in the east.


    The meaning behind this was obvious. Firstly, they wanted to protect Cheng Shikun from the Kunshan Sect. Secondly, they wanted to tell the Myriad Phenomena Sect that they should prioritize the overall situation and not use any underhanded tricks.


    Cheng Shikun¡¯s face was filled with embarrassment. He wished he could just leave.


    The Kunshan Sect was a large sect that was well-known in Jiangnan province just a month ago. No matter where they went, they attracted a lot of attention.


    Now, they had actually fallen to such a state.


    This tea party revealed the weakness of the Kunshan Sect to all the factions in Jiangnan province.


    On the other hand, Zhou Xuesheng sat upright with a calm expression, enjoying the envious gazes of the crowd.


    No matter what, teaching for a day was still teaching. Even if he as the master had contributed very little to the glory his disciple had achieved, he would still bask in the glory.


    After all, why was it his disciple who had been so successful and not someone else¡¯s disciple?

 Chapter 217 - Rescue (I)

    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    Fanghua City was a medium-sized city in the southwest corner of Jiangnan province.


    This place happened to be in the center of the area Chen Yiming was in charge of, so it would undoubtedly be chosen as their base.


    As it was close to the catacombs, the civilian factions there were quite tough.


    In the civilian martial arts world, there was originally a medium-sized faction that was led by someone who had mastered the transformation of internal force, and there were nearly 100 ordinary warrior factions.


    Facing the threat of the giant steel-spear spiders, there were a total of three city guardians who had mastered the transformation of their internal force, including one who had been temporarily transferred over from the central city.


    In addition, the military had not only doubled in numbers, but there were also more than 50 ordinary warriors.


    Coupled with the support from the cities in the center and Chen Yiming who had an unbeatable battle record, the overall martial arts strength of Fanghua City was much higher than that of other cities of the same size.


    At a park in the east of the city, a dark green military vehicle stopped at the entrance.


    The door to the front passenger seat opened, and a man and a woman alighted. The man was wearing a military uniform, and there were many wrinkles on his face. From his appearance, he seemed to be a middle-aged man.


    In addition, the man had a tall and straight figure. His hands were covered in calluses, and his entire body exuded a masculine aura.


    The woman beside him was much younger. She had a young face with delicate features, and her figure was so curvy that even her loose military uniform could not completely hide it.


    However, the two of them were actually of the same rank although the difference in their ages was huge. Clearly, this young woman was not an ordinary person.


    The two of them stood at the entrance of the villa. The young woman looked curiously at the tightly shut door and asked, ¡°Is the person living here the person Jinzhou City assigned to us?¡±


    Xie Weilin happened to be on a mission three days ago, so she had heard some information about Chen Yiming from the others.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the middle-aged man, He Gang, said solemnly.


    ¡°Is that true? Could that person from Jinzhou City have been fooled?¡± Xie Weilin asked again.


    She found it difficult to accept such an extreme result. After all, even she, who came from an extraordinary background, could not do it. The other party was a few years younger than her, so no matter how she looked at it, it seemed to be a lie created by the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡°Who knows? In any case, I don¡¯t believe it.


    There are many disciples from large sects on the mountain who only have a high cultivation level but not actual combat strength,¡± He Gang said calmly.


    Then, he added, ¡°For example, both you and I are at the warrior realm. Are you confident that you can defeat me in a life-and-death battle?¡±


    The mutant beasts lived in an environment where they fought all year round and had developed ferocious techniques. If they were really that easy to deal with, humans would have wiped them out from the wilderness long ago.


    Chen Yiming had apparently killed many mutant beasts that had mastered the transformation of internal force before he was even 20 years old. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Weilin felt a little awkward when she heard this.


    Her background was comparable to that of a true disciple of a large sect, and she spent most of her time cultivating. When she fought mutant beasts, she almost always fought those that were weaker than her and had never experienced a life-and-death battle.


    Her combat strength was just as He Gang had said.


    Once the topic was brought up, it was like a floodgate had been opened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve participated in the war with the mutant beasts for more than 20 years. I¡¯ve seen all kinds of situations.


    There was once a large sect that secretly sent their elders to help in order to promote a certain disciple.


    In the end, the mutant beast was indeed killed by that disciple, but it was only the finishing blow,¡± He Gang said angrily. He even gave Xie Weilin a meaningful glance.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Weilin¡¯s embarrassment continued.


    If this matter was looked into carefully, her own achievements would also not be able to stand up to further investigation.


    However, no matter which era it was, one¡¯s circumstances at birth played an important role, allowing one to have talent, resources, and guidance. From the start, one could widen the gap between themselves and most other people.


    ¡°According to the information released by the bigshot in Jinzhou City, he started practicing martial arts at the age of 12, entered the disciple realm at the age of 13, became a warrior candidate at the age of 15, became a warrior at the age of 17, mastered the transformation of internal force at the age of 30, and completed the fusion of internal force at the age of 50.


    This Chen Yiming is not even 20 years old, but he has already reached the level of that bigshot when he was in his thirties. Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    He Gang used an example to further prove his point.


    As a tough guy in the military, He Gang had started out as an ordinary soldier and had experienced countless life-and-death battles and only broken through to the warrior realm after having terrifying near-death experiences.


    The biggest taboo to him was to fake things and cause a huge mess for others to clean up.


    ¡°¡­So are we still going in?¡± Xie Weilin asked again.


    ¡°Hmph! Isn¡¯t that obvious? How can military orders be taken lightly?


    Regardless of whether the other party really has the skill or if they are just faking things, we still have to do what we should do,¡± He Gang said angrily.


    Xie Weilin¡¯s question made him furious.


    There was already a person with connections beside him, and there was a high chance that there was another similar person inside.


    Subconsciously, He Gang¡¯s dislike for Chen Yiming intensified.


    Towards the end, He Gang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Although Fanghua City¡¯s strength has almost doubled, handing over such a large area to a young kid is simply treating this like a game.


    In my opinion, something will happen sooner or later. When I get back, I¡¯ll immediately report this to Jiangnan City.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s not good to report someone of a higher level, right? Can¡¯t we just treat the other party as someone who¡¯s here to make up the numbers?¡± Xie Weilin asked weakly.


    ¡°Compared to the safety of the people in several human cities, any punishment is nothing for me.¡±


    He Gang glared at her.


    ¡°Alright then. Calm down. I¡¯ll go knock on the door.¡±


    Xie Weilin took the initiative to interrupt the conversation.


    The villa was very large and wide. Its length extended across two intersections, and from the outside, it looked like it had covered an area of at least five to six acres. It was quiet inside, as if no one lived there.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, are you in? We¡¯re from the military. We were ordered to provide information to you to help clear out the giant steel-spear spiders,¡± Xie Weilin shouted as she pressed the doorbell.


    After a while, the door opened.


    A handsome young man walked out calmly.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The mission he had received from Lin Qianfan was to eliminate the giant steel-spear spiders that had appeared under the support of the military.


    The giant steel-spear spiders were underground creatures. However, there was not much food below the ground, so their large numbers could not survive underground.


    ¡°He¡¯s really too young.¡±


    When Xie Weilin saw him with her own eyes, she sighed in her heart at the fact that he was even younger than she had imagined. She felt a sort of connection with him.


    They were the same kind of people, so they should try to understand and forgive each other¡¯s circumstances as well as show respect to each other.


    ¡°Near Lintong City, 50 kilometers northeast of Fanghua City, a large number of giant steel-spear spiders have been discovered. It¡¯s suspected that Lintong City has been targeted by the giant steel-spear spiders.¡±


    Without waiting for Xie Weilin to explain further, He Gang stepped forward and delivered the information word by word.


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯ll set off immediately.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    From the beginning to the end, he had a calm expression on his face and did not ask for any details. He gave off the impression that he was either too young and conceited or that he was very confident in his own strength.


    When Xie Weilin heard this, her face was filled with worry. ¡°There might be a mistake in the orders from the higher-ups. Why don¡¯t you come with us to the military headquarters first? Let¡¯s sit down and formulate a detailed battle plan.¡±


    The order from the military was to send out two military warriors to provide support from the side. No matter how one looked at it, it was not normal.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a few giant steel-spear spiders. What¡¯s the big deal? I¡¯ll inform some of my subordinates later.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. He picked up his phone and informed the elites of the hunting team and disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    He estimated that the loot obtained this time would be enough to last the Chen corporation for a long time.


    After Chen Yiming hung up, He Gang panicked. ¡°We¡¯re not joking. It¡¯s not just a few of them. There are at least 1000 giant steel-spear spiders.¡±


    At this moment, he wished he could just ask this young man to get lost.


    There were hundreds of thousands of people living in Lintong City. If anything happened, no one would be able to bear the responsibility.


    Xie Weilin immediately tried to persuade him, ¡°We can¡¯t be careless. With so many giant steel-spear spiders, we have to have someone at the level of the city guardian to hold the line. Otherwise, it will cause a huge disaster.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll set off now.¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain. After all, words were never as convincing as actions.


    A black fog enveloped the three of them and turned into a black cloud that flew off.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He Gang and Xie Weilin¡¯s vision darkened and they suddenly lost their vision.

 Chapter 218 - Rescue (II)

    The black fog internal force could completely absorb light, but it could not absorb the sound produced by the air resistance.


    However, the two of them had never been carried around like this before. Therefore, even though they could hear the sound of rushing wind, they didn¡¯t realize that they were being restrained by Chen Yiming¡¯s internal force.


    ¡°Knock it off!¡±


    Their second reaction was to struggle.


    However, they felt like they were only ordinary people that were shackled from head to toe. They still had the strength in their bodies, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not move at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break it!¡±


    Their third reaction was to use their internal force to break through the restraints.


    However, the result was terrible. Their powerful and lethal internal force was pushed back into their body as soon as it appeared.


    The two of them felt that their internal force was like a ball that had hit a hard wall and bounced back.


    ¡°What should I do? Where am I?¡±


    Xie Weilin was not someone with a strong will. After her efforts turned out to be useless, she was on the verge of tears, thinking that she had fallen for some trick.


    Was her young and beautiful figure going to be revealed just like that?


    ¡°Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!¡± He Gang kept muttering in his heart so that he could think clearly.


    He suspected that a foreign faction was secretly playing tricks on them, using some dirty tricks to stall the three of them. This way, there would be a huge problem in Lintong City.


    As for the sound of rushing wind, it was just an illusion to trick him into thinking that he was no longer at his original spot.


    Not long after, at the city gate, the black fog dissipated, revealing the teary-eyed Xie Weilin and the panicked He Gang.


    ¡°Why are we suddenly here?¡±


    The two of them regained their vision, and their bodies instinctively tensed up. If the situation did not go well, they would launch a counterattack immediately.


    The people around them held back their laughter, as if they had known this would happen.


    He Gang and Xie Weilin saw Chen Yiming who still had a calm expression on his face.


    The other party was standing not far away, but had no intention of explaining himself.


    ¡°After waiting for two days, my body is about to waste away. Do we finally have our orders?¡± Wang Bowen walked over and asked.


    The hunting team of the Chen corporation and the disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School knew that the powerful and terrifying mutant beasts would end up being killed by Chen Yiming.


    They only needed to do the simple task of organizing and transporting the goods. Without any real effort, they could get a portion of the loot. This feeling was really addictive.


    ¡°This time, it might not be as easy as before. Did you bring the digging tools I reminded you about on the phone?¡± Chen Yiming nodded and asked.


    ¡°We brought them all!¡±


    The group raised their shovels and shouted in unison.


    The sound was deafening, startling the pedestrians around the city gate and causing more and more people to gather around them.


    The giant steel-spear spiders would definitely all be killed by Chen Yiming, so the others had to be ready to dig out their bodies.


    ¡°Why are these people acting like idiots?¡±


    He Gang and Xie Weilin looked at the group of people who seemed to have fallen into a frenzy.


    The preparations were complete.


    Another patch of black fog appeared. This time, the range was larger than before. It carried the hundred-over people and soared into the sky, quickly disappearing into the horizon.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not an illusion!¡±


    He Gang and Xie Weilin heard the sound of the wind along with the idle chatter of the people around them.


    The two of them instantly understood the truth of the matter.


    ¡­


    Lintong City was a small city with a population of hundreds of thousands of people.


    At this moment, a large number of giant steel-spear spiders had already sneaked close to the city. The city was in a panic, and everyone could vaguely feel that the ground was shaking slightly.


    These tremors were caused by the giant steel-spear spiders that were constantly moving underground.


    Only the giant steel-spear spiders above the warrior realm could use their poisonous internal force to melt the soil and achieve the effect of complete stealth.


    On the city wall, the military warriors from Lintong City gathered together and watched the giant steel-spear spiders that were sticking their heads out and sinking into the ground from time to time a few kilometers away.


    ¡°What should we do? Didn¡¯t the higher-ups tell us that they had already sent out an expert who could suppress the giant steel-spear spiders? The giant steel-spear spiders are about to infiltrate the city, so why aren¡¯t they showing up yet?¡± a burly man in a dark green military uniform asked anxiously.


    The internal force of ordinary warriors could not go too far away from their bodies, so as long as the giant steel-spear spiders at the disciple realm burrowed into the ground in advance, they were not afraid of the attacks from the human warriors.


    As for the giant steel-spear spiders at the warrior realm, human warriors generally did not even dare to enter the holes they had dug. They were afraid that they would be trapped underground and surrounded by the spiders.


    Everyone could only watch helplessly as the giant steel-spear spiders approached the human city from underground.


    ¡°Fanghua City has just replied that they have already sent out reinforcements. They told us not to be too worried,¡± a bald man beside him who was also wearing a dark green military uniform took a deep breath and said in a low voice.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t they arrived yet? We can¡¯t wait much longer.¡±


    The surrounding military warriors were full of complaints.


    The giant steel-spear spiders were almost at the city gate. Everyone felt that there must have been a mistake in the arrangements.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not wait any longer. What are the higher-ups doing? In the end, we still have to rely on ourselves to think of a solution,¡± the burly man¡¯s knuckles cracked as he spoke angrily.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since there¡¯s still some time, let¡¯s quickly spread out and set up a defense. Let¡¯s kill as many giant steel-spear spiders as possible,¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down. Don¡¯t panic. The giant steel-spear spiders won¡¯t be able to move so quickly underground. There¡¯s still nearly 10 minutes of buffer time,¡± an old man with a face full of wrinkles spoke loudly to suppress the panic in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    He was a guardian of Lintong City and had mastered the transformation of his internal force. Although he was old, as long as he stood there, it meant that Lintong City still had a chance.


    ¡°Yes!¡± the military warriors shouted in unison.


    The old city guardian was right. They had been a little flustered just now.


    The giant steel-spear spiders at the warrior realm would definitely not take the initiative to attack, and almost all of the spiders they saw were at the disciple realm.


    Although they could move underground with the help of their eight steel spear-like legs, their speed was not much faster than that of ordinary people walking. It was just that they could not do anything about the giant steel-spear spiders.


    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡±


    Suddenly, someone pointed at a black dot in the distance.


    The black dot gradually became larger. As it got closer, it could be seen that it was a patch of black fog.


    Chen Yiming had a seemingly endless supply of internal force.


    As long as he received the information in a timely manner, his support team would never be late.


    ¡°The people you guys were talking about earlier are here,¡± the old man said calmly.


    His knowledge was not something that the people below his level could compare to. He could tell at a glance that the black fog was formed by internal force.


    Of course, the strength of one¡¯s internal force, the speed at which one could recover one¡¯s internal force, and the total amount of internal force one had all differed from person to person. The old man did not have the confidence to travel like this and still have enough internal force left over to deal with the enemy.


    ¡°They¡¯re finally here. They made us worry for a while.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough that they¡¯re here. Everyone, get ready. Let¡¯s go into battle and kill the giant steel-spear spiders.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s attack together.¡±


    The military warriors immediately seemed to be re-energized as they sharpened their blades and charged at the giant steel-spear spiders.


    At this moment, the black fog in the air had already arrived above the group of giant steel-spear spiders that were mostly underground.


    ¡°Sir¡­ Sir, what¡¯s our battle plan?¡± Xie Weilin asked weakly.


    They were about to face the giant steel-spear spiders, but Chen Yiming didn¡¯t seem to have made any preparations at all.


    ¡°Just watch.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the delicate woman. She didn¡¯t look like a warrior at all.


    With that, he controlled the black fog and made it stay in midair.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Xie Weilin started, then stopped.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming slashed at the air continuously.


    In midair, a huge net that spanned 20 to 30 meters suddenly lit up. The huge net was formed by silver threads.


    These silver threads came from the internal force of the Flying Crane Sword Technique.


    The huge net descended from the sky, and even the thick soil did not impede its progress. In the blink of an eye, the ground was cut open by the huge net.


    Screams rang out from under the ground.


    Although their voices were muffled by the soil, they could still be heard by everyone, including the military warriors on the city wall.


    ¡°So you can deal with it like that!¡±


    Everyone at the top of the city wall was shocked as they watched everything unfold in front of them with their mouths agape.


    A portion of the giant steel-spear spiders that they, who were at the warrior realm, could not do anything about were killed with such a simple attack.


    A large number of disorderly tremors came from the ground.


    Even though the number of creatures killed by the giant net was only a small portion compared to the thousands of giant steel-spear spiders, being able to overcome their ability to sneak around underground meant that the biggest advantage of the giant steel-spear spiders was gone.


    Large numbers of giant steel-spear spiders began to change their direction and escape in all directions.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful when you dig!¡±


    Chen Yiming placed everyone on the ground and instructed them.


    Soon, he returned to the air and continued to chase after the giant steel-spear spiders.


    Next, thousands of giant steel-spear spiders charged over.


    Other than a few steel spear spiders above the warrior realm who immediately hid deep underground and used their poisonous internal force to melt the soil and escape silently, most of the giant steel-spear spiders at the level of the disciple realm exposed their positions when they dug their way through the soil to escape. They were killed by Chen Yiming one after another through the soil.


    For a time, the screams of the giant steel-spear spiders rang out continuously.


    Faced with the cutting-attribute internal force, for which he had mastered the transformation, and the extraordinary strength of his internal force, the tough steel spear-like legs and the protective internal force were as soft as tofu.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    On the human side, other than Chen Yiming¡¯s subordinates, from He Gang and Xie Weilin, to the military warriors, and even the guardian of Lintong City, everyone was stunned.


    He Gang and Xie Weilin finally understood why this person was in charge of the defense of such a large area.


    The guardian of Lintong City could only watch from the side, unable to do anything.


    It turned out that those achievements were not just for show. Instead, they were really obtained through hard work, causing them to realize how limited their worldview was.

 Chapter 219 - Foreigners (I)

    The giant steel-spear spiders would cause heavy casualties to the citizens of Lintong City if they had attacked the city.


    After Chen Yiming arrived, peace was restored in less than 10 minutes. All that was left was to excavate the spoils from the battle.


    More than 100 people were using shovels to dig through the soil. Fortunately, none of them were ordinary people, and the efficiency of the excavation was as high as that of machines.


    The corpses of the giant steel-spear spiders were dug out from the ground one after another, and then valuable materials were collected from them. The eight-legged steel spears could be reworked into weapons, and the venom in the poison sacs could be used to temper the weapons.


    The military warriors on the city wall looked on with envy.


    As soldiers, who would be willing to stay behind and guard the city rather than going out to attack and kill the enemy?


    If Chen Yiming was their superior, they wouldn¡¯t have to consider so many things. They could just slash their way through the group of giant steel-spear spiders that dared to show their faces.


    During this time, Lintong City sent someone to invite Chen Yiming into the city, but he refused.


    To the current him, all the formalities were purely a waste of time. He might as well spend more time on his cultivation of internal force fusion.


    The people from Lintong City did not say anything. This was the privilege of the strong.


    About an hour later, Chen Yiming led his men into the sky and disappeared from Lintong City together with their loot.


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly, and another week was over.


    On average, Chen Yiming would leave the city once or twice a day to provide his aid.


    The giant steel-spear spiders that had left behind the space-travel passage in the catacombs were facing a serious shortage of food underground, so they had to climb out of the ground to hunt humans or other mutant beasts.


    After several consecutive battles, the giant steel-spear spiders were almost completely wiped out in the area that Chen Yiming was in charge of. They were either killed or had fled further away.


    One afternoon, after his daily cultivation ended.


    Now that he could receive a rescue mission at any time, he did not have the time to go to the otherworld to cultivate and speed up his accumulation of Skill Points.


    After he left the villa, he randomly chose a direction.


    As he walked, he sensed the difference between the blue planet and the otherworld.


    The mysterious power, which was also known as spiritual energy or elemental energy, was like the flow of water. It would flow from a high place to a low place.


    The space-travel passages on the blue planet were like water valves. The mysterious power leaked out from the otherworld and spread to the blue planet.


    In a human city far away from the space-travel passage, even with the sharp senses of the spiritual figure, it was almost impossible to sense the active state of the world.


    This made Chen Yiming vaguely realize the truth about the war with the otherworld.


    Why was it that from all the information, the otherworld seemed to be far stronger than the blue planet, but it still could not completely turn the blue planet into a wasteland?


    Why did the Daxia Kingdom forcefully create a stronghold in the otherworld, even going so far as to weaken the defense of their own territory? Why did they show no signs of returning to help with the tense situation in Jiangnan province?


    The Daxia Kingdom covered a large area. If a large number of its strongest forces left for a long time, wouldn¡¯t they be afraid that foreign factions would attack them?


    He walked along the street for a few kilometers before his thoughts were interrupted by the commotion from the crowd.


    On a large stage not far away, five foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes were enjoying the admiring gazes of the onlookers.


    These five foreigners were of varying ages.


    They were made up of an old man, a middle-aged man, and three young people between the ages of 20 and 30.


    The old man had a strong aura even as he stood there quietly with his hands behind his back. He seemed to be an expert from another world.


    The middle-aged man and the three young men at the side had confident expressions on their faces. They looked like boxers who had just defeated their opponents.


    ¡°Sir, what a coincidence to meet you here.¡±


    Chen Yiming was sizing up the foreigners when he heard a familiar voice.


    He turned around and saw Xie Weilin walking over.


    The other party was not wearing a dark green military uniform today. Instead, she was wearing a bold black halter dress which hugged her curves.


    In addition, her feet were also mostly exposed. She was wearing a pair of crystal open-toed sandals, revealing a pair of long, fair legs that were more than a meter in length.


    On her face, her red lips were paired with light makeup and a pair of crescent earrings. She looked like a beautiful socialite.


    ¡°Are you on an undercover mission?¡± Chen Yiming asked when he saw her.


    How could there be so many coincidences? The foreigners on the stage were not weak, and the military warriors happened to be in the area as well.


    ¡°No, I just happened to see that something was happening here while I was shopping, so I came over to join in the fun.¡±


    Xie Weilin blinked her big watery eyes, looking aggrieved.


    Her meaning was obvious. She wanted Chen Yiming not to expose her true intentions.


    ¡°What are those foreigners doing in Fanghua City? Are they really crossing the vast sea for the sake of a martial arts exchange?¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it and asked again.


    ¡°Those people visited all the martial arts schools in the city as soon as they arrived,¡± Xie Weilin walked over and whispered.


    ¡°So they are really here for a martial arts exchange?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    Now that mutant beasts were rampant in the wilderness, it was not easy to travel from the western countries to the eastern countries.


    If they walked on land, they would have to pass through a large number of areas that they did not know much about. If they accidentally entered the territory of a powerful mutant beast, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    If they traveled via the sea, it was also dangerous to cross such a huge distance. Without a warrior who had mastered the transformation of internal force, it was very easy for a shipwreck to happen.


    ¡°Sir, how did you manage to balance cultivation and actual combat? I want to ask you some questions about this,¡± Xie Weilin could not help but ask softly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no secret to it. Just work on it,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    The two of them got up together and left the crowd to go to the next street.


    There was no lie in his words. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t bother to study combat techniques and tactics. His focus was mainly on breaking through to the next level.


    With internal force that far exceeded those of the same level, there was no need for any techniques or tactics. He could always resolve the problem by fighting head-on with his opponents.


    ¡°The situation is very serious now. Those foreigners are taking advantage of the fact that our top forces have been mobilized to the otherworld to brazenly recruit young geniuses with potential from our cities,¡±


    Xie Weilin stopped and hurriedly explained.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do anything about it?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    In the long run, the loss of young talents was a very serious matter. At the moment, there might not be any problems, but the hidden danger of a shortage of martial arts talent would appear one day.


    ¡°Of course the higher-ups know about this, but this is a critical period. As long as they don¡¯t go too far, we should prioritize the larger picture,¡± Xie Weilin sighed and said helplessly.


    Jiangnan province had just been threatened by the beast tide that had erupted from the gathering place of the mutant beasts from the north and south. The situation could only be barely maintained, so they naturally did not want to cause any more trouble.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it going too far to dig out the foundations of a province?¡± Chen Yiming asked in return.


    If any faction dared to make such a move on the Chen corporation, he would have already settled matters with them personally. He would not have allowed them to try to explain themselves at all.


    ¡°As long as those foreigners abide by the law and both sides are willing, there¡¯s no need for us to interfere. We¡¯re afraid that if an international dispute arises, it will affect the overall situation,¡± Xie Weilin explained.


    After she spoke, she looked at Chen Yiming expectantly.


    It was not appropriate for Fanghua City to step in, but it would not be a problem for a civilian expert to step in. No matter the outcome, it would just become a fight in the martial arts world.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t agree immediately.


    The head of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Ye Jianyuan, had been transferred to a stronghold in the otherworld, and no one knew when he would return.


    On the other hand, befriending the higher-ups of Jiangnan province would not only increase his reputation, but also provide another way for him to break through to the master realm after completing the internal force fusion.


    No matter how deep the foundation of a large sect was, it was impossible for them to compare to the entire Jiangnan province. Otherwise, why would those sect masters listen to the orders from the province obediently?


    In the end, he did not have the ability to refuse.

 Chapter 220 - Foreigners (II)

    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Chen Yiming asked after thinking through the pros and cons.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s very easy for you.


    Those foreigners had gone around to challenge the different martial arts schools one by one, and now they are setting up an arena to accept any challengers. They wanted to display their strength.


    You can just go on stage and beat them up to perfectly resolve the situation,¡± Xie Weilin said excitedly.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow.


    Just as Xie Weilin had said, it was indeed not difficult. Once he succeeded in his challenge under the identity of a young man, the strong image of the foreigners would be destroyed.


    As for the young geniuses in Fanghua City, they would immediately calm down.


    After all, the western countries were too far away from the Daxia Kingdom. No matter how well they kept their promises, they would not feel safe going to a foreign country alone.


    If they were sold off and died in a foreign land, no one would know.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Not only did he want to step forward and destroy the plan of the foreign factions, but he also wanted to see how the experts from the western countries of the blue planet were different from those in the Daxia Kingdom.


    This was because as his talent level increased, there would eventually come a day when he needed to gather the strengths of different factions and walk his own unique path.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Xie Weilin was overjoyed.


    As long as this person was willing to make a move, those foreigners would not stand a chance. She had actually completed this huge mission so easily.


    As someone who had gotten into her position using her connections, she also had her own ideals and ambitions. Even if she could not fight, she had other ways to contribute.


    The two of them had reached an agreement. They turned a corner and returned to the crowd around the stage.


    ¡­


    At this moment, the crowd burst into a loud commotion.


    The Daxia Kingdom represented the east as the strongest country. Every fight between the younger generation of the east and west was exciting for the audience.


    Everyone was looking forward to the appearance of a powerful young man to put the foreigners into their place.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry. In order to pursue the path of martial arts, I¡¯m willing to give up everything.¡±


    A young man in his late teens stood up and apologized to the old man beside him. He was about to go on stage.


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not entirely a bad thing that you were eliminated from the large sects¡¯ recruitment. With your talent, even if you really entered the sects, you would definitely be at the bottom,¡± the old man shook his head helplessly and said bluntly.


    The old man was once a disciple of a large sect. Now that he had been sent out to be the head of a martial arts school, how could he not know what level of talent his disciple had?


    He usually did not tell his disciples the cruel truth because he did not want to completely destroy their confidence.


    ¡°Every dog has its day. I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±


    The young man¡¯s heart had already flown to the other side of the ocean, and he did not want to listen to any advice.


    Under the gazes of everyone in the crowd, the old man took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew that the more he spoke, the more it would have the opposite effect.


    In this era, when the wilderness surrounded the cities, the young people¡¯s knowledge was often limited to the cities around them.


    In addition, most of the people in their teens focused most of their energy on martial arts, causing them to be simple-minded and stubborn. They would easily get worked up after being riled up by others.


    Just as the young man turned around and was about to step onto the stage to challenge the foreigners, Chen Yiming saw that the young man was wearing the Flying Crane Sword School¡¯s training robe.


    The Flying Crane Sword School was a martial arts school under the Flying Crane Court. Similar to the Mantis Snake Sword School where Chen Yiming was from, it was a faction under the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Although the young man was a disciple who had failed the selection test of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, there was no reason for the foreigners to take advantage of him. Hence, Chen Yiming appeared on the stage in a flash.


    Seeing that another young man went on stage, the crowd erupted in cheers.


    ¡°Kill the golden-haired monster!¡± someone shouted.


    1


    By golden-haired monster, he was referring to one of the young men among the foreigners.


    Since the start of the battle, he had already defeated three young people from Fanghua City in a row. His record was pretty impressive.


    ¡°Little brother, be careful. The golden-haired monster has extraordinary strength. Don¡¯t fight him head-on,¡± someone reminded him loudly.


    This extraordinary strength was the bloodline ability of the golden-haired monster. However, ordinary people would not be able to tell what it was.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Little brother, remember to wear down the golden-haired monster. With his size, he definitely won¡¯t be able to outlast you,¡± someone else chimed in.


    ¡­


    ¡°You guys are too funny.¡±


    Hearing the words of the people around her, Xie Weilin immediately laughed out loud.


    How could the golden-haired monster have a chance? If Chen Yiming got serious, he could crush him with a single finger.


    However, this action attracted the sympathy of many people around her.


    ¡°Lady, you were probably not around just now. The golden-haired monster is really strong. If your boyfriend is seriously injured, it will delay his cultivation.¡±


    Someone kindly reminded her.


    Boyfriend?


    Xie Weilin¡¯s laughter suddenly stopped.


    Soon, her face turned red and she wrung her hands.


    She was a warrior, and yet her mind was instantly in a mess.


    This scene was witnessed by the surrounding people, and they immediately felt that what they said was right.


    Everyone could recognize her behavior as that of a little girl in love.


    There were also many young people who were secretly throwing glances at Xie Weilin. With her figure and face, it was a pity that she was already with someone else.


    This also made them more excited. The main reason was that these young people had the desire to show off their strength. Even if they did not intend to leave with those foreigners, they would still go up and challenge them later.


    Those who were strong often made friends with others who were just as strong. They thought that revealing their strength before asking for the contact details of the ladies would definitely be more effective than directly asking them. The chances of success would be much higher.


    On the stage, the foreigners looked on with calm expressions.


    One of the younger ones took a step forward.


    This person was more than two meters tall. His long golden hair was draped over his shoulders, and his muscles were bulging. He was the golden-haired monster that the crowd had mentioned.


    ¡°Kid, how dare you come up even though you have such a small body? That pretty girl is your girlfriend, right? As long as you promise to give her to me, I¡¯ll go easy on you later. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Coristes clenched his fists, making the muscles in his arms bulge as he openly threatened him.


    The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding crowd was in an uproar.


    Someone beside Xie Weilin kindly suggested, ¡°Hurry up and find a place to hide. In this era, it¡¯s a disaster to have beauty without strength.¡±


    Many people looked at her sympathetically. They felt that if Xie Weilin had not been so bold, and had been conservative and hid her figure instead, she would not have been targeted by the golden-haired monster.


    ¡°With him here, I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Xie Weilin explained.


    What she meant was that with Chen Yiming around, she wasn¡¯t afraid of the old man among the foreigners.


    That old man was a warrior who had mastered the transformation of internal force. Otherwise, they would not have dared to come to recruit geniuses from the city.


    However, in the ears of the onlookers, they interpreted what she said as something different.


    She seemed to have full confidence in the young man and believed that he could defeat the golden-haired monster.


    ¡°Oh? No one has dared to speak to me like that for a long time.¡±


    Chen Yiming, who was on the stage, laughed angrily.


    The previous sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, who had spoken to him with such an attitude, had already become the willow tree king¡¯s nourishment.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve successfully angered me. I¡¯ll treat you well.¡±


    Coristes half smiled and cracked his fingers together.


    This action made the onlookers nervous. They were afraid that the golden-haired monster would deal a heavy blow and cripple the young man.


    In their understanding, the two of them were both at the disciple realm. At this level, it was mostly a matter of strength. This strength referred to the external force of the body.


    The young man had a well-proportioned figure. Compared to the golden-haired monster, he looked like he was at a disadvantage.


    ¡°I¡¯m standing right here. If you can make me take a step back, I¡¯ll admit defeat.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued. He wanted to tease this confident foreigner.


    After he finished speaking, he even placed his hands behind his back. He looked as calm as an expert. He did not seem to be taking his opponent seriously at all.


    ¡°Kid, I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    Coristes roared and charged forward. His arm instantly grew a size bigger as he threw a punch at his opponent.


    His speed was much faster than before, and this made the surrounding crowd tremble in fear. The golden-haired monster had been pretending to be weak earlier and had hidden his true strength.


    However, in Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes, this speed was not much faster than a snail.


    ¡°All talk and no substance.¡±


    After giving his evaluation, Chen Yiming grabbed his opponent¡¯s fist.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A gust of wind spread out, causing their clothes to flutter.


    Chen Yiming proved that he wasn¡¯t just bragging. He really didn¡¯t budge from his spot.


    His move successfully suppressed the golden-haired monster¡¯s movements, causing the surrounding crowd to erupt in cheers.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡±


    Countless people shouted.


    At this moment, the dignity of their country was protected.


    ¡°Is this what you are confident about? You¡¯re too weak!¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and increased his strength.


    This trace of power was nothing compared to the full extent of his internal force.


    However, ¡°You¡­ it hurts. Let go¡­ please.¡±


    Coristes¡¯ mouth fell open. Gone was his arrogance. He quickly begged for mercy.


    The difference in strength between the two of them was not on the same level at all. Even if he used the extraordinary strength of his bloodline ability, he would not be a match for his opponent.

 Chapter 221 - One Against Three (I)

    Just as Chen Yiming was bullying the weak and toying with Coristes,


    the old man, who had been watching coldly from the side, narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Enough. He admits defeat,¡± he said in a voice that brooked no argument.


    His voice was mainly directed at the young man, but at the same time, it also spread out in all directions.


    In contrast to Chen Yiming¡¯s calm behavior, the old man¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it echoed in everyone¡¯s ears like it was the truth.


    Even those who hoped that the young man would continue to torture the golden-haired monster inexplicably calmed down.


    ¡°Little brother, don¡¯t be rash. Those people are from the Dawn Knights of the Never-ending Day Empire.¡±


    Someone reminded him loudly, and many worried gazes landed on Chen Yiming.


    The Dawn Knights were one of the 12 royal knight teams of the Never-ending Day Empire. They were a martial arts faction at the peak of the warrior realm. It was also because of this that they could attract the young geniuses of the Daxia Kingdom to travel to a distant country.


    Of course, the citizens of Fanghua City did not want this young man to die before he could grow into an expert.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    Chen Yiming remained unmoved. He raised his leg and kicked his opponent¡¯s knee twice.


    ¡°Crack! Crack!¡±


    By the time Coristes realized something was wrong and tried to dodge it, all the strength had left his legs.


    His knees had been crushed by the young man. Then, the young man released his grip and Coristes fell to the ground.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    At this moment, not only did the old man¡¯s expression change drastically, but so did that of the surrounding onlookers, including Xie Weilin, who had been smiling just now.


    The Dawn Knights were a faction on the same level as the large factions in Jiangnan province. Not only that, but they were also one of the 12 royal knight teams.


    The relationship with the Never-ending Day empire was not something that the relationship between ordinary provincial factions and the Daxia Kingdom could be compared to.


    If the young man¡¯s ruthless actions caused a dispute at the national level, everyone thought that the young man would be the one to suffer.


    ¡°The royal knight teams are nothing much. After all, they¡¯re just a small martial arts faction. They¡¯re far inferior to the Myriad Phenomena Sect,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    With that, he turned to look at the disciple of the Flying Crane Sword School who had wanted to join another sect.


    The young man¡¯s face immediately turned red. He turned his head away and did not dare to meet his gaze, feeling ashamed.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s words had the same effect as revealing his identity. It also explained why he had stood up to attack Coristes.


    They were all young people in their twenties. In the arena, Coristes had been easily defeated by a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    If no one from the Dawn Knights could stand up against him in response, the momentum that they had gathered in Fanghua City would be destroyed.


    ¡°Gasp! At the moment, the Myriad Phenomena Sect is like the rising sun in Jiangnan province.


    If the Dawn Knights go against them, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to win.¡±


    After the surrounding people found out about the young man¡¯s identity, they immediately stopped worrying about him and started discussing among themselves.


    In the early days, everyone hoped that a large sect in Jiangnan province would stand up for them. However, due to the fact that their sect masters were not in the sect, the large sects were unwilling to go against foreign factions at this time.


    ¡°This golden-haired monster can only bully the young people of our Fanghua City. Compared to the young people from big cities or large sects, he¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    Soon, some ear-piercing gossip spread, causing the expressions of the people from the Dawn Knights, including the old man, to turn ugly.


    The old man frowned. He raised his palm and aimed it at Coristes. With a flick of his palm, he immediately pulled him back to the side of the Dawn Knights.


    Then, he asked, ¡°Young man from the Myriad Phenomena Sect, why are you so merciless?¡±


    ¡°You tricked the disciples of the martial arts school under the Myriad Phenomena Sect. What exactly do the Dawn Knights want?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly.


    The old man¡¯s expression froze.


    If the other party was from a small sect, he naturally did not need to bother with them.


    However, the Myriad Phenomena Sect was also a faction at the peak of the warrior realm, and its scale was even greater than the Dawn Knights. The weight of their words was not ordinary.


    Thinking of this, the old man looked at the middle-aged man beside him and said,


    ¡°Wood, you will represent the Dawn Knights next.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, the crowd exploded.


    Even if the young man was a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he was still much younger than the middle-aged man from the Dawn Knights.


    Regardless of whether it was his cultivation time or actual combat experience, they felt that the young man would suffer a huge loss if he faced an opponent that was twice his age.


    The middle-aged man stepped forward and stomped heavily on the ground.


    He was about 2.5 meters tall, and red lines quickly covered his entire body like tattoos. This caused his entire body to instantly become two sizes larger. He was now more than three meters tall.


    Without using his internal force or deliberately using any strength, cracks began to appear on the ground of the arena.


    ¡°Still too weak,¡± Chen Yiming spoke bluntly.


    He did not sense any internal force from the tattoos formed by red lines. Without a doubt, Wood was also a bloodline warrior.


    Facing ordinary warriors, perhaps Wood¡¯s bloodline ability could determine the outcome of the battle, but to Chen Yiming, there was no difference.


    ¡°Wood, help me cripple him.¡±


    Coristes shouted as he resisted the pain in his knees.


    His kneecaps were shattered. With such serious injuries, it was equivalent to crippling his martial arts path.


    ¡°Wood, don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    The old man also spoke.


    His meaning was clear. The Dawn Knights would not show mercy because of their opponent¡¯s status as a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    The stage was set for a fierce battle, and the onlookers could not help but worry for the young man.


    ¡°Be careful. If you notice anything amiss, quickly jump off the stage.¡±


    One of them shouted.


    This had already exceeded the level of a normal arena battle. It was almost equivalent to a life-and-death battle, and the loser would suffer a terrible outcome.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it.


    The onlookers, including the old man from the Dawn Knights, valued the advantage of cultivation time too much. Their horizons were limited to ordinary geniuses in a city.


    To reach a certain level, for example, internal force fusion at the third stage of the warrior realm,


    there was an extremely high requirement for a person¡¯s spiritual strength. Most people at the second stage of the warrior realm could not even reach the minimum threshold.


    On the other hand, he had already built the framework for the internal force fusion. It was only a matter of time before he broke through.


    Among everyone present, only Xie Weilin had different thoughts.


    She was so anxious that her forehead was covered in sweat. She was worried that Chen Yiming would continue to deal heavy blows and even cripple the old man from the Dawn Knights.


    This was not a joke. His achievements during this period of time were clear for all to see. Once the giant steel-spear spiders in the surrounding cities dared to show their faces, they would be chased down and killed by him.


    Even the giant steel-spear spiders of the same level were no match for Chen Yiming. As for the old man on the stage, he was probably unable to fight back because of his old age.


    However, no matter how worried Xie Weilin was, she didn¡¯t dare to give Chen Yiming any instructions.


    This was because there were three guardians in Fanghua City, and even among them, no one had the strength to talk back to him.


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want just because you have some talent.


    Let me teach you today. Geniuses who haven¡¯t grown up are nothing.¡±


    Wood took a large step forward, creating a hole in the stage as he walked straight towards Chen Yiming.


    This action immediately made the surrounding people feel despair.


    Most people thought that the young man with his small body could only try to cope with the situation.


    The space in the arena was limited. Wood slowly forced the young man into a corner with no space to dodge, not giving him any chance to escape.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you make the first move. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even have a chance to make a move.¡±


    Chen Yiming challenged him with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°A bluff!¡±


    Wood did not believe him at all and snorted.

 Chapter 222 - One Against Three (II)

    He was not as young and impulsive as Coristes. As someone who had been on the battlefield for many years, he would not be easily disturbed by the words of his opponent.


    When the distance between the two of them was less than three meters, Wood covered his entire body in a layer of black internal force.


    The red tattoo flickered faintly. Coupled with the layer of black internal force that covered it, he looked extremely demonic, like a warrior from hell.


    An evil aura spread out, causing everyone to be shocked.


    Afraid of being accidentally injured, the crowd retreated a few meters, leaving a large space around the stage.


    ¡°Your aura is considered above average in the ordinary warrior realm. If you add in your bloodline ability, your combat strength can barely reach the upper level of the same realm,¡± Chen Yiming said bluntly.


    As the strongest subordinate of the old man and a member of the Dawn Knights, it was not strange for Wood to have such strength, but that was all.


    He had already reached the age of a middle-aged man, and his potential had already been fully exploited. It was almost impossible for him to break through further.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Wood shouted and suddenly jumped up.


    His body spun around in the air, and with the help of his momentum and the spinning force from his twisting action, his body swung forward like a whip, bringing with it a violent gust of wind.


    His powerful internal force, the enhancement from his bloodline ability, the accumulation of power from the spinning force, and the increased strength of his lower limbs. With the combination of these factors, Wood had never seen anyone at the same level who dared to face his attack head-on.


    Even powerful mutant beasts would not be able to withstand it. Their protective internal force would easily shatter.


    Not only that, but he also had a move to follow up on his attack. When the young man did not move to avoid the attack, Wood sentenced him to death in his heart.


    The onlookers watching this scene widened their eyes.


    Why was he so stupid!


    How could he make such a low-level mistake!


    It was too reckless to face such an attack by staying in the same spot and use the strength of his upper limbs against the strength of his opponent¡¯s lower limbs!


    However, no one imagined what came next.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He raised one hand and pointed with his finger.


    Wood¡¯s powerful kick that carried his internal force froze in midair.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Wood¡¯s face turned red. His internal force and all the strength in his body were reflected back into his body.


    This feeling was like when the gun was about to shoot a bullet but the muzzle was forcibly obstructed.


    If not for the fact that he had good control over his internal force, it would probably have exploded in his body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this!¡±


    Wood roared angrily and used the rebound to rise to a height of nearly 10 meters.


    His entire body started to spin, and sharp gusts of wind blew in all directions. In the end, he was spinning like a top as he charged towards Chen Yiming.


    This was a technique using the spiraling force. The lethality of the attack was greatly increased, and it required extremely strong control of the body to achieve this.


    ¡°Come back here.¡±


    The old man¡¯s expression changed drastically as he shouted.


    The young man had dealt with his previous attack too easily. He did not expect Wood to try another move after his first attack failed.


    However, when Wood heard this, it was already too late.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±


    The onlookers were also worried.


    The first attack was easily blocked by the young man, so the second attack should not be a problem for him either.


    ¡°Your mastery of the spiral force technique is not bad, but it¡¯s far from enough to deal with me.¡±


    Chen Yiming was like a grandmaster of the martial arts world giving out pointers to his juniors. He pointed a finger at the sky and placed his other hand behind his back.


    From the beginning to the end, he had been calm and collected. He was fully confident that he could use just his fingers to suppress the strength of his opponent¡¯s feet.


    Moreover, he was afraid that he would crush his opponent and create a gory scene, so he did not even use a tenth of his strength.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    When the ordinary-looking finger collided with Wood¡¯s spinning foot, everyone could hear his scream.


    The strong wind that surrounded Wood seemed to be held back by a hand. His entire body was like a high-speed engine that had been stopped by an invisible force, causing it to crash instantly.


    The powerful spiral force was different from a simple spinning force. It was instantly pressed back into his body, and Wood could not control it at all after his defense was broken.


    This was equivalent to an attack rebounding and directly exploding in his body, bypassing his protective internal force.


    Immediately after, Wood was sent flying by the rebound. Under Chen Yiming¡¯s precise control, he landed right in front of the members of the Dawn Knights.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    Wu De suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He wanted to get up, but he only raised himself by a finger¡¯s length before collapsing back onto the ground.


    This was worse than what had happened to Coristes. For him, even though his knees had been severely injured, the rest of his body did not sustain any damage.


    As for Wood, his finishing killing move had directly exploded in his body. His muscles, internal organs, bones, and ligaments were all damaged.


    For his ligaments and internal organs, even if he was treated in time, their functions would still be greatly reduced.


    Other than Chen Yiming, who had a special recovery talent that allowed him to recover completely, these kinds of injuries would normally cause one to become a cripple. In the future, being able to teach martial arts would already be the limit of what he could do.


    The entire place fell silent.


    Everyone was dumbfounded, and the old man was no exception.


    Who would have thought that Wood from the Dawn Knights would lose so badly? It was as though he was no different from Coristes, who was in the disciple realm. It was just like a father beating his son.


    On the other hand, the young man was too strong. He was so young, but he had played the middle-aged Wood like a fiddle.


    At this moment, no one paid any attention to the disadvantage from the lack of experience and shorter cultivation time of the young man.


    Due to the limitations of their own knowledge and the fact that Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements were widely known only among the upper echelons, the onlookers had no idea that the young man in front of them had already become famous throughout the entire Jiangnan province.


    ¡°Could¡­ Could this person be an expert on the same level as the old man from the Dawn Knights?¡±


    Looking at the young man who was still as calm as ever, everyone inadvertently thought of this question.


    Otherwise, it was impossible to explain why the young man dared to beat up the old man¡¯s disciples in front of him without the elders of the Myriad Phenomena Sect by his side.


    He had consecutively crippled two members of the Dawn Knights. Although the second member could be considered as someone who had injured himself, he had formed a huge grudge with them. If he did not have the confidence, he would have run away long ago.


    ¡°Do any of the Dawn Knights still dare to step forward?¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    At the same time, he looked straight at the old man.


    It was as though a bolt of lightning had appeared in the air between the old man and Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Brat, how arrogant of you.¡±


    The old man on the stage glared at him.


    He had no intention of avoiding it and directly met Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze.


    The young man was still so young. It was already unbelievable that he could crush Wood. Was it even possible that he could also crush him, who had mastered the transformation of internal force?


    One could only see two hemispheres of air waves, one black and one white, collide in the middle of the stage.


    Just as everyone was so shocked into silence and though that an intense battle as though Mars was about to crash into Earth was about to happen, the black waves representing the old man shattered in the blink of an eye and flew back, blowing the old man¡¯s white hair behind him.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    With a scream, two streams of blood flowed out from the old man¡¯s eyes.


    The old man had mastered the transformation of internal force and led the members of the Dawn Knights into Fanghua City to recruit young geniuses.


    Before he could make a move, he had been defeated so easily. It was even faster than the previous two.


    Chen Yiming had fought against three successive opponents, each with a higher cultivation level than the last, and none of them were a match for him.


    Chen Yiming scanned the crowd and said calmly,


    ¡°I¡¯m a true disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The Dawn Knights are only at this level. Is there anyone who still thinks the foreigners are better than us?¡±


    The members of the Dawn Knights, from young to old, had been beaten up by him. They had all been taught a lesson, and the reputation they had accumulated previously had been crushed to the ground.


    It could be said that if this matter got out, the reputation of the Dawn Knights in the Daxia Kingdom would be ruined.


    As expected, with Chen Yiming¡¯s actions, it could be seen from the expressions on their faces that some of the young geniuses present had given up on the idea of going to the Never-ending Day Empire.


    It wasn¡¯t that the Dawn Knights were weak, but that after what Chen Yiming had done, everyone was afraid that the members of the western countries would take revenge on them.


    After all, Chen Yiming had given the entire Dawn Knights, and even the western martial arts factions, a huge slap in the face.


    Chen Yiming was relying on the fact that he was about to master the fusion of internal force, so he naturally wasn¡¯t afraid at all. However, the other youths were different.


    They did not have the confidence to stand out among the Dawn Knights under the pressure from the other members.


    This way, Chen Yiming used an iron fist as a warning and fulfilled his promise to Xie Weilin.

 Chapter 223 - The Hundred Members Plan (I)

    ¡°Things should be fine now.¡±


    Chen Yiming returned to his temporary residence.


    After dealing with the foreigners from the Dawn Knights, he wanted to ask Xie Weilin about it in detail when he walked down the stage. Unexpectedly, the woman had already disappeared.


    This made Chen Yiming a little unhappy.


    He had made a big contribution, but he did not even receive any thanks in return.


    At this moment, in the spacious hall, the television on the wall suddenly broadcasted an international news piece, attracting Chen Yiming¡¯s attention. He instantly forgot about the matter with Xie Weilin.


    ¡°A space-travel passage in the southeast of Western Australia has fallen out of control. A large number of people have started to evacuate to the city in the northwest, the largest city in the country, Sydney.¡±


    Unbelievable!


    Sydney City was the center of Western Australia¡¯s finance and industry. Its status was equivalent to the capital of Daxia Kingdom. The surrounding space-travel passages were definitely heavily guarded.


    The overall strength of Western Australia was definitely inferior to the Daxia Kingdom, but it was not something that ordinary small countries could compare to.


    Under normal circumstances, it would not be a problem to gather the strength of the entire country to ensure the stability of the largest city in the country. However, something big had happened.


    The war with the otherworld had always been the top priority globally. The large and small countries shared this burden, and they had barely been able to maintain the stalemate all these years.


    With a huge amount of resources invested in the military and martial arts, ordinary people would have a tough life. However, they would usually be able to survive.


    Compared to those who practiced martial arts at the disciple realm, ordinary people faced less risk. After all, they did not need to leave the city to fight mutant beasts.


    Chen Yiming sat down on the sofa and listened intently to the news broadcast.


    The female newscaster was wearing a suit and a short skirt. Her hair was tied up behind her head, and not only did she reveal her fine facial features on camera, but she also revealed a pair of long legs.


    Indeed, no matter what channel it was, in order to attract attention, there would always be beautiful hosts.


    A few minutes later, the news broadcast ended.


    Chen Yiming roughly understood the situation that Western Australia was facing.


    The exact reason for the fall of the space-travel passage was unknown, but the news announced several deaths. A total of five human experts at the peak of the warrior realm had died, and three divisions of military troops had been wiped out.


    As for the number of deaths in the warrior realm at the lower levels, there was no specific number, but it was likely that it would not be small. It was even possible that Western Australia did not dare to announce it.


    This was not an ordinary tragedy. The martial arts power of the entire Jiangnan province was probably equivalent to what they had lost.


    After his initial surprise, Chen Yiming soon stopped paying attention.


    On the blue planet, Western Australia had always been the vanguard of the western countries in suppressing the Daxia Kingdom.


    The relationship between the two countries was not good. Coupled with the fact that maritime trade was basically cut off, the rich resources of Western Australia were basically useless to the Daxia Kingdom.


    Chen Yiming summoned his martial arts talent panel.


    The pitifully few Skill Points on it made him feel uncomfortable.


    His swordsmanship talent was his first talent. However, due to various reasons, he had been stuck at Level-2 for a long time, and it had severely affected the speed at which he could achieve the fusion of his internal forces.


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time to continue staying in Fanghua City.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed.


    The space-travel passage from the otherworld was not far from Fanghua City, but he had a mission to complete.


    If he left the city freely, it would be troublesome if the giant steel-spear spiders appeared again and he could not be found.


    ¡°In any case, after more than a week of cleanup, the groups of giant steel-spear spiders have long since been wiped out. The remaining spiders should not be a problem for Fanghua City to deal with by themselves,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    The city guardians rarely took the initiative to leave the city. They prioritized the safety of the city. Therefore, as long as Chen Yiming didn¡¯t leave, the rescue mission would fall on him.


    At the thought of this, he could no longer control his urge to leave.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to get up and head to the government office to contact the higher-ups of Fanghua City, a call came in. It was from Xie Weilin, who had left without saying goodbye the last time.


    On the phone, Xie Weilin passed on the message that Chen Yiming was invited to a banquet. The organizers were none other than the higher-ups of Fanghua City.


    Chen Yiming had the intention to meet them anyway, so he agreed to it.


    ¡­


    In a stronghold more than 10 kilometers away in the wilderness outside Jinzhou City,


    the flag of the Dawn Knights fluttered in the wind.


    Dozens of mutant beasts of different sizes were wandering back and forth in the grass. Three of them were more than 20 meters long, and every time they moved, the ground would shake.


    These mutant beasts were all tame and were the standard mounts for each member of the knights. In other words, if one were to become enemies with the knights, they would have to face the combined attacks of humans and mutant beasts.


    Within a kilometer of the stronghold, members of the knights were standing guard and patrolling the area. No one was allowed to approach.


    An old man with a bandage around his eyes and two other middle-aged men sat down in a circle on the grass.


    The old man with the injured eyes was called Brian. He was the one who had been injured by Chen Yiming not long ago.


    ¡°Austin, what did the regiment commander say?¡±


    one of the middle-aged men asked anxiously.


    He was muscular and half-naked. On his back was a black cloak, and on his feet were a pair of metal combat boots.


    ¡°Charles, things are not looking good. The commander has replied that he wants us to deal with the problem ourselves.¡±


    Austin put down the special communicator in his hand and shook his head.


    He was nearly three meters tall and was the largest of the three. He had the aura of a mutant beast in human form, but at this moment, he was frowning and could not hide the worry on his face.


    ¡°With just the three of us, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do anything about that young man.¡±


    Brian, the elder, sighed.


    Chen Yiming had easily injured the old man, Brian. As a result, even though he had joined forces with the other two captains of the Dawn Knights who had mastered the transformation of internal force,


    and had the support of their mutant beast mounts, the three of them still did not dare to act rashly.


    The reason why the leader of the knights did not personally enter Jiangnan province was mainly because of the terrifying achievements of the masked man.


    To be able to defeat two mutant beasts at the peak of the warrior realm alone was something only a martial arts master could do.


    In addition, what the Dawn Knights had done in Jiangnan province was not a good thing. How could their commander dare to take the risk of being targeted?


    ¡°The person who injured you can¡¯t possibly stay in the city forever. I think we can ambush that person once he is outside,¡± Charles said indignantly.


    If the reputation of the Dawn Knights could not be defended, how could they attract the young geniuses of the Daxia Kingdom to join them?


    ¡°The true destination of the knights is Western Australia. The regiment commander should have thought this way as well. Of course, it¡¯s good to have cannon fodder, but it doesn¡¯t really matter if we don¡¯t.


    In addition, in my opinion, the two of you combined probably won¡¯t be able to deal with that young man. There¡¯s no need for us to increase the number of casualties.¡±


    The old man, Brian, reminded him.


    Those soul-stirring eyes were still reflected in the old man¡¯s heart. They had even become a psychological barrier in his heart, making him extremely unwilling to face the young man again.


    ¡°Is that young man really that strong? Could it be that you were too old and careless?¡±


    Charles voiced his doubts.


    He was not a martial arts practitioner at the middle or lower levels who had not seen anything of the outside world. Other than the mysterious master realm, he had never seen someone in his twenties who was like the description that Brian had given.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of death, go ahead,¡± Brian said unhappily.


    He would not believe it either if he had not seen it with his own eyes, but the truth was what he had witnessed personally. He had to admit it even if he did not want to.


    Charles started to argue, but Austin cut him off.


    ¡°Brian, you were the one who took the initiative to give up on seeking revenge. Don¡¯t regret it later,¡±


    Austin spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Brian shook his head and replied.

 Chapter 224 - The Hundred Members Plan (II)

    The Dawn Knights had no intention of getting back at them. Since they had lost their reputation, they naturally could not continue to stay in Jiangnan province to recruit young geniuses.


    Soon, the knights abandoned this stronghold and headed straight towards the sea.


    ¡­


    It was evening.


    In a mountain villa in Fanghua City, it was brightly lit inside, and music was playing softly.


    Those invited to the banquet were either high-ranking officials from Fanghua City, big shots from the military, or the leaders of the warrior factions in the city.


    Chen Yiming entered the hall and saw Xie Weilin walking towards him.


    On this night, she was wearing a white cheongsam with a side split, revealing her beautiful long legs that were in a pair of high heels.


    Not only did she look young, but she also gave off the air of an intellectual beauty.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He still had important matters to attend to and had no time to bother with Xie Weilin.


    ¡°My father wants to see you,¡± Xie Weilin said with an aggrieved expression.


    During the day, Chen Yiming had beaten up the members of the Dawn Knights, but he had not behaved at the level of a normal arena battle. Xie Weilin had originally wanted to use this opportunity to make a huge contribution.


    Unfortunately, she did not get her wish. In the end, she did not receive any reward or punishment.


    ¡°Your father?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and looked at her with a strange expression.


    He suspected that someone had his eyes on him again and wanted to marry his daughter to him.


    This was really a problem.


    ¡°My father is the head of Jiangnan province¡¯s security bureau. He has something important to discuss with you,¡± Xie Weilin¡¯s expression turned awkward as she hurriedly explained.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    He was not even 20 years old and had not thought of getting married so quickly.


    Since it was not that he wanted to marry his daughter to him, he was relieved.


    However, he could not let his guard down. Perhaps he would try to tempt him step by step with the benefits of the martial arts world.


    This was what Wan Rong had done, although he was still his disciple back then.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    Xie Weilin emphasized as though she was trying to prove something.


    The other party¡¯s expression was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.


    This was too despicable. Not only was she talented in martial arts, but her appearance and figure were also top-notch. Her clan also had an elder that was at the top of the province.


    She had countless suitors in Jiangnan City, and no one had ever looked down on her like this.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Chen Yiming stepped forward and glanced at her.


    Her cheongsam really had a different type of charm, and he could not help but take another look at her.


    Xie Weilin quietly clicked her heels and quickly walked to the front to lead the way.


    The two of them walked out of the hall and through the corridor towards the cottage inside.


    When they passed by an empty corridor, ¡°Why is your father looking for me?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m just a messenger.¡±


    Xie Weilin was still a little angry and rolled her eyes.


    Of course, she knew what was going on, but the relieved expression on his face was still reflected in her mind.


    ¡°I suddenly remembered that I still have something to do. I¡¯ll go see your father after I¡¯m done.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    Immediately after, he turned around and walked back without hesitation.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Xie Weilin saw that he was not joking and was really leaving.


    Therefore, she shouted anxiously and quickly chased after him.


    Fortunately, she was not an ordinary person. Her control over her body was precise to the point that she could control every strand of hair on her head. It was no problem for her to make sharp turns even in her high heels.


    Chen Yiming pretended not to hear her and continued walking.


    ¡°My father wants you to join the 100 members plan in Jiangnan province.¡±


    Xie Weilin caught up to him and grabbed Chen Yiming¡¯s hand. She couldn¡¯t help but blurt out the truth of the matter.


    Chen Yiming had gotten what he wanted, so he stopped.


    He stopped teasing her and waited for Xie Weilin to continue explaining.


    Seeing this, Xie Weilin immediately regretted it.


    This person did not give in to her at all. He was completely different from those bootlickers in the past and insisted on embarrassing her.


    ¡°Now that the overall situation in Daxia Kingdom is serious, and most of the forces have been transferred to the otherworld, the provinces have received orders to actively develop the martial arts power of the new generation.


    The 100 members plan was created for this purpose. The goal is to develop experts at the peak of the warrior realm from the next generation.¡±


    Afraid that the other party would leave again, Xie Weilin paused for a moment and explained.


    ¡°Are you asking me to join the security bureau?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Previously, Xie Weilin had mentioned that her father was the director of the Jiangnan province¡¯s security bureau.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Instead, you can join the security bureau as a consultant.¡±


    Xie Weilin continued to explain.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    He would definitely not be willing to join the security bureau as an official because that would be very restrictive, and it would be equivalent to losing his freedom.


    However, as a consultant, it was clearly not as troublesome.


    Of course, he had to go further and find out more from Xie Weilin¡¯s father before he could make a final decision.


    ¡°Come with me quickly. My father specially took the time to come to Fanghua City from Jiangnan City,¡± Xie Weilin grumbled like a resentful woman.


    As far as she remembered, her father was a busy man. He had never treated her like this before, but now, Chen Yiming was being treated with such importance.


    Soon, Xie Weilin brought Chen Yiming to a small courtyard.


    This place was very quiet, completely different from the banquet hall, so it was suitable for discussing matters.


    ¡°You two are here. I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time.¡±


    Xie Jimin put down his teacup and stood up with a smile.


    From Chen Yiming¡¯s point of view, the other party had a friendly smile on his face. His black hair had yet to turn white. As the head of the Jiangnan province¡¯s security bureau, he was in his prime.


    Not only that, but he was not weak either. He was at the level of mastering the transformation of internal force.


    ¡°May I know why you are looking for me?¡±


    Although Chen Yiming had already heard about it from Xie Weilin, he still questioned him.


    His strength gave him 100% confidence that he could deal with any problem. If he did not want to accept it, he did not have to give anyone face and could just reject it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard about the 100 members plan from my daughter. We won¡¯t waste any time with small talk.


    Become a member of the 100 members plan and work for the security bureau as a consultant.


    We will not restrict you in any way. You can complete the missions issued by the security bureau and even obtain the method to break through to the master realm that way,¡± Xie Jimin said directly.


    Naturally, the Jiangnan province would not be stingy with the rewards for the 100 members plan. As long as one made enough contributions, they could make use of whatever the entire Jiangnan province had to offer.


    On the other hand, any young man who was invited to join the plan could not be just an ordinary genius. At the very least, he had to have the potential to complete the cultivation of internal force fusion.


    In other words, this plan was to nurture another group of sect masters to fill the gap left behind by the original sect masters that were sent to the otherworld.


    ¡°Is that true? Can the security bureau really provide us with a method to break through to the master realm?¡± Chen Yiming asked in disbelief.


    The director of the security bureau himself had yet to complete the cultivation of internal force fusion. He was two realms away from breaking through to the master realm. No matter how one looked at it, his words were not convincing enough.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Those things that exceed the level of the security bureau will eventually be provided by the three big shots of Jiangnan City.


    Moreover, without sufficient temptation, how would we get young geniuses like you to join the 100 members plan?


    I promise that if you become a consultant and feel that you have been deceived, you can leave at any time. We won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Xie Jimin chuckled.


    Chen Yiming deliberated for a moment before agreeing.


    Perhaps the higher-ups of Jiangnan province were limited by their own talent and no one could truly break through to the master realm, but there was a high chance that they did have a method for breaking through to the master realm.


    Even if there were restrictions when one joined this plan, it would not be too much. It was suitable for Chen Yiming to use it to infiltrate the upper echelons of Jiangnan province.


    In any case, regardless of whether he could obtain what he wanted in the end, with his strength, it would not be difficult for him to get out of it if he wanted to.

 Chapter 225 - : Consultant (I)

    Next, Chen Yiming and Xie Jimin discussed the time to report before he returned to the main hall of the villa.


    An hour later, during the banquet, Chen Yiming made his intentions clear and rejected the city guardian¡¯s request to stay in the city.


    As the higher-ups in Fanghua City sighed, Chen Yiming, who was the main guest, quickly left the villa.


    In the span of over a week, he had already earned all the reputation he could get from the higher-ups of the province. Fanghua City could not provide him with anything else of value.


    As for his relationship with the higher-ups of Fanghua City, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t even care about the sect masters of the large sects. Why would he care about them?


    In the end, these people were too weak.


    If it was the higher-ups of Jiangnan City, that would be another matter.


    ¡­


    East Lake City.


    It was an ordinary day. It was not the end of the year, nor was it any important festival.


    However, the city was not peaceful. Soldiers had already set up fences at the city gate to maintain order.


    The onlookers, who did not know what was going on, were blocked off and could only watch the situation at the city gate from afar.


    Both sides of the city gate were filled with big shots that did not usually show themselves.


    They were the higher-ups of East Lake City, including the new city guardian, Feng Zhijiang, most of the military¡¯s warriors, and the leaders of the various warrior factions in the city.


    After settling the matter in Fanghua City, Chen Yiming led his team straight to East Lake City.


    The transportation of the loot he had gotten had already been arranged. With his current reputation and the backing of a large provincial sect, which faction would dare to provoke him?


    As they approached the city gate, Chen Yiming sighed.


    ¡°A year ago, when I had just transmigrated, I was still someone who had dropped out of high school and was helping out at home.


    After just a year, all the major and minor factions in East Lake City, including the higher-ups, are personally coming to the city gate to welcome me as a hero who has returned from the battlefield.¡±


    If Chen Yiming had only been a genius disciple from the Myriad Phenomena Sect with a bright future a week ago, East Lake City would have had to give him enough respect. However, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that they would lower themselves and take the initiative to curry favor with him.


    However, the news of Chen Yiming resolving the situation with the three cities near the sea of flowers and heading south to Fanghua City to wipe out the giant steel-spear spiders had spread. His achievements made it such that the higher ups in East Lake City were unable to sit still when he returned.


    In the future, as long as Chen Yiming stayed in East Lake City, be it the beast tide or other threats, the entire East Lake City would be safe.


    ¡°Unknowingly, East Lake City has already become a small pond to me. With just one move from me, the whole city might collapse,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    He was not boasting. That was the truth.


    With his current combat strength, if he transformed into a mutant beast, he could flatten East Lake City in the blink of an eye.


    All the martial arts power in East Lake City, combined with the army, could not hold him back for even a moment.


    A ball of black fog streaked across the sky and quickly arrived at the city gate.


    Chen Yiming dispersed the black fog, revealing the elite members of the hunting team and the disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    When they saw who it was, music immediately rang out from the top of the city wall. The cannons rose into the air, and the crowd was in an uproar.


    ¡°Welcome back. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Feng Zhijiang, the city guardian, walked forward to welcome him on behalf of the higher-ups of East Lake City.


    Facing the city guardian who was the last line of defense for East Lake City, Chen Yiming felt that the situation was ridiculous.


    It had to be known that just some time ago, the previous city guardian, Ren Pingsheng, had tried to kill him. However, he had been forced to retreat by his opponent¡¯s powerful recovery ability.


    ¡°No, I just did what I could,¡± Chen Yiming said humbly.


    Feng Zhijiang took the initiative to shake hands, and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reject him.


    The cameraman at the side recorded this moment.


    In the future, this photo would be displayed in the East Lake City Museum as evidence of Chen Yiming¡¯s history with East Lake City.


    The members of the team behind Chen Yiming also enjoyed the honor. All of them were overwhelmed with emotions and flushed with excitement.


    This was especially true for the elites of the Chen corporation¡¯s hunting team. As members of Chen Yiming¡¯s faction, they were overjoyed.


    After today, the recruitment requirements for the hunting team would definitely increase greatly. The difficulty of joining the team would be very much different from before.


    At this moment, Wan Ya¡¯s head was buzzing and she was feeling dizzy.


    Compared to Chen Yiming, her ex-boyfriend, Gu Chen, was like a candle in the wind. Even his master, Cheng Shikun, the head of the Kunshan Sect, wouldn¡¯t receive such treatment.


    If she had eloped with Gu Chen on a whim back then, she would probably still be hiding in some corner, avoiding the pursuit of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    It would be totally unlike now, when she was standing here as Chen Yiming¡¯s girlfriend and enjoying the attention from everyone.


    In the crowd, the head of the Flowing Cloud Sword School, An Yuhong, stood beside Wan Rong.


    ¡°You¡¯re really lucky to have picked up such a disciple without having to do anything,¡± An Yuhong said enviously.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It hasn¡¯t been long since I became his mentor, but my disciple has already far surpassed me.¡±


    Wan Rong could not hide the smile on his face.


    As the head of a martial arts school, the others were still nurturing qualified successors, while he could retire at any time.


    ¡°How about we organize an exchange competition between the martial arts schools in East Lake City?¡± An Yuhong suddenly suggested.


    The smile on Wan Rong¡¯s face disappeared.


    It was obvious what An Yuhong was up to by choosing this timing when Chen Yiming returned to East Lake City for an exchange competition.


    ¡°The disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School have just returned from the battlefield. They need time to recover. Let¡¯s hold it off for a while.¡±


    Wan Rong found an excuse to refuse.


    Since Chen Yiming revealed his status that was similar to that of the sect master of a large sect, as long as the other factions sensed a chance, they would instantly become like sharks that smelled blood. Wan Rong would no longer be able to control the situation.


    The main reason was that his youngest daughter, Wan Ya, had a blemished history and he could not make a big deal out of it.


    ¡°Look at how nervous you are. I was just joking.¡±


    An Yuhong covered her red lips and smiled.


    Wan Rong glanced at her and did not reply.


    At the same time, he instantly became vigilant. It was not a good thing that his disciple was too powerful. If he was not careful, everything might be taken from him.


    At the same time, Chen Yingying was surrounded by a group of students from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy.


    With an endless supply of resources for her cultivation, she had already skipped the middle school stage and became a student at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy.


    ¡°Yingying, is that your brother?¡± a girl asked.


    She had a tall figure, and was a full head taller than Chen Yingying. She was wearing red hot pants, revealing her long, fair legs.


    In addition, she had a good appearance and a pure and innocent air, just like a white lotus.


    ¡°Yingying, when are you bringing your brother to the academy to give us some pointers?¡± another girl asked.


    This girl was also extremely beautiful. She was young and had a perfect figure. She was already curvy in all the right places, and her charm was openly exposed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and discuss it with my brother, but I can¡¯t guarantee that it will happen.¡±


    Chen Yingying looked troubled.


    Although she was still confused about some things, she could still understand some of them.


    After all, an example was right in front of them. The dean of East Lake City¡¯s martial arts school was waiting in the group of martial arts school heads. However, from his position in the order, it could be seen that he was not a very important person.

 Chapter 226 - Consultant (II)

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait for your good news,¡± the two girls pouted and replied.


    The two of them were only ordinary students in the academy. They were good-looking, but their martial arts talent was average.


    Chen Yingying was now the treasure of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. It was only after the dean came to persuade her many times and got Chen Yiming¡¯s approval that she was accepted into the academy.


    They did not dare to force Chen Yingying.


    Soon, the welcome ceremony for the heroes that had returned from the battlefield ended.


    Chen Yiming rejected the suggestion to hold a banquet in East Lake City, which made many people feel a little regretful. He left the crowd and returned home with the Chen family.


    ¡­


    The next day, Chen Yiming arrived at the Jiangnan province¡¯s security bureau alone.


    A beautiful policewoman was sitting behind the service counter in the lobby.


    The policewoman was smiling and had a slightly chubby face as well as a pair of big eyes. She gave off the feeling of a big sister next door.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m a consultant who¡¯s about to start work here. May I know what the procedures are?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°May I know your name?¡± the pretty policewoman¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked with a smile.


    She had probably heard about the security bureau¡¯s 100 members plan.


    Every consultant who had been invited to join the plan was one of the top geniuses in Jiangnan province. In the past few days, the plan had been a heated topic for discussion in the bureau.


    ¡°My surname is Chen,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll bring you to the human resources department to settle the procedures.¡±


    The beautiful policewoman smiled again.


    With that, she turned to the office door and shouted, ¡°Sister Rou, I have a matter to deal with and will be leaving for a while. If a new consultant comes to settle the employment procedures during this period, help me to receive him.¡±


    ¡°How can there be another new consultant so soon?


    If you want to go to the toilet, hurry up. I¡¯m busy with the publicity materials.¡±


    Sister Rou¡¯s reply came from the office.


    The beautiful policewoman held back her laughter and stood up to open the metal door to the service counter.


    Ever since the news of the 100 members plan spread, the young women in the bureau were going crazy.


    As public officials of the security bureau, they had the advantage of being in a favorable position. Who else had more opportunities to interact with these consultants than them?


    Chen Yiming glanced at the door of the office and followed the policewoman out of the service hall. They passed through a long corridor and arrived at a three-story office building.


    ¡°Have none of the consultants for the 100 members plan reported to the office yet?¡± Chen Yiming asked as they walked.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the first to come over to settle the employment procedures.¡±


    The pretty policewoman nodded and smiled.


    ¡°What a pity. If only I had a colleague who I can interact with,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    So far, all that he had learned about the 100 members plan was from Xie Jimin and Xie Weilin, who were father and daughter.


    It was difficult for Chen Yiming to tell what was going on behind the scenes.


    ¡°You¡¯re so young. You¡¯re completely different from what I imagined,¡± the beautiful policewoman suddenly blushed and stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯m only 19 years old this year,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at her and explained.


    He had just reached adulthood and was not even 20 years old. It was normal for him to look young at this age.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The pretty policewoman couldn¡¯t help but let out a cry of surprise.


    She was already 22, and the other party was only 19. The two of them were three years apart.


    Usually, men liked those who were younger. Thinking of this, the little bit of confidence she had instantly dissipated.


    ¡°I prefer the more mature ones. Especially the ones in uniform.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like Chen Yiming was inexperienced, so how could he not understand what the other party was thinking? Hence, he became a little interested and teased the beautiful policewoman.


    ¡°Really?¡± the beautiful policewoman¡¯s mouth opened slightly as she asked.


    Her heart was pounding. Wasn¡¯t his type exactly who she was?


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re too young. I like those who are a little older,¡± Chen Yiming explained seriously.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The beautiful policewoman was at a loss for words.


    Since she was able to work in the security bureau, not only was she capable, but her background was also extraordinary. Therefore, she naturally would not give herself away while still in school.


    Thus she was still a virgin, and she had no actual experience.


    Usually, the women in the department often complained that it was tiring to climb up to the third floor. However, it was the complete opposite today. Before the beautiful policewoman could come up with an answer, the two of them had already reached the chief¡¯s office on the third floor.


    The beautiful policewoman thought that she was too stupid, but she did not dare to delay his employment procedures. She could only go up and knock on the door.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    A middle-aged man¡¯s voice sounded.


    The beautiful policewoman pushed open the door and entered with Chen Yiming.


    A bald middle-aged man was sitting behind a desk. Around him was a row of cabinets filled with documents.


    ¡°Section Chief Chen, I brought Consultant Chen from the 100 members plan to settle the employment procedures,¡± the pretty policewoman said.


    ¡°You must be Chen Yiming. What a coincidence, my surname is also Chen. Welcome to the security bureau. We¡¯ll be colleagues from now on. Please take care of me.¡±


    The department head¡¯s serious expression instantly turned into a smile. Then, he stood up and walked over.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Chen Yiming agreed immediately.


    It didn¡¯t matter if the other party had good intentions or had other motives. Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t lose out even if he agreed first.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The beautiful policewoman standing at the side widened her big eyes.


    Section Chief Chen¡¯s expression changed too quickly. He was not usually like this. She remembered that whenever she did something wrong, she had been scolded relentlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Come sit on the sofa. Let¡¯s have some tea first.¡±


    Section chief Chen gestured for the beautiful policewoman to accompany them and made the arrangements with a smile.


    After Chen Yiming sat down, section chief Chen took out a key and opened a safe by the table. He took out a stack of A4 papers that was as tall as his finger.


    The beautiful policewoman made some hot tea and poured a cup for Chen Yiming.


    Section chief Chen took the stack of papers and sat beside Chen Yiming.


    ¡°There are a lot of materials. You can take your time reading through them. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and took the stack of papers.


    His thinking speed was many times faster than that of an ordinary person. After flipping through the pages, he only took about a minute to finish reading them.


    He had already analyzed all the content in his mind.


    From the materials in his hand, Xie Jimin had definitely not hidden anything. Basically, everything he had promised was already written down in the documents.


    ¡°Give me a pen,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    The beautiful policewoman stood up and took out a black pen from the pen holder on the desk, then handed it to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming signed his name on each page.


    Once he signed the contract, it meant that he had officially joined the security bureau as a consultant.


    Section chief Chen smiled and said, ¡°The security bureau will usually not impose any restrictions on you, so you can make your own plans freely. We will only contact you if we encounter a special emergency situation.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    He was very satisfied that there were no restrictions. Otherwise, no matter how good the conditions were, he would not be willing to join.


    After all, he had many secrets and did not want others to keep a close watch over him all the time.

 Chapter 227 - The Power to Part the Sea (I)

    Section chief Chen took out a new key and opened another safe. He carefully put away the stack of signed papers.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, the security bureau has a total of five special operations teams. I wonder if you have an interest in any one of them?¡± section chief Chen asked after closing the safe.


    ¡°Any one is fine,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    In his opinion, it made no difference which special operations team he chose. This was because most of the help that he could get from them was just for the miscellaneous work.


    ¡°Then, according to the order of employment, you will be assigned to Team One. I wonder if you have some time now? I can bring you to meet the members of the special operations team,¡± section chief Chen continued to ask.


    Xie Jimin had given him special instructions beforehand, so section chief Chen took Chen Yiming¡¯s appointment very seriously.


    At this moment, when he saw him in person, section chief Chen was even more shocked. In the 100 members plan, being young meant that there was more potential to be unearthed.


    In addition, Chen Yiming was the first to report to the bureau. This also reflected how much the chief valued him. The future ahead of him was unimaginably bright.


    ¡°Alright, you can make the arrangements.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Section chief Chen picked up the phone and dialed a special number.


    He arranged everything over the phone.


    ¡°Xiao Juan, go and continue sorting out the publicity materials for the 100 members plan,¡± section chief Chen said to the beautiful policewoman after hanging up the phone.


    The policewoman called Xiao Juan nodded and reluctantly left the human resources department. Clearly, section chief Chen had no intention of bringing Xiao Juan along and found an excuse to send her away.


    After Xiao Juan left, section chief Chen and Chen Yiming walked out of the human resources department.


    Under section chief Chen¡¯s lead, the two of them arrived at a lawn where a military helicopter was parked.


    Flying mutant beasts were the natural enemies of the helicopter, but with Chen Yiming, who had mastered the transformation of internal force, around, he could use his internal force to protect the helicopter at critical moments.


    As long as they could overcome the issue of the flying mutant beasts, not only would the helicopter be able to fly quickly, but they would also not be affected by the terrain, so it was a very convenient means of transport.


    Soon, a helicopter rose into the air and flew towards the east.


    ¡­


    The first special operations unit of the security bureau was located in a military port to the east of Jiangnan City.


    The five special operations teams were each located in different positions. Some were in charge of gathering mutant beasts in the wilderness near the province, some were in charge of the area within Jiangnan City, and some were in charge of the border between Jiangnan province and the neighboring province.


    One of the special operations teams was responsible for the emergency problems that were happening in the East Sea.


    This military port had more than 10 large warships. A full set of training, combat, logistics, and other units were built around these warships. Including the ordinary naval soldiers at the disciple realm, there were a total of more than 1,000 people.


    At this moment, on a patrol ship, two members of the special operations team were sitting on the deck.


    The two of them each held a fishing rod in their hands, and their target was the aquatic mutant beasts in the sea.


    However, the ships were patrolling in the sea near to the shore. Most of the aquatic mutant beasts at the level of the human disciple realm. There were not many at the warrior realm, but even so, they would not be easily tricked.


    ¡°How boring. Did all the fish near the military port become mutant beasts? Almost half a day has passed, but not one has taken the bait.¡±


    A middle-aged man in a white military uniform sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough that you have time to fish. If what happened in Western Australia affects Jiangnan province, let¡¯s see if you can still feel so carefree,¡± a young man who was also wearing a white military uniform said coldly.


    The second man was younger than the first, but he did not give the other party any face and spoke bluntly.


    This was because they were both in the warrior realm, and the young man had defeated the middle-aged man in the military competition.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s going to be a good show to watch later. The higher-ups of Western Australia are really stupid. Last year, they actually dared to reach an agreement with a few large western countries to dispose of nuclear waste and transport it to the otherworld to be buried.


    Now, there¡¯s a huge commotion at the otherworld¡¯s space-travel passage. I wonder what the outcome will be like now.¡±


    The middle-aged man did not mind and changed the topic to continue killing time.


    ¡°Indeed, these western countries did not learn their lesson from the tragedy that happened in Russia.


    Since the nuclear waste on the blue planet could cause mutant beasts to mutate to have the radiation attribute, why wouldn¡¯t it have the same effect in the otherworld?


    According to the rules of the world, technological weapons would lose their effectiveness in the otherworld, so they deduced that nuclear waste thrown into the otherworld would not be a problem?


    What a bunch of scamming politicians. They only know how to trick the people. If things go in the worst direction, the surrounding countries might suffer along with Western Australia.¡±


    This time, the young man did not refute him. Instead, he nodded.


    Western Australia thought that the largest city in the country, Sydney, had a powerful military force that was enough to suppress the unstable factors on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    Therefore, they boldly dealt with the long-standing issue of the disposal of nuclear waste.


    The other western countries also had their own thoughts. Western Australia was surrounded by the sea, and across the sea were basically all small countries. Even if something went wrong, it would not affect the larger western countries for a while.


    At this moment, the sea was calm and peaceful.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that the three knight teams that came to Jiangnan province have already retreated. A few days ago, I was still gathering information about them. I didn¡¯t expect the matter to be resolved so quickly,¡± the middle-aged man suddenly said.


    ¡°Did you drink too much last night?¡± the young man asked calmly.


    ¡°I had a few cups.¡±


    The middle-aged man laughed to hide his embarrassment at being exposed.


    ¡°The members of the Dawn Knights were severely injured in Fanghua City, and their regiment commander did not dare to enter Jiangnan province personally.


    In the end, they couldn¡¯t take revenge and couldn¡¯t recruit anyone, so they could only retreat quietly,¡± the young man explained.


    The news had already spread. As long as one wanted to understand it, they would be able to find out the truth.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what about the other two knight teams? Even if the three knight teams join forces, can¡¯t they defeat their opponent?¡± the burly man asked curiously.


    ¡°Who knows? In any case, the other two knight teams retreated almost at the same time as the Dawn Knights.¡±


    The young man shrugged.


    Then, he added, ¡°And coincidentally, the person who severely injured the members of the Dawn Knights will soon join our special operations team.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? The special operations team is a secret unit. Can outsiders enter directly?¡± the burly man¡¯s hand shook a little as he said in surprise.


    ¡°You actually don¡¯t know about the 100 members plan?¡±


    The young man was speechless.


    The 100 members plan was the top priority for the security bureau. The young man did not expect that someone in the special operations team would not have received the news.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy with that these days?¡±


    The burly man smiled awkwardly.


    Drinking too much would cause problems with one¡¯s work, and even those in the warrior realm were no exception.


    ¡°They are affiliated with the security bureau as consultants. Unlike us, they still have their freedom,¡± the young man glared at the burly man as he explained.


    The consultant was equivalent to a helper that the security bureau hired from the public, but there were some differences.


    After a period of observation and if it was of mutual benefit, it was not impossible for them to join the security bureau and become official members.


    However, in the end, these consultants would not be at the top of the 100 members plan. This was because when one reached the level of the sect master of a large sect, it was impossible for them to be willing to work in the security bureau.


    ¡­


    Not far from the military port, a helicopter was flying over quickly.


    Having received advance notice, the military port did not react. They even cleared a patch of lawn in advance for the helicopter to land.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, the military port where the special operations team is stationed is up ahead,¡± section chief Chen explained.


    Chen Yiming looked out through the front window of the helicopter.

 Chapter 228 - The Power to Part the Sea (II)

    There were warships of various sizes docked in the military port. Most of these warships were equipped with modern weapons, demonstrating the combat power of humans on the sea.


    Nowadays, there were very few ships sailing on the sea, and warships were no exception. Only with martial arts experts onboard did they dare to move around in the sea.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, there¡¯s something I have to tell you in advance.


    The special operations unit of the security bureau has been carrying out missions on the sea all year round. Some of the members might not know about your achievements outside.


    In case anyone challenges you, I hope you can understand. Don¡¯t be too harsh, just teach them a simple lesson.¡±


    Section Chief Chen hesitated before finally deciding to speak.


    Most medium-sized factions didn¡¯t dare to provoke the special operations unit from the security bureau, but with Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements,


    he would probably suppress his opponent once he made a move, even if they were a member of the special operations unit.


    Moreover, the human resource department had the responsibility to smooth things over. Section chief Chen naturally did not want things to go south.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I won¡¯t let them have a chance to make a move,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at him and said calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself.¡±


    Section chief Chen apologized in advance to anyone who dared to challenge him.


    Little did he know that the two of them were thinking of completely different things. When Chen Yiming said that the opponent wouldn¡¯t have a chance to attack, he didn¡¯t mean to accept the challenge. Instead, he wanted to use his absolute strength to intimidate him.


    In the military port, in front of a lawn that had been cleared in advance, ¡°Be careful. The consultant working with our special operations unit is here.¡±


    A middle-aged man with a few strands of white hair gestured loudly.


    ¡°He¡¯s finally here. Everyone, help me hold the line later. Let the other party see the strength of our special operations unit.¡±


    A team member shouted.


    ¡°Remember to take it easy first. If that consultant doesn¡¯t control his strength and beats you up so badly that you end up in the hospital for a few months, you¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    There was a commotion around them, and someone reminded them.


    Looking at the team members who were eager to challenge him, Li Hongfei shook his head helplessly.


    The thoughts of these people were simple. They wanted to spar with Chen Yiming to test the difference in strength between them and the person who had overcome the beast tide that had surrounded the three cities and the giant steel-spear spiders that were several cities away.


    This was a rare opportunity. As a colleague, the consultant would probably not deliberately go too hard on them.


    At this moment, the helicopter had already flown into the military port.


    ¡°Attention, the helicopter has arrived at the landing point. Prepare for landing now.¡±


    The pilot reminded them.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Chen Yiming stood up and opened the cabin door.


    He walked straight out, and his entire body seemed to be stepping on air. Internal force erupted from below his feet, and he stood just a few meters away from the helicopter.


    The sea breeze was blowing continuously, and it was even stronger at a height of 100 meters.


    A gust of wind blew past. The pilot of the helicopter needed a lot of experience to keep it hovering at the same spot.


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming was like a nail that was firmly planted in the sky. The wind couldn¡¯t do anything to him.


    In front of the lawn, ¡°What!¡± Many members of the special operations team gasped.


    The control they had over their own internal force was far inferior to his. They did not even dare to think about the difference in their levels.


    As everyone knew, if one had good control over the external force in the disciple realm, one could float in the air for a short period of time with footwork-type qinggong techniques, and could vault over walls and move around easily.


    It was even more so for warriors who could use internal force. Internal force could directly burst out of their bodies, which had an equivalent effect to rocket fuel. In theory, as long as they could keep up with the expenditure of their internal force, humans could fly out of the blue planet.


    However, this was just in theory.


    The human body was inherently unsuited to leaving the ground. High altitude meant that one would be affected by air currents of different strengths at any time.


    In fact, after leaving the ground, every time he rose a certain height, he would be affected by the strong airflow and many other factors.


    Without extremely strong control of one¡¯s internal force, it was impossible to stay in the air.


    ¡°Did you see that? This is the difference in your strength.


    How can a child compete against an adult? Put away those thoughts. It¡¯s a complete waste of time,¡± the captain, Li Hongfei, shouted.


    The newly arrived consultant Chen was undoubtedly a strong ally that the bureau chief, Xie Jimin, had found.


    Martial arts practitioners of different levels rarely interacted on the same footing.


    On the other hand, only those who were crazy would think of challenging someone on a different level. They should consider their own abilities and know their limits.


    Just as the team members on the ground thought that the new consultant would show off his control over his internal force and walk down to the ground,


    Chen Yiming extended his hand and clenched his fist, forming a silver sword.


    This longsword was formed from the internal force from the Flying Crane Sword Technique¡¯s cutting attribute. The powerful cutting force seemed to be able to cut through anything and create a void. This was only a manifestation of the powerful slash, and it had not truly reached the level of cutting through space.


    The silver light shone brightly and overlapped with the sunlight.


    In an instant, the people on the ground saw Chen Yiming being engulfed by the silver light.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    Chen Yiming snorted and swung the silver sword in his hand.


    The entire sword turned into a crescent-shaped slash that charged at the surface of the sea outside the military port.


    A silver light formed a line and quickly extended more than 100 meters. The space where the silver light was located was instantly split into two by an unstoppable force.


    These two parts were clearly separated. With just a glance, one could feel that their eyes had been injured by an invisible force.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Exclamations rang out as the team members rushed to the roof of the military port buildings. Even Li Hongfei, who had mastered the transformation of internal force, was no exception.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the crescent-shaped slash fell diagonally from the sky and came into contact with the sea a few kilometers away from the military port.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, the surface of the sea exploded.


    Two waves appeared on the left and right of the slash, each dozens of meters tall and more than a hundred meters long. The water was forcefully parted by the crescent-shaped slash.


    From this, it could be seen how powerful this slash was. If it had landed in the military port, most of it would have been destroyed in one strike.


    Immediately after, as the depth of the seawater increased, it was as if a giant¡¯s hand was trying to close the crack that had been cut open.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, everyone was speechless.


    Strong! Strong! Strong!


    This seemed to be a power that could overcome even the sea. Even if it was eventually dissipated by the sea, it still far exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.


    However, the truth was the opposite of what they had imagined.


    Under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, they could see that the seawater in the depths of the sea was churning continuously, but could not fully extinguish the power of the slash.


    Under the light provided by the sun in the sky, the bottom of the sea gradually appeared. The sea floor was formed by coral and sand.


    Finally, the crescent-shaped slash broke through the sea and hit the reefs at the bottom of the sea. At that moment, a huge amount of sand surged up, blocking everyone¡¯s vision.


    After that, they could not see anything clearly. They could only feel a tremor from under their feet.


    This tremor came from the bottom of the sea where the slash had struck. It could still be felt clearly on the grounds of the military port. Fortunately, the military port was not as fragile as the civilian houses, so ordinary tremors would not damage it.


    Everyone could imagine that if an attack of this level was deliberately aimed at the same place continuously, an earthquake would result.


    As for their intention to challenge him, it had already disappeared without a trace.


    They were not on the same level at all. Even the captain, Li Hongfei, who was at the same cultivation level, was not on the same level when it came to the strength of his internal force, the density of his internal force, and so on.


    Everyone¡¯s physique was different, so they would naturally cultivate different internal forces.


    On the patrol ship on the surface of the sea, the two members of the special operations unit had already thrown aside the fishing rods in their hands and entered the cabin to control the patrol ship to prevent it from being overturned by the waves.

 Chapter 229 - Exclusive Contact (I)

    Just as Chen Yiming was heading to the military port to meet the special operations unit from the security bureau, the beautiful policewoman, Liu Sujuan, returned to the service hall with a regretful expression.


    ¡°Xiao Juan, why did you take so long to go to the toilet?¡±


    Fang Rou had an unhappy expression on her face as she sat on a chair and sorted out a large pile of publicity materials.


    The 100 members plan was highly regarded by the bureau chief, and was one of the main tasks for the security bureau. The staff involved were extremely busy because of this.


    ¡°Sister Rou, thank you for covering for me. I¡¯ll return to the service counter,¡± Liu Sujuan suppressed her emotions and apologized.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. The chief just informed us to go to the conference room for a meeting. We¡¯ll go straight there,¡± Fang Rou rolled her eyes and explained.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just have a meeting yesterday? Why is there another meeting?¡±


    Liu Sujuan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    The meetings took a long time, and could easily last for an hour or two. In addition, they were extremely dry, and she had to maintain a serious attitude and pretend to be listening carefully.


    Most people did not like to attend these meetings.


    ¡°I heard that the bureau has set up a new position called the consultant¡¯s exclusive contact. They have to be transferred from within the department first. When there aren¡¯t enough people, we will recruit from the outside world.


    However, my current position is both comfortable and stable. Back then, I spent a lot of effort to get in, so I don¡¯t know if I should register for a transfer.¡±


    Fang Rou sighed, a hesitant expression on her face.


    As the name suggested, the consultant¡¯s exclusive contact was equivalent to his personal secretary. This person would be in charge of communicating with the consultant on behalf of the security bureau.


    After all, a consultant was only a temporary position. The security bureau naturally could not ask them to stay in touch 24/7 like a regular staff member.


    However, many problems would arise due to this.


    First of all, the consultants who joined the 100 members plan had to have mastered the transformation of their internal force. Such strength was far stronger than that of a contact person, and what about their personality? What about their character?


    Being transferred to the position of the consultant¡¯s personal contact meant that the two of them would have many opportunities to be alone together. If they encountered someone with a bad character, how could a weak woman resist their advances?


    On the other hand, this position would allow the civilian women working in the security bureau to easily come into contact with someone who had mastered the transformation of their internal force.


    A consultant of this level would be wealthy, and countless women would go crazy for him.


    ¡°Are there many people in the bureau who are interested in being transferred?¡± Liu Sujuan asked carefully.


    ¡°How would I know? I only got the news when you went to the toilet.¡±


    Fang Rou sighed.


    ¡°Those consultants would often carry out dangerous missions, right? Will their point of contact also be in danger?


    After all, they can¡¯t just be working in the security bureau like we are now. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of setting up this new position?¡± Liu Sujuan had a flash of inspiration and whispered.


    ¡°Tsk! What you said makes sense. I think we should be cautious and observe the situation for a while. After all, there are more than just a few people in the 100 members plan.¡±


    Fang Rou¡¯s expression froze as she came to a realization.


    Liu Sujuan was secretly delighted when she heard this.


    She did not expect that with just a few words she could eliminate a competitor.


    ¡­


    In the meeting room, one after another, people arrived and sat down.


    There were a total of nearly 100 people in the civilian positions in the security bureau.


    Bureau chief Xie Jimin strode up to the podium and tapped the signal pen in his hand. The screen on the wall immediately displayed the agenda of the meeting.


    A row of large black headlines in bold font read a€¡± Exclusive Contact Officer for Security Bureau Consultants.


    Below were three key points.


    1. The job of a contact person.


    2. Responsibility of the contact person.


    3. Things to take note of for the contact person.


    ¡°The 100 members plan is still in its infancy. It can¡¯t be completed overnight. This process requires the full support of everyone,¡±


    Xie Jimin said loudly with a serious expression.


    The people below all puffed out their chests and sat up straight. Regardless of whether they were truly listening seriously, they at least appeared to be listening attentively on the surface.


    Many of the young women¡¯s eyes lit up. Most of the consultants were men. Compared to their male colleagues, they had a huge advantage. It could almost be said that this position was tailor-made for them.


    As for the female consultants, because women were often more attentive and patient than men, they also had an advantage.


    Xie Jimin nodded and continued, ¡°The job of a contact person is not as easy and stable as a civilian job. You might need to follow the consultant overseas for a long time, and there is a chance that you will encounter some danger.


    However, we as the security bureau can¡¯t back down because of this and let outsiders laugh at us.¡±


    Those who took on a civilian job in the provincial city often valued stability. Unless there was a commensurate reward, no one was willing to be transferred to another job.


    As expected, after Xie Jimin explained the situation, the fiery gazes from before dimmed by more than half.


    It was easy to change to a different position, but it was too difficult to return. The civilian job at the security bureau was already an opportunity that was one in a million.


    In the face of the many uncertainties regarding the role of the contact person, everyone was inclined to wait and observe the situation.


    Xie Jimin saw everyone¡¯s reaction and responses.


    He sighed in his heart. Fortunately, the first consultant to join was Chen Yiming.


    Based on Chen Yiming¡¯s fighting style, the contact person that followed him wouldn¡¯t even need to do anything. There was no need to worry about their safety.


    With a good precedent, it would naturally be easy to get more people to take on the job of the contact person.


    Liu Sujuan listened attentively.


    This time, she was really serious. Her legs, which were in a pair of stockings, were positioned together diagonally. Her hands were naturally placed on the table, and she straightened her back to show her most perfect posture.


    This was because she was the one who had received the new consultant. He was not a greasy middle-aged man, but a handsome young man. His figure was well-proportioned and slender, and he was not one of those extraordinary figures that were over three meters tall.


    The other party had been joking with a serious face. Thinking back on it, she still blushed.


    Therefore, there was no need for her to hesitate.


    Next, Xie Jimin led everyone through the presentation for the job of the contact person. There were a total of 65 slides.


    After the presentation ended, he handed out the forms.


    In order to prevent everyone from discussing in advance and causing no one to be willing to be transferred to the position in the end, this meeting was organized at the last minute.


    Liu Sujuan glanced at the form.


    On it was not only the column to indicate one¡¯s intention to transfer, but also 10 questions about the job of a contact person.


    After she finished answering the questions seriously, she used her body and hands to block the others¡¯ line of sight. Only then did she tick the ¡°yes¡± box on the transfer notice.


    The meeting ended quickly, and the forms were taken away.


    On the way back to their respective posts, the young women chattered and asked each other about what they had filled out in the form.


    The choice of the majority would affect the other people¡¯s decisions.


    Back at her post behind the service counter, Liu Sujuan felt uneasy.


    Along the way, she heard from her female colleagues that many people were interested.


    Although she did not know if it was true or not, since women were born with the ability to hide their real selves, this still meant that there were potential competitors. She was not free from worries.


    ¡°Xiao Juan, why are you so pale? Did you eat something bad?¡± Fang Rou asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll be fine after a while,¡± Liu Sujuan got a shock and quickly explained.


    If Fang Rou found out about her true choice, the two of them would not even have a sisterly relationship on the surface.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so many people to be willing to be the contact person for the consultants.¡±


    Fang Rou did not pursue the matter and sighed to herself.


    Liu Sujuan nodded and did not say anything.


    Her advantage over others was that she already knew what the new consultant looked like and that he had already reported for duty.


    Not long after, ¡°Liu Sujuan, the bureau chief wants you to go to his office.¡±


    The bureau chief¡¯s secretary walked in.


    ¡°What is it about?¡± Liu Sujuan suppressed her joy and asked.

 Chapter 230 - Exclusive Contact (II)

    ¡°It¡¯s about the transfer to become a contact person,¡± the bureau chief¡¯s secretary explained patiently.


    The secretary had already received instructions from Xie Jimin to secure Liu Sujuan.


    Liu Sujuan nodded and walked out from behind the service counter without asking any more questions.


    After walking a distance and making sure that no one could see her, she jumped up and down a few times to release her nervousness.


    Although the outcome was not confirmed, if the chief was looking for her, there was a high chance that she could become Chen Yiming¡¯s exclusive contact person.


    ¡­


    In the bureau chief¡¯s office, after Xie Jimin finished reading all the forms, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Although the results did not meet his expectations, there were at least a few people who had signed up enthusiastically. The one with the best overall qualifications was Liu Sujuan, whom he had sent his secretary to call over.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    There was the sound of someone knocking on the door.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    Xie Jimin looked up and saw Liu Sujuan pushing open the door.


    ¡°Bureau Chief, were you looking for me?¡± Liu Sujuan asked anxiously.


    She hoped that everything would go as smoothly as she had imagined. Otherwise, the ups and downs would really cause her to have a heart attack.


    ¡°Consultant Chen is a very good person. In the past, nothing has ever happened to his subordinates,¡± Xie Jimin said with a smile.


    Chen Yiming had led a team to provide support. His subordinates, who were supposed to be participating in the battle, had only been assigned to do the chores. Of course, there wasn¡¯t much danger for them.


    Liu Sujuan nodded seriously.


    At this point, she had already guessed the outcome.


    ¡°Work hard. From tomorrow onwards, you don¡¯t have to come to the service counter to work. From now on, you will be Consultant Chen¡¯s exclusive contact person,¡± Xie Jimin said directly.


    At this point, he took out a set of documents and handed them to Liu Sujuan.


    Then, he waved his hand, indicating that Liu Sujuan could leave.


    He was afraid that Liu Sujuan would go back on her word if he said too much. After all, the documents contained basic information about Chen Yiming, including his recent achievements.


    It was clearly a little difficult for a female contact person at the disciple realm to participate in the cleanup after the beast tide.


    ¡­


    On the other side, after Chen Yiming met with the special operations unit from the security bureau, he rejected Li Hongfei¡¯s suggestion to entertain him and returned with section chief Chen in a helicopter.


    The matter was not over yet. The two of them left the security bureau in a military vehicle.


    Not long after, the military vehicle stopped and Chen Yiming and section chief Chen alighted.


    ¡°This is the Jiangnan province¡¯s martial arts bureau.¡±


    Section chief Chen pointed at a 13-story building in front of him and introduced it.


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    This was a military location. Not only were there armed soldiers guarding the entrance, but there was also the hidden aura from martial arts experts.


    The aura of the experts had another effect, which was to deter would-be thieves who had ulterior motives.


    ¡°Your identification needs some time to be processed, so we can¡¯t go in yet.¡±


    Section chief Chen apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s useless to enter now anyway. I don¡¯t have any contribution points,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Contribution points were the currency of the Jiangnan provincial government. Normally, other than private transactions, one could only use them for themselves.


    The consultants working for the security bureau were also included in this system. Every time they went on a mission, they would receive contribution points corresponding to the level of the mission.


    In addition, as part of the 100 members plan, the consultants would receive a special privilege. They would not be restricted by the level of their position and could exchange their points for any treasures, cultivation techniques, and so on that they were interested in from the martial arts bureau.


    This was one of the main reasons why the 100 members plan had attracted Chen Yiming.


    At this moment, section chief Chen¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the bureau chief¡¯s office.


    Section chief Chen answered the call and placed the phone to his ear. On the other end of the line, Xie Jimin instructed him to tell Chen Yiming about his exclusive contact person.


    ¡°The bureau will assign a contact person to each consultant. This contact person will get in touch with you later,¡± section chief Chen explained after hanging up.


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    He had many secrets and often did not bring any communication tools with him to prevent others from finding out his location.


    Although the primitive method of exchanging information was inefficient, it ensured Chen Yiming¡¯s privacy to the greatest extent.


    The tour came to an end. Section chief Chen brought Chen Yiming to a guest house in the provincial government area.


    ¡­


    Liu Sujuan jumped and skipped on her way home.


    Her house in Jiangnan City was a two-bedroom apartment in the city center. She lived with her sister, Liu Yueqin.


    Liu Yueqin¡¯s martial arts talent was not something Liu Sujuan could compare to. At the age of 18, she was already a warrior candidate and was a student at the Jiangnan province¡¯s martial arts academy.


    Although the two of them were four years apart, in terms of figure and appearance, they looked like twins.


    Ever since they were young, other than their relatives, without any special explanation, any new friends they made would all think that they were twins.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally home. I¡¯m drenched in sweat today. Let me take a shower first.¡±


    Liu Sujuan complained to her sister who was watching television on the sofa in the living room. She put down the documents in her hand and went to the bedroom to get a set of clean clothes before walking into the bathroom.


    Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.


    At this moment, Liu Yueqin was lying on her side on the sofa. She was wearing a loose nightgown, but it could not conceal her well-endowed figure.


    She glanced at the documents her sister had placed on the table.


    However, she could not take her eyes off it because there was a photo of a man on it.


    Who was this man?


    Boyfriend?


    Liu Yueqin looked at the photo curiously.


    The photo was of a handsome young man who looked to be about 18 years old.


    She could not suppress her curiosity. She glanced at the bathroom from which the sound of water running could be heard and reached out with her fair and slender hands to carefully flip open the documents.


    Soon, Liu Yueqin was dumbfounded.


    From the information she had gathered, she knew that this young man called Chen Yiming was not only a genius disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, but he had also performed brilliantly in suppressing two beast tides in the south and north of Jiangnan Province some time ago, leaving behind terrifying achievements.


    This made her, an outstanding student of the Jiangnan province¡¯s martial arts academy, feel that it was unreal. She was already a genius student in the eyes of the martial arts teachers.


    This young man called Chen Yiming was only a year older than her, but the difference between the two of them was too great. She couldn¡¯t even think of catching up to him.


    At this moment, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped. Liu Yueqin quickly returned the table to its original state.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have class today?¡±


    Liu Sujuan walked out of the bathroom in a T-shirt. She was wearing a pair of shorts that were completely covered by the T-shirt, which made her legs look especially long.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Liu Yueqin responded and pretended that everything was normal.


    At the same time, although she was facing the television, she started to observe her sister from the corner of her eye. She was confident that her sister, who was not very talented in martial arts, would not notice this small action.


    As expected, Liu Sujuan did not notice anything amiss. She picked up the information and sat on the other end of the sofa, flipping through it in front of Liu Yueqin.


    After a while, Liu Sujuan seemed to have suddenly thought of something and explained, ¡°I might have to go out often after this. I won¡¯t be able to live here normally.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Liu Yueqin turned to her sister and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a work matter. I can¡¯t tell you since it¡¯s confidential,¡± Liu Sujuan said.


    Living in a familiar place often gave one an inexplicable sense of security. Too many things had happened today, and she was not wary of her own sister.


    Coupled with the fact that she was mentally exhausted, she completely did not realize that her sister had peeked at the information related to Chen Yiming while she was showering.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Liu Yueqin responded and turned to watch television.


    Unlike her calm behavior on the surface, the thoughts in her mind were racing.


    His sister, Liu Sujuan, worked at the security bureau. The people targeted by the security bureau were usually not good people. Was there some problem with this man?


    1

 Chapter 231 - The Situation in Western Australia (I)

    Night fell.


    Chen Yiming walked out of the guest house and scanned his surroundings.


    As a place to receive VIPs, the guest house was well-guarded. Many soldiers stood quietly like statues at their posts.


    ¡°Strength is the foundation for everything. It¡¯s time to go to the otherworld to cultivate,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The speed at which he could accumulate Skill Points in the otherworld was much higher than on the blue planet. However, he had been tied down by too many things recently, and now, he had finally settled everything.


    He took one last look at the brightly lit Jiangnan City and quickly disappeared into the night.


    However, after leaving Jiangnan City, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t head straight to the space-travel passage in the catacombs. Instead, he returned to the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Before he planned to secretly head to the otherworld to cultivate, the head of the inner court, Zhou Xuesheng, had informed Chen Yiming over the phone of the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s decision to allow him access to all the concept diagrams across the different inner courts.


    In other words, when the Myriad Phenomena Sect saw that the security bureau had started to rope in their genius disciple, coupled with the fact that Chen Yiming had displayed a high level of control over his internal force in public, many of the inner court heads could no longer sit still.


    After some discussion, they contacted the sect master through special channels and decided to break the rules for Chen Yiming.


    This would allow him to obtain the qualifications to inherit the position of the sect master.


    ¡°I just want to cultivate quietly by myself.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed in front of the mountain gate.


    Sometimes, it was not entirely a good thing to develop too quickly. In order to put on a normal appearance, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and waste a little more time.


    When Chen Yiming stepped into the sect, all the inner court heads quickly appeared.


    Without the sect master around, the court heads could only use this method to express how highly the Myriad Phenomena Sect valued him.


    Chen Yiming patiently got introduced to each of the inner court heads one by one and received a special token from Zhou Xuesheng.


    With this token, he would not be restricted from entering any of the inner courts.


    He did not sleep the entire night.


    Chen Yiming wandered around the libraries of the inner courts, showing his thirst to learn the complete cultivation technique.


    This made the heads of the various inner courts heave sighs of relief. The matter of stabilizing their genius disciple had suddenly become the top priority for the Myriad Phenomena Sect. It would be best if he could cultivate in seclusion on the mountain for a long time and reach the level of the sect master.


    ¡­


    At dawn, Chen Yiming descended the mountain and arrived at the space-travel passage in the catacombs again.


    The catacombs were empty, leaving behind only the tunnels that the giant steel-spear spiders had dug out. There were no signs that the spider emperors had returned.


    Chen Yiming only paused for a moment before stepping into the space-travel passage.


    With a change in space, he stepped into the otherworld for the second time.


    It was also daytime in the otherworld. The forest not far away was quiet, and the wide lake was also peaceful.


    Everything was not much different from the last time he came in.


    Chen Yiming was secretly delighted. This was the best situation.


    This was because he did not have any desire to explore the otherworld. The otherworld was equivalent to a secret realm for his cultivation, which allowed him to accumulate Skill Points faster.


    Now, no matter how dangerous the otherworld was, there was a space-travel passage right behind him. If he realized that something was amiss during his cultivation, he could retreat at any time.


    With this thought, Chen Yiming started cultivating on the spot.


    Time passed very quickly. Unknowingly, he had been immersed in his cultivation and had lost track of time. When he was hungry, he would eat the dried mutant beast meat he had prepared in advance to replenish his energy.


    If he finished the dried mutant beast meat, he could still return via the space-travel passage and hunt mutant beasts in the wilderness to replenish his food supply.


    ¡­


    A week later, at the military port, Xie Jimin walked out of the helicopter. The members of the special operations unit had already gathered and were waiting.


    Without any idle chatter, everyone went straight to a meeting room in the military port.


    The contents of the confidential documents had already been entered into the computer in advance. This place was connected to an internal network, so there was no possibility of any information being leaked.


    Soon, the projector presented the content on the screen.


    ¡°The president of Western Australia roared at a meeting: What exactly are you guys doing after a week? I don¡¯t want to hear any more bad news. I¡¯ll give you another week at most. If there are no better results, all of you will enter the otherworld and deal with it personally¡­¡±


    In the video, not only was the president of Western Australia red in the face, but he also threw the microphone to the ground at the end.


    The meeting room was silent. The senior officials of Western Australia had solemn expressions on their faces. No one could give any concrete suggestions.


    Xie Jimin tapped the pointer lightly and immediately played the next video.


    ¡°A Western Australian officer explained to a senior Western Australian officer: Our strategic missile forces have already gathered around Sydney City, and the hydrogen bombs provided by the Sam Nation are already on their way.


    Leader, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely not let the disaster there spread to the Western Australia.¡±


    In addition, this video also captured the situation of the Western Australia¡¯s strategic missile forces.


    Hundreds of missile trucks were parked in a large area. These missile trucks were much longer than normal, and there were more than 10 tires on both sides.


    Western Australia itself did not have nuclear weapons, but with the support of Sam Nation, it had the ability to launch a nuclear attack.


    Xie Jimin tapped the pointer again and the third video played.


    The situation in Sydney City appeared on the screen. The shops in the bustling shopping center were all closed, and most of the houses in the residential area were empty. The farmers¡¯ market was empty, with only the remnants of vegetables and fruits left behind.


    The situation in Sydney City appeared on the screen. The shops in the bustling shopping center were all closed, and most of the houses in the residential area were empty. The market was empty, with only the remnants of vegetables and fruits left.


    Xie Jimin tapped the pointer again and the fourth video played.


    ¡°Why did you raise the price? Die!¡±


    A black man roared angrily. Behind him was a group of black people who were shooting at the supermarket with submachine guns.


    The supermarket was in a mess, and there were bullet holes left behind everywhere. The manager had long disappeared, and the employees were all looking for somewhere to hide.


    Next, it was a scene of these people transporting the supermarket¡¯s goods away. They did not pay for any of it and just took it directly.


    There was also a description below that indicated that the location in the video was the central city of Western Australia, Adelaide City.


    Xie Jimin clicked on the pointer one last time and the fifth video played.


    ¡°Drive faster. Push the accelerator to the floor. The mutant beasts are really going to catch up.¡±


    A white man reminded his companion who was driving as he risked his life to film the scene. He held a camera in his hand and aimed it at the mutant beasts running behind the off-road vehicle.


    Then, the white man turned the camera around.


    They were not the only vehicles in the wilderness. Within a range of one kilometer, dozens of off-road vehicles, camper vans, sedans, and trucks were moving together.


    Everyone¡¯s route was basically the same, and they were all heading west.


    In the end, the white man¡¯s car was hit violently. Curses could be heard from the recording, and the camera suddenly went black.


    The five videos were all played.


    All these videos reflected the terrible situation in Western Australia, and conveyed the tension of a storm brewing.


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s analyze how we should deal with the problem of Western Australia that might spread¡­¡± Xie Jimin put down his pen and said seriously.


    Once Western Australia could no longer hold back the chaos, the countries across the sea would be affected next, and the Daxia Kingdom was one of them.


    Soon, every special operations team member expressed their opinions.


    Most of the team members felt that they needed to send out special operations teams to enter the space-travel passage where the problem had occurred in Western Australia. They wanted to know the details of the situation so that the Daxia Kingdom could come up with a concrete plan to deal with the situation.

 Chapter 232 - The Situation in Western Australia (II)

    Xie Jimin swept his gaze around the room, his expression solemn.


    Sending people to investigate on the spot was indeed the most direct and effective method. However, five experts at the peak of the warrior realm from Western Australia had died in that space-travel passage.


    The captain of the special operations unit was at the level of mastering the transformation of internal force.


    The difference was too great. For an incident of this level, with the level of the security bureau¡¯s special operations unit, they would be wiped out if they were affected.


    ¡°Chief, trust us. We can do it.¡±


    A member from the special operations unit led the petition.


    Next, everyone loudly voiced their agreement. For such an emergency situation, what was needed was people who would stand up even if they had to sacrifice themselves.


    Xie Jimin was in a daze for a while. He pushed on the table with his palms down and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll report this matter first. Be ready to go at any time. It might be several teams working separately.¡±


    Although he did not want the special operations unit under him to risk the possibility of being wiped out by going on a field investigation, it was impossible for the head of the security bureau to bring his personal feelings into his work.


    An emergency situation was the exact reason for the existence of the special operations unit.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The team members shouted.


    ¡­


    In a two-bedroom apartment in the city center, Liu Sujuan sat on the sofa with a worried expression. The television in front of her was playing the news, but she was not processing any of it.


    In order to get into the security bureau, she had developed the habit of watching the news every day.


    The reason was that she had lost her job. To be precise, she was partly unemployed and was currently waiting at home to be called to work.


    After Chen Yiming left Jiangnan City and returned to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, it was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth. She had gone to the Myriad Phenomena Sect to ask about it. After revealing her identity as his exclusive contact person, she had found out that he might be cultivating in seclusion somewhere.


    ¡°Oh my god! What should I do? I¡¯m going to be screwed over.¡±


    Liu Sujuan was discouraged. She suddenly felt a little regretful that she had taken the risk and transferred to become the other party¡¯s exclusive contact person.


    These days where she had nothing to do were too torturous. If she did not prove her value, in the long term, she might really lose her job one day.


    At this moment, the sound of a key turning in the lock could be heard.


    After Liu Yueqin opened the door, she said in surprise, ¡°Sister, why are you at home again?¡±


    Her sister, Liu Sujuan, had previously mentioned that she would need to stay outside for a long time in the future. However, the truth was that she had been staying at home every day.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Faced with her sister¡¯s question, Liu Sujuan¡¯s face was filled with shame.


    There was naturally a reason for the bureau to set up the exclusive contact positions. However, as soon as she took up the position, her work had stopped.


    Almost no one could help her with the problem she was facing.


    ¡°By the way, Sister, let me tell you something. The martial arts academy¡¯s midterm combat assessment has suddenly been postponed. I wonder what happened,¡± Liu Yueqin said while changing her shoes.


    The midterm combat assessment involved actual combat in the wilderness. The students¡¯ opponents were the ferocious mutant beasts.


    ¡°When was this?¡± Liu Sujuan asked. Her sharp senses told her that something was amiss.


    ¡°It was announced this morning.¡±


    Liu Yueqin walked to the sofa and sat down.


    When Liu Sujuan heard this, her expression turned solemn.


    Jiangnan City¡¯s martial arts academy was the best academy in the entire Jiangnan province. Its teachers were strong, and unless something big happened, it was impossible to delay the school¡¯s midterm assessment.


    Thinking of this, she quickly used the remote control to replay the news.


    A beautiful host announced the news with a serious expression,


    ¡°In the past few days, due to the influence of Western Australia, a small number of people have been purchasing and hoarding supplies in the coastal cities of our country. The Daxia Kingdom has already decided on a concrete plan. Please don¡¯t believe the rumors¡­¡±


    Liu Sujuan finished watching the news for the day and could no longer sit still. She stood up and went straight to the security bureau.


    ¡­


    In the office of the head of the security bureau, ¡°This isn¡¯t easy!¡±


    Xie Jimin¡¯s face was filled with worry. He sighed and put down the information on the potential candidates for the 100 members plan.


    The various provinces of the Daxia Kingdom had established long-term strongholds in the otherworld at the same time, causing the strength of the upper echelons in the provinces to temporarily weaken. At the same time, an incident that might lead to the destruction of the nation occurred in Western Australia.


    Having so many events occurring during this period made it difficult to carry out the 100 members plan. Some talented geniuses rejected the invitation with the excuse of needing time to consider it.


    Not all geniuses were as confident as Chen Yiming, who thought that he would soon reach the threshold of the master realm. Therefore, the level of attraction of the 100 members plan was completely different for different people.


    Liu Sujuan arrived outside the door. Somehow she was so nervous that her heart was beating rapidly.


    Along the way, she had rehearsed how to tell the chief about the failure of her job as the exclusive contact.


    Because of the emergency situation, if the exclusive contact could not reach their consultant in time, the job of the contact person would naturally become meaningless.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    After mustering her courage, Liu Sujuan knocked on the door.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    After receiving a reply, she pushed open the door and entered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xie Jimin asked.


    He wasn¡¯t too happy to see Chen Yiming¡¯s exclusive contact, Liu Sujuan.


    This was because the special operations unit¡¯s mission this time could be said to have only a slim chance of succeeding. As the first consultant to join the 100 members plan, Chen Yiming was supposed to be the benchmark.


    If he participated in this mission which had an extremely high mortality rate, if anything happened, it would severely affect the difficulty of recruiting people in the future.


    ¡°The consultant I¡¯m in charge of has been missing since the first day I took office. I can¡¯t find him at all,¡± Liu Sujuan stammered as she explained.


    As far as she was concerned, this was a very serious mistake. It was enough to cost her her job.


    However, the response was unexpected.


    ¡°The agreement signed by the consultant and our security bureau is to protect the consultant¡¯s absolute privacy. What you should do in the short term is to understand Consultant Chen¡¯s living habits and gradually carry out your communication work.


    Another thing is that there is no requirement for the consultant to participate in any urgent tasks, so you don¡¯t have to be anxious. Go back and wait patiently,¡± Xie Jimin suddenly smiled and said slowly.


    ¡°Ah! Is that so?¡±


    Liu Sujuan¡¯s mouth opened slightly in surprise.


    The bureau chief¡¯s explanation made her feel a little confused. There were too few restrictions on being a consultant. The treatment they received was too good.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything else. Just focus on serving Consultant Chen,¡± Xie Jimin said.


    The 100 members plan had just begun. The first task was to recruit the necessary number of people.


    When there were more people, there would naturally be competition. At that time, there would be no need for the security bureau to interfere. In order to get what they wanted, there would probably not be enough missions to go around for the consultants.


    Of course, he could not tell Liu Sujuan about this, nor could he reveal it to the public.


    Not long after, Liu Sujuan walked out of the chief¡¯s office with an uncomfortable expression.


    After receiving guidance from the chief, she vaguely understood the real job of the exclusive contact, but there was no good solution.


    Where is he?


    How can I find out about him if I can¡¯t find him?


    Could it be that Consultant Chen had completely forgotten about me, his exclusive contact?


    Facing the elusive Consultant Chen, Liu Sujuan scratched her head again and again, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

 Chapter 233 - Sword Aura (I)

    Time flew by, and another week passed.


    The strategic missile troops near Sydney City had finished loading up. However, the situation in Western Australia did not improve. The people did not believe the higher-ups at all.


    The population of Western Australia was still on the move towards the west.


    The reason was that Western Australia had a large territory but a limited level of martial arts, and five human experts at the peak of the warrior realm were already equivalent to a quarter of its top level of martial arts power.


    As for those at the master realm, there was not a single one in Western Australia. Otherwise, the situation would not have worsened to this extent.


    It could be said that without the help of the Western countries, after losing a quarter of its top-level martial arts power at once, even Western Australia wanted to abandon the space-travel passage that had developed into a problem.


    This also caused the coastal cities across the sea from Western Australia to be affected.


    Even the Daxia Kingdom was no exception. The reason was that the top forces in the country had been transferred elsewhere, and the citizens¡¯ confidence had also suffered a setback. There were countless cases in the coastal cities of people purchasing and hoarding supplies and transporting their belongings elsewhere.


    ¡­


    In the otherworld, in the forest not far from the space-travel passage, a figure was practicing his swordsmanship. Leaves and dust flew into the air, and the sound of rushing wind could be heard.


    Over the past half a month, Chen Yiming had explored the area within a radius of more than 100 meters. After confirming that there were no creatures or dangers lurking nearby, he used the forest as his training ground.


    Because he did not bring any communication tools with him, he could focus on his own cultivation and not be disturbed by anyone.


    This way, the otherworld was really a good place for him to cultivate.


    ¡°Martial arts talent panel!¡±


    After he got a blessed feeling, Chen Yiming stopped and called out in his heart.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 2; Undying Body ¡ª Level 2


    Level: Second stage of the warrior realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Skill Points: 300


    His eyes lit up. Since yesterday, he had a feeling that he was about to be able to upgrade his swordsmanship talent.


    This made Chen Yiming even more focused. He no longer thought about anything other than cultivation and entered a state of absolute focus.


    In his eyes and heart, there was only the sword in his hand, and no other distractions.


    ¡°Upgrade!¡±


    Without any hesitation, Chen Yiming focused his attention on his swordsmanship talent.


    In the next moment, a golden light flashed.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 3; Undying Body ¡ª Level 2


    Level: Second stage of the warrior realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Skill Points: 0


    On the interface, his swordsmanship talent had increased from Level 2 to Level 3.


    Chen Yiming closed his eyes and the martial arts talent panel disappeared. He carefully investigated the difference brought about by his Level-3 swordsmanship talent.


    In the outside world, a figure stood motionless. It looked no different from usual, but there was a sharp aura around it.


    A few minutes later, the figure suddenly opened his eyes. With a flick of his foot, a slender branch flew into his hand.


    He suddenly jumped up and slashed at a huge tree beside him.


    This tree from the otherworld was more than ten meters wide and about a hundred meters tall. On the blue planet, it would be considered a huge tree, but here, it was only an ordinary tree.


    However, even though it was an ordinary tree, it was not only tall and thick, but also harder than metal.


    A sharp sound of collision suddenly rang out. The tip of the branch brushed past a few meters away from the tree trunk, and a flash of light could clearly be seen in the air.


    The bark was cut open without any hesitation, and bits of wood flew in all directions. For a moment, it was impossible to tell what the outcome would be. Would the giant tree be cut in half or would it only have its bark cut open?


    After the dust settled, a crack appeared on the tree trunk where the branch had swept past earlier, spanning the entire tree trunk from left to right.


    The crack looked like the bark of a tree had been cut open, and it was several times smaller than a strand of hair. If one did not pay close attention, they would not be able to tell it was there.


    The large amount of wood shavings from earlier proved that it was impossible for only the bark to be cut open.


    Chen Yiming looked at his masterpiece and casually stomped his foot. An imperceptible vibration spread out in all directions.


    In the next moment, the part of the tree trunk above the crack started to move, emitting a smooth sliding sound.


    A few seconds later, it crashed into the forest.


    Chen Yiming sized up the cut surface of the tree trunk.


    The surface was extremely smooth, just like a piece of art, revealing the growth rings of the huge tree.


    ¡°This invisible force is a new power born in my body after upgrading to the Level-3 swordsmanship talent. It¡¯s similar to using a large amount of internal force.


    This isn¡¯t like the previous Heart Sword ability that can only be used as a trump card, but the effect is similar to the Heart Sword ability. Could it be an advanced version of the Heart Sword?¡± Chen Yiming pondered.


    The new abilities brought about by the upgrading of his talents were observable. For example, when his Level-1 Undying Body talent was upgraded to Level-2, invisible circuits had appeared between his cells.


    The function of the invisible circuitry was to transmit vitality between the cells. It was an ability built on the powerful vitality of the cells.


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat similar to the sword aura described in novels. In that case, let¡¯s call this invisible force Sword Aura.¡±


    Chen Yiming casually gave his new ability a name.


    Next, he continued to test the effect of the Sword Aura.


    Chen Yiming extended his left hand and used his strength-based internal force to form a layer of armor. Then, he used his right hand to slash at the internal force armor.


    The thick and heavy internal force armor could not withstand it for even a moment. Even though it could repair itself continuously, it was still easily broken by the Sword Aura.


    He stopped in time and did not continue slashing further.


    Chen Yiming keenly realized that not only did the Sword Aura have the sharpness attribute, but it also had a destructive element.


    From the continuous recovery of his strength-based internal force and how it was destroyed by the Sword Aura, he felt that it could cut through anything.


    ¡°Could this be a special realm of swordsmanship?¡±


    Chen Yiming was puzzled.


    Unfortunately, the level of martial arts on the blue planet was limited. Compared to the high-level martial arts novels he read in his previous world, he could only see three major realms, including the disciple realm.


    There was no comparison he could make and no information he could check.


    Putting aside these thoughts, Chen Yiming started to test the limits of the Sword Aura.


    This time, his left hand was no longer covered by just the strength-based internal force. Instead, it was an internal force armor formed by the combination of 13 types of internal force.


    Finally, the Sword Aura in his right hand felt some resistance. However, with its pure destructive power, the armor formed by the combination of 13 types of internal force was still destroyed.


    In the end, it could only withstand the attack for a while longer.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming gasped in shock.


    He could sense that the essence of the Sword Aura was on the same level as the fused internal force. It was half a level stronger than the combination of the 13 internal forces.


    Furthermore, he sensed that the Sword Aura could become stronger. The foundation for becoming stronger came from further strengthening of his body. In other words, he had to wait until he completed the internal force fusion cultivation to temper his body with the internal force after the fusion.


    However, at this stage, his strongest attack had undoubtedly become Sword Aura.


    He could not be bothered to stay shocked.


    He then used his hand as a sword and gently swept it out. During this process, his Sword Aura ability was activated to the limit.


    As far as the eye could see, huge trees were mercilessly cut down one after another. In the end, the Sword Aura only stopped after extending for a kilometer.


    ¡°The huge sword formed by the combination of 13 types of internal force can only extend to 100 meters now. The Sword Aura¡¯s range is clearly longer. As expected, there is a qualitative difference in the attack range,¡± Chen Yiming said in shock.


    At the same time, the figure in his mind became active.


    In his spiritual world, inspiration about the fusion of internal force kept appearing automatically. Somehow, some of the difficulties that he had faced previously seemed to be instantly resolved.


    ¡°It¡¯s too simple! The cultivation speed of the internal force fusion has increased by more than 10 times.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed with deep emotion after he got over his shock.

 Chapter 234 - Sword Aura (II)

    This feeling was like a student who was facing an exam question being able to deduce the answer at a glance.


    However, the fusion of 13 types of internal force involved too much internal force, and the problems encountered were not small. The sect masters of the large sects had all made progress in the internal force fusion in blocks of 10 years.


    Even with the increase in comprehension brought about by his Level-3 swordsmanship talent, it was not enough for Chen Yiming to learn it instantly.


    However, he could feel the improvement every second. It was like a progress bar. He only needed to wait patiently for a period of time before the cultivation of the internal force fusion could be completed automatically.


    ¡­


    In the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy, Chen Yiming had a peach wood sword strapped to his back as he strolled along the academy¡¯s concrete road.


    Having achieved his goal of cultivating in the otherworld, he returned to Jiangnan City.


    Then, he suddenly remembered that the level of the teachers at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy was limited. It would be best for Chen Yingying to enter the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy when she was a little older.


    Therefore, he came here personally to observe the situation.


    As for the peach wood sword, he had bought it from a random martial arts equipment shop. This was because the Sword Aura was purely a destructive force, unlike the internal force that could transform into various forms.


    With a physical sword, it would be easier to fight.


    Not only was the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy huge, but all kinds of facilities for practicing martial arts were also available. The martial arts atmosphere was also good, and the students he encountered along the way almost never left the topic of martial arts.


    Chen Yiming sighed to himself as he walked. There was indeed a huge difference between a big city and a small city. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had transmigrated with the martial arts talent system, he also wanted to enter the academy to experience it.


    Before he knew it, he arrived beside a man-made lake.


    A girl with a ponytail was practicing with her sword on the lawn by the lake.


    An old man in tight-fitting clothes pointed out her mistakes from time to time. There were also a few young women gathered around waiting for their turn. From the looks of it, they were the ponytail girl¡¯s classmates.


    ¡°The old man should be a teacher at the academy. I can take this opportunity to see how good the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy¡¯s standard is.¡±


    Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks and watched from afar.


    The girl with the ponytail was tall, and she had an innocent but cold air about her. Every move she made revealed the demeanor of a goddess, especially when she was practicing with her sword. Every part of her body displayed the proper stance.


    There was no excess fat on her body, but her chest was not flat. Her waist was thin, but she still had a sense of strength. Her legs were fair, long, and strong.


    After observing the ponytail girl¡¯s physique, Chen Yiming could tell that her physical talent was not bad, and that she was at the level of a warrior candidate.


    Then, he observed the woman¡¯s mastery of swordsmanship.


    ¡°Fancy moves, rigid stances, and sword technique without any flexibility. The teacher isn¡¯t too good either.¡±


    Chen Yiming shook his head.


    Although he had never learned the sword technique that the girl was using, Chen Yiming¡¯s swordsmanship talent was extremely high. With just one look, he had already deduced the optimized version of the sword technique in his mind.


    In other words, even if the two of them were at the same level, the girl would still be easily defeated by him.


    When Chen Yiming shook his head, the girl with the ponytail saw the look of disdain on his face.


    After practicing the full sword technique, the ponytail girl looked over with her cold and beautiful face and said coldly, ¡°Fellow student, do you know that I have the right to challenge you to a sword fight since you were secretly watching us from such a close distance without our permission?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too weak. I¡¯m not interested,¡± Chen Yiming shook his head and said calmly.


    After upgrading to the Level-3 swordsmanship talent and obtaining a new ability, the Sword Aura, he even had the confidence to complete the internal force fusion.


    After his body became stronger and his Sword Aura was enhanced again, he would challenge the willow tree king, which had broken through to the master realm.


    It was not that he was blindly confident, but that he had once fought with the willow tree king¡¯s tree roots and understood how powerful the attacks of a master were.


    Now that he had combined 13 types of internal force, the strength of his internal force had already exceeded the peak of the warrior realm by half a level.


    Perhaps it was not comparable to the willow tree king¡¯s ability to convert external power into its own, but in terms of the quality of its internal force, it was not inferior to the willow tree king¡¯s tree root attack.


    The Sword Aura was on the same level as the fused internal force and was even more destructive.


    If he faced the willow tree king again, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be completely helpless. Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat his opponent, he would at least be able to put up a fight.


    ¡°Fellow student, to be able to say this, I can tell that you are really thick-skinned.¡±


    The girl with the ponytail glared at him and bit her lip.


    In her heart, she had already labeled Chen Yiming as a shameless and sleazy student. He used the excuse of watching her to study the sword technique as an excuse, but in reality, he was observing her body.


    ¡°Have you seen enough? Get away from us,¡± the female classmates not far from the girl with the ponytail said angrily.


    It was about to be someone else¡¯s turn to display their swordsmanship. None of them wanted a perverted male student to size them up while they practiced.


    The old man also looked over.


    Although he did not say anything, one could tell from his expression that he was not too happy.


    Teaching martial arts should be carried out in private, but the philosophy of the martial arts academy was different from that of traditional sects. It encouraged public exchanges to help each other progress in their martial arts journey.


    This way, as long as they didn¡¯t go overboard and get too close like Chen Yiming, others would be allowed to watch from afar.


    ¡°Your academy moves are too rigid. Your opening stance just now can be¡­¡±


    In order to prove his innocence, Chen Yiming used the optimized sword moves as a template to point out the mistakes the girl with the ponytail had made.


    Any sword technique had room for optimization for each individual. This was because people had different physiques, and their strength, agility, and speed were also different.


    Chen Yiming had given his opinion after observing the girl¡¯s figure. It was definitely more effective than the old man¡¯s guidance.


    However, no one was willing to calm down and listen to his advice.


    ¡°What a glib tongue. Tell me honestly where you came from,¡± the girl with the ponytail said unhappily.


    When Chen Yiming said the words ¡®academy¡¯, he had already inadvertently indicated that he wasn¡¯t a student of the martial arts academy.


    ¡°What a joke. Are you saying that the teachers in the martial arts academy are inferior to you?¡±


    The female students nearby also mocked him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s words weren¡¯t trusted mainly because he was too young. Those who didn¡¯t know him would treat him as a student.


    ¡°Young man, this is the territory of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy. It¡¯s not a place for you to behave as you like.¡±


    The old man narrowed his eyes and reminded him.


    The meaning behind his words was obvious. If Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t give a good reason, he couldn¡¯t blame them.


    At this moment, the commotion by the man-made lake attracted the attention of many students from the academy. They came to a spot not far away to see what was going on.


    All of a sudden, many discussions broke out.


    Chen Yiming was helpless. He was prepared to show off his skills and use his absolute strength to disprove their doubts.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    A voice sounded out in an untimely manner.


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a police uniform running over quickly. She was wearing a pair of black high heels and flesh-colored stockings.


    Liu Sujuan had not been able to contact Chen Yiming for half a month. She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She had already asked her colleagues at the security bureau to keep an eye out for him.


    As the first consultant to be invited to the 100 members plan, he was naturally highly valued. As soon as Chen Yiming returned to Jiangnan City, the security bureau found out about it and quickly reported it to Liu Sujuan.


    As for her attire, it was because Chen Yiming had casually said that he liked mature women when they first met.


    Liu Sujuan did not know if it was true or not, so she had no choice but to spend some time putting on a more mature-looking makeup before leaving the house to leave a good impression.

 Chapter 235 - Emergency (I)

    ¡°And you are?¡±


    Chen Yiming was confused.


    He had already forgotten about what section chief Chen had told him about the exclusive contact person. After all, it was not something important to him.


    The surrounding students from the martial arts academy and the old man were all shocked.


    Liu Sujuan was wearing a police uniform, which meant that she was not a random person but a public official in Jiangnan City. Her appearance erased everyone¡¯s doubts.


    Trouble came from the mouth.


    This also poured a bucket of cold water on the hearts of the ponytail girl and her female classmates. They felt cold and even a little guilty.


    ¡°I¡¯m the bureau¡¯s exclusive contact for you.¡±


    Liu Sujuan came over and introduced herself.


    At the same time, her watery eyes were fixed on Chen Yiming¡¯s expression, afraid that he would reject her.


    ¡°I remember now. Section chief Chen told me about it.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    As soon as he said this, the students panicked.


    In the end, the students of the martial arts academy were just students. Furthermore, the common choices for graduates of the martial arts academy were the city¡¯s public security bureau, prison, and so on.


    Jiangnan City was the capital city of a large coastal province. The competition for every official position was exceptionally fierce, and even a small stain in their record could lead to their eventual failure.


    Liu Sujuan heaved a sigh of relief. She turned around and took out her security bureau identification card to show the people surrounding them, indicating for the students to stop watching them.


    ¡°What!¡±


    This time, no student dared to stick around. After knowing the policewoman¡¯s identity, they quickly left the scene.


    Chen Yiming had not thought too highly of the security bureau. If not for the temptation of the method to break through to the master realm offered in the 100 members plan, he wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it at all.


    However, for the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy, the authority of the security bureau was not something that the teachers of the martial arts academy could afford to offend, let alone the students.


    Before he left, the old man led the female students to apologize to Chen Yiming carefully.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t mind it and waved them away. However, he didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    This also stopped his thoughts of getting Chen Yingying to transfer to this school.


    ¡­


    Another day passed by.


    Cultivation was often more effective when one took breaks accordingly. Chen Yiming stayed in the guest house of the security bureau and checked on the situation.


    On the television,


    two experts of the otherworld were arguing about what had happened in Western Australia and explaining the current situation.


    ¡°Until now, humans are still at a very early stage in their exploration of the otherworld.


    Other than drawing a map of the area around the human stronghold, the speed of expansion is almost at a standstill. Professor Li, what do you think is a good solution?¡± an old-looking professor asked.


    ¡°Professor Zhang, that¡¯s a good question. I don¡¯t think humans can maintain a defensive stance for long.


    As everyone knows, the ranking of the cultivation environment from good to bad is in the order of the otherworld, near the space-travel passage on the blue planet, and other areas on the blue planet.


    Since the wilderness is much larger than the human cities, the cultivation environment is also slightly better. If we don¡¯t make any changes, the humans will be at a greater disadvantage,¡± Professor Li said sternly.


    ¡°Professor Li is right. The Daxia Kingdom understood this point, so we would rather take the risk of the situation changing drastically and forcefully get each province to set up a long-term stronghold in the otherworld.


    However, how should we plan our actions? You have to know that mutant beasts still exist in the wilderness. It¡¯s impossible for the human countries to all work together. What if we fall into a situation where we are attacked from both sides?¡± Professor Zhang nodded and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to deal with the situation quickly rather than to let it drag out. My opinion is that the human side must be rebuilt. With the space-travel passage to the stronghold in the otherworld as the core, we can rebuild the current structure of the cities and build a base for humanity.


    Only by sending all the young geniuses to the otherworld to develop there would there be a chance to reverse the current situation,¡± Professor Li said.


    ¡°I understand what Professor Li is saying, but if we encounter an incident like the one in Western Australia, the base for humanity will definitely be the first to bear the brunt.


    At that time, with so many people gathered together, how would they deal with the enemies attacking the city? There might even be attacks from mutant beasts in the wilderness.¡±


    Professor Zhang mentioned a loophole in the other party¡¯s proposal.


    The idea of building a base with the space-travel passage as the core had been proposed by the humans when the otherworld had first invaded.


    There were many reasons why the plan had not come to pass. The main reason was that unless there were humans at the master realm to oversee the base long-term, they did not have the confidence to ensure the safety of the base.


    However, there were only a limited number of human martial artists at the master realm. They also had to take care of their own cultivation and monitor the movements in the otherworld. They could not stay in the base for the long term.


    ¡°The humans are indeed stronger than the mutant beasts, but compared to the mutant beasts on the entire blue planet, our total strength at the lower-level and higher-level is completely at a disadvantage, let alone compared to the otherworld.


    In such a situation, how could there be a solution that carries no risk? Unless an existence beyond the master realm appears on the human side, that is,¡± Professor Li explained.


    Similar to how the various races of mutant beasts could not join forces, because of the difference in strength of human forces of different nations, it was also impossible for the human countries to join forces.


    In this stalemate, having a single savior was indeed the best solution. However, from the day of the invasion of the otherworld, this person had yet to appear.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming fell into deep thought after watching the program.


    The intentions of Daxia Kingdom were very obvious. In the early stages, the provinces would mobilize the high-level martial arts forces to establish a stronghold. After that, the establishment of the base would probably be quickly put on the agenda.


    Although Chen Yiming was confident in his ability to surpass the master realm, he needed time. He didn¡¯t know how long this would take.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    Chen Yiming opened the door and saw Liu Sujuan who was breathing heavily.


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency by the sea. We need your help, Consultant Chen,¡± Liu Sujuan said anxiously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk as we walk.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    To obtain the method to break through to the master realm, Chen Yiming needed to make contributions to the bureau. He had also just obtained a new and stronger ability, the Sword Aura. A mission was exactly what he needed at this moment.


    When they left the guest house, there were already special military vehicles waiting for them. The military vehicles roared out and soon arrived at a wide lawn in the government district.


    There was a helicopter waiting there. The pilot was already in position, the engine roaring and the rotors spinning. He was ready to take off.


    Because the airspace was not affected by the traffic on the road, the helicopter arrived at its destination in less than 10 minutes.


    Chen Yiming felt the heavy atmosphere the moment he alighted from the helicopter.


    The beach had already been cordoned off by the military. More than 1,000 soldiers were stationed a few hundred meters away from the beach. The machine guns had been set up, and a row of tanks had also raised their cannons. The missile trucks were also in position.


    Not only that, but other troops could also be seen along the distant coastline.


    Every unit was prepared to attack, which meant that the problem was not simple. The enemy was coming from the sea where they could hide at will.

 Chapter 236 - Emergency (II)

    At this moment, the chief of the security bureau, Xie Jimin, walked over quickly. His expression was extremely solemn as he explained, ¡°Consultant Chen, things have gone far beyond our expectations. It¡¯s no longer within the capabilities of the security bureau.


    A battle at the peak of the warrior realm could break out at any moment along the coast of Jiangnan province.¡±


    Then, he turned to look at Liu Sujuan. ¡°Quickly bring Consultant Chen back to the helicopter. This emergency mission isn¡¯t considered a failure. We¡¯ll just cancel it.¡±


    As the first consultant to join the 100 members plan, Chen Yiming carried a lot of other responsibilities. Xie Jimin wasn¡¯t willing to let him participate in a life-and-death mission for the time being.


    ¡°It seems that Bureau Chief Xie doesn¡¯t have much confidence in me,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Without waiting for the other party to reply, he drew the peach wood sword from his back.


    Xie Jimin was instantly stunned. Liu Sujuan was also dumbfounded. Why was he drawing his sword?


    Furthermore, it was a peach wood sword that was used for practice. From the quality of the material, it looked like an item from a roadside stall. It might still be suitable as a decoration, but using a wooden sword to kill mutant beasts was probably just a joke.


    At the same time, since a helicopter suddenly arrived at the beach and was personally welcomed by the bureau chief, it attracted the attention of the troops stationed there.


    Could it be that a junior at the peak of the warrior realm wanted to recklessly carry out this mission for the reward?


    The soldiers also couldn¡¯t understand the point of the wooden sword. Coupled with Chen Yiming¡¯s young face, they couldn¡¯t help but look down on him.


    ¡°Watch carefully!¡±


    Chen Yiming reminded them.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he slashed at the cliff that was connected to the beach.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, it¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Xie Jimin was about to explain things when he was shocked into silence by the powerful aura.


    A destructive force suddenly spread out in the air. This force could not be seen or touched, but one could still sense its existence.


    Immediately after, the space where the cliff was seemed to have been split into two. A huge amount of air was repelled, and a black line appeared.


    However, before anyone could understand what had happened, the cliff had already been cut into two, and the top half slid diagonally into the sea. A huge amount of seawater surged up like a small tsunami and rushed onto the beach.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Everyone gasped. The cliff by the sea that was no different from a mountain, not just a small, short hill.


    The section of the cliff that had been cut off was about a kilometer long. This was unbelievable. It meant that the huge piece of rock that had fallen into the sea was about the size of a meteorite.


    The destructive power at the peak of the warrior realm could not compare to this ordinary-looking sword move.


    ¡°This is?¡± Xie Jimin wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked.


    ¡°Sword Aura. I learned this while in seclusion not long ago,¡± Chen Yiming replied simply.


    In order to obtain the method to break through to the master realm as soon as possible, he did not hide anything this time and openly displayed his true combat strength.


    From now on, he would use Sword Aura for his attacks as himself and internal force attacks as the masked man.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Jimin did not understand what he was saying. As the head of the security bureau, there was very little he did not know.


    However, it was true that there was no information regarding this thing called the Sword Aura, other than in martial arts novels. But even in the novels, the sword aura was not that powerful.


    This slash could already cut through half of a small city.


    Liu Sujuan¡¯s head hurt and she was about to faint.


    Was this the consultant she was in charge of contacting?


    Was she dreaming?


    Why was the cliff cut in half?


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem now, is there?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Xie Jimin wiped the sweat off his forehead and nodded. ¡°In the problematic space-travel passage in Western Australia, a dragon-shaped creature appeared out of nowhere. It¡¯s temporarily called the radioactive dragon, and his level is equivalent to the peak of the human warrior realm.


    The radioactive dragon is a creature that has mutated due to the influence of nuclear waste. Its internal force had the radiation attribute, and it was seen once in the eastern sea of Jiangnan province.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled the troops he saw stationed along the beach.


    The internal force with the radiation attribute was indeed lethal to those at a lower cultivation level. It had a wider range than the poison-based internal force. If this dragon-shaped creature charged into a human city, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Now that he was hiding in the sea, he was a ticking time bomb. No one knew where and when he would appear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the safety of Jiangnan province in your hands,¡± Xie Jimin said solemnly.


    Strength was the most respected in the path of martial arts. Chen Yiming¡¯s sword had undoubtedly proven his strength.


    From now on, the head of the security bureau had to treat him with high respect, even though he was very young.


    ¡°What about the method to break through to the master realm that you mentioned previously?¡± Chen Yiming asked without hiding anything.


    Xie Jimin¡¯s expression froze, and he almost couldn¡¯t react.


    It was not that he was going back on his word, but that he did not expect the ultimate reward of the 100 members plan to be requested so quickly.


    ¡°No problem. After this emergency ends, I will immediately ask the three guardians of Jiangnan City,¡± Xie Jimin said as he rubbed his swollen temples.


    As the head of the security bureau, he really could not leave until the crisis of the radioactive dragon was resolved.


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    Although his current contributions were definitely not sufficient, as long as he had the strength, everything could be discussed. At most, he would receive the reward first and slowly repay his debt.


    ¡­


    Next, Chen Yiming personally entered the eastern sea of Jiangnan province.


    With his speed, it would not take him too long to travel around the area. However, he did not find any traces of the radioactive dragon. After all, it was too easy to hide in the vast sea.


    After returning to the beach, he instructed bureau chief Xie to inform him as soon as the dragon was spotted. Then, Chen Yiming took a helicopter and temporarily returned to Jiangnan City.


    After the helicopter soared into the sky and left, a team of warriors walked over.


    They were the second team of the security bureau¡¯s special operations forces. Because the first team had been transferred to Western Australia to gather information, they could only temporarily transfer the second team, who was originally in charge of the border of Jiangnan province, over to this location.


    ¡°Bureau Chief, what was with Consultant Chen¡¯s sword move?¡± a middle-aged man in a military uniform asked uncertainly.


    He was the captain of the second special operations team. Previously, he had only heard of consultant Chen, but had never seen him in person. This was the first time he had seen him in person, and all of them were shocked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what level that attack belongs to, but it¡¯s stronger than those at the peak of the warrior realm from what I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Xie Jimin stared at the helicopter disappearing into the distance and sighed.


    At this moment, his mood was similar to that of the Mantis Snake School¡¯s inner court head, Zhou Xuesheng. Not long after he recruited him, the other party¡¯s progress climbed quickly into the sky.


    The 100 members plan could be said to have achieved dazzling results right from the start.


    ¡°Chief, what is our special operations team going to do next?¡± the middle-aged man in the military uniform asked.


    With consultant Chen around, they would not be of much help.


    ¡°You can go back first¡­ actually, stay put and wait for orders.¡±


    Xie Jimin thought of Chen Yiming, who had a prior record of suddenly disappearing and changed his mind.


    If Chen Yiming went missing again, they would have to rely on themselves to resolve the problem.


    ¡­


    In the military camp behind the beach, the soldiers were extremely excited. With a single slash of his sword, he could easily destroy this 1,000-strong army.


    The appearance of a powerful human like Chen Yiming made the officers heave a sigh of relief. They couldn¡¯t help but join in the lively discussion.


    Due to the isolation of the troops from the rest of the world, almost no one recognized Chen Yiming. The soldiers were all guessing who the person who had made the move was.


    In addition, this news quickly spread to the troops stationed along the coast of Jiangnan province.


    This boosted the military¡¯s morale, and the shadow brought about by the radioactive dragon was immediately dispelled.


    After all, the most terrifying thing about the radiation-based internal force was its lethality against those at a lower level. It was not impossible to withstand the radioactive dragon¡¯s attacks for one at the same level.

 Chapter 237 - Sudden Development (I)

    Two days later, at the martial arts bureau in Jiangnan province.


    Ever since the radioactive dragon was spotted in the eastern sea of Jiangnan province, there was no other trace of its presence. However, the major cities along the coast of the Daxia Kingdom did not let down their guard and continued to prepare for a battle.


    Chen Yiming followed the route he had memorized and arrived at the location. In front of him was a 13-story building with rows of armed soldiers guarding the entrance.


    Although he still had zero contribution points and could not exchange them for any rewards, there were many books and a lot of information that were worth reading and freely available, especially those with information about the otherworld.


    ¡°Please show me your identification.¡±


    When Chen Yiming approached the door, the guard immediately stopped him.


    Chen Yiming took out his identification documents proving that he was a consultant from the security bureau and handed it over.


    The soldier guarding the entrance checked the documents carefully. After confirming that they were authentic, he returned them and let Chen Yiming pass through.


    There was a special service counter in the hall on the first floor. A young and beautiful lady was sitting inside, looking ahead with a smile and ready to provide assistance at any time.


    There were four machines on each side that looked a little like the ATMs in the banks. Their purpose was for one to check their contribution points and rewards.


    There were also martial arts experts stationed at this place. Chen Yiming glanced at them and saw that they were at least at the warrior realm, and there were probably dozens of them.


    Chen Yiming ignored the smiling lady and walked towards the sign beside the stairs. He saw that the second, third and fourth floors were free areas.


    When he reached the second floor, he realized that the layout was similar to a library.


    He looked around and saw that there were about 20 to 30 people inside. They were all here to read up on various information, and all of them were sitting quietly in their seats.


    Next, Chen Yiming explored the free area.


    He learned a lot about the space-travel passage linked to the otherworld, as well as the overall martial arts situation in Jiangnan province. For example, there were about seven to eight thousand warriors in the entire province.


    This meant that compared to the number of ordinary people, warriors were one in a million. It matched the number of warriors in East Lake City, his hometown.


    As for the number of people in the second and third stages of the warrior realm, and those who were already in the master realm, such information could not be found in the free area.


    Another example was the number of space-travel passages in the entire Jiangnan province. There were a total of 22 space-travel passages from the south to the north of the province. Most of the space-travel passages only had some troops surveying the situation near them.


    The humans did not have enough strength to control all the space-travel passages, so they could only let the areas around them become paradises for the mutant beasts.


    There was information on thousands of known species of otherworld creatures, and these creatures were much stronger than the mutant beasts on the blue planet.


    The book briefly mentioned several common but terrifying creatures.


    Stone golems were strange creatures that were born from the earth. They ranged in height from dozens of meters to hundreds of meters and were commonly found in every region of the otherworld.


    These creatures spent most of their time sleeping. There was not much danger if one did not deliberately disturb them. There were also records of these creatures accidentally entering the blue planet through a space-travel passage.


    A few years ago, a stone golem that was more than 100 meters tall suddenly appeared in Gaul Nation. Just by moving, it could cause a terrifying amount of damage.


    Hundreds of thousands of troops had formed up and tried all types of attacks except for nuclear weapons, but they did not cause much damage. In fact, the large body of the stone golem was not even injured.


    In the end, only the martial arts masters from the Western countries managed to injure it. However, they were still unable to kill the stone golem and could only watch helplessly as it escaped back into the space-travel passage.


    There were also the demon trees, which was the collective name for the plants that had intelligence from the otherworld. Like the stone golems, they were also commonly found in every region of the otherworld.


    This was because as long as humans explored the otherworld, they would naturally have to enter the forest. At this time, the demon trees could be considered the most terrifying killers.


    The book introduced the demon trees as the creatures from the otherworld that had killed the most human explorers.


    Just as Chen Yiming was absorbed in his reading and preparing for his future exploration of the otherworld, Liu Sujuan, his exclusive contact, came over anxiously again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why didn¡¯t you just call me?¡± Chen Yiming frowned and asked.


    Due to the threat of the radioactive dragon, he had kept his phone by his side for the past two days, and he made sure that it was charged.


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it over the phone,¡± Liu Sujuan explained in a low voice.


    The real reason was that Liu Sujuan did not want to become a contact person who only communicated via the phone. Therefore, as long as it was not something really urgent, she would come over personally to pass him the message.


    Chen Yiming nodded and put the book back on the shelf.


    The two of them quickly left the Jiangnan Martial Arts Bureau and boarded a helicopter. However, they did not go to the beach from before, but flew northeast instead.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming alighted from the helicopter and saw the logo of the River Bay nuclear power plant.


    A large number of workers were tearing down the entire power plant. Large trucks were transporting the parts away. However, the nuclear power plant was huge, and it was not something that could be easily demolished.


    The head of the security bureau, Xie Jimin, paced back and forth in the open space with his hands behind his back. An army of more than 10,000 soldiers were gathered around him, more than 10 times the number of soldiers by the beach.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Xie Jimin quickly walked over.


    ¡°Is there any news about the radiation dragon?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s news, but it¡¯s not from our side.


    Instead, the radioactive dragon attacked the nuclear power plant on a floating island in Japan. After eating its fill, it escaped back into the sea,¡± Xie Jimin nodded and explained quickly.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s head was filled with questions.


    Every country on the blue planet had built many nuclear power plants. Why did this radiation dragon choose to go somewhere so far away? After being spotted in the waters of the Daxia Kingdom, it turned around and headed to Japan.


    ¡°Although the real reason has yet to be found, there¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s related to Japan¡¯s secret developments.¡±


    Seeing Chen Yiming¡¯s confusion, Xie Jimin provided a hint.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming understood immediately.


    Similar to how Western Australia had discarded their nuclear waste into the otherworld, it was Japan¡¯s actions that had caused the radiation dragon to appear on their own land.


    Anything related to nuclear waste would attract the radioactive dragon that fed on it, like a light in the night.


    ¡°Then why did you call me here today?¡± Chen Yiming asked again.


    He could have just passed on the message via the phone, and there was no need for him to come personally.


    ¡°From the attack on the nuclear power plant on the floating island by the radioactive dragon, the large countries on the blue planet are all within the other party¡¯s attack range.


    Not only that, but the problematic space-travel passage could also produce a second creature similar to the radioactive dragon,¡± Xie Jimin said in a low voice.


    With that, he pointed at the nuclear power plant that was being demolished and continued, ¡°Coincidentally, there¡¯s only one nuclear power plant in Jiangnan province, so I¡¯m asking Consultant Chen to stay here until the nuclear power plant is completely demolished.


    Due to the danger of nuclear radiation, the corresponding contribution points will be double that of the usual amount for a mission of this level. I wonder if Consultant Chen is willing to accept the mission?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Chen Yiming agreed after some thought.

 Chapter 238 - Sudden Development (II)

    Internal force was an extraordinarily powerful force. Even nuclear radiation could be completely blocked off by it and not affect the person protected by the internal force.


    Therefore, although the demolition of the nuclear power plant was an urgent matter, the doubling of the contribution points reward had been decided based on the power of the sword move that he had demonstrated previously.


    After all, the large countries on the blue planet had built hundreds of nuclear power plants, and the Daxia Kingdom was one of the largest countries. This might be the reason why the radiation dragon had left the nation alone.


    In other words, there was a high chance that the River Bay nuclear power plant would be demolished without any incident. Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t really have to do anything.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    On the surface of the sea outside the nuclear power plant, at least 10 kilometers away from the coast, the sea breeze whistled past Chen Yiming¡¯s ears. He stood on the surface of the sea and practiced his newly obtained ability, the Sword Aura.


    Invisible forces shot out and instantly broke the tranquility of the sea at night. The sea was parted, and the raging sea breeze came to a stop. Trenches appeared at the bottom of the sea.


    Finally, in this stretch of the sea, which was dozens of kilometers wide, the seawater turned red. From time to time, one could feel the commotion coming from under the sea. Countless aquatic mutant beasts were fleeing further away.


    The sea was a natural protective barrier for the aquatic mutant beasts, but it was not impossible for it to be broken.


    As long as the sea could not withstand it, the seawater was not much different from paper. With one attack, a large number of aquatic mutant beasts would die.


    Chen Yiming looked at his handiwork in satisfaction.


    Not only had he cleaned up the sea outside the River Bay nuclear power plant, but this area would also be free from the threat of aquatic mutant beasts for a period of time. He had also left behind terrifying traces of battle to scare away the radiation dragon that might return to this place.


    Of course, the main reason was that this place was close to Cloud Port City.


    As a man with a normal physique, he had not satisfied his urges for half a month, and the opportunity was right there, so he felt a strong temptation.


    Using the commotion he had caused as a cover, since it was impossible for anyone to approach him amidst the Sword Aura that was spreading everywhere. Chen Yiming turned into a ball of black fog and disappeared from the surface of the sea.


    ¡­


    In a secret villa in Cloud Port City, a bathtub, which was the size of half a room, was filled with warm water. The entire bathroom was hazy due to the steam. In addition, soft music was playing.


    A beautiful woman was sitting in the bathtub with a towel wrapped around her, revealing a small portion of her fair and smooth neck. Her hair was tied up into a bun.


    In the bathtub, rose petals covered the surface of the water, hiding the beautiful woman¡¯s figure.


    When Chen Yiming suddenly placed his hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder, Mo Yanfei¡¯s body trembled. Other than that guy, no one else would dare to do such a thing.


    One had to know that she was now an absolute VIP in Cloud Port City. No one dared to do anything to her.


    Mo Yanfei¡¯s body went limp on the spot. She didn¡¯t know if the water was too hot or her body was burning up, and she couldn¡¯t speak at all.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    A splash sounded.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything else and went straight in.


    ¡­


    At midnight, in the bedroom, the sky was filled with stars, and the moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the room.


    On a large bed that could accommodate up to three to four people, Chen Yiming turned to look at the stars in the sky. He felt like he was overlooking a large piece of land.


    His current physique was comparable to a perpetual motion machine, and his energy was almost boundless. Even though he had been doing the deed all this time, he did not feel tired at all.


    The beautiful woman in his arms was already fast asleep, and the blush on her face had not completely disappeared.


    After taking part in their activities for half the night, Mo Yanfei was exhausted and had fallen asleep.


    Chen Yiming kissed her on the cheek and laid her down before covering her with a blanket. Then, he got up and left the villa.


    ¡­


    In a space-travel passage in Sydney City, Western Australia, the night was foggy, and the air was silent.


    A dazzling light mixing black and yellow blossomed at the entrance of the space-travel passage. Then, with a bang, an earth-shaking tremor spread out.


    A black shadow stood on the ground, and it reached a height of 50 to 60 meters.


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry¡­ is that the smell of food?¡±


    A low growl spread in all directions, but no one could understand what he was saying.


    The surrounding grass quickly withered and died, and so did the trees, as though they were attacked by an invisible force. This force was nuclear radiation, and wherever it went, it created a land of death.


    The most terrifying thing was that the power of radiation could last for a long time, and the land of death formed would not dissipate quickly.


    Special creatures like the stone golems from the otherworld spent most of their lives sleeping. Furthermore, they could cultivate themselves in their sleep and absorb the power from the ground.


    The stone golem here was the same. However, the difference was that it had inadvertently absorbed the radiation from the nuclear waste while it was sleeping, causing it to mutate to a certain level.


    In addition, these creatures had very sharp instincts when it came to finding food. Following the route of nuclear waste that was discarded back to the source, the stone golem entered the blue planet through a space-travel passage.


    Dozens of kilometers away from the space-travel passage, Western Australia had deployed tens of thousands of troops.


    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡±


    The soldier in charge of monitoring the space-travel passage widened his eyes and shouted.


    This stone golem only had a very low level of intelligence. After coming out of the spatial passageway, it stood rooted to the ground, looking dazed.


    However, its figure, which was comparable to a tall building, was emitting a terrifying aura even under the cover of the night.


    Soon, the news that a creature had walked out of the space-travel passage spread throughout the entire army.


    A large number of searchlights lit up from all directions, illuminating the space-travel passage for a kilometer, making it seem as though it was daytime. Everyone could clearly see the stone golem.


    This was what Western Australia had set up within a few kilometers of the space-travel passage in advance.


    ¡°Fire! Fire!¡±


    Among the missile troops, an officer¡¯s order sounded from the walkie-talkie.


    Previously, a radioactive dragon had escaped from under their noses. This time, they could not let the stone golem leave no matter what.


    After the floating island¡¯s nuclear power plant was attacked by the radioactive dragon, if not for the fact that they themselves were not completely innocent, and that several large Western countries had joined forces to control the situation, Japan would have publicly condemned Western Australia.


    It could be said that every time Western Australia let a radioactive creature escape, they would face the pressure from the large countries.


    This was because the power generated by nuclear power plants was too important in this era. With the wilderness occupied by mutant beasts, nuclear power provided the means for humans to use electricity.


    If they lost all the nuclear power plants at once, it would be a huge blow to the power supply for the humans.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Hundreds of missiles shot out from the rocket trucks.


    Against a creature of this level, the machine guns were completely abandoned. Even the main cannons of the tanks were not powerful enough.


    When the huge stone golem saw the countless spots of light in the distance, the black and yellow light on its body gradually retracted into its body.


    With its low level of intelligence, it returned to its normal state after leaving the spatial passageway and not encountering any danger.


    After all, the way human technological weapons attacked was completely different from the creatures from the otherworld. There was no aura of internal force on the missiles.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A large amount of flames exploded on the stone golem¡¯s body.


    Because it did not use its internal force to protect itself, even a special creature with strong defense like the stone golem could not withstand the impact from the instant explosion of hundreds of missiles.


    At the last moment, a black and yellow light lit up, but it could only ensure that it would not be turned into dust. In the end, it was still blown to pieces.


    Dozens of huge rocks were scattered around within a kilometer of the space-travel passage. The seemingly simple-minded stone golem had been killed by the humans¡¯ unexpected attack.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    When the missile troops dozens of kilometers away received the news that the creature that had appeared in the space-travel passage had been defeated, they erupted into cheers.


    Every soldier had an excited smile on their faces. This was the sense of accomplishment from defeating a creature many times larger than them.

 Chapter 239 - Scheming Against Japan (I)

    In the command center, the highest-ranking officer of the army of tens of thousands, a middle-aged bald white man, still had a serious expression on his face after receiving the report that the stone golem had been killed.


    The white man, Andrew, was not an ordinary soldier or officer. He knew the unique ability of the stone golems, which were living creatures from the otherworld.


    To put it simply, the stone golems were living beings created after the stones gained sentience. They had a core of consciousness, and this core was the key. As long as the core was not destroyed, it was only a matter of time before they could reform and recover.


    ¡°Fire another round.¡±


    Andrew picked up the walkie-talkie and gave the order to the missile unit officer.


    Immediately after, he picked up the phone and contacted the higher-ups in the Western Australia capital.


    From its size, this stone golem¡¯s level was equivalent to the peak of the human warrior realm. At the same time, the creatures from the otherworld were often half a level stronger than humans of the same level.


    Therefore, the level of this stone golem was probably between the peak of the human warrior realm and the master realm.


    However, the radiation-based internal force of a mutant stone golem was equivalent to nuclear radiation. Its strength was closely related to the level of the internal force.


    Therefore, regardless of whether this mutant stone golem was seriously injured or dead, its corpse needed to be dealt with by humans of the same level.


    At this moment, the missile troops who had received the order to attack were immediately brought down from their previous high.


    At the officer¡¯s urging, the soldiers quickly reloaded their weapons. The missile trucks made another firing motion.


    Not long after, hundreds of missiles flew into the sky again and shot straight at the scattered pieces of the corpse of the stone golem.


    ¡­


    At the parliament in Canberra, the capital of Western Australia, after receiving Andrew¡¯s report, the entire meeting room was in chaos.


    ¡°Mr. President, we shouldn¡¯t have taken the initiative to attack that mutant stone golem. Regardless of the outcome, it won¡¯t do Western Australia any good,¡± Secretary of Defense Smith slapped the table and said loudly.


    ¡°The Defense Minister has a point. From the actions of the radiation dragon, the nuclear power plant is undoubtedly being treated as food. On the other hand, Western Australia is rich in natural energy and is a completely nuclear-free country.


    For the otherworld creatures that have mutated due to the nuclear waste, even if we can stop one, we can¡¯t stop them all. Therefore, this problem shouldn¡¯t be dealt with by Western Australia.¡±


    Prime Minister Albert stood up and almost shouted.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Even if we pursue the issue of the disposal of the nuclear waste, it doesn¡¯t even belong to Western Australia¡­¡±


    A member of the House of Representatives expressed their dissatisfaction.


    As for the serious consequences from discarding nuclear waste in the otherworld, it currently seemed that Western Australia was at a disadvantage. The other Western countries had only sent some martial arts experts to the otherworld to try to resolve the issue.


    However, from the looks of it, the issue had not been completely resolved.


    The entrance to the space-travel passage was on Western Australia¡¯s territory. If a war really broke out with the creatures from the otherworld, Western Australia would probably become a battlefield.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m afraid the situation will get worse soon.


    I suggest that we abandon the space-travel passage and move all the people in the eastern cities to the western cities.


    Let¡¯s vote on it.¡±


    President Bill lowered his hand and sighed.


    The parliament was in an uproar. They did not expect the president to be more ruthless than everyone else. Many of the parliament members who were leaning towards the large Western countries were sweating profusely.


    As a nuclear-free country, Western Australia did have the right to leave things as they were.


    In any case, the mutated creatures from the otherworld were chasing the residual nuclear radiation into the blue planet. Their main targets were also the large countries with nuclear power plants, such as the Sam Nation, Russia, the Daxia Kingdom, the Never-ending Day Empire, and so on.


    While the voting was going on, the second round of missiles swooped down from the sky.


    Around the space-travel passage, the dozens of huge rocks that the stone man had split into shone with a black and yellow light. They were much weaker than before.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Hundreds of missiles exploded at almost the same time.


    In an instant, flames soared into the sky, and layers of smoke rose continuously, covering the area within a kilometer of the explosion.


    The missile troops dozens of kilometers away fell silent. They could only wait for the smoke to dissipate to find out the outcome.


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±


    The phone in the command center rang.


    The highest-ranking officer of the missile team, Andrew, immediately picked up the phone.


    ¡°Evacuate immediately.¡±


    The president¡¯s order came over the line.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Andrew did not question it at all. After putting down the phone, he passed on the order to the officers below.


    In less than 10 minutes, the entire missile team started to move towards the cities further away from the space-travel passage.


    At the same time, at the entrance of the space-travel passage, dozens of broken pieces of stone from the stone golem had remained unharmed and were emitting a black and yellow glow.


    Special creatures like the stone golems had powerful defenses to begin with. Even though it had been severely injured due to its carelessness, as long as it was prepared, the lethality of a weapon like a missile was still insufficient to kill it. Even if the opponent relied on numbers, it would not be enough.


    Other than that, all the broken pieces moved on their own and gathered together.


    This was the stone golem¡¯s self-recovery ability. As long as the core was not destroyed, it could slowly absorb the power of the earth to revive.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    The efficiency of the Daxia Kingdom was the highest on the blue planet. Even if it was a dangerous and complicated nuclear power plant, they were still able to demolish all the core portions in just one day and one night.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need to continue guarding the remaining portion of the nuclear power plant.


    He settled the matter of the reward for his contribution, which was a total of 200 points, with the head of the security bureau, Xie Jimin, and returned to Jiangnan City.


    The missions offered by the security bureau for consultants were divided into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D. The contribution points awarded were 10,000, 1,000, 100, 100, and 10 points respectively.


    However, the level of the mission was not fixed. For example, if there was a surprise attack on the River Bay nuclear power plant by the radioactive dragon, the level of the mission would have immediately increased from B to S.


    ¡°A few days have passed, but the guardians of Jiangnan City still haven¡¯t given a definite answer.¡±


    Chen Yiming strolled along the street.


    The method to break through to the master realm was undoubtedly extremely precious. His idea of getting on the bus first and getting a ticket later seemed to have failed.


    ¡°I originally wanted to fix my gaze on the moon, but the moon shines on a ditch. It¡¯s very likely that they want to use this to bait me into doing something for the security bureau.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and sighed.


    The method to break through to the master realm might be the best reward that Jiangnan City could offer. However, if they gave it away so easily, they would not be able to do anything if he escaped from his responsibilities.


    He knew that he would not go back on his word, but others would not trust him completely.


    ¡°Previously, I had acted too proactively which might have had the opposite effect. Now, I can either rely on myself to think of another way or show my strength that exceeds what Jiangnan province can deal with,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The best way was to have a suitable enemy appear, then he could use his Sword Aura to achieve a brilliant result. Otherwise, just cutting through the cliffs to show off his strength would not be convincing enough.


    After all, that strike only had a wide range of attack and had not been proven in actual combat. It was impossible to determine if there was any trickery involved.

 Chapter 240 - Scheming Against Japan (II)

    Other than that, he could not show that he cared too much about the method to break through to the master realm. He had to make the other party offer him benefits when asking him for help. Otherwise, he would be easily controlled by others.


    The discussions around him interrupted Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Japan?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and saw a sign hanging high by the roadside.


    The Asou clan from Kobe City had come to Jiangnan City to recruit martial arts experts. They even wanted to marry off the beloved daughter of the current clan head to the strongest warrior.


    The knights from the Never-ending Day Empire had just left, and now a clan from Japan was here.


    Their goal was obvious. They wanted to strengthen their clan as much as possible to deal with the consequences resulting from the nuclear waste disposal in the otherworld.


    ¡°With my current level, if I make a move in the Daxia Kingdom, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to cover it up if I cause a problem. However, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem in Japan.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. He had set his sights on Japan.


    With Japan¡¯s overall strength, it could just barely be considered a large country on the blue planet, but compared to the Daxia Kingdom, Russia, and the Sam Nation, it was undoubtedly much weaker.


    Thinking of this, he quickly walked to the Benson Club mentioned by the signboard.


    ¡­


    The Benson Club was owned by a large Japanese company in Jiangnan City. The interior was decorated in a Japanese style, and the main color was that of unprocessed wood.


    At the door, a receptionist in a kimono was in charge of welcoming the visitors. She had a warm smile and a petite figure, and had a homely feel.


    At this moment, many people were entering the club under the welcome of the receptionist in a kimono.


    This meant that not only did the Asou clan have some strength, but also had something that could attract people to them. This piqued Chen Yiming¡¯s interest.


    He refused the guidance of the receptionist and entered the club alone.


    A middle-aged man and a girl in red were seated at the head of the hall.


    The middle-aged man had a serious expression on his face. In front of him was a katana. This was the most common weapon in Japan, and the blade shone with a dazzling light.


    The girl in red had an enchanting figure. There was a pink petal mark on her left cheek, making one¡¯s gaze focus there at first glance. It accentuates the girl¡¯s fair skin.


    There were 20 to 30 people gathered around them. From their auras, they were at least at the warrior realm. Chen Yiming hid in the crowd and observed the situation.


    ¡°This is the Benson Club. On behalf of the Asou clan, I, Asou Nishiko, welcome all of you.¡±


    Most of the people who were interested had arrived. The corners of the girl¡¯s mouth curled up as she smiled.


    Her seductive expression had immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Chen Yiming was momentarily dazed, but he returned to normal the next moment.


    He felt a strange force that had affected him for an instant, but it was too weak to control him. It was like a piece of tofu colliding with a rock.


    There was definitely something strange about the Asou clan. A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°Miss Asou, what conditions must be met to make you my wife?¡±


    A burly man spoke up with his eyes slightly red. He went straight to the point.


    Other than Chen Yiming, no one else seemed to feel that something was amiss. The woman in red had drawn out their true intentions.


    ¡°The Asou clan is the number one clan in Kobe City. It has a history of more than 100 years, and is not inferior to even the large clans in Kyoto City¡­ As a famous clan in Japan, you can rest assured that we will not treat anyone unfairly.¡±


    Asou Nishiko smiled as she provided the introductions.


    After Chen Yiming heard this, he realized that by introducing the clan¡¯s history the girl in red was saying that the Asou clan was very powerful, but she didn¡¯t mention any of the actual conditions.


    However, not only did the surrounding warriors not notice that anything was amiss, but they also fell into an inexplicable state of excitement. It was similar to when dogs were rewarded with snacks.


    ¡°Miss Asou, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    The burly man took the lead and knelt down as he promised.


    Immediately after, the others knelt down and made similar promises.


    For a moment, it was as if these people had completely lost the ability to think for themselves. As long as the girl in red did not make any particularly ridiculous requests, these people would act as she wished under the control of the strange power.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming felt awkward and he couldn¡¯t go on with the pretense anymore.


    Everyone had knelt down, and he was the only one left standing.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually fine!¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s cold gaze landed on Chen Yiming.


    Her gaze was filled with killing intent. If she let this unaffected person go, the Asou clan would probably not be able to leave the Daxia Kingdom.


    The moment she finished speaking,


    the minds of the people who were affected by the strange power actually seemed to clear up a little.


    As Chen Yiming was one of them, his abnormal behavior made them subconsciously reflect on the situation.


    ¡°This weak child at the disciple realm is here to cause trouble.¡±


    Asou Nishiko quickly tried to salvage the situation and explained to everyone.


    Hearing the girl¡¯s explanation, the hint of clarity disappeared. Everyone distanced themselves from Chen Yiming and looked at him with contempt.


    He was a young man who looked like he had just reached adulthood, and had a thin figure and a delicate face. He was subconsciously treated as a weakling.


    1


    ¡°A technique that can enslave people?¡± Chen Yiming asked curiously.


    The Daxia Kingdom focused on pure martial arts, and he had never seen such a thing before.


    However, his words were clearly not comparable to the weight of the words from the girl in red. They did not affect the people who were under the influence of the strange power at all.


    Asou Nishiko did not answer. Instead, she signaled for the middle-aged man beside her to make a move.


    The middle-aged man who looked like a guard grabbed the katana in front of him and stood up.


    In an instant, a strong killing intent spread out. Under the reflection of light on the blade, the entire hall seemed to be wrapped in a cold sword shadow.


    He was a katana expert, but compared to Chen Yiming¡¯s Sword Aura, he was too weak. Perhaps he would be able to withstand the Sword Aura if he increased his strength by tens of thousands of times.


    Chen Yiming felt that he was being too low-key.


    Although he had stepped in to provide support on two battlefields and became famous in East Lake City, he was only a consultant of the provincial security bureau. The disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect were not respected as much as the inner court heads.


    However, Jiangnan province would not publicize his status as a consultant, so his deeds were only known to a small number of people.


    ¡°Iaido Slash!¡±


    The middle-aged man drew his katana at lightning speed. A stream of internal force swept out, heading straight for Chen Yiming.


    The air along the way was easily cut apart, and the sound of rushing wind could be heard. It was as if it had entered a realm where everything could be cut down.


    A smile appeared on Asou Nishiko¡¯s face.


    The middle-aged man was her uncle, the second strongest member of the Asou clan. He had made a name for himself in Japan with his Iaido Slash technique and had almost never lost a fight, other than to a few people who had completed the internal force fusion.


    This was why he had been sent to the Daxia Kingdom with Asou Nishiko to ensure that the Asou clan¡¯s plan would not be derailed.


    ¡°What a pity. He¡¯s a katana expert who has mastered the transformation of internal force,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly as a small burst of his Sword Aura shot out in response.


    If others wanted to kill him just because of a disagreement, would he let them?


    Only those with strength were qualified to sit down and talk things out patiently. Otherwise, no one would even give them a chance to explain themselves.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The stream of internal force inexplicably shattered in the air.


    The middle-aged man immediately felt a chill run down his spine, and his eyes widened.


    However, just as he was about to execute a second slash reflexively, the internal force protecting his chest shattered like a mirror, and a fist-sized hole appeared in his chest.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The middle-aged man spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The light quickly went out from his eyes, and his body fell to the ground.


    From the beginning to the end, it was as if someone at the warrior realm was bullying an opponent at the disciple realm. The opponent was completely unable to fight back.

 Chapter 241 - Accelerated Enhancement of Swordsmanship Talent (I)

    A dead silence descended on the hall.


    The broken fragments from the internal force stream riddled the entire hall with holes.


    Fortunately, the people who dared to participate in the Asou clan¡¯s recruitment were at least at the warrior realm. The strength of the internal force fragments that were no longer being controlled was not of much threat to these people.


    The receptionist who had been welcoming the visitors had already left the hall, so there were no casualties.


    However, the people in the hall were drenched in cold sweat from the shocking turn of events, and those whose heads had been muddled felt as if a veil had been lifted in their minds.


    When their thoughts cleared up and returned to normal, they immediately realized that something was amiss.


    At this moment, these people were no longer shocked. Instead, their bodies were trembling and weak. They realized that the Asou clan had used sex appeal as bait to set up a trap.


    ¡°Who exactly are you!¡±


    A panicked expression appeared on Asou Nishiko¡¯s face.


    With a flick of his finger, Chen Yiming seemed to have turned the tables on life and death. The scene replayed in her mind, and time seemed to have stopped.


    It had to be known that her uncle was not some random person, but a famous katana expert from Japan. However, he was actually killed by this young man with just one casual move.


    Even her father, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, could not do it. This was unimaginable.


    ¡°You foreigners came to the Daxia Kingdom to do some shameful things,¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly as he walked over to Asou Nishiko¡¯s side. He picked up a plate of Japanese sushi from the small wooden table. The sushi looked exquisite, and the ingredients used to make it were of a high quality.


    He threw it into his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s better than I expected.¡±


    Compared to the Japanese sushi in his previous world, the quality of the ingredients obtained from the mutant beasts was undoubtedly higher.


    After tasting the sushi, Chen Yiming said, ¡°Can you tell me now how you enslaved these people?¡±


    With the strength he had demonstrated with his sword attack, no one could ignore Chen Yiming¡¯s words.


    At this moment, even if the head of the Asou clan was here, he had to show sufficient respect to Chen Yiming. This also gave the people who had been bewitched the confidence to resist any further attacks.


    ¡°Witch, what exactly does the Asou clan want?¡±


    After the people recovered, they questioned her loudly.


    ¡°Witch, tell us the truth. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about leaving Jiangnan City,¡± another person said angrily.


    Just the thought of it was terrifying. These people had not really wanted to join the Asou clan.


    The Asou clan was not a faction of the Daxia Kingdom. How could it be so attractive to them?


    The real purpose was nothing more than the fact that these men who had some power were led by their lust and wanted to check out the appearance of the beloved daughter of the Asou clan who had been mentioned on the signs.


    It had to be known that the Asou clan was a large clan in Japan. The girl that the clan was revealing as the face of the clan was definitely not just an ordinary beauty.


    If not for this young man, something big would have happened.


    At this moment, Asou Nishiko also regained her composure and said coldly, ¡°Sir, you are indeed powerful, but don¡¯t go overboard. The Asou clan is led by someone at the peak of the warrior realm.¡±


    These words were not only meant for Chen Yiming, but also for the other people that she had secretly bewitched.


    As expected, ¡°¡­¡± The warriors who had been bewitched earlier fell silent and lost their confidence.


    Everyone knew very well that as long as the powerful Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t around, they weren¡¯t qualified to fight against the Asou clan. Even without the help of the head of the clan, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, Asou Nishiko could handle them alone.


    Other than that, many people had quietly backed down. They did not want to be involved in whatever happened next.


    ¡°Look at them. Do you still need to ask for an answer?¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s lips curled into a seductive smile that was filled with an endless amount of temptation.


    She stood up and walked over to Chen Yiming¡¯s side. She suddenly sat in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    Japan paid more attention to the status of people than the Daxia Kingdom, and they respected those who were stronger.


    Chen Yiming had easily killed the second strongest member of the Asou clan with a single move using his Sword Aura. Without a doubt, he was more valuable than everyone else present.


    Under the influence of the Japanese mindset, Asou Nishiko did not mind sacrificing herself to win him over for the sake of her clan.


    ¡°If you continue talking nonsense, I¡¯ll kill you with one strike.¡±


    Chen Yiming remained calm and composed.


    He ignored the people who wanted to leave. After all, they were not related to each other and did not know each other. They could be considered lucky to have been saved by him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re really confident or stupid to let me get so close to you,¡± Asou Nishiko said coldly as her smile suddenly disappeared.


    As she spoke, a ghostly wail echoed through the hall.


    None of the people who had retreated to the door were spared. They were all affected by an even stronger force than before. Their eyes became dull, and their footsteps became unsteady. Then, they fainted and fell to the ground.


    This cry was not really a sound, but an attack aimed at the mind. Therefore, it was useless even if one covered his ears. He could only rely on his willpower to withstand it.


    However, those who had been bewitched before clearly did not have enough willpower to withstand it.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t panic at all. Instead, he hugged the girl even closer to him.


    Due to the influence of the movies from his previous world, since this Japanese beauty had taken the initiative to offer herself to him, he felt that he had no reason to remain a gentleman.


    He glanced at the girl locked in his arms. The pink petal mark on her cheek was glowing.


    This eye-catching petal was the way for her to activate her special ability. However, Chen Yiming, who could maintain a spiritual figure in his mind, was not affected by it at all.


    He turned his gaze to the eaves of the house at the doorway. A fox made of black smoke was standing there.


    The fox had a fierce expression, and the black smoke surged from its body. It did not have a physical presence, and many mixed emotions could be felt from it.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s mouth opened slightly, and her body trembled uncontrollably.


    She was only an ordinary warrior, so it was naturally impossible for her to break free. What shocked her the most was that the person beside her was completely clear-headed.


    It had to be known that even the head of the Asou clan, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, could not remain unaffected at such a close range.


    The fox formed by the black smoke was on the same level as the peak of the warrior realm in terms of spiritual strength.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to explain?¡± Chen Yiming asked calmly.


    When Asou Nishiko heard this, her body trembled. She was really afraid now and had completely lost her composure.


    Using spiritual attacks, if she did not achieve the desired effect the first time, she could basically declare it a complete failure. There was no need to try a second time.


    At this moment, the fox formed by the black smoke jumped down from the roof and charged at Chen Yiming, who was hugging Asou Nishiko.


    ¡°It¡¯s not completely under your control?¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised.


    In the blink of an eye, before Asou Nishiko could reply, the fox formed by the black smoke had already closed in.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    Chen Yiming let out a low grunt and slashed out with his Sword Aura.


    The speed of the Sword Aura was extremely fast. The fox formed by the black smoke wanted to leap up and dodge it, but it was struck without any hesitation.


    The Sword Aura was able to destroy anything. The fox formed by the black smoke was reduced to ashes on the spot. Not even a trace of evidence of its existence was left behind.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s body trembled violently and she let out a scream.


    Her face was pale and her entire body was weak. She had instantly lost most of her spiritual energy and looked like she had just recovered from a serious illness.


    At the same time, the pink petal mark on the left side of her face broke apart and disappeared into the air.


    Suddenly, the martial arts talent panel automatically appeared.


    Fortunately, only Chen Yiming could see the interface, so Asou Nishiko did not discover his greatest trump card.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    The Skill Points needed to increase his swordsmanship talent had been reduced by 100 points.

 Chapter 242 - Accelerated Enhancement of Swordsmanship Talent (II)

    He was overjoyed. The Skill Points requirement for the Level-3 swordsmanship talent was 300 points. This number could still be accumulated patiently, but to get to Level-4, the Skill Points requirement increased tenfold to 3,000 points.


    In the future, when his level increased, the Skill Points requirement would be even more difficult to achieve.


    When he tried various methods to intentionally lower the Skill Point requirements, none of them had worked. However, when he unintentionally killed the fox formed by black smoke, Chen Yiming was able to speed up the enhancement of his swordsmanship talent.


    ¡°Sir¡­ as long as you are willing to spare my life, I am willing to pay any price,¡± Asou Nishiko pleaded as she stared fearfully at Chen Yiming.


    At this moment, she looked just like someone who was willing to become a pet under a master and let her master control her life. Coupled with her seductive looks, no man would be able to reject her.


    However, she was met with a stern gaze.


    ¡°Tell me truthfully, what is this fox made of black smoke?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    His casual attitude had suddenly become unprecedentedly serious.


    At this moment, one Asou Nishiko or even 100 or 1,000 of them were not as important as the method to reduce the Skill Points requirement for upgrading his swordsmanship talent.


    ¡°That¡¯s the god our Asou clan is worshiping¡­¡± Asou Nishiko did not dare to hide anything and quickly explained.


    There were many such gods in Japan. After the invasion of the otherworld, they had been adopted into Japanese culture, so she did not dare to trick him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil.


    These gods were not the powerful gods in the myths who had the ability to destroy the world. Instead, they were sacrificial spirits born from the blood of a virgin girl offered on an altar built in the otherworld after being worshiped by thousands of people for a long time.


    These sacrificial spirits that were treated as gods by the Japanese were extremely weak shortly after they were born. They had to coexist with the girl who had provided the blood used to create them in order to survive.


    Furthermore, the method to increase their strength was extremely cruel. They had to kill other living beings and consume their souls.


    ¡°You¡¯re only an ordinary warrior, but your spirit living within you has actually reached the peak of the warrior realm. No wonder the Daxia Kingdom allowed you to move freely within its borders.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    When Asou Nishiko heard this, her body trembled. She knew what the other party meant.


    ¡°I discovered that I had a special spiritual talent from a young age. I can understand the thoughts of animals and communicate simply with them¡­¡±


    The sacrificial spirits obtained by the Japanese through this special sacrificial method already contained the emotions of thousands of people. As they grew up, they also forcefully devoured the souls of living creatures.


    They could be said to be life forms with extremely unstable emotions, similar to the evil spirits in legends.


    The clans performing the sacrificial ceremony had to be humble and worship the spirits as their gods. However, even so, there was still a possibility of the spirits devouring the souls of those who had created them.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the pale-faced Asou Nishiko.


    The reason why she had managed not to be devoured was probably related to her special communication ability. Otherwise, if there was a difference of two realms between them, she would already have been devoured by the spirit.


    ¡°Actually, I have to thank you, Sir. Otherwise, I would have become its food one day.¡±


    Asou Nishiko sighed, as if she had let go of a heavy burden that had been weighing her down.


    This was similar to how an experienced breeder would understand the habits of a ferocious beast when raising it. Even if they had lived together for a long time, there was still a chance that they would be attacked by it.


    On top of that, the spirit fed on souls.


    ¡°Your special ability is quite useful. Stay by my side from now on,¡±


    Chen Yiming instructed. There was no need to doubt her words and he just took her in to use her abilities for himself.


    As the daughter of the head of a faction at the peak of the warrior realm, Asou Nishiko was the best guide for him to find the sacrificial spirits in Japan.


    Otherwise, if he relied on brute force to fight them head-on, he could not possibly go against the entire Japanese nation and destroy all the high-level factions in the country.


    Even without considering whether it would work, if he really did that, his reputation on the blue planet would be completely ruined.


    ¡°Master, just tell me what you want me to do.¡±


    Asou Nishiko smiled sincerely.


    To her, this was also a new start.


    It had to be known that the sacrifice of a virgin¡¯s blood was usually done when one was still very young. At that time, one did not know what the consequences would be.


    When she reached the age where she understood what had happened, the spirit had already become one with her.


    No one was willing to live their life being on tenterhooks everyday. They were afraid that one day, they would be like those who had their souls devoured by the spirit and become its food.


    Thinking of this, Asou Nishiko blushed and said shyly, ¡°Master, take me now. Make it such that it is impossible for me to coexist with another spirit again.¡±


    Only the blood of a virgin girl could give birth to such a sacrificial spirit. If her virginity was taken, Asou Nishiko would become useless to her clan.


    ¡°What should we do about them?¡±


    Chen Yiming gestured at the people who had fainted.


    ¡°The previous spiritual attack wasn¡¯t meant to kill them. They will wake up tomorrow morning. After that, they will recover after resting for 10 to 15 days,¡± Asou Nishiko replied.


    Chen Yiming nodded. He was relieved.


    Otherwise, if something happened to so many warriors, it would cause a huge commotion even in Jiangnan City.


    Next, it was naturally time to get down to business.


    Chen Yiming carried Asou Nishi into a room in the club.


    He would also be taking his pleasure while helping her at the same time. If Asou Nishiko remained a virgin, it was hard to guarantee that she would not be secretly captured by the Asou clan again when he was not around.


    That night, Chen Yiming enjoyed the full, Japanese style of service.


    This made him sigh. Although the Daxia Kingdom was strong as a whole, they were still inferior to other nations in some ways.


    ¡­


    In the parliament of West Australia.


    The entire meeting room was silent. From the senators to the president, everyone was paying attention to a situation that was unfolding in real-time.


    An hour ago, a new piece of information came from the space-travel passage in Sydney City. There was something strange about the stone golem that had been broken into dozens of huge rocks.


    Therefore, a parliamentary meeting was urgently convened.


    The subsequent actions of the mutant stone golem would affect the entire situation in Western Australia.


    ¡°It moved, it moved,¡± a senator shouted.


    Black and yellow lights instantly lit up the screen. Then, dozens of the huge rocks fused together seamlessly. In less than half a minute, an intact stone golem stood up.


    ¡°God, please, let this guy leave Western Australia quickly,¡± a senator prayed on the spot.


    As if the praying had worked, the stone golem looked around for a while and realized that no more attacks were coming.


    Soon, the stone golem left the Western Australian territory and went into the sea along the path that the radiation dragon had taken.


    ¡°Praise be to God!¡±


    1


    The entire meeting room erupted in cheers.


    As expected, the otherworld creatures that had undergone mutations due to the discarded nuclear waste had no interest in the nuclear-free Western Australia.


    This meant that they no longer had to worry or be afraid. In fact, Western Australia could completely stay out of this matter. After all, the source of the nuclear waste was the major countries in the west.


    At the same time, the Daxia Kingdom, the Sam Nation, Russia, and other large countries were also observing the movements of the stone golem.


    At this moment, the hearts of the members in the upper echelons of the countries with nuclear power were bleeding.


    Other than martial arts power, nuclear weapons were the foundation of a large country.


    In this era where the wilderness was occupied by mutant beasts, nuclear power plants often generated nearly half of the country¡¯s electricity, and in some countries, it was even more than half.


    According to the reports from the experts¡¯ analyses, more mutant creatures from the otherworld would continue to enter the blue planet. There was a high chance that a war involving the entire blue planet would break out.


    This way, the nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants in everyone¡¯s hands would become a hot potato. They would either have to use them up or become targeted by those mutant otherworld creatures.


    All of a sudden, the communications between the nations became much more frequent than before.

 Chapter 243 - : To Japan (I)

    The sun rose and the dark night faded away.


    The night was over, and a brand new day had started.


    Chen Yiming stood in front of a flowerbed and looked at the vibrant flowers in front of him.


    The entire blue planet was affected by the space-travel passage from the otherworld. Even if these plants could not evolve into mutant plants, they had become more beautiful and lively.


    It had been almost a week since he had upgraded to his Level-3 swordsmanship talent. During this period, he could feel the progress of his internal force fusion every day.


    Although his Level-3 swordsmanship talent had only increased by one level compared to before, it had clearly improved his comprehension of swordsmanship.


    He did not need to consult the seniors who had succeeded before to figure out and resolve the problems he encountered during the internal force fusion.


    His intuition told him that he would only need another week to complete the cultivation of the internal force fusion.


    From a cultivation point of view, it was best for him to stay in Jiangnan City safely and wait for his cultivation to break through to the level where he could use his Sword Aura to fight on par with someone at the master realm.


    However, it was impossible for him to hide the fact that he had killed the sacrificial spirit obtained from the sacrificial ritual of the Asou clan. Once it was killed, something would definitely happen at the sacrificial ground.


    When this news spread among the large factions in Japan, it would definitely increase the difficulty of his subsequent trip to Japan. No matter how strong he was, it would be useless if he could not find these sacrificial spirits.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Asou Nishiko walked respectfully to Chen Yiming¡¯s back.


    She had already changed out of the red warrior outfit from the day before and was now wearing a black and white maid outfit. Her long hair was tied up behind her head.


    To qualify as a servant, she first had to know how to keep her mouth shut. She did not speak or ask any questions unnecessarily.


    All was silent, and only the occasional chirping of birds could be heard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Japan now,¡± Chen Yiming instructed after thinking it through.


    In order to prevent the sacrificial spirits from being hidden away, he decided to head to Japan as soon as possible.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Asou Nishiko replied.


    Soon, Chen Yiming led Asou Nishiko out of the Benson Club. Asou Nishiko didn¡¯t even think of changing out of her maid outfit, and just followed closely behind.


    At the entrance of the club, Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko were stopped by a few people in casual clothes.


    These people were from the third special operations unit of the security bureau. They were in charge of the area where the abnormal incident happened in Jiangnan City.


    Early this morning, the security bureau received a report that a woman from Japan had held a banquet and had secretly attacked a large number of warriors.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, who is she?¡± a bald man asked as part of his duty.


    To be honest, it was shocking to see a consultant from the security bureau getting involved with a Japanese woman who had committed a crime.


    ¡°She¡¯s a servant I just took in,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Seeing this situation, he was already prepared to lose his status as a consultant of the security bureau. He could go through other means to learn the method to break through to the master realm.


    The method to speed up the upgrading of his swordsmanship talent was right in front of him. He could not give it up.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The bald man was stunned.


    Judging from Asou Nishiko¡¯s clothes, she was indeed a maid. However, the problem was that this Japanese woman had committed an unforgivable crime in the territory of the Daxia Kingdom.


    But now, she had become the servant of a consultant from the security bureau. How should the special operations unit deal with this?


    ¡°Consultant Chen, this is an act of protecting a criminal. You have to think carefully about it!¡±


    a young man beside the bald man said.


    Just as this person said, Chen Yiming was openly protecting Asou NIshiko. Unless he had the strength to suppress the entire Jiangnan province, no one would be able to overlook his actions.


    In the eyes of the members of the third special operations unit, Chen Yiming was just a consultant. He might have a lot of potential, but he was still young.


    ¡°Wen Qin, it all depends on what the bureau chief says. Don¡¯t spout nonsense,¡±


    the bald man hurriedly turned around and reprimanded his partner in a low voice.


    The face of the young team member called Wen Qin turned red as he suppressed the anger in his heart.


    Although what he said was right, it was indeed a little rash of him. He was not giving Consultant Chen any face at all and was directly identifying him as an accomplice of the criminal.


    Asou Nishiko, who was beside Chen Yiming, remained calm the entire time. She didn¡¯t say a word to defend herself.


    Her temperament was that of a cold beauty. Even a maid¡¯s outfit could not hide her attractive features.


    At this moment, she was a little unhappy. These people did not know how powerful her master was and actually dared to question him.


    It had to be known that the Sword Aura could kill a spirit at the peak of the warrior realm. If news of this spread, he would be an honored guest no matter where he went. As long as he did not commit a treasonous crime such as wiping out an entire city, it was impossible for him to be investigated.


    ¡°Catch this,¡± Chen Yiming frowned and said.


    With that, he took out his consultant ID and threw it to Wen Qin.


    At this moment, he felt that joining the 100 members plan and becoming a consultant for the security bureau was no longer helpful for him.


    With his speed of breaking through, he could not wait to slowly accumulate contribution points and exchange them for the highest reward, the method of breaking through to the master realm.


    The young man called Wen Qin was dumbfounded.


    Did this mean he was quitting?


    The consultant of the security bureau was also sort of a public official. He wanted to quit without obtaining the approval of the chief, and he even handled his identification documents so carelessly. This was too arrogant.


    The bald man was also dumbfounded. This was no longer something that the special operations unit could handle.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Chen Yiming instructed Asou Nishiko.


    With that, he left.


    Asou Nishiko followed closely behind Chen Yiming, leaving behind the two members from the third special operations unit.


    Things had suddenly become a lot more troublesome.


    Asou Nishiko was a Japanese woman who could control a group of warriors. Facing Chen Yiming, who could take her in as a servant, it was already the limit for the members of the third special operations unit to muster up the courage to go forward and question him. They would never dare to stop him.


    When bureau chief Xie Jimin received the news, he paced around the office trying to think of a solution.


    At this time, Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko had already arrived at the airport.


    When traveling through the air, one faced the threat from flying mutant beasts. However, it was not like all air travel was stopped. They just needed experts who had at least mastered the transformation of internal force to guard the plane.


    The high costs associated with it caused air travel to become a form of transport that very few people were able to use. Coincidentally, Asou Nishiko had the ability to get tickets to travel between the Daxia Kingdom and Japan.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s current strength, he wasn¡¯t afraid of any troubles in the air. Furthermore, if he entered Japan via the sea, it would easily cause unnecessary trouble.


    Therefore, he planned to enter Japan the usual way.


    ¡­


    On the blue planet, Japan was once one of the top countries across the world.


    However, the invasion of the otherworld had caused almost all the maritime trade to come to a stop. As an island nation, the impact on Japan was much stronger than other countries.


    Even so, with the foundation they had built up in the past, the overall strength of Japan could not be underestimated.


    At Kobe City¡¯s airport, Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko alighted from the plane.


    The reason he had chosen this place was because Aso Nishiko was the most familiar with Kobe City and the surrounding cities. Chen Yiming wanted to destroy the spirits born from the sacrificial rituals as soon as possible before the Japanese martial arts factions could react.


    ¡°Master, should we start with the Asou clan or the clans from the surrounding cities?¡± Asou Nishiko asked.


    As a servant, she had to think from Chen Yiming¡¯s perspective. The ideal target was undoubtedly her own clan.


    In every generation, the Asou clan would create a sacrificial spirit. The people with the spirits in their bodies from the previous two generations had already died, but the spirits still lived in the clan as a foundation for it.

 Chapter 244 - To Japan (II)

    Although this type of sacrificial spirit could not leave the body they lived in for a long time, the dead body could still be used as a vessel. As long as the Asou clan provided enough food for it, the spirit would not dissipate.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He was very satisfied with Asou Nishiko¡¯s actions.


    This type of spirit that was born from sacrificial rituals was extremely important to him. Whether it was the Asou clan or the other clans, he would kill as many as he could.


    At this moment, the doors of three limousines not far away suddenly opened. A group of men in black got out of the cars and walked over anxiously.


    ¡°Nishiko, where¡¯s your uncle? There¡¯s a huge problem at the sacrificial ground,¡± the leader, Asou Yuta, said as he walked.


    The Asou clan only knew that the sacrificial spirit had died, but they did not know what had happened to the clan members sent to the Daxia Kingdom.


    Asou Nishiko had used her authority to get plane tickets from Jiangnan City to Kobe City. The Asou clan had naturally received this information, so they had sent someone to the airport to wait for her.


    With the appearance of a group of people in black, the airport was in chaos.


    Normally, other than the staff, outsiders could only wait outside and were not allowed to approach the plane.


    Those who could take a plane in this era had a special status. They were either high-ranking officials in Japan or core members of the large local clans.


    Many people who recognized Asou Yuta stopped not far away to see what was going on with the Asou clan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Asou clan first,¡± Chen Yiming ignored Asou Yuta and said calmly.


    He was considering getting rid of the Asou clan first. Otherwise, the Asou clan would continue to cause trouble for Chen Yiming because of Asou Nishiko.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Asou Nishiko said respectfully.


    She also ignored Asou Yuta, who was walking over.


    ¡°Nishiko¡­ what are you doing!¡± Asou Yuta cursed when he saw this.


    Asou Nishiko was dressed like a servant, but she was the daughter of the current head of the clan. How could she do such a humiliating thing?


    The men in black behind Asou Yuta also glared angrily at them.


    Although they were from the side branch of the Asou clan and their status was far inferior to Asou Nishiko¡¯s, they could not tolerate their clan being humiliated.


    However, Asou Nishiko ignored everyone and stayed quietly by Chen Yiming¡¯s side.


    This attitude intensified the anger of the group of men in black led by Asou Yuta. However, their top priority was to find out the reason for the death of the spirit, so they could only suppress their anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. Otherwise, you can just die,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at him and said calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, before the Asou clan could react, the people watching from the airport were already in an uproar.


    The Asou clan was the number one clan in Kobe City. Not only did they have someone at the peak of the warrior realm as the head of the clan, but they also had a strong foundation that ordinary people did not know about.


    However, someone had actually said that he would kill someone from this clan. How much courage did he need to say such arrogant words?


    Looking at the young man who had spoken, he was so fresh-faced that he looked like he had just reached adulthood. This made everyone feel that this person was not in his right mind, and was just a young man with eighth-grader syndrome.


    Everyone became even more interested in watching the show. They all suspected that this person was Asou Nishiko¡¯s boyfriend who took her virginity and was trying to make a scene by barging into the Asou clan.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good!


    I¡¯m standing right here. If you have the guts, come and kill me,¡± Asou Yuta gritted his teeth and said fiercely.


    As the son of the current head of the Asou clan, he had never been looked down on like this before, and no one had ever dared to speak to him like this.


    The moment he finished speaking, the response to Asou Yuta¡¯s words was a blinding flash of light.


    With just a glance, one could feel that it was able to cut through anything.


    Everyone watched as Asou Yuta¡¯s protective internal force broke apart as though it was paper. Immediately after, a line of blood appeared on his forehead and extended downwards.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s Sword Aura was something that even someone at the peak of the warrior realm could not withstand, let alone Asou Yuta, who was only at the ordinary warrior realm.


    The difference between the two of them could not be quantified. It would not be an exaggeration to describe it as the difference between heaven and earth.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The entire airport fell silent, and the onlookers could no longer laugh.


    Asou Yuta¡¯s body was split in half and the two parts fell to the ground.


    He was the son of the current head of the Asou clan, and a core member of the main branch. As a descendant of a large clan, he could do whatever he wanted in the entire nation of Japan, but he had died so easily at the Kobe City airport.


    He could be considered to have died in the Asou clan¡¯s territory.


    When the other men in black from the Asou clan saw this, their expressions instantly turned pale. Their heads were buzzing, and they could not understand what had happened.


    ¡°What is his status in the Asou clan?¡± Chen Yiming asked Asou Nishiko after killing his opponent.


    He did not want more trouble, so he shocked everyone straightaway with his first move. If killing this person was not enough, he would continue to kill the other men in black.


    In any case, they were all from Japan, not the Daxia Kingdom.


    ¡°Asou Yuta is my half-brother. According to his current level and potential, he can be considered the third in line to succeed the Asou clan,¡± Asou Nishiko explained calmly.


    At this moment, she didn¡¯t look like someone who came from the Asou clan. Because Chen Yiming had taken her virginity, there was no longer a place for her in the Asou clan.


    Without Chen Yiming¡¯s protection, she would be captured by her clan and fed to the spirits.


    ¡°Third in line to succeed the clan?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the group of men in black who were still in shock.


    At this moment, his gaze appeared to be that of a demon from hell, as if he was sizing up a delicacy and wanted to eat them up in one bite.


    Many of the men in black were so frightened that they lost control of their bowels and peed their pants. They subconsciously retreated and collapsed on the ground.


    This ruthless person was not joking. He really dared to kill someone from the Asou clan, and it seemed like one person was not enough. He did not intend to let the others off.


    Suddenly, a cold feeling enveloped the entire airport.


    Even though the sun was shining brightly above their heads, their bodies could not help but tremble.


    ¡°Asou Nishiko, you traitor!¡±


    A hoarse voice cursed from the limousine.


    Before he got out of the car, a ball of black gas appeared on the roof of the limousine. The temperature within a 100-meter radius dropped to almost zero.


    In the next moment, the ball of black gas morphed into a monster with the head of a goat and the body of a human in front of everyone.


    In addition, this monster was holding a black trident in its hand. There seemed to be a countless number of vengeful spirits circling around it. Many people felt dizzy just by looking at it.


    ¡°The clan has also brought their reinforcements,¡± Asou Nishiko explained.


    When a person who was hosting a spirit died, the coffin needed to be brought along every time they wanted to use the spirit. In comparison to a live host, it was much more troublesome.


    Not only was it possible for them to lose control of the spirit which could disobey their orders, they also had to be wary of others stealing the coffin.


    Chen Yiming nodded and sized up the monster.


    Clearly, the abilities of each spirit were very different. The fox that was living in Asou Nishiko¡¯s body could control one¡¯s mind, while this goat-headed monster¡¯s abilities were probably spiritual attacks and ice attacks.


    If an ordinary person came into contact with just a trace of the goat-headed monster¡¯s aura, their body would be weakened. In serious cases, the aura could enter their bodies and cause serious illness.


    The more serious problem was that with the spiritual attacks from the goat-headed monster, the unstable emotions caused by the sacrificial ritual and devouring of souls would infiltrate the victim¡¯s body.


    At this thought, a question surfaced in Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    The Japanese were really courting death. They were actually not afraid that one day, they would nurture a spirit at the level of the master realm.


    This was because the information publicly available indicated that there was no one in the master realm in Japan. There was thus no one on the same level to suppress them. Once that happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    However, when he thought about the culture of Japan, Chen Yiming could understand the situation.


    Japan was an island nation. The invasion of the otherworld had caused maritime trade to be cut off. Under normal circumstances, there was no chance for them to regain their former glory. They could only take a huge risk.


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought that there was a high chance that the Japanese royal family was nurturing a spirit at the master realm.


    This could explain why Japan was still considered one of the strongest powers on the blue planet.

 Chapter 245 - Wiping Out the Asou Clan (I)

    ¡°Run!¡±


    After the goat-headed monster appeared at Kobe City¡¯s airport, even the waiting room hundreds of meters away was in chaos. After people started to fall one after another, no one dared to stay.


    The spirits that were born from the sacrificial rituals only had their unstable emotions. There was no distinction between friend or foe for them, and all living creatures were delicious food to them.


    This was especially true since the host of this goat-headed monster had already died. The person controlling it was only an elder from the Asou clan who was in charge of feeding it.


    Those who knew about the goat-headed monster¡¯s background had long cursed in their hearts. What was wrong with the Asou clan? They actually did not care about the consequences and released the spirit in public at the airport.


    The goat-headed monster kept using its ability, and invisible spiritual power spread out. The spiritual power was pervasive, and it ignored the walls made of concrete. In the blink of an eye, more than 1,000 people in the airport had fallen.


    As for the group of men in black from the Asou clan, they were not spared either. All of them were unconscious on the ground.


    In the end, only Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko were still standing. Asou Nishiko had received Chen Yiming¡¯s protection, or else she wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand the goat-headed monster¡¯s spiritual attack.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s not too intelligent.¡±


    Chen Yiming chuckled as the goat-headed monster turned its gaze to him.


    His actions made the goat-headed monster furious. The black aura around its body surged violently, and an invisible spiritual wave that was specially targeted at Chen Yiming spread out.


    Immediately after, the goat-headed monster threw out the black trident in its hand.


    In an instant, every corner of the airport was filled with the shrill cries of the countless souls. Even people of the same level did not dare to let these dirty things touch them.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    The pitch-black trident was still in midair, and the invisible spiritual power had already spread to the parking lot outside the waiting room.


    The parking lot was instantly destroyed. The drivers lost consciousness, causing the vehicles to lose control. A large number of vehicles collided with each other, creating a raging sea of flames.


    At this moment, even the troops stationed at the airport did not dare to interfere. They knew how powerful a spirit was. Conventional weapons were useless against the spirit. If they tried to do anything, they would only die in vain.


    This was also the reason why Japan could only use their large number of powerful spirits as a hidden power. Spirits at the level of the goat-headed monster could cause chaos in the city and instantly create a dead city.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you met me. The Sword Aura perfectly counters spirits like you,¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he thought to himself.


    He drew out his peach wood sword and slashed out with a stream of Sword Aura.


    The Sword Aura charged at the goat-headed monster in an arc. Along the way, be it the black trident or the spiritual power mixed with unstable emotions, they all evaporated like water under the hot sun.


    Wherever the Sword Aura passed, the cries and howls disappeared, and the area fell silent.


    ¡°You want to dodge? Can you do that?¡± seeing the goat-headed monster jump up in panic, Chen Yiming said calmly.


    He added another stream of Sword Aura to seal off the goat-headed monster¡¯s escape.


    The two Sword Auras moved one after another, one above and one below. Unless the monster could teleport through space, it had to withstand one Sword Aura attack head-on.


    In the next moment, a scream mixed with various emotions rang out. The goat-headed monster formed by the black gas was killed by the Sword Aura, and it also killed the elder in the limousine that was controlling it.


    During the process, the goat-headed monster struggled and resisted, but the black aura on its body was completely helpless against the attack of the Sword Aura.


    Chen Yiming remained calm, but he was laughing in his heart.


    The moment the goat-headed monster died, the Skill Points required for his swordsmanship talent decreased by another 100 points.


    If he cultivated diligently on the blue planet, he would only get about 100 points a month. It was far less efficient than killing the spirits.


    1


    ¡°Drive to the Asou clan now,¡± Chen Yiming turned around and instructed.


    Looking at the changes on the martial arts talent panel, his interest in destroying the spirits was maximized. This feeling was like playing games and killing monsters to level up, making one unable to extricate themselves from it.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Asou Nishiko replied loudly and walked straight to a limousine that had not been affected by the Sword Aura.


    Although she had expected this outcome, the internal force in her body still couldn¡¯t calm down. The goat-headed monster was stronger than the fox that she was living with, but it still couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow from Chen Yiming.


    Soon, the limousine roared away.


    The surface of the car was surrounded by a layer of internal force, allowing the car to ram through any obstacles in its way.


    In the car, Chen Yiming thought carefully about his plan from now on.


    On the blue planet, although Japan was one of the large nations like the Daxia Kingdom, the difference between the two nations was huge.


    For example, in terms of the size of the nation, Japan was only equivalent to one province in the Daxia Kingdom. The range of martial arts was definitely much smaller, and there were naturally fewer martial arts experts. Only with the addition of the sacrificial spirits would it be barely acceptable as a powerful nation.


    There was no need to mention the military power. Before the invasion of the otherworld, Japan had been controlled by the Sam Nation. Now, in this era, not only did they have to face mutant beasts, but there were also wars with the otherworld from time to time. The Japanese military power was probably weaker than expected.


    Before completing the cultivation of his internal force fusion, even if he had the powerful Sword Aura, Chen Yiming would still feel a little uncomfortable facing someone at the master realm.


    However, even with the spirit at the master realm as the foundation of the country, it would probably not be able to leave the Imperial City of Tokyo easily. This way, he only needed to leave the spirit at the master realm until the end.


    ¡­


    Just as the goat-headed monster was killed by Chen Yiming, the entire Asou clan fell into chaos again.


    Seeing the goat-headed statue on the altar that had lost its spiritual light, the head of the Asou clan and the elders gathered together to discuss a solution.


    ¡°The troops stationed at the airport sent news that the goat god was killed by the young man brought back from the Daxia Kingdom by Asou Nishiko.¡±


    An elder knelt on the ground, his entire body trembling as he spoke word by word.


    In front of the elders, an old man with completely white hair was kneeling. Asou Kazuo¡¯s true age was already over 70, while Asou Nishiko had just reached adulthood. The age difference between father and daughter was more than 50 years.


    As the pillar of the Asou clan, Asou Kazuo¡¯s heart, which had been calm for a long time, had already become turbulent.


    The foundation created by the Asou clan over the generations, coupled with the spirit that lived in Asou Nishiko, was equivalent to the strength of three people at the peak of the warrior realm.


    However, now that two out of three were gone, there was only one spirit left in the clan. This was unimaginable.


    As for the other spirits that could not grow to the peak of the warrior realm, they eventually became food for the three main spirits.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Asou clan still needed him to support them, Asou Kazuo would have thought of committing suicide to atone for his crimes. He was too ashamed to face his ancestors.


    ¡°Clan Head, what should we do now?¡±


    another elder who was kneeling before him asked in a trembling voice.


    The news was really too shocking. Every spirit that was created was like a time bomb for the big clans in Japan. In turn, this also proved how powerful the sacrificial spirits were.


    However, after the spirits were wiped out one after another, how could the elders not be at a loss?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the face of the elder¡¯s question, Asou Kazuo fell silent. His eyes, which had been tempered by the passage of time and could see through people¡¯s hearts, had already turned dim.


    Although two foundations of the Asou clan had been destroyed one after another, from the feedback from the troops stationed at the airport, the battle had ended very quickly.


    This meant that the attacker was very powerful. Even if Asou Kazuo joined forces with the remaining spirit in the clan to deal with the enemy, he was not even 30% confident of his success.


    ¡°Clan Head, please make a decision as soon as possible,¡± an elder reminded him.


    Time waited for no one. No matter how one looked at it, the person Asou Nishiko had brought back from the Daxia Kingdom was targeting the Asou clan.


    ¡°Immediately transfer the last spirit of the Asou clan to the shrine for protection.¡±


    Asou Kazuo clenched his fists tightly and let out a long sigh.


    In the end, he still chose a safe method. No matter what the intention of the person that Asou Nishiko brought back was, at the very least, he would leave behind a chance for the Asou clan to make a comeback.


    As long as they had a spirit left as their foundation, they would be able to protect the Asou clan for a long time as long as no unforeseen circumstances occurred.


    As the head of the clan, Asou Kazuo, made his decision, and the entire Asou clan immediately took action.


    The last coffin in the sacrificial ground was dug out and quickly transferred to a car. The car drove out of the Asou clan.

 Chapter 246 - Wiping Out the Asou Clan (II)

    Every district in Japan had a common shrine. When facing an enemy that they could not defend against, the major clans would gather their strength to prevent them from being defeated one after another.


    At the same time, the Asou clan also spread the news to the entire nation of Japan, hoping to obtain support from external forces.


    They planned out the escape route for the Asou clan.


    Asou Kazuo and the elders sat quietly, waiting for Asou Nishiko, the traitor, to arrive.


    ¡­


    Not long after, ¡°They¡¯re here. Asou Nishiko is here with that person!¡±


    A servant from the Asou family suddenly barged into the wooden house and reported the news.


    Asou Kazuo and the elders looked at each other and stood up.


    What should come would come eventually, and could not be avoided. The Asou clan was the top clan in Kobe City, and there were countless members that were involved in various industries. They were too big a target to try to hide.


    All of them were prepared to die. The entire Asou clan was involved in this plan that had just been activated, and there was already a barrel of gunpowder waiting to be detonated underground.


    Once the head of the clan was defeated, they would raze the Asou clan to the ground. Even if he died, he would make the other party suffer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet this young man from the Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    Asou Kazuo was the first to step forward. The katana at his waist began to cry out. As the head of a large clan and an old man, he had not personally made a move for a long time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that our Asou clan can really be destroyed by a young man.¡±


    An elder¡¯s gaze hardened as he followed Asou Kazuo out.


    Being young meant that he had not fully achieved his potential, and the Asou clan was one of the top factions in the city. It could be said that other than someone at master realm, there was nothing else for them to be afraid of.


    ¡­


    At the entrance of the Asou clan, Chen Yiming alighted from the limousine and sized up the commotion in the residential area.


    This place was located on the outskirts of Kobe City, less than 10 kilometers away from the city. Similar to the large sects in the Daxia Kingdom, they did not set up their territory in the city.


    The first reason was that the territory in the city was too limited, and the second was that at this level, they were no longer afraid of ordinary mutant beasts. Being independent outside the city could still show off the status of their clan, as if they were looking down on all living beings from above.


    ¡°Master, this is the territory of the Asou clan. Thousands of people live here all year round,¡± Asou Nishiko introduced respectfully.


    ¡°It took us more than 10 minutes to get here from Kobe Airport. Could the Asou clan have already moved the spirit away to hide it?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked.


    As the commotion he caused in Japan became bigger and bigger, these people were not fools and they would not continue trying to fight him head-on.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Even if the Asou clan moves the spirit, they will only hide them in the shrine in Kobe City,¡± Asou Nishiko explained.


    She then briefly introduced the shrine to Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He asked, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just wipe out the Asou clan. Will this cause most of the other clans in this region to gather their spirits in the shrine?¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s expression changed when she heard this.


    The spiritual attacks of the spirits could be stacked to a certain extent. Therefore, the shrine had always been the last line of defense for the Japanese. Other than those at the master realm, there had never been a case of it being broken through by an intruder.


    She trembled as she explained the pros and cons.


    At this moment, nearly 1,000 people walked out of the clan¡¯s territory. Each of them had expressions of hatred and looked questioningly at the new arrivals. They wanted to question Asou Nishiko in person about why she had betrayed the clan.


    The weakest of these people were at least at the disciple realm. There were also some who had mastered the transformation of their internal force, showing the powerful strength of the big clans in Japan.


    ¡°Hehe!¡±


    Chen Yiming chuckled.


    All of them had gathered together, saving him the time of chasing them down.


    In order to kill more spirits in one go, he could only use the Asou clan as an example. In any case, they were not from the Daxia Kingdom, so he did not need to show any mercy.


    Chen Yiming drew his peach wood sword and slashed at the crowd.


    A beam of Sword Aura lit up the sky. It formed a straight line that covered everyone from the left and right. Then, a blinding light erupted, causing all his opponents to close their eyes.


    The Sword Aura swept across the area from the entrance to the other end of the clan¡¯s territory. Nothing could stop it, and all the obstacles in its way were split into two.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Screams rang out continuously.


    Before the clan members who were about to question Asou Nishiko could speak, they were all cut in half and fell to the ground.


    Although such injuries did not kill them immediately, it was still their final struggle. It was impossible for them to recover.


    The faces of the elders who had mastered the transformation of internal force and were hiding among the other clan members were filled with fear. If they were given another chance, they would definitely hide far away.


    This was not a fair fight at all. It was a complete massacre. Be it ordinary clan members or elders, there was no difference under the attack of the Sword Aura.


    ¡°Asou Nishiko, why?¡± an elder shouted before he died.


    The elder¡¯s words reignited the will of the clan members who were still alive. Everyone turned to look at Asou Nishiko.


    Seeing this, Asou NIshiko panicked.


    Before she threw in her lot with Chen Yiming, she had no idea that he had the ability to wipe out the entire Asou clan. Her initial aim was just to survive.


    Most of the clan members did not have to live in fear of being eaten as food by the spirit.


    She no longer had anything to lose. At this point, she could only continue down this path.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Asou Nishiko.


    He swung his sword again, and a second Sword Aura swept out, cutting through the Asou clan¡¯s territory again.


    This time, the air was still. No one questioned Asou Nishiko anymore. All of them had died.


    Once Chen Yiming wiped out the Asou clan, Asou Nishiko would have no other choice but to follow him. Without him, the Japanese would hunt her down to the ends of the earth.


    ¡°Click¡­¡±


    Asou Kazuo led the remaining elders and appeared at the entrance of the clan¡¯s territory along the trail of blood.


    Their facial muscles trembled involuntarily, and their hearts raced uncontrollably. The young man in front of them was like a god of death.


    The thousands of clan members in their territory were not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry. All of them were talented in martial arts, and those who did not were scattered throughout Kobe City.


    But now, all of them had been killed. This was an outcome that Asou Kazuo had not expected. They had thought that since this was a battle between those at the higher levels, it would not affect the people below them.


    ¡°Expert from the Daxia Kingdom, how did we offend you to make you want to wipe out the entire Asou clan?¡±


    Asou Kazuo ignored Asou Nishiko, who was standing beside Chen Yiming. At this moment, the reason for her betrayal was no longer important. That sword move along was explanation enough.


    The eyes of the elders at the side were all red.


    Many of the thousands of dead clan members were their direct descendants, but they could only watch helplessly as the sword move was imprinted in their minds. They knew that they were powerless to do anything.


    ¡°If you can live for a few more days, you will naturally know the reason,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    It was Chen Yiming¡¯s plan to destroy the Asou clan and make the factions in this region feel intimidated. Then, they would gather all the spirits in the shrine. Of course, he couldn¡¯t reveal this now.


    ¡°Clan Head, even if the Asou clan is destroyed today, we have to kill this traitor,¡± an elder stood out and said angrily.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t let the Asou clan¡¯s traitor off even if we die,¡± the elders said sternly.


    It could be seen how much damage Asou Nishiko¡¯s actions had done to the Asou clan, and it was second only to personally destroying her own clan.


    As a vessel for spirit among the current generation, the Asou clan had invested a huge amount of resources into her, but now, she had become a traitor who had led a wolf into her house.


    Of course, in Japanese culture, no one felt that there was anything wrong with the clan¡¯s actions. Although the spirits born from the sacrificial rituals were evil beings, they were treated as their gods.


    If not for the fact that many of the elders were men, they would have wanted to become vessels themselves.


    ¡°Asou Nishiko, my daughter, from now on, you are officially expelled from the clan. No matter what happens in the future, the Asou clan will not take you back,¡± Asou Kazuo announced loudly.


    To Asou Nishiko, being expelled from the clan did not have much of an impact. However, this affected the dignity of the Asou clan. They could not tolerate having a traitor continuing to act with the name of the clan.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Chen Yiming wanted to wipe out the Asou clan, Asou Kazuo would also have to step down as the head of the clan.

 Chapter 247 - Shrine (I)

    As the higher ups of the Asou clan gathered, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t waste any more time. He slashed out with an ordinary-looking Sword Aura attack.


    If all the countries on the blue planet followed the sacrificial rituals used by Japan, they might be able to obtain the help of such unstable spirits in the short term.


    However, in the long run, it would undoubtedly be an act of self-destruction. Once a spirit exceeded the range of their control, the first target would be the humans themselves.


    Whether it was to eliminate evil or to uphold justice, Chen Yiming had no reason not to destroy the Asou clan.


    ¡°Everyone, attack together,¡± Asou Kazuo roared as he felt the incoming Sword Aura that could cut through anything.


    He stared nervously at the air in front of him and drew his katana. The elders beside him did the same and drew their katanas.


    This was what they had discussed earlier. Facing the expert from the Daxia Kingdom who had killed two of the Asou clan¡¯s spirits, they did not dare to be careless.


    A slash formed by internal force was unleashed under the lead of Asou Kazuo. The sword beam carried an earth-shattering force, and on the surface, it was not weaker than the Sword Aura.


    Immediately after, the attacks from the elders were like assassins hidden in the waves, fusing into the sword beam from Asou Kazuo¡¯s attack.


    The Asou clan was a large clan in Japan. They did not only have the spirits as their foundation, but also a powerful combination of katana techniques.


    With Asou Kazuo, who was at the peak of the warrior realm as the clan head and a group of elders who had mastered the transformation of internal force as support, it was equivalent to Chen Yiming attacking the Myriad Phenomena Sect. There was no record of anyone defeating the Asou clan in the history of the clan.


    With Asou Kazuo, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, and a group of elders who had mastered the transformation of internal force as support, it was equivalent to Chen Yiming attacking the Myriad Phenomena Sect. There was no record of anyone defeating the Asou clan in the history of the clan.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s mouth fell open slightly when she saw this, and her face turned pale.


    Although Chen Yiming had killed two spirits at the peak of the warrior realm in a row, he was facing the combined forces of the higher ups of the Asou clan.


    If the Asou clan did not have the strength, they would have long been killed and reduced to dust.


    Of course, she did not know that the last spirit had already been transferred to the shrine. In fact, the Asou clan was already prepared to give up everything.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    In the match between the Sword Aura and the sword beam, the Sword Aura broke through the layers of the opposing force in just a flash.


    The combined attack from the higher ups of the Asou clan was shattered and sent flying like a railing that had been broken by a huge rock.


    At the last moment, Asou Kazuo and the elders relied on the short opening to dodge the Sword Aura that swept past.


    However, the Asou clan territory behind them was not so lucky. It had already endured two slashes earlier, and after the third slash, the remaining buildings had all been razed to the ground.


    Dust fell from the sky, revealing a completely flattened land on the territory of the Asou clan.


    ¡°How is that possible!¡±


    Hearing the sound of buildings collapsing behind them, the Asou clan fell silent.


    Asou Kazuo¡¯s white hair had mostly withered in an instant. This was a sign that he had completely lost confidence and he had already given up.


    The other elders were not much better. When experts fought, they could roughly determine the difference between them and their opponents.


    From the fact that their combined attack was easily broken, it could be seen that the two sides were like a tiger and a lamb. By teaming up, the lambs were only helping the tiger to save its strength.


    Why was there such a genius in the Daxia Kingdom? Why did they have to go against the Asou clan? Could it be that they were the children of a martial master?


    Facing such a powerful enemy, the Asou clan regretted not escaping right from the start.


    ¡°Sir, Japan is facing an attack by radioactive creatures from the otherworld. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being despised by the world if you destroy the Asou clan now?¡± Asou Kazuo said slowly, his body trembling.


    He could not defeat his opponent at all. As the head of the clan, he could only reason with him.


    ¡°Oh? Is the Asou clan planning to stand up and become the vanguard against the radioactive creatures from the otherworld?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the people in front of him and laughed.


    He did not believe Asou Kazuo¡¯s words at all. The Japanese did not have a martial arts master who could truly suppress the whole country with their strength. In reality, they were in a state of disunity. It was impossible for the large clans from all over the nation to work together to help.


    The radioactive creatures had probably already reached their doorstep. These factions were still watching from the sidelines. Before dealing with the foreign enemies, they were thinking about preventing other factions from backstabbing them.


    ¡°Of course, the creatures from the otherworld are humanity¡¯s greatest enemy. The Asou clan naturally follows the emperor¡¯s orders,¡± Asou Kazuo was overjoyed by the flicker of hope and said righteously.


    In his heart, he hoped that Chen Yiming would spare their lives for the sake of humanity, seeing that the Asou clan still had value on the battlefield.


    ¡°That¡¯s too fake. There are no nuclear power plants in Kobe City.¡±


    Chen Yiming shook his head and laughed.


    How could he not know about the situation with the Asou clan? Unless someone held a knife to their necks, they would only protect their own territory.


    ¡°Sir, the Asou clan is willing to submit to you and work under your command,¡± Asou Kazuo hurriedly said.


    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t understand Chen Yiming¡¯s true motive for targeting the Asou clan. External forces were ultimately not as useful as his own strength. Moreover, a faction at the peak of the warrior realm was of limited value to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°If you can survive my next attack, the Asou clan will be worth keeping alive.¡±


    As Chen Yiming spoke, he tightened his grip on the peach wood sword in his hand. At this moment, this ordinary sword seemed to have gained a spiritual light and became a weapon that thirsted for blood.


    A beam of Sword Aura condensed in the air, and a pressure like a tsunami surged out from it. The Sword Aura cut across a distance of one kilometer and slashed straight at the Asou clan.


    ¡°Damn it, you forced us to do this.¡±


    Asou Kazuo¡¯s expression changed drastically. He hadn¡¯t expected that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t let them off even after the Asou clan had already knelt down in submission. Faced with the Sword Aura with such a huge range of attack, any thoughts of escaping were extinguished.


    The other elders were all dumbfounded.


    In theory, it was impossible for a move at the peak of the warrior realm to reach a range of one kilometer. Only a martial master could make an attack with a range of a few kilometers.


    The reason was that the overall level of the humans on the blue planet was too low. They were far from reaching the maximum limit at each realm.


    Asou Kazuo took out a simple device and pressed the button on it. Then, he swung his katana again. Instead of escaping, he faced the Sword Aura that was slashing at him.


    When the elders of the Asou clan saw this, they understood that this was the worst case scenario and they would all die together.


    The clan¡¯s last spirit had already been transferred to the shrine, and there were still members of the Asou clan scattered outside this territory. As long as they killed this expert from the Daxia Kingdom, the Asou clan would have a chance to rise up again.


    They used their bodies to block the Sword Aura.


    At the same time, the ground under their feet began to shake. Immediately after, it exploded like a volcano.


    The Asou clan had buried countless explosives underground. This was their last resort, which was to perish together with their enemy. They had never had to use it before.


    At the moment of the explosion, thick smoke mixed with flames billowed and rose 100 meters into the sky, dying the sky gray and black.

 Chapter 248 - Shrine (II)

    The range of the explosion was about three kilometers, and the shock wave formed directly rushed into Kobe City. The doors and windows of countless houses shattered into pieces.


    Kobe City was naturally in chaos. There were people shouting everywhere. Countless police officers were on the streets to maintain order, but they could not control the fear brought about by the explosion in the distance.


    This level of explosion was the limit of conventional weapons that were not nuclear weapons.


    ¡­


    The aftershock of the explosion lasted for nearly 10 minutes before dissipating.


    On the charred ground, everything was evaporated by the high temperature. It was no different from a wasteland, but two figures still remained standing.


    They were Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko, who had survived the explosion.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s voice was still trembling when she spoke.


    Although she had relied on her innate spiritual communication talent to nurture a spirit whose strength exceeded her own level, she was ultimately not one of the core members of the Asou clan.


    She did not know about the plan to self-destruct and take the enemy down with them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll stay in Kobe City.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at his surroundings and made the arrangements.


    The strength of his protective internal force and his recuperative ability also far exceeded Asou Kazuo¡¯s imagination. Even though he was at the center of the explosion, he was still unharmed.


    There was no need to look for the remaining spirit of the Asou clan. If they dared to cause a self-destructive explosion, the sacrificial spirit would definitely have been transferred away in advance.


    Moreover, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t let others think that he had been killed by the explosion. Otherwise, the number of spirits in the shrine might not meet his expectations.


    As the limousine had long since been destroyed in the explosion, Chen Yiming had no choice but to carry Asou Nishiko and travel to Kobe City on foot.


    Along the way, investigators from Kobe City kept appearing one to two kilometers away. After comparing the photos, these people could not help but feel a chill run down their spines.


    The Asou clan might not be based in Kobe City, but they were the foundation of the city¡¯s defense against foreign invaders.


    Now that their strongest support had fallen and the man who was like a death god was heading towards Kobe City, how could their imaginations not run wild?


    As for getting someone to stop the other party, no one dared to risk their lives. Even the higher-ups of Kobe City did not dare to give such an order.


    10 minutes later, Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko entered Kobe City openly.


    ¡­


    ¡°Master, this is Kobe beef. It¡¯s taken from the body of a bull-type mutant beast.¡±


    1


    Beside the hot spring, Asou Nishiko was kneeling with a plate in her hand.


    Enjoying the hot springs was a part of Japanese culture. Since Chen Yiming was here, he wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to enjoy it.


    At this moment, there were only a few service staff left in the hot spring villa. Chen Yiming had temporarily taken over this territory.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation outside?¡± after tasting the Kobe beef, Chen Yiming asked.


    The reason why he stayed in Kobe City was to give the factions in this region some time to react.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already followed Master¡¯s instructions and released the news about the extermination of the sacrificial spirits. Most of the factions in Kobe City have taken action and transferred a portion of their spirits to the shrine.


    As for the other cities in this region, they are still at the stage of discussion. They are all waiting to see if Master will continue to make a move,¡± Asou Nishiko replied.


    ¡°It seems that the Asou clan alone isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Living with the sacrificial spirit was an extremely cruel thing for the female host. By wiping out the entire Asou clan, it looked like he was taking revenge for Asou Nishiko.


    ¡°Master, those spirits will also devour each other. Therefore, many clans have concerns about whether to transfer the spirits to the shrine,¡± Asou Nishiko explained.


    There were strong and weak spirits, and they were all led by their unstable emotions. Although transferring the spirits to the shrine could help them to work together to deal with the enemy, if they were not careful, the other factions may take advantage of them.


    It had to be known that the main food for spirits were the souls of mutant beasts. Hunting the mutant beasts and bringing them back alive to the clan required a lot of manpower and resources.


    Therefore, every spirit was extremely precious. Losing one represented the loss of several years or even more than 10 years of hard work.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll help them with this multiple-choice question.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes narrowed as he smiled.


    In the end, the pressure he had put on them was not enough. He had to let the Japanese factions understand his true target.


    The steam from the hot spring covered the surroundings with a layer of white fog, making it look like a paradise on earth.


    At this moment, Asou Nishiko¡¯s fair legs stepped down the steps into the hot spring.


    The white towel wrapped around her body suddenly loosened, revealing her fair and smooth collarbone. Her body was pressed against Chen Yiming¡¯s, and he could see her curves clearly.


    ¡°Master, let me serve you,¡± Asou Nishiko leaned over and whispered into Chen Yiming¡¯s ear.


    Previously, she had been a little worried that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be a match for the entire Asou clan. However, the Asou clan had been crushed, even their plan that was saved as the last resort was useless.


    This nearly invincible power fascinated Asou Nishiko. Women were already easily subdued by powerful men, and now, she could not survive without being by Chen Yiming¡¯s side.


    Besides, Chen Yiming was her benefactor, who had allowed her to escape the shackles of the sacrificial spirit.


    What happened next was that Chen Yiming happily accepted Asou Nishiko¡¯s service.


    In an instant, water splashed everywhere in the hot spring, and the fog became even thicker.


    ¡­


    That night, the Ishikawa clan in the neighboring city was attacked by an intruder.


    Under the gazes of everyone present, Chen Yiming killed their sacrificial spirit that was at the peak of the warrior realm. As for the members of the Ishikawa clan, he ignored them and quickly left after killing the spirit.


    The requirement for upgrading his swordsmanship talent decreased by 100 Skill Points again.


    Although the Ishikawa clan and the Asou clan were of the same level, their overall strength was much weaker. They only had one sacrificial spirit that was at the peak of the warrior realm.


    However, it was also a large clan that had established its own territory. That spirit at the peak of the warrior realm was the result of decades of hard work of the Ishikawa clan, but it had turned into nothing overnight.


    Coupled with the news that Asou Nishiko had deliberately spread, the martial arts factions in the region around Osaka City finally stopped holding onto the hope that they would be lucky enough to not be attacked.


    The first target of this expert who had crossed the sea from the Daxia Kingdom was the Asou clan, and the second was the Ishikawa clan. Which clan was the third target?


    The leaders of the numerous factions gathered together to discuss a solution.


    As Chen Yiming had displayed combat strength close to the master realm, no one dared to approach him even if he openly stayed in Kobe City.


    ¡­


    At the altar of the shrine, ¡°The sacrificial spirit of the Ishikawa clan was also killed,¡± an old man with a slightly hunched figure muttered to himself.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro was the head priest of the shrine, and he was in charge of managing the spirits placed here. He had once been the emperor¡¯s personal bodyguard. Not only was he powerful, but he also had connections among the upper echelons of the entire nation of Japan.


    ¡°Head Priest, the Asou clan and the Ishikawa clan are both top factions in Japan. From the information gathered from all sources, not only the Ishikawa clan, but the Asou clan was also completely unable to fight back.


    The combat strength that person displayed has already exceeded the limits of the peak of the warrior realm. Could he really be a martial master from the Daxia Kingdom?¡± a middle-aged man in front of Matsumoto Shigejiro asked.


    Fukuda Ryoji was a priest at the shrine. He had been sent out by the head priest, Matsumoto Shigejiro, to gather information.


    Although Chen Yiming had displayed invincible combat strength, was he really in the master realm? Even the head priest couldn¡¯t be sure. After all, Chen Yiming looked too young.


    There were two people in the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s who were at the master realm, one in the south and the other in the north. The true core higher-ups of Japan knew about them, and it just so happened that the head priest knew about them.


    Every martial arts master was tasked with guarding their country. It was impossible for them to leave behind the matters of the Daxia Kingdom and cross the sea to find trouble with the Japanese for a small matter like the sacrificial spirits.

 Chapter 249 - Conspiracy (I)

    Matsumoto Shigejiro did not reply directly. Instead, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s the negotiation going with the Daxia Kingdom? Is there a possibility of resolving it through diplomatic channels?¡±


    Fukuda Ryoji replied, ¡°The current reply is still for us to wait. They are currently verifying it.¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro shook his head helplessly.


    To be able to defeat two clans at the peak of the warrior realm in Japan, how could this expert from the Daxia Kingdom be a nobody?


    Clearly, they could not put pressure on this expert through the Daxia Kingdom. They could only rely on themselves to think of a solution.


    The people in the shrine suddenly fell silent.


    A breeze blew past, and the talismans on the altar began to shake. For an instant, the patterns on the talisman lit up, before everything returned to normal.


    During this time, a sinister aura appeared briefly. A black shadow appeared on the altar, but it quickly hid itself.


    After some time, the head priest stared at the altar and frowned. ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble this time. No matter who this expert from the Daxia Kingdom is, if we can¡¯t work together, we¡¯ll soon be defeated one by one. In the end, even the shrine won¡¯t be spared.¡±


    The priest, Fukuda Ryoji, hesitated for a moment and probed, ¡°What do you mean, Head Priest?¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro looked meaningfully at his subordinate. ¡°Now that things have come to this, there¡¯s only one way. We have to abandon everything else and work together.¡±


    Fukuda Ryoji asked, ¡°But, Head Priest¡­¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro interrupted him and continued, ¡°Do you want to fight for a chance of survival, or die lying down? You don¡¯t have to force them. The clans know what they should choose.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡±


    Fukuda Ryoji turned to leave.


    The shrines were above everything else, and were set up under the orders of the emperor in all regions of Japan to keep an eye on the situation across the nation. Now that they were facing a powerful enemy, it was both a crisis and an opportunity.


    It was usually impossible to gather the sacrificial spirits of the various large clans at the shrine.


    The reason was that the more spirits there were gathered in one place, the more unstable their emotions would be.


    Before an enemy appeared, these spirits would start fighting each other, all wanting to devour their own kind to strengthen themselves.


    Now, the shrine could make use of the pressure Chen Yiming put on the clans to combine the spirits in order to openly carry out their plans.


    This coincided with Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts. In the end, they would compete to see which one of them was stronger.


    ¡­


    In Osaka City, Chen Yiming walked out of the Shimura clan¡¯s ninja encampment.


    Beside him was Asou Nishiko, and behind them were the angry clan members.


    The Shimura clan was a faction at the peak of the warrior realm in Osaka City. The clan was divided into the Shadow, Top, Middle, and Lower ranks.


    Among them, the Shadow rank was where the head of the clan belonged, and corresponded to the peak of the warrior realm, while the Lower rank corresponded to the disciple realm.


    Asou Nishiko had a look of pity on her face as she said softly, ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t expect the Shimura clan to be so timid. They are the top clan in Osaka City.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°Osaka City is the largest city in this region, and the Shimura clan is the top clan here. If I¡¯m not mistaken, their sacrificial spirits should already have been transferred to the shrine.¡±


    Asou Nishiko asked, ¡°Master, should we go straight to the shrine?¡±


    Chen Yiming deliberated for a moment before replying, ¡°In order to ensure that nothing goes wrong, we¡¯ll go to two other large clans first.¡±


    After Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko disappeared, the clan members in the Middle and Lower ranks cursed loudly at the entrance of the village.


    Half an hour ago, Chen Yiming had walked into the clan¡¯s encampment and openly requested to visit the sacrificial ground.


    The facial muscles of the head of the Shimura clan twitched, but he eventually agreed. The Shimura clan was not much stronger than the Asou clan, and they were unwilling to follow in the footsteps of the Asou clan.


    In a wooden house, the head of the Shimura clan, Shimura Takashi, held his hands behind his back as he stared at the map on the wall in a daze.


    The map was marked with various clans of all sizes around the city, as well as a large mark indicating the position of the shrine.


    Behind him was a group of clan members in the Upper rank. Most of them were elders of the clan. Not only did they have to be strong enough, but they also had to have enough battle achievements.


    Kumiko Koshimura, one of the Upper rank members, suddenly held her stomach and squatted down. ¡°I feel terrible.¡±


    Seeing this, the other Upper rank members could only stand at the side anxiously.


    Shimura Kumiko was not only a member of the Upper ranks, but also a pillar of the clan.


    The Japanese ninjas called the people who were the hosts of the sacrificial spirits the pillars of the clan. Furthermore, they also had a special method to seal the spirits, which could temporarily suppress and seal away the aura of the spirits.


    However, this method would cause harm to the spirit. It could also easily cause a spirit to riot after the seal was removed.


    Upon sensing the aura of the spirit, Shimura Takashi snapped out of his daze.


    He instantly arrived in front of Shimura Kumiko and stretched out his right hand. His five fingers lit up with flames of various colors, and then he pressed his five fingers on Shimura Kumiko¡¯s stomach.


    The seal was lifted.


    However, Shimura Kumiko¡¯s pain did not disappear. Instead, it became even worse.


    She fell to her knees, and her beautiful face contorted. Blood flowed out of her clenched fists, and her chest trembled uncontrollably as her blouse became unbuttoned.


    When her cleavage was revealed by her body¡¯s uncontrollable trembling, these Upper rank clan members would probably not be able to withstand the temptation under normal circumstances. Shimura Kumiko was the number one beauty in Osaka City, and everyone wanted to be intimate with her.


    But now, no one had any such thoughts. The Upper rank members corresponded to those at the warrior realm who had mastered the transformation of internal force, but now, they were facing the spirit at the peak of the warrior realm that was living in Shimura Kumiko¡¯s body.


    Seeing this, the head of the clan, Shimura Takashi, took the initiative to release his aura to suppress the spirit.


    After a few anxiety-inducing minutes, the spirit in Shimura Kumiko¡¯s body finally calmed down and did not riot.


    Shimura Kumiko was drenched in sweat and she let out a deep breath. ¡°I almost thought I was going to die.¡±


    The method of sealing a spirit was undoubtedly a provocation to the spirits that only had unstable emotions.


    Fortunately, all the higher-ups of the clan were gathered here. Their combined strength was stronger than the spirit in her body. Coupled with some good luck, it ended without any further incident.


    Shimura Takashi took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, ¡°Kumiko, stay in the clan from now on. Don¡¯t take any abnormal actions.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Shimura Kumiko replied.


    The presence of Asou Nishiko made these large clans not dare to feign civility. As an Upper rank member, Shimura Kumiko had been hiding her identity as the clan¡¯s pillar very well.


    However, as a member of the clan¡¯s higher-ups, her whereabouts could be traced easily. If she suddenly left the clan, it meant that there was something amiss.


    However, even if they managed to protect one of their sacrificial spirits, the other two spirits had already been transferred to the shrine. It was still very painful for the Shimura clan.


    Just as the higher-ups of the Shimura clan heaved a sigh of relief, a Sword Aura appeared out of thin air and stabbed straight into Shimura Kumiko¡¯s chest.


    This sudden development made the members of the Shimura clan tremble as they looked towards the source of the Sword Aura.


    They only saw Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko chatting as they walked further and further away.

 Chapter 250 - Conspiracy (II)

    Then, they looked at Shimura Kumiko, who had fallen to the ground. The sacrificial spirit in her body had been killed without even putting up a struggle.


    The wooden house was dead silent. Only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. No one, including Shimura Takashi, dared to chase after Chen Yiming.


    ¡­


    As Chen Yiming made another move and killed one of the spirits of the Shimura clan, that very night, the outside of the shrine was very lively. There were many people coming and going.


    These people were not those who usually came to pay their respects. They were all from the large clans in the region.


    Coffin after coffin was moved to the shrine, and the aura of the entire shrine suddenly became sinister and terrifying, like a real ghost town.


    At this point, the big clans in the region could only give it their all. This was because if they rashly transferred their sacrificial spirits to other regions, they would be devoured by the local clans as a lone force.


    Therefore, even though they knew that they were falling into the head priest Matsumoto Shigejiro¡¯s scheme, there was no other choice. The Shimura clan was a case in point.


    They thought that they could hide their sacrificial spirit by sealing it away, but who would have thought that before it could put up any resistance, it would have died for no reason?


    In a secret underground altar in the shrine, on the altar was the corpse of a mutant beast. The corpse twitched from time to time, and it was clearly not completely dead yet.


    The head priest, Matsumoto Shigejiro, was carrying out a ritual. He was muttering something that no one could understand and kneeling from time to time.


    Behind him, two beautiful women were quietly sitting and waiting.


    The well-endowed one was called Akino Akemi, and the tall one was called Takeda Akina. Both of them were priests at the shrine, and they were also living hosts for sacrificial spirits.


    After a long time, the ritual ended.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro stood up and turned to say, ¡°The person from the Daxia Kingdom who is half a foot in the master realm is about to arrive at the shrine. At this moment, we have no way to retreat. We need the two of you to sacrifice yourselves.¡±


    Akino Akemi and Takeda Akina trembled when they heard this.


    Even though they had roughly known what he needed them to do before they came to this place, they were still afraid when the time came.


    The specific method of sacrifice was to take a special medicine from the Japanese royal family that could temporarily weaken the sacrificial spirit.


    This way, the weaker spirits at the peak of the warrior realm would naturally be unable to resist and would be devoured by the stronger spirits.


    However, this method could only be used on spirits in living hosts. It was equivalent to secretly attacking the spirit in their bodies. Unlike methods to seal away the spirit, this medicine would cause permanent damage to the spirit.


    Therefore, as long as they consumed this special medicine, either the spirits in their bodies would be successfully devoured, or the spirit would go berserk and devour the soul of its host.


    Moreover, even if the spirit in their body was successfully devoured, the host would not be able to survive. This was because the external spirit had no rationality and would devour the soul of the host as well.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro¡¯s expression was solemn as he continued, ¡°This expert from the Daxia Kingdom is only trying to use the opportunity to kill the sacrificial spirits to go down his path of swordsmanship.


    And the Daxia Kingdom already has two martial masters. No matter what, we can¡¯t let a third one appear.¡±


    Akino Akemi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Head Priest, even if the strongest sacrificial spirit in the shrine devours the sacrificial spirits in our bodies, it¡¯s far from enough for it to break through to the master realm. It¡¯s not even enough to take even half a step into the master realm.¡±


    The symbol of the master realm was the power to affect natural phenomena. This was not something that could be achieved with just additive accumulation. All the large clans in Japan understood this. Otherwise, they would have gathered the power of the entire country to nurture a large number of sacrificial spirits at the master realm.


    Takeda Akina couldn¡¯t help but add on, ¡°Head Priest, at the level of the peak of the warrior realm, simply devouring those of the same level is almost useless. Rather than rashly sacrificing the two of us, it might be better to save these two portions of combat strength.¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro looked at the ceiling of the underground altar and explained, ¡°Of course I know the best solution is to seal off the entire shrine and let all the sacrificial spirits in the region fight and devour each other to create the strongest spirit.


    However, who knows when that expert from the Daxia Kingdom will descend? We don¡¯t have time to wait slowly.¡±


    Although Matsumoto Shigejiro did not say it explicitly, Akino Akemi and Takeda Akina could hear the meaning hidden in his words.


    He planned to let the strongest sacrificial spirit in the shrine devour the spirits in their bodies first. At the peak of the warrior realm, although it could not cause a qualitative change, a certain amount of improvement could be achieved.


    Next, the sacrificial spirits transferred over from the various large clans to the shrine would become the food for the strongest spirit in the shrine.


    This way, although its accumulation of spirits was far from enough to reach the master realm, it was still possible for it to temporarily have the power to fight against someone who was not yet fully a martial master.


    However, this would undoubtedly offend all the large clans in the region centered around Osaka City. Matsumoto Shigejiro would be under unimaginable pressure after this.


    This was because the evolution of such spirits followed a rule. If a qualitative change could not be achieved by devouring other souls, they would return to their original form.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro finished what he had to say and fell silent, waiting for the two of them to make their choice.


    The conversation between the three of them was understood by all except the sacrificial spirits within the women¡¯s bodies. However, Akino Akemi and Takeda Akina could communicate with the spirits to put up a resistance, so Matsumoto Shigejiro could not force them to take the special medicine.


    The entire underground altar fell silent.


    Once the two of them decided to sacrifice themselves, the outcome for them would be death.


    After some time, Akino Akemi and Takeda Akina eventually chose to take the special medicine.


    Soon, a black shadow appeared on the altar, and many tentacles pierced the bodies of the two women.


    After a series of gurgling sounds, the entire underground altar fell silent again. The two women lying on the ground had blank expressions on their faces. Matsumoto Shigejiro squatted down and stretched out his arm to close their eyes.


    ¡­


    The sky had just turned bright.


    Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko strolled through Osaka City, heading towards the shrine outside the city.


    The shrines contained powerful sacrificial spirits, so it was naturally impossible for them to be built within the cities. They were usually built near the space-travel passages so that it was convenient to catch mutant beasts to feed the spirits.


    After leaving the city, the journey was smooth sailing. They did not see anyone on the way. Occasionally, they would encounter mutant beasts that were hunting for food. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t even need to make a move, and just let Asou Nishiko deal with them.


    The two of them were not far from Osaka City, so most of the mutant beasts wandering around were at the lower levels of the disciple realm.


    Chen Yiming suddenly asked, ¡°How did the Japanese come up with this method of using the blood of virgin girls as a medium to create a sacrificial spirit?¡±


    He thought about how there was a limit to the number of sacrificial spirits in Japan. He did not know how long it would take for them to recover after this fierce harvest.


    However, the reason for creating new life through martial arts on the blue planet was due to the invasion of the otherworld. Generally speaking, one could always find the corresponding clues in the otherworld.


    The Daxia Kingdom did not allow such sacrificial spirits to be created, so he had never read about them in any document.


    Asou Nishiko remembered her status as a servant and explained, ¡°There are humanoid creatures in the otherworld. The eastern countries call them barbarians, and the western countries call them ogres.


    These humanoid creatures hunted powerful creatures and sacrificed them to their gods.


    In addition, it is not only Japan that knows how to make use of the power of the sacrificial spirits. Most of the countries in Southeast Asia are the same. It¡¯s just that the form of the spirits is slightly different.¡±


    When Chen Yiming heard about the barbarians, he immediately understood.


    He knew about these humanoid creatures from the otherworld. They were very powerful, and their average cultivation talent was much higher than that of humans.


    In this race, there were not only powerful warriors, but also those who had mastered various special abilities, similar to the bloodline warriors.

 Chapter 251 - Luck (I)

    ¡°Master, the sacrificial ritual is widely known throughout the otherworld, and it can give rise to all kinds of special abilities. Most of the countries on the blue planet are studying it, so you can¡¯t be careless,¡± Asou Nishiko said after a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    The higher one¡¯s martial arts level, the higher one¡¯s talent needed to be. He could understand the purpose of studying the sacrificial ritual, but this method of borrowing external forces did not suit him at all. There were all kinds of hidden dangers.


    For him, gaining Skill Points was the way to go.


    This was especially true since he had an overpowering attack like the Sword Aura, which could undoubtedly break through those special abilities at the same level and destroy them with a single slash.


    ¡­


    Outside the shrine, on a higher ground, Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko walked over and saw that many people had stopped near the shrine.


    These people were sitting on the ground with ashen faces, as if their ancestors had died. They seemed to be devastated.


    Chen Yiming looked at the shrine again and saw a black shadow with many tentacles inside. It was emitting auras of violence, madness, and bloodlust.


    In addition, the black shadow¡¯s aura was extremely dense. The sacrificial spirits at the peak of the warrior realm that he had killed previously were much weaker than the black shadow.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid the head of the shrine has successfully made use of you to let the sacrificial spirit in the shrine devour the sacrificial spirits of the various large clans.¡± Asou Nishiko¡¯s face was filled with panic, and her voice was trembling.


    When a herd of sheep went against a lion, even if there were many sheep, they would not be as powerful as a lion.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. He said calmly, ¡°Without a strong opponent, how can I train my abilities?¡±


    Only those who had died at his hands could truly understand how powerful the Sword Aura was.


    As for training his abilities, it was just a pretense he had created for the outside world. He was just looking for a reason to attack those sacrificial spirits.


    Hearing this, Asou Nishiko calmed her racing heart.


    She had been too worried earlier and panicked. Now that she came back to her senses, she realized that her master had never disappointed her.


    ¡°He¡¯s here, he¡¯s here.¡±


    When Chen Yiming appeared, the people near the shrine also noticed him, causing a commotion.


    Soon, three groups of people among them sent out one person each.


    One of them was actually the head of the Shimura clan, Shimura Takashi.


    ¡°The head of the shrine is crazy. He intends to create a sacrificial spirit at the level of the master realm. Sir, please kill it.¡± Shimura Takashi approached him and suddenly knelt down.


    The other two people who were with Shimura Takashi also knelt down only a moment later.


    ¡°Sir, having a sacrificial spirit at the level of the master realm is a disaster. On the account that we are all humans, please save our Osaka region.¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the three of them.


    A sacrificial spirit at the level of the master realm? He did not believe it. If one could really reach the master realm by relying on a simple accumulation of sacrificial spirits, spirits at the level of the master realm would have long since become a must-have source of combat power for all the countries.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t seem to care, Shimura Takashi¡¯s expression became panicked.


    ¡°Sir, one of the three sacrificial spirituals in the shrine has the ability to absorb and transform energy.


    Although their combat strength is not strong, they have been nurtured over the years and have accumulated a deep foundation like the mutant plants. Now that they have devoured the spirits from the various clans, it is not impossible for them to break through to the master realm.¡±


    The elder beside Shimura Takashi revealed a portion of the insider information.


    The elder teared up as he spoke. The abilities of the sacrificial spirits were very different. Some were good at fighting, some were good at support, and some were good for cultivation.


    The shrine head¡¯s actions had stunned the various clans. If Chen Yiming could only fight to a draw or even lose in the end, the shrine would probably have complete control over the Osaka area. It was unknown how long it would take for the various clans to have a chance to make a comeback.


    The reason they had revealed the insider information about the sacrificial spirit in the shrine to Chen Yiming was because they hoped that Chen Yiming would be able to kill the spirit.


    After that, all the sacrificial spirits from the clans and the shrine would be wiped out. Everyone would start again from the same starting line, so they could barely accept it.


    ¡°Sir, the Japanese royal family has successfully nurtured a sacrificial spirit at the master realm. We have to be careful not to let another sacrificial spirit at the master realm be born.¡±


    Shimura Takashi decided to go all out and reveal the secret of the Japanese royal family.


    Osaka City was one of the three largest cities in Japan, and the Shimura clan was the top clan here. They knew a lot about the top secrets in Japan.


    Once such a secret was revealed to Chen Yiming, the Shimura clan would be in trouble.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued as he asked, ¡°Is there a sacrificial spirit at the master realm in the Japanese royal family now? Or was it in the past?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shimura Takashi was speechless for a moment. He looked at the other two people beside him.


    After hesitating for a moment, he said, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the sacrificial spirit at the master realm that is nurtured by the Japanese royal family. It¡¯s been a long time since there was any news of it.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he had set his eyes on the sacrificial spirit owned by the Japanese royal family.


    The shrines were controlled by the Japanese royal family. From what was happening on the surface, there must be a problem. Otherwise, they would not have rashly sacrificed the spirits of so many clans without making full preparations.


    From this, it could be seen that although the words of Shimura Takashi could not be trusted completely, the general information had to be correct.


    ¡­


    ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha!¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming was deep in thought, a maniacal laugh rang out from the shrine.


    Looking at the masterpiece he had personally created, Matsumoto Shigejiro felt a sense of accomplishment.


    The black shadow on the altar first retreated into the coffin and completely digested what it had devoured this time before emerging again.


    A huge octopus monster appeared in the shrine. Due to the vitality of the spirits, there was no need to worry even if it crushed the shrine.


    The octopus monster had a spiritual power flowing through its body. As its tentacles danced, many parts of the shrine were destroyed.


    At the same time, the spiritual energy spread out in all directions. Wherever it passed, the plants and creatures on the ground withered and died, losing all their vitality.


    Chen Yiming instructed Asou Nishiko to wait a safe distance away. He then leaped to the entrance of the shrine.


    The spiritual energy that could absorb other creatures¡¯ vitality surrounded him and tried to breach his defenses, but it could not break through.


    However, from the impact on his protective internal force, the energy seemed to have a physical manifestation.


    ¡°The materialization of spiritual power?¡±


    Part of the method for breaking through to the master realm was faintly revealed to him.


    Chen Yiming thought of the spiritual figure in his mind. He didn¡¯t know what that spiritual form represented, but there was no doubt that he had already uncovered a part of the way to break through to the master realm by himself.


    Outside the shrine, Shimura Takashi and the other two elders heaved a sigh of relief.


    They agreed in low voices that none of them could reveal what they had just said. Then, they started to go further away from the shrine to protect themselves from being affected by the upcoming battle.

 Chapter 252 - : Luck (II)

    In the shrine,


    ¡°The expert who is almost a martial master from the Daxia Kingdom, I would like to thank you for your help.¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro turned around, an uncontrollable excitement appearing on his slightly aged face.


    Although the octopus monster that he had personally created had not truly broken through to the master realm, it had taken an important step to becoming a sacrificial spirit at the master realm. He did not let the spirits from those clans die in vain.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro had made a huge contribution to the Japanese royal family.


    ¡°I know that you killed the sacrificial spirits to strengthen your swordsmanship abilities. To express my gratitude, I¡¯m willing to answer a question for you,¡± Matsumoto Shigejiro said.


    If the octopus monster did not take this important step, just by devouring the other sacrificial spirits, it would have the spiritual power for a short period of time.


    In that case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to Chen Yiming so calmly.


    However, they were now on the same level. At the very least, Matsumoto Shigejiro thought so. He had the intention of forming an alliance with Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming smiled faintly.


    The head of the shrine was probably so excited that he thought that the octopus monster could resist his Sword Aura.


    Little did he know that even if he was facing a true master, Chen Yiming was confident that he could escape unscathed.


    If he was facing a spiritual creature that was at the master realm, he would even dare to draw his sword directly due to his Sword Aura ability.


    At this moment, the octopus monster behind Matsumoto Shigejiro sensed the unfamiliar aura from Chen Yiming who completely ignored the spiritual energy emanating from it.


    The octopus monster raised one of its tentacles, as if it was about to attack in the next moment.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro hurriedly took out a talisman and added his internal force into it. As the caretaker of the sacrificial spirits, talismans were a common way to communicate with the spirits.


    The simple order reinforced throughout the long-term training of the octopus monster caused it to lower its tentacles and stay quietly where it was.


    Matsumoto Shigejiro turned around again. He didn¡¯t see it, but Chen Yiming did. The octopus monster seemed to be behaving a little unnaturally, and a few of its tentacles were wriggling around.


    The sacrificial spirit had broken through to the next realm, but his caretaker had not.


    Chen Yiming muttered to himself, but didn¡¯t remind his opponent.


    ¡°How embarrassing. It¡¯s too lively just after breaking through,¡± Matsumoto Shigejiro explained with a smile.


    No matter what kind of creature it was, the joy of breaking through to the next realm was something that almost nothing else could compare to.


    After saying this, he extended his hand and invited Chen Yiming into the shrine.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a sacrificial spirit breaking through to the master realm and a human breaking through to the master realm?¡± Chen Yiming climbed over the steps and asked.


    ¡°It seems that you are also interested in the sacrificial rituals,¡± Matsumoto Shigejiro said with a smile.


    ¡°No, I just want to understand more about the sacrificial spirits,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    Beating around the bush, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t directly ask about the method for humans to break through to the master realm.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Matsumoto Shigejiro said with a smile. He felt that as long as he did not give away the actual technique, it would not be a problem, so he continued,


    ¡°The difficulty for humans to break through to the master realm is firstly the breathing technique that focuses on one¡¯s body, and secondly, whether their mental strength has completed a qualitative transformation.


    As for sacrificial spirits, they are essentially a mass of spiritual energy. In terms of spiritual talent, we humans are far inferior to them.


    As for the breathing technique, the spirits can directly focus on their mental strength.


    Of course, in theory, humans can also focus on their mental strength, but you know¡­¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Chen Yiming understood what he meant.


    It was simply due to the fact that a human¡¯s spiritual talent was insufficient to support a human to break through to the master realm, unlike the sacrificial spirits.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts raced. In an instant, he recalled that the concept diagram had been drawn in his spiritual world. He vaguely guessed that the method for humans to break through was probably to take a shortcut.


    This was because the evolution of living creatures was a process of transformation. Generally speaking, if one took a shortcut during cultivation, they would face a greater threshold to get to the next level in the future.


    From Matsumoto Shigejiro¡¯s words, Chen Yiming could sense the difference in difficulty between the two methods of breaking through to the master realm.


    If the breathing technique was focused on the body, it would be much easier to resolve any problems that occurred during the cultivation process. However, if it was used on mental strength, it would be a huge problem if there were any mistakes in the cultivation. There was no way to resolve it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I wasn¡¯t born in the Daxia Kingdom. There are two martial masters in the north and south of the Daxia Kingdom. Decades ago, I traveled to your nation and wanted to become a disciple there, but I wasn¡¯t accepted.¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro started chatting with him like they were old friends.


    Those who could cultivate to the peak of the warrior realm were all talented people. However, because Matsumoto Shigejiro was from Japan, he did not have the chance to become a disciple under a martial master.


    ¡°After so many years, the Japanese royal family still hasn¡¯t been able to obtain the corresponding cultivation technique for breaking through to the mast realm?¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to be surprised.


    ¡°Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!¡±


    Matsumoto Shigejiro instantly recalled the events of the past and sighed heavily. ¡°I believe you also feel the limitations of the sacrificial spirits. While their hosts are still alive, the spirits are often not strong enough.


    When the spirits completely develop, the living hosts would often die for various reasons.


    It¡¯s fine to rely on the spirits to protect the nation, but it¡¯s very difficult to invade the otherworld. If one¡¯s activities in the otherworld are limited, how can one compete for and obtain things at the level of the master realm?¡±


    ¡°There are indeed many limitations. If the corpse in the coffin is damaged, the spirit won¡¯t be able to live for long without its vessel,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at the altar and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a pity.¡± Matsumoto Shigejiro had a look of regret on his face as he asked, ¡°By the way, I wonder which martial master you are under?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was at a loss for words.


    Before this, he knew nothing about the martial arts masters in the Daxia Kingdom. He had only learned about the existence of the two martial arts masters in the south and north from Matsumoto Shigejiro.


    Just as Chen Yiming was thinking about how to reply, the octopus monster saved him from having to answer.


    Hundreds of tentacles shot out, heading straight for Matsumoto Shigejiro and Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming leaped lightly and moved hundreds of meters away in an instant, dodging the tentacles of the octopus monster.


    On the other hand, Matsumoto Shigejiro was not so lucky. In essence, he was a long-term caretaker of the sacrificial spirits and was responsible for feeding them. In the past, with his powerful strength, there had naturally been no problems.


    However, for the time being, he had forgotten to be constantly on guard against the sacrificial spirit that only had unstable emotions.


    ¡°Is he being devoured by the spirit?¡±


    After Chen Yiming landed, he felt that Matsumoto Shigejiro had been unlucky. That octopus monster had only just broken through to the master realm, but it had already attacked its caretaker. Could it be that it had been holding a grudge against its caretaker all along?


    Matsumoto Shigejiro was stunned and was wrapped into a ball by hundreds of tentacles.


    In the next moment, the ball continuously transformed into various shapes. Then, the octopus monster directly sat on the ball and all its tentacles swarmed over it.


    Two to three minutes passed.


    Towards the end, the struggling became weaker. The octopus monster relied on its special ability to absorb all of Matsumoto Shigejiro¡¯s vitality.

 Chapter 253 - Battle with the Octopus Monster (I)

    ¡°Gulp¡­ gulp.¡± The octopus monster made sucking sounds as it stared at Chen Yiming, who was a few hundred meters away.


    To it, Chen Yiming was just another prey that had run faster than the one it had swallowed previously.


    The octopus monster¡¯s gaze was filled with bloodlust, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to become even more active. It was as if there were numerous small black worms that were sucking dry everything that they crawled past.


    Chen Yiming blinked and sized up the octopus monster that was still digesting its food.


    According to Matsumoto Shigejiro, this sacrificial spirit that was at the peak of the warrior realm had made another breakthrough.


    This was the first time he had encountered an opponent who could give a physical form to its spiritual energy. How could he kill it easily before he squeezed out all the information he could get from studying it?


    At this moment, what had happened in the shrine could no longer be hidden from the various large clans who were still watching nearby.


    Everyone was dumbfounded. They could not believe that the head of the shrine, Matsumoto Shigejiro, had died at the hands of a sacrificial spirit that had just broken through.


    Sacrificial spirits fed on souls. Without sufficient power to control them, they would usually hunt freely without restraint.


    If Chen Yiming failed to kill the octopus monster in the end, that would lead to the worst outcome. A spirit disaster would break out in the Osaka region.


    If they wanted to prevent the spirit disaster, the most direct way was to either kill the sacrificial spirit or destroy its vessel.


    The octopus monster was half a step away from becoming a martial master. There was a high chance that all the factions in Osaka City would not be able to deal with it even if they worked together. Moreover, even if they knew that they were on the brink of death, they would not be able to work together.


    Then there was only one option, and that was to think of ways to destroy the spirit¡¯s vessel.


    However, the vessel of a sacrificial spirit was equivalent to its own house. Although the octopus monster only had unstable emotions, it could move about with the vessel. It was not that easy to lure it away from the vessel.


    In the history of Japan, every time a disaster involving the sacrificial spirits occurred, the casualties were much higher than any other type of disaster. For example, the strength of the octopus monster could turn the entire Osaka City into a dead city in just a few minutes.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey¡­ Everyone in the clan should immediately split into small teams and temporarily leave the city to find a place to hide in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°Pack up? What for?¡±


    ¡°Act immediately. If you don¡¯t act now, you¡¯ll lose your life.¡±


    After being stunned for a moment, some of them reacted and immediately informed their clansmen.


    With more people gathered, it was easier to attract the attention of the spirits. From historical records, the best way to avoid the spirit disaster was to split up.


    While the octopus monster was still eating, this news began to spread throughout the major cities in the Osaka region. The cities were in chaos.


    Under the lead of the large clans and the martial arts practitioners who had first-hand information, they brought some simple daily necessities and split up to leave the cities through the city gates.


    To ordinary people, the movements of these martial arts factions were indicators of the situation. Furthermore, the news of the spirit disaster spread faster than any rumors.


    The streets were in chaos. There were all kinds of people, such as those who rushed to stock up on supplies, those who left to seek protection, and those who ran away with their belongings on their backs.


    Ordinary people could either continue to stay in the city and resign themselves to fate, or pay money to obtain protection and follow martial arts practitioners out of the city to avoid trouble.


    ¡­


    Before anyone noticed, the spiritual energy had already spread to a radius of two to three kilometers. The sky had already darkened, and even the heat energy from the sun could be absorbed by it.


    The octopus monster released its tentacles, and Matsumoto Shigejiro¡¯s corpse fell to the ground.


    His eyeballs bulged out. From his expression, it was clear that he did not die in peace, and his expression was filled with fear. His skin had lost all its moisture, and he looked like a cracked piece of bark from a tree.


    After being in charge of the Osaka region for more than 10 years under the orders of the Japanese royal family in his role that was equivalent to the city guardians of the Daxia Kingdom, Matsumoto Shigejiro was confirmed to be dead.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    The hundreds of tentacles didn¡¯t stop. They shot out and tried to catch Chen Yiming.


    The spiritual power on them gradually turned into a physical form, emitting a shrill cry. It was as if countless remnant souls were fighting each other, wanting to devour each other.


    Wherever the tentacles passed, air barriers were broken through, causing explosions in the air. This meant that these tentacles formed by spiritual strength were no longer just imagery, but had a real physical presence.


    If one was hit by them, not only would they have to face a spiritual attack, but they would also have to face a physical attack on the level of an internal force attack. If one wanted to fight against them, one needed to have both spiritual strength and internal force strength.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes narrowed as he slashed the peach wood sword at the tentacles.


    A blinding flash of light appeared, and the surrounding spiritual energy melted away like snow. The Sword Aura hidden inside the flash of light turned into a crescent shape, and the two ends instantly extended outwards, spanning across all the tentacles that were charging over.


    From below, they slashed at hundreds of tentacles at the same time.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The Sword Aura struck the tentacles, producing a loud sound of metal clashing against metal.


    However, the Sword Aura was only blocked for a moment before it completely broke through the defense of the tentacles. Hundreds of tentacles were cut in half, and a large amount of spiritual power at the point of the cut was destroyed by the Sword Aura.


    The destroyed spiritual power did not simply disperse, but completely disappeared.


    However, to his surprise, the tentacles that had fallen from the sky actually floated back to the octopus monster. It was as though Chen Yiming had only destroyed a small portion of the tentacles.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    After Chen Yiming cut off the tentacles, he didn¡¯t continue to attack. Instead, he stared at the spiritual power that had turned from physical to illusory and returned to the octopus monster¡¯s body.


    Clearly, the ability to materialize one¡¯s spiritual energy was a qualitative change. It was just like how a young bird learned to fly, how an animal first learned to stand, and how a baby learned to speak for the first time.


    In terms of spiritual power, when an ordinary person went from the disciple realm to the warrior realm, it was not like the external and internal forces. The spiritual power did not undergo many transformations and had always been undergoing quantitative increases.


    Moreover, the accumulation was very slow and difficult. Most people would be stuck at the same level for a long time, so they would be stopped at a bottleneck once they reached a certain level.


    Chen Yiming had never come into contact with any cultivation technique that could cultivate one¡¯s spiritual power. All the secret techniques based on spiritual energy were only at the level of application.


    In other words, for the aspect of spiritual power, human cultivators were completely dependent on their talent.


    After the octopus monster retracted its severed tentacles, it positioned itself on the altar. Its bloodthirsty expression had mostly disappeared, and it began to become cautious.


    A sacrificial spirit that only had unstable emotions still had the ability to fear creatures stronger than it. A spirit could also become afraid and try to protect itself.


    ¡°It seems that even if it¡¯s a spirit, being half a step away from the master realm allows one¡¯s life force to undergo a qualitative change, making it not so easy to kill.¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly put aside his previous fear that he would easily kill the octopus monster.


    With a light tap of his feet against the ground, his figure moved in front of the octopus monster instantly, as though he had teleported.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    He made a small sound.


    A stream of Sword Aura was released from the peach wood sword in his hand.

 Chapter 254 - Battle with the Octopus Monster (II)

    The octopus monster was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of reaction speed. Just as it tried to make a move and before its tentacles could spread out, the Sword Aura appeared next to its body and split it into two.


    Chen Yiming leaped over and landed in the middle of the two halves of its body.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t die so easily!¡±


    He turned around and looked at the octopus monster.


    However, as far as he could see, the octopus monster had already disappeared. In its place was the spiritual energy that was spreading out.


    The spiritual energy instantly expanded from a range of 100 meters to a few kilometers. As it expanded, it was like ink, dyeing everything in its path black.


    Before he lost his vision, Chen Yiming realized that the altar had been destroyed. The coffin inside had already disappeared.


    Immediately after, the spiritual energy started to move in the direction of the crowd that was watching from afar.


    In the eyes of the people from the martial arts clans, the spiritual energy was like a black wave that surged towards them. For a moment, everyone was frightened out of their wits and scrambled to escape in all directions.


    While Chen Yiming was fighting the octopus monster, they had retreated a few kilometers away.


    They had thought that this was a safe distance and that they could help Chen Yiming to surround the sacrificial spirit while having enough time to escape if things went south. However, they had underestimated the power of the spirit that was a half-step away from the master realm.


    Moreover, no one expected that the octopus monster would not choose to escape after being split into two, but turn to charge at them instead.


    ¡°I remember that the ability of this sacrificial spirit is to absorb and transform energy. Does it want to devour the souls of the people around this area to recover its spiritual energy to deal with my Sword Aura?¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming slashed out with his sword again.


    A path was cleared by the Sword Aura, and he regained a portion of his vision.


    With a flash, he left the area covered by the black ink and arrived beside Asou Nishiko.


    Asou Nishiko had not only had relations with him, but she was also an important bridge for his movements in Japan. He could not let anything happen to her so easily.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Asou Nishiko had a look of horror on her face. She had seen someone being caught by the black ink who had not been able to escape from it.


    It had to be known that those who dared to stay nearby to keep watch over the situation were all heads of large clans. These people were all at the peak of the warrior realm.


    On the other hand, she was only an ordinary warrior. If she was touched by the spiritual energy, she would probably die immediately.


    This was the truth. The reason why Matsumoto Shigejiro¡¯s struggles were useless was because of his weaker spiritual strength. The octopus monster had already undergone a qualitative change of its spiritual power.


    As long as one was restrained by the tentacles, even those at the peak of the warrior realm would not be able to last long under the spiritual attack.


    ¡°This sacrificial spirit has broken through to a higher level. It¡¯s not so easy to kill it. From now on, you have to stick close to me,¡± Chen Yiming instructed as he grabbed Asou Nishiko and chased after the black ink formed by the octopus monster.


    In the short time that he had turned around to save Asou Nishiko, the octopus monster had already swept up several people and had almost completely disappeared from sight.


    ¡­


    In the northeast of Osaka City, more than 100 kilometers away, there was a volcanic crater that emitted white smoke all year round. There were a large number of half-frozen lava pools around it.


    Normally, few creatures would stay in such a place. However, because there was a space-travel passage inside the volcano, this dangerous place had become a paradise for mutant beasts.


    Furthermore, due to the occasional eruption of the volcano, almost all the mutant beasts living in this area were at the warrior realm.


    At this moment, there was an unwelcome guest at the mouth of the volcano. The black ink that the octopus monster had transformed into had arrived at this place.


    The black ink was much fainter now compared to back at the shrine. It was no longer able to dye everything in its path pitch-black, and the spiritual power on it was no longer stable, showing signs of dissipating at any moment.


    The reason why it had fled here was because Matsumoto Shigejiro had previously brought it to this volcano to devour the souls of mutant beasts. The cultivation environment in the otherworld on the other side of the space-travel passage was even better, and it instinctively attracted the spirit that only had unstable emotions.


    Chen Yiming chased after it from a few kilometers away. From time to time, a Sword Aura attack would slash at the black ink.


    Every time the black ink was slashed by the Sword Aura, a portion of it would be destroyed. Along the way, Chen Yiming had already slashed at it hundreds of times.


    However, in order to hide from the spirit disaster, more people had rushed into the wilderness than usual, allowing the octopus monsters to devour more souls to recover as it made its escape.


    If not for the fact that it was a sacrificial spirit that was half a step away from the master realm, coupled with the fact that it had encountered many prey along the way, the octopus monster would already have been killed by Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was dumbfounded to see a large number of mutant beasts surrounding the volcano.


    Even if the octopus monster could rely on devouring souls to recover its spiritual strength, there was a limit to its recovery. As long as he continued to attack it with his Sword Aura, it would eventually collapse completely.


    However, a large number of mutant beasts were living at the mouth of the volcano. The mouth of the volcano was clearly not the habitat of ordinary creatures. There could be no other reason except that there was a space-travel passage there.


    As expected, half of the mutant beasts surrounding the volcano were killed in an instant, and the rest fled in all directions. There were more than a hundred of them.


    A flying mutant beast let out a cry and charged into the sky before diving down.


    It had a pair of huge wings that were nearly 100 meters wide, and a grayish-black aura coated them.


    In addition, its body, including its tail, was nearly 60 meters long. Its feathers were like barbs, shining with a metallic glint. Its head was a little like that of a goose, and it had a wide and long beak.


    Its large golden eyes were cold and fierce.


    This flying mutant beast was the king of this volcano. It was at the peak of the warrior realm and was a constant threat to the Osaka region.


    The octopus monster devoured a large number of mutant beast souls in one go, and returned to its octopus form from its black ink form. The spiritual energy in its body became stronger again.


    Most of the mutant beasts that had been devoured were only at the ordinary warrior realm. However, since it was not aiming to achieve a breakthrough to a higher level but only to recover its spiritual power, the quantity could also make up for the lack of quality.


    Seeing a huge bird diving down from the sky, the octopus monster shot out hundreds of tentacles and aimed at it.


    In the blink of an eye, the huge bird became like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. It was first wrapped up by the tentacles, then attacked by the spiritual power.


    By the time Chen Yiming arrived, the huge bird¡¯s struggling had weakened by 30%. It was being absorbed into the octopus monster¡¯s body, and was temporarily equivalent to a portable charger.


    ¡°Master, stop it quickly. There¡¯s a space-travel passage in the volcano,¡± Asou Nishiko reminded him with a frustrated expression.


    Along the way, she had witnessed how Chen Yiming had worn down the octopus monster until it was on the verge of collapse. However, the opponent¡¯s luck was too good, and it seemed to have an endless supply of recovery items to pick up along the way.


    Chen Yiming frowned but didn¡¯t make a move.


    Now that the octopus monster had recovered, even if he tried to kill it on the spot, it could still withstand the Sword Aura attack and escape into the space-travel passage.


    As for the unfamiliar space-travel passage, who knew what kind of creatures were waiting for him on the other side? Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t take the risk so easily just for a mere sacrificial spirit that was not even at the master realm.


    Perhaps it was because it was extremely angry at being chased, but the octopus monster, which was filled with unstable emotions, seemed to be trying to provoke Chen Yiming.


    Without waiting for Chen Yiming to make a move, it charged into the volcano, as if it was luring Chen Yiming to chase after it.


    ¡°Master, it is unknown how dangerous the other side of this space-travel passage is. There were several heads of large clans at the peak of the warrior realm who worked together to explore the otherworld from here.


    No one knows what exactly those people encountered, but they only entered the otherworld for a short period of time. Not long after they returned, one of the clan heads died from serious injuries.¡±


    Asou Nishiko held onto Chen Yiming¡¯s hand, afraid that he would chase after the monster recklessly.

 Chapter 255 - Barbarian Sorcerer (I)

    Night fell.


    Within a radius of 10 kilometers from the mouth of the volcano, due to the fact that the giant bird had been easily killed by the octopus monster, no mutant beast dared to draw near.


    The giant bird was the king of this volcano. It was unknown if the octopus monster would return from the otherworld. The other mutant beasts did not dare to take the risk for the time being.


    Chen Yiming found a spot on a mountain near the mouth of the volcano and stationed himself there.


    His cultivation of internal force fusion was almost complete, so he decided to start cultivating on the spot while he waited for the octopus monster to reappear.


    After all, it was unknown what level of creatures existed in the otherworld on the other side of the space-travel passage. From the records from the Osaka region, they were at least at the level of being a half-step away from the master realm.


    As for the sacrificial spirit that only had unstable emotions, there was no reason for it to barge in alone and not be attacked by the creatures on the other side. Perhaps it would be overwhelmed in the otherworld and return to the blue planet soon.


    ¡­


    The sky turned bright again.


    The sun rose in the east, and the darkness was quickly dispelled. Another day had arrived.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes were tightly shut as he sat cross-legged on a huge rock. He faced the morning sun and breathed in the fresh air. He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air that turned into an air sword that shot towards the mouth of the volcano not far away.


    On the surface of the air sword, traces of internal force were wrapped around it and flickering with a golden light.


    There was a loud crash.


    The side of the volcano that was facing Chen Yiming collapsed inward. A large amount of rubble mixed with mud fell into the lava inside the volcano.


    ¡°Is this the qualitative change caused by mastering the fusion of internal force?¡±


    Chen Yiming opened his eyes and looked at the half-destroyed volcano.


    The turbid air that he had casually exhaled had become like a missile that exploded dozens of meters away. It had a hint of the ability to summon wind and rain from the legends in his previous world.


    ¡°Let me give it a shot.¡±


    Chen Yiming clenched his right hand, and a golden sword of light appeared in his hand.


    He slashed at the remaining half of the volcano, and the golden sword of light extended to 1000 meters. The surface of the volcano, along with a portion of the ground, was sliced off by his sword.


    Fiery red lava flowed out of the hole and mixed with the soil, spreading for several kilometers before stopping.


    Along the way, trees, grass, and all other combustible objects were lit up. Black smoke obscured the sunlight, forming a terrain that was filled with smoke.


    ¡°The attack range has reached the same level as the Sword Aura,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he looked at the destroyed volcano.


    He could feel that the strength of his internal force had improved qualitatively again. It was already on the same level as the tree roots of the willow tree king that was at the master realm.


    This meant that compared to the master realm, while he might not be able to use the external power to create an attack at the level of natural phenomena, it was already impossible for others to easily break through Chen Yiming¡¯s protective internal force.


    This way, with his Level-2 Undying Body talent, he was confident that he could deal with a true martial master.


    After a while, Chen Yiming turned his attention to his spiritual world.


    A brand new concept diagram covered the entire space. The concept diagram of the strength-based internal force formed the framework, and the concept diagrams of the 12 other internal forces were perfectly embedded in it.


    The strength-based internal force in his body turned into a golden internal force after fusing with the 12 different types of internal force.


    Its attributes were still mainly based on strength, but it also had the special effects of the other 12 types of internal force. Be it attack or defense, there was a qualitative improvement.


    Not only that, but Chen Yiming also felt that the Sword Aura had become stronger. He had already reached the limit of the peak of the warrior realm.


    ¡°Congratulations, Master.¡±


    When Chen Yiming¡¯s aura calmed down, Asou Nishiko walked over with a smile.


    It was impossible to hide one¡¯s aura when one made a move. She could feel that Chen Yiming¡¯s aura had become stronger when he attacked.


    There was only one reason for that, which was that he had made another breakthrough in his cultivation.


    ¡°After today, if that octopus spirit still doesn¡¯t return, we won¡¯t wait any longer,¡± Chen Yiming instructed. He then sat down to explore the differences that had arisen due to his completion of the internal force fusion.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming was sitting quietly near the crater, cultivating alone.


    Japan¡¯s misfortunes were far from over. An uninvited guest had arrived in Nagashima City. It was the mutant stone golem that had escaped from the space-travel passage in Western Australia.


    Nagashima City had once been razed to the ground by nuclear weapons, and the remaining nuclear radiation had yet to be completely eliminated.


    The only good news was that the mutant stone golem had no interest in human cities. It randomly found an open area and fell into a deep sleep.


    From afar, it looked like a stone mountain had suddenly appeared.


    The Japanese royal family had to deal with the nuclear power plants on the floating island, and they also had to guard against Chen Yiming, an expert from the Daxia Kingdom. They had also yet to come up with a feasible plan for dealing with the aftermath of the incident in Osaka City.


    At this time, if they provoked the mutant stone golem, neither the Japanese royal family nor the Nagashima region would be able to do anything. They could only arrange for the people from Nagashima City to be evacuated to the surrounding cities.


    Near noon, in the space-travel passage inside the volcano, countless tentacles suddenly extended out and stabbed into the lava. However, the fiery red lava could not cause any damage to the tentacles.


    The octopus spirit had returned in a panic. It didn¡¯t bother to check if Chen Yiming was waiting nearby and just rushed out of the space-travel passage.


    ¡°The octopus spirit has returned again. As expected, the otherworld is not a place that one can enter as they please. There are either many creatures at the level of a half-step away from the master realm or creatures that are actually at the master realm following behind it.¡±


    After he spoke, a golden sword of light appeared in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    If he had yet to complete his cultivation of the internal force fusion, he might have observed the situation first to see if any creatures at the master realm would arrive on the blue planet.


    However, there was no need to consider this now. At most, he would just have to fight the creatures from the otherworld.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The position of the octopus spirit was where the space-travel passage was located. The golden sword of light smashed down at it from above.


    The octopus spirit was instantly shattered into pure spiritual energy, and the streams of spiritual energy floated in the air. However, the golden sword of light seemed to be shrinking in response.


    ¡°It seems that internal force is inferior to the Sword Aura in terms of lethality against spiritual creatures.¡±


    Seeing that the golden sword of light wasn¡¯t very effective against the octopus spirit, Chen Yiming dispersed it and instantaneously moved in front of the gathering spiritual energy.


    Before the Sword Aura slashed out, he could already feel the spiritual energy trembling.


    To the octopus spirit, there was a tiger in front of it and a wolf behind it. No matter where it ran, there were existences that it could not defeat.


    ¡°One more strike.¡±


    Chen Yiming slashed out with his peach wood sword.


    At this moment, although the appearance of the Sword Aura did not change much and was only a little more condensed, its lethality towards spiritual creatures had increased by a level.


    The spiritual energy that spread out was directly reduced by half before it could gather into the form of the octopus spirit.


    On the surface of the remaining half of the spiritual energy, there was still a destructive force that was constantly preventing it from recovering.


    However, when faced with the Sword Aura that had suddenly become more lethal, the octopus spirit could not do anything.


    Previously, the Sword Aura could only destroy a small portion of its spiritual energy at a time. Now, more than half of it had been destroyed, and its death was almost decided.


    ¡°The third strike.¡±


    Chen Yiming had no intention of holding back. He slashed out with another Sword Aura.


    A white light appeared in the sky. The aura that belonged to the octopus spirit disappeared from the mouth of the volcano, leaving nothing behind.


    ¡°500 points?¡±


    Veins popped out on Chen Yiming¡¯s forehead as he looked at the changes on the martial arts talent panel.


    Without a doubt, with the octopus spirit breaking through to half a step away from the master realm, most of the souls at the peak of the warrior realm that had been devoured by it would be used up.

 Chapter 256 - Barbarian Sorcerer (II)

    Chen Yiming had not expected the shrine to make such a move. In the end, he had lost out on at least half of the reduction in Skill Points to reach his Level-4 swordsmanship talent.


    Heartache! Extreme heartache! Super heartache!


    Such an opportunity would not come again.


    Japan now knew that he had the intention to kill the sacrificial spirits. In the future, wherever he went, the sacrificial spirits of the various clans would definitely be transferred away in advance.


    Chen Yiming did not get much time to feel sad about it.


    At the entrance of the space-travel passage, an overwhelming aura suddenly appeared. It felt like lightning surging through the clouds just before a storm.


    Soon, a figure that was more than 10 meters tall walked out.


    This was a barbarian sorcerer. He was barefoot and wearing a simple cloth made from plants that covered his sensitive areas.


    In each hand was a long wooden staff with a skull attached to the top. It was unknown what creature it belonged to.


    There were two heads on top of his body. From the moment they appeared on the blue planet, they had been chattering non-stop.


    When Chen Yiming met the eyes of the barbarian sorcerer, the air suddenly fell silent.


    Chen Yiming was shocked that his opponent was only about 10 meters tall, much smaller than common creatures in the otherworld. However, the aura emanating from his body was thick and vast, and he seemed to be even stronger than the willow tree king.


    The barbarian sorcerer was also stunned for a moment. Why had the aura of the sacrificial spirit disappeared?


    It had to be known that in the barbarian tribe, spirits made the best sacrificial offerings. It was not easy for him to find a spirit that he could deal with.


    ¡°%$%*¡±


    The two heads of the barbarian sorcerer flew into a rage at the same time and cursed in an unknown language.


    As he spoke, one of the staffs in his hand landed not far from Chen Yiming. The skull on it emitted a mysterious power, and the soil on the ground turned gray, giving off a deathly aura.


    ¡°Is this a threat? Or are you asking me where the octopus spirit has gone?¡±


    Chen Yiming was confused.


    When it came to knowledge, one would always feel that it was not enough. The Jiangnan martial arts bureau had books related to the languages of the otherworld, in which they had collected some simple terms used by the commonly encountered intelligent creatures from the otherworld. Some experts had deciphered these and recorded them in books.


    However, it was not a big deal if he did not understand. In any case, words were not as effective as actions. In the end, both sides still had to fight.


    Therefore, he quickly drew his sword and slashed at the barbarian sorcerer that was not too far away.


    At the level of the master realm, the distance between the two of them was no different from battling right in close quarters.


    The barbarian sorcerer had just raised the staff in his left hand to defend himself when the Sword Aura struck the skull of the staff.


    Because he had not expected that his opponent would be of the same level, the barbarian sorcerer was not prepared enough. The skull was directly destroyed by the Sword Aura.


    Immediately after, a shallow cut appeared on the barbarian sorcerer¡¯s left arm. Blood flowed out, but it was ultimately stopped by the power coming from his body.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    Even Chen Yiming was surprised.


    In the next moment, the left head of the barbarian sorcerer chanted an unknown incantation, and a layer of red energy appeared on his body.


    This layer of red energy gave Chen Yiming a feeling of death. It was as if everything around his opponent had turned red, and his killing intent was magnified.


    The staff that was missing the skull was thrown over. In a flash,Chen Yiming moved back hundreds of meters, bringing Asou Nishiko with him.


    In a battle at the level of the master realm, the battlefield spanned hundreds of kilometers. It was useless no matter where Asou Nishiko, a mere warrior, ran to.


    The moment Chen Yiming dodged, there was a loud bang.


    The staff hit the ground, and the destructive force released was at a world-shattering level. It was clearly about a kilometer away from the crater, but the powerful force caused the explosions deep in its depths.


    As a result, the lava underground erupted from the volcano with a bang.


    This was not a natural eruption, but one caused by external factors. However, the power of the eruption was not reduced. A huge amount of lava rushed into the sky, and thick black smoke covered the sky.


    The situation at the volcano could be seen throughout the entire Osaka region. The city, which had just returned to normal, was showing signs of chaos again.


    ¡°?£¤#@a€|&¡±


    Seeing that his attack had failed, the barbarian sorcerer was even more furious. This time, it was the right head¡¯s turn to chant an incantation.


    The ground within a radius of 10 kilometers started to shake. At the next moment, countless plants broke out of the ground and wrapped around Chen Yiming and Asou Nishiko.


    Each of these plants was comparable to a living creature. On their surface, there were metal-like barbs. The moment they appeared, the land within a 10-kilometer radius became a land of death. All the life force became nutrients for the plants to grow.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze. He didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    He slashed out with one Sword Aura after another. The Sword Aura attacks automatically organized themselves into a sword formation and started to destroy the plants that were charging at them.


    At this moment, his ability to replenish his energy was comparable to that of a perpetual motion machine. It was as if he could fight against a real natural disaster.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    The sea of plants within a 10 kilometer radius seemed huge, but the plants were no match for the Sword Aura. They would be killed the moment they touched it. It was a competition of whether the sea of plants would be destroyed first or if Chen Yiming would be the first to run out of energy.


    However, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of losing to anyone when it came to the speed at which he could replenish his energy. The number of Sword Auras in the arena gradually increased, and the balance was gradually broken.


    In the end, the sea of plants drained the energy from the land, but it still could not withstand the countless Sword Auras that were flying through the air.


    In the distance, a helicopter sent by the Japanese military was observing the situation.


    The soldiers in the sky almost peed their pants. First, a sea of plants appeared, then countless Sword Auras appeared in the air.


    Chen Yiming relied on his ability to replenish his energy to form a region covered with Sword Auras that spanned several kilometers.


    This was a destructive power that could only be unleashed during a battle at the master realm. Wherever it passed, nothing could withstand it, and everything would be destroyed.


    After the soldier in charge of passing on the information recovered, he picked up his communication device and reported the news to the Japanese royal family.


    At the same time, the Osaka region was in chaos again.


    All the people in the city felt a commotion coming from a certain direction and vaguely saw the situation in the sky.


    Without any hesitation, they fled in the opposite direction. With such destructive power, if there was really a fight to the death, the entire Japan could be destroyed.


    Seeing that the Sword Auras had completely destroyed the sea of plants, the two heads of the barbarian sorcerer calmed down. The right head started to chant an incantation again.


    The sky was originally clear and the clouds were floating peacefully.


    However, as the barbarian sorcerer finished chanting the incantation, lightning snakes began to shuttle through the clouds. In a short period of time, they gathered to form a powerful bolt of lightning.


    With a loud bang, lightning struck the ground.


    Countless forked lightning bolts charged towards Chen Yiming at a speed that was almost impossible to dodge.


    This wasn¡¯t all. Countless wind blades appeared in the sky. These wind blades combined with lightning and slashed at Chen Yiming from all directions.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I have a burden weighing me down. I can only fight him head-on.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at Asou Nishiko.


    He first slashed out hundreds of Sword Aura at the lightning bolts, clearing half the sky. Then, a golden light erupted from his body.


    The golden internal force began to revolve around his body, spreading out in circles. Throughout the entire process, he used his internal force freely, not considering the possibility of exhausting it.


    With Chen Yiming as the center, a spinning golden sphere a kilometer wide appeared.


    The lightning bolts and the wind blades that appeared from all directions were all knocked back by the golden sphere.


    The two sides were in a stalemate for a few minutes. In the end, the power of the clouds was exhausted. Chen Yiming took a deep breath and stopped the outflow of his internal force.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The barbarian sorcerer¡¯s expression changed drastically. As he instantly retreated to the entrance of the space-travel passage, his two heads muttered something unintelligible.


    Even after three consecutive attacks, they were unable to do anything to Chen Yiming. Without sufficient motivation, the barbarian sorcerer wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to fight to the death.


    ¡°What are those two heads saying?¡±


    Only then did Chen Yiming remember Asou Nishiko, who was beside him. She had a special communication ability, so she should be able to speak all kinds of languages easily.


    ¡°They are arguing about whether you killed the octopus spirit. The left head feels that you dodged it earlier and wants to continue fighting you in close combat. The right head feels that it can¡¯t kill you and wants to retreat,¡± Asou Nishiko quickly explained.


    ¡°Continue eavesdropping on their conversation and translate it to me in real time,¡± Chen Yiming nodded and instructed.

 Chapter 257 - The Power of the Situation

    Asou Nishiko continued to translate, ¡°The head on the left thinks that it should kill you, and then search in a range of at least 1,000 kilometers to try to find other sacrificial spirits.¡±


    ¡°The head on the right said that the world here is too barren and doesn¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason to continue staying here since it¡¯s impossible for a large number of sacrificial spirits to exist here.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The head on the left feels that since its staff was broken by you, it doesn¡¯t want to leave without breaking the sword in your hand.¡±


    ¡°The head on the right reminds the head on the left that your reinforcements are approaching from afar.¡±


    As they spoke, the barbarian sorcerer suddenly stepped into the space-travel passageway and disappeared from their sight.


    Asou Nishiko¡¯s translation ended there. Chen Yiming glanced at the space-travel passage. The space-time rift above it did not show any signs of disturbance.


    This meant that the battle at the master realm was far from being able to affect space.


    A few minutes later, a group of armed men crossed the mountains and arrived at the volcano.


    There were 15 of them in total, 14 men and one woman.


    The men had the aura of soldiers and had serious expressions on their faces. They did not say a single word, and none of them seemed weak. One of them had even mastered the transformation of internal force.


    Chen Yiming knew the woman. She was Liu Sujuan, the liaison officer assigned to him by the security bureau.


    At this moment, Liu Sujuan had a tired expression, and there were bits of sand in her face and hair. It was a little difficult for someone at the disciple realm like her to travel from the Daxia Kingdom to Japan.


    ¡°Consultant Chen, your sect master is seriously injured.¡±


    Liu Sujuan¡¯s first words were bad news.


    ¡°What exactly is the situation?¡± Chen Yiming frowned and asked.


    ¡°The stronghold of Jiangnan province in the otherworld was ambushed. In order to protect the stronghold, the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect was almost killed in an one-against-three battle with the creatures from the otherworld,¡± Liu Sujuan stammered as she explained.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze when he heard this.


    Initially, he had planned to go after the sacrificial spirit at the master realm that the Japanese royal family had obtained. However, as a member of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he could not stand by and do nothing in this situation.


    Liu Sujuan stole a glance at the surrounding terrain.


    As far as the eye could see, the volcano had already been completely destroyed, turning into a small lake of lava. Bubbles were constantly emerging from it, and streams of smoke were rising into the sky.


    The ground seemed to have been plowed over again and again, with steaming trenches extending into the distance.


    Previously, the group had watched from afar. Thinking back on the battle that was at the level of a natural disaster, they still felt a lingering fear. It was impossible for them to have survived on the battlefield.


    If not for the fact that she was afraid that Chen Yiming would leave again and she would not be able to find him, she would have watched from afar until the battle had ended.


    Liu Sujuan stole another glance at Chen Yiming.


    What was in this body?


    So strong! So powerful!


    Unfortunately, she did not dare to go up to him and prod at it.


    When she thought of the conversation between Bureau Chief Xie and herself, her face couldn¡¯t help but turn even redder.


    ¡­


    In the Myriad Phenomena Sect, after receiving the news that Chen Yiming was returning to the mountain, the originally sorrowful atmosphere dissipated. Everyone, from the disciples to the court heads, regained their smiles.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s reputation in Japan, the Myriad Phenomena Sect had suddenly become like a temple. Other than the position of sect master, there was no other position that was worthy of Chen Yiming¡¯s strength.


    In the courtyard, Chen Yiming¡¯s former roommates, Qian Bingnan, Dai Yuanhang, and Bai Hengliang, sat around a stone table and chatted.


    ¡°Sigh, I went down the mountain to participate in the beast tide battle last time. After I returned, I wanted to find an opportunity to ask for guidance¡­¡±


    Qian Bingnan suddenly didn¡¯t look like himself anymore. Back then, he was a martial arts fanatic. Whether he could win was a separate matter. At the very least, he would still have the courage to fight with his opponent.


    ¡°With your lousy martial arts skills, Chen Yiming can defeat you with just a single breath.¡±


    Dai Yuanhang rolled his eyes.


    Yesterday, there was suddenly a rumor that a third martial master had appeared in the Daxia Kingdom.


    Although the name was not revealed, a large number of clues pointed to the Osaka region in Japan.


    The battle between Chen Yiming and the barbarian sorcerer had not only attracted the attention of Japan and the Daxia Kingdom, but also the various large countries on the blue planet.


    Some videos and pictures were also circulated. Because they were taken from too far away and were disturbed by the aftermath of the battle, they could only capture the general situation. However, even so, it still shocked the higher-ups of the various countries.


    It had to be known that even Western Australia, a country that was equivalent to three-quarters of the Daxia Kingdom, had not nurtured a single martial master after so many years.


    This was especially true for the Sam Nation. All kinds of meetings on this matter had been going on all this while.


    Originally, as the two pillars on the blue planet, each country had two martial masters. However, the balance was now broken.


    ¡°Xiaojing wants to get back together with me. What should I do?¡±


    Bai Hengliang suddenly said something that broke the serious atmosphere.


    When Qian Bingnan and Dai Yuanhang heard this, they almost choked.


    The three of them had only been roommates with Chen Yiming for a short period of time, but they also shared in his glory.


    Xiao Jing was the female disciple who had previously friendzoned Bai Hengliang.


    ¡­


    At the airport in Jiangnan City, Chen Yiming walked down the stairs from the plane and saw that the airport had been cordoned off.


    The three big shots of Jiangnan City, the chief of the security bureau, Xie Jimin, and the leaders of the various important departments were all waiting.


    Back then, when he went to Japan, it was still deserted. When he returned, he was just missing a red carpet. The difference in treatment was due to the battle between Chen Yiming and the barbarian sorcerer.


    After exchanging some pleasantries with the leaders of Jiangnan City, Chen Yiming got into a car that drove towards the city center. A banquet had already been prepared at a large hotel in the city.


    Along the way, Chen Yiming realized through the car window that the atmosphere was much more relaxed than when he had left. People were coming and going on the streets, and the restaurants were filled with customers.


    As one of the two pillars of the blue planet, it was impossible for the Daxia Kingdom to not have any countermeasures against the mutant creatures that had appeared from the space-travel passage in Western Australia.


    Or perhaps it was because he had returned to Jiangnan province, which allowed the leaders to heave a sigh of relief. Even the police who were maintaining order on the streets were gone, and there was no need for restrictions to prevent people from hoarding supplies.


    Soon, the convoy arrived at a hotel by the river.


    On both sides of the hotel entrance, many long-legged female receptionists stood in a line.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to waste too much time on these meaningless matters, so he entered the main hall directly.


    ¡­


    At the banquet, other than the higher ups of Jiangnan City, a large number of higher ups from the large factions in Jiangnan province were also present. As soon as the banquet started, they greeted Chen Yiming one by one.


    Chen Yiming showed his face briefly and was about to leave when he was stopped by Xie Weilin.


    She was wearing a low-cut beige gown and had put on some professional-looking makeup. Below the gown, her long and fair legs were revealed, and she was wearing a pair of crystalline high heels.


    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Xie Weilin greeted him shamelessly.


    ¡°You really screwed me over,¡± Chen Yiming said helplessly.


    As he spoke, he glanced down from above and realized that it was not padded, but the real thing.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    Xie Weilin pouted and refused to admit it.


    She still had a mission to complete, and the burden on her was even heavier than a mountain. If she admitted it, there would be no room for negotiation.


    ¡°Are you trying to trick me again?¡±


    Chen Yiming could tell that something was amiss from her expression.


    The contribution points he had earned from helping the security bureau were nothing to Chen Yiming. Only the specific cultivation techniques of the master realm could catch his eye.


    The three big shots of Jiangnan City might have some understanding of how to break through to the master realm, but they might not know the exact method.


    ¡°Haha! How can that be?¡±


    Xie Weilin forced out an awkward smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired from the flight. I¡¯ll go back first and rest for a while.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. He knew that nothing good could come out of it, so he took the opportunity to escape.


    However, something soft bumped into his arm. He was afraid that the other party would be injured, so he had to stop.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ I¡¯m about to take part in the project to construct a base city at the space-travel passage. Can¡¯t we have a good chat?¡± Xie Weilin held onto Chen Yiming¡¯s arm and said anxiously.


    ???


    Chen Yiming frowned. What a lousy excuse.


    Are we that close? Besides, as an officer, isn¡¯t this part of your job? Instead, you came to attend the banquet. That¡¯s not your job.


    She was dressed in a low-cut gown. Those who did not know her would think that she was a celebrity or a socialite.


    ¡°The stronghold in the otherworld is being attacked from time to time. I wonder when an otherworld creature will rush out. Can you teach me some combat techniques?¡±


    Xie Weilin¡¯s body was very close to Chen Yiming¡¯s. She was just short of hugging him.


    ¡°Combat techniques?¡±


    Chen Yiming had always used his own strength to suppress others, so he didn¡¯t know any tricks. He knew how to break through and was quite proficient in it.


    It was obvious that it was not Xie Weilin who was looking for him, but the higher-ups of Jiangnan province who were looking for him. It was just that the two of them had gotten into a conflict some time ago, and he could not let go of his pride.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made some progress in my cultivation recently. I¡¯m preparing to return to the mountain and enter seclusion for a while. Let¡¯s talk when I have time,¡± he refused righteously.


    Although Chen Yiming would definitely help if something really happened in the otherworld, he didn¡¯t want to get too involved. His personal cultivation was the most important. Otherwise, he would have to be stationed there for a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If there¡¯s a problem, I can look for you at your sect.¡±


    Xie Weilin smiled.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming understood her meaning.


    Why did the construction of the base city start as soon as the stronghold was attacked? Logically speaking, this was not the right time.


    Xie Weilin did not come to discuss it with him, but to pass on the news.


    Even if he didn¡¯t get involved directly, he still had to assist with the project.


    At the thought of this, the feeling of having taken advantage of Xie Weilin earlier suddenly disappeared.


    At this moment, Xie Weilin let go of Chen Yiming¡¯s arm. For some reason, her face had suddenly turned red.


    Chen Yiming sized her up from head to toe.


    Compared to Liu Sujuan, this woman was not sincere enough. She would let go of him right after using him. There was still a long way to go, and he would not lose out for nothing.


    After that, Xie Weilin no longer held him back.


    Chen Yiming successfully left the banquet.


    ¡­


    After returning to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Chen Yiming made a trip back to East Lake City.


    He traveled alone. He first went home to have dinner with his family, then asked Wang Bowen out. The two of them casually walked along a street.


    Under the night sky, they passed by many other pedestrians. Chen Yiming released his illusionary internal force to prevent anyone from recognizing him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already successfully broken through to the warrior realm, but the gap between us has not decreased. Instead, it has grown even larger.¡±


    Wang Bowen sighed.


    As Chen Yiming¡¯s senior brother who had enlightened him on his martial arts path when he was just starting out, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be stingy with him. After leading the team to clear out the beast tide, he had left Wang Bowen with many good things.


    Wang Bowen had also joined the company to help Chen Yiming manage his subordinates.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to be concerned with such things. East Lake City has changed a lot recently. I don¡¯t even recognize it,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to you. Ever since you helped out that time, the people from the surrounding cities like Nightwater City, Cloud Port City, and even further away have moved to East Lake City.¡±


    After Wang Bowen finished speaking, he pointed at a shop by the roadside.


    The name of the shop was: Shu An Moving Company.


    Recently, a large number of such moving companies had appeared in East Lake City, and business was booming due to the numerous people moving over from the surrounding cities.


    It was not only the ordinary people, but the martial arts practitioners in East Lake City and the surrounding cities also saw the change in the situation.


    There were also many external martial arts schools and martial arts clans that had entered East Lake City. They intended to first set up a foothold here and gradually shift their forces over.


    ¡°This is equivalent to giving back to my hometown.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    His influence was rapidly increasing, and the news that he had the combat power at the master realm had yet to spread to the ordinary people.


    From now on, East Lake City would continue to obtain an unimaginable amount of development opportunities. It could grow from a small to medium-sized city in a region, to a large city at the provincial level, to a central city in a country.


    There was no limit to these opportunities, and it could exceed the expectations of the common people.


    Wherever Chen Yiming placed the Chen clan¡¯s influence, there was where one would find the best opportunities.


    It could be said that the higher ups of East Lake City did not need to do anything. In the future, this place could also develop into the place that the entire Jiangnan province, then the entire Daxia Kingdom, and finally the place where everyone on the blue planet paid attention to.


    ¡°By the way, before you left, you told me to recruit a large number of warriors. Now that the company has recruited nine warriors, it¡¯s about to break the double digits,¡± Wang Bowen said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough. Take advantage of East Lake City¡¯s population expansion and recruit as many as you can,¡± Chen Yiming thought for a moment and said.


    ¡°But¡­ won¡¯t we be taking too big a step?¡±


    Wang Bowen voiced his concerns.


    A person¡¯s perspective determined the difficulty of the problem. When Chen Yiming first entered the school, Wang Bowen had been able to give the most appropriate suggestion.


    However, to be precise, he wasn¡¯t strong enough anymore. Without his relationship with Chen Yiming, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle the nine warriors recruited by the company.


    ¡°These people are going to be sent to the otherworld.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t elaborate.


    With the space-travel passage as the core, the base city would start to be built around it. This meant that there was no way out for Jiangnan province¡¯s stronghold in the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s subordinates would have to participate in the developments in the otherworld. At this time, not to mention nine warriors, even 900 warriors would be at the level of cannon fodder.


    Ordinary warriors in the otherworld were equivalent to the disciple realm on the blue planet. Their numbers could not affect the situation at all.


    Even those at the warrior realm who had mastered the transformation of their internal force would only form the core of the combatants. Those who could change the situation were at least at the peak of the warrior realm.


    Unknowingly, the two of them had arrived at the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    The Mantis Snake Sword School had changed drastically in a short period of time. East Lake City had given away a large piece of land to it for free, causing the school¡¯s territory to increase by 10 times.


    Moreover, since the Mantis Snake Sword School had already become famous throughout East Lake City, there was no need to continue setting up branches in the four districts. Now, all the disciples were gathered in one place.


    Through a huge piece of glass, the scene inside could be seen. Hundreds of ordinary disciples were practicing their swordsmanship seriously.


    No one looked like they were slacking off. It was completely different from when Chen Yiming was practicing martial arts here.


    ¡°The entry requirements for the Mantis Snake Sword School have been changing every day recently. There¡¯s even an elimination system. It¡¯s difficult to stay in the school with poor talent even if you work hard,¡± Wang Bowen explained with a smile.


    Chen Yiming was in a daze.


    He was thinking that things were very different now. Previously, he had to hide his cultivation progress. Now, he was already standing at the peak of humanity in terms of martial arts prowess.


    In the future, he would need to lead the way for the humans. Therefore, the opportunity to nurture a large number of bloodline warriors had arrived.


    The advantage of being a bloodline warrior was that one could change their martial arts talent. It was very suitable for training a large number of people to form a warrior team.


    In addition, he saw how some of the disciples in the Mantis Snake Sword School were gritting their teeth.


    Chen Yiming sighed at the cruelty of the martial arts world. Why did that disciple have to put in all his effort? The main reason was because he wasn¡¯t talented enough. If he didn¡¯t work hard, he would be eliminated eventually.


    With the comprehension from his Level-3 swordsmanship talent, he would soon be able to upgrade to the Level-4 swordsmanship talent. He would then be able to draw the concept diagrams for cultivation at the warrior realm, transformation of internal force, and fusion of internal forces.


    To him, it would gradually be completely analyzed. At that time, he would create a set of cultivation techniques with very low requirements and ordinary combat power. He would also create a set of cultivation techniques that would allow one to fight those at a higher level. He could even create a corresponding cultivation technique for people with different amounts of talent.


    This was not too difficult. As long as one was talented enough, it was possible.


    At that time, with more powerful fighters, Chen Yiming would be able to explore the otherworld more and find clues to reach a higher level on the path of martial arts. It would be fine as long as he was in charge of the fighting.

 Chapter 258 - Revolutionary Cultivation Technique

    Late at night, it was silent everywhere.


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on the bed and entered his spiritual world.


    His breathing was long and steady. Every time he inhaled and exhaled, it would last for more than a minute. From time to time, a strong wind would blow in the room.


    During his deep meditation, a different concept diagram of the black fog gradually appeared in his spiritual world. The lines that formed the concept diagram were broken and reconnected by him.


    In the beginning, this novel concept diagram of the black fog was extremely unstable. Every new line was trembling, just like when the foundation for a house was reduced greatly. It needed to be adjusted, or it would collapse.


    Then, with the experience accumulated from the combination of various internal forces and the fusion of internal forces, he began to adjust each connection. During the process, he continued to add or remove some of the lines.


    The new concept diagram gradually became stable at its core. Then, it slowly stabilized outwards, and a completely new and stable black fog concept diagram appeared.


    Chen Yiming opened his eyes, a look of joy on his face.


    When he was taking a stroll with Wang Bowen, an idea flashed across his mind. He had thought of creating a cultivation technique that had a very low requirement for cultivation. He did not expect it to be resolved so easily. It really worked out as long as he put his mind to it.


    He waved his hand, and a patch of fog spread throughout the room.


    Compared to the original black fog internal force, the fog in front of him was about half as dense. Not only was it unable to hide his figure well, but the internal force had also become more loosely-packed.


    It could be said that it had completely become a type of support and could only serve as a distraction.


    If one cultivated the technique created by Chen Yiming, they would basically be unable to defeat anyone at the same level. They would be at the bottom of their level.


    ¡°This cultivation technique I created is weak to a certain extent, but its shortcomings are also its advantages. The requirement for cultivating it is greatly reduced. Compared to the original concept diagram, the requirement for spiritual strength is reduced by about 30%.


    In any case, breaking through to the warrior realm can allow one to use their internal force to further temper their body. A stronger body can also nurture a stronger spiritual strength. It¡¯s perfect as a transitional cultivation technique,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    Currently, humans had yet to create a cultivation technique that could hone their spiritual strength, but it was not impossible to increase their spiritual strength.


    The most common method was to constantly use one¡¯s spiritual power. One could cultivate secret spiritual techniques or study concept diagrams.


    Another method was to break through to the next level. There was an indescribable connection between the body and the mind, and they could develop together.


    Chen Yiming picked up the peach wood sword excitedly and started to modify the Mantis Snake Sword Technique right there in his room.


    The strength of the internal force cultivated from the new cultivation technique had decreased by nearly half. The martial arts technique that originally came with it was no longer compatible. It needed to be modified to match the strength of the new internal force.


    His movements were very light, but they still made the house shake slightly. It was similar to a typhoon passing through the house.


    ¡­


    The next day, at 9 am, it was rare for him to be at home, so Chen Yiming slept in.


    The sunlight was already shining through the window, illuminating the room. The air felt warm.


    On the desk was a concept diagram that he had completed last night, and a book of the martial arts technique that went with it.


    This was specially prepared for his sister, Chen Yingying. Under the accumulated effect of the costly martial arts resources he had procured for her, his sister had finally completed the sixth transformation in the disciple realm.


    It was time for her to start trying to draw the concept diagram. After all, for Chen Yingying, who had poor martial arts talent, any stage of her cultivation should be done as soon as possible. Otherwise, once she passed the golden age for cultivation, nothing could be done.


    Chen Yiming got out of bed and opened the door.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen were watching the news in the living room when they saw Chen Yiming walking out of the bedroom. They asked, ¡°You¡¯re up. We made breakfast, do you want some?¡±


    ¡°Where did Chen Yingying go?¡± Chen Yiming asked as he walked towards the dining table.


    On the table were buns that Mother Chen had made herself. The stuffing was made from the top grade mutant beast meat. Chen Yiming finished them in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Your sister is still a student and has already gone to school. When she woke up in the morning, she was still talking about you. Who knew that you would sleep in until this time?¡± Mother Chen said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not coming back,¡± Chen Yiming said nonchalantly.


    ¡°How many days are you planning to stay at home this time?¡±


    Father Chen suddenly interrupted Chen Yiming and Mother Chen.


    ¡°It depends. I have something to do, so I can¡¯t confirm how long it will take,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen knew that Chen Yiming was no longer a child, so they didn¡¯t say anything.


    Mother Chen felt a little regretful. Chen Yiming had been away all year round, and she was worried about him.


    The family chatted for a while more.


    Chen Yiming told Father Chen and Mother Chen about what had happened during this period of time to appease their curiosity and worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Chen Yingying,¡± Chen Yiming said before he left the house.


    ¡­


    At the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, in a classroom designed specially for martial arts training, a class was underway.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    There was a male teacher in a loose training robe with slightly white hair at his temples that was about 40 to 50 years old. He tapped on the wall with one hand and reminded the students, ¡°Pay attention. I¡¯ll emphasize the importance of the starting stance again.¡±


    ¡°Beep!¡±


    The male teacher pushed on the signal pen and pointed at a spot on the screen. He continued, ¡°A journey of 1,000 kilometers starts with one step. If you haven¡¯t learned how to walk, don¡¯t even think about running. Any mistake in your opening stance will affect the rhythm of the subsequent moves.¡±


    ¡°The entire set of moves can range from dozens to hundreds of moves.¡±


    ¡°You made a mistake from the start. How can you talk about mastering it? How can you use it flexibly?¡±


    ¡°In the previous assessment, about half of our class had flaws in their opening stance. I¡¯ll give you 10 minutes to discuss. Later, I¡¯ll call a few of you and ask about the common mistakes you all made.¡±


    The male teacher took a deep breath. He pulled out a chair from the podium and sat down.


    The reason why he was so strict in correcting every mistake of the students was mainly because there was a student called Chen Yingying in the class.


    Although this student¡¯s martial arts level was considered outstanding, her grasp of martial arts techniques was terrible. It was obvious how she had practiced it. However, this student had an extraordinary background and was specially taken care of by the dean of the martial arts academy.


    It could also be said that this class was being watched by countless gazes, so the male teacher did not dare to relax at all. He had to fulfill the teaching requirements for the theoretical part of the cultivation.


    Below the podium was a spacious area. As a classroom specially designed for practicing martial arts, there were no tables or chairs. The students would stand and listen to the class, then go on to actual combat practice.


    Below the podium, there were a total of more than 20 students. They gathered in groups of twos and threes to discuss the matter.


    There was a girl on each side of Chen Yingying.


    ¡°Yingying, Teacher Cai is so fierce. Isn¡¯t it just some small mistakes? Humans aren¡¯t machines,¡± the girl on the left, He Xiaoqiong said in a low voice.


    ¡°Yingying, didn¡¯t you say that your brother has returned home? Can you ask your brother to give us some pointers and let Old Cai know what it means to¡­¡± the girl on the right, Liu Zhujun asked softly.


    Chen Yingying had been waiting for Chen Yiming to wake up in the morning and had arrived a few minutes late for class. She explained the reason to her two friends, and they also knew that Chen Yiming had returned to East Lake City.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to talk to my brother. I have to ask him if he has time after school,¡± Chen Yingying replied softly.


    His two friends were instantly disappointed.


    They had followed Chen Yingying to the city gate and seen the higher ups of East Lake City welcome Chen Yiming and his team back to the city.


    In addition, Chen Yiming had never been to the martial arts academy to visit Chen Yingying. Her two friends naturally thought that Chen Yiming was too busy and couldn¡¯t spare any time for them.


    At this moment, the male teacher on the podium glared at Liu Zhujun.


    Although there were more than 20 students discussing at the same time and causing a lot of noise, and that made it impossible for him to hear what Liu Zhujun was saying, he could tell that they were not discussing the matter of the opening stance.


    Liu Zhujun was not being serious and had even affected Chen Yingying. If he could not teach her well, as the teacher, he would definitely be the one to take the blame. This student was too good at making him look bad.


    ¡°Teacher Cai has noticed you.¡±


    He Xiaoqiong tugged at the corner of Liu Zhujun¡¯s shirt from behind Chen Yingying.


    The three girls quickly changed the topic, especially Liu Zhujun and He Xiaoqiong. Because they were close to Chen Yingying, their every move was often watched by the teacher.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming stood at the entrance of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy.


    A plaque with the name of the martial arts academy was hung diagonally in front of him.


    Around him were students from the martial arts academy who were coming and going, as well as ordinary people who had come because of his reputation.


    The style of the martial arts academy was similar to the universities in Chen Yiming¡¯s previous world. It was relatively open, and many parents came to see if the environment was suitable for their children.


    In the consultation room beside the guardhouse, Chen Yiming pushed open the door and walked in.


    He knew Chen Yingying¡¯s class number, but he did not know the exact location, and he was too lazy to look for her in each classroom, so he planned to find a student to bring him there.


    The moment he entered, he saw a girl crouched over on one side of a long table and a boy sitting on the other side.


    The girl looked to be about 18 years old. One could tell at a glance that she was a part-time student of the martial arts academy. She was quite good-looking, and from Chen Yiming¡¯s position, he could see a pair of long legs sticking out from under the table.


    The boy was wearing a pair of glasses and looked ordinary. He was chatting nervously with the girl. ¡°Fang Fang, let¡¯s go together tonight¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    When Xu Fangfang saw who it was, her eyes lit up and she immediately sat up straight.


    ¡°Can you take me to find someone¡­?¡±


    Chen Yiming explained his intentions.


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡±


    Xu Fangfang smiled when she heard this.


    Being pestered by a boy whom she did not have any feelings for, she had long wanted to find an opportunity to escape. Coincidentally, this handsome man had come to look for someone. What reason was there for her to hesitate?


    The boy beside her was feeling extremely awkward. He wanted to interrupt, but he was hesitant.


    This detestable man. Did he think that he could do whatever he wanted just because he was good-looking? The strength of a man was the foundation. If not for the fact that he had to maintain his image in front of his goddess, he would have had a duel with the other man.


    Xu Fangfang stood up and walked out from behind the table. She left the consultation room with Chen Yiming.


    On the way, the two of them walked side by side.


    ¡°Class 3245? It¡¯s actually that class,¡± Xu Fangfang said in surprise.


    Although Class 3245 was just an ordinary class, there were all kinds of rumors going around.


    For example, the children of big shots would study in this class, the children of the dean would study in this class, or the children of big factions in the provincial city would study in this class.


    ¡°Uh¡­ is there anything special about a martial arts academy in such a small region?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    A small region?


    Xu Fangfang¡¯s eyes widened.


    East Lake City was now a rising city. According to the new recruitment standards, most of the previous students would be eliminated.


    Could it be that this student¡¯s family didn¡¯t know anything?


    Thinking of this, Xu Fangfang asked, ¡°Are you here to look for your sister? Or brother?¡±


    ¡°My sister studies here,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    A useless brother and a genius sister.


    Xu Fangfang instantly figured out the reason for this.


    The East Lake Martial Arts Academy was second only to the 13 martial arts schools that were at the warrior-level. The students who could enter and study there were all very outstanding.


    She really could not think of a reason why the other party did not know about the uniqueness of that class.


    Not long after, the two of them entered a seven-story school building and climbed up the stairs to the third floor. They turned left and went past three classes to reach Class 3245.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Chen Yiming said as they arrived at their destination.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. This is my job.¡±


    After Xu Fangfang finished speaking, she quickly turned around and left with a smile.


    Her movements were very slow. She stopped at the top of the stairs and hid at the side to observe the situation secretly.


    At the entrance of Class 3245, through the open door, Chen Yiming saw a tall and thin boy with a red face. He stammered as he answered the question, looking like an ostrich that wanted to bury its head in the sand.


    Chen Yingying was listening attentively among a group of students.


    The male teacher noticed someone at the door and walked out to ask, ¡°May I know what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my sister,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he added, ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. Teacher, continue with the class first. I¡¯ll talk to my sister after class.¡±


    He wanted to observe Chen Yingying¡¯s cultivation situation from the perspective of a passerby so that he could help his sister formulate the next stage of her cultivation plan.


    The male teacher nodded and entered the classroom again.


    This was very common. When a student¡¯s family came to look for them, if they happened to be in class, they would usually not let the student skip the class.


    The class quickly continued, and only Chen Yingying felt uncomfortable.


    Of course, she had seen Chen Yiming arrive at the door. Being watched by her brother in class made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles, afraid that her performance would be too bad.


    The two female students beside her also recognized Chen Yiming. They almost cried out in surprise.


    A big shot was watching from the outside, so they had to show their best side. They immediately focused their attention on the class.


    At this moment, questions were being asked in the classroom.


    The students who did not master the martial arts techniques could not avoid it. As a special student, Chen Yingying was asked three questions.


    However, Chen Yingying¡¯s performance could only be described as poor.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even answer this?¡±


    Outside the classroom, Chen Yiming had a worried expression.


    After he entered the martial arts school and learned the Mantis Snake Sword Technique, he had understood what the teacher was now quizzing the students about almost instantly.


    However, Chen Yingying, who had already undergone six transformations at the disciple realm, still did not understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Chen Yingying could not answer again. She had a look of despair on her face, and the male teacher happened to notice it.


    ¡°Chen Yingying, are you feeling unwell?¡± the male teacher asked with concern.


    The surrounding students also looked at her with concern.


    All of a sudden, Chen Yingying became even more nervous.


    She hesitated for a moment before explaining, ¡°My brother is watching from outside. I was too nervous.¡±


    ¡°Your brother?¡±


    The male teacher was dumbfounded, and most of the students were also stunned.


    Many people in the class had never seen Chen Yiming before, but they knew about his achievements.


    A real big shot had actually watched half of their class from the side. This was a situation that would only happen in a dream. Many people were about to faint.


    Soon, the class was suspended and Chen Yiming was invited in.


    The classroom was silent as they waited for Chen Yiming to speak.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming had a calm expression on his face as he handed over the new technique he had developed last night to Chen Yingying. He still had something to do when he left the city, so it would probably be too late if he left it for later.


    ¡°Brother, what is this?¡±


    Chen Yingying looked puzzled as she received the concept diagram and the book with the martial arts technique.


    ¡°This is a cultivation technique specially created for you. It can greatly reduce the threshold for breaking through to the warrior realm,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the male teacher and the surrounding students held their breaths.


    This¡­ a big shot was indeed different. He could create a customized technique for the warrior realm.


    Is there anything else you need? We want to learn this technique too.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m only at the sixth transformation of the disciple realm¡­¡± Chen Yingying said awkwardly.


    She could not even master the cultivation techniques at the disciple realm, and now he was asking her to practice the cultivation techniques at the warrior realm. This was too difficult.


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because you are slow in mastering the techniques that you have to practice it in advance,¡± Chen Yiming said with a serious expression.


    These words made everyone present envious. With a big shot as her brother, everything had been arranged for her, and she did not have to worry about cultivation resources at all.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep this technique a secret. You can ask your classmates and teachers to help you with your training. It¡¯s up to you,¡± Chen Yiming continued.


    Now that he was at the peak of humanity, he had no intention of hiding anything.


    He even hoped that this technique would spread quickly, and the number of human warriors would increase greatly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡±


    Not only the surrounding students, but even the male teacher was about to faint.


    When a complete warrior realm technique was released to the outside world, it would always cause a bloodbath.


    However, now that it was freely distributed, everyone could learn it. They even learned from the big shot that this was a cultivation technique that lowered the threshold for breaking through to the warrior realm. This was like a pie falling from the sky that was so huge it could knock people out.


    Was this the level of a big shot? It was indeed not something ordinary people could achieve.

 Chapter 259 - Base City

    After leaving the academy building, in a pavilion not far away, there were students sparring with their swords. Their swords collided with a bang, and their figures flashed past as they separated. They then discussed the advantages and disadvantages of their previous attack.


    Behind them, there was an uproar in the academy building. Xu Fangfang was standing at the door of Class 3245 with the students from other classes. The door of the classroom was locked from the inside, and one could only see the situation inside through the window.


    A group of students, together with a teacher, surrounded a female student and were studying the things in her hands.


    Most of her vision was blocked by the other people. Xu Fangfang was so anxious that her forehead was covered in sweat. She was clearly the first¡­


    Chen Yiming watched everything that happened in the martial arts academy. After a long time, he retracted his gaze and strode out of the academy.


    After planting a seed, he could not predict how it would grow from now on. He could only give it a certain amount of support and use his personal reputation to spread it to more people.


    ¡­


    Near the south city gate of East Lake City, a railway was being built that extended straight into the horizon.


    Such a scene had appeared in every city in Jiangnan province at the same time. The tracks led to the base city that was under construction, and the entire province was working hard to support the construction of the base city.


    Chen Yiming walked along the tracks alone.


    Along the way, he saw a large number of martial arts practitioners protecting the construction teams from the mutant beasts.


    He also cleaned up a few groups of mutant beasts that were spying on them as he went, leaving behind many traces of Sword Aura along the way.


    The tops of hills were shaved off, forests were flattened, and long ravines appeared on the ground. He used powerful moves to intimidate the mutant beasts wandering near the railway.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming was stopped by a team.


    The people in front of him had numerous scars on their bodies. They were not soldiers from the military, but martial arts practitioners hired to clean up the mutant beasts in the area around the railway.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. Leave this place quickly.¡±


    The middle-aged man in the lead waved his hand, indicating that Chen Yiming shouldn¡¯t linger around the railway tracks.


    ¡°What exactly is happening here?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Are you heading to the base city alone?¡± the middle-aged man sized Chen Yiming up and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to check on the situation.¡±


    Chen Yiming laughed.


    ¡°The situation in the base city is still alright, but the situation at the stronghold on the other side of the space-travel passage is very delicate. Our side has entered a state of full retreat and is on the defensive¡­ I suggest that you don¡¯t go over at this time.¡±


    The middle-aged man was chatty and warm-hearted. He quickly explained the situation to Chen Yiming.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a group of soldiers drove over in an off-road vehicle from afar.


    These soldiers were all armed to the teeth and were watching the situation on the tracks solemnly.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    Someone in the team spoke up.


    ¡°I know,¡± the middle-aged man nodded and said in a low voice.


    The time he had spent chatting with Chen Yiming was too long. The team was still tasked with the job of eliminating the mutant beasts. If they didn¡¯t take action soon, it would be troublesome if the soldiers passing by misunderstood them.


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency in the direction you came from. Little brother, you¡¯d better take a detour and leave this area. Don¡¯t go back the way you came.¡±


    Before he left, the middle-aged man gave him another reminder.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Chen Yiming waved goodbye to him.


    In the eyes of these people, he saw the unity of the humans in resisting the invasion of the otherworld.


    The creatures from the otherworld were different from the mutant beasts on the blue planet. Although the mutant beasts evolved from wild beasts had occupied the wilderness and greatly reduced the territory that humans could completely control, on the whole, the mutant beasts did not pose a threat on the level of the extermination of humans.


    On the other hand, the threat posed by the creatures from the otherworld was huge. Ever since the invasion of the otherworld, the humans had been living in fear. They were afraid that one day, an existence that even humans at the level of martial masters would not be able to fight against would appear from the space-travel passage.


    On the rest of the road, military vehicles carrying soldiers roared past. The teams that were clearing out the mutant beasts split up and carried out a thorough job.


    An armed helicopter flew past in the sky and stopped in an area not long after. The sound of the rotors could be heard from afar.


    Chen Yiming marveled at the determination of Jiangnan province to establish a stronghold in the otherworld. There were many other railway tracks like this. Only by mobilizing the strength of the entire province could they do this.


    He spread out his illusionary internal force and hid his figure, not letting anyone notice his identity. He quickly rushed towards the base city.


    ¡­


    The base city was located to the northeast of Jiangnan City, almost at the center of the entire Jiangnan province.


    One of the reasons why this space-travel passage was chosen was because it was neither too far nor too close to Jiangnan City. The other reason was that since the base city was the future core of the province, it was not suitable for it to be closer to the cities in any direction.


    Coincidentally, there was a space-travel passage in the center of Jiangnan province. The environment of the otherworld on the other side of the space-travel passage also met the requirements to build a stronghold.


    Chen Yiming stood on a mountain and looked over from afar.


    A breeze blew past, and leaves mixed with sand hit his body.


    A group of buildings made of steel appeared in front of him. Railway tracks extended out from each direction, connecting to the various cities in Jiangnan province.


    There were a large number of towers built on all four sides, and sentries were stationed on them. In the center of the base city was a crack that was 100 meters long. This was the space-travel passage to the otherworld.


    At this stage, the base city was made up of military fortresses that surrounded the space-travel passage. Not only did they have to defend against the threat from the mutant beasts around the base city, but they also had to defend against the threat from the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming had just come down from the mountain when a soldier ran over and stopped him.


    ¡°In front of us is an important military area. You are not allowed to enter it now. Please leave this place immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going in. I just came to take a look,¡± Chen Yiming paused for a moment before saying.


    He thought about how he no longer had his consultant badge with him. Without any evidence, he would not be able to prove his identity. It would cause trouble for him if others doubted his identity.


    Moreover, he had really only come to take a look and observe the situation to make plans for a journey in the future. He would return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect to visit the severely injured sect master.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even take a look. Leave quickly, or we¡¯ll detain you and wait for your identity to be verified.¡±


    The soldier ordered him to leave again.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to turn around and leave, an alarm sounded in the base city.


    A large number of soldiers set up the cannons, and the artillerymen loaded the ammunition. The main guns of the tanks were raised, waiting for the order to fire.


    The soldier who had stopped Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care if he had already left. He turned around and ran back to his post.


    Chen Yiming turned to look in the direction where the alarm had sounded. More than 10 barbarians, each 30 to 40 meters tall, had charged out of the forest in the distance, heading straight for the base city.


    None of the barbarians had two heads. They were all single-headed, and each of them was holding a black stick. They had probably been broken off from some tree in the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    Having fought with the barbarian sorcerers before, he knew that the barbarians were not easy to deal with.


    Of course, the barbarians in front of him were far weaker than the barbarian sorcerer, but they could not be underestimated either. The base city needed humans at the peak of the warrior realm to be able to withstand their attacks.


    Could this be the problem left behind from the incident where the Myriad Phenomena Sect Master was severely injured that Liu Sujuan mentioned?


    At this moment, the artillerymen and tanks were the first to open fire. Densely packed artillery shells flew out and exploded in the barbarians¡¯ path.


    In the base city, more than 10 helicopters rose up and started firing at the barbarians.


    Unfortunately, the strongest of these barbarians was at the peak of the warrior realm, while the rest had at least mastered the transformation of their internal force.


    Coupled with their huge body and extraordinary defense, the lethality of conventional human weapons was limited. As long as they were not directly hit, it would not even be able to hinder them.


    When the barbarians had crossed about half the distance, a group of people in military uniforms walked out of the space-travel passage in the base city.


    These people were not ordinary soldiers, but martial arts experts from the military.


    The stronghold and the base city were two sides of the same coin. Unless they were attacked from both sides, the humans could transfer people from one side to the other at any time.


    The barbarians stopped in their tracks almost at the same time. They spoke in an unknown language at a distance of two to three kilometers away.


    They looked very angry and seemed to hope that the humans would make way for them to return to the otherworld.


    The artillery fire from the humans also stopped. The martial arts experts from the military climbed up a tower and watched the barbarians from afar. For some reason, they did not leave the base city to pursue them.


    However, this attitude also caused the barbarians to panic. The dozen or so barbarians scattered to the side and maintained a sufficient distance from each other.


    Chen Yiming roughly understood what was going on.


    The situation at the stronghold in the otherworld was probably not looking good. The base city¡¯s priority was to stabilize the situation. When the situation eased up, they would have time to deal with these scattered barbarians.


    After a few minutes of stalemate between the two sides, the barbarians seemed to want to retreat. When the barbarians started to move back step by step,


    Chen Yiming glanced at the person standing at the front of the army. With a flash, he appeared in front of the barbarians.


    Suddenly, someone had interfered in the battle between the humans and the barbarians. This stunned both sides.


    The soldiers on the human side originally thought that it would be like the previous few times. In the end, they would still have their own reservations and both sides would retreat.


    Unexpectedly, a powerful person suddenly appeared on the human¡¯s side.


    He dared to face more than 10 powerful barbarians alone. Coupled with the speed of his movements, how could he be an ordinary person?


    The barbarians were strangely angry, but they were wary of the human experts in the base city. Because the two sides had clashed before, they knew that this was not a good time to fight.


    However, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care what they thought.


    The peach wood sword in his hand slashed out horizontally, and a kilometer-long Sword Aura formed a straight line that appeared in front of the barbarians.


    ¡°&;%?£¤#?£¤%¡±


    The barbarians were about to curse when their words were stuck in their throats.


    The upper and lower bodies of all the barbarians were separated by the Sword Aura, and blood gushed into the air like a fountain. Their corpses were split into two and scattered on the ground.


    The barbarians, who were a great threat to the base city of Jiangnan province, had not been able to put up any resistance from the beginning to the end. They died just like that on the wasteland a few kilometers away from the base city.


    He glanced at the changes on the martial arts talent panel. The Skill Points required for the Level-3 Undying Body talent had only decreased by a few dozen points.


    ¡°It seems that as my level increases and my talent level increases, opponents who are too weak will no longer provide much benefit.¡±


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure flashed again and he disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.


    This action shocked the soldiers from the base city again. He just upped and left, and the barbarians¡¯ corpses were casually abandoned in the wasteland.


    In the base city, Xie Weilin rushed out.


    When she saw the empty wasteland and the corpses of the barbarians that were still twitching from time to time, she stomped her feet angrily.


    She had no choice but to go back and report to her superior that Chen Yiming had appeared in the base city.


    ¡­


    In the Myriad Phenomena Sect, there were festive ribbons hung everywhere in the sect. The disciples were all extremely excited. If this matter did not end, they would not be able to calm down and focus on their martial arts cultivation.


    The preparations for the welcoming ceremony that had been ready for several days were finally used. According to the usual style of human society below the mountain, a large banner was specially prepared and hung at the entrance of the mountain.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect suddenly had a person whose combat strength was comparable to that of a martial master. Regardless of whether this person was the sect master or a disciple, it was enough as long as he was a member of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    The sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Ye Jianyuan, stood in front of everyone with a flushed face. His right hand and shoulder were no longer there, and even with his sleeve covering hiding it, it still looked empty.


    Beside him were the heads of the 12 inner courts. The head of the Mantis Snake Court, Zhou Xuesheng, straightened his back and could not hide the pride on his face.


    Chen Yiming had defeated the barbarian sorcerer who had broken into the blue planet. This was the information that had been gathered after the investigation. This was something his mentor, Zhou Xuesheng, could brag about for the rest of his life.


    There were also representatives from the large factions in and around Jiangnan province, as well as some higher ups from the province. Everyone had been waiting for a few days for Chen Yiming to return.


    In such a situation, the Myriad Phenomena Sect was free from the shackles of a province and was as independent as though it was its own country.


    This was because the martial masters were also known as the guardians of the country.


    They were the ultimate weapons that were on par with nuclear weapons. Furthermore, there was a wide range of uses for those in the master realm. Be it in the otherworld or on the blue planet, there were very few restrictions on their use, since it would not cause serious nuclear pollution.


    ¡°Court Head Zhou, Hall Master Wan, the two of you have to take credit for this.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan chuckled, not feeling dejected at all from his serious injuries.


    ¡°No! No! My role was just like that of a passerby,¡± Wan Rong replied happily.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Yiming¡¯s own ability,¡± Zhou Xuesheng said humbly.


    Everyone knew about this. After all, both Wan Rong and Zhou Xuesheng had been left far behind by Chen Yiming and hadn¡¯t been able to teach him much.


    The other court heads were filled with envy. Why didn¡¯t they have such good luck? However, they had also benefited a lot from this. With Chen Yiming around, the Myriad Phenomena Sect would be a faction at the level of the master realm.


    This was rare even in the whole of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Bai Qizhou, the head of the Flying Crane Court, was the only one among the other court heads who did not need to be envious.


    Although Chen Yiming had not joined the Flying Crane Court, Wan Ya was a disciple of the sect. With their relationship, even if the Myriad Phenomena Sect developed further in the future, Bai Qizhou¡¯s position as the court head would not be shaken.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming appeared at the entrance of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the news was quickly circulated around the sect. The welcoming ceremony that had been prepared was quickly set up.


    Time passed by slowly, and Chen Yiming slowly arrived at the entrance.


    On the way back to the Myriad Phenomena Sect from the base city, he felt that the situation in the war with the otherworld was serious. He quickly improvised and created a transitional version of the cultivation techniques from the 12 inner courts.


    Just like the new Mantis Snake Sword Technique, the power of the transitional version was reduced by half, and the requirement for spiritual strength was reduced by 30%.


    Furthermore, he gave a general idea of how to master the transformation of the internal force in the subsequent versions of the cultivation technique.


    This idea was based on his experience from studying the 12 types of internal force during the process of the internal force fusion. Coupled with his powerful comprehension from the Level-3 swordsmanship talent, he had gotten this idea in a flash of inspiration.


    It was similar to scientific theories. Without knowing how Chen Yiming had come up with this idea, there was a high chance that one could grasp the corresponding changes in their internal force by following the same pattern.

 Chapter 260 - Taking Over as Sect Master

    The moment Chen Yiming appeared, there was a commotion at the entrance. Everyone became fired up.


    Their former fellow disciple had soared into the sky. If they could have a way to catch up, they might feel jealous. However, the reality was that the difference between them was like that between a firefly and the bright moon, leaving everyone with nothing but admiration.


    ¡°Yiming, you¡¯re finally back. I¡¯m the sect master, Ye Jianyuan. This is the first time we¡¯ve met.¡±


    When Ye Jianyuan saw who it was, he quickly stepped forward and extended his hand enthusiastically.


    ¡°Sect Master, you¡¯re too kind.¡±


    Chen Yiming reached out and shook his hand.


    He swept his gaze across the enthusiastic crowd and said with a smile, ¡°The Mantis Snake Sword School is the place where I started my martial arts path. The Mantis Snake Court is the place where the fruits of my martial arts achievements were reaped. After calculating the time I¡¯ve spent here, I¡¯m still a newcomer.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone vaguely realized that Chen Yiming had been practicing martial arts at the Mantis Snake Sword School for about a year, and had only been in the Mantis Snake Court for less than half a year.


    In such a short period of time, ordinary disciples would probably still be in the adjustment phase.


    In the distance, Liao Hebin from the Jiangnan province¡¯s government sighed and shook his head helplessly.


    The higher ups of Jiangnan province had discussed this before. Most of them had decided to offer high positions to rope in Chen Yiming. However, from the looks of it, he had a special relationship with the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Previously, after joining the security bureau as a consultant, there was some conflict between the two sides. It was very difficult to completely repair their relationship.


    Thinking of this, his head hurt.


    Can¡¯t you cultivate a little slower? We¡¯re going to have to redo the materials we just prepared, and we won¡¯t be able to take it anymore.


    ¡°Yiming, you¡¯re too humble. Martial arts was never about the amount of time spent on it.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan smiled and took off the ring on his thumb with one hand. He then placed it on Chen Yiming¡¯s thumb.


    After doing this, he explained, ¡°This ring is the symbol of the Myriad Phenomena Sect Master. The material comes from the otherworld, and there are countless benefits to wearing it for a long time.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the crowd exploded.


    Ye Jianyuan¡¯s meaning was clear. He wanted Chen Yiming to take over as the sect master immediately, not just become his successor.


    The disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect were overjoyed. If they were changing to a stronger sect master, how could they not accept it? The higher the level of the sect, the greater the benefits for the disciples below.


    It was just like how the ceiling between a local faction and a provincial faction was completely different.


    It was the same for the inner court heads. A stronger sect master would bring countless cultivation resources to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and the most direct beneficiary would be the inner court heads below the sect master.


    The representatives of the other factions took the lead and applauded.


    Although Ye Jianyuan¡¯s strength would decrease significantly even after he recovered from his serious injuries, losing an arm would not affect the internal force that was the core of the warrior realm.


    To be able to hand over the position of the sect master when he was in his prime, it could be seen how much he was focusing on the big picture. Putting themselves in his shoes, not every leader of a faction could do it.


    It could also be said that Ye Jianyuan¡¯s decision was to go with the flow. It was really not suitable for a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect to have the strength of a martial master. It was hard to guarantee that other factions would not have any ill intentions.


    For example, when the Jiangnan provincial security bureau had roped Chen Yiming into the 100 members plan, everyone knew that their intention was to poach him.


    Only Liao Hebin from the Jiangnan province¡¯s government pulled a long face.


    Once Chen Yiming took over as the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the difficulty of dealing with him would increase again. This news had come too suddenly, and they had not discussed how to deal with this situation before.


    He could only send out a message and report the situation to the province.


    At this moment, it was close to evening. The red sun was setting and the night breeze was blowing.


    The temperature had dropped significantly, but it didn¡¯t stop everyone from anticipating Chen Yiming¡¯s answer.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Ye Jianyuan interrupted Chen Yiming. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to hesitate. If you have any questions, we can sit down and discuss them.¡±


    Since Sect Master Ye Jianyuan had already said this, Chen Yiming had no reason to reject him.


    As he gave his agreement, the crowd cheered.


    Most of the people present were disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. They did not care much about other matters and could not control their excitement.


    Some of the braver disciples climbed up the walls or the roofs of the surrounding buildings just to catch a glimpse of the handover ceremony.


    This also caused the originally orderly formation to fall into chaos.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but feel flattered.


    Since everyone welcomed him to take over as the sect master, he had to show some gratitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to become the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect today. Thank you all for your kindness towards me¡­ and thank you all for coming from afar.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s voice echoed throughout the entire Myriad Phenomena Sect. Even those who had not been present at the entrance, such as the elders guarding some important positions, heard him.


    Everyone fell silent as they listened to what Chen Yiming had to say.


    ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve gained more understanding of our sect¡¯s cultivation techniques. I¡¯ve developed a version of the technique that can be used as a transitional technique. It can greatly reduce the threshold for one to reach the next level in their cultivation.¡±


    Hearing this, the eyes of countless disciples lit up, and their heads buzzed with various thoughts.


    Among the younger generation, everyone was considered an extraordinary talent below the mountain. However, after entering the Myriad Phenomena Sect, they understood the difficulty of the path of martial arts. The disciples with relatively lower talent gradually became mediocre among those on the mountain.


    For example, disciples like Su Mo¡¯er still had a long way to go before they had the talent to master the transformation of internal force. Under normal circumstances, they could only settle for having a secondary cultivation technique.


    Now that the situation had taken a turn for the better, if it was really as Chen Yiming had said, it meant that Su Mo¡¯er had obtained another chance to break through.


    The inner court heads instantly held their breaths and widened their eyes.


    The threshold for mastering internal force fusion was mainly the level of one¡¯s spiritual strength. This was also the most difficult problem to resolve. It was not just about working hard and putting in the time and effort. Countless geniuses had been stuck at this bottleneck.


    This was unbelievable to them.


    Ye Jianyuan also gasped. This kid was really terrifying.


    When he was transferred to the otherworld, he had received news that there was a genius disciple in the sect who had mastered the transformation of his internal force in a month.


    Not long after, he was injured and had no choice but to return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Then, there was news that his disciple had caused trouble in Japan.


    In the end, a few days later, there was news that this disciple had defeated a barbarian sorcerer at the master realm.


    Until now, many of his seniors had worked hard their entire lives, but there was almost no free time for them to optimize their sect¡¯s cultivation techniques. This disciple could actually improve them whenever he wanted to, and greatly lowered the threshold for cultivation.


    If not for this disciple¡¯s shocking achievements in the past, no one would have believed him.


    The representatives from the other factions who had come to congratulate him, as well as Liao Hebin from the Jiangnan province¡¯s government, were instantly dumbfounded.


    This news was too shocking. Were they taking a train or a rocket? They had suddenly jumped to a level that involved the overall situation of the human race.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°At the moment, there are no clues regarding the fusion of the internal force, but the rest has been completed.¡±


    With that, he raised the peach wood sword and used the air as a canvas.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    His internal force turned into indestructible threads that intertwined in the air, finally forming concept diagrams.


    These concept diagrams were lifelike and were not affected by the flow of air, as if they were nailed directly into the air.


    ¡°Uh¡­ is that how it works?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped again as they watched Chen Yiming draw in the air.


    How strong was his control over his internal force? How strong was his internal force?


    Chen Yiming completed a total of 108 concept diagrams of the 12 cultivation techniques. In the eyes of the members of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the new concept diagrams were similar to the original, but were much simpler.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Shocking!


    Unbelievable!


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t just bragging. Just as he had said, it could really lower the threshold for cultivation.


    This was especially true for the outer sect disciples. Many of them were still stuck at the threshold of the warrior realm. With just a glance, their hearts began to stir.


    This was more attractive than any beauty. They wished they could try to cultivate on the spot.


    Ye Jianyuan and the heads of the 12 inner courts saw the long term potential. The appearance of such a transitional technique would completely change the foundation of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    It was unknown how many disciples who had been stuck at a bottleneck would be able to break through because of this. Even though the power of the transition technique was much weaker, it would undoubtedly increase their strength by many times.


    Chen Yiming looked at the commotion in the crowd and was forced to accept the thrill of showing off.


    It was not that he wanted to show off, but that he wanted to use this opportunity to establish his reputation.


    Once the transitional version of the cultivation technique was released, Chen Yiming¡¯s status would even surpass that of the founder of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. After all, not only would he be able to support the Myriad Phenomena Sect with his absolute strength, but he could also provide the opportunity for a breakthrough that countless people dreamed of.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll sort it out later, including the steps to master the transformation of internal force,¡± Chen Yiming said when he saw that some of the disciples¡¯ were trying to burn the images into their minds.


    ¡°Sect Master, is what you said true?¡± a disciple in the crowd shouted anxiously.


    Cultivation was usually carried out in a quiet environment. The reason why he had the idea of taking the risk to cultivate on the spot was because he was afraid that various conditions would be imposed in the future. For example, it could be restricted to only disciples who had reached certain requirements.


    Furthermore, this disciple had cleverly addressed him as Sect Master, so no one dared to blame him after that.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡±


    Chen Yiming gave his answer.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect erupted into enthusiastic applause.


    They were so excited that their faces turned red. Some of them even nearly broke their bones from the clapping.


    As Chen Yiming turned to face the enthusiastic gazes of the crowd, his heart filled with pride.


    As his talent level increased, he could even modify the cultivation techniques to further lower the threshold in the future. He could even create a set of cultivation techniques for the general public.


    Of course, no matter how optimized it was, for people with mediocre talent, they would have jumped out of a small pit and entered an even bigger one. There would always be a threshold that they could not cross.


    Ye Jianyuan looked at Chen Yiming, who had captured everyone¡¯s attention. His heart was filled with emotions, but at the same time, he felt relieved.


    He sighed at the fact that the younger generation was overtaking the older generation. He was too mediocre as the representative of the previous generation. After being in power for so many years, he could only be considered to have taken a defensive role. If not for Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance, his serious injuries would have changed the situation for the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    He was relieved that he had completed the most important responsibility of the sect master and successfully handed over the position to a suitable successor.


    Moreover, the new sect master was much stronger than him. He could immediately bring about a huge positive change to the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    At the entrance of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, three figures walked out one after another and gathered in the dense forest in the distance.


    They were Ye Hong, the head of the second court of the Hidden Sword Villa, Zhang Ruiyang, the deputy head of the Hermit Order, the largest financial group in the eastern province, and Lu Zhengyao, the head of the third pavilion of the Elder Pavilion Sect in Shanghai.


    The three of them were representatives of the factions that had taken the initiative to come to the Myriad Phenomena Sect to congratulate them. Not only that, but there were also more factions behind them.


    On the surface, the Daxia Kingdom had two martial arts masters, one in the north and one in the south. Both of them had heavy responsibilities that could not be easily transferred. On the other hand, Chen Yiming was not restricted in such a manner.


    What was this person¡¯s personality like? What was he thinking?


    Information about countless past events had already appeared on the desks of the various large factions and was being analyzed one by one.


    ¡°How could this be? This person seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I¡¯ve never heard of him before.¡±


    Ye Hong couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He still felt like he was dreaming, especially after seeing the real person.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange. After all, from the information, this person completed the transformation of his internal force in a month.


    He already had the potential to become a martial master, and it just so happened that the heads of the various factions at the peak of the warrior realm had been transferred to the otherworld to establish a stronghold, so he had enough time to grow,¡± Zhang Ruiyang glanced in the direction of the Myriad Phenomena Sect and said in a low voice.


    In his opinion, Chen Yiming had only grown up successfully because he had been lucky. Otherwise, if he had revealed his outstanding talent, he would have been assassinated long ago.


    ¡°Plenty of time to grow? In just a month or two?


    Hehe! This person had probably been hiding his cultivation progress all along. When he left the mountain, he was probably already at the master realm.


    It should be you hermits that are lucky. If you had rashly provoked this person, I¡¯m afraid your corpses would have already turned cold,¡± Lu Zhengyao said calmly with a look of disbelief.


    Zhang Ruiyang¡¯s expression froze. He paused for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re right, but it¡¯s useless to think about it now. This person has already charged straight into the sky. His opponent is no longer someone at our level.¡±


    ¡°Based on what I saw just now, in my opinion, the master realm is not even this person¡¯s limit. This kind of person who can change the foundation of human martial arts is even more terrifying than a mere martial master,¡± Lu Zhengyao took a deep breath and said.


    After he finished speaking, the forest fell silent. The three of them had their own thoughts.


    In reality, just as Lu Zhengyao had said, the transitional version of the cultivation technique had been modified from the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s techniques. Even if Chen Yiming didn¡¯t plan to make it public, no one would dare to complain.


    It would be troublesome for the other factions in Jiangnan province and even the surrounding provinces. With this special technique, the Myriad Phenomena Sect would definitely become much more attractive to young geniuses.


    Young people were the future of any faction. It was equivalent to digging out the foundation of others.


    However, they all knew how serious the matter was. If they were not as strong as their opponent, they would not be able to do anything. Even if the three of them and the factions behind them joined forces, they would not be able to defeat their opponent.


    ¡­


    In a large conference room in the Jiangnan provincial government office, the three city guardians, the mayor and deputy mayor, and the ministers of the various departments were all gathered here.


    ¡°The thing is¡­¡±


    Liao Hebin from the provincial office made a detailed report on what he had seen and heard.


    ¡°How is this possible! Isn¡¯t it just a technique to master internal force?¡±


    Song Chuansheng, one of the city guardians, stood up abruptly.


    Previously, there was shocking news from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy that Chen Yiming had revealed a special cultivation technique.


    Before they could come to a conclusion about the contents of the previous meeting, another piece of shocking news hit them.


    ¡°Chen Yiming only mentioned the transformation of the internal force. We can¡¯t be sure if it really exists.¡±


    The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy. Liao Hebin suppressed the nervousness in his heart as he spoke.


    ¡°Damn it! He doesn¡¯t care about the big picture! Is he not planning to publicize the parts above the warrior realm?¡± Song Chuansheng asked angrily.


    This time, Liao Hebin fell silent. That was the truth. Instead of asking him, he might as well ask Chen Yiming himself.


    Of course, he did not dare to reveal his true thoughts. Otherwise, Song Chuansheng, who was in a fit of anger, would go crazy. He might be sent to the hospital because of his words.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you talk to Chen Yiming after the incident? Why didn¡¯t you ask him about it?¡± one of the city guardians, Zhang Renhou, asked in disappointment.


    ¡°As soon as the matter ended, Chen Yiming was pulled away by Ye Jianyuan. I asked the inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, but they didn¡¯t know the situation either,¡± Liao Hebin explained.


    Zhang Renhou thought about it. It was mainly because of their mistakes.


    As the head of the provincial office, Liao Hebin was considered one of the higher-ups in Jiangnan province. However, compared to the current status of Chen Yiming, he was too inconspicuous.


    If one of the three city guardians went, things would be much easier.


    However, there was another problem. As the three most powerful people in Jiangnan province, if they went to congratulate him, they would appear to be of a lower rank than him, which would cause more trouble for their future cooperation.


    ¡°I heard that your daughter has a good relationship with Chen Yiming?¡± Wang Ronghui, one of the city guards, asked Xie Jimin.


    When Xie Jimin, the bureau chief of the security bureau, heard this, his expression turned bitter.


    They did not have a good relationship. There was already some conflict between them that had yet to be resolved. The last time he asked his daughter, Xie Weilin, to pass on the message, it had already made the other party a little unhappy.


    To come knocking on his door again in such a short time, this was not how they could become on good terms.


    ¡°Thank you, bureau chief. Please take the big picture into consideration,¡± Zhang Renhou added.


    Immediately, all the gazes in the meeting room were focused on Xie Jimin, forcing him to agree.

 Chapter 261 - Discussing the Situation at Night

    Under the night sky, a meteor streaked across the sky and landed in the wilderness, causing a commotion.


    On a mountain behind the Myriad Phenomena Sect, Ye Jianyuan and Chen Yiming stood side by side, looking at the scenery under the night sky.


    ¡°The sect master¡¯s ring is not an ordinary item. According to the previous sect master, there are secrets regarding the master realm¡¯s breathing technique hidden inside.


    Even if you don¡¯t need it, you can use it as a reference,¡± Ye Jianyuan said.


    ¡°A breathing technique?¡± Chen Yiming turned around and asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about it?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan was confused by Chen Yiming¡¯s question. For a moment, his mind went blank.


    Chen Yiming laughed and told Ye Jianyuan that although he could fight a master, he hadn¡¯t really broken through to that level.


    The mountain top was quiet. Moonlight shone down from above, and the Myriad Phenomena Sect was brightly lit in the distance. Some disciples couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so they were making the best use of their time to practice the transitional cultivation technique provided by Chen Yiming.


    The entire mountain was extremely lively, and an inexplicable power was gathering in the sky above the area.


    Ye Jianyuan took a while to accept the fact that Chen Yiming was only at the peak of the warrior realm but already had strength comparable to the master realm.


    ¡°I wonder how this sect master ring is supposed to be used?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned his hand this way and that, staring at the ring.


    ¡°One of the characteristics of the master realm is the materialization of spiritual power. You can start from this point,¡± Ye Jianyuan informed him.


    After saying that, he shook his head helplessly. He did not even have the right to investigate the secret of the ring and had been guarding this treasure for many years.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to try studying the ring,


    Ye Jianyuan suddenly thought of something and his expression changed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not at the true master realm. If your spiritual strength hasn¡¯t undergone a transformation, don¡¯t try to find out the secret of the ring.¡±


    Then, Ye Jianyuan explained the exact reason.


    Chen Yiming came to a sudden realization. After his spiritual power completed the transformation, he would be at the level a half-step away from the master realm that Matsumoto Shigejiro had mentioned. However, it was impossible for his spiritual power to complete the transformation for no reason. It had to be built on the foundation of what humans called the breathing technique.


    The breathing technique did not refer to the ordinary breathing of the human body. The general cultivation process was to first choose a certain part of the body as a medium to sense the outside world. This stage was called the anchoring.


    Then, he focused his attention on the part chosen as the anchor and resonated with the natural world through the breathing technique.


    Internal force was equivalent to a barrier. Everything was done in preparation for the next step. From the moment he broke through to the warrior realm and obtained the internal force, to the moment he completed the transformation of the internal force, to the moment he completed the fusion of the internal force, the stronger this barrier was, the more protection it would give to the spiritual power that had yet to undergo transformation. The difficulty of the corresponding transformation would decrease. This stage was called the materialization of spiritual power.


    Ye Jianyuan continued, ¡°Unfortunately, the current breathing techniques are all secrets that can¡¯t be passed down. As for how to break through to the master realm after the materialization of one¡¯s spiritual power, I don¡¯t know.


    Thinking back, I also visited the martial master in the south back then. However, I failed miserably when it came to the transformation of spiritual power.¡±


    With that, Ye Jianyuan extended his remaining hand and flipped it over. On it, a black mark that seemed to have a life of its own was etched into his flesh.


    Chen Yiming was shocked. He could sense something familiar coming from the black mark. It felt like the activity in his cells after upgrading to the Level-2 Undying Body talent.


    ¡°This black mark is the result of my spiritual power resonating with the natural world with the help of that martial master. If not for the fact that someone was protecting me, my spiritual power would have been severely injured. This is countless times more serious than the damage to my body,¡± Ye Jianyuan explained.


    At this point, his expression turned extremely serious. He wanted to warn Chen Yiming about the danger involved. If he wasn¡¯t confident, he shouldn¡¯t try it.


    Chen Yiming nodded, but he was filled with confidence.


    The reason why the octopus spirit he had encountered in Japan could easily kill a human at the peak of the warrior realm was because of the difference in their spiritual strength.


    The materialized spiritual power of the octopus spirit could not cause any harm to him, which indirectly proved that the level of the figure in his mind was even higher than that of the octopus spirit.


    As for the strength of his internal force, if Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t reach the threshold, there was no way for other humans to reach it. Clearly, there was no problem with his internal force.


    What he lacked now was a breathing technique that he could use to cultivate.


    ¡­


    Ye Jianyuan told Chen Yiming about the situation when he tried to connect his spiritual power with the natural world.


    Suddenly, a faint light appeared in the sky, illuminating the clouds in the sky. Soon, there was an almost imperceptible tremor from the ground.


    Ordinary people might not be able to sense it, but Ye Jianyuan and Chen Yiming were not ordinary people. They could sense even the slightest change in their environment.


    The two of them looked towards the source of the abnormality, which happened to be coming from the base city.


    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble. Last time, when the creatures from the otherworld attacked the stronghold, many of them took the opportunity to break into the blue planet,¡± Ye Jianyuan frowned and said in a low voice.


    ¡°I went to the base city during the day and killed a dozen barbarians,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°So you killed a dozen barbarians. It seems like the creatures from the otherworld that were stranded on the blue planet may be getting anxious. The cultivation environment on the blue planet is much worse, and the humans have blocked the space-travel passage to the otherworld,¡± Ye Jianyuan thought for a moment and said.


    ¡°Will the base city be at risk of being breached?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    He was a little worried, but Ye Jianyuan knew the situation in the base city and stronghold better than him. If there was a need, Chen Yiming could go and settle the problem.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem to defend it. The stronghold has consolidated most of the forces in Jiangnan province. We can just transfer some of them over based on the situation.


    What I mean is, if these creatures from the otherworld go crazy and attack human cities or mutant beast colonies, it will easily lead to a beast tide,¡± Ye Jianyuan replied.


    Chen Yiming thought about it carefully and agreed with his judgment.


    Jiangnan province was located on the blue planet, and the city¡¯s defense was already stretched thin. Sending people into the wilderness to deal with the hidden dangers caused by the creatures from the otherworld made matters worse.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. If the situation really changes drastically, the higher-ups of Jiangnan province will definitely send someone over to ask for help¡­¡± Ye Jianyuan informed him.


    Chen Yiming quickly learned a lot of insider information, especially about the stronghold in the otherworld.


    Due to the superior cultivation environment in the otherworld, the stronghold in the otherworld was essentially a long-term training ground established by humans. It was also a colony for humans. In the future, when the situation stabilized, it would also be open to martial arts practitioners.


    The problem they were facing now was that the sudden appearance of the humans had attracted the attention of the creatures from the otherworld around the space-travel passage.


    If they wanted to stabilize the situation, they could only rely on their strength to open a path and prove the power of the humans. Otherwise, they would only be treated as prey that could be bullied.


    In other words, waves of attacks on the stronghold were bound to happen until the humans and the creatures from the otherworld struck a balance.


    ¡°The higher-ups of Jiangnan province have previously promised that after the situation has stabilized, they will divide the territory and distribute it to the civilian factions that have contributed to the stronghold.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan revealed another piece of insider information.


    He also told Chen Yiming that the humans currently had a limited ability to explore the otherworld. There was definitely not enough territory within the range of the humans¡¯ influence.


    Choosing a good location early on was very important to the Myriad Phenomena Sect. After all, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t guard a place for a long time. When he wasn¡¯t around, he had to rely on the stronghold for protection.


    As long as the Myriad Phenomena Sect had a long-term territory in the otherworld, it would soar into the sky.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming had an idea.


    He was no longer a disciple of the sect. If he could provide his disciples with a better cultivation environment in the present, then in the future, there would be a large number of talented disciples under him.


    Not only that, but Chen Yingying, who was not too good at martial arts, had been staying on the blue planet to cultivate. The ordinary warrior realm was probably her limit. If she wanted to advance to the next level, she could only go to the otherworld to cultivate.


    ¡­


    After returning to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, an elder with a white beard hurried over to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Sect Master, good news! Before the day has ended, more than 100 outer sect disciples have already broken through to the warrior realm. There¡¯s also an inner sect disciple who relied on the ideas given by Sect Master to master the transformation of internal force.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°The transitional version of the technique is essentially a further division of the martial art realms. Go back and tell these people who have broken through not to slack off.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± the white-bearded elder replied and quickly turned to leave.


    This elder walked with vigor, as if he had suddenly become 10 years younger. This was the change in energy that Chen Yiming had brought to the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    After the elder left, Ye Jianyuan praised, ¡°Yiming, the transitional cultivation technique you created is really amazing. I now understand your train of thought. The original cultivation technique is divided into four versions from easy to difficult, corresponding to the four different stages of the early, middle, late, and extreme realms. It maximizes each person¡¯s potential.¡±


    The original version of the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s cultivation technique corresponded to the later stages, while the first version of the transitional cultivation technique created by Chen Yiming corresponded to the early stages. After he took over as the sect master, he created two more versions of the cultivation technique.


    Because he had already completely analyzed the cultivation technique, it was almost effortless for him.


    However, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t blinded by the success, and said,


    ¡°Other than those who have broken through to the actual next realm, the potential of the other people who practice the transitional cultivation techniques can only be further unearthed but not substantially improved. In a few months, these people will be stuck at a new bottleneck.¡±


    However, Ye Jianyuan felt relaxed and smiled.


    ¡°Yiming, you can¡¯t use your own standards to predict how ordinary disciples would react. To have a transitional cultivation technique that can help them break through, they are already laughing their heads off. As for their potential being completely unearthed, they will have to rely on themselves to fight in the otherworld in the future. The Myriad Phenomena Sect can¡¯t always watch over them.¡±


    Chen Yiming digested Ye Jianyuan¡¯s words. That was indeed the case.


    He had just become a sect master and had yet to change his way of thinking. It may even have been a little inappropriate for him to take out all four versions of the cultivation technique at once.


    To the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, if they could obtain everything without putting in any effort, they would lose the courage to fight for a future. This was not beneficial to the Myriad Phenomena Sect in the long term.


    ¡­


    At midnight, Chen Yiming quietly left the Myriad Phenomena Sect and arrived at a mountain range dozens of kilometers away.


    He looked at the ring on his thumb and saw that it was faintly reacting to the moonlight reflected off it. Scattered light spots were being absorbed.


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    Chen Yiming entered the spiritual world and started to communicate with the figure in his mind.


    As everything could only be done by his will, and he did not know how to do it, after spending some time, his consciousness suddenly fused with the figure in his mind.


    This feeling was very magical. It was as if his consciousness and the figure in his mind were one. The reason why they could split into two was completely due to his innate ability.


    At this moment, a thought appeared in his mind. Could it be that the system was only providing support and mainly relied on his own talent?


    However, before Chen Yiming could continue thinking about it, the figure that had fused with Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness disappeared from the spiritual world and entered the ring through his thumb.


    ¡°Is this a damaged space?¡±


    From the perspective of the figure, he could see that there was a very thin crack behind where he had entered. The figure had entered through the crack.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Spiritual power was indeed magical. If it was his physical body, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter this place.


    However, something strange happened. His spiritual power automatically imitated his laughter, causing his laughter to echo throughout the entire ring.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was so frightened that he shut up.


    He subconsciously reminded the figure to retreat if anything happened.


    However, the figure in his mind had its own judgment. It remained where it was, just like when it helped Chen Yiming secretly learn other martial arts techniques when he was just starting out in martial arts.


    Chen Yiming calmed down and observed the space in the ring.


    Thin cracks could be seen everywhere at the edge of this space. Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t figure out if these cracks had existed in the first place or if they were caused by the damage to the space in the ring.


    Upon closer inspection, he saw scattered light spots rolling along the cracks to the bottom of the space before disappearing for no reason.


    He instantly had an epiphany. He could only blame himself for being too inexperienced. When he saw the crack, he thought that there was something wrong with the ring.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing at all?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked around but didn¡¯t find anything.


    Just as he was feeling disappointed, a layer of fog seemed to have been lifted from the space in the ring, revealing its true appearance.


    ¡°My talent really didn¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t just his consciousness that was present, Chen Yiming would have given the figure a thumbs up.


    In the middle of the space, there was a human-shaped spirit controlled by an invisible force. There was an energy vortex above and below the human-shaped spirit.


    Above it was a golden vortex, and below it was a silver vortex.


    The scattered light spots that had been sucked into the ring¡¯s space continued to fuse into the silver vortex.


    ¡°Is this the secret of the warrior realm breathing technique?¡±


    Chen Yiming broke out in cold sweat. He had almost been tricked.


    If not for the figure in his mind, he would have thought that there was nothing in the space.


    He had killed many sacrificial spirits previously. Those spirits were not easy to deal with since they really wanted to eat people¡¯s souls. The consequences of moving around rashly were unimaginable.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief and started to observe the human-shaped spirit carefully.


    In reality, the difference in size between the human-shaped spirit and the figure in his mind was probably the difference between a normal person and a giant. Clearly, there was a reason why the figure in the mind had been staying put.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but doubt his intuition.


    He clearly felt that they were one, but why was his consciousness so different from the figure in his mind? This was because the figure in his mind was the one who had broken through the layer of fog in the ring, while his consciousness did not notice anything amiss at all.


    ¡°I just believed in myself for once¡­ Let¡¯s go back to being the man who made use of the system!¡±


    Chen Yiming had no choice but to accept reality.


    Then, he observed the human-shaped spirit again.


    ¡°A woman?¡±


    The human-shaped spirit had its head lowered, so Chen Yiming could only see a small portion of its face. However, he could tell that its facial features were exquisite. It was completely different from the spirits he had encountered before.


    Other than that, it did not have unstable emotions unlike the sacrificial spirits. Instead, it was calm and cool.


    Just as Chen Yiming was at a loss for what to do, his consciousness synchronized with the figure in his mind. The scene before him looked like a gold and silver millstone.

 Chapter 262 - Base City Trial Operation

    ¡°This is?¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could figure out the reason, a scene similar to the human spirit appeared on the figure in his mind.


    A golden energy vortex appeared above his head, and a silver energy vortex appeared under his feet. The scattered light spots that entered from the cracks fused into the silver energy vortex under the feet of the small figure.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness jolted in shock.


    The feeling was indescribable. It was like an ordinary person going hungry for a few days then feeling warm after taking their first bite of food.


    The figure¡¯s body glowed with a silver light. Chen Yiming could feel his spiritual power becoming more active, and his sense of touch gradually became more sensitive.


    ¡°Is this a transformation of my spiritual strength?¡± Chen Yiming said in shock.


    The sense of touch was one of the manifestations of his spiritual power.


    Gradually, with the silver energy vortex under his feet as a medium, the figure in his mind was completely bathed in silver light and began to absorb the silver energy.


    In the outside world, there was also something strange about Chen Yiming¡¯s body. A layer of silver flames flowed across his body, and the surrounding forest was illuminated by the silver light, making it seem as though it was daytime. It was as if the moonlight was being drawn towards his body.


    Fortunately, Chen Yiming had chosen to settle down deep in the mountains. Other than a few mutant beasts, no one else would come here in the middle of the night. Furthermore, the aura he emitted when he was cultivating was enough to make mutant beasts stay far away.


    ¡­


    This may be the first time he had received nourishment related to spiritual strength, and the energy needed for his strong physique to undergo transformation was not something ordinary people could compare to.


    This time, Chen Yiming took a long time to absorb the silver energy. It was only when the sky turned bright that the silver flames on his body gradually extinguished.


    In the space of the ring, the silver light on the figure slowly dissipated.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness let out a burp, but he soon felt hungry again.


    ¡°Are you hungry again after just eating?¡±


    He looked at the space around him. The scattered light spots had stopped entering the space and were replaced by golden streams of light.


    Before Chen Yiming could react, the golden streams of light nearby had already been sucked into the golden energy vortex above his head. The figure¡¯s body lit up with a fiery red flame.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot!¡±


    Chen Yiming felt extremely uncomfortable.


    The golden streams of light were clearly not as gentle as the scattered light spots. Instead, they could burn and cause damage to his spiritual power.


    At this moment, he felt like he had been thrown into a furnace.


    However, it was not without benefits. If the scattered light spots were like spiritual nourishment, the golden streams of light were like exercise equipment that helped him to digest the food after dinner.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming ran deep into the mountains to study the secret of the ring, at the same time, an official document was sent out from the Jiangnan province¡¯s government office overnight.


    Jiangdu City was located to the northeast of Jiangnan City, and was the city closest to the base city.


    Early in the morning, the entire city was in an uproar. Almost all the shops that sold weapons, armor, and supplies were filled with people as soon as they opened.


    These people were all martial arts practitioners. They were not members of the hunting teams, but members of the gangs and martial arts schools in the city.


    Every one of them had a fanatical expression on their faces, and their bodies emitted an aura that made it clear that others should not approach them. It was as if anyone who dared to stop them would become their sworn enemy.


    At a shop with a signboard that read ¡°Hongyun Logistics Store¡±, the boss, Xie Zhenkang, stood nervously at the counter. Beside him was the young cashier, Wang Xia. The hair on her forehead was drenched in sweat, and the makeup on her face was smudged.


    From time to time, sounds of knocking and shouting could be heard from outside the door. More and more footsteps could be heard over time. From the sound alone, it could be seen that more and more people had gathered at the entrance of the shop.


    ¡°Uncle Xie, what are they doing?¡± Wang Xia asked in a trembling voice.


    She was just an ordinary girl who was working for a low salary. She did not want to get involved in something she could not deal with.


    Xie Zhenkang looked at the pale Wang Xia and knew that if he did not give her a suitable reason, this shop assistant would probably quit on the spot and run away even if she did not get her salary.


    ¡°An announcement has just been made in Jiangnan City. From today onwards, the base city will be open for a trial operation. As Jiangdu City is the closest to it, we have been arranged to be the pilot city.¡±


    When Wang Xia heard this, she did not feel better, but instead, her face turned even paler.


    To ordinary people, the base city did not have much to do with them, but the chaos in front of them was real.


    Seeing this, Xie Zhenkang could only comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Jiangdu City is the only pilot city, so it¡¯s impossible for them to let anyone destroy it. Look at the people outside. Aren¡¯t they waiting patiently for us to open the door?¡±


    How could this be called patient?


    Wang Xia hesitated for a moment before informing her boss of her intention to resign.


    Xie Zhenkang had no choice but to use his trump card. ¡°How about I triple your salary for today?¡±


    Wang Xia fell silent when she heard this.


    You want me to take the risk for three times my salary?


    ¡°How about 10 times the salary?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    With enough money, it was not impossible for her to take on the risk. Wang Xia agreed immediately.


    Having 10 times her salary just for a day was more than enough for her to buy a good set of clothes. No matter how fierce those men looked, it didn¡¯t seem that scary anymore.


    Xie Zhenkang¡¯s heart was bleeding.


    It was not just a matter of giving Wang Xia 10 times her daily salary. Usually, he had business with many people outside the shop. Sometimes, he would buy goods from the provincial city and he would need to hire people to protect the goods along the way.


    Sometimes, he would order supplies for large hunting teams and he would also hire those people to protect the goods along the way.


    Now that those people were going to the otherworld to risk their lives, and it was their first time going there, it was not strange for them to request a discount and buy as many supplies as possible.


    Due to their past relationship and the fact that there were many people they had connections with, and that the shop still needed their business in the future, how could Xie Zhenkang dare to reject them?


    Xie Zhenkang had no choice but to open the door as per normal when the time came.


    The people outside the shop felt relieved and rushed into the shop.


    In less than a minute, all the supplies on the shelves were swept clean. One by one, the burly men squeezed to the cashier to line up and pay the bill.


    From time to time, they would urge her to hurry up. Together with the fierce aura of the martial arts practitioners, Wang Xia was so frightened that she almost wanted to give up the increased salary, since it was only 10 times her salary for a day.


    ¡­


    Outside Jiangdu City, in the wilderness, there was an endless stream of people rushing towards the city. Some of them came from cities that were further away and arrived much later.


    At the four city gates in the north, south, east, and west, people were queuing up to enter the city.


    The people in the queue were anxious and all wanted to be the first to enter the otherworld, causing a commotion in the queue.


    Ding Xiongyi glanced at the city gate every few seconds. His team was moving at the speed of a turtle, and he wanted to cross the city wall and enter the city directly.


    As an elite member of the Purple Peak Hunting Team, this was the first time he had been so frustrated.


    Zhou Yuecheng, who was at the side, had a serious expression on his face. From time to time, he would check the supplies carried by the hunting team to prevent them from being stolen.


    After nearly half an hour, the team suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that woman? She hasn¡¯t been let in even after so long.¡±


    Ding Xiongyi cursed when he saw the situation at the city gate.


    Zhou Yuecheng took a look and realized that someone had encountered a problem and was being interrogated.


    ¡°If her status isn¡¯t good enough, why is she here to join the queue? This person should be captured and sent to the prison!¡±


    Not everyone with powerful martial arts abilities could restrain themselves. Many individuals or groups who had committed crimes had fled to the wilderness.


    During the trial operation of the base city, some people tried to bluff their way through to enter the otherworld to fight for a future.


    This was a rare opportunity for people in the disciple realm. In the past, when they entered the otherworld to explore, there was no stable stronghold to protect them.


    The military had established a temporary stronghold, but such a stronghold would not be open to others.


    This led to people who had at least mastered the transformation of internal force leading the team when exploring the otherworld in the past. The team members would all be at the warrior realm.


    There were no supply points behind them, and they had to rely on the team to hunt and replenish their supplies.


    With such harsh conditions, even if there were many creatures in the otherworld that the disciple realm could deal with, people in the disciple realm would not dare to take the risk.


    At this moment, dozens of meters in front of the Purple Peak Hunting Team, a young man suddenly broke down. He was unwilling to enter the otherworld and wanted to go home.


    The young man¡¯s strange behavior immediately attracted the attention of many people.


    Ding Xiongyi glanced at the young man. He had soft skin, was tall and thin, and looked like a young master. His already frustrated mood became even worse.


    ¡°Who are these people? Do they really think that entering the otherworld is like going on a vacation?¡±


    Zhou Yuecheng saw the young man¡¯s reaction and was also furious.


    It was useless for someone like him to occupy a spot to enter the otherworld. It was obvious that he planned to hide in the stronghold and cultivate after entering.


    While others risked their lives to explore the wasteland, this young master would be sitting in the stronghold and enjoying himself.


    When many people thought of this, they could not tolerate it at all. However, this was something that the higher-ups of Jiangnan province had considered. Everyone present could only go with the flow.


    After a while, the young man finally calmed down.


    The elders in his family had allowed him to stay in Jiangdu City for the time being and not go to the otherworld with the team.


    However, the discussion about this young man was still not over.


    Ding Xiongyi suddenly became a little worried. ¡°Yue Cheng, why do I feel that this trip to the otherworld is not as good as we thought?¡±


    Zhou Yuecheng glanced at him and said, ¡°Why do you have such thoughts? Look at the number of people queuing up behind us. Are there really so many people who aren¡¯t afraid of death?¡±


    Ding Xiongyi frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t the person who caused such a commotion in Japan return to Jiangnan province?¡±


    Zhou Yuecheng rubbed his forehead and said, ¡°On the contrary, I feel that if that person makes a move, the risk we face will become even greater.¡±


    Facing the surprised Ding Xiongyi, Zhou Yuecheng continued, ¡°Think about it. Once that person makes a move, it won¡¯t be a small matter.


    As for the strength of our hunting team, other than the captain, the others can only be considered cannon fodder. Any random creature from the otherworld can wipe out the entire team.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡± Ding Xiongyi thought about it and realized that it was true. His face twitched in fear.


    Zhou Yuecheng gestured to the people lining up behind him. ¡°Most people have the same thoughts. As long as there is enough cannon fodder, we will most likely be fine.


    Besides, the first batch of people who entered the otherworld would definitely not move too far from the stronghold. After the second and third batches, the vicinity of the stronghold would have already been picked clean.¡±


    Hearing this, Ding Xiongyi suddenly understood the situation.


    The further they were from the stronghold, the more uncontrollable the risk would be. This was the main reason why there were so many people in the first batch.


    ¡­


    At the train station in Jiangdu City, soldiers were stationed a kilometer away from the entrance. There were three paths separated by steel railings, allowing those who wanted to take the train to the base city to pass through in an orderly manner.


    Not only that, dozens of ATM-like devices had been temporarily installed 20 meters to the right of the train station. There was a long line in front of each device.


    Due to the different rules of the otherworld, most technological products could not be used normally. Everyone who went to the otherworld not only had to buy train tickets, but also tickets to the space-travel passage.


    If they planned to resupply at the stronghold, they would first need to exchange the money for the corresponding contribution points on the ATM-like devices. After that, there would be people who would bring a notebook to the stronghold to update their contribution points in the otherworld.


    Similarly, the gains from the otherworld could also be exchanged for contribution points and exchanged for money after returning to the blue planet.


    In addition, there was a certain amount of processing fee for each exchange. There was a notice informing people about these points on the ATM-like devices.


    Tan Shoushan squeezed out of the crowd with a dark expression and walked towards the dozen or so people waiting by the roadside.


    He was the head of the Mighty Dragon Fist School in Jiangdu City. It was not a talent selection organization established by a large sect, but a personal martial arts school.


    Xiang Ling was Tan Shoushan¡¯s wife. They were both in the warrior realm, but she was only slightly weaker than her husband. She was the deputy head of the Dragon Might Fist School.


    She had already headed to the window of the train station to buy everyone¡¯s tickets and tickets. She was just waiting for Tan Shoushan to exchange the 100 million yuan in his card for contribution points.


    The expenditure for martial arts cultivation was unimaginable. Daily cultivation would already cost a lot of money. Given that there were two warriors in the team, the quality of their supplies had to be high. 100 million yuan was thus not a lot of money.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with the machine?¡± Xiang Ling walked forward and asked.


    The dozen or so disciples behind her had nervous expressions on their faces. No one was willing to start off on a bad note, and all of them wanted to go to the otherworld to achieve a breakthrough.


    Tan Shoushan did not answer. He let out a long breath and stuffed a receipt into Xiang Ling¡¯s hand.


    Xiang Ling picked up the receipt and compared it to the flyer in her hand. She said in surprise, ¡°Why is it so expensive?!¡±


    The exchange rate between the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s currency and contribution points was 100:1. 100 million yuan was only exchanged for 1 million contribution points. The warrior-level meals advertised on the flyer ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 points per meal.


    As for the disciple-level meals, they ranged from 1,000 to 3,000 points.


    Weapons, armor, and medicine were also not cheap.


    In other words, 100 million yuan was only enough for them to live in the otherworld for about a week. This was the situation if they did not consider hunting on their own.


    The disciples of the martial arts school also surrounded him and saw the number on the receipt.


    This shocked every disciple. They had thought that the exchange rate would be 10:1.


    Tan Shoushan said in a low voice, ¡°This is to force everyone to participate in the exploration. When we get there, we will have to rely on ourselves to solve the problem. The items sold in the stronghold can only be used as a backup plan.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When the disciples heard this, they fell silent.


    This was quite different from their initial assumption. Having to frequently hunt creatures from the otherworld meant that the risk of going to the otherworld had increased greatly.


    Tan Shoushan took in his disciples¡¯ expressions and said, ¡°It¡¯s not too late to go back on your word. The train tickets and tickets are not expensive compared to the expenses there.¡±


    Xiang Ling waited anxiously for her disciples¡¯ decision.


    The disciples of the martial arts school were like a real family. Of course, she hoped that all the disciples would be able to go to the otherworld to obtain a better cultivation environment.


    Reality was cruel, especially at the disciple realm. It was not much different from risking one¡¯s life.


    However, they had no choice but to manage the stronghold this way. If they allowed everyone to cultivate comfortably in the stronghold, no one would be willing to take the risk to carry out the dangerous work of exploring the otherworld.


    Moreover, the true experts had become strong after going through tough situations. They had all stood between life and death before.


    Just as the disciples of the Mighty Dragon Fist School were in a dilemma, some people not far away tore up their tickets and started to leave.


    The soldiers in charge of maintaining order ignored them and continued to stand guard at their posts.


    Of course, no one dared to cause trouble and question the pricing of supplies in the stronghold.


    This was because the main forces of the exploration were those who had mastered the transformation of internal force. At this level, money was already immaterial. One billion or ten billion yuan was nothing to them.


    Ordinary warriors and disciples might have some say in a small place, but they did not dare to be presumptuous here.


    However, after a while, the people who had torn up their tickets regretted it. Money could be earned again, and there was only one chance to be among the first batch of people to enter the otherworld.


    Many people returned to the ticketing counter to re-purchase tickets, but they were told that there was a one-week interval between each purchase.

 Chapter 263 - The Breathing Technique That Came to His Doorstep

    Near noon, the golden streams of light in the ring shone brightly, dyeing everything in its path golden. Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness screamed in pain. It felt as if he was an ordinary person being bitten by countless ants. There was no part of his body that didn¡¯t hurt.


    He had tried to leave the figure in his mind here to cultivate, and let his consciousness slip back into his main body. However, as soon as he left the figure, the exposed part of his consciousness was burned up by the golden streams of light, and he was so frightened that he quickly retreated into the figure.


    ¡°As expected, I still have to rely on the system!¡±


    Chen Yiming sadly realized that the one who could materialize the spiritual power was the figure in his mind. In the face of the power of the natural world, his consciousness was still very weak.


    Fortunately, the recovery ability from his Level-2 Undying Body talent was powerful, and it worked just as well on his spiritual power. The parts that had been burned away quickly grew back automatically.


    Not long after, just as Chen Yiming was about to faint, the golden vortex above his head and the silver vortex under his feet dissipated.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally over!¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed in relief. In a flash, his consciousness was brought back to his body by the figure.


    At this moment, the burning feeling had disappeared, and he was in high spirits. His perception had clearly increased, and it was reflected in each of his five senses, such as his vision, hearing, and taste.


    ¡°The problem with the breathing technique has been resolved. Next..¡±


    Just as he had this thought, a piece of bad news came from the figure in his mind.


    The golden and silver vortexes that seemed to be able to resonate with the natural world were actually built in the special environment of the ring. It could also be said that the breathing technique that the figure in his mind had figured out was incomplete.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze, but he quickly recovered.


    It was enough for the time being. He could think of a solution later.


    He stood up and returned to the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡­


    At noon in the middle of summer, the sky was clear and blue. The scorching sun poured down, as if it wanted to purify the earth.


    Along the way, Chen Yiming noticed that something was amiss in the wilderness. Almost everyone he met was heading towards the same place and had brought as many supplies as possible.


    After roughly confirming their location, Chen Yiming realized that they were not heading towards the base city. This puzzled him and also piqued his interest.


    Thinking that it was meaningless to return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he specially chose a team of people who did not know each other and approached them.


    This group of martial arts practitioners was different from most of the others. They were all traveling light and did not carry much supplies other than their weapons.


    Traveling light in the wilderness usually meant that one was strong and had the absolute confidence to hunt mutant beasts at any time.


    Of course, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t rash. He controlled his aura to the same level as the group so that he could interact with them.


    Zhang Cheng came from Sanjiang City, the neighboring province. He had just turned 30 this year, but he looked to be 23 or 24 years old. He had graduated from the provincial martial arts school and opened a martial arts school in Sanjiang City. Within a few years, he had risen to fame. He was a warrior who had mastered the transformation of internal force.


    The other man and woman in the team were in a similar situation. They were not from Jiangnan province. The three of them knew each other and formed a team, planning to enter the otherworld through the base city in Jiangnan province.


    Faced with Chen Yiming¡¯s bold question, Zhang Cheng didn¡¯t hide anything and said, ¡°To be honest, the three of us are from Haojiang province. We heard that the base city in Jiangnan province is operating on a trial basis and are interested in exploring the otherworld.¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly recalled the railway from East Lake City to the base city that was under construction.


    In order to make it easier to manage, the starting point for entering the otherworld was set up in the major cities in the province to prevent the base city from being under too much pressure.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there also a stronghold in the otherworld that is being established by Haojiang province?¡± he asked again.


    Zhang Cheng looked a little embarrassed when he heard this. It was the same for the other man and woman. Haojiang province was close to Jiangnan province, but there was already a gap in the levels of the two provinces. Now, there was suddenly a powerful person in Jiangnan province who was equivalent to the master realm.


    There was already news in Haojiang province that they might give up on the stronghold that they were building and directly use the base city in Jiangnan province to enter the otherworld.


    ¡°With a real big shot in Jiangnan province, we can feel more at ease.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he felt that the influence of having a martial master was very strong.


    However, from the perspective of the overall situation in the Daxia Kingdom, this was very normal. If three or four provinces shared a stronghold from the otherworld, it would be more beneficial for them to gather their forces.


    And because of him, Jiangnan province was the first to take the lead, and the influence it created was far from over.


    The place where the four of them had stopped for the time being was surrounded by tall pine trees. Pine cones were scattered all over the ground, and from time to time, other teams would pass by.


    However, when they saw them, they consciously took a detour.


    As they chatted, Chen Yiming suggested that they go to the otherworld together. Zhang Cheng and the other man and woman exchanged glances.


    Although they had just met and were not familiar with each other, there was no need to be overly vigilant on the blue planet. If they could not get along, they could just part ways after entering the otherworld.


    Soon, Chen Yiming joined the team and headed towards Jiangdu City.


    ¡­


    In a wooden house in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, on the tea table, a pot of hot tea was steaming.


    As the former sect master, Ye Jianyuan had personally welcomed Xie Weilin, who had ascended the mountain. The reason he had lowered his status to do this was naturally to help Chen Yiming to deflect some of the matters.


    Even if Xie Weilin was the daughter of the head of the security bureau, she would have to wait obediently for Chen Yiming to return.


    ¡°Sect Master Ye, where is Chen Yiming?¡± Xie Weilin asked anxiously.


    She had been brought here by the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect to wait. The moment Ye Jianyuan appeared and not Chen Yiming, she felt that it would be difficult for her to settle the task she had been assigned to do.


    Ye Jianyuan was in no hurry. He first took a sip of hot tea and put down the teacup.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already resigned from the position of sect master. It¡¯s more appropriate to call me Elder Ye. Sect Master Chen had some inspiration from his cultivation yesterday and is no longer on the mountain. You can tell me what happened, and I¡¯ll help you pass on the message.¡±


    Xie Weilin was dumbfounded when she heard this.


    In order to allow his daughter to better grasp the bargaining chip, Xie Jimin had told her part of the insider information from the higher-ups.


    The stronghold established in Jiangnan province had yet to meet the operating standards set by the Daxia Kingdom. Of course, if they could get Chen Yiming¡¯s help, it would be no problem at all.


    The trial operation of the base city was actually a temporary plan to get it ready earlier. Other than the railway with the nearest city, Jiangdu City, it would still take a lot of time to complete the railway between the base city and the other cities in the province.


    The main reason for this was that they were afraid that the neighboring provinces would secretly offer better conditions to attract Chen Yiming away.


    Therefore, Xie Weilin had come today with great sincerity.


    Ye Jianyuan noticed the change in the other party, so he said in a gentle tone,


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what it is? I¡¯ll discuss it with the court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect on behalf of Sect Master Chen. When Sect Master Chen returns, I¡¯ll give you an answer as soon as possible.¡±


    As the sect master of a large sect who had been in power for many years, Ye Jianyuan could easily take the initiative. It was far from what Xie Weilin could deal with.


    This was the truth. It seemed like he was helping the other party resolve the problem, but in reality, Xie Weilin was in a dilemma.


    However, all the higher-ups in Jiangnan province thought that Chen Yiming had just taken over as the sect master. How could he disappear the next day?


    The possibility that they couldn¡¯t find Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t part of the plan Xie Jimin had given his daughter at all.


    ¡°Please give me some time.¡±


    With that, Xie Weilin shamelessly ran out of the wooden house.


    ¡­


    About 10 minutes later, she returned.


    Xie Weilin took out a box made of a special material and solemnly placed it on the tea table.


    ¡°This is the first half of a breathing technique.¡±


    As she spoke, her breathing quickened, and her heart pounded violently. This thing was too precious, and she could not deal with it calmly.


    It had to be known that although this was only half of the breathing technique, but anything related to the master realm was always considered a top secret in a country. How could it be taken out so easily?


    Ye Jianyuan looked at the box solemnly.


    He had once undergone the test with the help of the martial master guarding the south. He knew that he could not break through to the master realm.


    After interacting with many friends at the peak of the warrior realm for many years, he had also learned a small portion of the content regarding breaking through to the master realm.


    Choosing a body part to use as a medium to sense the outside world was the easiest stage. Almost no one who could reach the peak of the warrior realm had very low perception.


    Therefore, this stage was usually ignored. The difference was everyone¡¯s habits and the risk they were willing to take.


    For example, the sensitivity of each part of the body was different. The body parts like the hands and feet would definitely be much less sensitive than the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue.


    However, from a risk perspective, if a portion of the hands and feet were injured, the effect on the sense of touch would be limited. However, if the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue were injured, they might lose all their vision, hearing, smell, and taste.


    The materialization of spiritual strength was usually the core content of the first half of a breathing technique.


    The test that Ye Jianyuan had once undergone was to skip the breathing technique and experience the tempering of one¡¯s spiritual strength with the help of an external force from the master realm.


    Therefore, he knew how precious the other half of the breathing technique was. In addition, he knew that Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t really broken through to the master realm, so he couldn¡¯t reject him.


    Ye Jianyuan solemnly moved the box in front of him and sighed.


    ¡°To me, this half of the breathing technique is a priceless treasure, but to Sect Master Chen¡­¡±


    He did not finish his sentence, leaving room for retreat.


    Xie Weilin understood his meaning and begged with a bitter smile, ¡°The first half of the breathing technique is already the most sincere gift that Jiangnan province can offer. We can discuss the other aspects.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan pretended to be deep in thought.


    It seemed that Jiangnan province didn¡¯t really understand Chen Yiming¡¯s situation, to the extent that their judgment had been wrong. As the former sect master, it was his instinct to get as many benefits as possible for the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all from Jiangnan province. I¡¯ll find Sect Master Chen as soon as possible to discuss this matter.¡±


    As Ye Jianyuan spoke, he stuffed the box into his pocket.


    Xie Weilin immediately cried tears of joy and kept thanking him.


    In her eyes, as well as Xie Jimin¡¯s, if the Myriad Phenomena Sect accepted this half of the breathing technique, at the very least, the overall situation in Jiangnan province would be stabilized. It would not be a problem for them to discuss the other aspects slowly.


    After Xie Weilin left, Ye Jianyuan immediately gathered the heads of the 12 inner courts.


    The main content of the discussion was about the privileges of the stronghold established by the Myriad Phenomena Sect in Jiangnan province, as well as which location to occupy as the Myriad Phenomena Sect¡¯s base in the otherworld.


    ¡­


    Outside Jiangdu City, Chen Yiming¡¯s team of four people stopped in their tracks when faced with the queue that was several kilometers long.


    Each of the three martial arts experts from Haojiang City had mastered the transformation of their internal force. Naturally, they would not queue up to enter the city like ordinary martial arts practitioners.


    At this level, as the main force in the exploration of the otherworld, it was normal for them to have some special privileges.


    First, Zhang Cheng contacted an official from the organization in Jiangdu City.


    After receiving an agreement, Zhang Cheng took the lead and led the three of them to the soldiers who were checking their identities.


    There was a long queue behind them, and there were many people whispering. Previously, many people had cut the queue and entered the city, so everyone already knew the reason for this.


    Even if they felt that it was unfair, they could only sigh in their hearts. No matter where one went, strength spoke for itself.


    ¡°Please show me your identification.¡±


    Zhang Cheng and the other man and woman had obtained the certificates issued by the provincial office in advance. The soldiers checked the documents once and let them pass.


    ¡°Please show me your identification.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt a little awkward. He couldn¡¯t reveal his identity now, could he?


    Fortunately, he was quick-witted. A trace of illusory internal force covered his identity card and the eyes of the soldiers. With his current control over his internal force, he could do it without anyone noticing.


    Therefore, after the first three people had successfully passed, the soldier subconsciously felt that Chen Yiming should also pass. He imagined the corresponding scene and let him pass.


    Just like that, the four of them successfully entered Jiangdu City.


    However, what greeted their eyes was a crowd that filled the entire street.


    In reality, not everyone wanted to enter the otherworld. There were also a large number of outsiders who wanted to watch and see if they could enter or not.


    Therefore, Jiangdu City welcomed an unprecedented crowd. In just half a day, all the streets were completely filled. All the shops selling food were forced to close their doors, and the ingredients they had prepared were all used up in less than an hour.


    ¡°This¡­ there are way too many people here!¡±


    Xu Xiurong¡¯s red lips parted slightly as she glared at the crowd.


    She was 31 years old and came from a large martial arts clan in Haojiang province. She was also a senior member of a large provincial sect, and had a position similar to the court heads in the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    To ordinary people, she might have reached the age where she should be thinking about marriage, but to those who had the talent to reach the second stage of the warrior realm, this was the age when one had just unleashed most of their potential.


    From the age of 10 to 30, it was a process of rapid growth in martial arts. Xu Xiurong had only just started to reach her peak now.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve lived for more than 40 years, but I¡¯ve never seen so many people pouring into a city.¡±


    Yuan Guangzhou could not help but be shocked.


    He was the oldest in the team. He had a beard and looked like a middle-aged man.


    He spoke very little along the way, but in reality, he was the strongest person among the three of them. As the big boss behind a pharmaceutical giant in Haojiang province, he was not lacking in skills or strength.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same, but his heart was racing.


    There were so many martial arts practitioners gathered in Jiangdu City, and there was still a long line outside the city. There were also people rushing over from the wilderness. It could be seen that this was no longer just a matter that involved Jiangnan province.


    It would not be an exaggeration to expand the scope to four or five provinces around the country. In the end, it might gather about 10% of the martial arts power of the Daxia Kingdom below the peak of the warrior realm.


    This was because, at the moment, other than Jiangnan province, no other provincial base city had started to operate and allow the civilian martial arts factions to enter the stronghold of the otherworld.


    In fact, his guess was considered conservative. If the other provinces could not keep up with Jiangnan province in the short term, more martial arts practitioners would gather here.


    Usually, people would follow the crowd, and martial arts practitioners were no exception. The more people there were in a stronghold in the otherworld, the more people there were to share the risk.


    Humans tended to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. In addition, Chen Yiming¡¯s faction was in Jiangnan province. This way, more and more martial arts practitioners from the surrounding provinces would flock to Jiangnan province.

 Chapter 264 - Wet Ground

    At around 9 pm, the clouds in the sky were thin, and the moonlight was enchanting. It seemed to light up everyone¡¯s hopes for the otherworld.


    There was still a sea of people in front of the train station. The supplies in the city had long been depleted, but most of them had brought rations for a day or two. It would not be a problem for them to last until they entered the otherworld.


    Due to the limitations, only two trains had been prepared for sending people to the base city. Therefore, even though Jiangdu City was less than 100 kilometers away from the base city, every train was filled with people.


    The martial arts practitioners who were usually high and mighty experienced the feeling of waiting at the station.


    ¡°For every trip, they have to do a maintenance check. How long will this take?¡±


    Complaints could be heard from the waiting room from time to time.


    The rules stated that one would only be allowed to enter the waiting room when it was their turn to buy tickets. Therefore, everyone had been waiting outside the train station for a long time.


    Coupled with the time it took to check and repair the train, they felt anxious.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to be anxious. The roar of the train will inevitably attract mutant beasts.¡±


    Some people were bored and started discussing.


    Soon, their impatience was released, and the topic shifted to the mutant beasts and the otherworld.


    There was another benefit to this kind of small talk. The bits and pieces of information they learned from other people might be able to save one¡¯s life at a critical moment.


    Chen Yiming, Zhang Cheng, and the others entered the VIP waiting room and sat down on the lounge chairs.


    Other than Chen Yiming¡¯s team, there were two other groups of people in the VIP waiting room. However, there were very few people in these two groups, and they were each formed by a few people. Compared to the waiting room next door, it was exceptionally quiet.


    The four of them had exchanged their contribution points and were just waiting for the next train.


    According to their agreement, they would only stick together for the rest of this journey from Jiangdu City to the base city. The three of them were about to part ways with Chen Yiming after this.


    Xu Xiurong smiled and asked Chen Yiming, ¡°There are three areas around the stronghold that we need to explore. The underground passage, the graveyard, and the rocky plains. Which area do you plan to go to?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the undead creatures in the graveyard will bring back corpses from the outside world. After the corpses are buried, new undead creatures will be born. I¡¯m quite interested in this strange phenomenon,¡± Chen Yiming replied without any reservations.


    He had already learned the general information about the base city from Ye Jianyuan. He knew that undead creatures were a special life form created from the combination of a spirit and a corpse. In Chen Yiming¡¯s opinion, the spirits involved were all Skill Points he could use to increase his swordsmanship talent.


    When Xu Xiurong heard this, she blinked a few times.


    She did not expect that the other party would have the same goal as them. Her ancestors had excelled in exorcism, and after the revival of martial arts, they had developed more powerful methods to deal with the spirits.


    From the perspective of making use of one¡¯s strengths and avoiding one¡¯s weaknesses, her choice was undoubtedly the graveyard.


    Zhang Cheng understood the situation and suggested, ¡°We¡¯re also preparing to go to the graveyard. Perhaps our meeting was fated. Why don¡¯t we go together?¡±


    Yuan Guangzhou also cast his gaze over. Although they had only met by chance and had yet to find out about each other¡¯s character, one more person meant one more helping hand. When they exchanged their contribution points, the three of them had come to a consensus.


    If the two sides had the same target destination, they would invite Chen Yiming to work together. If the target destination was different, then they would split up.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    To their surprise, Chen Yiming agreed immediately.


    In an unexplored area of the otherworld, who knew what level of creatures would be there? Even if he had combat strength comparable to the master realm, he had never thought of moving about recklessly in the otherworld.


    It just so happened that there was a suitable team to join now, and they could share more information. There was no reason to refuse.


    He had changed from a temporary member to an official member of the team, and their attitude towards Chen Yiming had become even more enthusiastic. Previously, they had only wanted to make friends with him.


    Now, they needed to familiarize themselves with each other as soon as possible so that they could cooperate better in battle.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming learned from the three of them that Xu Xiurong was good at finding, binding, and sealing spirits. She was the core of their team.


    Zhang Cheng was good at saber techniques and cultivated a vibration-based internal force. It could not only interfere with the spirits, but also had a high lethality.


    Yuan Guangzhou specialized in fist techniques. His internal force with the burning attribute was extremely lethal to spirits, and he had the strongest combat power in the original team.


    In this three-man team, there were roles of attacking and controlling spirits. Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou even overlapped to a certain extent, and they lacked a support role.


    ¡°I cultivate an internal force with the illusion attribute. It¡¯s good for concealment and stealth.¡±


    Chen Yiming had given himself a supporting role. This way, he could avoid exposing his identity.


    1


    Xu Xiurong, Zhang Cheng, and Yuan Guangzhou were extremely excited. What kind of luck was this? A passerby they had accidentally met happened to make up for the team¡¯s shortcomings.


    This undoubtedly increased the survival ability of the entire team by a level, and his status immediately surpassed Zhang Cheng¡¯s.


    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!¡±


    The whistle of a train sounded.


    There was a commotion in the waiting room next door. Everyone¡¯s patience was almost exhausted, and the crowd rushed out to the platform to wait.


    In the VIP waiting room, Chen Yiming¡¯s group and two other groups of people followed the crowd to the platform.


    The train was modified from ordinary trains. Its speed was not fast to begin with, and after adding two thick layers of defensive steel plates, its average speed was only 60 kilometers per hour.


    As the main force in the exploration of the otherworld, Chen Yiming and the others received some preferential treatment. They didn¡¯t need to squeeze into the ordinary carriages with others. Instead, they could sit in the special-class carriages.


    After the passengers boarded, the train quickly started moving. Along the way, unless they ran into an incident along the way such as a beast tide, there would not be any stops. They would go straight to the base city.


    ¡­


    Outside the window, the darkness of the night could not block everyone¡¯s line of sight. The scenery on both sides of the train quickly receded.


    The interior of the special-class carriage was not crowded. There were only two rows of seats on the left and right, and there were no more than 30 seats in total. There was also ample space between the rows.


    Now that the base city was under trial operation, only those who had mastered the transformation of their internal force were qualified to buy seats in the special-class carriages.


    The number of people in the three groups was less than 20, so the members of each team sat together.


    Xu Xiurong asked Chen Yiming for his opinion in a low voice, ¡°Around midnight, there won¡¯t be many teams who have the ability to enter the graveyard from the base city. However, it has been almost half a day since the first batch entered the otherworld. It¡¯s best if we hurry up and accept a mission to draw a map before setting off. What do you think?¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded in agreement.


    Xu Xiurong continued, ¡°The soul crystals obtained from killing the undead creatures will be taken care of after we return to the stronghold, and then distributed according to the contribution. Are you able to accept this?¡±


    The soul crystal was a spiritual power crystal dropped by the undead creatures after they were killed. Through special cultivation methods, it could temper one¡¯s spiritual power to a certain extent.


    However, mutant beasts on the blue planet did not produce such treasures, and the otherworld was too dangerous. No one would sell them after obtaining them, and they were almost all used for themselves.


    Afraid that Chen Yiming would become suspicious, she added, ¡°The aura of the soul crystal will also attract other undead creatures. I have a way to seal the aura to prevent other undead creatures from noticing it.¡±


    How could Chen Yiming be afraid that someone would steal his spoils of war? He agreed without any hesitation.


    After settling the newcomer in the team, Xu Xiurong continued to make arrangements. ¡°Zhang Cheng, Uncle Yuan, I¡¯ll leave the journey from the stronghold to the graveyard to you guys.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou became excited.


    Everyone tacitly agreed that Chen Yiming would save his strength for when the team was moving around the graveyard.


    The main reason why such areas had yet to be explored was that Jiangnan province did not have enough manpower. It could even be said that they did not dare to send a large number of people into these areas.


    If they did not have enough manpower, Xu Xiurong, Zhang Cheng, and Yuan Guangzhou would not be so arrogant as to think that a small team could deal with it. Therefore, the plan was to be as careful as possible.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    The train was speeding along the tracks, and there was a lot of noise in the carriage.


    It wasn¡¯t just Chen Yiming¡¯s team who had discussed their plans in advance. It was the same for the other two groups. Once they left the stronghold, a battle could happen at any time. There wouldn¡¯t be a lot of time to discuss it then.


    The ordinary carriages were a different story. They were mostly talking about the situation at the stronghold.


    How could a team led by ordinary warriors or even disciples dare to run around at night in the otherworld? They all planned to spend the night at the stronghold and take action at dawn.


    ¡­


    The journey from Jiangdu City to the base city was uneventful. The train took a total of an hour and 50 minutes to arrive at its destination.


    When they alighted from the train, they were surrounded by a large number of armed soldiers. The entire base city was brightly lit, but it was silent.


    Today was the first day of the base city¡¯s trial operation. They had been on high alert the whole time and were ready to deal with any abnormal situation at any moment.


    Soon, an officer came over to lead the way. More than a thousand people walked in the direction of the space-travel passage.


    A group of soldiers passed by. These were not ordinary soldiers, and each of them was at least at the middle level of the disciple realm.


    The entire base city was filled with the aura of steel weaponry. At the moment, it did not look like a city, but a military base.


    A few minutes later, they arrived at the spatial rift.


    This area had the highest level of defense in the city. Not only were there military martial arts experts guarding it, but there were also modified technological weapons aimed at it.


    Technological weapons could not be used in the otherworld due to the different rules in the otherworld. The space-travel passage was also affected by this, but to a lesser extent.


    Advanced technological weapons could not be used around the space-travel passage, but conventional weapons could be used after some modifications.


    ¡°This, this, this¡­¡±


    Among the thousand-over people, it was the first time for many of them to see a spatial rift. They could not help but exclaim.


    When the officers in charge of maintaining order saw this, they had no intention of stopping them. Previously, every person in the train had done the same thing. They only urged these people to enter the space-travel passage in an orderly manner.


    Seeing the people in front of them enter the space-travel passage, many people began to feel nervous. The gravity in the otherworld was about 10 times that of the blue planet.


    ¡­


    The space around them changed. Even though they were prepared, some people still fell to the ground with a bang.


    This was because their muscles were too tense. When they thought about using their strength to resist the sudden increase in gravity, some of them used their strength a little too early while others used their strength a little too late.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s team were the first to enter the otherworld. By the time many people were making a fool of themselves, they had already entered the stronghold.


    The stronghold was a simple city built by humans. The surrounding buildings were all modular. If the creatures from the otherworld attacked the stronghold, they only needed to replace the damaged parts.


    Whether it was the cost of time, manpower, or value, they were all more efficient than traditional buildings.


    In addition, the entire stronghold was still brightly lit. There was a torch burning every five meters on every street, and the materials used were all transported from the blue planet.


    At this moment, a large number of simple tents were set up on the street. Due to the limited conditions, they could only rest on the spot. A large number of discussions were happening even at this time which caused the stronghold to be very lively, as though they were not in the dangerous otherworld.


    The ground beneath their feet was damp. Looking at the area outside the stronghold, the scene was so vast that there were almost no obstacles in their view. Under the illumination from the flames in the stronghold, the surroundings were a dark red color, giving off a desolate and silent feeling. It also gave off an endless sense of danger.


    Other than returning to the blue planet through the space-travel passage, there was nowhere to hide in this stronghold.


    Chen Yiming recalled the space-travel passage in the catacombs that connected to the otherworld. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a stronghold to be established in such an environment.¡±


    Xu Xiurong covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s indeed unbelievable, but the barrenness also means that there are very few creatures from the otherworld nearby. Any abnormalities can be detected quickly.¡±


    Unlike Yuan Guangzhou¡¯s calmness, Zhang Cheng had an excited expression on his face. He was considered very young at this level of strength and had never entered the otherworld.


    The main thing was that he was talented. At this stage where he could easily break through with his talent, there was no need to risk his life.


    Zhang Cheng opened his mouth and said in shock, ¡°No wonder this place is called the damp wasteland. I don¡¯t even dare to leave the stronghold alone.¡±


    It was the first time the four of them had come to the stronghold, so they did not know the way. As they walked, they used the street signs to determine the direction and walked towards the location where missions were issued.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past. The scent of fresh blood filled the air. Coupled with the cries of the creatures in the sky, this caused the commotion in the stronghold to come to a stop.


    Chen Yiming looked up and saw a huge flying creature circling above the stronghold.


    Xu Xiurong, Zhang Cheng, and Yuan Guangzhou also stopped smiling. The otherworld creatures that dare to openly spy on the stronghold were obviously at least at the peak of the warrior realm.


    A few minutes later, the flying creature turned around and flew into the distance. It did not swoop down to attack the stronghold.


    Chen Yiming and the others pressed forward, looking for the location where the missions were issued. However, there was only silence wherever they went. Most of the people who had entered the otherworld that day had been frightened by the flying creature.


    Everyone realized that the otherworld was a dangerous place. Being in a stronghold did not guarantee their safety.


    ¡­


    In front of a small two-story building, a sign read: ¡°Otherworld Exploration Missions¡±.


    Chen Yiming and the others glanced at the sign beside the door and walked in.


    It was already past midnight, and there were not many teams that were capable of leaving the stronghold at this time. Only the military personnel in charge of registration were guarding the place.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to accept the task of drawing a map.¡±


    Chen Yiming and his team expressed their intentions.


    The middle-aged man in a military uniform at the counter looked up and asked, ¡°Which one are you choosing? The underground passage, the graveyard, or the rocky plains?¡±


    ¡°The graveyard,¡± Xu Xiurong said.


    When the middle-aged man in military uniform heard this, he lowered his head and took out a brand new map from under the counter, handing it to them.


    This was a map that was less than half completed. It mainly marked the location of the stronghold and a few areas in the graveyard.


    These areas had been completed by the people who had accepted the corresponding mission.


    The middle-aged man in the military uniform reminded them, ¡°Pay attention. There are not many drawings of this area. You have to be careful. Even those at the peak of the warrior realm have to be careful in the graveyard.


    If you sense that something is amiss, don¡¯t hesitate to retreat as soon as possible. We still haven¡¯t figured out the abilities of the undead creatures, so don¡¯t trust your own abilities too much.¡±

 Chapter 265 - Danger Everywhere

    Before they left, the middle-aged man in the military uniform informed them about the reward for drawing the map.


    Within an area of 10 kilometers of the unexplored area, the team needed to note down the terrain and the creatures living there, and provide detailed reports on how dangerous it was.


    If they successfully brought back a completed map, they would be rewarded with 10 million contribution points and the chance to purchase a piece of treasure from the otherworld.


    Contribution points could be exchanged for money on the blue planet, but what attracted people the most was the chance to buy treasures from the otherworld. In the early stages of the exploration, Jiangnan province had collected many such things from the otherworld.


    In order to give more martial arts practitioners the motivation to explore the wasteland, they had no choice but to use it as a reward.


    ¡­


    More than 10 meters away from the entrance of the stronghold, the team was making a final check before setting off.


    Chen Yiming observed his surroundings. In this area that was named the damp wasteland, one could only see wet soil everywhere. Strangely, there were no plants growing there.


    There was no end in sight, and there was no shelter anywhere. It was as if it was a huge mouth that was waiting for its prey to enter.


    In such an environment, the advantage was that one could spot any danger in advance and avoid them from far away. The disadvantage was that if one was surrounded by creatures from the otherworld, one could not effectively dodge them and would easily be chased down by them.


    He repeatedly reminded himself, ¡°This is the otherworld, not the blue planet. As my combat strength rivals that of a true master, I can¡¯t help but feel a little arrogant, but I have to regain my cautious attitude.¡±


    Zhang Cheng was a little nervous. He repeatedly wiped the long saber in his hand and looked at Xu Xiurong, who was packing her bag, and asked, ¡°Are you confident?¡±


    Xu Xiurong checked the tools she had packed to deal with the undead creatures. She stood up and carried her backpack. ¡°The core of the undead creatures is their spirit. It¡¯s not like the Xu clan hasn¡¯t captured any spirits from the otherworld before. Believe me, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    However, Zhang Cheng did not regain his confidence after hearing Xu Xiurong¡¯s words. He had been confident before entering the otherworld and was ready to go all out, but when he was actually here, the feeling of being in an unfamiliar environment made him feel more and more helpless.


    If not for the fact that he was a man and had an image to maintain, he would have wanted to stay in the stronghold and observe the situation first.


    At this moment, more and more people came out of their tents. They looked at the four people who were preparing to set off not far from the entrance and whispered to their companions.


    Without a doubt, Chen Yiming and the others¡¯ actions were bold and admirable. It wasn¡¯t daytime now, but late at night. Most people were hiding in the stronghold to defend themselves, but these four people were about to go out alone.


    It had to be known that the stronghold had just been attacked by a flying creature. The fear it brought to everyone was still imprinted in their hearts.


    Yuan Guangzhou spread out the map and studied it repeatedly before saying, ¡°The graveyard is more than 30 kilometers away from the stronghold. For a team that moves alone, I think it¡¯s much less dangerous with the cover of night.¡±


    Hearing Yuan Guangzhou¡¯s analysis, Chen Yiming felt that it made sense.


    In the dark night, it was not only their line of sight that would be limited, but most of the creatures from the otherworld would also face the same situation. Even if they encountered each other, they would keep a distance from each other out of fear.


    The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Sometimes, a predator would become the prey at the next moment.


    Xu Xiurong glanced at the nervous Zhang Cheng and said, ¡°From this place to the graveyard, it is just a wasteland. Although it looks dangerous, we¡¯ve basically got a grasp on the situation. As long as we¡¯re careful, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if our luck isn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    After saying this, she reminded them, ¡°Besides, don¡¯t we have a companion in the team who has concealment abilities? The dark night environment is more beneficial to us.¡±


    ¡­


    In the damp wasteland, the areas that the humans did not know about included the underground passage, the graveyard, and the rocky plains.


    There were many underground passages, and one or two caves could be seen every one or two kilometers. These caves were often hiding creatures from the otherworld.


    The depths of the caves were connected to the underground passages. At the moment, the humans did not have the ability to find out what level the creatures inside were at.


    Chen Yiming and the other three walked lightly on the wet ground, not daring to use their internal force for fear of attracting attention.


    From time to time, they could see eyes glowing from the dark caves. The eyes were of various sizes, and it was unknown what otherworld creatures were hiding behind them.


    ¡°Tap! Tap!¡±


    After the four of them walked about 10 kilometers away from the stronghold, creatures from the otherworld started to tail them. Sometimes, they would deliberately make the sound of footsteps and low roars to test the four of them.


    The four people in the team could not help but hold their breaths. Their alertness was raised to the maximum, and they were ready to deal with any attacks coming from the darkness.


    Even Chen Yiming was no exception. Even though he knew that the creatures following him were far from being a match for him, who knew what kind of commotion it would cause if he killed a large number of creatures from the otherworld?


    On the blue planet, the master realm was an existence that controlled the fate of a country. However, it was not invincible in the otherworld. Otherwise, the large countries would have long expanded their territory into the otherworld.


    After being tailed for more than 10 minutes, Zhang Cheng couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°I think we should get Chen Yiming to conceal our presence.¡±


    However, as soon as he spoke, Xu Xiurong and Yuan Guangzhou objected. ¡°Ordinary warriors and disciples can already move around freely in this area. If we can¡¯t even deal with this, there¡¯s no need for us to go to the graveyard.¡±


    Zhang Cheng had the intention to object that those people came out during the day and in large groups. Their situation was completely different from their team who went out alone.


    However, in the end, he shut his mouth and continued moving forward.


    ¡­


    Above their heads, when everyone looked up, they could see three glowing balls that looked like full moons, each arranged in a triangle formation.


    However, perhaps because they were too far away, the light they provided was similar to that of the moon on the blue planet. They could only see dozens of meters in front of them.


    There were very few things in the damp wasteland that could be used as landmarks. The road ahead seemed to have no end to it. As they walked in this environment, it was inevitable that the fear in their hearts would increase.


    In reality, Zhang Cheng was not the only one who was panicking. Xu Xiurong and Yuan Guangzhou were not much better.


    There were many teams that had strength comparable with the team formed by Zhang Cheng, Xu Xiurong, and Yuan Guangzhou in the stronghold. If they set off at dawn, they would not have any advantage against the other teams.


    Everything was to maximize the benefits of being the first batch of people to enter the otherworld.


    ¡°Sizzle¡­¡±


    A sudden change appeared about 10 meters in front of them and caused the team to stop in their tracks.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    White smoke began to rise from the ground not far away, then quickly spread out as if it had a mind of its own and surrounded the four of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s poisonous!¡±


    This was everyone¡¯s subconscious reaction.


    They sensed that the sizzling sound was due to the soil dissolving. Not only that, but there was also something wrong with the white smoke. It was very likely that this was the source of the abnormality.


    However, just as everyone subconsciously retreated, the ground behind them trembled. A suppressed aura appeared, and a creature was about to break out of the ground.


    Chen Yiming and the others adjusted their positions slightly. They didn¡¯t need to communicate verbally and each took charge of a different direction.


    A few seconds later, with a bang, the soil exploded.


    A long, worm-like creature pounced at the four of them from the white smoke. Its face only had a huge mouth that was about 10 meters wide, and it was filled with dense, barb-like fangs.


    At this moment, white mist was emitted from each of the fangs, and there was still soil on them that had not completely dissolved away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    On the surface, Yuan Guangzhou was the strongest in the team. He took a step forward and charged forward, throwing a punch at the underground creature.


    The speed of his fist was not fast. A red air wave formed by his internal force appeared and rose from his fist like steam from a boiler.


    At that moment, the surroundings were illuminated and became a fiery red world, revealing the underground creature to all of them.


    Its body was three to four meters wide, and the length that appeared above the ground was already more than 10 meters. The tremors underground were still strong, and it was unknown how much of its body was still hidden underground.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The red air wave formed by his internal force struck the huge mouth of the underground creature.


    The burning power and the dissolving power divided the area into two distinct domains that collided and exploded at the same time.


    The attack from the huge mouth was blocked, and it was pushed back more than 10 meters. Yuan Guangzhou was also pushed back by the recoil, and he took more than 10 steps back before he could stabilize his body.


    Chen Yiming frowned. Some of the humans from the stronghold had already reached the graveyard.


    The area in between had already been swept clean. He did not expect to encounter an attack from underground creatures of this level not long after leaving the stronghold. It was clear how dangerous the otherworld was. There was no way to be certain of one¡¯s safety.


    ¡°I have to be careful! I have to be careful! I have to be careful!¡± he warned himself.


    ¡°Leave us!¡±


    Zhang Cheng was waiting for an opportunity to make his move. Taking advantage of the moment when the underground creature was stunned by the recoil, he slashed at the body below the huge mouth.


    A powerful force exploded, and the white mist that had been broken by Yuan Guangzhou faced another heavy attack before it could recover.


    A stream of purple liquid spewed out. Zhang Cheng had not expected to kill his opponent in one strike, so he retreated after landing his move. A small amount of the purple liquid splashed on his protective internal force and emitted a sizzling sound.


    The underground creature was injured by the slash and fell to the ground. Its huge mouth opened and closed as it burrowed into the ground.


    ¡°Attack together!¡± Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou shouted at the same time.


    The two of them took advantage of the fact that the middle of the underground creature¡¯s body was still exposed above the ground to attack it from both sides.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The defense of this underground creature was unexpectedly weak, and its body was broken by the attacks coming from both sides.


    This time, even more purple liquid spewed out. It directly formed a small pool, and the soil was visibly dissolving.


    However, just as everyone was watching to see if there was a chance to kill this underground creature, the lower half of its body burrowed back into the ground, leaving only a pool of purple liquid that was constantly dissolving the ground.


    Silence returned to the area around the four of them. The creatures from the otherworld that had been following them had disappeared.


    Zhang Cheng couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Were we too nervous previously?¡±


    On the blue planet, other than a few dangerous places, warriors who had mastered the transformation of their internal force could almost be said to be invincible.


    The area between the graveyard and the stronghold was similar to the wilderness on the blue planet. After enduring the pursuit of a group of creatures from the otherworld, he had finally vented his frustration.


    Xu Xiurong glared at him angrily. ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourself too quickly. Do you have any self-awareness?¡±


    Zhang Cheng still maintained his smile and spread out his hands. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. If we really encounter an enemy we can¡¯t deal with, it¡¯s useless to deal with them the way we did before.¡±


    This made sense. The higher one¡¯s cultivation level, the stronger their overall ability would be. Naturally, their perception would be sharper.


    The four of them had just stepped into the damp wasteland, and even some weak creatures from the otherworld were avoiding them. It seemed unnecessary.


    Yuan Guangzhou also nodded. He acknowledged Zhang Cheng¡¯s abilities to a certain extent. As the big boss behind a pharmaceutical giant, he had not felt so aggrieved in a long time.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming sensed a slight tremor coming from the ground in advance. He glanced at Zhang Cheng, who had jinxed it, and released his illusion-based internal force to cover their surroundings.


    Seeing Chen Yiming¡¯s actions, the three of them had puzzled expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Stay where you are and don¡¯t make a sound.¡±


    Chen Yiming gestured for them to be quiet.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them realized that the ground was trembling slightly.


    In just half a second, the soil on the ground within a kilometer of the four of them began to shake violently. The commotion was much greater than before.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhang Cheng was instantly dumbfounded.


    Was it trying to get rid of humans? How far were they from the stronghold?


    On the blue planet, they could launch coordinated attacks against other creatures. In the otherworld, near a human village that was just starting out, would they be chased away? Did they have to give in to the otherworld creatures?


    In response to his thoughts, 10 huge mouths emerged from the ground nearby and stood tall, constantly turning around to search for the four people¡¯s auras.


    Zhang Cheng, Xu Xiurong, and Yuan Guangzhou¡¯s bodies stiffened, and they held their breaths.


    They had the confidence to deal with one or two of the underground creatures, but if there were 10 of them, they would probably have to scatter and escape in all directions. Even then, if they fled on the damp wasteland, it was hard to guarantee that they would not attract the attention of more and more creatures from the otherworld.


    Thinking of that scene, the three of them started to blank out.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn as he sized up the underground creatures.


    With the current situation of the humans, it was very difficult for them to deal with an attack from underground. This was especially true since they still wanted to forcefully expand their forces even though they knew that the creatures were around the stronghold.


    Unless these underground creatures did not belong to this area previously, it was difficult to understand the rationale.


    The air was filled with the smell of blood. The huge underground creatures weren¡¯t far from Chen Yiming and the others, but due to the influence of the illusory internal force, they couldn¡¯t find their positions.


    Furthermore, they seemed to be unintelligent and did not try other methods, such as destroying everything around them.


    After being in a stalemate for nearly 10 minutes, the 10 huge underground creatures all burrowed back into the ground, leaving large holes in their wake.


    After sensing that the creatures had left, Chen Yiming waved his hand and dispersed the illusory internal force. ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡±


    Zhang Cheng¡¯s legs went weak and he fell to the ground. He let out a long sigh. ¡°I was almost scared to death!¡±


    Xu Xiurong snorted coldly. She was very angry that they were almost forced to escape back to the stronghold.


    Yuan Guangzhou had a serious expression on his face as he said in a low voice, ¡°When we accepted the mission, we were already reminded to be careful. However, we¡¯re used to the situation in the wilderness on the blue planet, so we didn¡¯t pay much attention to the area near the stronghold.


    If we had raised our guard to the highest level from the start and sneaked all the way to the graveyard without thinking of saving our strength to deal with the undead creatures, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble.¡±


    The others in the team didn¡¯t know that Chen Yiming had an endless supply of internal force, so they all wanted to use his abilities as a last resort.


    The four of them didn¡¯t stay for long. For the rest of the journey, they took the initiative to ask Chen Yiming to use his illusory internal force and moved forward in stealth mode.


    They did not deliberately approach the creatures from the otherworld that were wandering in the night, but they already had a deeper understanding of the area around the stronghold.


    The surface of the damp wasteland was slightly desolate, but the underground passages connected to the caves were very lively. Almost all the entrances to the caves were filled with creatures lying in ambush.


    In addition, after the four of them left the stronghold for about 20 kilometers, they noticed some changes in the damp wasteland.


    They encountered an unknown species of ancient trees that were about 100 meters tall. There were many of them, and one appeared every few hundred meters to a kilometer.


    Around these ancient trees, there were stone houses with barbarians living inside.


    Other than the barbarians, there was another creature living around the ancient trees. Due to the darkness of the night, they could only see its rough outline.


    It was a little like the chimpanzees on the blue planet. Its limbs were thick and strong. The one Chen Yiming and the others had seen was sleeping at the base of an ancient tree.


    If not for the fact that the sound of its snoring could be heard from a few kilometers away, they might not have noticed it.

 Chapter 266 - Source of the Concept Diagrams

    The sky was gray, and visibility was very low. The three glowing balls in the sky barely allowed one to see dozens of meters ahead, and one could only see a blurry outline from afar.


    The four of them followed the half-finished map and carefully identified their bearings. Every time they encountered a huge obstacle, they had to take a detour in advance.


    Therefore, as they walked, the four of them gradually could not estimate how far they had gone from the stronghold.


    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew past, and they suddenly felt uncomfortable. A cold aura seemed to have a mind of its own and wanted to enter their bodies. The four of them subconsciously stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°Is this the graveyard?¡±


    Chen Yiming observed his surroundings and could only see graves all around him.


    The surrounding temperature had decreased greatly compared to the road behind them. From time to time, strange cries could be heard from ahead, especially after they stopped. These sounds kept ringing in their ears, making it difficult for them to calm down.


    They looked towards the landmark of the graveyard, which was an obelisk more than 1,000 meters tall. At this moment, due to the lack of light, they could only make out a black pillar.


    Due to the distance, the black pillar seemed to be only dozens of meters tall. If not for the information provided by the stronghold, they would not have believed it.


    There was no more detailed information from the stronghold. A short distance ahead was the limit of what humans had explored previously.


    Chen Yiming looked at Xu Xiurong and asked, ¡°Are we going deeper into the graveyard?¡±


    Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou did not say anything. Xu Xiurong came from a clan that specialized in dealing with spirits. She was the true core of the team, and the two of them were essentially hired fighters.


    Xu Xiurong looked around and replied, ¡°The task of drawing the map can be completed along the way. The main goal is to find undead creatures that the team can deal with. Let¡¯s search the areas that have been explored first.¡±


    With that, she unzipped her backpack and took out a bottle of medicine. She explained, ¡°This is the Xu clan¡¯s special medicine. If you sprinkle it on yourself, it can greatly conceal the aura of living people.¡±


    Chen Yiming, Zhang Cheng, and Yuan Guangzhou understood what he meant. They took turns to take the bottle and sprayed the medicine on themselves.


    Before setting off again, Xu Xiurong told Chen Yiming, ¡°The effect of the potion is best in the first hour. In the second hour, the effect will decrease by half. After that, it will lose its effect.


    In addition, undead creatures are very sensitive to the aura of living people. It¡¯s best to keep a distance of more than 100 meters.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and walked forward, officially entering the graveyard. The other three followed closely behind.


    The air here was even colder, and there was a dead silence everywhere he looked.


    In addition, it was not as empty as the area outside. There were all kinds of miscellaneous items everywhere, such as bones, fur, blood-stained branches, and so on.


    Seeing the blood-stained branches, Chen Yiming instantly thought of the ancient trees he had seen along the way.


    The barbarians and chimpanzee-like creatures seemed to be guarding the ancient trees from their behavior. However, there were broken branches from the ancient trees here.


    It seemed that there were also disputes between these creatures from the otherworld. The undead creatures seemed to be enemies with the creatures living outside the graveyard.


    Not long after, Xu Xiurong pointed at a skeleton in the distance and reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t go near there. Go around it.¡±


    This was Chen Yiming¡¯s first time exploring the otherworld, so he wouldn¡¯t act rashly. He made a big detour and observed the skeleton as he walked.


    The skeleton was half-buried in the soil, and its full appearance could not be seen clearly. However, from the part of it that was exposed, one could tell that it was a crawling creature.


    It had a long spine and tailbone that were about 70 to 80 meters long. When it was alive, it might have been equivalent to the peak of the warrior realm or a half-step away from the master realm.


    This made Chen Yiming raise his guard again. They had only traveled a little over a kilometer into the graveyard , but they had already started to encounter undead creatures of this level.


    Looking up at the obelisk in the distance, the height had barely changed. It was clear that they were still very far from it.


    He could also roughly guess that there must be undead creatures equivalent to the master realm around the obelisk. He could not let his guard down.


    After familiarizing himself with the environment, Chen Yiming became more cautious. His vision was still not good, but with his outstanding perception, he was able to control the distance perfectly.


    They had discussed exploring a range of three kilometers and choosing the most suitable undead creatures to capture. Any place they passed that met the requirements for capturing the creatures would be marked on the map.


    Near a pile of broken bones, Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks. He glanced at Xu Xiurong and gestured for her to make a mark.


    The bones were scattered on the ground. Due to the fact that they had deliberately maintained a distance and the interference from the surrounding spiritual energy, they could only rely on her experience to determine if there were any spirits attached to the objects.


    Xu Xiurong shook her head and said in a low voice, ¡°All undead creatures will subconsciously return to a complete form. This pile of bones is either just abandoned bones or the spirits attached to it are too weak.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the scattered bones again.


    In just 10 minutes after stepping into the graveyard, he had learned a lot from Xu Xiurong. This would be of great help to him if he came alone in the future.


    At this moment, one of the upper layers of the skeleton shook. There was clearly nothing to hold it in place, but it did not fall.


    Zhang Cheng happened to see this change. His eyes widened as he reminded them in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s a situation. The bones seemed to have moved just now.¡±


    The three of them froze, and Chen Yiming was no exception.


    The graveyard was completely unfamiliar to him. Before they found out the true situation, no one wanted any incidents to occur. However, the situation did not change according to one¡¯s will.


    A bone slowly floated up, followed by more than 10 others, forming a simple skeleton. It did not even have a head.


    The skeleton turned left and right, and happened to be walking in Chen Yiming¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Is it a coincidence? Or have we been discovered?¡±


    Chen Yiming, Zhang Cheng, and Yuan Guangzhou looked at Xu Xiurong, but she didn¡¯t dare to give them an answer. After all, there was a difference between undead creatures and spirits.


    Although she could indeed capture the undead creatures silently, this needed preparations to be done in advance. It was clearly too late with the current situation.


    Xu Xiurong could only gesture for everyone to not move about rashly.


    The area where the four of them were was silent. Only the sound of bones stepping into the soil and being pulled out could be heard.


    A few minutes later, the skeleton slowly walked over to the four of them. The distance between the two sides was less than two meters, and there was a high chance that they would pass each other.


    Just as everyone heaved a sigh of relief, the skeleton stopped and changed its direction to walk straight towards the four of them.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was speechless. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of his opponent, but that he had no choice but to release a stream of illusory internal force.


    Xu Xiurong did not stop him. At this point, there was no other way. She hoped that he would not cause too much of a commotion and disturb the nearby undead creatures.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The skeleton was knocked to the ground. Then, it struggled to stand up, but under the influence of the strange power, it was like a drunkard and couldn¡¯t get up.


    ¡°It works!¡±


    Chen Yiming was delighted. He unleashed his illusory internal force again, covering a radius of 10 meters.


    This way, even if there was a small commotion, it would not be noticed by the surrounding undead creatures.


    ¡°Let me go next,¡±


    Xu Xiurong said in a low voice. She took out a stack of talismans from her backpack and a bottle of yellow medicine. She poured the medicine over the talismans and soaked them thoroughly, and the symbols on them immediately lit up.


    Chen Yiming took a special look at it. He couldn¡¯t understand the symbols at all and they only looked like scribbles to him. He didn¡¯t mind it too much. Nothing was simpler and more direct than the Sword Aura.


    Xu Xiurong quietly walked over to the skeleton and, at lightning speed, stuck the talismans on each of its bones.


    The symbols on the talismans became even brighter. At the same time, the skeleton stopped struggling, and only trembled from time to time, as though its bones were twitching.


    In less than a minute, a grayish-white crystal was formed with complicated patterns etched on it.


    It looked like a mountain covered in smoke, but it was incomplete and missing pieces here and there.


    ¡°So this is how one obtains concept diagrams.¡±


    Chen Yiming had long known that the concept diagrams came from creatures in the otherworld, but this was the first time he had seen one being created with his own eyes.


    Because the essence of the undead creatures was still that of spirits, and their bodies were considered external objects, the concept diagram appeared on the soul crystal.


    Xu Xiurong picked up the soul crystal and said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re in luck. This undead creature is probably equivalent to a warrior who has just broken through. Not only is it weak, but its ability is in its sense of smell.¡±


    Unexpectedly, they had gained something from this incident. Everyone¡¯s tense nerves relaxed.


    Concept diagrams from undead creatures were still relatively rare. After this soul crystal recorded the concept diagram, it could still be used as a consumable item to temper one¡¯s spiritual power.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming had the ability to suppress the undead creatures, Xu Xiurong suggested changing their plan.


    Chen Yiming had only been in charge of searching for the undead creatures, but now, the task of suppressing them was handed over to him. This task was originally assigned to Zhang Cheng, Yuan Guangzhou, and Xu Xiurong.


    In the new plan, Xu Xiurong was only responsible for using the talismans to kill the undead creatures, while Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou were responsible for fighting if anything happened.


    However, this way, Chen Yiming and Xu Xiurong would take most of the credit.


    This was because once an accident happened and alarmed the surrounding undead creatures, the team would definitely retreat quickly, leaving very little room for Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou to play their role.


    Chen Yiming had no objections. His goal wasn¡¯t completely the same as the team¡¯s, and he was more inclined to explore the graveyard.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou agreed without hesitation.


    Treasures like the soul crystal were almost impossible to find on the blue planet. It was already a blessing to be able to get something like that.


    If not for the fact that Chen Yiming could lead the others into hiding, the team¡¯s plan before entering the otherworld was to light a special incense and rely on their luck to lure out the undead creatures.


    This method was extremely dangerous. If they were unlucky, they would attract the attention of undead creatures that the team could not deal with. At best, they would be chased down, and at worst, they would lose their lives here.


    Soon, the team started to move again.


    Perhaps it was due to their bad luck on the way here and used up all the bad luck after they encountered the undead creatures with a special sense of smell, but the team did not encounter any further incidents. They successfully used up all the potions in Xu Xiurong¡¯s backpack to conceal their presence.


    In order to appear normal, the undead creatures Chen Yiming chose were all at the warrior realm.


    They had a fair amount to show for their efforts. They had obtained a total of 11 soul crystals. The last 10 did not have a concept diagram, but the soul crystals themselves were already priceless on their own.


    This far exceeded Xu Xiurong, Zhang Cheng, and Yuan Guangzhou¡¯s expectations. They had thought that the team was lucky, but they didn¡¯t know that with Chen Yiming¡¯s sharp senses and the strength of his internal force,


    in the periphery of the graveyard, there were actually no undead creatures that he could not control.


    ¡­


    The sky above them was quickly becoming brighter.


    Xu Xiurong stood at the wasteland at the edge of the graveyard with a vexed expression.


    There were still a lot of items left in her backpack, except the medicine that could hide a living person¡¯s aura. This forced the team to retreat in advance.


    She let out a long sigh and took out all the soul crystals from her backpack to split the loot.


    ¡°We can just take one piece each.¡±


    Zhang Cheng and Yuan Guangzhou took the initiative to make a suggestion.


    The two of them had almost made no contribution, other than during the fight with the underground creature on the way here. The outcome of that fight was terrible and had the opposite effect of causing more trouble. They were too ashamed to ask for more.


    However, it was still a huge profit to be able to obtain one soul crystal. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that without Chen Yiming, the three of them wouldn¡¯t have had the confidence to obtain three soul crystals.


    Xu Xiurong was too embarrassed to take more and asked, ¡°How about three pieces for me and six for you?¡±


    Chen Yiming agreed to the distribution plan. He didn¡¯t care if it was one more or one less, as long as they didn¡¯t trick him on purpose.


    Soon, six soul crystals were handed to him, including the one with the concept diagram. He took a look and memorized the concept diagram before putting it in his pocket.


    In an instant, a soul crystal disappeared, but the Skill Points requirement for the Level-4 swordsmanship talent remained unchanged.


    Chen Yiming was a little disappointed. The level of the undead creatures he had killed tonight was too low, so it wasn¡¯t of much use to him. He quickly adjusted his mood. After all, he had another motive for his first operation.


    After distributing the loot, the team set off on their way back to the stronghold.


    ¡­


    As dawn broke, the silence in the damp wasteland was broken by humans.


    After half a day of transportation, the first batch consisted of about 1,000 warriors and nearly 100,000 disciples. They were already waiting at the stronghold.


    Everyone had excitement on their faces as they shouted about colonizing the otherworld. Their large numbers gave them the courage to explore the otherworld.


    Under the lead of more than 30 warriors who had mastered the transformation of internal force, most of the martial arts practitioners rushed out of the stronghold.


    Behind them were three humans at the peak of the warrior realm.


    The first goal was to sweep through the explored areas with the stronghold as the center and try to establish the territory of the humans.


    On the way back to the stronghold, Chen Yiming and the others encountered a war between humans and the creatures from the otherworld. Most of the creatures from the otherworld were forced to retreat, as if they weren¡¯t even enough for the humans to kill.


    Zhang Cheng sighed. ¡°Fortunately, our target is the undead creatures. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t even be able to get a share.¡±


    The humans in front of him were using their numbers to kill the creatures from the otherworld that were fleeing across the wasteland. As for the caves that were the entrances to the underground passages, there were basically no creatures that could be seen in the day.


    Xu Xiurong covered her mouth and smiled. ¡°With your strength, not many people can compete with you. Go on.¡±


    As she spoke, a many-legged creature was fleeing in the direction of the team. It looked a little like the thousand-legged insects on the blue planet, but it was countless times larger and nearly five meters long.


    Zhang Cheng was a little embarrassed. ¡°Forget it. I still have to rush back to the stronghold and use the soul crystal to temper my spiritual power.¡±


    Xu Xiurong stopped teasing Zhang Cheng and asked Chen Yiming, ¡°I need to return to the Xu clan for supplies. What about you?¡±


    Chen Yiming remained calm in the face of this invitation. ¡°I have to stay here. I still have something to do.¡±


    Xu Xiurong did not expect him to reject her mercilessly. She was stunned on the spot and thought to herself, ¡°You¡¯re something. Are you playing hard to get? Or are you really not interested in me?¡±


    She puffed out her chest a little. Even though she was wearing a special combat uniform, her curvy figure could not be hidden. Furthermore, she had exquisite facial features. She had never been rejected by a man like this before.


    For example, Zhang Cheng had agreed to join the team without much convincing. Another example was Yuan Guangzhou. Although he was a friend from her father¡¯s generation, if she did not have the ability or looks, he would not have given her a second glance.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t lying. Not only did he have to further investigate the situation in the graveyard, but he also had to secretly ensure the safety of the stronghold.


    If the humans rushed out, a temporary victory would mean nothing. It was very likely that they would face a counterattack from the creatures from the otherworld.


    He had already formed a big plan in his mind. It involved the Chen clan and the Myriad Phenomena Sect. As the front line in the otherworld, they could not lose the stronghold.

 Chapter 267 - Provoking the Female Spirit

    At the entrance of the stronghold, the scene of everyone watching the team as it set off had already disappeared and was replaced by a slightly lively street.


    A small number of people who still had the intention to observe the situation were walking around the stronghold. They wanted to familiarize themselves with their surroundings as soon as possible and make friends with others to find out more about the situation.


    Chen Yiming separated from the team and walked alone on the simple street.


    Along the way, people were coming and going. Most of the shops on the street were empty, and a few were under renovation. Clearly, the trial operation of the base city had been decided at the last minute, and the relevant facilities were far from complete.


    If not for the fact that these shops were built with modern materials, since there was no electricity or electronic devices and everything was powered by manual labor, one would think that they were in an ancient city.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°The attraction of the otherworld is extraordinary. Just by providing a space where one can live, countless people are already gathered here.¡±


    As he walked, he encountered several people holding notebooks and recording the situation in the stronghold in a primitive manner using paper and pen. These people were wearing the clothes of the factions they belonged to.


    Chen Yiming saw the symbols on the clothes and recognized some, but not all of them.


    The presence of these people meant that the civilian martial arts factions would soon officially enter the stronghold. The strength of the humans would also increase rapidly.


    On the other hand, the human stronghold would also come into contact with more creatures from the otherworld. Chen Yiming inadvertently felt the pressure on him.


    When he strolled near the space-travel passage, a group of people happened to enter the stronghold from the base city.


    A middle-aged man in black stopped Chen Yiming, who was deep in thought. Behind him were more than 10 young people, their faces filled with curiosity and nervousness.


    ¡°Little brother, can we take some of your time? We are the second batch to enter the otherworld. How¡¯s the situation outside the stronghold?¡± the middle-aged man asked apologetically.


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the group of young people and saw the words ¡°Gensei Martial Arts School¡± printed on their chests. He didn¡¯t hide anything and suggested, ¡°If you set off immediately and catch up to the teams before you, you might still have a chance to encounter the weaker creatures from the otherworld.¡±


    The middle-aged man had a look of disbelief on his face. He asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t the creatures from the otherworld very ferocious? How can it be¡­¡±


    The young people behind also looked at him doubtfully, afraid that Chen Yiming was trying to trick them.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming felt that there was no need to waste his breath. He continued walking, leaving them behind.


    ¡°School Head, should we ask around or do we follow his suggestion?¡± a young man asked after Chen Yiming left.


    The middle-aged man fell silent. He compared the current situation of the stronghold to the crowd that had surged into Jiangdu City last night and realized that the truth might be as Chen Yiming had said.


    He felt an indescribable sense of regret. If only he had humbled himself and asked for more information.


    He waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not be too concerned and just set off immediately.¡±


    Although the young people of the Gensei Martial Arts School wanted to find out more before taking action, they did not dare to disobey the head¡¯s decision.


    Just like that, they ran along the streets of the stronghold and rushed towards the exit.


    ¡­


    Near the space-travel passage, a row of shops were being renovated. There was a small square at the entrance, allowing those who had just entered the stronghold from the base city to stay there for the time being.


    Thinking about the issue of their safety, if the stronghold encountered any trouble, the people working in the shops would be able to retreat from the otherworld with their goods almost immediately.


    As for the footfall, people would need to pass through this row of shops to enter and exit the space-travel passage. This could be considered the best location to set up shop in the entire stronghold.


    Chen Yiming passed by and saw Wang Bowen directing the workers who were renovating the place, so he walked over.


    When Wang Bowen saw who it was, he was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Where have you been for the past two days? I haven¡¯t heard from you at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°Keep a low profile. I just came to the otherworld to take a look.¡±


    When he met Wang Bowen, he deliberately dispersed the illusory internal force around him to reveal his true appearance.


    The intelligence agents from the Jiangnan province¡¯s military immediately noticed the appearance of the person they had been instructed to keep an eye on. The news quickly spread to the higher ups.


    Wang Bowen pointed at the shop behind him and said, ¡°A few days ago, someone from Jiangnan City came to East Lake City to find our company and asked us to send some people to the otherworld to take over this row of shops.


    Furthermore, they provided free transportation of our supplies. Until now, we still don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. How did it become like this?¡±


    Chen Yiming took a look. These shops were not of much use to him, but they were of great value to the Chen clan. Over the years, they could earn an astronomical amount of money from this business.


    The higher-ups of Jiangnan province had set the time between entry and exit to the otherworld to be a week apart. Naturally, they had an interest in building the stronghold into a complete city that had commerce, military power, and logistical support as soon as possible.


    The value of every inch of land in the stronghold could not be measured by money. This was because there was a qualitative difference between the people gathered here and the major cities in Jiangnan province.


    ¡°When the company saw that the base city had started its trial operation and that more than half of the warrior factions in East Lake City had made a move, many people couldn¡¯t help but suggest moving into the stronghold.¡±


    Wang Bowen told him about the company¡¯s situation. Without Chen Yiming¡¯s approval, no one in the company dared to make a decision.


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and made the arrangements. ¡°No problem, but we should still prioritize gathering information. The situation around the stronghold is still far from clear.¡±


    When Wang Bowen heard this, his expression turned solemn.


    Although Chen Yiming didn¡¯t specify the reason, he could tell from his tone that the truth wasn¡¯t what it seemed on the surface.


    At dawn this morning, a large number of martial arts practitioners had set off from the stronghold. The commotion they created was countless times larger than that of the scouts in an army. Even if they were in Jiangnan province, it would be best to avoid such a force.


    Most of them were confident, but Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think highly of them. It was clear how dangerous the otherworld was.


    Before he left, Chen Yiming stuffed the four soul crystals into Wang Bowen¡¯s hands. He told him how to use them and the benefits of tempering his spiritual power.


    The spirits in the undead creatures¡¯ bodies were born in an environment filled with spiritual energy. Unlike the spirits born through sacrificial rituals, there were no unstable emotions. One could just use their spiritual power to fight against them.


    In the end, the soul crystal was an inanimate object. During a spiritual confrontation, a small amount of pure spiritual power would be absorbed.


    Other than his own family, Wang Bowen was the person he could trust the most. He had to help him increase his strength. Otherwise, if Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have the time to manage his people, it would be difficult to control the growing Chen clan.


    The two of them did not need many words to communicate. Wang Bowen understood that without sufficient strength, the company might get out of their control one day.


    ¡­


    10 kilometers away from the human stronghold, near a cave connected to the underground passages,


    Chen Yiming chose a spot on higher ground. From this spot, he could observe the situation in the cave while carrying out his daily cultivation.


    His current cultivation was mainly focused on the transformation of his spiritual power. This process could not be achieved overnight. It required a long time to accumulate gradually, unless he was willing to take some risks.


    He fused with the figure in his mind and entered the ring again.


    The second time he entered, the space no longer seemed mysterious. The fog that blocked his perception was instantly dispersed by the figure in his mind. He saw the female spirit bound by the golden and silver vortexes again.


    It was daytime in the otherworld. The sun-like light shone down from above, and the golden vortex was extremely active.


    The figure in his mind automatically used its incomplete breathing technique. Golden and silver vortexes appeared near it, just like those around the female spirit.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness started to scream again. The cultivation environment in the otherworld was better, and his consciousness felt like it was in a sea of flames.


    The strength of the sea of flames was being controlled by the figure in his mind and was increasing bit by bit, causing his spiritual power to undergo a transformation.


    Normally, humans at this stage would temper their spiritual power gently and carefully. If they were to temper their spiritual power violently like Chen Yiming, there was only one possibility. They would be burned to a crisp.


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness was in extreme pain, but with the recovery ability from the Level-2 Undying Body talent, the damage he suffered had already been healed without getting more serious.


    This process was also taken a step further, accelerating the transformation of his spiritual power.


    ¡­


    After a long period of time, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t withstand it any longer and fainted. The figure in his mind stopped.


    After sensing the situation in the cave in the outside world, he realized that the stones at the entrance of the cave were arranged in the same shape. There were no signs of them having been moved at all. As expected, no otherworld creatures had come out during the day.


    The more Chen Yiming looked at the female spirit, the more it seemed like a pile of Skill Points to him.


    He did not know what level the female spirit was at, but the figure in his mind could learn a portion of the breathing technique from it. He felt that it was at least one level higher than the master realm.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, he could not stop himself. He was definitely not after the female spirit because of her appearance. He really just wanted the Skill Points.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think that the Skill Points provided by this female spirit might be able to increase his swordsmanship talent by one level.


    However, how could he kill the female spirit? He did not dare to take the risk to get too close. The other party¡¯s spiritual power was not on the same level as his consciousness. It would be troublesome if he fell under its control.


    Could his consciousness use the Sword Aura?


    Thinking of this, he used his spiritual power to create a sword and activated his Sword Aura to slash at the female spirit.


    A storm instantly brewed in the ring, and the Sword Aura slashed out towards the female spirit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance,¡± Chen Yiming said excitedly.


    The female spirit could not move at all and was about to be hit by the Sword Aura without putting up any resistance. However, when the Sword Aura reached her side, it was suddenly stopped by an invisible force.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Chen Yiming watched helplessly as the Sword Aura was destroyed.


    During this process, the golden and silver vortexes above and below the female spirit¡¯s feet moved slightly. It was almost imperceptible.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming gasped in shock.


    He could not afford to offend the female spirit. From the fact that the Sword Aura was easily destroyed, it could be seen how powerful the golden and silver vortexes that bound the female spirit were. This also meant that the female spirit was not weak.


    Escape! Escape!


    Seeing that it was not something he could deal with at the moment, he fused his consciousness with the figure in his mind and wanted to escape from the ring.


    Suddenly, the female spirit opened her eyes.


    The temperature in the ring seemed to have dropped drastically. As pressure descended from the sky, the figure and Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness fell to the ground.


    The change happened quickly, but it was over even faster. The golden and silver vortexes spun quickly, and the entire space in the ring was awakened. Strange runes appeared on the inner wall.


    The runes resonated with the vortexes, and incomprehensible notes echoed in the ring. Every sound felt like it could dissipate one¡¯s consciousness.


    Facing a life-or-death situation, countless transparent threads appeared around his consciousness and the figure in his mind, and their forms gradually stabilized.


    In the outside world, a large amount of light and heat had gathered in the area where Chen Yiming was, causing a large portion of the sky to be dyed red. This phenomenon could be seen from dozens of kilometers away, and looked just like a cloud of fire.


    His body was automatically covered by his protective internal force. Perhaps it was because the space in the outside world was too big compared to the space in the ring, but the protective internal force that was constantly being melted was constantly being repaired, and his body was not injured at all.


    ¡°What am I doing? I was almost killed.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯ consciousness cursed in the ring.


    The golden and silver vortexes calmed down, and the runes on the inner wall gradually disappeared. Everything returned to normal.


    Earlier, he almost thought that he was doomed. His consciousness had already been broken. However, he had the powerful recovery ability from his Undying Body talent. Coupled with the fact that the incident had only lasted for a few seconds, he had just managed to survive.


    At this moment, the female spirit looked tired. She raised her head in surprise and exchanged glances with Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness communicated with the figure in his mind and instantly left the ring and returned to his body.


    He was afraid that if he was half a second late, the female spirit would act up again. He was not confident that he would still be fine the second time.


    Looking down from the sky, a circle of scorched earth extended out from Chen Yiming.


    The scorched ground had actually only suffered the aftershock, but it had also left behind a black circle several kilometers wide.


    The moment Chen Yiming opened his eyes, he took off his ring and threw it to the side as if the ring was a hot potato.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of you. Even if I really offended you, I can still hide from you.¡±


    He patted his chest to calm his pounding heart. It had been a long time since he had been this nervous and shaken since he had achieved success in martial arts.


    The ring that was stuck in the scorched earth shook slightly, and Chen Yiming happened to see its movement. His eyes widened and he retreated hundreds of meters with a whoosh.


    ¡°We¡¯ll never see each other again!¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and ran for his life.


    However, the figure in his mind synchronized what he had comprehended with Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness. Symbols appeared on the blurry walls of his spiritual world.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks. He could clearly feel that after the symbols appeared, the stability of his spiritual world had increased qualitatively.


    This feeling was similar to a rubber ball turning into a steel ball. He had an urge to charge straight into battle. His intuition told him that there was no need to panic.


    He turned around stiffly and looked towards the ring in the distance.


    At this moment, complicated emotions welled up in his heart. He was reluctant to part with it, but he was also afraid that he could not deal with it. This made him feel extremely conflicted.


    The ring was undoubtedly a good thing, but the level of the female spirit was beyond his imagination. It seemed to be hiding an unimaginable secret. Carrying such a dangerous thing by his side¡­ just the thought of it was terrifying.


    He thought about it for a moment. As long as his consciousness did not enter the ring, could the female spirit do anything to him?


    Previously, it could not even kill him. Now that he had secretly learned the drawing of the runes from it, he might be able to deal damage to it one day. Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat it, he could at least make it feel fear.


    How great!


    At this moment, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up, and the feeling of submission disappeared from his body.


    In a flash, he crossed hundreds of meters and picked up the ring again to put it on his thumb. The ring shook slightly, then calmed down.


    ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Come out if you have the guts!¡±


    Chen Yiming stared at the ring. He wanted to be arrogant, but he didn¡¯t say anything in the end.


    It would not be too late to get back at it after he became stronger. He did not believe that the restrained female spirit could win against him, who had the help from the martial arts talent system.

 Chapter 268 - The First Day in the Desolate Otherworld

    Chen Yiming left the area that had been scorched black by the light and heat. He only stopped when the smell of burning disappeared from the air.


    He chose an empty spot at random. After tempering his spiritual power, he still had to continue his daily swordsmanship cultivation.


    He waved the cheap peach wood sword around. The sword was ordinary, but its user was not. Lines seemed to have been drawn into the space, and the sound of air exploding rang out continuously.


    The aftershock and the strong sunlight made his vision blur.


    After practicing for a while, not far away, an exploration team was cautiously approaching. He had no choice but to stop practicing his swordsmanship.


    A woman with a hot figure asked Chen Yiming with a smile, ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Chen Lu had a beautiful face and snow-white skin. Her long legs and perky butt were wrapped tightly in a pair of long pants, perfectly accentuating her sexy curves.


    On her front, the top button was open. Her chest, which was also wrapped tightly, was bulging out of her top, and her long black hair was tied into a bun behind her head.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want them to pay too much attention to him, so he could only make up some nonsense.


    ¡°I also came over after seeing the phenomenon that appeared in the sky. The scorched earth is still hot, so I didn¡¯t dare to step in easily.¡±


    Chen Lu was a little disappointed when she heard this. Her team was already close to the scene, and they had encountered someone who had arrived at the scene earlier than them, but he did not know anything.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to go in. You¡¯re too weak. You really wasted such a good opportunity,¡±


    a heavily armed man said in a mocking tone. Chen Lu was not the only one who was disappointed. The others in the exploration team felt the same way.


    Chen Yiming had a strange expression on his face. He couldn¡¯t understand why these people cared so much about it.


    However, as the strongest person in the stronghold, he did not want to make a fuss about it.


    The members of the exploration team ignored Chen Yiming. The man who had mocked them earlier approached Chen Lu and said, ¡°Sister Lu, I don¡¯t think we can hesitate any longer. We have to hurry up and start the excavation.¡±


    Chen Lu turned to look at the scorched earth. The smile on her beautiful face had disappeared, and was replaced by a serious and cautious expression.


    Another man from the exploration team stood up and said, ¡°Sister Lu, we really don¡¯t have much time. It¡¯ll be troublesome when a stronger team comes.¡±


    Chen Lu frowned. She was worried that something would go wrong if they were the only team doing the excavation. However, when more people arrived, there would be a fight over the treasures.


    She hesitated for a moment before asking Chen Yiming, ¡°Other than the burning clouds, did you really not see anything else?¡±


    Anything else?


    The characteristic of this damp wasteland was its desolation. Did these people think that a treasure had been unearthed?


    Chen Yiming was speechless. ¡°How is that possible? The terrain here is so flat. I think you¡¯re thinking too much. The heavenly fire just happened to land here.¡±


    Using the heavenly fire to explain the phenomenon he had created made sense to him.


    However, even though Chen Yiming had told them the truth, the suspicion on the faces of the members of the exploration team intensified.


    Chen Lu stopped pretending to be an enthusiastic big sister. Her expression became like the man who mocked him earlier, and she seemed to treat Chen Yiming as a liar.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to trick them for no reason, so he reminded them, ¡°Although the surface of the damp wasteland is desolate, there are many creatures underground. There might be a problem if you dig around randomly.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the team turned around and headed towards the scorched earth. The more Chen Yiming explained, the more others didn¡¯t believe him.


    Soon, these people started to dig with shovels. Due to the rules of the otherworld, mechanical equipment like the excavators were useless in the otherworld.


    However, martial arts practitioners could just rely on their own strength to make up for it. This was especially true for those in the warrior realm who had extraordinary strength from their internal force. Their efficiency in digging was not inferior to machines.


    ¡°Do I look like someone who will trick others?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the dusty excavation site and said helplessly.


    The truth was treated as a lie, and the lie was treated as the truth. He could not persuade them or change their mind at all.


    Before long, two more teams rushed over. When they saw that someone had started to dig, they joined in without hesitation and chose different areas to dig.


    The scorched earth had a diameter of several kilometers. Even with three teams digging at the same time, it still looked rather unoccupied.


    However, the people were getting to the site faster and faster. Almost as soon as the second batch of two teams started to dig, five more teams arrived.


    Chen Yiming knew that they were operating on the wrong assumptions. In less than half an hour, the scorched earth had become a construction site. Nearly 1,000 martial arts practitioners had turned into excavators and dug through all the scorched earth.


    ¡­


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The tremors caused by the continuous digging attracted the attention of the underground creatures.


    Chen Yiming, who was standing in the distance, keenly sensed that creatures were moving towards the surface from deep underground. As for the people on the scorched earth, they were still digging through the ground, drenched in sweat. They had no idea that a crisis was approaching.


    Chen Yiming sighed and said, ¡°Do you still think this is the blue planet? If you don¡¯t learn your lesson, you won¡¯t know how to be cautious.¡±


    As expected, less than 10 seconds after he finished speaking,


    ¡°Bang!¡± A loud sound rang out.


    A long black creature broke out of the ground. Its long tongue protruded and retracted as it stared at the crowd with a murderous expression.


    Its face was round, and it looked a little like the snakes on the blue planet. Because it had some cute characteristics, it gave one an inexplicably good feeling. However, the stench it emitted when it breathed indicated that it was not a gentle creature.


    Faced with the snake creature, the people who were digging the ground retreated step by step to prevent themselves from not being able to dodge in time.


    However, this action eliminated the other party¡¯s hesitation. In an instant, he pounced at the people closest to him and shot out his tongue.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    The people who were attacked drew their weapons.


    These people were all at the warrior realm, so they still had the courage to put up a resistance. Their internal force covered their weapons as they fought the snake creature.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Weapons covered in internal force slashed at the scales on its body, but most of the force was negated and did not cause any damage.


    The surrounding people stopped in their tracks again. Some of them were even eager to participate in the attack.


    Chen Yiming sensed the commotion coming from underground and was speechless. ¡°Does the burning clouds mean that a treasure has been unearthed? Why are these people still not giving up?¡±


    On the scorched earth, the attacks from the snake creature were also ineffective. This gave everyone confidence that this creature from the otherworld was not strong.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming saw the man who had mocked him earlier. He raised his arm and shouted, ¡°Everyone, attack together. Kill the snake and drink its blood.¡±


    With that, the person was the first to rush over and participate in the encirclement.


    With their numbers, they were emboldened. Many people who were confident in their own strength rushed forward.


    As more and more people surrounded the snake creature, the ground shook and dozens of snake creatures broke out of the ground.


    Although the humans still had the advantage in numbers, most of them were at the disciple realm. The difference in numbers between the true warriors had greatly decreased.


    The crowd was in an uproar and scattered in panic.


    Most of the exploration teams did not know each other. They could still cooperate easily in a situation where they had the advantage, but it would be difficult for them in other situations.


    Fortunately, the snake creatures did not chase after them. Perhaps they were afraid because of the large piece of scorched earth, or perhaps they did not like to move around on the surface during the day and only had a short conflict with the humans, so they hid underground again.


    A few unlucky people were bitten and forced to have their limbs amputated to get rid of the unknown poison.


    Outside the area of scorched earth,


    Chen Lu¡¯s team bumped into Chen Yiming again while they were retreating.


    The right arm of the man who had mocked Chen Yiming was missing and tightly bandaged.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Seeing Chen Yiming¡¯s face, the man was furious, but he had no reason to flare up at him.


    The exploration team¡¯s companions quickly stopped the man. No matter what, they were in the wrong and had been blinded by greed.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming watched the fleeing crowd and changed to another place to continue his cultivation. He only returned to the stronghold when it was getting dark.


    The temperature around him began to drop. The light from the three glowing balls in the sky gradually weakened.


    The source of light provided by the otherworld was the same all the time. There was no sunset or sunrise, only a certain pattern to the strengthening and weakening of the light.


    Along the way, he saw people returning with a full load.


    The creatures from the otherworld that had been killed were dismembered and were dragged along by a rope.


    Laughter rang out continuously, and the teams that had brought back some loot were all smiles. If not for the establishment of the stronghold, very few people would dare to enter the otherworld on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    There were those who were smiling and those who were disappointed.


    In the damp wasteland around the stronghold, there were fewer creatures from the otherworld living on the surface during the day. Those who were unlucky or slow could only watch enviously as the others gathered their loot.


    ¡­


    The sky in the otherworld was a little different from the blue planet. It changed very quickly.


    Chen Yiming had just returned to the stronghold when the sky turned completely dark. Torches were lit along the street, chasing away the darkness and the fear it brought.


    He followed the crowd to an empty area on the east side. This place had been temporarily turned into a trading market. The management staff of the stronghold were selling various supplies.


    However, due to the shortage of resources related to the otherworld, there was a limit to the amount that each person could use their contribution points to buy, while there was no limit on trading their loot for supplies.


    In the early stages of the exploration of the otherworld, which was still in the areas that the stronghold¡¯s military had swept through, the gains were undoubtedly much more for those who were there earlier.


    But if they returned to the blue planet to replenish their supplies, they would not be allowed to enter the stronghold through the base city for a week.


    Therefore, the teams that had obtained some loot quickly exchanged a portion of it for supplies.


    Chen Yiming walked around the market. Every stall was filled with people, and many people had come to join in the fun. As he walked around, he bumped into his former roommate, Dai Yuanhang.


    ¡°Sect Master,¡± Dai Yuanhang greeted him respectfully.


    The two of them had joined the sect at different times. The one who had joined later had become the sect master, while the one who joined earlier was still a disciple, so their relationship had become much more distant.


    Chen Yiming chatted with Dai Yuanhang for a while.


    Dai Yuanhang informed him that the leader of his team was the head of the Mantis Snake Court, Zhou Xuesheng. They had hunted 10 creatures from the otherworld in one day, and most of the parts were stored in a rented warehouse.


    In addition, Jiangnan province had sent someone to the sect to discuss something. Everyone was waiting for the sect master to go back and make a decision. Dai Yuanhang did not know the details, but he knew that the previous sect master, Ye Jianyuan, had received them personally.


    From this, one could roughly tell how important the matter was. Chen Yiming quickly parted ways with Dai Yuanhang. He didn¡¯t return to the blue planet immediately, but left the stronghold.


    Chen Yiming sneaked along the path he had taken the previous night alone, observing the movements of the creatures from the otherworld.


    In the caves that were connected to the underground passages, creatures from the otherworld had appeared just like before and were staring at the prey that occasionally passed by on the wasteland.


    Chen Yiming would occasionally see human experts still hunting the creatures. Those who dared to move in the dark seemed to have mastered the transformation of their internal force.


    In the regions with the ancient trees,


    Chen Yiming sneaked in alone and realized that some barbarians had used tools to cut open the bark and drink the sap that was flowing out.


    The sap was like blood. Not only did it smell like blood, but it was also bright red. This was shocking.


    In addition, the barbarians didn¡¯t seem to be getting along well with chimpanzee-like creatures. There were conflicts between them from time to time. Chen Yiming observed them carefully and realized that both sides were fighting over the ancient trees.


    Moreover, there were very few weak people on both sides. Most of them were at the level of the court heads of large sects, which also caused there to be very few traces of humans in this area. Perhaps they had consciously avoided them from afar.


    After that, he went to the graveyard to observe the situation. After confirming that there were no creatures from the otherworld launching a counterattack because of the human¡¯s actions during the day, he returned to the base city through the space-travel passage.


    ¡­


    Not wanting to be the center of attention, Chen Yiming hid his identity and took the train back to Jiangdu City.


    Only a day had passed, and the city that was the only way to reach the base city was still full of people.


    A large number of people from outside the city had gathered on the streets. After urgently importing goods from other places, the shops could finally operate normally.


    He passed by a street that was full of people. A large crowd was surrounding a shop.


    A middle-aged woman with a fierce expression locked the door of the shop and shouted at the young man in front of her,


    ¡°From today onwards, the rent will increase by three times. You have to pay three years¡¯ rent in advance. You can reopen the shop when you pay up.¡±


    When the young man heard this, he had a furious expression on his face. They had clearly signed a contract in black and white previously, but the original contract had been mercilessly torn apart and his goods had even been seized.


    However, the middle-aged woman in front of him had a strong backing and was not someone he could afford to offend. He could either admit that he was unlucky or find the money to renew the lease.


    However, Jiangdu City only had a special status for the time being. No one knew when the railways from the major cities to the base city would be opened.


    Once they opened up, no one could predict whether Jiandu City would return to its original state or whether it would be able to maintain its special status.


    Many people in the crowd felt indignant for the young man. ¡°How can this be? Three times the rent, and you have to pay three years¡¯ rent in advance? Are you trying to force him to leave?¡±


    Faced with the increasing criticism from the crowd, the middle-aged woman was unfazed. Her figure was seriously out of shape, and she had abandoned her martial arts for many years, but no one dared to really attack her.


    At the very least, the young man in front of her and the crowd did not dare to make a move.


    The young man tried to negotiate. ¡°How about increasing the rent by four times, and paying for one year¡¯s rent in advance?¡±


    The middle-aged woman snorted. ¡°One year¡¯s rent? Dream on. Now, the rent is increased by four times. Pay for three years¡¯ rent in advance.¡±


    The young man¡¯s expression froze. He took a step back and almost fell. He knew that the other party had no intention of renewing his lease, so he took a deep breath and turned to leave.


    After he left, the onlookers had no reason to stay and quickly dispersed.


    Chen Yiming happened to pass by and saw this happen. He sighed.


    ¡°In my previous world, there were many cases of contracts being broken in times of peace, let alone in this era where martial arts power determines everything.


    Jiangdu City is an important city for the development of the otherworld. It¡¯s difficult for it not to be chaotic. It can even be said that the young man is lucky to not lose his life.¡±


    In the end, he did not stand up for justice and teach the middle-aged woman a lesson. That would only bring about a disaster for the young man,


    unless he exposed his identity and suppressed the faction behind the middle-aged woman. But there was no need for that. The situation of going back on the previous contract was probably happening everywhere in Jiangdu City at this moment, and there was no way to deal with all of it.


    Strength was the foundation of one¡¯s standing.

 Chapter 269 - Almost Failed When Showing Off

    Chen Yiming stopped for a moment before setting off again.


    People were coming and going on the streets. From the conversations of the passers-by, he heard that the tickets to the base city had been suspended. It was rumored that the train had been attacked by a group of mutant beasts and was forced to stop for repairs.


    ¡°Sigh, I was just an hour late. If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have rested on the road,¡± someone complained to the people around him.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s unlucky. I happened to buy a ticket for the train that was suspended. I was waiting to get on when I was told to get a refund for my ticket,¡± a fierce-looking man wearing a gold chain said angrily.


    Chen Yiming heard many similar complaints along the way. These people had rushed over from other provinces half a day late, and now, due to the unforeseen circumstances, they couldn¡¯t go to the base city.


    News of the situation in the stronghold and the surrounding area had already spread.


    Most people knew that if they were a few days late, the areas with a known risk would be cleared out. Those who came later could only go to areas with an unknown risk.


    The first and second batches of people would have accumulated experience in the areas equivalent to a beginner village. The people in the later batches would have to start off in dangerous areas where information was incomplete. How could they not be frustrated?


    ¡­


    When he passed by the bridge, he saw that the bridge was forcefully divided into two by iron bars. There were also armed soldiers guarding it, urging pedestrians to cross the bridge quickly to avoid the situation of having too many people staying behind.


    At this moment, because there were too many people crossing the bridge, a long line had formed. Chen Yiming had no choice but to consider crossing the river directly.


    On both sides of the bridge was a lakeside park. The originally beautiful and neat lawn had long been trampled into a scattered mess. Many young people had come here to practice their martial arts.


    Chen Yiming had seen with his own eyes the matter of the rent increases and the contracts being destroyed. He could guess why these young people had come here to practice instead of going to a professional martial arts class.


    It had to be known that during the initial stages of martial arts, it made a huge difference whether one had a teacher to guide them or not. If one was not talented, they would regret it if they practiced blindly on their own.


    However, at this time, the cost of everything was rising crazily. Young people from ordinary families might not be able to afford the expenses of the martial arts classes.


    Beside a pavilion, two girls with ponytails started chatting after a round of sparring.


    The girl in a light blue school uniform complained, ¡°Today, the teacher said that from this year onwards, the score calculation for the college entrance examination has been adjusted. The weightage of the martial arts component will increase.


    This is putting me at too much of a disadvantage. I don¡¯t even like martial arts. According to the score from the mock exam, I might not even be able to get into a university.¡±


    The girl in white sportswear stabbed her sword into the grass. Her well-developed chest moved up and down as she panted. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve and comforted her friend.


    ¡°Shanshan, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. There¡¯s still more than half a year before the college entrance examination. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to improve your score for the low-level theory and combat assessments.¡±


    The girl in the light blue school uniform said dejectedly, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, but practicing martial arts is so tiring. I¡¯d rather go home and read in bed.¡±


    The girl in white sportswear said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you register for the martial arts training class, Shanshan? With a martial arts teacher supervising you, it¡¯ll be easier for you to persevere.¡±


    The girl in the light blue school uniform sighed. ¡°I heard that the registration fee has increased a lot. I¡¯m not an only child, and I have two older brothers¡­


    If only I could be like you, Mengmeng, and get just the top score every time just by practicing casually under a martial arts teacher. That way, I would also be guaranteed a place in the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy.¡±


    The girl in white sportswear quickly explained, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I still have to go to the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy to participate in the independent enrollment assessment. However, I heard that it¡¯s very chaotic outside the city, so I don¡¯t dare to go.¡±


    The girl in the light blue school uniform waved her fist and said, ¡°Mengmeng, since you¡¯re so powerful, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? When you meet bad people, play the pig and eat the tiger. With one strike, cut off their¡­ and turn them into eunuchs.¡±


    She lowered her voice at the end.


    The girl in white sportswear blushed and whispered, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    The girl in the light blue school uniform, on the other hand, had an excited expression on her face. She moved closer and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you secretly touching yourself at home? Look at me. If only mine were as big as yours.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned around and happened to spot Chen Yiming by the river.


    Her eyes lit up as she tugged at the corner of the girl¡¯s shirt, indicating for her to look at the young man by the river.


    The girl in white sportswear was about to explain that it would be a burden on her to practice martial arts if they were too big. She followed her friend¡¯s direction to take a look, then hurriedly looked away.


    This was an instinctive response due to embarrassment. Of course, if the other party looked ordinary, she would naturally not avert her gaze.


    Seeing this, the girl in the light blue school uniform suggested with a smile, ¡°Mengmeng, how about I invite him over to be your sparring partner? I think he¡¯s even more handsome than Li Yibo from the school.¡±


    The girl in white sportswear glared at her. ¡°Shanshan, don¡¯t do anything rash. Others will misunderstand later. My mother said that I¡¯m not allowed to be in a relationship before graduation.¡±


    The girl in the light blue school uniform ignored her and turned to walk towards Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming was preparing to sneak to the other side of the river. There were also soldiers patrolling the riverside. A plaque was erected every few dozen meters to remind passers-by that there might be aquatic mutant beasts in the river and that they were not allowed to go into the river without permission.


    ¡°Hello, can I help you?¡± the girl in the light blue school uniform asked sincerely. Since she was helping her friend to find a sparring partner instead of finding one for herself, she was still able to remain calm.


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw a girl standing behind him.


    The girl¡¯s facial features were quite delicate, and she had the air of a goddess. She was wearing a loose light blue school uniform that could not hide her tall figure. The only flaw was that her chest was flat.


    He looked away and said calmly, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The corners of the girl¡¯s mouth curled up as she said, ¡°My friend is a martial arts genius, but I¡¯m too weak to spar with her. I¡¯ve only practiced for a while, but now I can¡¯t even raise my hands.


    But she¡¯s about to take the assessment to enter the martial arts academy, so I want to ask you for a favor on her behalf. Can you be her sparring partner?¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.


    A martial arts genius? Assessment to enter the martial arts academy?


    The people who needed to go through the assessment before being admitted were only so-so. The true geniuses should have been invited directly by the academy¡­ He suddenly remembered that whether he joined the Mantis Snake Sword School and the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he had gone through the official assessments.


    At this moment, the girl in white sportswear ran over shyly and apologized, ¡°She likes to talk nonsense. Don¡¯t mind her.¡±


    With that, she tugged at the corner of her friend¡¯s shirt and gestured for her to leave.


    Chen Yiming saw that it was another girl with delicate features.


    The advantage she had over the girl in the light blue school uniform was that not only did she have a pair of big eyes, but she was also very well-endowed for her young age. According to his past experience, she was of a size that he could not hold in one hand.


    He asked, ¡°How many transformations have you completed?¡±


    The girl in white sportswear did not say anything. She tugged at the corner of her friend¡¯s shirt and wanted to leave, but the girl in the light blue school uniform did not budge and replied, ¡°Shen Mengwei is a warrior candidate. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she started studying two years late and was disadvantaged, she would have skipped a grade and entered the martial arts academy already.


    But don¡¯t you worry, Mengmeng will stop once she makes contact. She won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    When she said this, her tone was unprecedentedly confident, as if she herself was a warrior candidate.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming almost laughed out loud.


    After subtracting two years, a warrior candidate at this age was equivalent to an outer sect disciple of a large sect.


    In the high school world of Jiangdu City, she might be considered a little bit of a genius, but in the entire Jiangnan province, she immediately became someone mediocre, let alone in the entire Daxia Kingdom.


    He took out the peach wood sword and waved it around, and the leaves that happened to float in front of him were reduced to dust by the Sword Aura. He continued, ¡°With all due respect, you, her and the people around us are all the same to me.¡±


    The girl in the light blue school uniform was dumbfounded, and so was Shen Mengwei.


    He had only waved the sword. Although they did not understand what they just saw, they somehow felt that he was very powerful.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but show off. ¡°Jiangnan province is about to enter a new era. Your friend calls you a martial arts genius. I¡¯ll demonstrate a sword technique, and see how much you can learn.¡±


    Shen Mengwei met Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze and immediately felt terrible. She tugged at her friend¡¯s sleeve again and wanted to leave.


    The girl in the light blue school uniform slapped her hand away and said in a low voice, ¡°What are you afraid of? You won¡¯t be at a disadvantage. At most, I¡¯ll give you away¡­¡±


    Shen Mengwei quickly covered her friend¡¯s mouth and interrupted her words.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care about this. He assumed a stance on the spot. Like an old man, he made each move steadily, neither too fast nor too slow. The way he exerted his strength with his sword was clearly displayed. His rhythm was smooth and natural, and there was no signs of him stopping between moves.


    He demonstrated the Mantis Snake Sword Technique with the standard teaching method.


    The girl in the light blue school uniform had a confused expression on her face as she muttered, ¡°Why are you so slow? You¡¯re just like an old man in the park. Are you trying to trick us?¡±


    With that, she looked at her friend.


    Shen Mengwei seemed to be in a daze as she stood rooted to the spot.


    Chen Yiming displayed every detail of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique in a way that even those at the disciple realm could understand. If she really had talent in swordsmanship, teaching her this way just once would be enough.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure as he danced with his sword appeared in Shen Mengwei¡¯s mind, and she felt enlightened.


    The scene of the young man and girl sparring by the river attracted more and more attention. At first, they were attracted by the girl¡¯s looks and figure, but later, they were attracted by the young man¡¯s swordsmanship.


    ¡°Slow but deliberate. Looks like things aren¡¯t that simple,¡± someone thought for a while and said uncertainly.


    ¡°Of course. After all, he came from that place.¡±


    Those who recognized him did not say anything in case they said something wrong and caused trouble for themselves.


    Jiangdu City was completely different from usual. A large number of martial arts practitioners were gathered there, and many of the onlookers were very knowledgeable. Some of them even recognized that this sword technique came from the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    This was incredible. Currently, the Myriad Phenomena Sect was a famous martial arts faction throughout Jiangnan province and even in the entire Daxia Kingdom. Even an ordinary disciple in the sect had an extraordinary status outside.


    ¡°How is it? How much did you remember?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked like a young grandmaster. Of course, he couldn¡¯t slap himself in the face. No matter what, he had to end things perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve memorized everything.¡±


    Shen Mengwei nodded with a serious expression.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s simple teaching of swordsmanship was completely different from the teachers in her class who taught martial arts. Due to her limited knowledge, she didn¡¯t know what level he was at.


    Memorized it all? Do you think you¡¯re me!


    The appearance of the girl in white sportswear reminded Chen Yiming of the first day he went to the eastern branch of the Mantis Snake Sword School. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but it was 90% similar.


    Chen Yiming decided to give his opponent a chance. ¡°Use the sword technique I taught you to attack me. Let me see how much you¡¯ve learned.¡±


    Shen Mengwei took a look around her and saw that there were more and more onlookers. She was a little nervous. Fortunately, she was also the center of attention in the school and could instantly adjust to the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting.¡±


    With that, she raised her training sword and briefly recalled what she had just learned, using the opening stance of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    Her entire body was like a snake, and her speed was extremely fast. Before many of the onlookers could react, she had already covered a distance of several meters in one step.


    Chen Yiming naturally wouldn¡¯t bully his opponent on purpose. He didn¡¯t use his internal force and suppressed his body¡¯s strength to counterattack with the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    Chen Yiming quickly exchanged more than 10 blows with his opponent.


    On the surface, he remained calm and collected, but he felt a little awkwardness in his heart. The other party was not lying. Although she had not reached the level of perfection, she had indeed learned everything.


    However, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a good grasp of your explosive power, and there are some problems with your swordsmanship. The flow between moves is too stiff.¡±


    ¡°Your style is too rigid. Every person has a different physique. The standard sword technique also needs to be adjusted accordingly to maximize its power.¡±


    Chen Yiming pointed out the shortcomings of the girl in white sportswear. Facing someone who had such talent in swordsmanship, Chen Yiming had the intention to invite her back to the sect.


    However, the talent required at the warrior realm and above was far more than what had been displayed in front of him. It involved the internal force and spiritual power.


    Instantly, he recalled how the head of the Flowing Cloud Sword School had taken in Liu Qingqing as a core disciple when he was still in East Lake City.


    He was no longer an ordinary disciple, but the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. If he brought a fake back, he would be thoroughly embarrassed.


    After the sword technique demonstration ended, Chen Yiming took the initiative to come to a stop. Shen Mengwei was too embarrassed to continue sparring, so she had no choice but to stop as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. You¡¯re quite talented. No martial arts academy will reject you. Work hard.¡±


    Chen Yiming gave his evaluation.


    ¡°Yes, thank you! I¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    When Shen Mengwei fought Chen Yiming, even though he had suppressed his strength to the limit, there was still a difference in their strength, speed, agility, and so on. Even if they separated at the first contact, it would still consume a lot of her stamina.


    At this moment, she was drenched in sweat. Her white sportswear was completely soaked, revealing the curves of her body. Chen Yiming almost raised an eyebrow.


    However, his self-control was strong, and he did not show any signs of abnormality on the surface.


    ¡°I still have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze. There were several rows of onlookers around him, and he wanted to escape quickly.


    Shen Mengwei was about to wave goodbye when the girl in the light blue school uniform reached out and stopped her. She rushed to say, ¡°If there¡¯s anything Mengmeng doesn¡¯t understand in the future, and wants to ask you for guidance, how can she contact you?¡±


    The discussion among the crowd made the girl in the light blue school uniform realize that this was a rare opportunity for her friend. Her own talent for martial arts was limited and she easily got tired from practicing martial arts, but her mind was especially rational. No matter what kind of emotional situation she was facing, she could almost always maintain a logical train of thought.


    Shen Mengwei was grateful for the other party¡¯s guidance, but the girl in the light blue school uniform was thinking about how the other party had no intention of leaving behind his contact details at all.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was just about to leave when he was forced to come to a stop.


    To be honest, his admiration for the girl in white sportswear had only lasted for a short moment. After all, her level was only at the disciple realm, which was too low to catch his attention, unless she could continuously increase her talent like him.


    There were many people watching, so he naturally could not leave a stain on his reputation.


    ¡°Which school are you from? I¡¯ll look for you when I¡¯m free,¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The girl in the light blue school uniform wanted to ask for his contact details instead, but after being pressured by Shen Mengwei, she could only tell Chen Yiming that they were both students from Jiangdu City First High.


    Chen Yiming nodded. He took out the map he had drawn when exploring the graveyard and flipped to the blank page on the back.


    The mission required him to draw an area of at least 10 kilometers that had yet to be explored. Most of the area within three kilometers was still an area that he had yet to explore, so he couldn¡¯t turn it in.


    His internal force seeped out of his body onto his finger. With a swish of his finger, he left behind a concept diagram of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    This was not the simplified version, but the most difficult version after optimization. In his opinion, without the potential to break through to the peak of the warrior realm, no one was worth his attention.


    If the girl in white sportswear was stuck before breaking through to the warrior realm, there was no need for him to spare her another glance.


    ¡°What!¡±


    The onlookers widened their eyes and did not dare to make a sound.


    His control over his internal force was not something that ordinary warriors could achieve. Were the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect that powerful?


    ¡°Go back and try to practice with this.¡±


    Chen Yiming stuffed the map into the girl¡¯s hand. Before she could speak, he had already disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.

 Chapter 270 - Battle on the Path of Cultivation

    In a small house in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, on the other side of the mountain outside the window, some disciples were cultivating. The shouts from practicing their swordsmanship and the discussion after their sparring could be heard through the gaps in the walls of the house.


    Now, the disciples in the sect felt a greater sense of urgency. This place had vaguely begun to resemble a holy land for martial arts in Jiangnan province and the neighboring provinces. Especially after the newly added monthly, seasonal, and annual assessments, the disciples were filled with a sense of competitiveness.


    This competitiveness was not due to a need to fight to the death, but because a small group of people who had the slowest improvement would lose the chance to cultivate in the sect after a certain time.


    Chen Yiming and Ye Jianyuan sat opposite each other at a tea table. On the table was a steaming teapot. The tea leaves didn¡¯t come from the blue planet, but from a plant that the exploration team had discovered in the otherworld.


    This plant had a magical effect. It could slightly restore the vitality of the cells, and when made into tea leaves and brewed for a long time, it could extend one¡¯s lifespan.


    As the two of them sipped their tea, Ye Jianyuan told Chen Yiming, ¡°The higher-ups of Jiangnan province have sent over the first half of a breathing technique to discuss a further collaboration with the Myriad Phenomena Sect.¡±


    With that, he placed a box made of special materials on the tea table.


    Chen Yiming reached out and took the box. There was a special coating between the lid and the box. Once it was opened, there would be traces left behind.


    He opened the lid of the box. Inside was a piece of beast skin. The blood at the edge was bright red, and the hair on the surface was glowing. The entire skin seemed to have been peeled off just a moment ago.


    Ye Jianyuan said, ¡°The breathing technique comes from creatures from the otherworld above the master realm. It¡¯s said that those at that level have an unbelievable amount of vitality. From the looks of it, it¡¯s true.¡±


    Chen Yiming touched the surface of the beast skin and sensed that it was from the body part used as an anchor. Even without any conscious control, it still used its breathing technique instinctively.


    Of course, this level of circulation could not be compared to when one took the initiative to cultivate. A light breath could only maintain the activity of the cells, which was equivalent to maintaining a balance between the loss and replenishment of one¡¯s vitality.


    At the same time, his consciousness fused with the figure in his mind and entered the beast skin from his fingertips.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness saw that the surrounding blood vessels and cells were still doing their respective jobs. They looked no different from when they were alive. The image of a strange creature was displayed in the middle.


    Its entire body was snow-white, and its form was similar to that of a wolf. The difference was that it had a long tail in the shape of a chain, which was much longer than its entire body, and was coiled around its side several times.


    As this creature breathed, an invisible natural energy flowed through the beast skin, and a trace of energy was left behind in the process.


    The figure in his mind walked straight over. As it approached, the other party started to react. A pressure like that of a tsunami, a thunderstorm, or a sandstorm assaulted his senses.


    The figure in his mind was not affected at all. It leaped onto the back of the creature. The other party continued to emit a sense of oppression, but in reality, it was being brought under control.


    The flow of invisible natural energy did not stop. It was as if the creature¡¯s image was a program that could only operate according to the established rules.


    Not long after, the true appearance of the breathing technique was revealed by the figure in his mind.


    Natural energy was a mixed category, and had all kinds of attributes. How to connect with natural energy of a certain attribute was the core content of this half of the breathing technique.


    After the figure in his mind deciphered the creature¡¯s image, he obtained a method of absorbing energy from the moonlight. This was a type of energy that was more gentle.


    Chen Yiming was very familiar with it. It was similar to the silver vortex in the ring, but the absorption efficiency was worlds apart.


    ¡°The essence of the concept diagram is to transform the body¡¯s energy. The essence of the breathing technique is to absorb natural energy. The body¡¯s energy belongs to the body, and natural energy belongs to the outside world. The principle of cultivation is similar, but the difficulty of mastering it is not on the same level.¡±


    Chen Yiming keenly sensed the connection between the cultivation of the warrior realm and the master realm.


    He recalled his battles with the willow tree king and the barbarian sorcerer. His opponents had the ability to mobilize the power of nature, and he deduced the other half of the breathing technique that was missing.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness returned to his body and he smiled.


    Receiving the breathing technique now was really timely. The current him did not dare to enter the ring easily. Although the efficiency of tempering his spiritual power might be greatly reduced, he still had a cultivation technique to use.


    Seeing this, Ye Jianyuan¡¯s eyes lit up with hope.


    He would never be able to reach the threshold of cultivating the breathing technique himself. However, as Chen Yiming became stronger and stronger, just because he couldn¡¯t resolve the problem on the blue planet didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t overcome it in the otherworld.


    Seeing a glimmer of hope, he felt energized, as if he had instantly returned to his younger self from 20 years ago.


    Ye Jianyuan took out the first draft of the terms of their alliance that he had discussed with the 12 inner court heads.


    Chen Yiming gave it a quick read. It mainly described the conditions of having no service fees for the exchange of contribution points from the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the territory to be obtained for free in the stronghold in the otherworld, and a strategic alliance with the military to explore the otherworld.


    The first half of the breathing technique was given to Chen Yiming for his personal benefit. The first two conditions were for the benefit of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The last condition was to further improve the relationship for both sides. It could also be said that Chen Yiming was being tied down to the task of exploring the otherworld.


    ¡°I have no objections. Let¡¯s go with this.¡±


    Other than the other half of the breathing technique, everything else was inconsequential to Chen Yiming. It made no difference whether they got more or less.


    ¡­


    Ye Jianyuan put away the document carefully and said with a serious expression, ¡°Since yesterday, something big has happened in Jiangnan province. There were even reports that the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect were harmed.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and asked, ¡°Who is so bold as to attack a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect in Jiangnan province?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan explained, ¡°The disciple who got into trouble might have been accidentally injured, or it could have been a test for you. It could also have been a plot to hinder Jiangnan province¡¯s exploration of the otherworld. Among the people who have gone missing, there is also someone who has mastered the transformation of internal force.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming was a little surprised.


    In the wilderness, ordinary warriors could already enter and leave most of the areas at will, let alone those who had mastered the transformation of internal force.


    Those who could attack without leaving a trace had to be at least at the peak of the warrior realm, and those at the peak of the warrior realm had always been the target of surveillance. They were usually placed under restrictions and prevented from making any moves freely.


    Ye Jianyuan continued, ¡°The province has just sent out a message that there are bloodline warriors in the same batch of missing people. This matter might be an attack from corporations in the Western countries.


    These corporations have always been dedicated to the research of bloodline warriors. In the past, they often carried out crazy human experiments. As more and more successful cases of bloodline warriors appear, their strength has also become stronger and stronger. Now, they have control over most of the countries in the west.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked in surprise, ¡°Although things in Jiangnan province are in a mess now, our overall strength is unprecedentedly strong. Can these corporations really smuggle in people at the peak of the warrior realm?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan told him that bloodline warriors also seemed to be divided into different levels. The temptation of changing one¡¯s martial arts talent after birth was unimaginable. He guessed that some of the people who held power in Jiangnan province had been bribed with this temptation.


    Chen Yiming felt a headache coming on. It was very troublesome to have a mole working inside an organization. The enemy could know your movements, but you didn¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s situation.


    In a world where superpowers appeared, it was easier for the higher-ups to keep it a secret that would not be easily discovered by others.


    ¡°By the way, who is in charge of investigating this disappearance?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan said, ¡°I heard that a guardian from Jiangnan City took over. The specific investigation is temporarily handled by the provincial martial arts bureau. The security bureau needs to deal with the radioactive creature incident from earlier. This matter itself is beyond the ability of the security bureau, so¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    He was not familiar with the guardians of Jiangnan City, and he did not know anyone from the martial arts bureau. He could only take things one step at a time.


    ¡­


    In an abandoned factory, the surroundings were overgrown with weeds, and the abandoned equipment was covered in rust. The ground was also tattered, and mud and puddles of dirty water could be seen everywhere.


    A man stood with his hands behind his back. Behind him were five people who had fallen unconscious. These people were clearly martial arts practitioners, but their faces were sallow and their bodies were very weak. They did not have the vigorous vitality that they should have.


    ¡°Tap! Tap!¡±


    As the sound of footsteps rang out, the man smiled and pulled off the human skin mask on his face, revealing the face of a Westerner.


    ¡°Why did you make such a big matter out of it this time? Do you want me to die?¡±


    The person who had arrived was a middle-aged man with a dignified aura. Before he arrived in front of the other party, he had already started to question him.


    The Westerner didn¡¯t think much of it and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bureau Chief. When we attack, we have the protection of the special ability users. We won¡¯t be discovered.¡±


    The veins on the middle-aged man¡¯s forehead bulged as he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you captured some disciples from the disciple realm just like in the past. Why did you attack those above the warrior realm this time? You caused such a huge commotion, I can¡¯t help you anymore.¡±


    The Westerner chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a rare opportunity? If we miss this opportunity, where will we find so many warriors rushing to one place?


    Moreover, Bureau Chief, do you think that you can let go of what you have done in the past so easily? The higher-ups asked us to pass on a message to you. You have to capture as many people above the warrior realm as possible for this operation. Otherwise, you know the consequences¡­¡±


    His unrestrained laughter echoed in the quiet abandoned factory. It pierced the middle-aged man¡¯s heart, causing his expression to turn ugly.


    The Westerner glanced at the five people who were lying unconscious on the ground and continued, ¡°The higher-ups also asked me to pass on a message that the new martial master in the Daxia Kingdom is an imposter.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Sam Nation has set up a trap for that person. You just need to cooperate with us obediently. After this, we¡¯ll reward you based on the amount of contribution you made. At best, you¡¯ll get a slot to be among the first generation.¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes widened, and he almost lost control of his internal energy.


    The reason why he had worked so hard to become the bureau chief was because he had received a bribe that was attractive enough to cause him to commit treason.


    The slots for the first generation had never been enough even for the descendants of the corporations in the western countries to split among themselves. He had been on tenterhooks and helping the corporations with a lot of their dirty work, but what was it all for? He had been waiting to hear this sentence.


    In the battle between pure martial artists and bloodline warriors, from a scientific point of view, human talent had its limits. By relying on cultivation that improved from generation to generation, one could naturally evolve. This kind of improvement was too slow, and the threat of the otherworld was still present. It was unknown when the creatures from the otherworld would completely invade and destroy the blue planet.


    As for bloodline warriors, they originated from the otherworld. Although countless problems were encountered during the process, in theory, their abilities could be replicated.


    In fact, most of the scientific research institutes around the world believed that this was the hope of spreading superpowers to all of humanity. Martial arts was only a tool that humans could temporarily use to study bloodline warriors.


    The Westerner smoothed down his hair, which had been turned into a mess by the wind, and smiled contemptuously.


    In terms of status, he was just a lackey in a corporation. The bureau chief opposite him had both status and power. The two of them could not be compared at all.


    However, at this moment, the other party was at his mercy. Even if he made unreasonable requests, the other party would probably grit his teeth and agree.


    The middle-aged man looked at the other party¡¯s expression and said doubtfully, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to decide such a big matter. Are you trying to trick me?¡±


    He suddenly recalled that he was from the Daxia Kingdom. In terms of status, he was undoubtedly at a disadvantage. If the other party just disappeared after this, he would have no way to get back at him.


    But if he did not cooperate, he would not even have a verbal promise for a slot in the first generation.


    The Westerner smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. ¡°I¡¯m just a messenger. If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. You can only think of a way to contact the higher-ups to confirm it.¡±


    The middle-aged man clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers cracked. He hated himself for not being born in the Sam Nation, where the largest and most well-funded research institutions on the blue planet were located.


    The path of pure martial arts was simply too difficult. Every person who had reached a bottleneck in their cultivation would feel despair when they got stuck. Some people would accept their fate and give up on their pursuit of martial arts.


    Some people chose to explore the otherworld. In a better cultivation environment and under the pressure of facing a life and death situation at any time, they tried to squeeze out all their potential to break through.


    There were also some people who tried to use external forces, such as the sacrificial spirits that were popular in Japan, or most commonly, the bloodline warriors.


    ¡­


    At night, in East Lake City, people were coming and going on the streets. A large number of carts selling snacks were parked by the roadside, creating a bustling scene.


    With the trial operation of the base city, a large number of martial arts practitioners had left the city. However, there were still countless ordinary families moving over from other cities.


    This was especially true after the news of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy spread. It caused the families who were still hesitating to make up their minds and try their best to move over as soon as possible.


    With a stable city environment and superior education, everyone was willing to give it their all for the sake of the next generation.


    Currently, East Lake City did not restrict the entry of outsiders with normal statuses. No one knew when restrictions would be imposed in the future. It was better to go earlier than later.


    East Lake City was undergoing rapid development. The construction sites only needed to provide meals and a small salary, and many people would be fighting for these jobs.


    For a family that had just moved to a strange city, nothing was more important than a stable job.


    In the living room of the Chen family¡¯s house,


    Chen Yiming was sitting on the sofa. On his left was Father Chen, and on his right was Mother Chen, who was peeling fruits. Chen Yingying had returned to her room to continue cultivating the concept diagram.


    There was a huge television hanging on the wall, and a beautiful host in a suit was reporting the news from Jiangnan province.


    ¡°The base city of Jiangnan province is operating well. The train that was damaged by the attacks of the mutant beasts has been restored to normal after emergency repairs. Those who are interested in entering the otherworld, please head to Jiangdu City to buy a ticket.¡±


    The scene changed to the scene at the train station in Jiangdu City. Many people were queuing up to buy tickets, and many people were squeezing their way into the station.


    ¡°A few days ago, there were several murders outside Jiangdu City. At the moment, the exact reason is still being investigated. It¡¯s best for those who want to go to Jiangdu City to travel in groups. Try your best to avoid traveling at night.¡±


    The scene changed to the scene of the disappearance. A female reporter led the camera to record the shoes, rags, and other miscellaneous items that were left behind, as well as traces of a fight.

 Chapter 271 - His Sisters Teacher

    Ever since the announcement of the trial operation of the base city, the viewership ratings of Jiangnan province¡¯s television stations had been increasing. Every day, the news became a must-watch program after meals, and it received a lot of attention.


    Mother Chen handed a peeled apple to Chen Yiming. ¡°I heard from your sister that their school might arrange for a martial arts teacher to lead a team to the otherworld. It¡¯s so chaotic outside now, do you want to go with your sister? That way, you can take care of her.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the apple and finished it in a few bites. He said, ¡°Jiangnan province has been having a lot of troublesome matters recently. It will take a lot of time if I escort her into the otherworld as a bodyguard, and I still have to stay there and take care of her. I don¡¯t have the time to spare.¡±


    Father Chen said, ¡°Your son is now a person who can deal with important matters. Yingying already said that she was only going to the stronghold in the otherworld to try doing some cultivation there. She will go there in the morning and return before dark. Don¡¯t give random suggestions.¡±


    Mother Chen looked unhappy. ¡°Then don¡¯t go. What are those school heads thinking? Bad things keep happening outside, and they still want to bring the students out.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt that one apple wasn¡¯t enough, so he picked up a bunch of grapes from the plate and started eating them.


    He had seen through the intentions of the head of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, but did not reveal them. He was doing this for the development of the martial arts academy.


    Could he arrange for students to cultivate in the otherworld for a long time? How much time could he arrange for them to cultivate there? A week? A month?


    These indicators would affect the recruitment of students for the martial arts academy in the future. The East Lake Martial Arts Academy benefited from being in East Lake City, which had a special status. However, in the long term, they still had to rely on themselves.


    After the East Lake City government decided to expand the city, the plan to build another martial arts academy was also discussed during the meeting.


    ¡­


    The news program was soon over. Mother Chen asked Chen Yiming about where he had been recently and what he had encountered.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how to explain the situation to Mother Chen, who was still an ordinary person. He could only use some excuses to brush her off.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The bedroom door opened and Chen Yingying walked out.


    Her eyelids were heavy, and she looked exhausted. She swayed a little as she walked. Using one¡¯s spiritual power to draw the concept diagram consumed a lot of energy.


    ¡°Brother, I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    Chen Yingying was a little upset. She also wanted to watch television with her family.


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°Let me see one of the concept diagrams you drew recently.¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded and returned to her room. She quickly came out with a drawing in her hand and handed it to Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming laid the drawing flat and glanced at it before returning it to Chen Yingying.


    His expression was solemn. Although it had not been long since his sister obtained the concept diagram of the cultivation technique, her cultivation was definitely not progressing well. She was one of those with poor talent and there was no value in trying to develop her further.


    As her biological brother, he could not bear it anymore. Even back then, he had understood at a glance that there was a huge difference between their abilities.


    Chen Yingying had a bad feeling and probed, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong? The teacher even praised me for being smart earlier today.¡±


    Smart?


    Your teacher sure knows how to talk.


    Only you would take it seriously.


    Chen Yiming frowned. With the current situation, the stronghold was under threat at any moment. If he didn¡¯t accompany her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest easy if he let Chen Yingying follow her martial arts teacher into the otherworld.


    Even the simplest version of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique would be too difficult for Chen Yingying.


    This made Chen Yiming a little frustrated. The Western corporations treated him like he was nothing and were openly causing trouble under his nose. His sister also needed him to accompany her the entire time.


    Taking advantage of the fact that he was at home, Chen Yiming tutored his sister and explained the steps and difficulties of drawing the concept diagram to Chen Yingying.


    ¡­


    Early in the morning, at the entrance of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy,


    Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying parted ways. He instructed his sister to explain things to the martial arts teacher as soon as possible so that everyone could hurry up and set off for Jiangdu City.


    All around them were students who were rushing to enter the school. Chen Yiming still looked very young, and he thought that if he wore the school uniform, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to sneak in as a student.


    The smell of soy milk and fried dough sticks filled the air, arousing his taste buds. It had been a long time since he had such an ordinary breakfast, and he could not help but reminisce about it.


    It had to be known that no matter how delicious or precious the ingredients were, after eating too much of the same thing, one would get sick of them. The rare items from the otherworld were no exception.


    Chen Yiming walked into a shop across the street from the school that was selling breakfast.


    ¡°What do you want to order?¡± the lady boss shouted.


    He glanced at the menu above and said, ¡°A bowl of soybean curd and two fried dough sticks.¡±


    Chen Yiming sat down at a wooden table facing the East Lake Martial Arts Academy across the street. It was almost time for the morning practice.


    He was the only customer in the shop, and the tables were filled with the remains of paper bags, cups, plates, and so on.


    The soybean curd and fried dough sticks were served quickly. Chen Yiming broke the fried dough sticks into small pieces and dipped them in the soybean curd before starting to eat.


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    Chen Yiming was still savoring the taste of the soybean curd and dough sticks when he heard someone calling him from the entrance of the shop. He looked up and saw a woman standing more than a meter away from him.


    The woman was wearing a set of pink sportswear, and her black hair was tied up into a bun at the back of her head. Her figure was slightly well-endowed, but one could see her toned muscles from her exposed arms. Her figure was fit and sexy.


    ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t remember having met someone like her.


    Zhao Meijing¡¯s expression was a little reserved as she explained, ¡°I work part-time as a teacher in the martial arts training class. I taught your sister for a while before.¡±


    Chen Yiming came to a realization. When he arranged for his sister to join a martial arts class, he had specially instructed the receptionist to choose the most expensive one. The woman in front of him was beautiful and capable, so everything made sense.


    ¡°Come and sit. Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Chen Yiming called out.


    Zhao Meijing hesitated for a moment before sitting down right opposite him. She wiped the sweat off her forehead to hide her nervousness.


    Time flew by. The person in front of her was now a legend in East Lake City. If not for the fact that they were slightly related, she would not have dared to take the initiative to strike up a conversation.


    Chen Yiming took out a napkin from a box and wiped his fingers clean of the oil from the fried dough sticks. He asked, ¡°My sister is a little weak in martial arts. Did she cause Teacher Zhao any trouble back then?¡±


    Zhao Meijing crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. ¡°No! Yingying is obedient and hardworking. We¡¯ve been exchanging our martial arts insights recently.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she was afraid that it would cause a misunderstanding, so she quickly explained, ¡°I¡¯m also a teacher at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. I teach the class next to your sister¡¯s.¡±


    Chen Yiming realized that he might have caused her to be late for her work. He asked, ¡°I heard from Yingying that the martial arts academy has a joint morning practice. Teacher Zhao, you¡­¡±


    Zhao Meijing also remembered that she still had to supervise the students¡¯ morning practice. She felt a little regretful that she had to end the conversation with Chen Yiming so quickly, but she couldn¡¯t think of any suitable excuse to prolong it.


    She wanted to say that it did not make any difference if the students were not supervised for a day, but it would seem like she was being too irresponsible as a teacher. In the end, she did not say it.


    ¡­


    At this moment, at the entrance of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, under the lead of a middle-aged male teacher, a group of students walked out of the school gate and stopped by the roadside.


    Chen Yingying saw Teacher Zhao and Chen Yiming sitting opposite each other in the breakfast shop across the street. She covered her mouth in surprise and informed the martial arts teacher before walking towards the shop.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked when he saw Chen Yingying walking over.


    ¡°Brother, weren¡¯t you in a hurry? We had no choice but to come out first.¡±


    Chen Yingying walked into the breakfast shop and explained everything to Chen Yiming. She then turned around and said, ¡°Teacher Zhao, you¡¯re here too!¡±


    Zhao Meijing looked embarrassed and did not know how to reply.


    I can¡¯t possibly say that I used you to strike up a conversation with your brother. I¡¯ll lose all my face, and we won¡¯t be able to get along in the future.


    Chen Yingying didn¡¯t think much of it and asked, ¡°My brother is accompanying us to the otherworld. Why don¡¯t you come along too? We can spar on the way.¡±


    When Chen Yiming heard this, he scolded his sister. ¡°Teacher Zhao still has her own job. How can she skip class? Do you think the school is run by your own family?¡±


    Zhao Meijing¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You guys are going to the otherworld? That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll ask the head if I can take the day off now.¡±


    With that, she took out her phone and called the school head¡¯s office. After hearing the reason, the head agreed without saying anything else.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming bit back the words in his mouth.


    The three of them walked out of the breakfast shop and crossed the road to meet up with the martial arts teacher and students from Chen Yingying¡¯s class.


    The middle-aged male teacher was already prepared. He quickly walked over and nervously greeted them. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Cai Xihe, the martial arts teacher for Yingying¡¯s class.¡±


    The other party¡¯s aura was restrained to appear like that of an ordinary person, but he already knew about this person¡¯s achievements in advance. Just by standing in front of him, he felt a sense of pressure.


    This pressure did not actually exist, but it made him feel like he was suffocating. He did not know if it was just a psychological effect.


    Chen Yiming nodded. They had met once before, so he felt a little closer to him.


    The students in the class looked at Chen Yiming in admiration, especially the girls. They were so excited that they were about to jump up and down. To be able to enter the otherworld together with him was something they didn¡¯t even dare to dream about.


    The group set off quickly.


    For the sake of cultivation, the team did not take any transportation and directly cut through the deserted wilderness to reach Jiangdu City.


    ¡­


    Not long after they left East Lake City, the two sides of the road started to become deserted. Their vision was filled with lush greenery.


    Chen Yiming was at the front of the group. His steps seemed slow, but each step he took covered a larger distance than the others.


    The two martial arts teachers and the students in the class followed behind him.


    Chen Yingying had been protected carefully in the past, so this was her first time entering the wilderness. She looked around curiously, hoping to see the ferocious mutant beasts mentioned in the books with her own eyes.


    Seeing a figure that was taller than a person moving among the bushes in the distance, she said in surprise, ¡°Could it be a mutant beast hiding there?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at it before continuing on his way.


    Among everyone present, his sister was the only one who had never been to the wilderness or fought mutant beasts before.


    Zhao Meijing and Chen Yingying walked almost side by side. She smiled and explained, ¡°This place is too close to the city. There¡¯s a high chance that those are just some animals in the grass, not mutant beasts.¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s face turned red when she heard this. She realized that her behavior earlier might have embarrassed her brother.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming suddenly stopped when he passed by a small valley.


    With his powerful perception, he sensed that there were 20 to 30 wolf-type mutant beasts inside searching for prey. Their auras were very weak, and they were probably at the middle level of the disciple realm.


    ¡°We can let the students practice on them.¡±


    He said this mainly to find a suitable reason for Chen Yingying to fight the mutant beasts firsthand for the first time in her life.


    At this moment, the movements of the team were also sensed by the wolf-type mutant beasts in the valley, and they let out loud cries.


    When Chen Yingying heard that she was really going to fight the mutant beasts, she panicked and looked at Chen Yiming in fear, as if she was being sent to her grave.


    Chen Yiming tried to encourage her. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. With your current strength, movement speed, and reaction speed, as long as you aren¡¯t surrounded by the mutant beasts in the valley, you should be fine.¡±


    The martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, stood out. ¡°I can go in with the students and hold the line from the side to ensure that no one is injured.¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yingying had no choice but to agree. There were many other students around, and no one else had any objections. How could she back out alone?


    After Cai Xihe led the students into the valley, only Zhao Meijing and Chen Yiming were left alone watching them.


    Zhao Meijing couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Although there are many students sharing the burden, aren¡¯t you asking too much by getting Yingying to face so many mutant beasts in her first battle?


    I think it¡¯s better for her to fight a lone mutant beast and take it one step at a time.¡±


    Chen Yiming stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze seemed to be able to penetrate the valley and see the battle going on inside. At this moment, his calm and steady aura was completely at odds with his age.


    ¡°The situation in Jiangnan province is not as good as it seems on the surface. It¡¯s not even an exaggeration to say that it¡¯s the other way around.


    Once the current situation becomes out of control, the impact would be unimaginable. The province might even become a hunting ground for creatures from the otherworld.


    If Yingying can¡¯t even take out the mutant beasts when she has the advantage, it¡¯s useless no matter how good the resources she has are. If she can¡¯t set her mind on martial arts, there will be a huge problem sooner or later.¡±


    Zhao Meijing was shocked by the scene he described. The entire Jiangnan province might become a hunting ground, and humans would be the prey that were surrounded by otherworld creatures. She took a deep breath and suddenly focused on his figure.


    Was this the difference in the scenery one saw looking down from a different height? As a teacher at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, most of the information she heard from the news, her friends and colleagues were all good news.


    The base city was operating smoothly, and the exploration of the otherworld was steadily underway. The first batch of people had entered the otherworld, and were creating a better cultivation environment for Jiangnan province.


    The overall situation was moving towards the day that everyone could go back and forth between the blue planet and the otherworld to cultivate for a long time. To those who had reached a bottleneck, this was a ray of hope.


    However, the man in front of her did not seem to think so.


    Chen Yiming sensed the other party¡¯s admiring gaze. Since he had already revealed some insider information, he didn¡¯t mind giving her another hint.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say whether the situation will develop in a bad direction. At the very least, the warrior realm is like a large grasshopper which has a greatly increased survival ability. Teacher Zhao, I suggest that you try your best to break through to the warrior realm after entering the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Got it.¡±


    Zhao Meijing and Chen Yiming were facing each other, and her face turned red. Her fingers were intertwined tightly, and she stood with her long legs pressed together.


    She suddenly remembered that she was the teacher of this man¡¯s sister, and this man also called her Teacher Zhao. Since the two of them were not teacher and student, she felt that it was a little strange.


    The battle between the students and the mutant beasts in the valley had already started. The two people who were alone outside the valley were not worried about being disturbed by anyone.


    Chen Yiming subconsciously swallowed his saliva. When he was talking to Zhao Meijing earlier, the two of them had unintentionally stood face to face. The other party had decided to follow him to the otherworld at the last minute, and was still wearing a pink sportswear that was extremely tight-fitting.


    After rushing the entire way here and feeling nervous due to Chen Yiming¡¯s words, she was sweating profusely. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, revealing her curvy figure.


    The smell of pheromones started to spread. Zhao Meijing¡¯s face turned red when she heard the sound of Chen Yiming swallowing. It was as if hot air was coming out of her head. She avoided his gaze, and her heart was beating violently.


    What should I do? What if he makes a move? Should I resist?


    Zhao Meijing, Zhao Meijing, what are you afraid of? Take advantage of the fact that the students are not around and take the initiative to make a move. If you miss this opportunity, you will regret it for the rest of your life.


    But if I do that, will he look down on me and think that I am a loose woman?

 Chapter 272 - Sister Training, Brother Picking Up Girls

    Zhao Meijing¡¯s head was buzzing, so she closed her eyes and let the other party make the move. Chen Yiming felt a wave of heat wash over him.


    His heavy breathing caused hot air to brush past the other party¡¯s face, causing her long eyelashes to flutter.


    Was it happening? Was it really happening?


    Was she going to give away her first kiss, which she had guarded for more than 20 years?


    Zhao Meijing¡¯s red lips parted slightly, revealing the white teeth underneath. Her entire body was stiff and she could not move.


    As a martial arts teacher from a commoner family, she had received a strict education since she was young. After showing a certain level of martial arts talent, she was also diligent and did not dare to relax at all.


    From studying to getting into the martial arts academy, to graduating and becoming a martial arts teacher, she had never been lacking in suitors. However, the sense of urgency brought about by the bottleneck in her martial arts path made her not dare to spend any time being in a relationship.


    This was the case until she heard from Chen Yingying that her genius brother had left East Lake City as a student and joined the Myriad Phenomena Sect, a large provincial sect. Then, he went down the mountain and shone on the battlefield. His reputation quickly spread throughout the entire Jiangnan province.


    Such a path in martial arts cultivation was the ideal scenario for many young people who thought they were truly talented in martial arts.


    Every year, not only in Jiangnan province, but also outside the province, there were a large number of young martial arts geniuses who went for the outer sect disciple assessment. However, most of them left the mountain with regrets after failing.


    On the other hand, Zhao Meijing was considered outstanding in East Lake City, but she could not even reach the threshold to participate in the outer sect disciple assessment of a large sect.


    When she first heard about Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements from Chen Yingying, she had felt a sense of admiration for him. After seeing him in person today, she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    At this moment, a gust of wind blew across the sky. The wind swept across the valley and the branches swayed, making a rustling sound.


    Chen Yiming had raised his hand and was about to make a move.


    He frowned and suddenly calmed down. He sensed that a powerful flying creature was swooping down from the sky, interrupting his plans.


    Zhao Meijing was blown about by the strong wind then suppressed by an invisible aura. She had felt like she was in a sauna earlier, but this had suddenly been replaced by a world of ice and snow. The contrast between the heat and cold made her feel a strong sense of unease.


    She suddenly opened her eyes and turned to look at the sky. A huge silver figure had swooped down a few kilometers away from the valley and was flying straight towards it at a low altitude.


    In addition, wherever it passed, the forest below was covered in ice, forming a silver-white area. The cold air that was emitted from it was terrifying.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming had just opened his mouth when someone grabbed his arm tightly. A soft body pressed against his, and he could feel the softness and firmness of her chest.


    He struggled slightly, trying to keep the other party steady, but her grip tightened instead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go, my legs have gone weak,¡± Zhao Meijing pleaded, her face filled with fear.


    The huge silver figure in the air was at least 40 to 50 meters long. With such a huge creature in front of them, it was as if a creature at the top of the food chain was watching its prey.


    When the silver figure was a kilometer away from the valley, it let out a sharp cry. Its voice was extremely piercing. Other than Chen Yiming, everyone else¡¯s eardrums felt like they were about to explode.


    For both the mutant beasts and the humans, the battle in the valley stopped in an instant. The shouts and roars from before disappeared, and the entire place fell silent.


    Those who had something to support them could still barely stand. The others were lying weakly on the ground, while the mutant beasts had all fallen to the ground, their bodies trembling.


    The martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, and the students wanted to retreat to where Chen Yiming was, but their bodies were stiff and didn¡¯t listen to their orders.


    Someone tried to take a step forward, but he lost his balance and fell to the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s killing intent surged. Not only had he been interrupted, but it had also disrupted Chen Yingying¡¯s first battle. How could he tolerate this?


    He used his free hand to move his sword, and a stream of Sword Aura shot into the sky. The sky seemed to have been cut in half instantly, and only a murderous aura was left behind.


    The huge silver figure was directly in the path of the Sword Aura. In the face of Chen Yiming¡¯s angry attack, it could only let out another scream before it died. Its entire body was destroyed in mid-air, leaving only bits of feathers behind.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    When the people in the valley saw the scene in the sky, not only did their stiff bodies not recover, but they also felt a piercing pain from the aftershock of the Sword Aura.


    This feeling was as if there were many invisible needles stabbing into every cell in their bodies.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to comfort the frightened Zhao Meijing. From her hair to her face, and from her chest to the legs of her pants, she was covered in sweat. She looked like she had just gotten up after falling into a pool.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhao Meijing let go of his arm in embarrassment, but her body swayed and she almost fell to the ground.


    Chen Yiming quickly reached out and grabbed her hand. Zhao Meijing let out a cry when she lost her balance and tried to use Chen Yiming¡¯s outstretched hand to steady herself.


    Perhaps it was because she had just experienced a moment of life and death that she suddenly lost control of the strength in her muscles, causing her to use too much force and fall against Chen Yiming.


    In response to the woman basically throwing herself at him, Chen Yiming wrapped his arms around her waist. Her figure was curvy, but there was no fat on her waist.


    Then, he subconsciously slid his hand down and grabbed her round bottom. He squeezed gently, and savored the full and firm feeling.


    Zhao Meijing¡¯s entire body was pressed against Chen Yiming¡¯s chest. The two of them were face to face, and at this close distance, they could hear each other¡¯s heavy breathing and the sound of their hearts beating violently.


    ¡°Kiss me!¡± Zhao Meijing suddenly pouted and demanded.


    Since the woman in his arms had taken the initiative to request it, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t back down. He kissed her red lips fiercely.


    Zhao Meijing instantly closed her eyes. She freed one hand and wrapped it around the base of his neck. Then, she wrapped her other hand around his neck from the other direction and tiptoed, her entire body hanging off him.


    With a stable support, she began to respond fiercely, as if she wanted to release all the fear that had accumulated in her body. The two of them started to burn up like dry wood.


    Every part of her body was pressed against Chen Yiming¡¯s body, and her red lips were slightly swollen.


    Zhao Meijing wrapped her long legs around Chen Yiming¡¯s waist and continued to forget herself as she kissed him.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they weren¡¯t in a suitable environment, Chen Yiming would have taken things further before the people in the valley came out.


    ¡­


    They continued for nearly 10 minutes before footsteps began to sound from the edge of the valley.


    ¡°Teacher Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chen Yiming put Zhao Meijing down and helped her straighten her messy clothes. This action made Zhao Meijing feel a little uncomfortable. She pouted and urged Chen Yiming to tidy up his own clothes.


    Soon, the two of them pretended that nothing had happened and waited solemnly for the students to come out of the valley.


    Chen Yiming even used his internal force to help Zhao Meijing dry up some of her sweat. Other than a trace of salt that was left behind, there was nothing unusual on the surface.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have the ability to take care of my students.¡±


    As soon as the martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, came up, he apologized and took responsibility for the situation.


    Chen Yiming waved his hand and said, ¡°That was a creature at the peak of the warrior realm. There¡¯s a high chance that it entered the blue planet through a space-travel passage. It¡¯s not something you would have planned for.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the students¡¯ mouths fell open.


    In the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, only the school head was a true warrior. Ordinary teachers had undergone about eight transformations, and a few had reached the warrior candidate realm.


    Thanks to Chen Yiming¡¯s influence, they had recently hired a few teachers at the warrior realm. Cai Xihe was one of them.


    However, ordinary warriors were still not enough to deal with those at the peak of the warrior realm. In reality, they were just like disciples and ordinary people who could be killed with a casual strike by those at the peak of the warrior realm.


    To these students, the ordinary warrior realm was already a level that they would not be able to reach in their entire lives. They did not dare to think about the peak of the warrior realm, which was as far away as a god to someone on the ground.


    However, the silver bird, which was at the peak of the warrior realm, had been instantly killed by this man. Not even its ashes were left behind. One could only experience this kind of shock by seeing it with their own eyes.


    ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t you come into the valley and bring us out immediately after you killed the huge bird?¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted unhappily.


    She was really shocked to see such a thing happen during her first battle, even though she knew that she would be safe with Chen Yiming around.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened as he said in an educating tone, ¡°This is nothing. There are many creatures in the otherworld that are similar to the huge bird from earlier. There are even creatures that I can¡¯t fight against.


    In addition, martial arts is a path you walk alone. You can¡¯t rely on others forever. You will only stagnate and not progress any further.¡±


    Chen Yingying almost wanted to cry. The entire group of students were watching her. Was this still the brother who had arranged everything for her? Why did he suddenly become so fierce?


    Her relationship with Chen Yiming had changed, and the two of them had even done that while the others were still in shock, so Zhao Meijing quickly stood up and pulled Chen Yingying to the side. She comforted her in a low voice, ¡°Your brother is saying this for your own good. He is hoping you can become independent quickly.¡±


    Chen Yingying held back her tears and nodded in understanding. However, she felt that it was a little strange. Teacher Zhao was a little too proactive, and it was different from before.


    After resting for a while, Chen Yiming led the group away.


    The rest of the journey was uneventful. It took them more than half a day to reach Jiangdu City, and it was close to evening when they arrived.


    ¡­


    At the city gate of Jiangdu City, there were still people queuing up to enter the city. Some people had returned to the city after replenishing their supplies.


    Chen Yiming brought the group with him and reported to the guards at the city gate before leading them into the city. Behind them, many people watched them with envious looks.


    Because he was not traveling alone, he could only enter the city openly. Jiangdu City had also received word from East Lake City, so they had already arranged a place for them to stay.


    The Jiangjing Hotel was the best hotel in Jiangdu City. It was located in the core of the city center, and one could see the lights by the river at night.


    At the front desk of the hotel, the most beautiful ladies had been transferred to take this shift. They sat quietly in their seats and waited for the group to arrive.


    Each of them was wearing a neat uniform and their makeup was done perfectly. On their feet, they were wearing black stockings paired with black high heels.


    ¡°I heard that man will come to our hotel to stay here later,¡± a beautiful lady whispered excitedly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just secretly deliver yourself to his door in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! If I can make it happen, the manager will definitely not dare to say a word against me ever again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll cover for you later. We¡¯ll be relying on you from now on.¡±


    The other ladies started to get excited. Some even made a move, pretending to unbutton her collar.


    The lady who spoke first not only had good looks and a good figure, but she had also graduated from a famous school and was the most eligible beauty in the Jiangjing Hotel.


    As for why she was doing such an ordinary job at the front desk of the hotel, it was naturally because people from the upper class came to stay in the Jiangjing Hotel all year round, including martial arts experts.


    There were many opportunities to interact with them. As long as she grabbed hold of it once, she could fly up the ranks and become one of them.


    Not long after, the manager ran in with a fierce expression on her face. When she saw that the receptionists were still messing around, her expression turned even uglier.


    The manager was a middle-aged woman. To be able to become the lobby manager of the top hotel in Jiangdu City, her management ability was extraordinary. How could she not know what these people were thinking?


    However, she could only try her best to coordinate things. If things did not go well, the receptionists could just resign and work in another hotel. The higher-ups would definitely make her take the blame. It would be troublesome if there was a stain on her career.


    ¡°Hurry up and get ready. They¡¯re almost here.¡±


    The manager suppressed her anger and reminded them.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The ladies at the front desk also understood the severity of the matter. They helped each other check their appearance to prevent them from messing up anything when the guests arrived.


    ¡­


    ¡°Welcome to the Jiangjing Hotel.¡±


    Chen Yiming and the others alighted from the car arranged by the city government and saw a row of beautiful ladies in black silk uniforms standing neatly at the entrance of the hotel.


    ¡°Everyone, have a good night¡¯s rest. We¡¯ll take the first train out at dawn,¡±


    Chen Yiming instructed the students.


    He sighed in his heart. It was still more comfortable to move alone. As long as he did not let anyone find out his identity, he could come and go as he pleased.


    But now, the city government wanted to hold a welcome banquet. They also proposed to hold an exchange between the two cities¡¯ martial arts academies.


    Fortunately, he did not need to give anyone face. In the car, he had agreed to let Cai Xihe, the teacher from the martial arts academy, and a few student representatives participate.


    ¡°Welcome. Please follow me.¡±


    When the group walked to the entrance of the hotel, the most beautiful lady who had been assigned this role in advance stepped forward to receive Chen Yiming alone.


    Chen Yiming glanced at her and quickly looked away.


    Her makeup was too thick, and he did not know what she would look like after removing her makeup, so he was not interested. In addition, he had not completed his daily cultivation for the day, so he had to make full use of the time he had.


    The young lady led Chen Yiming into the elevator and towards the presidential suite.


    Behind him, Chen Yingying was also received by a young lady alone. They had also arranged a presidential suite for her. The others did not receive such treatment, and were divided into a few groups and led to their own rooms by the receptionists.


    ¡­


    In a villa in the suburbs of Jiangdu City,


    Paul was sitting on the sofa with a lit cigar in his hand. On the wooden floor beside him, he had casually thrown a dozen half-burned cigarette butts.


    He was the Westerner who had met with the bureau chief not long ago and was also the person in charge of carrying out the plan in Jiangdu City.


    There was also a golden-haired Westerner in the living room. He was holding a special communicator in his hand and walking around anxiously.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the team contacted us yet?¡±


    Paul said in a low voice as he threw down a lit cigarette and crushed it under his foot.


    The golden-haired Westerner stopped in his tracks and looked at the special communicator. He replied, ¡°There¡¯s no news yet, but don¡¯t we have a spy? Besides, that man from the Daxia Kingdom is a fake. Why should we be afraid of him?¡±


    Paul¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he cursed in his heart.


    Everyone had a different understanding of the situation. In order to stabilize the morale of their subordinates, the higher-ups naturally would not tell them the truth. They even deliberately exaggerated the man¡¯s disadvantages.


    In reality, the corporations had only made a judgment based on the information they had gathered. They could confirm that Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t really at the master realm based on the information they had gathered from the people they had interacted with in Japan.


    It was certain that he could fight against a true master, but it could not be ascertained how long he could last in a fight against a martial master. Could he fight them for a short period of time? Or could he fight against them throughout the entire battle?


    The ultimate goal of the plan was naturally to prevent the Daxia Kingdom from truly producing a third martial master. This had never changed. The Sam Nation could not tolerate the Daxia Kingdom becoming the strongest country on the blue planet.


    However, they were in foreign territory. The difficulty of carrying out the plan was definitely not something that could be revealed to his subordinates.


    The golden-haired Westerner was a little frustrated, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. Paul was his superior, so he could make suggestions, but he still had to show him the necessary respect.


    In his heart, he did not think much of the man who had become the stuff of legends in the Daxia Kingdom recently. He even despised Jiangnan province for putting all their eggs in one basket to officially set up a stronghold in the otherworld.


    Even if a person who was half a step away from the master realm had some means to unleash the combat strength of the master realm for a short period of time, could he always control the situation?


    In his opinion, it was almost certain that they could lure him out and set up a fatal trap for him. There was no need to test him step by step.


    In the end, no one believed that he could easily break through to the master realm, especially since the other party was very young and had only cultivated martial arts for a short period of time. Otherwise, the title of the guardian of the country would have to be revoked. The master realm would no longer be an important symbol for the large countries that was on the same level as nuclear weapons.

 Chapter 273 - Sister Pretending to be a Genius

    Night fell.


    Chen Yiming stood in the presidential suite on the 24th floor and pulled back the curtains to gaze upon the brightly lit city.


    Unlike the stronghold in the otherworld, which could only rely on the most primitive method of lighting its streets with torches, every street in the human cities on the blue planet was filled with street lamps. The lights could dispel the darkness and give people a sense of security.


    His gaze swept across a square by the river. It was an open area made of concrete more than 100 meters wide. Searchlights were placed at each of its four corners, illuminating the square as brightly as if it was daytime.


    A long red banner was hung high above the square. On it was written, ¡°East Lake Martial Arts Academy and Jiangdu Martial Arts Academy, Martial Arts Exchange.¡±


    A truck was parked at the side of the square. People in work clothes gathered at the back of the truck and quickly unloaded the items in it.


    At the same time, various materials were being transferred to the square. A martial arts arena was being built quickly.


    ¡­


    ¡°Ding dong!¡±


    The doorbell rang.


    Chen Yiming opened the door. It was the beautiful lady who had received him. She was waiting at the door with a row of service staff carrying food trays.


    ¡°My name is Huang Jialing. I¡¯m your personal housekeeper during your stay,¡± the beautiful lady took the initiative to introduce herself.


    She had changed into a smart black blazer with a white shirt underneath. Her long black hair was draped over her shoulders, and she had a crystal accessory in one ear. She was wearing a short skirt and flesh-colored stockings paired with red high heels.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and asked the service staff to bring his dinner into the room.


    Soon, dinner was served on the dining table in the room. There were a total of 11 dishes, and each of them was exquisitely made. Most of the ingredients were from rare mutant beasts.


    Huang Jialing stood to the side and waited. She stole a glance at Chen Yiming.


    So handsome! So elegant!


    She wanted to touch his arms and feel his muscles.


    No! What was she thinking? She was still at work.


    Her heart could not help but beat faster. She could even hear the sound of her own heartbeat. This made her nervous, afraid that the other party would notice that she had lost her composure.


    Chen Yiming glanced at his personal housekeeper.


    He was a little dissatisfied. This was too unprofessional. Did she want to be a housekeeper or a bed partner? Did he seem like such a lustful person?


    Huang Jialing instantly held her breath. Her face turned red and her entire body stiffened.


    What should I do? I¡¯ve been seen through!


    I¡¯m doomed! Would he chase me out?


    I haven¡¯t even spoken properly with him yet.


    As the service staff left the room, Chen Yiming waved his hand. ¡°You can leave first. I still have to cultivate.¡±


    He thought to himself that being too outstanding was also a problem. These women were all like wolves hunting prey. He had to protect himself from them when he was outside.


    Huang Jialing¡¯s expression turned awkward. She knew that her opportunity had been ruined.


    She could only bow slightly and drag her stiff body out of the room.


    After closing the door, she punched her thigh. It hurt so much that she had to grit her teeth to prevent herself from shouting. She was angry at herself for being too clumsy. She was wearing heels so high that she could barely walk properly, but she did not manage to catch the right timing to fall into his arms.


    When faced with a beauty in his arms, the other party could not possibly remain indifferent, right? Unless he was not human.


    Huang Jialing was still sulking, but she had no reason to knock on the door again. She quickly went downstairs to look for her colleagues to come up with a new plan.


    ¡­


    After eating his dinner, Chen Yiming went to the balcony and sat down cross-legged to cultivate.


    He used the newly obtained half of the breathing technique to replace the space in the ring, allowing him to continue his daily spiritual cultivation.


    The level of the female spirit was beyond his imagination. Even if he did not discover any abnormalities, he did not dare to enter the ring rashly, afraid that the other party might have used some special method to set up a trap.


    The moonlight shining on the balcony was inexplicably drawn to Chen Yiming¡¯s side. Soon, the outline of a silver wolf appeared.


    The silver wolf seemed to have come alive. It raised its head high and howled at the moon above its head. Its voice was an illusion and not real.


    In the sky, specks of moonlight gathered into a pillar of light that shot towards a balcony in the Jiangjing Hotel. This phenomenon attracted the attention of the entire Jiangdu City, and could be seen from afar.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness fused with the figure in his mind again. He leaped out of his body and stood above his head.


    Without completing the transformation, one¡¯s spiritual power would not be able to materialize. The human body was equivalent to a protective shell that protected one¡¯s spiritual power.


    His consciousness tried to separate from the figure in his mind for a short distance, wanting to verify the results from his recent tempering. However, a light breeze that could not even be felt by ordinary people felt like a destructive storm to him at this moment.


    The part of his consciousness that had extended out from the figure in his mind was on the verge of being blown away by the storm. The enhancement from the Undying Body talent was equivalent to an improvement from a strip of paper to a rubber band.


    He quickly retracted his consciousness back into the figure in his mind. It was already covered in wounds, as if it had been cut by countless knives.


    ¡°It seems that I can rely on the Sword Aura to fight across realms partly because of the figure in my mind.¡±


    The Sword Aura represented offensive power, and the protection of the figure in his mind represented defensive power. Both were indispensable.


    For the octopus spirit he had encountered in Japan, which was at the level of a half-step away from the master realm, the unstable emotions represented corruption. If his consciousness was dealt a spiritual attack, it would similarly cause a lot of trouble for him.


    At this moment, the energy from the moonlight that had gathered into a pillar baptized the figure in his mind through the figure of the silver wolf. His consciousness was also bathed in this energy.


    Chen Yiming skipped over the step of using a body part as an anchor. In other words, the figure in his mind was what he used as an anchor.


    The energy from nature was violent compared to spiritual power. Even though the energy from the moonlight was relatively gentle, and the figure in his mind was like a net that filtered this energy, it still made his consciousness feel abnormally uncomfortable. However, in the midst of pain and torture, he was inching closer to the transformation of his spiritual power.


    ¡­


    As time passed, the pillar of light gradually expanded in width from the size of a fist to more than a meter, completely enveloping Chen Yiming.


    The street where the Jiangjing Hotel was located was filled with countless pedestrians.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Someone must be using a high-powered searchlight to mess around.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? I can still feel an invisible pressure even though it is so far away.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s just your imagination. You¡¯re thinking too much.¡±


    Very few people knew what the pillar of light represented, but it did not stop them from watching curiously. From time to time, someone would point at the sky and discuss it.


    At the front desk of the Jiangjing Hotel, a few pretty ladies were chatting excitedly. When they saw a crowd gathering on the street, they couldn¡¯t help but run out to take a look before returning to their stations.


    ¡°Tell us the truth.¡±


    Huang Jialing was surrounded by a few ladies and was not allowed to leave until she explained herself.


    ¡°How should I know? I wasn¡¯t even able to say much before I was chased out.¡±


    Huang Jialing protected her clothes with her hands to prevent them from being messed up.


    ¡°You must know something. What¡¯s there to hide? We¡¯re not going to fight you for it,¡± a young lady with curly hair said in disbelief.


    ¡°Tell us! Tell us! Otherwise, how can we help you come up with Plan B?¡± another girl tugged at Huang Jialing¡¯s clothes and urged her.


    ¡°Stop pulling. What if it breaks? I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡±


    Huang Jialing raised her hands in surrender, begging for mercy.


    When the ladies heard that the man said he was going to cultivate and chased Huang Jialing out, they all exclaimed in surprise.


    It turned out that it was a phenomenon caused by his cultivation. Although no one could understand it, they felt that it was very impressive. After all, that man had a status similar to a legend in Jiangnan province.


    ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    The girl with the curly hair hesitated and did not finish her sentence.


    The ladies at the side also looked at her pityingly.


    Huang Jialing understood what they meant. She had an unhappy expression on her face. What if that man cultivated all night? After missing this opportunity, there might not be a second chance.


    ¡­


    An hour later, the cultivation of spiritual power ended.


    Compared to his first spiritual cultivation, the duration was greatly reduced.


    This was due to his spiritual power gradually getting used to being exposed to the energy from nature. If he wanted to continue to obtain the tempering effect, he needed to slowly expose himself directly to the natural energy.


    Chen Yiming stood up and prepared to carry out his daily sword training. Suddenly, he saw two familiar figures practicing their swordsmanship in the park by the river.


    It was Shen Mengwei and her thick-skinned friend.


    Under the illumination of the street lamps, the sword in Shen Mengwei¡¯s hand was covered in a layer of darkness. Chen Yiming¡¯s senses were extremely sharp, and he could sense the energy flowing on the surface of the sword even from a distance.


    ¡°Uh¡­ the speed of breaking through to the warrior realm is quite fast.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded, feeling gratified by his wise judgment.


    There were three stages in the warrior realm. Especially for the first stage, which involved drawing concept diagrams, the speed of breaking through depended largely on one¡¯s talent in spiritual power.


    For Shen Mengwei to be able to complete her breakthrough in a short period of time after obtaining the cultivation technique, it was obvious that her physical and spiritual talent were both excellent. However, it remained to be seen how far she could go.


    ¡°She also seems to have obtained guaranteed admission to the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly realized this problem. If he didn¡¯t take her away, she might join another faction after some time.


    With his status¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be good for him to snatch her away later, right?


    Thinking of this, he no longer cared about his daily sword cultivation. He opened the door and was about to go down to discuss with Shen Mengwei about letting her join the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡°Brother, are you done cultivating?¡±


    Outside the door, Chen Yingying had an excited expression on her face. She had been waiting for a long time.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Chen Yiming stopped in his tracks and asked.


    ¡°That pillar of light just now¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Chen Yiming interrupted her and continued walking.


    It was fine if the passers-by were curious, but his sister was also joining in the fun.


    ¡°Brother, where are you going? Wait for me.¡±


    Chen Yingying chased after him.


    The two of them took the elevator to the first floor. In order not to attract attention, Chen Yiming spread out his illusion-based internal force.


    Then, he walked out of the hotel lobby openly. In the eyes of the receptionists, the two people walking past were people they did not recognize at all. They only took a glance before turning back to continue their discussion.


    The ladies didn¡¯t realize that the entire Jiangjing Hotel had been booked. They had met Chen Yiming and the others when they checked in. It wasn¡¯t normal for unfamiliar faces to appear at this time.


    ¡­


    In the park by the river, Chen Yiming brought his sister along to find Shen Mengwei and her thick-skinned friend. They introduced themselves to each other and he found out that the thick-skinned girl was called Song Shanshan.


    The three girls started chatting, and Chen Yiming stood to the side.


    ¡°Yingying, you¡¯re his sister. You must be very powerful too,¡± Song Shanshan had a surprised expression as she asked in a low voice.


    Chen Yingying looked embarrassed and explained, ¡°No, compared to my brother, I¡¯m way too far off. I¡¯m still studying in the martial arts academy.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Shen Mengwei and Song Shanshan¡¯s eyes were filled with envy, especially Song Shanshan¡¯s.


    The college entrance examination this year had already undergone many changes. If she did not improve her martial arts scores, she might even fail the entrance exams for ordinary universities, not to mention those for the martial arts academy.


    This was no laughing matter. If she did not go to university, it would be difficult to find an office job. A little girl could not possibly do jobs that involved manual labor, right?


    ¡°Martial arts academy¡­¡±


    Song Shanshan grabbed Chen Yingying¡¯s hand and continued to ask about the academy. She talked non-stop about everything from her daily routine to her classes.


    ¡°Are you all third-year students?¡± Chen Yingying asked after she finished talking about her life in the martial arts academy.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shen Mengwei and Song Shanshan nodded.


    ¡°I heard that the third year of high school is very tough but also full of unforgettable memories. It is a precious period. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t even have a chance to go to high school and directly skipped a grade from middle school to enter the martial arts academy.¡±


    Chen Yingying had a look of regret on her face. None of her classmates in the martial arts academy were of the same age as her. There were even some who were five or six years older. Actually, she would have wanted to stay with her former middle school classmates.


    However, due to their lack of talent and the fact that all of her time was spent on practicing martial arts, even if she had some free time occasionally, they had not seen each other for a long time and had already drifted apart. They could not get along well any more.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing. Mengmeng was also guaranteed admission to the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy, but she¡¯s already in her third year of high school. She¡¯s a few years older than you,¡± Song Shanshan said excitedly. She had decided to make another close friend. Even if she could not make it herself, she could still rely on her friends to help her in the future.


    Shen Mengwei also said happily, ¡°We can interact more in the future. I mean, we can ask you for guidance.¡±


    Chen Yiming was standing not far away and couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s situation and Shen Mengwei¡¯s situation could not be compared at all. In reality, his sister was just someone who had gotten in based on her connections, and was far inferior to a true martial arts genius.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    He hurried over and coughed, interrupting their conversation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to thank you.¡±


    Shen Mengwei suddenly remembered that they had only been chatting after getting to know each other and had forgotten what they had prepared to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m actually from the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Shen Mengwei, you¡¯re quite talented. I can provide a recommendation for you, so do consider joining the Myriad Phenomena Sect to continue your studies.¡±


    ¡°The Myriad Phenomena Sect?¡± Shen Mengwei asked doubtfully. Clearly, she did not know much about it.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Song Shanshan jumped up in excitement. ¡°That¡¯s the number one martial arts faction in Jiangnan province, Mengmeng. The Myriad Phenomena Sect is much stronger than the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy.¡±


    Chen Yiming was almost dumbfounded. Fortunately, Shen Mengwei had a good friend who knew the situation. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have known how to convince her.


    He had a status comparable to a country¡¯s guardian. Only others would beg him for a favor, not the other way round.


    ¡°But I promised Teacher Zhang from the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy¡­¡±


    Shen Mengwei hesitated for a moment before saying.


    This time, before Chen Yiming stepped in, Song Shanshan hurriedly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just an invitation to the assessment? Just reject it. Compared to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy is a third-rate martial arts faction. Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    Of course, Shen Mengwei was not really stupid. It was just that she rarely paid attention to these things and focused on her own cultivation.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming helped her make up her mind. ¡°The cultivation technique you used to break through to the warrior realm is from the Mantis Snake Court of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. If you enter the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy, you need to switch to the academy¡¯s cultivation technique.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect has a complete cultivation technique at the third stage of the warrior realm, and even one that leads straight to the master realm. The Shanghai Martial Arts Academy doesn¡¯t have such a thing.¡±


    Song Shanshan also tried to persuade her friend not to be foolish.


    In the end, Shen Mengwei promised Chen Yiming that she would join the Myriad Phenomena Sect.

 Chapter 274 - The Female Reporter Whose Boyfriend Went Missing

    In a restaurant that specialized in the delicacies from the otherworld, all the ingredients came from the otherworld, and the price of each dish exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. The people who came to eat here were all extremely rich.


    Chen Yiming had brought Chen Yingying, Shen Mengwei, and Song Shanshan here for a meal. Not only would he be able to let his sister have a taste of the delicious food, but he would also be able to further display the strength of the Myriad Phenomena Sect to Shen Mengwei, completely cutting off her intentions of entering the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy.


    The decor was luxurious, the service was thorough, and the environment was elegant. The three girls had been stunned since they entered the restaurant. Clearly, they had never been to such a high-class place.


    They entered a small private room and sat down. Every time the waiter served a dish, Song Shanshan¡¯s mouth fell open in shock.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Why is it still glowing?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be moving. Is it edible?¡±


    ¡­


    At some point during the meal, the door to the private room next door was forcefully pulled open. Chen Yiming¡¯s ears twitched. This wasn¡¯t a small restaurant by the roadside. Something big must have happened.


    ¡°Oh my god, on the way here, several martial arts factions from Jiang City have mysteriously disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! What exactly is going on? Eighth Brother, explain it clearly.¡±


    ¡°I heard about it when I went downstairs for a smoke. The martial arts bureau¡¯s temporary office in Jiangdu City is surrounded by a group of people. I ran over to take a look just now.¡±


    ¡°Which factions are missing?¡±


    ¡°It was too noisy there. I was in a hurry to come back and tell you guys. I only know that some of the leaders are at the peak of the warrior realm.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The private room next door fell silent, and only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.


    Chen Yiming frowned. Could it be that the Western corporations were causing trouble again?


    If they acted only once or twice, the Daxia Kingdom might not be able to spare the manpower to chase after these people who were causing trouble.


    However, now, it seemed that they had made a move against important people. The peak of the warrior realm was a pillar of strength in any province. Were those people from a foreign faction not afraid of death at all? Or did they have other motives?


    He glanced at the three girls who were eating happily. Shen Mengwei and Chen Yingying were still at a young and innocent age, so it was best for them to focus on their own martial arts cultivation and not get involved in these messy matters.


    ¡°Yingying, I have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first. After you¡¯re done eating, bring them to your room in the hotel to rest. Bring them along for this trip to the otherworld.¡±


    Chen Yiming placed his bank card on the table and made the arrangements.


    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yingying asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m back.¡±


    Chen Yiming stood up, opened the door, and walked out.


    ¡­


    The temporary office of the martial arts bureau in Jiangdu City was located in the government office area, which was only two to three streets away.


    At this moment, the entrance had already been surrounded by many people. A middle-aged man was trying to maintain order and bring the situation under control. People involved in this matter kept coming forward to submit information.


    Jiang City was the provincial capital of the neighboring province. The status of these missing people were not ordinary. If things were not handled well, it would affect the long-term plans of Jiangnan province.


    ¡°Reporter Zhang, I can understand your feelings, but this is not a game. It¡¯s more suitable for you to stay in the city and wait for news.¡±


    In front of the middle-aged man was a young and beautiful woman.


    The woman¡¯s skin was fair and delicate, and she had a tall and sexy figure. Her long legs were wrapped in a pair of flesh-colored stockings.


    She had an oval face and a mole at the corner of her eye. There were tears on her face, but her seductive aura could not be hidden. She was the epitome of a Jiangnan woman.


    ¡°Before Lu Feng left, he told me a lot of things. Please bring me along. I¡¯ll definitely be able to provide you with useful information.¡±


    The woman did not give up and continued to pester him.


    The middle-aged man shook his head and refused again.


    Lu Feng was a member of the organization, so he must have known the relevant confidentiality rules. How could he reveal the information so easily? Normally, one would not even be allowed to tell their relatives, let alone their girlfriend.


    At this moment, someone from the military wanted to talk to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man waved his hand, and the woman had no choice but to retreat for the time being.


    Chen Yiming blended into the crowd and listened for a while. He roughly understood what had happened.


    Compared to other provinces, the situation of developing the otherworld in Jiangnan province was very good. The neighboring provinces were inevitably affected, and a large amount of civilian martial arts power gathered in Jiangnan province, which had a brighter future.


    These people from Jiang City not only wanted to explore the otherworld, but they also wanted to leave Jianghan province to join Jiangnan province.


    Could it be that the goal of these Western corporations was to destroy Jiangnan province¡¯s plan to develop a stronghold in the otherworld?


    Chen Yiming thought about it and felt that it was possible. Occupying a territory in the otherworld for a long time would undoubtedly be of great benefit in the future.


    The large countries were not only competing with the top forces, but also with the factions at the middle and lower levels. For example, there was the Daxia Kingdom, which had an advantage in numbers that could not be ignored.


    The Never-ending Day Empire was another example. On average, it was not weaker than the Daxia Kingdom. However, it had too few people, and their overall strength was not on the same level.


    Not long after, the conversation between the military personnel and the middle-aged man ended. The middle-aged man instructed the staff to pack up the materials and hurriedly left with the military personnel.


    Seeing this, the crowd dispersed one after another. The beautiful reporter wiped her tears and stomped her feet before turning to leave.


    ¡­


    On a quiet street, this was a residential area, and it was actually still in the city center. However, those who had gotten off work early were either at home or had yet to return from shopping.


    It was far from the time for those who were working overtime to return home.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s heart was heavy as she staggered along, completely forgetting the fatigue from the day¡¯s work.


    Her boyfriend, Lu Feng, was a deputy head of the organization department. At such a young age, he had already been promoted to a team leader of the governmental department in a big city like Jiangdu City. It could be said that his future was bright.


    She was a reporter from Jiangdu City¡¯s television station and had graduated from Shanghai Media University. She had a good figure, appearance, and ability. Even though she had revealed her relationship, she had never lacked suitors.


    Furthermore, the two of them had just gone to the city center to check their wedding rings the day before and had already paid the deposit. Who knew that the next day, there would be news that he had disappeared?


    Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her. Zhang Yan had been standing for a long time during the day, and her feet were already feeling uncomfortable. After being frightened by this, her legs went weak and she was about to fall to the ground.


    Chen Yiming reacted quickly and grabbed Zhang Yan¡¯s waist to support her. When he retracted his hand, he accidentally brushed her firm buttocks. The woman in front of him trembled and retreated to create some distance between them.


    ¡°Who are you!¡±


    Zhang Yan shouted in panic as she retreated.


    This was a residential area. Although there were fewer people, there was still order and security. One only needed to shout for help a few times before others would hear and come over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a bad person. I¡¯m here on orders from the sect to understand the situation. I remember you telling that man just now that Lu Feng told you a lot before the incident. Is that true?¡±


    Chen Yiming said with a serious expression. He looked like he meant it.


    Zhang Yan had a guarded expression on her face. As a top beauty, she had seen too many men who approached her for various strange reasons and coveted her body.


    She was not a girl who had just come out of school and would not believe others so easily.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming knew that he had to show his true abilities. He drew his peach wood sword, and the black fog internal force wrapped around the sword like a black snake, emitting a soul-stirring aura.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s pupils constricted. She heaved a sigh of relief and immediately believed him.


    She had interviewed many big shots before and had been on the battlefield as a war reporter. She knew very well what the transformation of internal force meant. There was no need for the other party to lie to a small fry like her.


    ¡°Lu Feng said that at the border of Jiangnan province, the organization department will hold a welcome ceremony to represent the friendship between Jiangnan province and Jianghan province¡­¡±


    ¡°Lu Feng also said that there have been a number of disappearances in Jiangnan province recently. The higher-ups arranged for martial arts experts to escort them along the way¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, Lu Feng might have forgotten that a list was left at home when he went out during the day.¡±


    When Chen Yiming heard about the name list, he felt that something was amiss. He felt that there might be something fishy about Lu Feng. This was also the reason why he didn¡¯t contact the investigator in charge of this matter directly.


    It was impossible for the Western corporations not to bribe some of the locals. Once their involvement was exposed, they might immediately back off. There was a high chance that the matter would be left unsettled.


    Zhang Yan looked at Chen Yiming, who had a serious expression on his face. She recalled the names on the list. On it were the names of the people who had accompanied him as his guards. After putting the pieces together, she felt that something was amiss.


    ¡°Wait here for a while. I¡¯ll go upstairs and get the name list.¡±


    With that, Zhang Yan jogged to a small district dozens of meters ahead. She used the access key to open the door and went upstairs to her home.


    ¡­


    Zhang Yan lived in a three-bedroom apartment.


    The house was rented. In a big city like Jiangdu City, the monthly rent was not cheap. If not for her high income and the fact that two people were sharing the rent, it would have been difficult to afford.


    However, the landlord had recently requested for a rent increase, and it was a huge increase. Zhang Yan and Lu Feng were actually already discussing moving out.


    Zhang Yan did not close the door after opening it. She turned on the lights in the living room and ran straight into the bedroom. She wanted to go back as soon as possible so that the other party would not have to wait too long.


    Not far from the ground floor, Chen Yiming looked at the lit room and felt that there really was something fishy with Lu Feng. In a flash, he appeared at the door of Zhang Yan¡¯s house.


    The door was half open, but Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think too much about it. He opened the door and entered.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Why did you come in!¡±


    Zhang Yan, who had run out of the bedroom with the name list, was frightened by Chen Yiming for the second time. In her haste, she had only taken off her shoes and entered the house.


    At this moment, she was slipping on the floor because of her stockings. She could not control her shock and fell to the ground, one of her legs hitting the coffee table.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A cup fell to the ground and cracked open. Sharp porcelain shards cut through her stockings, and blood seeped out of the wound on her foot, turning the flesh red.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming felt extremely awkward.


    He was in the wrong for barging into the woman¡¯s room. However, since it was an emergency, he could only hope that the woman would understand.


    ¡­


    Five minutes later, Zhang Yan changed out of her broken stockings and sat on the sofa.


    She first disinfected her wounds with alcohol and bandaged it with gauze. During the process of applying the alcohol, she had to grit her teeth in pain to prevent herself from shouting.


    She could understand this man¡¯s anxiety. After all, something had happened to his sect, just like how she was worried about Lu Feng.


    She had always had a glimmer of hope that Lu Feng had not been killed and was only imprisoned somewhere. There was still a chance of him being rescued.


    Chen Yiming sat on the sofa with the name list in his hand. The people on the list were all martial arts practitioners who had gathered in Jiangdu City. There were locals, foreigners, and outsiders.


    At first glance, there was nothing wrong with it. The only strange thing was that exactly half of them were men and the other half were women, no more and no less.


    ¡°Lu Feng said that nowadays, the martial arts world also advocates equality between men and women, so they had to be as balanced as possible when choosing the accompanying members,¡±


    Zhang Yan endured the pain from her wound and said to Chen Yiming.


    Was there such a thing?


    Chen Yiming had never cared about these issues.


    ¡°Is this the only thing Lu Feng left behind?¡±


    Chen Yiming put down the list and asked.


    Zhang Yan glanced at the bedroom and felt a little uncomfortable. After a while, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the bedroom to take a look.¡±


    She stood up from the sofa. Her wound was bleeding again, and she almost fell back to the ground from the pain. Chen Yiming stretched out a hand to support her.


    Zhang Yan limped in front while Chen Yiming followed behind. The two of them entered Lu Feng and Zhang Yan¡¯s bedroom.


    The main items in the bedroom belonged to Zhang Yan. Lu Feng only had some clothes and books. Chen Yiming glanced at the tight-fitting clothes hanging from the rack. They were all large-sized, so he could tell that the woman beside him was well-endowed.


    Furthermore, the styles were all sexy, which matched Zhang Yan¡¯s natural charm. As a reporter, she often needed to be on camera, so she knew how to show off her strengths.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s face had not cooled down since she entered the bedroom. Her face was so red that it was almost boiling.


    Her boyfriend, Lu Feng, had just gotten into an accident, and she had brought a stranger into their bedroom. Although it was for business, she still felt very guilty.


    The strange thing was, why was she a little excited?


    At the thought of this, Zhang Yan wished she could hide in another room. How could she have such thoughts? The fate of her boyfriend, Lu Feng, was still unknown. She must have gone crazy.


    In the end, she could only comfort herself in her heart that the man who had found her had handsome features, an attractive aura, and strength.


    Compared to Lu Feng, the difference was too great. That was why she made the mistake that all women would make.


    For a moment, Zhang Yan was a little distracted. Her uninjured foot accidentally kicked the dressing table. She felt the pain and subconsciously retracted her foot, using her other foot as support.


    However, she had forgotten that her foot was injured. Unable to support her weight, she fell sideways and landed right on Chen Yiming. Her hands flailed wildly as she grabbed at his shoulder.


    What¡¯s going on? Is this woman throwing herself on me?


    Chen Yiming felt the softness of the woman¡¯s chest. Reporters were considered public figures who knew how to take care of themselves. Coupled with her perfect figure, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Zhang Yan endured the pain in her feet and moved away from Chen Yiming. She felt extremely embarrassed, but why did his muscles feel so good to the touch? Compared to Lu Feng¡­


    How terrifying. Why did she have the thought of comparing them again? She was shocked by herself.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Zhang Yan, who had a strange expression on her face, and walked out of the bedroom. Other than a suspicious name list, he didn¡¯t discover anything else.


    Zhang Yan followed him out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She kept comforting herself in her heart, ¡°This is a normal reaction when one sees an especially handsome man.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Chen Yiming bade her farewell and walked towards the door.


    Zhang Yan looked at his back and recalled how his internal force had turned into a black snake and wrapped around the sword. She quickly said, ¡°Can you bring me along?¡±


    Without waiting for the other party¡¯s reply, she explained, ¡°What I mean is, if we find anything during the investigation, I might still be of some use.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the wound on Zhang Yan¡¯s foot. It had yet to heal, so he asked, ¡°Can you still walk?¡±


    Zhang Yan also knew that if he brought her along, she would just be a burden. From the corner of her eye, she saw a broom at the side.


    She picked up the broom and retrieved the stick portion. ¡°Trust me,¡± she said, ¡°I can manage.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded in agreement. The other party wasn¡¯t a weak woman. Reporters worked outside all year round, so it was common for them to have to deal with minor injuries. She must have had some experience dealing with such situations.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming and Zhang Yan walked out of the house.


    Seeing the woman limping down the stairs, he knew that she would not be able to reach the bottom within five minutes. He grabbed her arm and in the next second, the two of them were outside the district.


    Zhang Yan was grabbed by the arm, and it was inevitable that he would make contact with that area. However, she had fallen on him earlier, so she could still accept it.


    She quickly changed the topic. ¡°The landlords in the district are all trying to increase the rent, but the landlord I¡¯m renting from is increasing the rent by 10 times at once. Furthermore, he doesn¡¯t leave any room for negotiation. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s chasing me away. Do you think there¡¯s something else going on?¡±


    Chasing people away? A name list?


    Why did it feel like someone was trying to erase their tracks? Chen Yiming connected the two and found something suspicious.


    For example, when Zhang Yan went to work and left the house, could the name list have been left in the room on purpose? After that, Zhang Yan was supposed to move out, perhaps in a day or two.


    This way, all traces would be erased.

 Chapter 275 - Bringing Students Into the Otherworld

    In a house near Zhang Yan¡¯s neighborhood, two young men with sinister expressions were holding cigarettes in their hands. They could see Chen Yiming and Zhang Yan through the window.


    ¡°Damn it, that pretty boy got lucky,¡± the young man with blond hair cursed.


    Another young man with tattoos all over his arms threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. ¡°Keep your voice down. When the matter blows over, do you think that Reporter Zhang can run away? At that time, the two of us will let her have a good time.¡±


    The young man with blond hair narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at the two people who were now at the entrance of the district. ¡°That¡¯s true. Now is not the time to make a move. However, since the pretty boy dared to snatch our prey, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson when the time comes.¡±


    The tattooed man patted his companion¡¯s shoulder and gestured for him not to look in their direction too often. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? When the time comes, we can tie up the pretty boy. We can film it down and let the pretty boy see how we¡­¡±


    At this point, the two young men laughed. The young man with blond hair gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°You know how to play.¡±


    The tattooed man shrugged. ¡°It won¡¯t be interesting without a little drama.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The two young men were discussing how to deal with Zhang Yan in the next few days when the door of the house they were in was cut open by a sword beam. A handsome man and a woman appeared at the door.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    The two young men turned around, their faces filled with fear.


    There was originally a distance of 100 meters between them, with a large number of obstacles along the way. They could not figure out how they had been discovered. Could it be that the young man with blond hair had been staring at them too much?


    The sensitivity of his perception was too terrifying.


    Chen Yiming turned to Zhang Yan and said, ¡°It seems like there¡¯s really something fishy about your boyfriend, Lu Feng.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Yan¡¯s heart was about to stop beating, and the pain in her ankle had started to become numb. Jiangdu City was about to undergo a huge development, and she could not understand why Lu Feng would get involved in such a matter.


    The area around the house was silent. Only the sound of breathing and the occasional sound of wind could be heard.


    ¡°Little brat, you better pretend that you didn¡¯t see anything. You have no idea how powerful the organization you¡¯re facing is. Be careful not to get into trouble,¡± the tattooed man threatened. He even picked up a heavy machete from the wooden table beside him.


    The young man with blond hair also took out a dagger from his waist and waved it in the air a few times as a warning.


    However, the two young men sensed that the other party was too calm and did not look hesitant or afraid at all. This meant that they had failed to scare the other party with the power of the organization.


    Furthermore, the two of them had been tracked down so easily.


    Thinking of this, the two young men felt a lingering fear and their hair stood on end. ¡°We can discuss this¡­¡±


    Before they could finish speaking, they felt their vision blur and their opponent¡¯s sword flashed. They were about to use their weapons to block it, but they could only feel the pain coming from their bodies.


    The pupils of the two young men constricted, and the fear in their hearts multiplied infinitely. In an instant, they determined that their opponent was far from being on the same level as them.


    As the pain in their bodies quickly intensified, the strength in their bodies began to disappear. They fell to the ground with a crash, and blood gushed out from the wounds on their bodies, forming a small red pool on the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it¡­ No one can fight against the organization!¡± the young man with blond hair said before he died. Chen Yiming turned around and left. He had not taken a single step into the house from the start till the end.


    ¡°Why did you kill them? You might have been able to get some information about the organization from them,¡± Zhang Yan, who was beside him, said nervously.


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°What do you think these two small fries would know?¡±


    Zhang Yan calmed down and thought about it. Although she had only been a reporter for a few years, she had come into contact with some information regarding interrogation.


    Other than the core members, those organizations that were operating in secret basically had only one-way communications, preventing the possibility of them being tracked down.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything else and rushed towards the address of the landlord provided by Zhang Yan.


    The organization that the two young men were talking about was nothing more than an organization secretly supported by the Western corporations. It was just a tool that could be formed again after being destroyed.


    If he wanted to capture the real mastermind, he had to start from the people on the name list and find out what their true goal was.


    ¡­


    The apartment rental company was a shop on the high street in the city center. According to Zhang Yan, the landlord worked in the demolition business. His ancestors owned a large piece of land, and after demolition, he started a rental company.


    When Chen Yiming and Zhang Yan rushed to the shop, it was being renovated. The signboard that originally belonged to the company had been removed and thrown in a corner.


    A middle-aged man was supervising the workers.


    Chen Yiming stepped forward and used the excuse of renewing the apartment¡¯s lease as an excuse to talk to him. The middle-aged man told him the whole story: the original company¡¯s boss seemed to have a financial problem and transferred the rental contracts to him.


    Chen Yiming asked Zhang Yan to contact him, but the number was no longer in use.


    Both of them realized that the landlord was probably from the same organization. They left without saying much to the middle-aged man.


    At this point, Jiangdu City had a special status. The prices of shops and houses continued to rise, and the market price was increasing beyond the acceptable range. It was simply because there was no shortage of buyers.


    The landlord had closed down the company and disappeared. Coupled with the fact that Zhang Yan was being watched, it could be seen that Lu Feng had played a big role in this matter. It was almost certain that he was a traitor.


    They arrived at an empty corner on the street.


    Chen Yiming said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that Lu Feng will be successfully rescued. You have to be prepared to pretend that you don¡¯t know anything. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be in danger if someone sees through your pretense.¡±


    When Zhang Yan heard this, she was completely at a loss. When she thought about how Lu Feng would be rescued soon and how she still had to continue living with him, her entire body trembled uncontrollably.


    Soon, the two of them parted ways and Chen Yiming returned to the Jiangjing Hotel.


    ¡­


    The next day, when the sky had just turned bright, Chen Yiming brought Chen Yingying, the teachers and the students from her martial arts class to take the train to the base city and left Jiangdu City.


    The city government was organizing an in-depth investigation into the disappearance of the group from Jiang City. He could only keep a low profile and aim to deal a fatal blow to the mastermind at the critical moment.


    When they alighted from the train and saw the space-travel passage leading to the otherworld in the base city, the teachers and students of the martial arts academy exclaimed.


    ¡°Wow! Is that a space-travel passage?¡±


    ¡°The spatial rift seems to be a little terrifying. Will there be a problem if we go in?¡±


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming instructed everyone, ¡°The gravity in the otherworld is about 10 times that of the blue planet. You don¡¯t have to fight it head-on when you enter later. No one here is an ordinary person. You¡¯ll get used to it in a few minutes at most.¡±


    The teachers and students of the martial arts academy listened attentively with serious expressions. They were both nervous and excited.


    According to the school¡¯s teaching materials, the otherworld was a place with a better cultivation environment, but was also a dangerous place.


    The human stronghold was equivalent to a strongly-defended city, and it provided protection for the adventurers.


    After giving out instructions, Chen Yiming led the way into the space-travel passage. The teachers and students of the martial arts academy lined up and followed him one after another.


    The space around him changed. In a flash, he saw the otherworld again, and was greeted by the sky that was different from the blue planet.


    The three glowing spheres above his head were continuously transmitting light and heat down to the ground. Due to the difference in gravity, his body felt like it was shackled.


    Chen Yiming stepped to the side. Soon, the teachers and students of the martial arts academy stepped onto the land of the otherworld. He secretly helped Chen Yingying to stabilize her body so that she wouldn¡¯t embarrass herself.


    After about 10 minutes, when everyone had recovered, Chen Yiming brought them to the market operated by the stronghold.


    The market had a total of two floors. Because it occupied a large area, it was very eye-catching. People were continuously entering and exiting from it, just like a large supermarket on the blue planet.


    As soon as he entered, a logistics officer handed Chen Yiming an information pamphlet.


    He flipped through it and realized that it was all about the exploration of the otherworld. It described the current situation of the stronghold and the problems humans faced when exploring the surrounding areas.


    In addition, the officer took out a stack of shopping cards and distributed them to each person from the martial arts academy. When they received the cards, everyone smiled excitedly.


    The martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, also heaved a sigh of relief. Although he had the special funds allocated by the school head, it would not last long considering the high expenses in the otherworld.


    The main thing was that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t specify how long he planned to let them stay in the stronghold in the otherworld.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming gestured for the teachers and students of the martial arts academy to enter the market and buy whatever they wanted. Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up, and Chen Yingying was no exception. She was filled with the desire to shop.


    After everyone entered, Chen Yiming asked the officer, ¡°Has the graveyard suddenly become lively these few days?¡±


    The officer nodded. ¡°There are many exploration teams in the stronghold who urgently need soul crystals. There have always been people asking for them at high prices in the market, and many people have accepted the mission to draw a map of the graveyard.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    Earlier, he had suddenly thought of the disappearance of the group from Jiang City and suspected that there was something amiss in the graveyard. He did not know if the Western corporations were also involved.


    It was not difficult for martial arts experts to avoid the inspection at the base city.


    However, he did not want anyone to know that he was also paying attention to this matter, so he did not ask for further information.


    Next, he entered the market and walked around.


    The first floor was mainly filled with equipment like special clothes and weapons. The second floor was filled with consumables like biscuits, dried meat, and special beverages.


    Chen Yiming chose some food that matched his preferences. As for equipment, they were useless to him. With the Sword Aura ability, he could destroy anything with one strike.


    ¡­


    They rested in the stronghold for half a day, letting all the teachers and students experience the cultivation environment of the otherworld. Around noon, Chen Yiming led the team out of the stronghold.


    ¡°Gasp! Those people must be children from a martial arts academy!¡±


    ¡°I think so. Who is so bold to bring students out of the stronghold?¡±


    ¡°You just came back from outside, right? That man has come to the stronghold. I heard that he will be guarding it for a while.¡±


    Near the entrance of the stronghold, many people were discussing loudly.


    Many people called their friends over and had the intention to set off with them. This was the safest way. If they encountered powerful creatures from the otherworld, the man would deal with them first.


    Chen Yiming planned to bring the teachers and students of the martial arts academy to the ancient tree area on the road to the graveyard.


    ¡°Wow! Wow! Wow!¡±


    After Chen Yiming slashed at the strange bugs that crawled out of the ground, the students of the martial arts academy cheered excitedly.


    In just a few days, the wasteland around the stronghold had changed. Perhaps it was because the range and frequency of human activity had increased greatly.


    The underground creatures that only came out at night to hunt also appeared from time to time during the day.


    Not only that, but some small creatures were also openly following the team from afar. When they saw that some of the underground creatures had been killed with one strike, they knew that they could not afford to provoke them and fled far away.


    Not long after, the team arrived at the area where the ancient trees were.


    There were barbarians laying out the corpses of all kinds of creatures from the otherworld in front of the ancient trees. A sacrificial ritual was underway, and the dozens of humans were equivalent to dozens of small insects to them. The barbarians did not care about them at all.


    ¡°Brother, are you leading us to kill those barbarians?¡± Chen Yingying pointed at the barbarians and said excitedly.


    The strange alien bugs that had been killed earlier were fat and a disgusting liquid had seeped out of their bodies. When they appeared, they frightened everyone, but in the next moment, they had disappeared from the world, leaving nothing behind.


    As his sister, she had been extremely proud.


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at her and said, ¡°How is that possible? I just brought you here to broaden your horizons.¡±


    Chen Yingying looked a little disappointed. She looked at the barbarians and imagined Chen Yiming charging in and killing them.


    The martial arts classes in school emphasized that the otherworld was evil and was the source of the current situation on the blue planet.


    Therefore, to her, who was still a little naive, killing the creatures from the otherworld was a form of justice. It was everyone¡¯s mission.


    Next, Chen Yiming led everyone around the periphery of the ancient tree area. This was the territory of the barbarians and the chimpanzee-like creatures. It wasn¡¯t a place that the teachers and students of the martial arts academy could easily enter.


    Suddenly, a barbarian stuck his head out from behind an ancient tree. He was less than 10 meters tall and was half-naked. He was observing Chen Yiming and the others hesitantly.


    ¡°It seems to be a barbarian who hasn¡¯t even reached the warrior realm,¡± Chen Yiming said as he gestured for the team to retreat slightly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the students from the martial arts academy lit up. There were almost no creatures from the otherworld that they could deal with.


    However, this did not mean that all the creatures from the otherworld were that powerful. It was just that the young creatures were all protected. For example, in the ancient tree area, most of the creatures that they saw were adult barbarians.


    ¡°Everyone, turn around and run back. Don¡¯t run too fast. Pretend to be flustered.¡±


    Chen Yiming suggested that they show their weakness to lure the young barbarian out of the ancient tree area.


    The teachers and students of the martial arts academy understood his intentions and followed his instructions.


    As expected, when everyone turned around and ran, the young barbarian became excited. It first walked out from behind the ancient tree and waved a bone club in his hand as he shouted at them.


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he turned around and looked behind him. After hesitating for a moment, he chased after them.


    Their legs moved at the same pace, but the distance between the two sides visibly shortened. This was the first time the young barbarian had come into contact with humans, so he did not know that such small creatures would also have a powerful existence.


    ¡°He fell for it!¡±


    ¡°He got tricked!¡±


    Some students shouted as they ran.


    Even without Chen Yiming and the martial arts teachers, they were all confident that they could deal with this young barbarian in a one-on-one fight.

 Chapter 276 - A Conspiracy Revealed

    Not long after, the young barbarian caught up to them.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The young barbarian waved the bone club in his hand and deliberately stomped on the ground, causing sand to fly everywhere and dust to rise into the air.


    Its body, which was nearly 10 meters long, was huge compared to humans. In terms of size alone, it was quite scary. However, it lacked hunting experience and did not understand that the humans were setting up a trap for him.


    At the same time, a rotten smell spread out from the young barbarian¡¯s body. Many students frowned and covered their mouths or held their breaths.


    The dozens of students looked like they were frightened out of their wits and had stopped in their tracks out of fear.


    Seeing this, the young barbarian shouted loudly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth that still had bits of meat left on them. However, it did not attack immediately, intending to tease its prey first.


    ¡°Are all the creatures from the otherworld so simple-minded?¡± a student could not help but ask the surrounding students.


    ¡°That seems to be the case. That big guy fell for it easily.¡± a student at the side said as he analyzed the situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be careless. In a one-on-one fight, you guys aren¡¯t a match for the young barbarian. Students with bows and arrows, launch a round of long-range attacks against the opponent first.¡±


    The martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, who was at the back, reminded his students loudly when he saw that they were underestimating their opponent.


    When the students heard this, they fell silent again and took out their weapons. It was as if they were warning the young barbarian not to do anything rash and showing that it was not as if they could not put up any resistance.


    When everyone was ready, a student shouted, ¡°Three, two, one, fire.¡±


    More than 30 arrows were shot out from their bows, creating the sound of rushing wind. From more than 10 to 20 meters away, the arrows made of a special alloy arrived at their target in an instant.


    Archery was an effective group attack method at the disciple realm. Although the distance gave the enemy time to dodge, they could make up for this limitation with their numbers.


    This was especially true since technological weapons did not work in the otherworld. It was very effective in reconnaissance, probing one¡¯s opponent, long-range attacks, and so on.


    Furthermore, the penetrative power of these arrows made of a special alloy was greatly enhanced. They could only be bought in the market in the stronghold.


    The young barbarian was furious. In its imagination, this group of prey should have dispersed in fear instead of counterattacking. Facing the long-range attacks from the arrows, it waved the bone club in its hand.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Some of the arrows were sent flying by the bone club, and the rest found their mark on its body from its head to its chest and legs. Some male students had aimed at its sensitive area, but the young barbarian had dodged them with its intuition.


    In an instant, the young barbarian was pierced by the arrows and became like a porcupine. It wailed as blood flowed out of various parts of its body.


    ¡°Hurry up and surround the young barbarian. It might try to escape,¡± the martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, reminded the students who had stopped to observe the effectiveness of their attack.


    The students reacted and quickly surrounded the wailing young barbarian.


    Seeing this, the young barbarian became shocked and afraid. It quickly pulled out most of the arrows from its body with its bare hands.


    Shockingly, as the arrows were pulled out, the bleeding from its wounds quickly stopped.


    Humans could not verify how long the barbarians had existed in the otherworld. They had evolved over many generations.


    Humans of the same level were generally at an absolute disadvantage in terms of physical talent. Be it strength, defense, recovery ability, or so on, there was a huge difference.


    The students holding melee weapons did not dare to go forward rashly. They only aimed their weapons at the young barbarian.


    ¡°Everyone, fire another round!¡± a student suggested when he saw that the damage from the arrows was nullified so quickly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it. It seems that the creatures from the otherworld aren¡¯t that easy to deal with.¡±


    The students around him agreed.


    Soon, the second round of arrows were fired. The young barbarian¡¯s pupils constricted and he leaped into the air, causing all the arrows to miss their mark.


    After landing back on the ground, an arrow pierced through the sole of its foot. The young barbarian endured the pain and pulled it out. In the next moment, it charged at the students surrounding it.


    Although this barbarian was considered young in terms of age, his aura at close range was like a small mountain, and the ground trembled slightly.


    At this moment, as the students of the martial arts academy faced the creature from the otherworld, their lack of actual combat experience was exposed. They did not join forces to block the young barbarian and wear it down with a tag-team effort. Instead, they subconsciously dodged their opponent¡¯s head-on attacks.


    By the time the students reacted and tried to fill in the gaps in the encirclement, the young barbarian was already about to break through the encirclement.


    ¡°Are we going to fail in our first battle?¡±


    Most of the students and the martial arts teacher, Cai Xihe, had the same thought.


    Among the students, a figure rushed out. The longsword in his hand was covered in a layer of black energy.


    When the young barbarian saw the internal force from the corner of his eye, he was only left with fear. He wished he had two more pairs of legs, and he regretted running out of the ancient tree area so easily.


    This extraordinary power had an advantage that completely overcame the size difference between races. It was like a drop of poison that was strong enough to kill an elephant.


    The sword flashed past, and the young barbarian let out a loud cry and fell heavily to the ground. One of its feet was separated from its body, and blood spurted out of its wound.


    With such a severe injury, the barbarians¡¯ recovery ability, which was stronger than that of humans, was no longer effective. No matter how hard the young barbarian tried to press on it, he could not stop the blood from flowing out.


    ¡°She is?¡±


    Some students were stunned. Shen Mengwei had been hiding in the team quietly. Many students had only seen this person before, but they did not know her name.


    ¡°Mengmeng, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Song Shanshan led the others to start cheering.


    After following the martial arts academy¡¯s teachers and students for most of the day, she had a rough understanding of the standard of the students in the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. Of course, they were much stronger than her, but there was still a huge gap between them and her friend.


    Chen Yingying stood helplessly in the crowd of students. When she saw the shocked gazes of the surrounding students, her face subconsciously turned red.


    Shen Mengwei and Song Shanshan had always misunderstood that she was very powerful, but her actual combat performance this time was extremely mediocre. She had only shot two arrows along with her classmates.


    This gave her a strong sense of urgency. She could not embarrass her brother too much.


    Chen Yiming looked at Shen Mengwei, who was the center of attention.


    Her martial arts talent was indeed much higher than that of ordinary martial arts practitioners. This was also the first time she was facing a creature from the otherworld. Shen Mengwei, a high school student, had never even had any actual combat experience in the wilderness.


    However, her movements were smooth and fluid, without any hesitation. Even though she was kind of bullying the young barbarian since she was at a much higher level, her determined gaze was a stark contrast from her weak appearance. It was clear that her heart was very determined, and there was still a lot of potential to be unearthed.


    In addition, he could also tell the difference between East Lake City and Jiangdu City. In the short term, the students of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy were only at this level. There was nothing really worth paying attention to.


    Soon, the young barbarian was killed. Chen Yiming also announced that the training at the stronghold had ended and the team started on their way back.


    The corpse of the young barbarian was tied up with special steel ropes and dragged along by the students in turns.


    On the way back, everyone was very excited. Although they were not the ones who had killed the young barbarian, most of them had landed attacks on it. They could be considered to have contributed to their successful first battle.


    ¡­


    At night, in an open-air square in the stronghold, a group of young people were racing against time to carry out their daily cultivation.


    ¡°Um¡­ can you give Mengmeng some pointers?¡± Song Shanshan walked over and stammered.


    The strength Chen Yiming had displayed during the day was unfathomable. Even if she was thick-skinned, it was difficult for her to say anything as he led a group of people around the territory of the creatures from the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming waved his sword and put away the peach wood sword. He smiled and said, ¡°No problem. Go and call her over.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you so much.¡±


    Song Shanshan skipped away and quickly pulled Shen Mengwei over.


    Chen Yiming looked at Shen Mengwei who had an embarrassed expression and asked, ¡°What problems did you face in your cultivation?¡±


    Shen Mengwei did not reply. Instead, she glared fiercely at Song Shanshan, as if to say that she was being nosy and should not trouble others so often.


    Song Shanshan did not mind and said, ¡°Mengmeng has already learned the concept diagram you gave her that day. She doesn¡¯t know what to do next.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t surprised. During the day, he could tell that her control of the sword was outstanding. He planned to get her to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect before taking out the remaining eight concept diagrams.


    He immediately got Shen Mengwei to temper her body further. Because the other party¡¯s breakthrough speed was too fast, the tempering of her body had definitely not reached its limit. Her use of the internal force still needed to be developed further.


    At the same time, he wanted to prevent her from feeling too arrogant for breaking through too smoothly. After all, others did not have a special ability like him. One day, they would encounter a bottleneck. If they encountered too few setbacks along the way before they finally encountered a bottleneck, they would not be able to face it at all and might even break down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll suppress my physical strength and internal force to the same level as you. Let¡¯s use the Mantis Snake Sword Technique to exchange a few blows.¡±


    A smile appeared on Song Shanshan¡¯s face. She tugged at Shen Mengwei¡¯s sleeve, as if to say, ¡°Hurry up and praise me. You can¡¯t do it without me.¡±


    Shen Mengwei rolled her eyes at her and turned to Chen Yiming. ¡°Alright, thank you for your guidance.¡±


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The two figures flashed at the same time, and the two swords collided. In the blink of an eye, the two of them had exchanged a round of blows.


    Faced with the same speed and strength of internal force, Shen Mengwei was still forced to take a few steps back. The internal force covering her sword also wavered. There was a problem with the rhythm of her battle from the start.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only broken through to the warrior realm a few days ago, and your experience in using internal force is still lacking. You shouldn¡¯t have fought me head-on from the start,¡±


    Chen Yiming said. After separating from Shen Mengwei, he didn¡¯t continue to attack her.


    Shen Mengwei nodded and charged forward again. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything else and also raised his sword to meet the attack. He used actual combat to teach his opponent how to use her internal force.


    The two of them quickly exchanged more than 100 blows.


    Chen Yiming maintained the same level from the start to the end. No matter what kind of moves he faced, he would use the simplest method to counterattack.


    On the other hand, Shen Mengwei¡¯s improvement was visible to the naked eye. At the beginning, she had only been stumbling around. She had gradually grasped the rhythm of a battle at the first stage of the warrior realm.


    A suitable opponent could allow one to grow quickly. Since Chen Yiming had comprehended the internal force completely, it was naturally not difficult for him to become a qualified opponent.


    In the distance, Zhao Meijing and Cai Xihe, the two martial arts teachers from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, also observed Shen Mengwei¡¯s improvement with their own eyes. They also sighed at how talented she was.


    Talent did not follow any reason or rule. As long as there was a chance, the advantage of age and experience would be lost in the blink of an eye in the face of talent.


    This was especially true for Cai Xihe. Even with Chen Yiming¡¯s guidance, he wasn¡¯t even confident that he could win against Shen Mengwei, who had just broken through to the warrior realm a few days ago.


    ¡­


    The students in the square looked over enviously and seized the opportunity to carry out their own cultivation. No one knew how long they could stay in the stronghold. It could be said that every single second was very valuable.


    Time gradually passed. An oppressive aura suddenly came from the dark red sky. The ground started to tremble slightly, and the entire stronghold became noisy.


    Chen Yiming was shocked. He soared into the sky and arrived in midair one step at a time. It was as if there were stairs in the air for him to step on.


    With the faint light from the three glowing spheres above his head, he could see black shadows moving in the distance, heading straight for the stronghold.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s coming from that direction, could it be the otherworld creatures from the ancient tree region? Or the undead creatures from the graveyard?¡±


    Because they were too far away, he could only see a faint outline in the darkness, and could not determine the exact situation.


    Before he could ask the military about it, a creature from the otherworld suddenly broke out of the ground in the stronghold. It was a creature with a huge mouth.


    Chen Yiming had seen it before when he was exploring the otherworld for the first time, but it wasn¡¯t completely the same. This huge creature emitted the aura of death from its entire body. As soon as it appeared, it made everyone within dozens of meters faint.


    ¡°It¡¯s an undead creature!¡±


    At this moment, all the noise from the spot where the creature had appeared had instantly disappeared. The human exploration team, the military martial arts experts, and the members of the martial arts factions did not dare to approach it.


    Spiritual damage was different from physical damage. Ordinary people could not recover from it. Therefore, the danger posed by undead creatures was often half a level higher than other creatures of the same level.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Chen Yiming pointed the peach wood sword in his hand, and the Sword Aura shot out like a silver spear. The creature sensed the impending danger and tried to dodge.


    However, as soon as it made a move, its body was nailed to the ground. In the next moment, it turned into dust and disappeared along with the spirit inside of it.


    Less than 10 seconds had passed between the time the creature emerged from the ground and the moment it was destroyed by the Sword Aura. Soon, more undead creatures emerged from the ground.


    Chen Yiming rained continuous attacks down on the ground from above. Each Sword Aura attack was like a guided missile. None of the undead creatures that dared to show their faces were able to survive long enough to start a massacre. They were killed in half a second to a few seconds.


    After killing more than 10 undead creatures that had emerged from the ground, the ground fell silent again.


    At this moment, the martial arts talent panel appeared. On it, the number needed to increase his swordsmanship talent had decreased by dozens of points. The benefits he received were diminishing.


    Chen Yiming watched the ground for a while longer. After confirming that the undead creatures had given up on attacking from underground, he landed back on the ground.


    ¡°Brother, what should we do?¡±


    Chen Yingying ran over in a panic.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn as he said, ¡°Stay by my side and don¡¯t run around.¡±


    His intuition had warned him that something had happened as soon as he entered the stronghold in the otherworld. In addition, the sudden disappearance of the team from Jiang City the day before also involved a large portion of the forces in Jiangnan province. This was too much of a coincidence.


    The teachers and students of the martial arts academy were all frightened by the many undead creatures that had appeared suddenly. At this moment, they all surrounded Chen Yiming. This was the only way they could feel safe.


    After a while, an officer ran over to tell Chen Yiming some bad news.


    The base city was surrounded by a beast tide. It was suspected that a Western corporation was controlling it from behind the scenes, and the stronghold and the base city were being attacked on both sides.

 Chapter 277 - Birth of the Sword Spirit

    More than 10 kilometers away from the stronghold in the otherworld, as far as the eye could see, an endless stream of undead creatures was moving in one direction in an orderly manner.


    There were barbarians who were like small mountains, strange birds with wings that could block out the sky, skeleton horses with green flames burning on their limbs, and so on. There were all kinds of undead creatures of different sizes and types.


    An exploration team with four people was fleeing in the direction of the stronghold.


    From time to time, they would shoot an arrow behind them. The arrows were infused with internal force, and when it hit the human-shaped skeleton chasing after them, it exploded into streams of flames, ice, and poisonous fog.


    After continuous attacks, some of the bones in the skeleton¡¯s body were broken and fell to the ground.


    One of the team members aimed an arrow at the skeleton¡¯s head just as it was staggering from his companion¡¯s attack.


    With a bang, a poisonous fog exploded.


    A violent spiritual fluctuation was emitted from the skeleton that seemed to express both pain and anger.


    The poisonous fog dissipated, and the skull was corroded. The eye sockets, mouth, and gaps between the bones had all expanded greatly.


    Seeing that it could not do anything to these living creatures, the skeleton could only stop and wait to meet up with the undead creatures behind it.


    The exploration team also stopped in their tracks and aimed their bows and arrows at the skeleton. Arrows that were infused with internal force shot out again and exploded on the skeleton.


    In the otherworld, one could not use technological weapons like firearms, and the primitive bows and arrows had been picked up again. Warriors who had mastered the transformation of internal force could effectively launch long-range attacks after learning how to shoot accurately.


    However, after the arrow was shot out, the internal force attached to it could not be controlled. When it hit its target, the internal force structure formed by the arrow would collapse and explode.


    In terms of attack strength, it was inferior to close combat. It was not like the sword, saber, or spear, with which one could control their internal force through the weapon. This way, one¡¯s internal force would be stronger and more stable.


    ¡°Damn it, why did the graveyard become like this!¡±


    one of the members of the exploration team stomped on the ground and cursed.


    The other three had ugly expressions on their faces as well.


    They had to be careful when dealing with the undead creatures to prevent themselves from being injured by spiritual attacks. Now that there was a chaotic situation in the graveyard, all their efforts were in vain.


    At this moment, some undead creatures in the distance smelled the presence of living creatures and moved towards the exploration team. Their oppressive aura put a huge pressure on the spiritual level, making one¡¯s heart beat faster.


    The exploration team was shocked. They looked in the direction of the aura and then at the skeleton before reluctantly turning to escape.


    If not for the fact that they were afraid of attracting too many undead creatures, they would have tried to fight this skeleton to death. They would still have other chances to obtain the soul crystals, but they only had one life.


    The team formed by four warriors who had mastered the transformation of internal force did not dare to provoke the large undead army. Once they were surrounded, they would definitely lose their lives.


    ¡­


    A cold wind blew past as Chen Yiming walked alone on the damp wasteland.


    The surroundings were silent. Be it the creatures wandering the wasteland or the underground creatures at the entrance of the caves, they were all gone.


    Living beings and undead creatures were naturally at odds with each other. There was no such thing as peaceful coexistence.


    The team he had brought to the otherworld to train, including Chen Yingying, were placed in the military camp and temporarily protected by the military¡¯s martial arts experts.


    From the higher-ups in the military, he had learned that the other two martial masters from the Daxia Kingdom had been held back at the same time. They were already certain that it was the work of the Western corporations.


    Now that Jiangnan province had mobilized the entire province, the surrounding provinces had also sent out reinforcements to suppress the people who were causing chaos in the province.


    Although the entire province was at war, the situation had yet to become completely out of their control. The main battlefield was actually still the stronghold from the otherworld.


    Once the stronghold in the otherworld was breached by the undead creatures, a portion of them would definitely pass through the space-travel passage and enter Jiangnan province and become reinforcements for the Western corporations. There was even a chance that they could destroy Jiangnan province in one fell swoop.


    There was a difference between the undead creatures and other creatures from the otherworld. The dense population of the cities would become their target.


    ¡°With the traces left behind from my fight with the barbarian sorcerer in Japan, these Western corporations still dare to make a move. Without a doubt, there¡¯s a martial master behind all this,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he walked.


    ¡°Even with a powerful common enemy of the otherworld, it doesn¡¯t seem to be much different from the situation on Earth in my previous world.


    As the leader of the Western countries, Sam Nation will definitely not tolerate the Daxia Kingdom surpassing them and becoming the strongest country on the blue planet.¡±


    ¡°Other than the Sam Nation, the other Western countries might appear to have good relations with the Daxia Kingdom on the surface, but they are also secretly causing trouble.


    Otherwise, the Sam Nation alone would not have been able to create such a big mess. Clearly, the chaos in the graveyard was caused by a martial master.¡±


    After figuring out the situation, he could confirm that the ultimate target of this secret plan was him.


    As for the missing people from Jiang City and Lu Feng, who had turned into a traitor, these were all minor details in this secret plan.


    ¡°I wanted to develop quietly, but some people insist on forcing me to make a move. You can¡¯t blame me for this.¡±


    Chen Yiming chuckled.


    The martial master from the Western corporations had definitely sneaked in through the base city and wanted to use the undead army to surround him.


    Unfortunately, they did not expect these undead creatures to be a source of Skill Points that he had temporarily left untouched in the graveyard. He had long wanted to harvest them, but now, the Skill Points had come knocking on his door.


    When the time came for him to upgrade to the Level-4 swordsmanship talent, he might have a chance to kill that troublemaker.


    ¡­


    10 minutes later, Chen Yiming was less than a kilometer away from the undead army.


    Facing the large number of undead creatures approaching from a distance, his long figure seemed extremely small, like a small boat floating in the vast sea.


    However, with his powerful recovery ability, other than enemies at the master realm, no matter how many small fries there were, it was only a matter of time before he could deal with them.


    At this moment, more than 10 undead creatures had left the army and were charging at Chen Yiming.


    Skeleton horses, stitched-up monsters, disgusting insects¡­ Before these undead creatures arrived, the temperature around them had dropped to a freezing point. A dense spiritual aura caused a layer of ice to form on the ground.


    In addition, the sound of ghosts crying and wolves howling could be heard. It was a spiritual disturbance.


    Chen Yiming held the peach wood sword and stood rooted to the ground. His gaze swept across the approaching army of undead that was like an impenetrable wall. It was impossible to estimate the number of them. Due to the distance, their size had shrunk by 1000 times. They were like crabs that had landed on the beach to lay their eggs.


    When the dozen or so undead creatures entered the range of the Sword Aura attack, a dazzling white light lit up the surroundings. Before the undead creatures could launch a spiritual attack, they disappeared along with all traces of their corpses.


    ¡°They¡¯re a little weak! They¡¯re all at the ordinary warrior realm, and they only provided a reduction of less than 10 Skill Points,¡± Chen Yiming frowned and said.


    In the next moment, even without him continuing to approach the undead army, hundreds of undead creatures formed an encirclement and charged at him simultaneously.


    The temperature around him became even lower, and the area seemed to have turned into a world of ice and snow. The spiritual energy seemed to have materialized and wanted to enter his body through his ears, but it was blocked out by his protective internal force.


    Chen Yiming cheered in his heart. They were in an area that had already been explored, not the interior of the graveyard. He didn¡¯t have to worry about falling into an unexpected trap.


    Three consecutive Sword Auras slashed out in all directions, and most of the hundreds of undead creatures were destroyed immediately. Chen Yiming added another three Sword Auras to completely eliminate the rest of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve obtained a reduction of nearly 50 Skill Points. Most of them are still at the warrior realm, but there are finally a few that are worth paying attention to.¡±


    At this moment, a small hole had appeared in the incoming tide of undead creatures, but it was quickly filled by the undead creatures behind.


    On the whole, the deaths of hundreds of undead creatures were not enough to affect the undead army. Nearly 10,000 of them surrounded Chen Yiming.


    With an increase in the amount of spiritual energy, it seemed to be materializing slightly. All kinds of ghosts and monsters appeared around Chen Yiming.


    An overwhelming spiritual pressure surged over like a tsunami.


    The temperature dropped even further. Under the influence of the spiritual energy, other than the surrounding 10 meters, a thick layer of frost had already formed.


    Chen Yiming continued to stand his ground. When nearly 10,000 undead creatures entered the range of the Sword Aura, he immediately attacked indiscriminately.


    He did not know how many Sword Auras he unleashed, but a large swath of the undead army seemed to have been cleared out.


    All the undead creatures inside the affected area, be it skeletons, crawling creatures, or flying skeletons, were all killed.


    ¡°Less than 200 Skill Points?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully after killing nearly 10,000 undead creatures.


    Soon, he figured it out. The further he progressed, the more difficult it would be to reduce the Skill Points requirement. It was equivalent to his level increasing. He would not be able to obtain any more experience from killing low-level monsters.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, the entire undead army suddenly stopped. With his own power, Chen Yiming had turned into a sharp sword that the other side could not dodge.


    The spiritual energy was no longer arrogant. It was as if the illusory ghosts had never appeared. Even the wasteland covered in a layer of ice started to feel a little warm.


    ¡°It seems that they want to use the undead army to exhaust me and test my limits.¡±


    Chen Yiming had already killed more than 10,000 undead creatures, but he had yet to find any traces of the martial master.


    He swept his gaze across the undead army. Wherever he looked, the undead creatures were afraid to continue forward, so he could only raise his sword and charge forward.


    ¡­


    An hour later, Chen Yiming sat on a rock in the wasteland with the peach wood sword stabbed into the ground beside him.


    There was no longer an undead army in front of him. The scattered undead creatures were fleeing in the direction of the graveyard. However, from the beginning to the end, no one at the master realm had appeared in the undead army.


    There was also no sign of the martial master from the Western countries. Even though Chen Yiming deliberately pretended to be exhausted, the other party still hid himself.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t understand it. They had mobilized so many people to make such a big move, but they were willing to let it end so quickly?


    What he did not know was that at the master realm, both his mind and body would gain the attributes of enhanced vitality. His life force would increase greatly, and his lifespan would increase by two to three times.


    However, the spiritual domain was still not something one could take likely. No matter how high the level of one¡¯s spiritual power was, there was ultimately a limit to it. Generally, their spiritual recovery ability was far inferior to that of the physical body, and they could be worn down by numbers.


    In particular, as a spiritual life form, the undead creatures specialized in the spiritual domain and had all kinds of unexpected methods to deal with the spiritual aspect.


    The martial master from the Western countries saw that the undead army had been scattered and was even being pursued by a single person.


    Was there no limit to this person¡¯s spiritual power?


    How could this be? Was he still human?


    This was too terrifying! This did not make sense!


    The lifespan of a martial master was estimated to be hundreds of years. Because there were no examples of someone truly dying of old age, the exact lifespan was only an estimate.


    Before he found out the reason, the Western martial master wouldn¡¯t dare to appear and cause trouble for Chen Yiming. He even wanted to use the space-travel passage to avoid this God of Death first.


    ¡­


    Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, Chen Yiming stopped thinking about it. On the martial arts talent panel, his swordsmanship talent had already lit up.


    The requirement to upgrade to the Level-4 swordsmanship talent, which was originally 3,000 Skill Points, was reduced to zero Skill Points after he used his Sword Aura to wipe out most of the undead army.


    The decision to upgrade his talent appeared in his mind. In the next moment, his consciousness seemed to have walked into a land filled with swords. Every sword was buzzing and vibrating, resonating with his consciousness.


    An indescribable feeling of satisfaction welled up in him. He felt that some impurities had been shaken out of his consciousness and it was gradually becoming more solid.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness was looking down at himself. His illusory spiritual power had already transformed into actual spiritual power. A new sense of touch was born, and his materialized spiritual power was like a real hand that could touch his physical body.


    His consciousness leaped from the spiritual world to the top of his head. At this moment, he looked exactly like the figure in his mind. The outside world, which had previously held the same power as a natural disaster, had already calmed down.


    A breeze blew past, but his consciousness was unharmed. With just a thought, the breeze came to a stop.


    Previously, this breeze would have felt like a destructive storm. The illusory spiritual power would not be able to withstand it for more than a few seconds before it was torn to pieces.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the upgrade from Level 3 to Level 4 only helps with the transformation of my spiritual power?¡±


    He hurriedly summoned the martial arts talent panel.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 4; Undying Body ¡ª Level 2


    Level: Half-step to Master Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Undying Sword Body


    Skill Points: 0


    ¡°My physique has changed!¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could cry out, the figure in his mind emitted the aura of a sword. It leaped out of the spiritual world and entered the peach wood sword with a whoosh.


    Then, the peach wood sword from a roadside stall actually started to transform. As it shook continuously, wood shavings continuously fell from it.


    In the end, the peach wood sword turned into something completely unrecognizable.


    The sword had turned silver. Every stream of light reflected off it seemed to be infused with the Sword Aura. As its owner, even he felt that it was dazzling.


    ¡°Could it be that the figure in my mind has become a sword spirit similar to those in the martial arts novels?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly recalled the content of the novels he had read in his previous world.


    However, just as he was fantasizing about taking an opponent¡¯s head from 100 kilometers away, a prompt suddenly appeared on the martial arts talent panel: Do you want to fuse with the sword spirit?


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate at all. The system wouldn¡¯t be wrong. He didn¡¯t need to think about it. He just needed to go along with it.


    With this thought, the sword on the ground automatically pulled itself out of the ground and returned to Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Badum! Badum! Badum!¡±


    At this moment, his heart was beating even more vigorously. The blood flowed even faster through his body, and his entire body and the sword in his hand were engulfed in a ball of light.


    However, Chen Yiming suddenly felt that something was amiss. One of his abilities was flowing towards the sword in his hand.


    ¡°Hey! Stop it quickly.¡±


    ¡°No! No! I¡¯m not fusing anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I want to undo this.¡±


    No matter how he shouted, all of the Sword Aura ability flowed into the longsword in his hand.


    A few seconds later, he sighed. His heart felt empty, and all that was left was regret.


    His strongest attack, the Sword Aura, was lost just like that.


    Chen Yiming refused to believe it and tried to use his Sword Aura ability. However, nothing happened, which proved that the Sword Aura had left his body completely.


    The martial arts talent panel appeared again.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body¡ªLevel 2


    Level: Half-step to Master Realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Sword Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill Points: 0


    ¡°So not only did he steal my Sword Aura ability, but he also took away my swordsmanship talent.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened and he almost cried.


    He had originally had two great talents combined, but now, they had been forcefully split into two. He did not know if that was a good thing or not.


    At this moment, the longsword in his hand made a sound similar to the sound of a heartbeat. An aura similar to that of a life form also began to be created.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself that there was no point regretting it. He could only wait patiently.


    Not long after, the sword¡¯s shaking caused it to fall out of Chen Yiming¡¯s hand, and it reappeared a meter away. The sword turned into a ball of silver light, then turned into a spiritual figure.


    The spiritual figure still looked like the figure in his mind, but Chen Yiming could sense that he had become a special spiritual life form. The special thing about him was that he had the attribute of reincarnation.


    Why did he say that?


    This was because he vaguely felt that this sword spirit was essentially his clone. However, it had a certain level of ability to think for itself and they could also share experience and knowledge through spiritual resonance.


    In reality, he had only lost the ability to use the Sword Aura.


    ¡°The interface shows that the sword spirit is at the master realm. In the future, I might not even need to fight myself. It doesn¡¯t seem like a loss to have an even stronger fighter under me.¡±

 Chapter 278

    There was an army of undead at the front, and a besieged base city at the back.


    While Chen Yiming was killing the undead army, everyone in the stronghold was nervously watching the battle on the horizon.


    The dull buzzing sound continued. The only thing they could see was that the undead army had stopped moving forward, and a large number of undead creatures were continuously being killed.


    At some point, the undead army started to retreat.


    The entire stronghold was discussing the situation.


    ¡°This¡­ did he really hold them back?¡±


    ¡°One person, just one person. The master realm is too terrifying!¡±


    ¡°Even if nuclear weapons can be used in the otherworld, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to stop such a large army of undead!¡±


    This was the reason why the long-term plan for the stronghold in the otherworld had previously been shelved by the higher ups.


    Whether it was attracting the attention of powerful creatures during the exploration, or the fact that powerful humans could deliberately lure the monsters to attack the stronghold, there were too many factors that would cause the stronghold to be destroyed.


    The only feasible solution was to have a martial master guarding it.


    ¡­


    On the battlefield on the horizon, there was silence all around, and only two figures remained.


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Can you show me your skills?¡±


    The spiritual figure said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without another word, he became like a ruthless machine.


    The spiritual figure floated in midair. At the same time, the sharp aura of the sword shot into the sky, and the dark red night sky was temporarily split into two.


    At a certain moment, only the sound of the sword swaying could be heard. The power of nature was temporarily borrowed and transformed into the corresponding attributes and gathered above the spiritual figure.


    After the energy storage ended, a huge light sword descended from the clouds and split into countless small light swords that were more than a meter long. In the next second, the ground cracked open and countless clouds of dust rose into the air.


    After the dust settled, an area of rubble about three to four kilometers wide appeared.


    ¡°The range of destruction in the otherworld is already so large? With the same attack when we return to the blue planet, a large city will probably be razed to the ground.¡±


    Chen Yiming gasped in shock.


    Unlike using his own brute force, this way, he could share the perspective of the spiritual figure. It was similar to controlling his character in a game.


    Chen Yiming could also experience the borrowing of natural power, which was the distinguishing characteristic of the master realm.


    Unfortunately, just like the Sword Aura ability, this was a talent ability given by the system. The exact method to master it from scratch was not something he could analyze at the moment.


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°What is the range within which I can control you?¡±


    The spiritual figure said, ¡°Any distance is fine.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Can I stay on the blue planet while you stay in the otherworld?¡±


    The spiritual figure said, ¡°There¡¯s a space-travel passage separating us, so I can only follow simple instructions.¡±


    Chen Yiming clenched his fists and paced back and forth excitedly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just change the name to a control system? I don¡¯t mind staying behind the scenes and just controlling things from afar.¡±


    He then thought of the martial master from the Western countries. If the other party did not appear, he would not be able to find him. However, there was a solution now.


    Perhaps he understood that Chen Yiming wanted to leave it in the otherworld to kill the creatures there, so the spiritual figure added, ¡°With the enhancement from the Undying Body talent, the sword spirit can be created from your consciousness again and again after being killed. The time it takes to be reborn depends on the difference in our cultivation levels.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Does this mean that I can treat it as though I am playing games at home in peace?¡±


    He could revive indefinitely after death?


    He no longer had to hide his abilities or worry about the situation outside.


    Wouldn¡¯t the otherworld be destroyed by me one day?


    Chen Yiming said excitedly, ¡°The system didn¡¯t trick me. Take my swordsmanship talent and use it. The suggestion to fuse with the sword spirit is great.¡±


    After calming down again, he instructed the spiritual figure to investigate the surroundings and try to find the hidden martial master.


    Above his head, the three glowing spheres in the sky remained the same as always, and everything returned to normal.


    The birth of the sword spirit gave him the ability to fight on two fronts. He quickly rushed back to the stronghold.


    As he approached the stronghold, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the entire stronghold was intact. The deterrence from his previous attack was still there, and no other creatures from the otherworld dared to attack the stronghold.


    ¡­


    In the military camp, Chen Yiming found his sister and the teachers and students of the martial arts academy.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re finally back. I was so worried. Are you injured?¡±


    Chen Yingying ran over quickly, her voice choked with tears.


    ¡°What can happen to me? Look at me. My clothes aren¡¯t even torn. I¡¯m not injured at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming patted Chen Yingying¡¯s head. His voice was full of energy, and he didn¡¯t sound tired at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Chen Yingying smiled through her tears and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.


    Chen Yiming had walked out of the stronghold and held back the army of undead alone. Chen Yingying was frightened by his action, but she didn¡¯t dare to stop him.


    After all, there had to be someone strong to step out, and her brother was the strongest person in the stronghold.


    At this moment, a high-ranking military officer walked over quickly.


    ¡°Sir, did you encounter that person?¡±


    ¡°From the start to the end, that person showed no traces of revealing himself.¡±


    Chen Yiming shook his head.


    ¡°The undead army has completely retreated?¡± the officer asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed most of them. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for the time being,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    The two of them did not discuss the matter of a martial master from the Western countries openly. This made the people around them confused, and they could not understand who they were referring to.


    However, when they heard that the matter of the undead army had been successfully resolved, everyone felt relieved. The invisible burden on their shoulders had disappeared.


    Soon, the officer turned to leave.


    Chen Yiming instructed his sister and the others to stay in the camp before walking towards the space-travel passage.


    The sword spirit was at the true master realm, and his Level-4 swordsmanship talent was the highest level he had at the moment. In reality, there was nothing safer than staying in the stronghold.


    ¡­


    After returning to the base city through the space-travel passage, he could not wait to test it out and contacted the spiritual figure in the otherworld through his consciousness.


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Hey! Can you receive my thoughts?¡±


    The figure in his mind said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Have you found any traces of that person?¡±


    The figure in his mind said, ¡°No.¡±


    Even though he did not receive any good news, a smile still appeared on his face. The eyelids of the soldiers stationed around the space-travel passage twitched. This person looked like he was smiling foolishly.


    The base city had not been attacked for the time being, and soldiers were kept on alert everywhere.


    Chen Yiming looked into the distance. In the forest outside the base city, a group of mutant beasts was wandering around. They seemed to be wary and didn¡¯t directly attack.


    ¡°I heard that many Western countries like to tame mutant beasts and make use of them in battle. Their control of mutant beasts is indeed extraordinary.¡±


    The reason for the beast tide could be guessed at. It was none other than someone controlling the strongest individual in the gathering place of the mutant beasts and giving orders to the mutant beasts below through their king.


    Soon, Chen Yiming seeked out the person in charge of the base city to find out the details.


    Wang Mengwei was a lieutenant general in the military. He was nearly 60 years old and was wearing a dark green military uniform. Due to his achievements in martial arts, he still looked like a middle-aged man.


    ¡°The base city and the other cities in the province are surrounded but not attacked.


    After summarizing the information, we concluded that the beast tide was just a cover. This is because many martial arts experts have disappeared from many cities. The Western corporations might have taken advantage of the chaos to capture them for human experimentation.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned ugly.


    He was no longer ignorant. In the end, the research on bloodline warriors inevitably required actual humans for experimentation.


    In the Daxia Kingdom, pure martial arts was the main focus. The government had always strictly prohibited human experiments that had not been approved. Once illegal human experimentation was discovered, they would immediately send troops to destroy the involved parties.


    But now, these Western corporations were trying to kill many birds with one stone.


    Not only did they plan to send a martial master to kill him with the help of the undead army and destroy the stronghold established in Jiangnan province, but they also wanted to take as much as they could from Jiangnan province before retreating.


    Such actions were really unacceptable.


    Chen Yiming immediately communicated with the figure in his mind and increased the intensity of his search. He was determined to find the hidden martial master.


    Wang Mengwei¡¯s expression was solemn as he hinted, ¡°The other large countries in the east are very calm. Now, it¡¯s almost as if we are fighting against the entire western world alone.¡±


    Chen Yiming knew what he meant.


    In most countries on the blue planet, the popular view of long-term cultivation was focused on bloodline warriors. Pure martial arts was thought to be limited to the disciple realm and the warrior realm, with the exception of a few individuals.


    As a country that insisted on purely martial arts, the Daxia Kingdom was naturally ostracized. At this moment, even the other large countries in the east, who should have been on the same side, had no intention of supporting the Daxia Kingdom.


    It was not difficult to tell that the Western corporations definitely had some breakthrough results in their hands, and they could use this opportunity to rope in some of the large eastern countries.


    ¡­


    After leaving the base city, Chen Yiming glanced at the mutant beasts wandering around.


    The figures of mutant beasts in the forest were faintly discernible. They ranged from a few meters long to 10 to 20 meters long. There were all kinds of them, and from time to time, he could hear the roars of the mutant beasts.


    Their number created an aura so heavy that even the base city did not dare to send troops to chase them away.


    His figure flashed, and he appeared in the forest as if he had teleported there. In the next second, a golden sword of light attacked wildly.


    Wherever he passed, the forest was flattened, the ground was cracked, and the mountains were flattened. None of the mutant beasts participating in the beast tide could withstand a single strike from him. When they tried to escape, he would catch up to them in the blink of an eye.


    After nearly half an hour, Chen Yiming had covered a distance of more than 100 kilometers and defeated most of the mutant beasts in the beast tide, scattering the rest of them.


    Those huge and powerful mutant beasts wished they could shrink themselves, but there was no point in wishing for the impossible. The bigger they were, the more they would be targeted, and the sooner they would die.


    After removing the threat of the beast tide from the base city, he rushed straight to Jiangdu City.


    Since the Western corporations wanted to capture martial arts experts, their main target was undoubtedly the city where a large number of martial arts practitioners were gathered.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming arrived at Jiangdu City, there were a large number of soldiers guarding the city gate. There were helicopters circling in the sky, and the sound of their rotors could be heard from afar.


    The atmosphere in the entire city was solemn, and there was a faint smell of blood lingering in the air.


    ¡°I was right. Jiangdu City must be an important part of the plans of those Western corporations.¡±


    He walked openly to the city gate and reported his identity to the soldiers.


    The goal was very simple. He wanted the spies from the Western corporations to send the news back to intimidate the hidden organizations in Jiangdu City. He would try his best to rescue the martial arts experts of the Daxia Kingdom.


    A few minutes later, Zhou Hongquan, the guardian of Jiangdu City, appeared at the city gate.


    Zhou Hongquan had only recently been transferred from the capital to Jiangdu City for two reasons.


    Firstly, as the only city connected to the base city, Jiangdu City needed someone at the peak of the warrior realm to oversee it. Secondly, Jiangnan province needed to maintain some balance to prevent any problems from occurring.


    However, not long after he took office, he encountered a huge matter that involved the entire country. This made him as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.


    As soon as Zhou Hongquan arrived, he shook Chen Yiming¡¯s hand enthusiastically. The two of them got to know each other with some small talk.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s that man.¡±


    As Chen Yiming¡¯s identity was confirmed, the surrounding soldiers could clearly see the light of hope. A sense of security was brought about by his strength.


    At this moment, Jiangdu City had entered a state of military control. The streets were empty, and there were no pedestrians walking around.


    Zhou Hongquan told him, ¡°An incident involving a blood ritual occurred in an abandoned factory in the suburbs of Jiangdu City. It involved the missing people from Jiang City and the guards who were assigned by the organization at the time.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm as he instantly thought of Lu Feng, who had turned into a traitor in the Jiangdu City organization.


    Although there were soldiers around him, he could not guarantee that there would be no problems. Therefore, he left without interacting much with Zhou Hongquan.


    ¡­


    The sun turned the road into a scorchingly hot surface.


    Chen Yiming set up an illusory internal force around his body and walked along the street alone.


    Under the supervision of the military, there were almost no pedestrians on the street. However, he still found out from an auntie in the alley about the location of the abandoned factory where the blood ritual had occurred.


    Not long after, he arrived at the abandoned factory in the east of the city.


    ¡°There are quite a few people!¡±


    Chen Yiming saw that the factory had been cordoned off. More than 100 people had gathered outside, and armed soldiers were guarding the entire abandoned factory.


    Many people outside the factory were crying. They were likely to be the families of the victims.


    Chen Yiming walked over quickly. Before he got close, he could smell the thick scent of blood.


    He frowned. The air was leaking out of the abandoned factory. What had happened during the blood ritual to cause the smell of blood to linger and not dissipate?


    ¡°Hello, can I ask you something?¡±


    Chen Yiming instinctively patted a woman on the shoulder.


    The woman ignored him and continued to wipe the tears from her eyes.


    He had no choice but to go around to the front of the woman. The woman was blocked by a figure, and her sadness immediately turned to anger. She looked up and was about to curse.


    However¡­ Before she spoke, she changed her mind.


    ¡°Brother Hong, is that you? Am I dreaming?¡±


    Chen Yiming felt a little awkward when faced with the woman¡¯s emotional question.


    The other party had lost her lover. At this moment, her mind must be filled with the image of her lover. Under the influence of the illusory internal force around him, she had mistaken him for Brother Hong.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming coughed and reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry, I might be feeling a little faint from the heat, so¡­¡±


    Hearing Chen Yiming¡¯s response, the woman felt her vision blur. The person in front of her was indeed not Brother Hong, but a young man with a similar appearance to him.


    However¡­ he was too handsome. He looked like someone that she had idolized when she was 18 years old.


    She continued to be affected by the illusory internal force. The memories from her school days surged into her mind, and her sadness turned into nostalgia.


    Chen Yiming felt that something was amiss. He was here to settle some serious matters, not to flirt with the woman. Hence, while the woman was still in a daze, he turned around and looked for someone else to ask.

 Chapter 279 - Reversal of the Situation

    After escaping from the woman, he had approached a few people in succession, but the outcome was terrible in all cases.


    These people were the families of the victims, and the victims were mostly the pillars of the family. Everyone was in extreme grief, and Chen Yiming had been rebuffed by all of them.


    He sighed and was about to walk around to look for new clues.


    At this moment, a barrier was removed by a soldier. Not long after, a few people in white coats pushed some equipment out of the factory that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t recognize.


    A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses walked over to the family members and announced, ¡°The family can go in and visit.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd started to wail in grief. A few old men and women could barely stand properly and staggered towards the abandoned factory.


    Chen Yiming followed behind and sneaked in with them.


    The abandoned factory was not small, but there were soldiers standing guard on both sides of the road leading to the accident site. The group arrived at the entrance of a factory.


    Inside the factory, one could see corpses covered by white cloth. Chen Yiming took a brief glance and estimated that there were nearly 50 of them altogether.


    In addition, there were lines drawn around each corpse, and their names were written on the side.


    When the family members saw this scene, they cried even harder. They all rushed into the factory and found the corpses of their family.


    ¡°Han Feng, come back¡­ This isn¡¯t true!¡±


    ¡°My daughter, my daughter, who exactly caused your death¡­¡±


    The family members were kneeling on the ground. At the same time, as the white cloth was lifted, Chen Yiming saw the victims¡¯ appearances and was shocked.


    The faces of these corpses were filled with fear. It was unknown what kind of situation they had experienced before they died. The special thing about them was that they could be described as desiccated corpses.


    He observed carefully and realized that there was no sign of life left on their skins, muscles, or bones. It was as if they had been dead for decades.


    Chen Yiming was very sensitive to life force, so he instantly determined that the reason for their deaths was because their life force had been sucked dry.


    Such a cruel act had actually happened in the city. They were completely looking down on him and were certain that the martial master from the Western countries would be able to completely trap him in the otherworld.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming was about to leave.


    Two men arrived at the factory, leading more than 10 subordinates.


    Of the two men, one was older, and the other was younger. The subordinates beside them had the aura of martial arts practitioners, and they gave off an imposing feeling.


    ¡°Lu Feng, you didn¡¯t panic in the face of danger this time and saved many people from the evil organization. This is a huge contribution.¡±


    The chief of the provincial security bureau, Lin Hui, had a serious face. Coupled with his heavy and steady voice, he gave off a righteous aura.


    ¡°You flatter me. I don¡¯t have enough strength. Otherwise, I would definitely be able to save everyone.¡±


    The deputy head of the organization, Lu Feng, looked sadly at the families of the deceased.


    Lu Feng led all the captured people to put up a resistance and devised an exquisite escape plan. Not only did he successfully escape, but he also brought along a small portion of the people.


    In addition, he had also reported the blood ritual of the evil organization to the security bureau, providing sufficient information to indirectly help the other cities carry out the operation to annihilate the evil organization.


    With such contributions, there was already news in the province that Lu Feng had been transferred to the provincial organization.


    ¡°Lu Feng, the greater your ability, the greater your responsibility. No one can take away your credit. Do whatever you want. If anyone causes trouble for you, come and find me.¡±


    Lin Hui¡¯s voice was strong and firm, revealing his unquestionable strength.


    ¡°Thank you, Leader. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    Lu Feng patted his chest and promised.


    Lin Hui and Lu Feng spoke one after another, demonstrating their strong sense of responsibility. This caused the family members of the deceased to feel extremely touched.


    Many people came to the two of them and begged them to investigate the evil organization and avenge the victims.


    The two of them bent down and helped the family members who wanted to kneel down get up. They comforted and persuaded the family members, and at the same time, they promised that they would do their best to help everyone.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched. The two of them really had Oscar-level acting skills. They had made use of the resources from the organization and the security bureau to put on a good show.


    If not for the fact that he had found out that something was fishy about Lu Feng from his girlfriend, it would have been very difficult for him to figure out that a person who was so resourceful and had saved everyone in a crisis was also a member of an evil organization.


    He glanced at Lu Feng and memorized his appearance before turning to leave.


    ¡­


    In the basement of a villa in the suburbs of Jiangdu City, a beautiful woman, Natasha, was sitting on a leather chair. She was wearing a loose robe that was held up by her chest, revealing her seductive shoulders.


    The robe only reached the top of her thighs, revealing a pair of long, fair legs. However, there were mysterious patterns on her shoulders, legs, and face. They were like snake scales, giving off a terrifying sense of danger.


    Two Western men stood respectfully on either side of her.


    Wayne and Locke were the people in charge of Jiangdu City and Jiangnan City respectively. One was in charge of the capture operation, and the other was in charge of monitoring the reaction from Jiangnan City.


    ¡°Our informants have just sent news that that person has returned from the otherworld. He has just resolved the beast tide and is heading straight for us.¡±


    Wayne¡¯s voice trembled uncontrollably as he reported the situation. He no longer had the arrogant air he had in front of Lin Hui, the chief of the provincial security bureau.


    Natasha frowned and tapped her bare toes on the ground. Her jade-like feet were beautifully proportioned, and the skin on them was as white as milk. There was even an attractive layer of nail polish on them.


    If it was any other time, this action would definitely have attracted Wayne and Locke¡¯s attention. They would have understood that she was asking them for something, because in secret, both of them were Natasha¡¯s male companions.


    But now was clearly not the time to think about that.


    ¡°This is too strange! What exactly happened? How could that person have returned from the otherworld and successfully resolved the beast tide?¡±


    Cold sweat broke out on Locke¡¯s forehead as his entire body trembled.


    It had to be known that the Western corporations had sent out a true martial master to set up a trap. They also made use of the undead creatures who could kill those on a higher level with their spiritual attacks.


    That person had actually returned just like that. How was the martial master from their side? For a while, because the base city had been sealed off, no one knew what was going on in the otherworld.


    However, no matter how they thought about it, it was not the outcome that they had expected. It was even worse than the worst expected outcome.


    Natasha could still remain calm on the surface, but she was actually very flustered.


    She was a half-step away from the master realm, and was in charge of dealing with targets at the peak of the warrior realm during the capture operation.


    Initially, she was full of confidence in her own strength and thought that even if she encountered that person, she would be able to retreat successfully even if she was no match for him. However, from the information gathered from all sides, she had probably underestimated him.


    There was suddenly only silence in the basement. The three of them could hear each other¡¯s breathing. Wayne and Locke could even hear Natasha¡¯s heart beating faster.


    This¡­ the situation did not seem to be good.


    Natasha, who was half a step away from the master realm, had taken a huge risk to infiltrate the Daxia Kingdom before making a move on someone at the peak of the warrior realm.


    It could even be said that their plan had just started, but they were about to face the possibility of being wiped out.


    After a long time, Natasha calmed down and realized the difference between her and the opponent. She did not have much of a choice.


    ¡°Get your informants to make arrangements as soon as possible. We can¡¯t stay in Jiangdu City anymore. We have to think of a way to escape successfully.¡±


    ¡°However, there are troops patrolling everywhere now. The informant just told us that the wilderness outside the city has also been set up for surveillance.¡±


    Wayne hesitated for a moment before revealing the possible problems.


    The beast tide had been killed by Chen Yiming and was in a state of desperate retreat. The mutant beasts in the wilderness from the base city to Jiangdu City had become weaker than ever.


    The military in Jiangnan province could monitor and investigate the situation, as well as set up traps. It was too risky to leave at this time.


    Once they were discovered, the military would naturally not be able to do anything to the three of them. However, Wayne was not confident that he could escape from that person¡¯s pursuit. With the difference in strength between them, if the other party wanted to kill the three of them, it would probably be no different from killing ants.


    Locke echoed Wayne¡¯s worry.


    Now was the time when the military¡¯s search was the most intense. He felt that they might as well hide obediently, or even hide right under that person¡¯s nose. That way, they might actually be able to get away with it.


    Natasha shook her head, sticking to her decision.


    In the end, the two male companions were not at a high enough level to understand the current situation. The trap set up by the Western corporations was built on the premise that they could kill that person.


    If even the combination of the martial master and the undead army could not do anything to the other party, it meant that the Daxia Kingdom had indeed produced a third martial master.


    In addition, it was impossible for the other two martial arts masters from the Daxia Kingdom to be held back for a prolonged period. Therefore, the longer the three of them stayed in Jiangdu City, the lower the chances of them escaping successfully.


    ¡°That¡­ was originally used as a symbol of a slot in the first generation.¡±


    Wayne¡¯s gaze suddenly became fiery, and his breathing became heavy.


    Locke held his breath when he heard this.


    They had created that item through a blood ritual and it was the organization¡¯s top secret. Usually, only the direct descendants of the organization would have the chance to receive the reward.


    Now that they were in a life-and-death situation, Natasha, who was half a step away from the master realm, was of no use. It seemed that she was only left with the option of choosing between the two of them.


    The reason was that they had to try their best to increase their strength to make an escape.


    As for the trouble caused by this, as long as they could return alive, it was better than dying here.


    ¡°You two are dreaming.¡±


    Natasha stuck out her tongue and licked her red lips. Her tongue was not human-like at all, but a long forked tongue. She seemed to be like a beautiful snake in human form, and was filled with a strange charm.


    Seeing this, Wayne and Locke shuddered as they recalled the unsightly scene.


    Natasha tossed a reagent at Wayne, who scrambled to catch it.


    The liquid looked like blood, and if one listened carefully, they would discover that there was a sound similar to a heartbeat in the liquid.


    ¡°This is for Bureau Chief Lin. Show it to him first. Make sure he does his best.¡±


    When Wayne heard this, his heart, which had just flown into the sky, fell down again.


    He felt terrible.


    It was indescribably uncomfortable.


    He had almost thought that it was for him, but he instantly realized the reality. A male companion should know his own limits. If she really gave such a precious thing to him, how could he still be just her companion?


    ¡­


    At the Jiangdu TV Station, all the staff inside were still working. Everything was no different from normal.


    Jiangdu City had already received orders from the provincial city to continue maintaining military control. However, as a special industry, the television station could not close its doors and reject customers like ordinary shops.


    When it was almost time to get off work, Zhang Yan sat on a chair in the dressing room with the makeup artist, Pete, standing behind her.


    Peter was not a Westerner, but a citizen of the Daxia Kingdom. He had just given himself a foreign name.


    ¡°Xiao Yan, did something good happen tonight? Why are you so serious about your preparations?¡±


    Pete asked in a low voice.


    Zhang Yan was thinking about something when she was suddenly questioned. Her entire body trembled and she almost jumped up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Pete was helping Zhang Yan with her styling. When she shook, her half-finished hairstyle fell apart.


    ¡°Nothing much. I was just thinking about something.¡±


    Zhang Yan revealed a stiff smile.


    Not only had Lu Feng returned alive, but he had also made a huge contribution. Now that he was a rising star in Jiangdu City, his future could be said to be bright.


    It would have been fine if she did not know that there was something fishy about Lu Feng. After knowing about it, it was like a fishbone was stuck in her throat. She did not dare to tell anyone, nor did she dare to show any abnormalities.


    The reason she was dressed up was because Lu Feng had called her in advance and told her that he was bringing her to visit the head of the provincial security bureau, Lin Hui, that night.


    Pete did not continue asking any further. Instead, he focused on helping Zhang Yan with her styling.


    In this era, there was no hope for a stable life. Zhang Yan¡¯s momentarily loss of composure was chalked up by Pete as her being too tense due to the many things that had happened in the past few days.


    ¡°Pete, please help me to¡­¡±


    Zhang Yan quickly tried to salvage the situation and diverted his attention.


    She leaned back in her chair, the worry in her heart still lingering. Because she and Lu Feng were living together, she had no confidence in her pretense, and was afraid that Lu Feng would see through it.


    When Chen Yiming interacted with Zhang Yan, he displayed strength at the second stage of the warrior realm. This made Zhang Yan not place too much hope on him.


    ¡°Should I find a reason to go home?¡±


    Zhang Yan was not from Jiangdu City. This was the excuse she had thought of that would barely make sense.


    ¡°But even I feel that it¡¯s a little forced. The outside world is still under military control, and my boyfriend has just survived and returned. What reason do I have to take the risk and go home?¡±


    Thoughts flashed across her mind one after another. The usually boring and unbearable makeup time had passed so quickly that she wanted to throw a tantrum and request for a new style midway.


    After some hesitation, he finally finished the styling.


    ¡°Alright, have fun tonight,¡± Pete said in a feminine voice.


    ¡°Thank you, Pete,¡± Zhang Yan replied politely and slowly stood up.


    After tidying up, she really had no reason to stay any longer and walked out of the dressing room.


    ¡­


    Zhang Yan, who had returned to her office, glanced at the clock from time to time.


    After work, Lu Feng had told her in advance that he would go out to the streets to pick out some gifts. Because the city was still under military control, there were not many shops that were open for business. It might take more time than usual.


    ¡°Zhang Yan, someone is looking for you.¡±


    Her colleague, Liu Yuzhen, ran over excitedly to inform her.


    Finally, she added, ¡°He¡¯s a handsome boy. You guys¡­¡±


    Her eyes were burning with curiosity.


    Zhang Yan thought to herself, could it be that person? Don¡¯t harm me! Please let me off!


    She quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. He¡¯s a relative of mine. Should I introduce him to you?¡±


    When Liu Yuzhen heard this, her interest was greatly reduced. She nodded and turned to leave. She was only an ordinary clerk, and her appearance could only be considered average. She knew her limits.


    Zhang Yan walked out of the television station and tried her best to maintain her composure. When she saw Chen Yiming waiting for her, she was furious. ¡°At this point, if you want to report Lu Feng, go ahead. Why did you have to drag me into this? You made a move on me that night. You¡¯re not a good person either.¡±

 Chapter 280 - Chen Yimings Overt Plan

    The street in front of the television station was usually bustling with people, and was less crowded only when compared to the commercial street in the city center.


    However, there were almost no people around now. Most of the people were small teams of soldiers stationed at the crossroads. Other than a few shops on both sides of the street, most of the shops had closed down under orders from the government.


    Chen Yiming saw Zhang Yan jogging out of the television station.


    The other party had changed into a shiny silver-white dress with a deep V cut. There was a crystal necklace around her fair neck that attracted one¡¯s attention.


    In addition, she had thick makeup on her face. Her long hair was tied up behind her head, and she was wearing a pair of high heels that were nearly 10 centimeters high. She gave off the aura of a mature woman.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Are you going to the celebration banquet?¡±


    Zhang Yan rolled her eyes at him, not wanting to explain herself. She held Chen Yiming¡¯s hand and the two of them left the television station and turned into an alley.


    The alley was less than three meters wide. As long as someone came from either side, they would immediately realize it. This was a good place to discuss private matters.


    ¡°Did the higher-ups start to investigate the tragedy of the blood ritual?¡± Zhang Yan asked hurriedly.


    One the way from the entrance of the television station to this alley less than half a kilometer away, she had calmed herself down. Now was not the time to be petty with this man.


    She had also heard some rumors from her colleagues about the tragedy that had happened in the city.


    ¡°I went to the scene just now and saw your boyfriend, Lu Feng. He seems to be one of the people in charge of this matter,¡± Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and said.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s expression froze. She held onto the wall beside her to steady herself.


    The more she knew, the greater the fear she felt. She had heard that the evil organization had underhanded ways of controlling people involved with them, and she did not want to become one of them.


    At this moment, she had the thought of giving it all up and just leaving this troublesome place.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know what Zhang Yan was thinking about. He continued, ¡°The person carrying out the blood ritual is still in the city. Your boyfriend, Lu Feng, is most likely their informant. If there¡¯s anything amiss, you can contact me.¡±


    With that, he took out his phone and prepared to exchange contact details with Zhang Yan.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s eyes were filled with fear as she quickly waved her hand to reject him. She explained, ¡°I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m already planning to apply for leave and go to the provincial city.¡±


    The excuse of going home would not work. Jiangnan City was the safest place she could think of.


    ¡°Jiangdu City has entered a state of military control. If we don¡¯t deal with the evil organization, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be resolved. Are you sure you can get out?¡±


    If the Western corporations had set up a trap for Chen Yiming, he could also set up an overt plan. Him appearing in Jiangdu City was the first step.


    In addition, he knew that Lu Feng was an informant for the evil organization, but Lu Feng himself did not know that his identity had been exposed. If he used his counterattack to pressure those people, they would easily panic.


    Coupled with the fact that it would be a long journey from the Daxia Kingdom back to the west, as long as they exposed a trace of themselves on the way back, Chen Yiming was confident that he could deal with all those people with his powerful attacks.


    Zhang Yan thought for a moment and stammered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll rent a house and hide¡­ They shouldn¡¯t be able to find me for a while, right?¡±


    Chen Yiming analyzed the situation. ¡°Lu Feng is a member of the evil organization. If you do that, you¡¯re telling him openly that you¡¯ve already discovered his secret. If he catches you, think about what will happen to you.¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s lips turned pale when she heard this. Even her lipstick could not hide it.


    This wouldn¡¯t work, and that wouldn¡¯t work either. Was she supposed to sleep beside Lu Feng, a member of the evil organization, again tonight? Thinking of this, she felt like she had lost all her strength.


    His mind was filled with images of cruel rituals and human experiments.


    After a while, she still could not think of a good way to break out of the situation. She listed her conditions. ¡°I can agree to help you monitor Lu Feng, but you have to stay nearby and protect me.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and replied, ¡°No problem. Lu Feng is very weak. If he wants to do anything bad to you, I can stop him at any time.¡±


    His materialized spiritual power was comparable to a radar. Within a range of two to three kilometers, nothing could escape his eyes. This was also why he was confident that those people would not be able to escape from him.


    Zhang Yan heaved a sigh of relief. In the end, she told Chen Yiming that the reason she had dressed up was because she was going to visit the chief of the security bureau, Lin Hui, with Lu Feng at night.


    Chen Yiming left quickly after hearing this. Afraid that she would go back on her word, he didn¡¯t tell Zhang Yan that Lin Hui was also a member of the evil organization.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    Ever since Jiangdu City became the only city linked to the base city, the night had lost the meaning of rest, and it became a city that did not sleep.


    However, now that they were under military control, the entire city had returned to how it was before. There were very few people on the streets, and the street lamps lit up the lonely streets.


    After the crisis of the beast tide in the base city was resolved, the blockade was relaxed, allowing the people from the stronghold to return to the blue planet.


    At this moment, Natasha received a message from the organization¡¯s informant at the stronghold.


    The informant said that most of the undead army had been wiped out. The leader of the organization had disappeared, and that man had returned unharmed.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°How could the leader be killed?¡±


    Natasha asked herself these three questions in a row. Her eyes instantly lost their shine and she collapsed to the ground.


    Bad news came one after another. That man had gone straight to Jiangdu City. It was obvious what his goal was. When she thought about how she was about to be hunted down by the other party, her entire body trembled.


    ¡­


    At 8 pm, Lu Feng and Zhang Yan arrived at the government district with their gift.


    The housing in the government district was subsidized for public officials, and the price was much lower than the market price. The home of the chief of the provincial security bureau, Lin Hui, was also here.


    ¡°Xiao Yan, I didn¡¯t make it in time when I was transferred to Jiangdu City. I promise I¡¯ll give you a big house next time.¡±


    Lu Feng held the gift in one hand and pointed at the building as he walked.


    Zhang Yan nodded and pretended to smile happily, but she felt indescribably disgusted in her heart.


    After she found out Lu Feng¡¯s secret, these words sounded completely fake. A person who had joined an evil organization actually promised to give her a home. What a joke.


    If not for the fact that she had no choice, she would already have run far away.


    Zhang Yan took this opportunity to look around from time to time, hoping to catch sight of Chen Yiming fulfilling his promise. Lu Feng thought that his girlfriend liked the big houses here, so he didn¡¯t mind and continued talking to himself.


    When Chen Yiming saw this, he had no choice but to reveal himself so that Zhang Yan could feel safe and continue to monitor Lu Feng.


    ¡°Do your best!¡± Zhang Yan said, but it was unknown who she was talking to.


    When Lu Feng heard this, he made many more promises, revealing his skill in picking up girls.


    Not long after, the two of them arrived at Lin Hui¡¯s house. They pressed the doorbell and exchanged a few words with Lin Hui¡¯s family. The metal door opened and the two of them entered.


    ¡­


    In the government district, Chen Yiming found a hidden spot and waited. He communicated with the figure in his mind and received news that something had happened in the rocky plains.


    ¡°Hehe! Now I can be sure that you were indeed trapped in the otherworld by me.¡±


    Chen Yiming sneered.


    Whether it was the undead army from before or the abnormal movements in the rocky plains, it was impossible for a warrior to do something like this.


    Without a doubt, it could only be the actions of the martial master sent by the Western corporations to the Daxia Kingdom.


    Chen Yiming said, ¡°Stay in the area around the stronghold. If that person dares to appear, kill him.¡±


    The figure in his mind said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­


    About an hour later, Lu Feng and Zhang Yan walked out of Lin Hui¡¯s house.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I just got home but I have to deal with some work problems, so I don¡¯t have much time to spend with you,¡± Lu Feng said apologetically.


    He felt very regretful. His girlfriend, Zhang Yan, was dressed very charmingly today. He had wanted to get intimate with her once they returned home and changed out of their clothes.


    Unfortunately, Lin Hui had given him a mission that he could not put off. He could only suppress his desires for the moment.


    ¡°Go ahead. Your work is important,¡± Zhang Yan said softly. She suppressed her excitement and pretended to be concerned.


    ¡°After I settle my work, I¡¯ll rush home as soon as possible,¡± Lu Feng grabbed Zhang Yan¡¯s hands and said solemnly.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s hand almost trembled, and she revealed a strange expression. She cursed in her heart. How disgusting. He had better not come back.


    Once a woman had a change of heart, everything a man did would seem to be wrong to them. Women were all good actors, so she could still maintain the facade for the time being. This was what Lu Feng was facing at this moment.


    The two of them parted ways at the entrance of the government district. Zhang Yan went home while Lu Feng went to the unit.


    Zhang Yan deliberately slowed down her pace, wanting to wait for Chen Yiming to catch up and tell him about Lu Feng¡¯s movements. However, Chen Yiming received a call and left.


    ¡­


    In a meeting room in the government office area, Zhou Hongquan, the city guardian of Jiangdu City, projected the latest information on the screen and introduced to Chen Yiming the movements of the members of the evil organization hidden in various cities in Jiangnan province.


    The members of the evil organization acted almost at the same time. No matter how the military set up an encirclement, they forcefully created chaos everywhere.


    ¡°Are they trying to lure me out of Jiangdu City? Are they trying to take advantage of the situation and escape?¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    ¡°The most important member in the evil organization should be anxious to escape. These are just distractions. They should still be in the city,¡± Zhou Hongquan agreed.


    ¡°The rest of the people combined are far less important than that big fish. I¡¯ll be relying on the military to deal with them,¡± Chen Yiming thought for a moment and said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhou Hongquan said in a low voice.


    He had told Chen Yiming this information to prevent Chen Yiming from being distracted and letting the big fish escape. Now that they had reached a consensus, things would be much easier.


    It would not be easy for even the military to find those members of the evil organization if they hid themselves. However, the situation was completely different now.


    ¡­


    In the office of the organization department, after making a call, Lu Feng slumped back in his chair. He held a small, delicate bottle in one hand and was smoking a cigarette with the other, trying to calm his fluctuating emotions.


    The mission that Bureau Chief Lin had given him was to make use of his status as a deputy minister to create chaos in Jiangdu City.


    Their target was the train station because it was the starting point for the transportation to the base city. It was also the place where the most martial arts practitioners gathered.


    The small bottle in his hand was the key to the mission.


    After handing over the surface work to his subordinates, he understood what this meant.


    There was no turning back. At this moment, his heart was filled with worry, fear, panic, and other negative emotions. The other party had promised to bring him back to the headquarters, but it was not what he wanted now.


    This was because he had only been recruited into the organization for a short period of time, less than a year. His contributions were limited, so the rewards he received were naturally limited.


    Once he lost his current status as a public official, he could be said to have lost all value and might even become an experimental subject.


    However, Lu Feng could not go against the organization at all. In fact, he was being threatened instead. Who asked him to have a weakness that the organization could control? It would not take much effort for the organization to get rid of him. As long as he was exposed, he would only be left to die.


    On one hand, he would be reduced to a worthless outer member, and he might be persecuted in the future. On the other hand, he would die directly. Lu Feng could only choose the path that seemed to give him a chance of survival.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Chen Yiming flipped the small bottle around in his hand.


    After listening to Lu Feng¡¯s arrangements for his subordinates, he entered the office in a flash. Using his materialized spiritual power, he snatched the small bottle from Lu Feng before he could react.


    ¡°Who are you!¡±


    Lu Feng suddenly saw a figure appear in front of him and was frightened. He cursed loudly.


    On a closer look, the other party was actually holding a familiar small bottle. He turned to look at his hand and saw that it was empty.


    In an instant, a chill ran down his spine. To be able to take away the small bottle in his hand before he could react, he was definitely a martial arts expert that he was no match for.


    Escape?


    Could he still escape at this time?


    Lu Feng fell into despair.


    Chen Yiming studied the surface of the bottle but couldn¡¯t make out what it contained. He opened the bottle and heard the sound of ghosts crying and wolves howling.


    ¡°Is it related to spirits?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter.¡±


    He used his materialized spiritual power to probe inside and realized that there was an unstable spirit in the bottle. His spiritual power turned into a long sword and slashed at it a few times, destroying it completely.


    To his surprise, the spirit did not completely dissipate. Instead, it turned into dozens of weaker spirits.


    ¡°Could it be a product of the blood ritual?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. The number of small spirits was roughly the same as the number of victims. There was a high chance that the large spirit was the missing martial arts practitioner that was at the peak of the warrior realm.


    The unstable state was due to the fact that the large spirit had yet to digest the smaller spirits.


    This would explain why a small fry like Lu Feng could obtain such a dangerous item.


    After figuring it out, he slashed at each of the small spirits again. This time, as expected, all the spirits completely disappeared.


    Chen Yiming put away the small bottle that could trap the spirits and glanced at Lu Feng, who was trembling in his chair. The mission that the other party was in charge of had already started, so there was no point in keeping him alive.


    Golden internal force gathered at his fingertips and lit up the office.


    ¡°I have information about the organization¡­¡±


    Lu Feng was about to open his mouth to try and get a chance of survival, but the person in front of him had already disappeared. He suddenly felt his body start to go numb. He looked down and saw that there was a huge hole in his chest.


    The hole gradually expanded, and in the end, both the person and the chair were burned to ashes.


    The reason why it was an overt plan was because the other party would know what he wanted to do, but they would be unable to stop him. From the beginning to the end, Chen Yiming had not expected to get anything out of Lu Feng.

 Chapter 281 - Beast Shadow Warrior

    Outside Lu Feng¡¯s office, a large truck was parked by the side of the main road. A staff member was constantly directing the loading of the truck, and one item after another was methodically stuffed into the truck.


    Chen Yiming walked forward. During this time, he scanned the items with his spiritual power and roughly knew what they contained.


    ¡°Hurry up! Hurry up!¡±


    A staff member waved his hand to urge the workers.


    The publicity department of the organization was going to hold a speech about the evil organization at the train station. The main speaker was Lu Feng, who had just made a huge contribution.


    Because they had not made any preparations beforehand, and the workers and materials had been arranged at the last minute, time was tight.


    ¡°I might break something if I go any faster,¡± the worker who was being urged explained.


    He cursed in his heart. I don¡¯t care what you guys want to do. Working at night is considered additional overtime. You guys don¡¯t even pay me extra, so it¡¯s already good enough that I am doing this. Why are you still so picky?


    Chen Yiming walked past the large truck and suddenly thought of a way in which he could put more pressure on the big fish. Hence, he used his spiritual power to scan the area to its maximum range. His current limit was three kilometers.


    Even in a large city, the area within the city was only a few hundred kilometers wide. It would not take long to search the area thoroughly. However, it was impossible for the other party to not disguise himself. At the moment, it was not easy to identify them.


    The staff and workers beside the large truck behind him suddenly felt as if their entire bodies had been touched by something. They instantly had goosebumps.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    A worker¡¯s legs went weak and he fell heavily to the ground, along with the items he was carrying. They cracked and scattered all over the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing? If you don¡¯t do a good job, I¡¯ll deduct your pay.¡±


    The scene fell into chaos.


    ¡­


    Near the train station, in a luxurious guest room in a five-star hotel, Natasha stood on the balcony, directly opposite the Jiangdu railway station. Her emotions were in a mess, and she felt completely insecure. She went over the escape plan in her mind again and again.


    ¡°I hope everything goes well.¡±


    After thinking about it for a long time, she could only comfort herself.


    Suddenly, Natasha felt a huge burst of spiritual power in the direction of the government office. It was like an invisible storm.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Her pupils dilated, and her face was filled with fear.


    As someone who was half a step away from the master realm, she had also completed the transformation of her spiritual power and could effectively materialize it. She was very sensitive to spiritual power, but she was far from being able to unleash it to this extent.


    This was the difference in their talent. Their strength was not comparable even though they were at the same level.


    Natasha quickly turned around and rushed into the guest room. She shouted at Wayne and Locke, ¡°You two, quickly change back into your clothes.¡±


    Wayne and Locke were sorting out the items they wanted to take away. The two of them were wearing human skin masks and dark green military uniforms. There was a brand new set of clothes on the table.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Natasha glared at him murderously.


    Wayne and Locke realized the seriousness of the matter and shut up. They started to change back into their normal clothes.


    At the same time, Natasha took out a human skin mask and put it on her face. Immediately, her face became an exquisite and beautiful oriental face.


    ¡°That person is searching the entire city. From now on, we can¡¯t show any abnormalities. We have to suppress our aura as much as possible,¡± Natasha instructed.


    Wayne and Locke nodded, their foreheads covered in sweat.


    Then, she turned on the television in the hotel. The three of them sat on the sofa. On the screen, the reporter was broadcasting the day¡¯s news. The entire guest room was filled with the crisp and clear voice of the reporter, and the tense atmosphere became much more relaxed.


    10 minutes later, a spiritual fluctuation swept across the area around the train station and stayed there for a few minutes before disappearing.


    There were too many people, and it was impossible for Chen Yiming to differentiate them one by one. Natasha, Wayne, and Locke couldn¡¯t help but tremble when his spiritual power swept past them.


    Wayne and Locke almost thought they had given themselves away.


    It was as if their opponent was standing from the perspective of God and was looking down on all of them. His life no longer felt like it was under his own control, and he felt indescribably uncomfortable.


    After another 10 minutes, Natasha confirmed that the explosive spiritual power had completely calmed down. ¡°Alright, change into your military uniform and act according to the plan.¡±


    ¡°Sister, will our plan¡­¡±


    Wayne hesitated and tried to ask before he left.


    ¡°Then what good ideas do you have?¡±


    Natasha took off her long dress, revealing her delicate body. A flirtatious aura spread out, but she quickly changed into the dark green military uniform.


    Jiangdu City was very big but also very small. The longer one stayed, the higher the chance of being found. They could only fight for a way out.


    ¡­


    At 10 pm, at the train station in Jiangdu City, an open-air podium was built at the entrance. Around it, teams of soldiers pulled up barriers to prevent the onlookers from squeezing onto the podium.


    On the stage was a small sign with Lu Feng¡¯s name on it.


    Lu Feng was a hero who had successfully fought against an evil organization. His reputation had soared throughout Jiangdu City, and many people admired him. Therefore, even though it was a little late, they still came to listen to Lu Feng¡¯s speech.


    Everything was ready, but Lu Feng was nowhere to be seen. The staff from the organization department could not find him and started to call his phone.


    On the table in Lu Feng¡¯s office, the phone screen was lit up, and calls were coming in continuously.


    ¡°Where is he? No one is going up to explain the situation.¡±


    ¡°He must have been delayed by something. I heard that the evil organization in Jiangnan province is causing a huge commotion.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I admired Lu Feng, but I didn¡¯t expect him to stand us up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He became arrogant after becoming a hero, right? I think this speech is just a show for the provincial leaders.¡±


    ¡­


    The onlookers had been waiting for a long time and started to talk among themselves. Although Lu Feng had been publicized as a hero, it was not enough to convince everyone.


    Suddenly, several black balls hurtled towards the rooftop of the buildings around the train station, including houses, hotels, and shopping malls.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Amidst the commotion, the black balls exploded. They were incendiary bombs, and their explosions caused the train station to be engulfed in flames.


    Those at the warrior realm were not afraid of these incendiary bombs, but most of the people present were in the disciple realm.


    Furthermore, due to the crowd, there was no room to dodge, causing a large group of people to instantly catch on fire. Roars and cries for help could be heard everywhere, and the venue turned into chaos.


    This was not all.


    Immediately after, beast roars sounded out from all around. From the sounds, it was as if the train station was surrounded by mutant beasts.


    Then, from the rooftop of the building where the black ball was thrown, figures leaped down one after another. The shadows of beasts appeared on their bodies, including bulls, horses, pigs, and so on, allowing everyone to see them clearly at night.


    These beast shadow warriors were completely different from ordinary humans. On average, they were about five meters tall, which was one and a half stories tall. They were like small giants.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Someone shouted, making the situation even more chaotic.


    However, the beast shadow warriors did not show any mercy. After landing on the ground, they immediately started a massacre. Every punch and kick of theirs had strong destructive power.


    They even took the opportunity to destroy the buildings in the vicinity, causing greater chaos.


    There were 200 to 300 beast shadow warriors, and their true level was only that of warrior candidates. However, with the enhancement of the beast shadows, they had temporarily obtained the power of internal force, and their strength was temporarily equivalent to that of 200 to 300 warriors.


    Within the entire Jiangdu City, there were only about 200 to 300 warriors. There were less than 100 of them present at the scene, which was equivalent to each warrior facing three or four beast shadow warriors. Furthermore, the warriors gathered here did not know each other yet beforehand.


    As for those in the disciple realm, without the power of internal force, they were no different from ordinary people. They would die if they received even a light attack.


    For a time, in a situation where they were each fighting for themselves, the human warriors were forced to retreat step by step, and a large number of casualties resulted. Half of Jiangdu City was ignited by the flames of war.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming sped through the buildings in the city. He stayed far behind the support team led by the chief of the security bureau, Lin Hui.


    Both sides were heading towards the train station.


    Along the way, he saw passersby fleeing in panic and the figures of the beast shadow warriors.


    Chen Yiming had already reached a consensus with the city guardian, Zhou Hongquan. He would be responsible for dealing with the big fish, while the other party would lead the military soldiers to deal with the small fries.


    Therefore, even though he could easily kill a large number of beast shadow warriors, he still held back.


    This was not the same as when he had used his spiritual power to search the entire city. Now, the big fish must be observing the situation and was ready to escape from the city at any moment.


    Chen Yiming realized that these beast shadow warriors were quite something. Although their use of internal force was extremely crude, and only their basic attributes like strength, defense, stamina, and speed were enhanced, perhaps because their talent had increased compared to ordinary humans, in a one-on-one situation, many human warriors were defeated, not to mention many-to-one situations.


    From the looks of it, the mainstream path on the blue planet was to become a bloodline warrior. There was indeed something special about it. On the other hand, pure martial arts still lacked a systematic analysis. It was more like the domain of the talented.


    At an intersection near the train station, ¡°From all the signs, Lin Hui is the biggest traitor planted by the evil organization. The army has already surrounded Jiangdu City. As long as we keep an eye on Lin Hui and use our large-scale spiritual power, I can¡¯t think of a way for him to escape.¡±


    Chen Yiming pondered for a moment before coming to a stop. He leaped to the rooftop of a taller building.


    From his current position, nothing that happened at the train station could escape his eyes. He could hide in the shadows and patiently observe the enemy¡¯s movements.


    ¡­


    The military reacted extremely quickly. Jiangdu City was their home ground, and an endless stream of troops was gathering at the train station.


    The beast shadow warriors, who had been wreaking havoc at the start, instantly became at a disadvantage. The speed at which they were defeated was far faster than expected.


    Not only were they unable to compete with the entire Jiangdu City in terms of numbers, but as time passed, the auras of these warriors suddenly weakened extremely quickly. Those who could barely maintain their beast shadows also shrank from their beast warrior forms.


    It was obvious that the power of internal force was not created out of thin air. It was transformed from the energy within their bodies. With a body at the disciple realm, even the beast shadow warrior could not control this power for a long time.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The sounds of fighting were deafening, and the entire city had turned into a land of death.


    In terms of lower-middle-level martial arts power, the military had an absolute advantage over the civilian martial arts power that could not put up a joint front. A captain in the warrior realm leading more than 10 team members in the disciple realm could easily surround a beast shadow warrior.


    There was no need to kill them immediately. A stalemate would lead to a sure victory. The beast shadow warriors knew their own situation, but the more anxious they were, the more mistakes they made. They fell one after another.


    When the balance tipped to Jiangdu City¡¯s side, the civilian warriors suddenly no longer had a disadvantage in terms of teamwork. The advantage in numbers was revealed at this moment.


    The entire Jiangdu City¡¯s civilian martial arts power was supporting the train station from all directions. The tables had turned, and it became four or five warriors against one beast shadow warrior.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, peace returned to Jiangdu City.


    The beast shadow warriors were defeated. A small number of them were captured alive, and most of them had died in the battle.


    The city guardian, Zhou Hongquan, was guarding the train station. Lin Hui led the special operations team from the security bureau over.


    ¡°Fortunately, all the beast shadow warriors were wiped out.¡±


    When Lin Hui said this, his serious face naturally made it sound very convincing. Coupled with his status as the chief of the security bureau, no one expected him to be a spy for the evil organization.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The battle might not be over yet. Continue to be on high alert,¡± Zhou Hongquan nodded and instructed.


    The surrounding soldiers and the martial arts practitioners revealed victorious smiles.


    The annihilation of a large number of members of the evil organization meant that they had won against the hidden danger lurking in Jiangdu City. To the soldiers, they had obtained military achievements. To the civilian martial arts practitioners, this meant that it was only a matter of time before they could return to the stronghold in the otherworld.


    At this moment, Natasha, Wayne, and Locke were hiding in the team led by Lin Hui.


    Their appearances had changed again compared to when they were at the hotel. The team members beside them completely treated the three of them as their own people. In addition, people did not chat much while on the battlefield, so no one noticed anything amiss.


    ¡°There are some small flaws in the first part of the plan, but it¡¯s not enough to affect the overall plan.¡±


    Natasha had also participated in the battle against the beast shadow warriors. She knew exactly where the escape plan had failed.


    According to the original plan, Lu Feng would first release the spirits in the small bottle when the crowd was the most dense.


    Due to the limited level of the martial arts experts present, there was a high chance that they could cause terrifying casualties at that moment, causing greater chaos.


    Next, the beast shadow warriors would work together with the incendiary bombs. They planned to spread the flames of war throughout the entire city before Jiangdu City could react.


    For the last step, they had two different plans. They would choose a suitable time and plan to leave the city based on the situation.


    On the rooftop of a nearby building,


    a ball of black fog hid Chen Yiming¡¯s figure in the darkness. He could observe Lin Hui¡¯s team and the situation at the train station freely.


    ¡°You hid quite well,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    Lin Hui had set up the situation for them and asked Natasha and the other two to attack the members of the special operations unit in advance. They would use the high-tech human skin masks to switch their identities.


    However, he was not too worried. As long as Lin Hui¡¯s team was not out of the range of his radar, he would be able to determine the actual identities of the team members.


    The situation was still under Chen Yiming¡¯s control. Due to the absolute difference in strength between the two sides, if they made a mistake and got caught by him, the battle would end immediately.


    The chances of the other party successfully escaping back to the west were still very low. At the very least, they had to run across the sea to escape Chen Yiming¡¯s pursuit.

 Chapter 282 - Considering a Third Talent

    After the chaos was suppressed, the military started to clean up the battlefield. The civilian warriors gradually dispersed, treating their injuries and finding a place to rest.


    ¡°Ring! Ring!¡±


    Suddenly, Zhou Hongquan¡¯s communicator rang.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°A large number of beast shadow warriors have appeared on the railway leading to the base city.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    ¡°Those beast shadow warriors are destroying the railway. The patrol team can¡¯t stop them.¡±


    Zhou Hongquan hung up, his expression dark.


    This time, the Western corporations had caused chaos in the Daxia Kingdom and openly destroyed the tacit understanding that had been formed over a long time. Although they could push the blame to the evil organization after this, they could only deceive the general public, but they could not hide it from others.


    Now that the humans were surrounded by all kinds of enemies, internal strife would only put them in an even more dangerous situation. However, the higher-ups of the Western corporations still did whatever they wanted, just like what they had done to Japan in the past.


    How could they not know how dangerous nuclear weapons were? However, they still gave the order to launch them. In fact, if Japan had not unconditionally surrendered, they would have launched a new round of attacks.


    When the surrounding soldiers heard this news, they were all furious.


    Jiangnan province had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was already being attacked by others. This was equivalent to cutting off their path to the future.


    Everyone was waiting for Zhou Hongquan¡¯s orders to destroy the evil organization in Jiangnan province.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to lead all the special operations team members from the security bureau to fight the enemy.¡±


    Lin Hui took the initiative to step forward. His voice was powerful and his expression was firm.


    Immediately after, the special operation members knelt down and requested permission to leave the city to eliminate the beast shadow warriors. All of this felt normal and reasonable.


    Zhou Hongquan frowned.


    ¡°How will the big fish leave Jiangdu City? Will the beast shadow warriors¡¯ attack on the railway be a deliberate diversion?¡±


    As the leader of Jiangdu City, his orders would have a large impact on the city. If he made a mistake, the enemy might escape.


    After some thought, Zhou Hongquan decided to put his trust in Chen Yiming and gave the order. Jiangdu City would immediately send out troops to eliminate the beast shadow warriors along the railway.


    Wayne, who was among the group, couldn¡¯t help but smile when he heard Zhou Hongquan¡¯s order.


    The second part of the evacuation plan was successfully completed. Once they left Jiangdu City, Lin Hui, the bureau chief, would no longer be of any use. The reagent that was a symbol of the first generation was still in Wayne¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll give you the spot for the first generation? Aren¡¯t you thinking too simply? Why don¡¯t I use it myself? Hehehe!¡±


    Little did he know that Chen Yiming was hiding in the black fog and staring at the special operations unit led by Lin Hui.


    ¡°Laughing?¡±


    ¡°Is this person a small fry? Or is he the big fish we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Although he could not be 100% sure, he had obtained an important clue. There must be a core member of the evil organization hidden in the team led by Lin Hui.


    ¡­


    The full moon shone brightly.


    Chen Yiming waited for Lin Hui¡¯s team to set off before sending a voice transmission to Zhou Hongquan. He told him to maintain the strict defense of Jiangdu City while he went out of the city alone to check on the situation.


    This was to prevent the core members of the evil organization using a diversion to escape. With Zhou Hongquan around, it would not be a problem to prevent the other party from forcefully breaking through the city¡¯s defenses for the time being.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual radar could cover a large area. If he sensed the commotion from the battle, he could still return in time and chase after them.


    After leaving the city, he looked up and saw more than 10 fighter jets flying over from the direction of Jiangnan City. They emitted intense rumbling sounds as they fired missiles at the beast shadow warriors one after another.


    Clearly, the Western corporations had completely angered the Daxia Kingdom this time. They did not care about the threat of the mutant beasts to the fighter jets, nor did they care that it was not suitable to use the fighter jets at night. They wanted to suppress the chaos caused by the evil organization at all costs.


    The cold steel railway extended into the dark night, and the destroyed portions of the railway could be seen everywhere.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure was like a ghost as he followed behind Lin Hui¡¯s team. He kept a distance of 10 kilometers from them.


    Within this range, no matter the situation, he would be able to make a move and confirm if the big fish was in Lin Hui¡¯s team.


    He also discovered another abnormality in Lin Hui¡¯s team. There were three people for whom the fight with the beast shadow warriors seemed to be going too smoothly. It was as if this was their body¡¯s innate ability, and it was a stark contrast to the other team members beside them.


    ¡°Are you in a hurry to escape?¡±


    Chen Yiming roughly guessed the reason and was delighted. He continued to follow closely behind.


    ¡­


    After traveling about seven to eight kilometers away from Jiangdu City, Lin Hui¡¯s team arrived at a narrow area on the railway.


    There were tall mountains on both sides. This portion of the road was completely surrounded, and the weaker side would be easily trapped.


    ¡°So much for the beast shadow warriors. Their strength is only for a few minutes. They can¡¯t last for long at all.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Your description is too nasty.¡±


    The fighting was going very smoothly, and the atmosphere in the team became very relaxed.


    A killing intent flashed in Natasha¡¯s eyes.


    In order to help her escape from the Daxia Kingdom, the beast shadow warriors hiding in Jiangnan province had sacrificed many of their number. The financial groups behind the organization had also suffered heavy losses, and it was unknown how much manpower and resources they had to spend to recover.


    On the other hand, she was half a step away from the master realm and had already completed the transformation of her spiritual power. Her materialized spiritual power could be turned into small needles that could kill the surrounding special operations unit members who were in her way with just a light touch.


    Thinking of this, she immediately made a move.


    Her materialized spiritual power split into more than 10 small needles that stabbed at a nearby special operations team member.


    The special operations team member felt a dull pain in his temples. A sense of fear suddenly appeared in his heart, and he could barely breathe.


    However, the feeling of being on the verge of death disappeared as quickly as it came.


    Everyone only heard a cry from the female operations team member, Jiang Qing.


    Jiang Qing was the belle of the security bureau. She was only 25 years old and had a beautiful appearance. She had a tenacious personality and was also quite strong. In the eyes of the team members, she was a perfect goddess.


    Usually, with Jiang Qing participating in missions, everyone was full of motivation. They all wanted to perform well and score some extra points in front of Jiang Qing.


    ¡°Jiang Qing, are you alright?¡±


    Almost everyone turned to look towards Natasha.


    Jiang Qing, whose identity had been switched, had a look of horror on her face. Her entire body was trembling as she looked in a certain direction in the darkness.


    There were three other people in a similar situation to her. They were the team members Yao Jianshu and He Wei, and the bureau chief, Lin Hui.


    This dumbfounded the members of the special operations unit. What was going on? Had they been ambushed?


    ¡°Tap tap tap¡­¡±


    At this moment, light footsteps sounded from the distance.


    Chen Yiming walked forward calmly, his gaze fixed on the only woman in the group.


    The other party was wearing a dark green military uniform. On the surface, there were no abnormalities, but the moment she used her materialized spiritual power, her identity was exposed.


    This was the target Chen Yiming had been looking for.


    ¡°You¡­ How dare you try to kill me here? The Daxia Kingdom will definitely face the wrath of the entire western world.¡±


    As Natasha spoke, her entire body became wrapped in a green stream of light. Then, her height increased from about 1.7 meters to three meters.


    At the same time, the dark green military uniform and undergarments inside were blown up. However, there was a layer of scales covering the surface of her skin, so she was not completely naked.


    Other than that, the human legs had disappeared, and a seven to eight-meter-long snake tail was coiled by her side instead.


    After the green light disappeared, the face of a Westerner appeared.


    In terms of appearance, she was undoubtedly beautiful and had an exotic air to her. Just one look at her and one would get excited, and one would want to press this snake beauty down and ravage her.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not afraid!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned cold.


    He could join forces with the figure in his mind to fight the enemy, so he did not think that there was any existence on the blue planet that could kill him.


    When the special operations unit saw Jiang Qing changing into a different person, they were all shocked. They moved quickly and retreated a distance away.


    Only the bureau chief, Lin Hui, along with Wayne and Locke, remained and hid behind Natasha.


    ¡°Bureau Chief¡­ you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Someone exclaimed.


    Clearly, the chief of the provincial security bureau, Lin Hui, had long been turned into a spy for the evil organization.


    This was outside of everyone¡¯s expectations. It had to be known that Lin Hui had always given off the image of a serious guy. He had made countless contributions and even had a chance of being transferred to the headquarters.


    Natasha stared at Chen Yiming. As the distance between them narrowed, her face stiffened.


    I was just bluffing. Did you really take it seriously? We¡¯ve already lost a martial master in the Daxia Kingdom. Who would still dare to provoke you?


    ¡°Wait! Let¡¯s talk things out¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Natasha¡¯s pupils dilated as a golden fist smashed towards her.


    At that moment, she felt an unparalleled power coming from the fist. A strong sense of danger caused her to put up a resistance with all her might.


    Although one could materialize their spiritual power at the level half a step away from the master realm, they had yet to master the ability to make use of the power of nature. The strongest power they could use was still the internal force.


    Natasha gathered all her internal force into her palms. As she struck out with a counterattack, her snake tail suddenly struck the ground, causing it to explode. Her body quickly dodged to the side.


    However, just as she moved, her entire body trembled as her protective internal force was forcefully broken through. The golden fist smashed into her chest, and her blood and flesh became a bloody mess.


    Natasha was sent flying sideways. She looked at her chest in horror, her eyes flashing with endless despair.


    Her body from the neck down had completely disappeared. Her snake tail was sent flying in another direction.


    Even those in the master realm would not be able to recover from such injuries. They could only live on in the form of spiritual power. However, humans were not spirits. Without the nourishment of their bodies, in the long term, their spiritual power would gradually dissipate.


    Chen Yiming charged forward again, shouting, ¡°Die!¡±


    As he spoke, he punched Natasha¡¯s beautiful face to a pulp. She was unable to withstand even a single blow from his powerful golden internal force even with her transformed spiritual power.


    The aftershock from the punch even blew a huge hole in the mountain opposite them. The entire mountain was filled with soil and grass, and the aftershock blew them away, leaving behind a bare mountain area that looked like a typhoon had swept past.


    In the western world, Natasha, who had the title of Snake Lady, had countless handsome men willing to become her male companions. She was a top socialite in high society and a high-ranking member of a financial group. But she had died here just like that.


    Next, without saying anything, Chen Yiming punched Lin Hui, Wayne, and Locke to send them to their deaths. They couldn¡¯t even react in time.


    ¡°Eh? I got some Skill Points.¡±


    After he defeated Wayne, the martial arts talent panel suddenly appeared. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know what was going on, but after dealing with these people, he quickly returned to Jiangdu City.


    ¡°My god, this is too¡­ violent.¡±


    The remaining members of the special operations unit watched with their own eyes as their bureau chief, Lin Hui, died tragically on the spot. It was as if he was a chick that was crushed underfoot.


    ¡­


    On the way back, Chen Yiming fell into deep thought.


    The martial arts path on the blue planet should reach its limit at the master realm. In other words, he would soon be stuck and his progression would come to a stop. He had to think of a way to resolve this problem.


    ¡°For the third talent, the Skill Points required are 100 times that of the first talent. However, with the figure in my mind, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a big problem for me to freely hunt the creatures from the otherworld for Skill Points.¡±


    In the past, his ability to obtain Skill Points was limited, and he could not waste any of it. Now he had the spiritual figure that could be reborn from his consciousness even if it died in battle.


    It was time to consider adding another talent.


    ¡°According to the novels from my previous world, there are powerful creatures with innate abilities in the universe. These creatures don¡¯t need to deliberately search for cultivation techniques, they just need to cultivate step by step.¡±


    Thinking of this, he summoned the martial arts talent panel and checked the grayed out talents.


    Not long after, he found many talents related to transformation. True Dragon, Phoenix, Golden Bull, Giant, and so on.


    ¡°True dragon? The name sounds scary, but it¡¯s impossible for it to reach the level of destroying the world at Level-1. Now, I don¡¯t even have 300 Skill Points. I have to consider it carefully. It¡¯s best if the talents complement each other.¡±


    Chen Yiming had the experience of choosing a talent twice, so he wouldn¡¯t rashly add a third one. Once he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to undo his choice.


    ¡­


    At the train station in Jiangdu City, teams of soldiers patrolled the surrounding streets. Many people who were suspected to have direct or indirect contact with the evil organization were captured.


    The government staff in charge of the investigation had combed through every household thoroughly, not letting go of any suspicious points.


    As Lu Feng¡¯s girlfriend on the surface, Zhang Yan was quickly captured after the incident. At this moment, she was brought to the city guardian, Zhou Hongquan, for questioning.


    ¡°The thing is, on the night of Lu Feng¡¯s accident¡­ Lu Feng brought me to visit bureau chief Lin Hui.¡±


    Zhang Yan recounted how she discovered that there was something amiss with Lu Feng.


    ¡°Since you knew that there¡¯s something wrong with Lu Feng, why didn¡¯t you report it to the relevant departments? You¡¯re still a reporter, don¡¯t you have any awareness of the situation? How do things usually work at the television station?¡±


    Zhou Hongquan¡¯s expression did not look too good, and his tone was much more stern. When Zhang Yan heard this, she almost cried.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any evidence, so I couldn¡¯t prove anything. Besides, Lu Feng is the leader of the organization department. When I looked for the leader of the martial arts bureau previously, he didn¡¯t believe me at all,¡± Zhang Yan explained softly with tears in her eyes.


    However, Zhou Hongquan¡¯s expression turned even uglier.


    The leader of the martial arts bureau in Jiangdu City was undoubtedly problematic in terms of how he went about his work. Whether there was anything fishy about him would definitely need to be investigated later.


    On the other hand, Zhang Yan¡¯s act of protecting herself first was understandable, but he could not agree with it. If they had started investigating from Lu Feng earlier, he did not know how many casualties could have been prevented.


    Even the train station would not be attacked by the beast shadow warriors.


    While Zhou Hongquan was feeling sorry for the casualties, Chen Yiming had returned to the train station.


    ¡°It¡¯s him. He was the one who investigated Lu Feng with me. I¡¯m not the only one who is responsible for this.¡±


    Zhang Yan saw Chen Yiming walking over and pointed him out to Zhou Hongquan.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at Zhou Hongquan in confusion.


    Zhou Hongquan was instantly embarrassed. From Zhang Yan¡¯s words, a young man from the victim¡¯s family had investigated Lu Feng with her, and they had spent a lot of time together.


    Zhou Hongquan wouldn¡¯t have cared if it was anyone else, but it was Chen Yiming.


    As an experienced person, how could he not know about the matters between men and women?


    In fact, Zhou Hongquan deduced that Chen Yiming had already stolen Lu Feng¡¯s girlfriend. Otherwise, how could he explain Zhang Yan¡¯s willingness to investigate Lu Feng¡¯s actions?


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. I asked Reporter Zhang about Lu Feng, but it¡¯s all fine now.¡±


    Zhou Hongquan smiled.


    His expression changed so quickly that Zhang Yan¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    Then, he said, ¡°I just dealt with a big fish. The other party was hiding in Lin Hui¡¯s team. I wonder if there¡¯s another one.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Hongquan stopped smiling and asked with a serious expression, ¡°Where is the other party now?¡±


    ¡°I lost control of my strength and killed her,¡± Chen Yiming said truthfully.


    In reality, it was Natasha who had threatened that the western world would take their revenge on him. In a fit of anger, he had not even thought of holding back. Another reason was that he had overestimated the strength of his opponent who was half a step away from the master realm. He did not expect her to be defeated with just one punch.


    ¡°What about bureau chief Lin Hui?¡±


    Zhou Hongquan was about to ask further, but he remembered that Chen Yiming had returned alone, so he didn¡¯t say anything. It was obvious that he had been defeated.


    As for the exact situation, he could just ask the special operations team led by Lin Hui.


    Chen Yiming had informed Zhou Hongquan about the matter and was about to leave. Before he left, Zhou Hongquan smiled and told Zhang Yan that there was no problem and that she could forget about this matter.


    Zhang Yan still couldn¡¯t figure out why Zhou Hongquan¡¯s attitude was different from before. Seeing that Chen Yiming was about to leave, she quickly chased after him and prepared to tell him about the situation with Lu Feng at Lin Hui¡¯s house.

 Chapter 283 - Joint Declaration of Eight Nations

    On the way, Chen Yiming used his spiritual power to scan an area of three kilometers around him. Compared to the previous time, where he had pretended to check the entire city, this time, he was serious and relied on his memory to spot any abnormalities.


    Zhang Yan was still wearing her shiny silver dress and 10cm-high heels. Along the way, she talked about what she had seen at Lin Hui¡¯s house.


    From the corners of his eyes, Chen Yiming saw that Zhang Yan was rubbing her ankles from time to time.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back first? In any case, there are soldiers patrolling the road everywhere. The members of the evil organization are either captured or hiding in some corner, trembling.¡±


    Zhang Yan curled her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a reporter. This is nothing. It¡¯s just that these high heels make me feel a little uncomfortable when I walk.¡±


    From Zhou Hongquan¡¯s reaction, she could tell that this man had been hiding something from her. Her reporter¡¯s habits made Zhang Yan feel like interviewing Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming ignored her and continued to investigate along the main road. He didn¡¯t believe that Zhang Yan could really follow him around Jiangdu City in her high heels.


    ¡°Why are you searching along the main road just like those soldiers? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re wasting your time?¡± Zhang Yan suddenly asked.


    ¡°You won¡¯t understand,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°Then tell me, how did you investigate those members of the evil organization?¡± Zhang Yan rolled her eyes and asked expectantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re too short, and I¡¯m like that mountain. You can¡¯t see the scenery behind the mountain peak at all, so you won¡¯t understand even if I tell you.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at Zhang Yan and pointed at a huge mountain in the distance.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Zhang Yan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, and she quickly cooled down. However, when she thought of how respectful Zhou Hongquan had been to this man, she thought to herself, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to say it, I can ask someone else.¡±


    Time passed by slowly. After investigating the city center, Chen Yiming walked towards the suburbs.


    The suburbs were much quieter than the city center. The beast shadow warriors had caused a commotion that night, and almost all the residents were staying in their houses.


    There were very few lights on, and only the sound of the wind could be heard from time to time.


    For some reason, Zhang Yan was a little afraid. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s already past midnight, right? How long are we going to take?¡±


    Chen Yiming was patiently investigating the area and rolled his eyes when he heard this.


    He glanced at the dark forest and then at the inexplicably nervous Zhang Yan. He could tell what she was thinking at a glance.


    Am I, Chen Yiming, someone who would take advantage of others when they are in trouble? Wasn¡¯t it all because you shamelessly followed me? If it wasn¡¯t for the sake of taking care of a burden like you, I would have settled this matter long ago.


    He shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for me here? I¡¯ll act alone and it¡¯ll all be over soon.¡±


    Zhang Yan was dumbfounded when she heard this.


    Hey! We don¡¯t even know if all the members of the evil organization have been captured yet, but you¡¯re just letting a weak woman like me stay in the wilderness alone. What kind of man is this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that something will happen to me?


    In the blink of an eye, while she was still stunned, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed yet!¡±


    ¡°At least send me back to the city first!¡±


    Her voice echoed on the wide road, but no one replied. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the depths of the forest. Zhang Yan quickly covered her mouth.


    She did not dare to stand alone on the main road and ran to a large tree by the roadside.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming¡¯s investigation speed was extremely fast. He hid in a ball of black fog and patrolled the city like a ghost.


    Wherever he went, only the sound of light footsteps could be heard. Almost no one noticed him.


    Now that his control over his internal force was flawless, he was confident that he could move quickly without being sensed from a distance of 100 meters.


    If he did not focus on speed but on stealth, he had the ability to sneak around unnoticed within three meters of the target.


    About half an hour later, other than killing a few small fries hiding in a basement, he did not find anything else. Chen Yiming returned to the previous spot and found Zhang Yan.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    A voice suddenly sounded in the silent night.


    When Zhang Yan heard this, she got a shock. She turned around and saw that a figure had appeared behind her without her knowing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t make any sound when you walk!¡±


    Zhang Yan recognized Chen Yiming. Her voice was choked up and tears were streaming down her face.


    ¡°Oh! Aren¡¯t you a reporter? You¡¯re too timid!¡±


    Chen Yiming refused to admit that he suddenly had the idea of teasing Zhang Yan.


    He was now one of the three martial masters in the Daxia Kingdom, but this reporter, Zhang Yan, was pestering him non-stop. If he did not teach her a lesson, she would probably come to interview him in a few days without his permission.


    This did not match his idea to have a low-key personal life and high-profile way of settling important matters.


    After a while, Zhang Yan calmed herself down and the two of them returned to the city center.


    ¡­


    In front of the Riverside Hotel.


    ¡°Just drop me off here. My feet are really hurting too much, and I don¡¯t want to walk all the way home. I¡¯ll get a room at the hotel tonight and rest.¡±


    Zhang Yan stopped in her tracks and informed Chen Yiming before walking towards the hotel lobby.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief as he watched Zhang Yan leave.


    He was no longer a beggar who could not afford to be picky. He was really a little worried that Zhang Yan would not let go of him. Now, he was more willing to focus on what was on the inside and search for someone he had a connection with.


    ¡°If I go back to the train station now, Zhou Hongquan might give me another grand welcome. How troublesome. I¡¯ll just rest here.¡±


    He sighed and scanned the room with his spiritual power. After confirming that Zhang Yan had entered her room, he walked towards the hotel lobby.


    ¡°Handsome, do you need a room?¡±


    At the front desk of the hotel, a beautiful lady in a uniform greeted him with a smile.


    It was almost 1 am. The people who came in at this time would not think too much about the price, and the lady did not need to waste her breath.


    ¡°Yes! Get me the most expensive room,¡± Chen Yiming said with a nod.


    ¡°Alright then!¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s eyes lit up. At the same time, she sighed in her heart. He was young and rich, and also willful, spending so much for a big room just for himself.


    It had to be known that Jiangdu City had a special status at the moment, causing prices to rise rapidly. The Riverside Hotel was one of the top hotels in the city, so the accommodations there were naturally even more expensive.


    The receptionist immediately settled the accommodation procedures.


    Chen Yiming swiped his card and received his room card, then walked to the elevator.


    From the beginning to the end, his expression was calm. He did not make any small talk with the receptionist, and his calm expression made her heart skip a beat.


    Such a man was the definition of an idol in her heart.


    ¡­


    After taking a hot shower, Chen Yiming sat on the sofa and turned on the television. An urgent piece of news was being broadcasted.


    A middle-aged woman in a suit stood on the podium and read out the announcement from the Daxia Kingdom to all the countries in the west.


    ¡°Sending an evil organization to create chaos won¡¯t solve any problems. Starting a civil war between humans will only harm others and yourselves. The Daxia Kingdom doesn¡¯t want internal strife among the humans, but we¡¯re not afraid of fighting either.¡±


    ¡°If any country does such an unforgivable thing again, we will definitely play along with it till the end. We will never submit to any external alliance. The Daxia Kingdom will protect its legal rights and interests.¡±


    ¡°The Daxia Kingdom and the Sam Nation are the two pillars of the blue planet. The relationship between the two countries affects the overall situation of humanity at all times. The Sam Nation should work with the Daxia Kingdom to take on the responsibility of developing the otherworld for the humans and expanding the scope of human survival, instead of causing trouble in private to drag us down as a whole.¡±


    ¡°Our Daxia Kingdom advises the Sam Nation to recognize the seriousness of the situation. Don¡¯t drag the entire blue planet into the abyss because of the interests of a small number of people.¡±


    ¡­


    After hearing the full announcement from the Daxia Kingdom, Chen Yiming used the playback function to rewind the news program forward. He started watching again from the international news.


    10 minutes later.


    ¡°The joint declaration of eight nations? What the hell?¡±


    Chen Yiming was confused by the reactions of the western countries. The Daxia Kingdom was clearly the victim, but why did it seem like they were the ones being bullied?


    ¡°I¡¯ve just gotten rid of one of your people that was a half-step away from the master realm, and you¡¯re already acting up? It seems like you guys aren¡¯t even concerned about my presence. If there¡¯s a chance, I have to teach you guys a lesson.¡±


    He thought of the trap that the Western corporations had set for him. If not for his strength, anyone else would have been surrounded and killed.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s impression of the western world dropped to rock bottom.


    Those who were not of the same race would definitely have different ways of thinking. The western world would never be on the same side as the Daxia Kingdom, and was a backstabber. In the future, he would definitely not take any chances when dealing with this problem.


    He deliberated for a moment and suddenly thought it through.


    ¡°Putting pressure through an alliance? That¡¯s interesting. Their true goal is to rescue the martial master trapped in the otherworld, right?


    It seems that the Sam Nation has been a top power for too long and has become unaware of its own limitations. I¡¯ll set off tomorrow to enter the otherworld and join forces with the spiritual figure. I don¡¯t believe that the martial master will still have any means of escape.¡±


    After making his plan, Chen Yiming picked up his phone and was about to call Zhou Hongquan.


    He planned to remind the other party to prioritize stability while he was not in Jiangnan province. If a big fish caused trouble again, they should prioritize information gathering for the moment.


    As long as they could confirm the exact location, it would not take him long to return from the otherworld to deal with the problem.


    However, just as he pulled up Zhou Hongquan¡¯s number, there was a knock on the door.


    Chen Yiming frowned. Who was knocking on the door in the middle of the night? It was either someone who had gotten drunk and found the wrong door or someone who came to promote their special services.


    He wanted to ignore it, but the person outside the door kept knocking.


    ¡°The management of this hotel is too poor. I have to complain about this later.¡±


    He cursed under his breath and walked forward to open the door.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The moment he opened the door, he saw Zhang Yan standing at the door. She was only wearing a white bathrobe, and her slightly wet hair was draped over her shoulders. Her fair legs were revealed, and she was wearing slippers provided by the hotel.


    ¡°Keep your voice down. I have something important to tell you.¡±


    Zhang Yan walked past Chen Yiming and entered the room. He had no choice but to close the door to prevent anyone from passing by and thinking that they were conducting an untoward transaction.


    ¡°Tell me! What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Chen Yiming returned to the sofa and sat down.


    Zhang Yan saw that the television in the living room was broadcasting the news, so she sat on the sofa as well. The unique fragrance of a woman who had just come out of the shower wafted over, causing Chen Yiming, who had lost interest, to feel a little tempted.


    ¡°The television station just called. They¡¯re sending out a reporter tomorrow to interview the military generals in Jiangdu City about their views on this matter.¡±


    Zhang Yan said with an expectant gaze.


    In the Jiangdu TV Station, the competition between the reporters was very intense, and Zhang Yan herself was not the type who had a strong backing. Under normal circumstances, it was unlikely for her to be involved in an interview at the national level.


    Firstly, she did not have a high enough status. Secondly, she lacked experience. The manager did not dare to hand over such an important matter to a young woman like her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of asking me about this? I don¡¯t know the military personnel in Jiangdu City. I can¡¯t help you,¡±


    Chen Yiming took a deep breath and calmed down, then explained helplessly.


    Unexpectedly, Zhang Yan turned around and grabbed one of Chen Yiming¡¯s hands. She shook it from side to side and said coquettishly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you close with the city guardian, Zhou Hongquan? Just help me put in a good word. I¡¯ll accept whatever happens next even if it doesn¡¯t work out.¡±


    There were a total of three buttons on the bathrobe. Although Zhang Yan had buttoned them all up, it was still styled with a deep V cut. When she faced Chen Yiming, he could see everything.


    ¡°Women, hehe! Beautiful women are never simple-minded,¡± Chen Yiming sighed to himself.


    If he wanted to eat meat, he had to pay the price. Zhang Yan was not a little girl, so she was clearly not that stupid.


    In fact, after hearing his conversation with Zhou Hongquan, she endured the pain in her high heels and followed him around half of Jiangdu City before directly entering his hotel room.


    ¡°Brother Chen, please,¡±


    Zhang Yan begged again. A few tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, and she sounded like she was crying.


    Chen Yiming was able to speak directly to the city guardian, Zhou Hongquan, and was actually of a higher status than him. He was a reliable source of support for her. After her boyfriend, Lu Feng, was exposed as a member of the evil organization, how could Zhang Yan still have any expectations for love?


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s conditions, and the fact that he was single, Zhang Yan would have been willing. Now, she might even gain something from it and could rely on his connections to become the top reporter in the television station.


    Chen Yiming avoided her gaze and tried his best to remain calm to prevent his mind from being affected by his impulsive thoughts.


    However, Zhang Yan was not a woman who would give up easily. She slid over, and the distance between the two of them closed up. At the same time, the bathrobe moved up a little, exposing almost all of her long, fair legs.


    ¡°This is not good!¡±


    Chen Yiming tried to move away, but he remained rooted to the spot.


    ¡°From now on, I¡¯m your secret lover,¡± Zhang Yan blushed and said as she leaned against Chen Yiming, biting her seductive red lips.


    He felt that it was not a loss to make a call on her behalf in exchange for a long-term relationship with Zhang Yan. He hesitated for a moment. ¡°Alright, you said it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhang Yan closed her eyes and replied in a high-pitched voice.


    Chen Yiming hugged Zhang Yan¡¯s slender waist with one hand and picked up the remote control on the table with the other to turn off the television.


    Zhang Yan took the opportunity to lie in Chen Yiming¡¯s embrace. A fragrance wafted over, and his heart skipped a beat. His mouth inexplicably went dry.


    He was a normal man who had been running around for the sake of the province. He could not bring the women he had slept with around with him, but he still had his own needs.


    Zhang Yan¡¯s boyfriend, Lu Feng, was already dead. It did not matter who had killed him. The other party was currently single, so no one would dare to say anything if there was something between them.


    A beautiful woman had thrown herself into his arms. Her figure and appearance were top-notch. If he still wasn¡¯t tempted, Chen Yiming would not be human.


    Chen Yiming kissed Zhang Yan so deeply that she was about to suffocate, and his hands boldly moved forward to explore her entire body.


    After a while, ¡°Stop moving.¡±


    Suddenly, Zhang Yan¡¯s body trembled and her breathing quickened.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time. Let¡¯s take a break,¡± Chen Yiming said seriously.


    10 minutes later, ¡°The living room is too bright. Let¡¯s go to the room,¡± Zhang Yan muttered weakly.


    At the same time, she tried her best to hold down Chen Yiming¡¯s naughty hand to stop him.


    ¡°The living room is just right,¡± Chen Yiming replied in a low voice.


    When Zhang Yan heard this, she felt that her body was about to burn up.


    She bit her lips and muttered, ¡°Stop playing with me.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and moved on to the actual thing.


    ¡­


    Zhang Yan was extremely embarrassed, and her face was as red as a ripe apple. She covered her face with her hand, as if she could comfort herself.


    The two of them had only known each other for a few days, and she did not even know his true identity, but their relationship had already developed to this extent.


    When she was really there, she realized that her body was resisting it. However, there was no turning back. After all, she could not make this man stop at this point.

 Chapter 284 - Fairness and Justice

    The next morning, when Zhang Yan woke up from her sleep, she turned around and didn¡¯t see anyone next to her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Chen Yiming sitting cross-legged on the balcony.


    Recalling the scene from last night, she could not help but cover her face, which had turned red.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for a few days. I was too rash!¡±


    It was like watching a movie. One crazy scene happened right after another. She covered her head with the blanket to hide her embarrassment.


    Under the blanket, her face was burning hot.


    After a long time, when Zhang Yan felt slightly suffocated, she was forced to reveal her head again.


    ¡°Should I go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine later? I didn¡¯t use any protection last night. What will he think if I really get pregnant?¡±


    Zhang Yan¡¯s mind started to wander. She even thought of the day when she would be killed by his wife and her body would be thrown to the bottom of the river.


    ¡°He¡¯s so young. He¡¯s probably not married!¡±


    In the end, Zhang Yan could only think this way, but she was still a little afraid.


    Time quickly passed by.


    Zhang Yan suddenly remembered that she still had to go to the television station to work. At the latest, the station had to decide on the interviewer by noon, so she quickly got out of bed.


    In the next moment, another awkward thing happened.


    This was not her room. She had run over last night in a bathrobe.


    Zhang Yan lowered her head and blushed. She quickly picked up the bathrobe that was stained with some unknown substance and put it on. Then, she sized up Chen Yiming, who was in the midst of his cultivation.


    The other party had his eyes closed and looked focused. She could not understand what he was doing at all. It was a little different from the martial arts she knew.


    Chen Yiming had completed the transformation of his spiritual power and laid the foundation for breaking through to the master realm. At this moment, he was trying to use his spiritual power to communicate with the power of nature.


    There were many types of natural power, and each had different attributes. Each person had a different affinity for different types of natural power.


    In order to maximize the efficiency of one¡¯s cultivation and one¡¯s combat strength after breaking through to the master realm, one would choose the type of natural power they had the highest affinity for, or a few natural forces they had the highest affinity with.


    There was no shortcut in this selection process. Every person who was a half-step away from the master realm needed to personally communicate with the different types of natural power and try it out for themselves.


    After a long time, Chen Yiming ended his cultivation and opened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Zhang Yan subconsciously avoided his gaze. At that moment, it was as if he had seen through her completely. After a moment of hesitation, she said softly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°The matter with the evil organization has come to a stop. We only rested at 5 am. You can sleep in a little longer,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    Zhang Yan nodded in agreement.


    After his reminder, she could not help but yawn. Her eyelids felt unusually heavy.


    However, she did not know how to ask about the matter she had requested. If she asked, it would make their relationship seem like a transaction.


    Chen Yiming seemed to have read Zhang Yan¡¯s mind and continued, ¡°Before you woke up, I talked to Zhou Hongquan. You can go over in the afternoon.¡±


    When Zhang Yan heard this, her sleepiness instantly disappeared. Her eyes lit up, and she felt like screaming and jumping around.


    Every reporter had a similar dream. They wanted to stand on a higher level and interview big shots, but only a few people had the chance.


    Furthermore, of the few reporters who got the chance in the end, even fewer were young people who were not even 30 years old.


    How could Zhang Yan not be excited? She was only 25 years old, but she had already reached a height that countless of her peers could not reach in their entire lives.


    1


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming left the Riverside Hotel at around 8 am.


    Over an hour ago, he had told Zhang Yan that he had something to do, but was stopped by her. The beautiful woman had enthusiastically expressed her excitement, causing a delay in his plans.


    He looked up at the sky.


    Unlike the clear sky from the day before, the sky was gloomy at this moment. The sunlight was blocked by thick clouds, and the air was oppressive. This was a prelude to a storm.


    However, the streets had become even more lively. Shops opened one after another, and there was an endless stream of customers. In the open-air square, a group of youths were practicing martial arts. A middle-aged man wandered around and pointed out problems with their technique.


    Jiangdu City had walked out of the influence of the evil organization and regained its prosperity extremely quickly.


    When he passed by the industrial park, he saw large trucks entering and exiting the area one after another. Black smoke rose from the towering chimneys in the distance, and the roar of machines could be heard from time to time.


    Jiangdu City was the city closest to the base city, and was the first to be connected to the base city via the railway. Various funds and resources were quickly invested here to provide supplies for the stronghold in the otherworld.


    It could be said that the entrance to the otherworld was the location where the stronghold was established. The link to this entrance in Jiangnan province was Jiangdu City, and it was of an even higher status than the provincial capital, Jiangnan City.


    The chaos caused by the evil organization was just a small incident. It was impossible to stop the development in the otherworld, just like when the Western corporations had tried to assassinate Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Unintentionally, I¡¯ve actually become the leader of an era and personally led the way.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly felt emotional.


    From the moment he stepped onto the path of martial arts until this time more than a year later, the martial arts environment in Jiangnan province seemed to have been divided into two different eras.


    Before Jiangnan province announced the opening of the base city, the main concern of the province was the conflict between humans and mutant beasts, the creatures from the otherworld that had accidentally entered the blue planet, and the battle between the martial arts factions.


    When Jiangnan province cooperated with Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements in Japan and announced that the stronghold in the otherworld was officially open to everyone, the situation had changed drastically.


    In an extremely short period of time, not only were the gazes of the entire province focused on the stronghold in the otherworld, but the gazes of the surrounding provinces were also attracted to it.


    Chen Yiming turned around and glanced at the Jiangdu City that was behind him.


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t fall, the major cities in Jiangnan province can continue to benefit from the development in the otherworld.¡±


    The Daxia Kingdom¡¯s plan to develop in the otherworld did not really require them to maintain dozens of strongholds for a long time. Instead, they had to spread out their net and select the best stronghold that they could focus their efforts on.


    Due to Chen Yiming¡¯s rise, Jiangnan province had seized the opportunity to open up the first stronghold in the otherworld. Not long after, the surrounding provinces were showing signs of becoming satellite provinces.


    Jiangdu City, on the other hand, was the first city in the province to benefit from the opening of the stronghold in the otherworld. The overall level of martial arts and the competitive environment improved qualitatively in a short period of time.


    However, this also meant that everything was supported by Chen Yiming alone. The enemies from the otherworld, the wilderness, and other human countries, were all opponents that they relied on Chen Yiming to defeat.


    He had to shoulder everything. Otherwise, just like the incident with the evil organization that had just passed, Jiangnan province would be targeted. The bigger the reward, the worse the share would be after the division among those who were attracted to it.


    ¡­


    At 8:55 am,


    more than 100 people rushed into the large conference room of the Jiangdu TV station. There were hosts from various channels, reporters from the television station, and staff behind the scenes.


    A group of beauties were chatting non-stop. Some of them were announcers, and some were reporters. The common characteristic was that they were all good-looking.


    In the last row of the conference room,


    Wen Rui nudged Zhang Yan, who was lying on the table, and whispered into her ear, ¡°Zhang Yan, stop sleeping. How dare you take a nap at a time like this?¡±


    Zhang Yan raised her head and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, and she heard the sound of a commotion.


    She looked down at her watch. There were still five minutes before the meeting started. Her eyelids drooped uncontrollably.


    ¡°Call me when Station Head Deng is here,¡±


    Zhang Yan replied and fell asleep on the table again. A few seconds later, she started to snore softly.


    If not for the fact that there was a commotion in the meeting room and that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the interview, her snores would have immediately become the center of attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re wild.¡±


    Wen Rui¡¯s eyes widened. What was wrong with her best friend today? Was she so unconcerned about her work that she even dared to sleep in public before the meeting?


    All the announcers and reporters were under station head Deng, who had a lot of power. Most of the time, he had the final say on who would appear on which channel, and which tasks would be assigned to which reporter.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that Zhang Yan¡¯s actions of sleeping on the table would be seen as her not taking her work seriously. Once this was spread from her colleagues to station head Deng¡¯s ears, it would undoubtedly leave a bad impression on him.


    The competition between the announcers and reporters was very intense. There were also many beautiful women outside who wanted to enter the industry. Did she not want to continue in this line of work anymore?


    However, Wen Rui recalled that her best friend had a boyfriend who was a leader in the organization department. Some time ago, Zhang Yan had said that the two of them were preparing to get engaged.


    She suddenly realized that this was the prelude to becoming a full-time housewife. No wonder she did not concern herself with station head Deng.


    In order to reduce the impact, the fact that Lu Feng was an informant for the evil organization would only be handled internally and would not be made public. The relatives and friends who were related to Lu Feng would also be banned from spreading the news.


    In the first row of the conference room,


    Shen Bing crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back in her seat. She was wearing a dark blue suit and had one leg crossed over the other. Her flesh-colored stockings perfectly accentuated the beauty of her long legs.


    There were more than 10 beauties sitting around her, as well as five or six male announcers and reporters.


    ¡°Sister Bing, can you bring me along for this interview? I can take on any job such as handling the cameras, moving things, and serving tea,¡±


    a male reporter said shamelessly, not considering his pride at all.


    ¡°Sister Bing, can you bring me along too? You promised me the last time we went shopping together,¡±


    a beautiful reporter at the side begged.


    One¡¯s work history was a very important reference. Shen Bing was the top reporter in Jiangdu TV Station. Not only was she the announcer for the news station, but she was also a reporter.


    For these people, it was a rare opportunity to even become Shen Bing¡¯s assistant. After all, it was impossible for station head Deng to give an important task to a random announcer or reporter right from the start. He would start them off with a simple task.


    This way, if they were helped by Shen Bing, they might be able to obtain a resume that would otherwise be difficult for them to accumulate even with two to three years.


    Shen Bing gestured and said, ¡°There are so many of you here, so who should I choose? I can only say that after the meeting ends, I will discuss the suitable candidates with Station Head Deng. You are all in the same circle, so there¡¯s no need to be anxious. It will eventually be your turn.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll listen to you, Sister Bing.¡±


    The announcers and reporters around Shen Bing expressed their stance one after another.


    All of them worked for Shen Bing, and there was competition between them. However, Shen Bing could provide an opportunity for them to be promoted in the workplace, so they always listened to her.


    When it was 8:59 pm, the small groups gathered in the meeting room dispersed and returned to their respective seats.


    Deng Mingchuan walked in a few seconds late.


    He had a full beard and was wearing a white shirt, jeans with holes in them, and brown leather shoes. He was just over 50 years old and had the look of an old artist.


    As soon as he entered, Deng Mingchuan noticed the listless Zhang Yan.


    He had some impression of this young female reporter. She had been dating a young leader from the organization department, so no one in the television station dared to bully her. Though she was still limited by her status and experience, she was a young person whose future looked promising.


    ¡°She¡¯s so lucky! She found a new backer!¡± Deng Mingchuan sighed in his heart. He only glanced at her for a moment before looking away.


    His superiors had personally called and instructed him to do a good job, so Deng Mingchuan had no choice but to follow the arrangements.


    Her connections were too strong, and as the head of the station, it also gave him a headache. If anything happened, the higher-ups would come to look for him. They would even guess that an important person had come to influence the station.


    In the meeting room, all the announcers, reporters, and staff behind the scenes sat up straight when they saw who it was, hoping to get station head Deng¡¯s attention.


    ¡°This interview is very important. The station has decided to change the method so that everyone has a chance to compete fairly. We will choose the most suitable candidate.¡±


    Deng Mingchuan stood on the stage and put down the documents in his hand.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the hosts and reporters had different expressions on their faces. Shen Bing herself was surprised by the news.


    For such an important interview, they had tacitly agreed that the station would definitely hand it over to the top reporter, Shen Bing. Who knew that there would be such a sudden change?


    The people from the other circles were very excited. In their hearts, their role had changed from watching the show to fighting for an opportunity. They suspected that Shen Bing had made some mistake that caused the station to deliberately stop her from taking the interview.


    Wen Rui poked Zhang Yan¡¯s thigh with her finger, then clenched her fists and signed with her eyes: ¡°The station is finally being fair for once. We¡¯ll do our best together later. Let¡¯s go for it!¡±


    Zhang Yan was a little embarrassed. She did not know how to respond. She could not possibly tell her best friend that


    what station head Deng said about being fair and was actually just a formality. The real candidate had already been decided.


    Soon, Deng Mingchuan read out the name list and asked the announcers and reporters to pair up to simulate the interviewer and the interviewee.


    When it was Shen Bing¡¯s turn, she was influenced by the station¡¯s new decision and her mentality was affected. She did not even manage to perform at her normal level.


    Deng Mingchuan was expressionless. Without saying a word, he filled in the corresponding score on the name list.


    This made the announcers and reporters even more certain that the station wanted to suppress the top reporter, and that this opportunity would definitely be given to someone other than her.


    Therefore, everyone secretly vowed to put on their best performance.


    ¡­


    Zhang Yan and Wen Rui happened to be in the same group.


    Before Zhang Yan went on stage, she cheered herself on in her heart. Although she was almost 100% sure that it had been internally decided, she still had to perform well. Otherwise, she would be throwing her face away.


    Their mock interview ended.


    Perhaps it was because she knew the outcome, but her mentality had never been better. After she came down, Zhang Yan felt that she had performed exceptionally well.


    She heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. She felt that she should be able to at least achieve a decent score and not reveal at a glance that the selection was internally decided.


    ¡­


    Deng Mingchuan read out each person¡¯s score in order.


    As the last score was announced, it meant that the final result was out. The full score was 10 points, and Zhang Yan had obtained the highest score with 9.9 points.


    Some people felt that they had given her too much credit, but this kind of evaluation was subjective. The standards could not be completely the same, and it was not appropriate for them to question the scoring.


    As for Shen Bing, she only got 9.5 points. This meant that she would not be selected.


    At this moment, everyone felt a little sorry for Shen Bing. They did not expect the station head to really be fair and just, not caring about the reputation of the top reporter at all.

 Chapter 285 - Showing Off Archery Skills In Front of His Sister

    At a fast food restaurant in the otherworld, most of the seats were taken, and some people decided to get takeaway. Their business seemed to be doing well.


    ¡°Welcome! What would you like to order?¡±


    A beautiful lady at the service counter smiled.


    ¡°For set number one, what meat is in the burger?¡± Chen Yiming looked up at the menu on the wall and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s high-quality beef from the cattle farm on the east side of the stronghold,¡± the lady explained with a sweet smile.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the menu again and said, ¡°From set number one to five, give me one of each.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡±


    The lady wrote down the order and gave Chen Yiming a number plate.


    Chen Yiming took the number plate. On it was the number 78. He turned around and left the service counter, found an empty seat and sat down.


    About five minutes later, another young lady walked over with a plate filled with fried chicken, hamburgers and some fried snacks.


    ¡°The food you ordered is ready.¡±


    The lady smiled and placed the plate on the table in front of Chen Yiming before turning to leave.


    Chen Yiming picked up a burger and ate half of it in one bite. He muttered to himself,


    ¡°The farm has started operating so quickly. Looks like the stronghold¡¯s development is going well.¡±


    After swallowing the bite of burger he just took, he looked at the remaining half and continued, ¡°It tastes pretty good. It¡¯s just that they didn¡¯t put much meat in it, so it can only be eaten as a snack.¡±


    Most of the raw materials for the burgers and fried chicken in front of him had been transported from Jiangnan province. Only the meat was from animals that were brought to the otherworld to be raised here.


    Even though the animals had not stayed in the otherworld for long, the quality of their meat had improved greatly. It was much better than what was produced on the blue planet.


    ¡°As long as the stronghold can continue operating for a long time, just the level of improvement in these simple things will be something that the cities on the blue planet can never compare to.¡± Chen Yiming sighed after eating another burger.


    With the precedent of the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s success, he could not help but think that the other countries were not stupid and would quickly copy their methods.


    This way, for a long time to come, the attention of the blue planet would probably be focused on establishing strongholds in the otherworld.


    However, there was still a problem, which was whether they had the ability to defend the stronghold for a long time. The humans had been on the defensive previously. They only needed to deal with the creatures from the otherworld who had accidentally entered the blue planet via the space-travel passages.


    If all the countries opened up strongholds in the otherworld, it would be equivalent to humans taking the initiative to attack the otherworld. The conflict between the two sides would definitely worsen.


    ¡°Small countries will probably wait and observe the situation for the time being, but the other large countries will definitely not be willing to fall behind the Daxia Kingdom. The number of strongholds a country has in the otherworld will soon become a sign of the country¡¯s abilities,¡± he thought to himself as he ate the fried snacks.


    The advantage of having a stronghold in the otherworld was too great. For example, if the Daxia Kingdom could have one in each province, the foundation of their martial arts would improve greatly in a year or two.


    The increase in the number of disciples meant that more people would break through to the warrior realm. As this cycle continued, the overall strength of the Daxia Kingdom would increase.


    On the other hand, countries that could not establish a long-term stronghold would not only stagnate, but would also face the risk of their young talents being lost to another country.


    When there was a huge difference in strength between two neighboring countries, the weaker country might one day fall under the control of the stronger one.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming looked towards the sky as he walked out of the restaurant. The three balls above provided sufficient light for him as he walked towards the military camp.


    Along the way, he saw the streets being renovated.


    The original roads here were made from barren land. When the stronghold was first built, they were simply cleared of weeds and flattened. Now that the situation had stabilized, they began to use the cement transported from the blue planet to modify it.


    In addition, there were also muscular workers everywhere.


    Due to the fact that the gravity in the otherworld was about 10 times that of the blue planet, ordinary people would not be able to withstand it when they entered. Therefore, the lowest-level jobs in the stronghold, such as workers, waiters, and so on, were done by those in the disciple realm who did not like to fight.


    Of course, it was impossible for those in the disciple realm to only receive a salary of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan. This also greatly increased the operating cost of the shops here, greatly increasing the price of goods.


    Compared to Jiangnan City, the difference in prices was a huge amount.


    Did Jiangnan province have the financial ability to lower the prices?


    That was definitely possible. The current scale of the stronghold was limited, and it was equivalent to a small city. It could be said that it was not too difficult.


    With the strength of the entire province, they could even provide subsidies to all the people who entered the stronghold such that they did not need to work and only needed to focus on their own cultivation. However, this was not beneficial to the long-term development of the stronghold. No one in power would want to do this.


    Whether it was the banknotes on the blue planet or the contribution points on the stronghold, they were essentially a type of currency. Only by allowing the contribution points to circulate in the stronghold could the stronghold become a real city.


    Therefore, very few martial arts practitioners who entered the otherworld came from ordinary families.


    Only by developing the stronghold into a real city and expanding the human territory would there be a chance to gradually reduce the price of goods, so that young people from ordinary families could also stay in the otherworld for a long time to cultivate.


    When he passed by a shop selling martial arts equipment,


    Chen Yiming thought about how Chen Yingying was still a little girl. Practicing archery as a form of long-range attack might increase his sister¡¯s confidence in combat.


    Thinking of this, he walked into the shop.


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    A middle-aged man was wiping the dust off his weapon when he saw a customer enter the shop.


    ¡°Show me your bows and arrows,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    The middle-aged man led the way to the area where bows and arrows were displayed. He introduced, ¡°Our shop has bows that weigh 100 pounds for the entry level disciple realm, to bows that weigh 1,000 pounds for the warrior candidate realm. You can take a look and see which type you like.¡±


    The customer was a young man who was about 18 years old, so the middle-aged man did not introduce the bows used by warriors.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with that silver 500-pound bow,¡± Chen Yiming said as he pointed at it.


    The middle-aged man was delighted when he heard this. He liked customers like this kind of rich young master very much. They were generous with their money and never bargained.


    It had to be known that a bow was different from other common weapons. Because there was no need for close combat, the speed of wear and tear was relatively lower.


    The price of items in the stronghold was much higher than in the large cities in Jiangnan province, so bows were especially difficult to sell. On the other hand, arrows were a best-seller.


    There was a rule that allowed one to enter and exit the otherworld only once every week. Consumables like arrows would inevitably be used up as long as they left the stronghold to explore the otherworld, and they were often unable to be retrieved.


    Therefore, arrows sold well in the shops.


    ¡°Do you need some arrows to go with it?¡± the middle-aged man took out the silver 500-pound bow from the glass cabinet and asked when he handed it over.


    Chen Yiming took the bow and checked it. ¡°Bring out your best arrows.¡±


    The middle-aged man was overjoyed again. What kind of luck did he have today? He had encountered a rich youngster who did not even bat an eyelid when buying goods.


    Soon, a silver arrow with a threaded surface was handed to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°This is the best armor-piercing arrow in our shop. The arrowhead is made from biomaterials, and its hardness and sharpness far exceed that of ordinary arrows,¡± the middle-aged man explained.


    Chen Yiming picked up the arrow and examined it. He realized that the workmanship was exquisite, and ordinary arrows couldn¡¯t compare to it.


    If this type of arrow was used to practice archery, the effect would definitely be very good due to its stability. This would help his sister master archery in a shorter time.


    ¡°Give me 200, no 500 arrows!¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how many!¡± The middle-aged man was a little confused, and his voice became stammering.


    These were not ordinary arrows. They were usually used as trump cards and were hidden until the critical moment of a battle. One would suddenly switch from ordinary arrows to these special arrows to deal a fatal blow to their prey.


    It was already not bad if he could sell more than 10 to 20 arrows at a time. Usually, only martial arts factions would buy in bulk and get more than 100 arrows at a time.


    Furthermore, the martial arts factions could make their purchase in the province. He had never seen anyone buy a large number of items from the stronghold at a markup.


    The middle-aged man suddenly remembered that he did not have 500 arrows in the shop¡¯s inventory. There were only 200-over arrows. His expression changed from joy to regret.


    ¡°Do you not have enough stock to give me 500 arrows?¡±


    The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment and sighed. ¡°There are less than 300 arrows in our inventory.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°Pack everything for me.¡±


    Soon, the bow and arrows were packed into large boxes. Chen Yiming paid the bill with his contribution points, which was the currency of the stronghold.


    He walked out of the shop with a large box in each hand.


    ¡­


    Carrying the two large boxes, Chen Yiming arrived at the military camp where his sister and the teachers and students of the martial arts academy were staying.


    The military camp was located in a wide area to the west of the stronghold. This was the location of the military force in the stronghold. Soldiers and martial arts experts from the military took turns to defend the stronghold.


    It was lunch time, and the entire camp was relatively peaceful.


    After Chen Yingying received the news that her brother had returned, she rushed over and saw him with two large boxes. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re finally back. What did you buy?¡±


    Chen Yiming placed the two large boxes on the ground and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, just a bow and some arrows.¡±


    ¡°Brother, are you going to practice archery too?¡± Chen Yingying asked curiously.


    ¡°How is that possible? Those are for children. I prepared them for you.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s tone was calm, as if this was how it should be.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s mouth formed an O shape when she heard this. She squatted down excitedly and opened the box.


    When she saw a silver bow and a full box of silver arrows, Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up. She said sweetly, ¡°Brother, these are all so beautiful. I like them very much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you like them. Remember to practice your archery and master it,¡± Chen Yiming continued with his hands behind his back.


    A thought suddenly flashed across Chen Yingying¡¯s mind. She remembered that not only did she need to practice her swordsmanship every day, but she also had to take the time to comprehend the concept diagram. Now, she also had to learn archery.


    This¡­ this pace did not let her get any rest!


    At the thought of this, the beautiful bow instantly lost its appeal. If she had known this would happen, she would have kept her feelings to herself.


    Chen Yiming pretended not to notice the change in his sister¡¯s expression and continued, ¡°You¡¯re still quite a while away from comprehending the concept diagram. Archery is a long-range form of attack, so I¡¯ll be less concerned about your safety. You can also slowly adapt to combat after mastering archery and find a rhythm that suits you.¡±


    When Chen Yingying heard this, she still wanted to reject him. She pouted and said, ¡°But how can I find the time to practice archery? Moreover, there¡¯s no suitable archery teacher here. Teacher Cai and Teacher Zhao don¡¯t use bows and arrows.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s difficult about that? I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Of course, Chen Yiming had never learned archery before, but he could cheat with his materialized spiritual power. As long as he could give Chen Yingying some confidence, he could find someone from the military who knew archery to teach her later. It would be easy for him to be his sister¡¯s teacher for the time being.


    Chen Yingying had no reason to refute him this time, but she still looked unhappy. When she thought about her daily cultivation plan and the addition of archery practice, she felt that her life was rather meaningless.


    Chen Yiming let his sister carry the bow while he picked up the large box containing the arrows. The two of them walked straight to the shooting range of the military camp.


    Because technological weapons from the otherworld could not be used, the shooting range in the stronghold in the otherworld was not for firearms, but for bows and arrows.


    Facing the empty shooting range at noon, Chen Yiming thought to himself that he was lucky. Without a true archery expert present, he wouldn¡¯t make a fool of himself.


    If Chen Yingying doubted him, he would not admit it. He would just try his best to trick her.


    ¡°Shoot a few arrows first. Let me see your level.¡±


    Chen Yiming decided to let his sister go first. This way, he could observe the situation.


    ¡°The school taught me basic archery, so I¡­ just learned the standard posture. Brother, don¡¯t laugh at me later,¡± Chen Yingying stammered.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Chen Yiming stood two to three meters away with his hands behind his back.


    From the beginning to the end, he was filled with confidence. Those who did not know better would really think that he was an expert in archery.


    Chen Yingying took out an arrow from the box and faced the target 100 meters away. She nocked the arrow on the bowstring and pulled it back. In an instant, she recalled the basic archery techniques taught in the martial arts academy.


    She adjusted her posture slightly, and Chen Yiming noticed this detail.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The arrow shot out, drawing a parabola in the air and hit¡­ the stone wall at least a meter away from the target.


    The armor-piercing arrow was very powerful. It pierced through the stone wall like it was tofu. The wall did not seem to pose much of an obstruction to the arrow¡¯s path at all.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yingying looked embarrassed.


    Her aim was too far off. She did not even hit the target, let alone the center of the target.


    Chen Yiming suppressed his laughter and glanced at his sister. With a calm expression, he said, ¡°Your posture is passable. I¡¯ll shoot an arrow. Watch carefully.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have time to practice properly.¡±


    Chen Yingying defended herself in her heart and handed the bow to Chen Yiming with a red face.


    Chen Yiming stepped on the yellow lines drawn on the ground. The distance between the yellow lines and the target was exactly 100 meters.


    ¡°I¡¯ll demonstrate for you today. 100 meters? No, that¡¯s too easy. I¡¯ll shoot from 300 meters away.¡±


    With that, he picked up three arrows from the box at once. In order not to let his sister see through his pretense, his speed was extremely fast. He drew the bow and shot out the arrows, repeating the same process twice.


    In Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes, only the afterimage of his movements could be seen. In the blink of an eye, all three arrows were shot out. They were connected tip to shaft and flew towards the target in the same trajectory.


    After firing the arrows, Chen Yiming returned to the position with his hands behind his back. In reality, he had already controlled the entire situation with his spiritual power and was constantly adjusting the trajectory of the arrows.


    The first arrow hit the bullseye. The second arrow hit the tail of the first arrow, and only after breaking through the first arrow did it hit the bullseye. The third arrow was just like the second arrow.


    In the end, only one arrow remained at the center of the target, and the first two arrows were perfectly pierced.


    ¡°Brother, how did you do it!¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s mouth opened wide in surprise.


    ¡°No other way but through practice,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    After he finished speaking, he almost couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter. Fortunately, he forcefully held it in and his sister didn¡¯t notice.


    At this moment, Chen Yingying realized how amazing archery was and no longer rejected it.


    She thought to herself that if she could learn to be as good as Chen Yiming, she would be able to use only long-range attacks in the future. It would be safe for her, but also allow her to deal a large amount of damage.

 Chapter 286 - Write Down Four Words

    The rocky plains in the otherworld was a strange area. One could only see the horizon in the distance, and it was unclear how large this area was.


    Every thousand meters or so, there was a huge rock the size of a small mountain. Various crawling creatures relied on the huge rocks as cover to hunt, hide, and reproduce.


    The rocks were not all non-living things. Some of them were stone golems.


    The stone golems were asleep 99% of the time. Unless one deliberately attacked it, it was difficult to tell if the rocks were alive or not.


    ¡­


    A giant lizard lowered its head and hid in the shadow of a huge rock. It looked like a Komodo Dragon, but it was several times larger and was more than 10 meters long.


    A long wound could be seen at the top of its thigh. Its thick scales were broken, and even though it was staying still on the ground, blood was still seeping out.


    The giant lizard exhaled from time to time and let out a low roar. The wound lit up with a bloody light, but a mysterious force prevented the wound from healing.


    At this moment, a team of explorers was hiding in the shadows a kilometer away. Using the huge rocks as cover, they stuck out their heads from time to time and stared at the injured giant lizard.


    ¡°Captain, that giant lizard shouldn¡¯t be able to run anymore.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. We¡¯re not in a hurry. Can¡¯t you see that the wound can¡¯t heal?¡±


    ¡°Captain, I just feel sad about the blood of the giant lizard being wasted like this. If we can capture it alive, I wonder how much those organizations that study bloodline warriors will pay to buy it from our team.¡±


    ¡°Capture it alive? It¡¯s not that simple. We were lucky to have injured its thigh.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! If only we could find a few more exploration teams to work with. The scales, blood, claws, and other materials on the giant lizard¡¯s body are all priceless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a pity this time. I¡¯ve decided that after we return to the stronghold, I¡¯ll immediately contact some old friends and work together. We can¡¯t miss this god-given opportunity.¡±


    When Chen Yiming returned to the stronghold, he had given the order to the spiritual figure to go to the rocky plains to investigate the reason for the abnormality. He suspected that the Western martial master was hiding there and causing trouble.


    This giant lizard was also unlucky. It was affected by the battle between the spiritual figure and a powerful stone golem. It had only brushed past it and had almost died on the spot.


    Due to the fact that its wounds could not heal for a long time, after the giant lizard escaped from the range of the battle, it could only find a place to hide. Otherwise, it would die just from the blood loss.


    At this moment, creatures from the otherworld that were severely injured or even killed on the spot could be found everywhere on the rocky plains. In the chaos, the exploration team had the chance to spy on the injured giant lizard instead.


    ¡­


    At the stronghold, in the military camp, Chen Yingying was drenched in sweat on the shooting range. She repeatedly practiced her archery, pulling back the bowstring then letting it go.


    A woman from the military was standing more than a meter away, pointing out Chen Yingying¡¯s mistakes.


    This archery teacher did not look like a weak woman at all. She had tanned skin and toned muscles. Coupled with her dark green military uniform, she was filled with the aura of a wild beauty.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes as he lay on a chair. Above his head was an insulated canopy.


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    The notifications rang out continuously.


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The spiritual figure is really powerful. Am I going to be able to retire earlier than expected?¡±


    He sighed and looked at the shooting range. He had been supervising his sister¡¯s archery practice, but in reality, most of his attention had landed on the female teacher in the military uniform.


    Ever since the spiritual figure became an independent being and knowing that it could be revived even after death, he had a feeling that the rest of his life would most likely become like a game.


    ¡°Was there something wrong with that Western martial master¡¯s body to begin with? Otherwise, how could he be so cowardly and hide away somewhere and cause trouble in the dark?¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s head hurt.


    He was not afraid of the other party, but it was not a good thing for his stronghold to be targeted by a poisonous snake. As a result, he and the spiritual figure had to guard the stronghold at all times.


    Otherwise, it would only take the blink of an eye for a martial master to wipe out the entire stronghold.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s useless to think too much about it. What I should consider now is to eliminate the creatures from the otherworld around the stronghold as soon as possible and establish the foundation for Jiangnan province.


    If that coward at the master realm dares to show his face, with two against one, won¡¯t it be a simple matter?¡±


    After Chen Yiming thought it through, he felt relieved.


    ¡°But¡­ how should I maximize the value of the surrounding area?¡±


    A new problem arose.


    It was indeed simple for him to send out the spiritual figure to kill all the creatures nearby. However, even if he did not consider anything else, it would still be too easy for the stronghold to obtain the loot this way.


    In that case, it would only benefit a small number of martial arts factions and the military. The ordinary people would be limited by their strength, and the benefits they could obtain would be limited.


    ¡°War is the best catalyst. Everyone has to be involved.¡±


    Chen Yiming came up with a vague plan. He wanted to use the spiritual figure to incite a war and make the stronghold into a real human city.


    He used the finance industry in his previous world as a reference, and treated the otherworld as a base. He was the largest banker on the human side. The government and martial arts factions were equivalent to large and small bankers respectively. Those who did not join the factions were independent investors.


    He wanted to use the stronghold as a platform to guide the direction of the war with the creatures from the otherworld so that everyone could follow the spiritual figure and explore the otherworld.


    ¡­


    Two hours later, ¡°Brother, why are you lying down? Are you slacking off?¡± Chen Yingying asked while she took a water break.


    ¡°What does a child like you know? This is a meditation cultivation technique. You will understand when you start to break through to the master realm,¡±


    Chen Yiming continued to lie on the chair and said shamelessly.


    Doubts? In any case, his sister could not understand it, and the military teacher who taught her archery could not understand it either. What he said would be taken as the truth.


    Chen Yingying could not refute him. She picked up a fan from the table beside her and fanned herself. Her long hair, which was drenched in sweat, fluttered in the air.


    About five minutes later, ¡°Break time is over.¡±


    Wu Youjia, who had been keeping track of the time, reminded her.


    She had been arranged to teach Chen Yingying archery on short notice. Before she came, the general had instructed her to take the teaching job seriously. He had also reminded her who the young man at the shooting range was.


    Although Chen Yiming¡¯s deeds were widely known, because he didn¡¯t like to be exposed to the public, the Jiangnan provincial government only had a description of him in their publicity materials.


    If one had not met him before, they would not have known that the young man was that man.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Chen Yingying put down her fan and prepared to continue practicing her archery.


    At this moment, ¡°Teacher Wu, can you stop for a moment and help me find a wooden board?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly had an idea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. Just call me Xiao Wu,¡± Wu Youjia said with a reserved expression. She did not have the strict air she had displayed when she was teaching Chen Yingying.


    After she finished speaking, she turned around and left without even asking why.


    ¡°Brother, why are you looking for a wooden board?¡± Chen Yingying asked curiously as she watched the archery teacher leave.


    ¡°To do something big, of course.¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at his sister.


    ¡°Something big?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Soon, every word on it will be studied by everyone.¡±


    Chen Yiming drew a picture in his mind and replied confidently to his sister.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be so mysterious. What exactly is this about?¡± Chen Yingying quickly asked.


    ¡°Just wait and see. I can¡¯t explain it to you now,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    In reality, this was just a spur of the moment thought. He was not sure if things would go according to his expectations.


    Therefore, he could not say it now in case things did not work out and he was not able to smooth things over.


    ¡­


    Before long, Wu Youjia returned to the shooting range carrying a wooden board that was about three meters long and two meters wide.


    ¡°Is it big enough? If it¡¯s not, I¡¯ll look for something else.¡±


    A stronghold in the otherworld was not as convenient as one in Jiangnan province. It was not like they could immediately make arrangements if they wanted to get something.


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°Just put the wooden board on the ground.¡±


    Wu Youjia put down the wooden board and stood beside Chen Yingying, watching quietly. Chen Yingying was very curious, and her gaze was urging Chen Yiming to hurry up.


    He no longer deliberately kept them in suspense. He raised his hand and the golden internal force instantly surged out. Using his finger as a pen, he wrote the four words ¡°Great Rocky Stone Plains¡± on the wooden board.


    With the enhancement from the Undying Body talent, the golden internal force could last for a long time before dissipating. He was not afraid that someone would tamper with it, nor was he afraid that someone would copy it. It was very secure.


    ¡°Brother, this¡­ Are you practicing calligraphy?¡± Chen Yingying asked doubtfully.


    After arriving at the stronghold, she also learned some general knowledge about the otherworld. She knew that the rocky plains were the stronghold¡¯s name for a certain area.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. He stood with his hands behind his back and maintained his mysterious and aloof image.


    How could a little girl like Chen Yingying understand things at the level of a big shot? The meaning behind these words was that he wanted to spread the news and guide everyone in the stronghold to work together to attack this place.


    ¡°Teacher Wu, do you see anything?¡± Chen Yingying asked the archery teacher beside her in a low voice.


    ¡°Your brother is too amazing!¡± Wu Youjia praised with a serious expression.


    She could feel how powerful the golden internal force was. Not only was its aura unimaginably dense, but its stability was also unheard of. It had actually left his control, but she could not see it dissipating at all.


    As for herself, she could transform her internal force, and when she shot an arrow, she could add a layer of internal force to the arrow, greatly increasing its lethality.


    However, after leaving her control, her internal force could only maintain a stable state for a short while due to the influence of natural forces. It was enough to use as an attack, but it was impossible for her to do what he was doing.


    Chen Yiming admired his masterpiece and felt that it was not bad. He said to Wu Youjia,


    ¡°Help me make a billboard out of the wooden board later and stick it in the square at the exit of the space-travel passage.¡±


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, in the square at the exit of the space-travel passage,


    dozens of soldiers walked out of a street. Someone in front was in charge of clearing the way, and more than 10 people behind were carefully carrying a huge wooden billboard.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°That wooden board seems to be glowing.¡±


    ¡°Look carefully. There are four words written in gold on the wooden board.¡±


    ¡°Great Rocky Stone Plains? What does that mean?¡±


    Wherever these soldiers passed, the pedestrians on the street started to discuss among themselves.


    The movements of the military had always guided the direction for the stronghold since it was first established. Everyone took their actions seriously.


    When the soldiers placed the billboard in the middle of the square, the news had already spread throughout the stronghold. The crowd gathered in the square from all directions, all wanting to know what had happened in the stronghold.


    ¡­


    The Myriad Phenomena Restaurant opposite the exit of the space-travel passage was one of the shops beside the square that was the property of the Myriad Phenomena Sect in the otherworld.


    On the second floor of the restaurant, all the customers had gathered in front of the French windows to watch what was happening in the square.


    ¡°Great Rocky Stone Plains? Are they asking us to head to this area?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s reminding everyone that something has happened in the rocky plains and warning us not to go.¡±


    ¡°The military has already released the news that it was written by that man. The martial master is more than enough to suppress all the chaos. How could he be warning us not to go?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! The otherworld is so troublesome. We can¡¯t use our phones, and we have to rely on manpower to pass on the news. Otherwise, we can just call the people there and find out the situation.¡±


    Almost all the customers who could spend their time at the Myriad Phenomena Restaurant were members of martial arts factions. The news from the military immediately came to them.


    However, since Chen Yiming didn¡¯t explain it to his sister¡¯s archery teacher, the military couldn¡¯t understand what he really meant.


    They could only quickly send someone to the rocky plains to check out the situation.


    ¡­


    On the south side of the stronghold, there was a three-story building with the sign ¡°Hengrui Research Institute¡±.


    The Hengrui Research Institute was a powerful national research institute in Jiangnan province. It could also be ranked in the top 30 in the Daxia Kingdom all year round.


    Thanks to the fact that it had always been a research institute under Jiangnan province, under the recent changes in policy, it was developing very quickly.


    However, due to the restrictions of the otherworld, it was impossible to move a large number of laboratories in. The main experiments were still carried out in the headquarters in Jiangnan province, and they could only rent a small building to use as a simple laboratory in the stronghold.


    In a small meeting room on the third floor, the head of the institute, Zhang Rui, sat at the head of the table and said, ¡°Everyone, speak freely. Share your thoughts.¡±


    There was a deputy director, a professor-level project leader, and some experienced laboratory technicians.


    ¡°I think our research institute doesn¡¯t have enough combatants. It¡¯s not too late to observe for a while before taking action.¡±


    ¡°I think we should send someone back to Jiangnan province immediately and mobilize people from the research institute¡¯s headquarters. Not only will we need combatants, but we also need experimental and administrative personnel.¡±


    ¡°I think not only should we immediately mobilize our people, but we should also actively work with the martial arts factions that have always had a good relationship with us to make up for the weakness of the combatants in our research institute.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing we don¡¯t even need to discuss. With the example of an evil organization being forcefully suppressed by that man, the Hengrui Research Institute doesn¡¯t need to hesitate at all. Something big must have happened.¡±


    ¡°Let me add something. Now, the stronghold is not only filled with factions from Jiangnan province, but also from other provinces. Competition is inevitable, and the Hengrui Research Institute needs to be more proactive. It is only right to take a certain amount of risk.¡±


    Most of the opinions were that they should take action immediately, and only a few people maintained a conservative view.


    The head of the institute, Zhang Rui, also wanted to take action. He was looking further ahead than his subordinates.


    From the fact that the evil organization had been forcefully suppressed, although he did not know the details, he could tell that the situation was developing in a good direction. That man was not afraid of the Western corporations targeting him at all.


    This way, it would not be long before the development of the otherworld would start in earnest. There was no doubt about it.


    This was the general trend. If the Hengrui Research Institute did not fight for it, they might fall behind one day. The stronger one would get stronger, while the weaker ones would get weaker.

 Chapter 287 - Mobilizing All Troops

    When the soldiers placed the billboard in the middle of the square, Chen Yiming had already left the camp by himself.


    In order to let the plan go smoothly, at least in the early stages, he wanted to keep everyone at the same starting line. He did not intend to reveal the truth about the rocky plains to anyone, including the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    This way, the unaffiliated people who did not join any martial arts factions would have more chances.


    When unaffiliated people who formed the largest numbers reaped the benefits, they would automatically send the news back to Jiangnan province to further help with the development of the otherworld.


    ¡­


    The area near the exit of the space-travel passage was almost completely packed with people.


    There were recruitment signs raised everywhere in the square and on both sides of the street. Everyone looked excited, and many people were shouting excitedly.


    A rumor spread that Chen Yiming was going to hold the fort for the stronghold, and his target was the rocky plains.


    Although the rumors were not completely accurate, the general direction was correct.


    He planned to let the spiritual figure search for traces of the Western martial master while clearing out the powerful creatures from the otherworld in the rocky plains.


    As for the relatively weak creatures from the otherworld in the rocky plains, they would be left for the martial arts practitioners in the stronghold. How much they could get would depend on their own abilities.


    The small factions and independent martial arts practitioners formed the bulk of the people in the stronghold. After hearing this news, how could they not be excited?


    There were many people who yearned for someone to lead them to take the initiative to attack. Only this way would the independent martial arts practitioners and small factions dare to go further away from the stronghold.


    Chen Yiming was enveloped by the illusory internal force. He walked along the congested street and eavesdropped on the conversations of the people on the street.


    ¡°Is the news true? Are they really leading us to attack the rocky plains?¡±


    ¡°What a fierce person!¡±


    ¡°By the heavens, tears are streaming down my face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve used up all my assets to enter the otherworld. I¡¯ve finally gotten a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!¡±


    ¡°Fight! Fight! Fight!¡±


    ¡°You only have one life. If you¡¯re unlucky, you won¡¯t even be able to return to the stronghold. Aren¡¯t you going to observe the situation first?¡±


    ¡°If he isn¡¯t trying to trick us, I¡¯m willing to call that person God from now on.¡±


    After he turned to leave, he whispered, ¡°The overall mood of the stronghold is going the way I expected. Next, we have to ensure that there are no otherworld creatures at the master realm in the area where the humans will attack the rocky plains for the first time.¡±


    ¡­


    As time passed, the figures of the large martial arts factions gradually appeared in the square at the exit of the space-travel passage and the nearby streets.


    These people relied on their strong backing to offer generous conditions to recruit a large number of independent martial arts practitioners.


    This action undoubtedly confirmed the rumors. Therefore, the recruitment conditions on the signs on the street were further reduced, and the terms were further improved.


    Other than that, there were also many people who were not satisfied with working for the martial arts factions. They directly gathered their friends and formed a temporary alliance, preparing to go all out.


    As Chen Yiming strolled along the street, he saw a few people tearing up their contracts.


    ¡°The information is definitely correct. I have to give it my all!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You want us to work for you with just this kind of treatment? We won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You must be dreaming!¡±


    ¡°Haha! That was then, and this is now. Looking at this temporary team contract, we¡¯ve made a huge loss. Why don¡¯t we find a few more people to work together?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Let¡¯s fight it out this time. When we break through, won¡¯t it be better to lead our own team?¡±


    After the various martial arts factions made their stance clear, the price offered for recruitment increased step by step. The independent martial arts practitioners realized their value and more and more people started to tear up their contracts.


    The martial arts factions that had wanted to recruit cannon fodder were also troubled. At this time, the rocky plains was like a mountain of gold that attracted all of their attention.


    The net worth of cannon fodder at the disciple realm was rising, so they had no choice but to raise the price. This was because if the news was true, the price they had to pay would quickly be earned back tenfold or even a hundredfold.


    ¡­


    When a large number of martial arts factions started to recruit people at a high price, the sound of horses galloping could be heard at the entrance of the stronghold. On the wide road, a huge cavalry team was slowly leaving the city.


    There were nearly 500 cavalry troops. Under the circumstances that modern technology did not work in the otherworld, they were comparable to a fast-moving team.


    Each of these cavalrymen was wearing heavy black armor made from the scales of the creatures from the otherworld. Their defense was not something that ordinary steel armor could compare to.


    They were also wearing black helmets made of a similar material that only revealed their eyes. On the side of the horses were bows and arrows, and on their backs were huge sabers.


    The cavalrymen were tall and muscular, and the width of their arms were three times that of an ordinary adult man.


    The warhorses they rode were also not ordinary horses. Instead, they were horses that had evolved due to the influence of the space-travel passage. However, because they were bred by humans, they were not as wild.


    Furthermore, the warhorses were also wearing heavy armor made of similar materials. They had thick necks and strong limbs.


    Wherever they passed, the pedestrians behaved like someone pressed the pause button. There was an awed silence as they were all shocked by the sight of the cavalry.


    The most eye-catching one was the person at the front of the cavalry.


    The man had the back of an ape and the waist of a bear. He was a size larger than the other cavalrymen, and he carried a black spear that was nearly three meters long on his back. Under him was a black panther. The black panther¡¯s four palms burned with black flames, leaving charred marks wherever it passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhang Jun from Shaodong province. It¡¯s going to be dark soon. What is he doing?¡± some people who knew him said in disbelief after the entire cavalry team left.


    ¡°Looking at the direction those cavalry are heading in, there¡¯s a high chance that they are aiming for the rocky plains,¡± the person beside him replied in a solemn voice.


    The cavalry team led by Zhang Jun came from the famous Expedition Corporation in the eastern province. Their factions corresponded to the large provincial sects.


    Before the Daxia Kingdom decided to establish a long-term stronghold in the otherworld, the Expedition Corporation had been active in various space-travel passages in the eastern province all year round.


    Because their target had always been the otherworld, they had long abandoned modern modes of transportation such as vehicles. Few factions of the same level were more suitable for the environment in the otherworld than the Expedition Corporation.


    ¡°Damn it, the cavalry of the Expedition Corporation is powerful, but the current situation in the rocky plains is still unclear. Aren¡¯t they afraid that they will attract the attention of a large number of creatures from the otherworld if they enter alone?¡±


    Some people cursed under their breath, but in their hearts, they did not want anyone to beat them to it.


    ¡°I think the Expedition Corporation is planning to camp near the rocky plains overnight and make a move at dawn tomorrow.¡±


    Some people widened their eyes in disbelief.


    The hundreds of cavalrymen were indeed powerful, but on the other hand, they were also a huge target. Furthermore, they were moving at night, so the risk they had to take was greatly increased.


    This was unacceptable to most people.


    Chen Yiming blended into the crowd. He was very satisfied with the fact that the first to take action was a martial arts faction outside of Jiangnan province.


    If only the local factions in Jiangnan province participated, they might reach a consensus to monopolize the territory after a period of time. It might be beneficial to the leading martial arts factions, but it would not be healthy for the development of the entire stronghold, and it did not meet his expectations.


    With the Expedition Corporation leading the charge, the martial arts factions of the same level in the stronghold would probably be unable to sit still for long.


    As for the small factions and independent martial arts practitioners, due to their own limited strength, they could only set off tomorrow morning. Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t provide any more help to them.


    ¡­


    Night fell. Near the exit of the space-travel passage,


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on the top of a three-story building. A ball of black fog hid his figure, and the situation in the square could be seen clearly from this spot.


    He was continuing his cultivation towards the master realm, constantly communicating with the power of nature to find the attribute he had the highest affinity for.


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    Once in a while, the system notification would appear.


    The square not far away was still bustling with noise and excitement, even though many people knew that they should go back and have a good rest to save their energy for their departure tomorrow.


    Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd as people started to flow towards the gates of the stronghold.


    Chen Yiming noticed it and stood up. He looked past the countless buildings and saw a commotion in the distance.


    An expedition team of more than 10 people was dragging a giant lizard corpse back to the stronghold. Countless people blocked the entrance of the stronghold as they watched.


    ¡°A familiar aura.¡±


    He groaned.


    On the empty thigh of the giant lizard¡¯s corpse, he could feel the remnants of the Undying Sword Aura.


    This team had unbelievable luck. The giant lizard had suffered far more serious injuries than they had expected.


    When it was surrounded by the exploration team, the giant lizard used its injured leg to attack. However, its injured leg was unexpectedly broken due to its action.


    In the end, the giant lizard was not killed by their joint attack. Instead, it just bled to death.


    ¡°Tell me quickly, what¡¯s the situation on the rocky plains?¡±


    Someone who knew the expedition team questioned them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact situation. We only saw that the area was very chaotic, and injured creatures from the otherworld could be seen everywhere,¡±


    the leader of the exploration team explained helplessly as he was surrounded by the crowd.


    As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted at the entrance of the stronghold.


    Connecting the dots, the situation in the rocky plains was clear at a glance. It was equivalent to gold lying everywhere. Those who had the ability to pick up the heavy items would be able to do so, while those who did not would be able to pick up the light items.


    ¡°Impressive. I can¡¯t hold it in any longer.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone who wants to team up and go out at night? Please bring me along!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I missed out on everything.¡±


    ¡°Other than the Expedition Corporation, are there no other martial arts factions of the same level that will set off overnight? I¡¯m willing to spend money to follow you.¡±


    Excitement, grief, and regret filled the air at the entrance of the stronghold. Everyone made up their minds to find an opportunity to charge straight at the rocky plains.


    Countless people imagined that as long as this trip went smoothly, they would not have to worry about the resources needed for cultivation for a long time. They could even trade them for rare treasures needed to break through to the next level.


    ¡­


    In the middle of the night, the independent martial arts practitioners saw that there was no longer anyone leading the way like the Expedition Corporation. Almost all of them had returned to their residences to rest.


    At some point, the various martial arts factions in the stronghold, including the military, seemed to have discussed it beforehand. In less than 10 minutes, they had all gathered, and nearly 100,000 people were rushing towards the rocky plains.


    The entire stronghold was woken up and suddenly became lively. Countless independent martial arts practitioners got out of bed cursing.


    The braver ones quickly followed the rest of the group, while the timid ones remained in their residences, feeling extremely uncomfortable.


    ¡­


    Late at night, about three to four kilometers away from the stronghold,


    ¡°Brother, if that big bug rushes over later, you have to make a move in time.¡±


    Chen Yingying drew her bow and aimed her arrow at a cave more than 100 meters away. A large bug with whiskers all over its face was hiding there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m asking you to practice archery in actual combat, not swordsmanship. I won¡¯t let that bug get close to you.¡±


    Chen Yiming agreed readily.


    His gaze shot into the darkness. At this moment, the spiritual figure was secretly following the main team that had set off from the stronghold to ensure that nothing unexpected happened.


    Since he had nothing to do, he woke Chen Yingying, who wanted to rest, up. He decided to let her make the best use of her time and use actual combat to improve.


    In reality, this was the first time that the humans in the stronghold were going so far out, and it was nighttime. He was a little worried and planned to use the spiritual figure to keep an eye on them.


    He thought about how his talent was outstanding and how he had not rested at all. How could his sister, who was so mediocre in talent, rest? That was why he had made her practice archery so late at night.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll shoot.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Yingying released the bowstring and the armor-piercing arrow shot out.


    The large bug at the entrance of the cave moved its whiskers. Sensing that the air was moving abnormally, it disappeared into the cave with a whoosh.


    The armor-piercing arrow hit the stone wall at the entrance of the cave and pierced deep into it.


    ¡°The large bug¡¯s perception is so sharp.¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted, her confidence somewhat shaken. This was the first time she had used archery in actual combat, and she had failed.


    Chen Yiming sensed that the bug had gone very far underground. He said, ¡°Go and get the armor-piercing arrow. Even if it¡¯s for practice, you can¡¯t waste it for no reason.¡±


    When Chen Yingying heard this, her expression changed slightly, and she stopped in her tracks.


    She thought to herself: What if the big bug is lying in ambush at the entrance of the cave? Wouldn¡¯t I be walking into a tiger¡¯s den if I pulled out the arrow? Could it be that my brother wants to see how fast my reaction is?


    She was feeling extremely conflicted. The foul-smelling mucus flowing out of the surface of the large bug was disgusting to look at, let alone get close to it.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think too much about it when he saw the change in his sister¡¯s expression. For a moment, he also felt that there was no need to let his sister get close to the cave where the smelly mucus still remained.


    Therefore, he materialized his spiritual power and used it as an extension of his hand. He gently pulled out the arrow, threw it back and caught it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to clean up the areas that didn¡¯t hit the mucus.¡±


    Chen Yiming handed the arrow to his sister.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s face was filled with shock. When she took the arrow, she asked, ¡°Brother, you can actually move things from a distance. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned awkward. During the day, he had used his spiritual power to pretend to be an expert archer. He suddenly wondered if his sister had suspected that he was cheating.


    Fortunately, his sister had a look of admiration on her face after she got over the shock, which made him heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°This is a technique using the internal force as an extension of your hand. Once you master the internal force, you will understand the principle.¡±


    Chen Yiming continued to lie to her.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this, revealing her strong yearning for the warrior realm. She was extremely interested in the power of the internal force.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming praised his own ability to trick others.


    When one just broke through to the warrior realm, his control over his internal force was very rough. Even if his internal force could move things from a distance, it would still take many years of cultivation to reach an extremely high level of control.


    With his sister¡¯s mediocre talent, she would not be able to do it even if she knew about it. He could only try his best to trick her.


    In the next two hours, the improvement in Chen Yingying¡¯s archery skills was visible to the naked eye. She used what her archery teacher had taught her during the day in actual combat and successfully killed a few weak creatures from the otherworld.

 Chapter 288 - Giant Talent

    In the later half of the night, the three glowing balls overhead shone with a silver light.


    Chen Yiming was sitting alone on the roof of a tall building. After a few hours of fighting with the creatures from the otherworld, Chen Yingying¡¯s performance had dropped drastically, and he had sent her back to the camp to rest.


    Noise traveled over from the restaurants in the stronghold from time to time. Some people who were still observing the situation called their friends over to have a drink together.


    Thinking that the people charging towards the rocky plains would have almost reached their destination, he communicated with the figure in his mind.


    Chen Yiming: How¡¯s the situation?


    The figure in his mind: It¡¯s all going smoothly.


    Chen Yiming: Didn¡¯t it attract the attention of any powerful creatures?


    The figure in his mind: I killed a few of them. After that, it was very peaceful.


    Chen Yiming: Then let¡¯s follow the plan.


    The figure in his mind: Yes.


    Next, Chen Yiming, who had nothing to do, lay down on the roof and stared at the three glowing balls overhead that looked like full moons. He was like a person who stayed home all day because he had lost confidence in his job.


    The frequency of the system notifications increased a lot.


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡°Skill points +1¡±


    ¡­


    The rocky plains were a gathering place for creatures from the otherworld. Compared to the damp wasteland near the stronghold, there were many more otherworld creatures. The spiritual figure was able to help Chen Yiming obtain Skill Points even faster.


    He glanced at the system interface.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 2


    Level: Half-step to Master Realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 323


    ¡°I have enough Skill Points to add a third talent.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed.


    Ever since he had the idea of adding a third talent, he had been reading up on the transformation talents several times over the past few days.


    In fact, he had already made his choice. He was just waiting for the Skill Points to meet the requirements.


    He had first eliminated the non-human transformation talents, such as the dragon, demon, roc, five-colored deer¡­ The main reason was that he did not want to become a monster.


    Most of them were eliminated very quickly, leaving behind only the giant, ape god, dragon man, and the ice man¡­


    Among the remaining choices, the giant¡¯s transformation affected one¡¯s size, while the ape god, the dragon man, and the ice man would not just affect one¡¯s size, but also one¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°The talent added later is even more difficult to level up. So I will still have to depend mostly on the first and second talent.¡±


    Chen Yiming examined his situation again and decided to use his third talent as support.


    This way, the giant became his only choice. After obtaining the transformative power, he could still retain his appearance to the greatest extent.


    After thinking it through, he thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll add the Giant Talent.¡±


    The system interface lit up with a golden light.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 2, Giant ¡ª Level 1


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 23


    ¡°Uh¡­ I broke through to the master realm. Did my new physique automatically make it happen?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened and he sat up.


    He checked his entire body. It seemed that only his lower body had grown a little thicker. Other than that, he did not find any other parts of his body that had transformed.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief and closed his eyes, trying to explore the new power in his body.


    The Giant Talent was like a seed that was planted in every cell in his body. It was a mysterious power.


    In an instant, Chen Yiming¡¯s height increased to more than three meters, and he was about to become the size of a mountain.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Stop!¡±


    His consciousness hurriedly shouted to suppress the mysterious power that was bringing about changes to his body.


    In the end, he stopped it when his body was just over three meters tall and did not continue to grow larger. He went from well-proportioned to a super burly man.


    At this moment, it was as if there were small rats under his muscles. His veins were bulging, and his arms were about three times thicker than before.


    Chen Yiming felt that there was an unfathomable power in his body and had the urge to release all of it.


    This was many times stronger than the golden internal force formed by fusing 12 types of internal force with his strength-based internal force.


    Chen Yiming instantly understood that giants specialized in their brute force.


    The only awkward thing was that his underwear had broken apart into many pieces. Fortunately, his pants were loose-fitting and had remained intact.


    He suppressed the desire for destruction in his heart. His entire body trembled, and the torn cloth turned into dust. He continued to carefully explore the other changes.


    Suddenly, streams of air started to surround his body. Then, the clouds in the sky responded to Chen Yiming¡¯s call and started to fall under his control. As long as he wanted to, he could use the power of the clouds.


    ¡°Eh? The surrounding houses look like they are about to collapse?¡±


    He sensed the changes in the surrounding environment when he used the power of the master realm, and quickly stopped using the power of the clouds.


    ¡°How should I describe it? It¡¯s a force similar to a gravitational field, like a huge lid falling from the sky. The giants rely on their powerful strength to nullify this, but their opponents would be affected and be suppressed by the giants instead.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood that he could rely on his Giant Talent to borrow the power of nature after just breaking through to the master realm.


    When transforming into a giant during a fight, one¡¯s foundation was still their own powerful strength. The power of the clouds was only used as support.


    ¡­


    At 9 am, the shops selling daily necessities in the stronghold opened one after another.


    Chen Yiming walked into a shop that sold undergarments. He planned to buy a few more sets for emergency use.


    ¡°Welcome!¡±


    The lady boss greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Bring me 10 of those.¡±


    Chen Yiming pointed at a pair of patterned boxers.


    In his previous life, he had bought his undergarments online. After he transmigrated, Mother Chen had prepared them for him. This was the first time he had entered a shop that specialized in selling undergarments.


    Most of the undergarments were for women. Even though he was already experienced, he was still a little embarrassed to look at them openly.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    The lady boss smiled and turned to enter the storeroom.


    Her perky butt swayed left and right as she walked. He could not help but take a second look, but quickly looked away.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the Giant Talent that increased my body¡¯s power. I have to restrain myself!¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    It was unknown if it was because he was too energetic or because he was affected by the Giant Talent, but he felt that if someone provoked him, the blood in his body would surge over and would need to be released.


    A little over a minute later.


    ¡°Handsome, do you need to buy anything else? For example, some clothes for your girlfriend¡­¡±


    The lady boss walked over with a wrapped paper bag. Her gaze seemed to contain the light of spring, and there was something seductive in it.


    In the stronghold, more than half of the people were at the disciple realm. These people did not have internal force to protect themselves, and their clothes would inevitably be damaged in battle. Therefore, the shop¡¯s business was exceptionally good.


    The lady boss viewed each customer who entered the shop as a moving moneybag, so she naturally had to make full use of her charm.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Chen Yiming rejected her firmly. He took the paper bag from the lady boss, which contained 10 pairs of underwear. After paying with his contribution points, he turned around and walked out of the shop.


    The lady boss¡¯s voice came from behind him. ¡°Come again next time.¡±


    ¡­


    At the gate of Jiangdu City,


    It was past 10 am, and the sun was shining brightly. The sun was scorching the ground, and the air had become unusually hot.


    There were long queues at each of the four city gates, and a large number of merchants were selling food and drink. Unlike before, the four long queues were almost not moving.


    The city was packed with people. Every once in a while, after the train set off, a portion of the people would be allowed to enter the city.


    The information about the rocky plains in the otherworld had spread throughout Jiangnan province the night before, then out of the province, causing an unprecedented commotion.


    Jiangdu City, a large city in the Jiangnan province, suddenly could not withstand the huge influx of people into the city and had no choice but to restrict entry.


    A few students from the martial arts academy were in the queue and had started to chat when they were bored.


    ¡°Some time ago, I happened to register for a warrior training class. With the guidance of a teacher in the true warrior realm, I feel that I have improved greatly. With the gains from going to the otherworld, I might be able to successfully break through to the warrior realm in one go,¡±


    a thin student patted his chest and bragged.


    ¡°Stop bragging. Don¡¯t you know that my family is in the wholesale business? All the people in Jiangnan province who are doing business related to martial arts cultivation are lowering their prices. Even if your journey is smooth sailing, how much can you pick up?¡±


    The short and fat student beside him chuckled and coldly revealed the truth of the situation.


    ¡°Stop daydreaming. The first group of people took action overnight. With our strength, unless we are willing to take the risk, we are probably just going there to join in the fun,¡±


    a tall student added.


    The thin student said stubbornly, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Aren¡¯t they just creatures from the otherworld? I¡¯ve already checked the relevant information. There will definitely be people who will deal with the stronger ones. We just have to be careful.¡±


    In the end, as if to encourage himself, he continued, ¡°In short, I have to break through to the warrior realm.¡±


    The development of the otherworld had already become the most popular topic. Even the martial arts academies in the major cities were no exception. Many students were unwilling to stay in the academy and cultivate step by step, hoping to take advantage of this opportunity to fight for a future.


    ¡­


    At the edge of the rocky plains, about 100 kilometers away from the stronghold, at this moment, the beautiful plains had been destroyed by a group of trespassers. The ground seemed to have been plowed through by them.


    There were some things that the creatures from the otherworld did not care for, such as medicinal herbs and strange stones. However, it was different for humans. Holes had been dug everywhere, and there were also traces of blood from the otherworld creatures.


    Wherever the group of nearly 100,000 humans passed, almost everything of any value was looted.


    Of course, this was only the periphery of the stronghold, so it was not dangerous for the humans who were moving as a group.


    On the distant horizon, battles broke out from time to time. The roars of the stone golems shook the surroundings. One could vaguely see a rain of swords falling from the sky, but it quickly calmed down.


    Only the military and large factions dared to enter the depths of the battlefield alone. Most of the other humans remained at the edge of the battlefield, waiting for the situation to calm down.


    ¡­


    In the depths of the rocky plains, in an area that had been attacked by the Sword Aura, the streams of light coming from the body of a stone golem that the size of a small mountain quickly disappeared. Various parts of its body turned into rubble and fell to the ground. The ground shook violently, and finally, a pile of rubble formed.


    In the sky, a figure flew past. A gemstone-like energy core flew into the sky from the rubble. The figure caught it and left.


    A 30-meter-long snake was buried in the rubble. Its body was stiff, and it held its breath, not moving at all. It did not even dare to flick its tongue.


    The scene of the rain of swords destroying everything in its path had deeply shocked the giant snake.


    The giant snake was originally hidden in the shadow of a stone mountain. At that time, it had seen with its own eyes that the stone mountain had turned into a stone golem and was fighting a powerful creature that was charging straight at it.


    However, as the strongest race in the rocky plains, the stone golem was easily shattered by the Sword Aura. The special abilities of its species, which was known for its defense, was broken like a piece of paper.


    The giant snake was trembling. Fortunately, it was not affected by any of the Sword Aura attacks. In fact, to the spiritual figure, the giant snake was too weak and there was no value in fighting it, so it did not even look at it.


    Ever since the stone golems occupied this place, it had been a long time since such a tragic conflict had occurred on the rocky plains.


    It was so long ago that all kinds of creatures from the otherworld had reproduced in this place, and they did not remember what it was like before the stone golems occupied it.


    The rain of swords from an unknown powerful creature that had almost never stopped was like a massacre. For the time being, there were no powerful stone golems that could stop the other party.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the giant snake felt that it should be safe, so it shook off the rocks on its body and stuck its head out of the rubble.


    These rocks were originally a part of the stone golem¡¯s body, but the stone golem was already dead. Without the support of the energy core, these were no different from ordinary rocks.


    However, it was soon discovered by hundreds of humans riding on the road a few kilometers away.


    ¡°Another suitable target has appeared.¡±


    ¡°This stupid snake, why isn¡¯t it running? Who is it trying to scare?¡±


    ¡°This is too good. I¡¯m just taking advantage of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! I¡¯m already starting to imagine myself drinking snake blood.¡±


    The cavalrymen from the Expedition Corporation erupted into enthusiastic cheers. Every one of them had a strong fighting spirit and swore to make use of the war and not waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Along the way, they had encountered too many similar situations. The creatures from the otherworld, which were equivalent to the peak of the warrior realm, had long been killed by the rain of swords. Those left behind were all in the hunting range of the group.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    The leader, Zhang Jun, let out a loud shout and led the charge on his black panther. He held his black spear in an attack stance, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the giant snake at any moment.


    Behind him, along with their warhorses, the cavalrymen in black armor also charged at the giant snake.


    The giant snake raised its head high, and a murderous glint appeared in its eyes. Its tongue darted in and out, and from time to time, it would spit out a poisonous fog formed by its internal force, warning the other party not to approach.


    However, it was all in vain. In the blink of an eye, his head was nailed to the ground by the black spear.


    Zhang Jun¡¯s hand trembled, and he retracted his black spear. The corpse of the giant snake fell to the ground, emitting a terrifying aura, causing many warhorses to stop in their tracks.


    This giant snake was showing signs of undergoing a transformation towards the fusion of internal force. It was also quite valuable to someone at the peak of the warrior realm. The snake gallbladder could be used to make pills to remove the poison that had accumulated in one¡¯s body over the years.


    However, on the blue planet, creatures at the level of the giant snake were not easy to find. Furthermore, they were often found in the gathering place of mutant beasts. Even Zhang Jun did not dare to barge into the gathering place of those mutant beasts.


    It was unlike the rocky plains where there were too many creatures at the level of the giant snake, which could be easily killed by others.


    The snake gallbladder belonged to Zhang Jun, and the snake blood and meat belonged to the cavalrymen. This had been decided from the start.


    Before long, hundreds of cavalry soldiers had split the snake blood among themselves. Each of them drank to their heart¡¯s content. Some of them even accidentally got their faces covered in blood, so they had no choice but to wipe their faces clean with the weeds on the ground. In the end, they even swallowed the weeds in order not to waste a single drop.


    The snake meat was divided into pieces, and those who had mastered the fire attribute internal force roasted them on the spot.


    There were hundreds of people, but each of them could get a decent share. However, all of them were big eaters, and it did not take long for the giant snake to become a pile of bones.

 Chapter 289 - First Battle Transforming into a Giant

    After buying 10 pairs of boxers, Chen Yiming returned to the military camp.


    The stronghold was secretly threatened by the Western martial master. With the spiritual figure taking action, he could not leave the stronghold for the time being. Since he had nothing to do, he planned to continue supervising his sister¡¯s archery training.


    On the wide training ground, more than 10 formations with about 10,000 soldiers were lined up. A burly officer stood in front of the troops and spoke to them.


    These soldiers had just been transferred from Jiangnan province to the otherworld. Each of them was an elite in their respective teams. After some simple training, they were about to be deployed to the battlefield in the rocky plains.


    His sister¡¯s archery teacher, Wu Youjia, ran over from the square. The burly officer followed beside her.


    ¡°Sir, this is Division Commander Wei,¡± Wu Youjia introduced.


    At this moment, division commander Wei was smiling and had a respectful expression. He was no longer as stern as he was with the soldiers earlier, and he was like a gentle elder.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Yiming asked after sizing him up.


    ¡°Sir, without you guarding the stronghold in the otherworld, there wouldn¡¯t be such a good situation. The soldiers all admire you. Can you go over and say a few words to encourage them?¡± division commander Wei said a little fearfully.


    He knew that the Western corporations had set up a trap for Chen Yiming, and that there was still no concrete information about the Western martial master who was in charge of killing him.


    Whether he had already been killed by Chen Yiming was another matter. At the very least, he could tell that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for a martial master to come here.


    Such an expert had actually already broken free from the restrictions of the country. There were almost no means to restrain him, so he had no choice but to be careful.


    Faced with this request, Chen Yiming wanted to reject it.


    It was obvious that these soldiers were going to join the battlefield in the rocky plains. If he spoke to them now, it would damage his image.


    It would be too unfair to the factions other than the military if he revealed some insider information. It had to be known that he was even letting the Myriad Phenomena Sect go without any guidance.


    He looked up at the three glowing spheres in the sky. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the speech. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡±


    Division commander Wei smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can go about your business first. If there¡¯s anything you need help with, feel free to instruct Xiao Wu to do it.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming started to become more vigilant.


    Ever since he had the combat strength at the peak of the warrior realm, he no longer needed to hide anything. The only disadvantage was that his private matters would definitely be secretly watched by various parties.


    No wonder they had arranged for his sister to have such a hot archery teacher. He could not fall for the trap.


    ¡­


    They returned to the residence that the military had arranged for the teachers and students of the martial arts academy.


    Zhao Meijing and Cai Xihe, the two martial arts teachers, were surrounded by students and chatting non-stop.


    Chen Yiming heard a group of students insisting on going to the rocky plains.


    Chen Yingying ran over quickly and asked excitedly, ¡°Brother, I went out for breakfast in the morning and saw many students from the other cities. When are we setting off?¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at his sister. ¡°Why should we go there? You don¡¯t lack cultivation resources.¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes widened before she stammered, ¡°But¡­ everyone is going. I also want to see the large battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I still have something to do, so I can¡¯t leave the stronghold. Why don¡¯t you go by yourself?¡± Chen Yiming asked, knowing what his sister was thinking.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted and stopped talking.


    What a joke. The creatures from the otherworld were disgusting and ferocious. How could she dare to run around alone? Most of the thoughts of heading to the rocky plains were extinguished.


    ¡­


    After handing his sister over to Wu Youjia, Chen Yiming left the stronghold and stopped at an empty spot three to four kilometers away.


    He thought of a good plan. It was not convenient to transform into a giant in the stronghold, and there were no suitable enemies around the stronghold. However, could the space in the ring work for this purpose?


    Previously, the female spirit could not do anything to the figure in his mind. Now that his spiritual power had completed the transformation and he had the enhancement from the Undying Body attribute, it would not be a problem for him even if he got injured.


    If it really didn¡¯t work out, he could just leave.


    Chen Yiming entered the space in the ring for the third time. It was still as empty as before, and he knew that the situation in the center was hidden by the fog.


    Now that he had become stronger, he was more daring. His materialized spiritual power directly turned into a large fan that waved crazily at the center.


    The fog was easily broken through, revealing the golden and silver vortexes hidden within, as well as the restrained female spirit.


    The moment the fog dissipated, the female spirit opened her eyes. Her gaze was filled with killing intent, and her long hair floated in the air.


    Chen Yiming was almost given a fright when he saw this. However, the other party didn¡¯t really attack like last time, so he heaved a sigh of relief.


    His eyes flickered with excitement as he called on the mysterious power from the giants.


    Transform!


    In the next moment, a stream of air appeared in the ring space and surrounded his body.


    Even the golden streams of light that were sucked into the golden vortex from the crack were attracted by the airflow around him and were absorbed by the figure formed by his spiritual power.


    A strange energy flowed through the figure formed by his spiritual power, then it quickly became taller and stronger. According to the ratio, it was about the same as a normal person growing to a height of 100 meters.


    Although this was not his real body, the sense of power he felt did not change.


    Chen Yiming scanned his surroundings and realized that the female spirit wasn¡¯t even as tall as his ankle after the transformation, but his head was still far from the ceiling of the ring space.


    He gasped. ¡°This space is really strange. At first glance, it looks broken, but the size doesn¡¯t match what I sensed.¡±


    At first, he had felt a little confident, but at this moment, he calmed down a little. He would have to change his target and not provoke the female spirit for the time being.


    He looked at the inner wall of the space and threw a punch at it.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The entire space in the ring shook, and incomprehensible symbols immediately appeared on the inner wall, nullifying the impact from the punch.


    ¡°This sandbag is not bad!¡±


    One punch wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy him. Chen Yiming used his hands, feet, and shoulders to attack in the simplest and most direct way. He kicked, punched, and slammed into the wall¡­ Every attack created a ring of air waves on the inner wall. In the outside world, it would be equivalent to an explosion.


    The thrill of simple violence made him regret choosing the sword technique as his first talent. Back then, he should have chosen a fist technique.


    In the entire space in the ring, incomprehensible symbols appeared one after another, shining with a dazzling light that lit up the entire space.


    The female spirit in the middle was looked on in stunned silence as though she was watching a fool.


    After unleashing his power for 10 minutes, Chen Yiming took a deep breath and stopped.


    After obtaining such powerful strength, he felt an indescribable sense of relief at being able to release it.


    He tried to leave through the crack in the space in the ring and felt confident again. He turned around and shouted at the female spirit, ¡°Just like last time, come on! I will be waiting for you here!¡±


    There was a high chance that there was a language barrier, so the female spirit frowned and didn¡¯t do as Chen Yiming wished.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming waved his fist at his opponent a few more times, indicating that she should hurry up and attack him like the last time. He wanted to test how much his transformation into a giant would change his spiritual strength.


    As expected, waving one¡¯s fist was a form of open provocation that could overcome the language barrier.


    The female spirit¡¯s gaze narrowed, and the entire space in the ring seemed to freeze. Just like the previous time, a ground-crushing pressure descended on Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Chen Yiming roared and threw out both fists.


    However, as soon as he made contact with the invisible pressure, he felt that his entire body was about to shatter.


    The giant¡¯s body formed from his spiritual power began to retreat step by step and seemed to shrink in size.


    When it reached about half its original size, the golden and silver vortexes above and under the female spirit spun quickly, resonating with the strange runes on the inner wall.


    At that moment, the pressure dissipated, and the giant¡¯s body stopped shrinking.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t defeat her. I can¡¯t provoke the female spirit for the time being.¡±


    Chen Yiming sat down and quickly repaired his broken body. After taking a deep breath, he ran out of the ring space.


    Finally, he said, ¡°Just you wait!¡±


    ¡­


    In the outside world, because the gold and silver vortexes had been triggered again, the spot where Chen Yiming was standing had turned into a circle of scorched earth. It was as if a heavenly fire had fallen and scorched the ground within a kilometer.


    A huge creature that looked like a pterodactyl with two long snake heads was circling in the sky.


    Its wings were spread out, covering the sky. It was at least 70 to 80 meters long, and its entire body was blue-purple in color, burning with blue-black flames.


    Green liquid dripped from the corners of its mouth from time to time, and the power of lightning flickered on its other head.


    Overall, it looked like a monster from ancient Greek mythology, the chimera.


    This strange bird was only one step away from the master realm, and it was a flying creature. It could move freely around the graveyard, the ancient forest, and the rocky plains.


    On this day, he happened to fly near the human stronghold and sensed that the natural power of light and heat had been brought under someone¡¯s control. That was the domain of the master realm, so he was attracted to this spot.


    The strange bird circled the sky above Chen Yiming¡¯s head, its gaze cold and fierce as it stared fixedly at the only living creature at the scene.


    Chen Yiming was a little angry. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to provoke a female spirit, but how dare you glare at me like that?¡±


    Thinking of this, he curled his finger at the strange bird in the sky.


    The strange bird was probably used to killing freely and rarely encountered enemies who could fight against it. After Chen Yiming¡¯s simple provocation, it swooped down from the sky.


    Every time it flapped its wings, which were 70 to 80 meters wide, it could cause a huge gust of wind. It was just short of causing a storm.


    Of the two heads, one had poison in its mouth, and lightning flashed in the other.


    Chen Yiming waited for his opponent to fly low in the air before chanting in his heart, ¡°Giant transformation.¡±


    Immediately after, he heard the sound of clothes exploding.


    He thought to himself that he had been so anxious that he had forgotten something important. At that moment, the anger in his eyes intensified, and he blamed the broken clothes on the strange bird.


    In the eyes of the strange bird, the small creature on the ground had become a creature larger than it in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, he had an angry expression on his face, as if he wanted to eat it alive.


    ¡°What kind of monster is this?¡±


    The strange bird¡¯s mind instantly buzzed, subverting everything it had known since it was born. It instinctively flapped its wings and tried to fly back into the sky.


    However, what greeted it was a huge palm. A mysterious pressure surrounded the huge palm that grabbed its wings. The strange bird¡¯s expression changed drastically, and it struggled with all its might, but it could not move. It was as if an ordinary person was carrying a swan.


    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!¡±


    ¡°Bang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The venom and lightning formed by its internal force were spat out by the strange bird in a hurry.


    A portion of it exploded on Chen Yiming¡¯s body, and most of it landed on the wasteland, corroding a large area of the ground and creating huge holes.


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡±


    Chen Yiming roared and swung his arm.


    ¡°Crack! Crack! Crack!¡±


    The strange bird let out a scream. The bones in its two long necks instantly shifted and its necks went from curved to straight, and finally hung limply. It was clearly severely injured.


    ¡°It¡¯s too weak. It weighs less than a chick.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the strange bird, whose aura had weakened significantly. He casually threw it, and its body, which was more than 50 meters long, smashed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.


    The strange bird seemed to have accepted its fate and did not move at all. All that was left was its breathing.


    He had yet to use much strength, but this creature from the otherworld, which was equivalent to a half-step away from the master realm, had already entered a half-crippled state. The venom and lightning that touched his body were not even able to tickle him.


    The Giant Talent had brought about unimaginable power. This power could not be created out of nothing. There had to be a body with a matching level of strength.


    Chen Yiming felt that his body had become stronger than ever. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a suitable opponent, so he couldn¡¯t determine what level he was at.


    ¡°If only I had a master realm opponent right in front of me.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly had a thought.


    In reality, he had thought too much. The number of people on the blue planet who could mobilize the power of nature could be counted on one hand.


    According to the size of the otherworld, creatures of this level were still very rare. Otherwise, the otherworld would have been scorched to the ground long ago.


    In addition, the moment Chen Yiming grabbed the strange bird, he had used a mysterious force to suppress it. After that, he had carefully experienced it and vaguely guessed the standard for judging the combat strength of a martial master.


    The moment he made his move, one portion of his body¡¯s power resonated with the 99 portions of natural power, and a total of 100 times his strength was brought under his control.


    This level of enhancement created an insurmountable gap between the master realm and the warrior realm. It was impossible to cross unless one had a special talent.


    Chen Yiming roughly compared it with the situation when he fought with the barbarian sorcerer.


    The other party¡¯s enhancement should be about 10 times. In other words, one portion of his body¡¯s power would resonate with nine portions of natural power.


    100 times versus 10 times. In terms of the basic power of the body, the barbarian sorcerer was definitely inferior to him, who had a powerful talent. If he encountered him again, he might be able to kill him with one move.


    ¡°As expected, it makes sense for a giant to rely on its brute force,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    A powerful body was the most advantageous weapon. By constantly tempering his body, he could easily get rid of almost all his enemies. The rest that he could not easily get rid of were all species with the same level of talent.


    He glanced at the strange bird that was still breathing and decided to let it live for the time being. He would go back to the stronghold and see if there was any way to tame it.


    If it could be tamed, it would be a good choice to keep it to guard the stronghold or use it for reconnaissance. On the other hand, it could also be used for food.

 Chapter 290 - Guidance

    At the entrance of the stronghold, looking at the distant horizon, a black dot gradually became larger, and dust filled the air along the way.


    Chen Yiming held a transparent energy thread in his hand and dragged the severely injured strange bird back to the stronghold.


    Most of the strange bird¡¯s neck bones were dislocated. From time to time, it would touch the uneven ground. There was a cracking sound, followed by continuous cries.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t a medical expert, so he didn¡¯t know how to fix its neck. Before returning to the stronghold, he could only get the strange bird to endure it.


    Creatures at the level of the strange bird had very strong vitality. If he did not deliberately kill it, it would not be a problem.


    The people staying at the stronghold had already been alerted to the battle a few kilometers away.


    On the roofs, on the streets, and in midair, martial arts experts of different levels gathered in groups of two or three, watching to see what would happen.


    ¡°He¡¯s back! He¡¯s back!¡±


    ¡°It looks like a corpse. The strange bird must have been killed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why is there a wailing sound? The corpse seems to be moving!¡±


    When they were a kilometer away, the fact that the strange bird was still alive was revealed, and it quickly caused a commotion.


    ¡°It was captured alive!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s too big! I thought it was a giant bird that was 10 to 20 meters long.¡±


    ¡°How wild. I¡¯m willing to admit you are the strongest!¡±


    Countless cries of surprise, praise, and praise rang out.


    The strange bird with a huge body was being dragged around by a human, and it was still alive. This shocked the entire stronghold.


    The difficulty of killing an otherworld creature compared to capturing one alive was on completely different levels. Almost no one had seen such a situation before.


    In front of a shop selling martial arts equipment, a one-armed old man nimbly locked the door with his remaining hand. He grabbed the arm of an 18-year-old girl beside him and leaped onto the rooftop.


    Looking at the huge creature that was being dragged along, the old man couldn¡¯t help but cry. He sobbed and said, ¡°We were in a similar situation back then, but the outcome was completely different. Xiaochun¡­ if only we were still young now, how good would it be!¡±


    The girl quickly took out a tissue and handed it over. ¡°Grandpa, you are missing Grandma again.¡±


    The old man took a while to calm down and wiped his tears with a tissue. ¡°It¡¯s alright. That¡¯s all in the past. We have to look forward.¡±


    The girl asked curiously, ¡°Grandpa, you haven¡¯t told me much about Grandma.¡±


    The old man shook his head helplessly. ¡°They are all sad memories. There¡¯s nothing much to say.¡±


    With that, he pointed ahead. ¡°Do you see that huge creature? In the past, the team your grandmother and I were in was targeted by a giant bird.¡±


    The girl did not ask further. The outcome was obvious.


    The corners of the old man¡¯s eyes, which had just been wiped dry, suddenly welled up with tears again. He sighed and said, ¡°Your generation is really born in a good era! It probably won¡¯t be long before this stronghold becomes a real city.


    On the other hand, your grandmother and I took the risk to enter the space-travel passage in order to make a further breakthrough. We had no way out and could die at any time.¡±


    After hearing the old man¡¯s words, the girl¡¯s mood fell.


    She roughly imagined that scene in her mind. The weak humans were like small insects on the ground, and the giant birds could toy with them however they wanted.


    ¡­


    At the training ground in the military camp, Chen Yiming threw the strange bird on the ground. Soldiers stood guard around it and stopped the onlookers from getting too close.


    Chen Yingying walked around the strange bird and said, ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t you say that it was alive? Why isn¡¯t it breathing through its nostrils? Did it die when you weren¡¯t paying attention?¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes and thought to himself, ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m here. Otherwise, you would have dissolved once the strange bird sneezed.¡±


    He explained, ¡°I taught the strange bird a lesson. Look at its two heads. One can spit poison, and the other can spit lightning. Its abilities are quite good. I want to see if I can raise it as a pet.¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes widened and she took a few steps back. ¡°Poison? Isn¡¯t it better not to keep it?¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Then we can roast it for food. The stronger the creature, the better the quality of the meat.¡±


    He looked at the strange bird and imagined what it would look like after it was roasted. He could not help but feel a little hungry. He thought that he should be able to finish all of it if he transformed into a giant.


    The strange bird suddenly felt that things were about to take a turn for the worse, and its entire body trembled uncontrollably.


    Chen Yingying pointed at the strange bird and shouted, ¡°It moved! It moved! It¡¯s really still alive.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill it. Let¡¯s make it a roast bird tonight.¡±


    Chen Yiming informed his sister and used his spiritual power to restrain the strange bird.


    The strange bird¡¯s premonition came true and it immediately wanted to struggle. However, every part of its body was controlled by a strong force and it could not move at all. Tears flowed from the corners of its eyes.


    Was its life going to end just like that? It really regretted its actions!


    Chen Yingying suddenly changed her mind and said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s a waste to eat it. It should be handed over to a research institute to maximize its value.¡±


    ¡°That works too. There are people in the otherworld who are stronger than this guy. We can find more for food.¡±


    Chen Yiming agreed and released his control over the strange bird. At the same time, his spiritual power turned into two sledgehammers and struck at the two heads of the strange bird.


    This time, the strange bird could not struggle even after it was released from its restraints and fainted on the spot. It had received spiritual damage and could not even control its body.


    ¡­


    Not long after, his sister¡¯s archery teacher, Wu Youjia, came over with an old professor.


    He was dressed in simple clothes and some of his hair was white. However, his footsteps were steady and he did not seem to be faltering at all.


    ¡°Sir, this is Professor Li. He happened to be sent to the stronghold and is the most powerful expert from the Heavenly Shadow Research Institute in the capital,¡± Wu Youjia introduced.


    ¡°Is he in the field of biological research? Is he a professional? I¡¯m looking for an expert beast tamer,¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Beast taming is a branch of biological research. It happens to be within the scope of my research. Don¡¯t worry and leave it to me. I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± Professor Li said confidently.


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    When Professor Li heard this, he smiled. ¡°Please do me a small favor. Control this big fellow. We have to inject it with a drug to suppress its internal force activity.¡±


    Chen Yiming replied, ¡°I just gave it a strong blow with my spiritual power. It won¡¯t wake up for at least half a day.¡±


    Soon, under Professor Li¡¯s command, a team of soldiers carried a special syringe over.


    The tube was one meter in diameter and two meters long. It was filled with a purple liquid, and the needle as thick as a fist. It shone with a metallic luster and looked very different from normal syringes.


    Chen Yingying moved closer to Chen Yiming and whispered, ¡°Brother, will the strange bird die if such a large amount of liquid enters its body?¡±


    She had been afraid of injections since she was young. When she saw the needle that was as thick as a fist, her entire body felt uncomfortable.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice, ¡°How would I know? Since Professor Li gave the order to do this, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    At the same time, he was a little worried. The strange bird had suffered heavy injuries both physically and mentally, and its condition was definitely not good.


    If it died in an accident, after being injected with such a large tube of purple liquid, it would not be suitable for eating anymore. It could only be given to the relevant research institutes for dissection.


    Just as Chen Yiming was feeling conflicted, Professor Li walked to the neck of the strange bird and used his hand to push away the feathers on it to find the location of the large veins.


    The soldiers carrying the huge syringe walked over and stabbed the needle into the large vein.


    The strange bird did not move at all, and the soldiers heaved a sigh of relief. The last person started to pour the liquid into the tube and inject it into the bloodstream.


    During the injection, Chen Yingying hid behind Chen Yiming, not daring to look at it.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming found it funny. He realized that this was another great way to deal with Chen Yingying.


    The injection only ended about five minutes later.


    After that, the strange bird was tied up securely by nearly 100 soldiers. Due to the rules of the otherworld, it could only be dragged away by hand.


    ¡­


    Opposite the exit of the space-travel passage, at the Myriad Phenomena Restaurant,


    in one of the private rooms, the table was filled with white wine. A few martial artists were drinking and chatting.


    ¡°At that time, I saw a giant fighting a giant bird from afar. The giant bird swooped down from the sky, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be controlled by a huge hand. It was a little like how we catch chickens before we kill them.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Stop making things up. How can a human become a giant? Although I haven¡¯t studied much, I still have some common sense.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? I really saw it with my own eyes. I happened to be passing by at that time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s drink. The martial arts factions that just arrived at the stronghold should be preparing to set off. After this round, we¡¯ll go into battle together.¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    ¡°Take it easy. You¡¯ll cause trouble if you drink too much.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not an ordinary person. Isn¡¯t alcohol easy to deal with?¡±


    As for the topic of the giant and the giant bird that they had just talked about, no one cared too much. They treated it as if that person had drunk too much and was just exaggerating.


    After a few more mouthfuls of wine, even the person who had witnessed the incident forgot about it and focused on drinking.


    ¡­


    Outside the stronghold, there were nearly 10,000 people organized into dozens of teams.


    Many martial arts factions joined forces with a portion of the independent martial artists and prepared to set off for the rocky plains.


    A teacher from the martial arts academy warned the students in front of him, ¡°Pay attention. I¡¯ll emphasize again that you must follow the instructions. You are not allowed to leave the team and act on your own.¡±


    The students shouted in unison, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Next, the teacher from the martial arts academy started to call out the names on the list to confirm if all the students were present.


    After the roll call ended, a student asked, ¡°Teacher Hong, what level was that huge creature from before?¡±


    The teacher glared at him and said angrily, ¡°Why are you asking this? That realm is too far away from you. It might not be a good thing to know about it.¡±


    The students were clearly very interested in this. Another student asked, ¡°Teacher Hong, can you tell us about it? Otherwise, I¡¯ll feel uncomfortable.¡±


    The teacher shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°If I really knew, would I have stayed in the martial arts academy to teach you? I can only roughly judge that it¡¯s at least a powerful creature equivalent to the third stage of the warrior realm.¡±


    Teacher Hong had just replied to a question when another student asked, ¡°How can we cultivate to that level? Teacher, tell us about the situation at the third stage of the warrior realm.¡±


    ¡­


    At night, the stronghold was brightly lit and filled with people.


    During the day, Chen Yiming had dragged the huge strange bird back, causing a huge impact.


    The effect was equivalent to a form of stimulation. It was like a friend telling you that a bull market had arrived, and the hundreds of thousands of yuan he had invested had become a few million yuan overnight.


    Or a friend telling you about a profitable business and inviting you to invest money into it.


    At the shooting range in the military camp,


    because the torch had not been lit, it was relatively dim compared to most of the other places in the stronghold.


    Her sister¡¯s martial arts teacher, Zhao Meijing, had asked Chen Yiming out to discuss something.


    ¡°Teacher Zhao, I¡¯ve been a little busy recently, so I didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to the situation in the military camp,¡± Chen Yiming apologized.


    On the way to the otherworld, he had impulsively taken advantage of Zhao Meijing. Later, when he encountered the matter with the evil organization, he had forgotten about her. No matter how he tried to defend himself, it was all his fault.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand. National affairs are important,¡± Zhao Meijing replied with a nod.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. Those who knew about this incident were all higher-ups in the government. They probably wouldn¡¯t spread the news. Otherwise, he would have been screwed over long ago.


    Thinking of this, he asked, ¡°How is Teacher Zhao¡¯s cultivation going? Are you adapting to the environment in the otherworld?¡±


    Zhao Meijing smiled and said, ¡°I was just about to tell you the good news. After practicing the technique you left behind at the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, I broke through to the warrior realm last night.¡±


    Chen Yiming gave her a thumbs up and said, ¡°Congratulations, Teacher Zhao, for breaking through to the warrior realm! Why didn¡¯t you mention this during the day?¡±


    As soon as he said this, he realized that he had said something wrong. Was there a need to ask when Zhao Meijing was looking for him alone? Her intentions were obvious.


    Zhao Meijing blushed and hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°Internal force is a completely unfamiliar field to me. I want to practice it once. Help me see if there¡¯s anything that needs to be corrected.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and smiled. ¡°No problem.¡±


    When Zhao Meijing received an affirmative reply, she could not hide the smile on her face. She walked two meters away and pulled out her sword from its sheath. She used the internal force that had just been born in her body to practice the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.


    Under the cover of the black fog internal force, the longsword in her hand was like a venomous snake that had appeared from the darkness. It came and went without a trace, and from time to time, it would pierce through the air, fully displaying the advantage of this sword technique.


    After finishing the full sword technique, Chen Yiming praised, ¡°Teacher Zhao, your swordsmanship has a solid foundation. Other than the fact that your control of internal force isn¡¯t smooth enough, there aren¡¯t any other problems.¡±


    Zhao Meijing nodded and asked in a voice as soft as a mosquito, ¡°Can you teach me?¡±


    Chen Yiming was taken aback. What was there to teach? It wasn¡¯t like practicing sword moves in the disciple realm. In the next moment, he understood what Zhao Meijing meant.


    He did not want Teacher Zhao to be sad, so he walked close to her and held her left hand in one hand and her sword-wielding hand in the other.


    Then, he let Zhao Meijing step on his feet. Finally, he used his spiritual power to control Zhao Meijing¡¯s internal force.


    With his current spiritual power, he could easily mobilize the power of nature. Even if the internal force was not his own, it was at most equivalent to a simplified version of the power of nature. It was easy for him to control.


    Just like that, Chen Yiming taught Zhao Meijing how to use her internal force step by step.


    During the process, it was inevitable that there would be some contact between the sensitive areas of both sides, but neither of them paid attention to it. This was because in martial arts, this was just like a male doctor treating a female patient.


    ¡­


    The night was enchanting. Most of the soldiers in the camp had been transferred to the rocky plains.


    Things like the night practice, the night archery training and so on were all temporarily put on hold. The shooting range was quiet, and only the sound of rushing wind could be heard from time to time.


    After being taught by Chen Yiming, Zhao Meijing felt that she had gained a lot. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so she suggested that they continue.


    Chen Yiming had been teased to the point where his blood was pumping around fiercely. He wanted to reject her, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so. He could only agree to Teacher Zhao¡¯s request and continue teaching her swordsmanship.


    The sound of the sword piercing through the air had changed at some point¡­ With a low growl, Chen Yiming¡¯s blood calmed down and he carried the air of a sage.

 Chapter 291 - Resolving the Hidden Danger

    The darkness dissipated, and light descended. The stronghold welcomed a new day.


    In front of a shop selling breakfast, there was a long line of more than 20 people. Everyone was still excitedly discussing the news from the rocky plains.


    Some of the first group to set off that night had already returned to the stronghold. Not only did these people bring back heavy gains, but they also confirmed the rumors that there were treasures everywhere in the rocky plains.


    For the time being, the fact that some of the teams suffered casualties, and some people had died in accidents were selectively ignored.


    Not many people held a conservative opinion anymore. The entire stronghold was filled with an excited atmosphere.


    Many people even started to dream that they would live in the rocky plains for a long time and break through to the next level by fighting. One day, they would return to the stronghold as experts and become a legend.


    Chen Yiming carried two plates of soup dumplings, two fried dough sticks, and two cups of soy milk to an open-air wooden table. Zhao Meijing happily took her portion of the food.


    The skin on her face was fair and rosy, and she exuded a charming aura that attracted the attention of passersby.


    ¡°It seems like there is a large group of people from the Western provinces that arrived in the stronghold overnight.¡±


    Chen Yiming ate one soup di=umpling after another and chatted as he ate.


    ¡°I saw them on the way here. They have sharp noses, big eyes, and obviously foreign features. They look different from most people,¡± Zhao Meijing said with a nod.


    ¡°The Daxia Kingdom is thousands of kilometers away from the west to the east. It looks like the situation at the stronghold is going well. The attraction has reached the entire Daxia Kingdom,¡± Chen Yiming said with a narcissistic smile.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s all thanks to someone,¡± Zhao Meijing praised in a low voice.


    Chen Yiming was overjoyed to hear this.


    The sense of accomplishment was indescribable. He felt like the emperors of ancient times that had both a large empire and many beauties under him.


    In the world of martial arts, the powerful were high and mighty. They watched the changes in the world with a smile. The countries on the blue planet, including the strongest two, the Daxia Kingdom and the Sam Nation, were all the same.


    In reality, most of the situation was led by those in the master realm. Nuclear weapons were forced to take a back seat as a deterrent force that could bring others down with them.


    ¡­


    After breakfast, Chen Yiming and Zhao Meijing parted ways.


    The sense of accomplishment in his heart had yet to fade. He planned to walk around the stronghold a few times. On the other hand, Zhao Meijing had been taught by Chen Yiming all night. In order to maintain her condition, she had to go back and catch up on her sleep.


    A team of more than 20 people stopped in front of a martial arts supplies store.


    One could tell where they came from just by looking at their foreign appearance. Each of them was holding a horse leash, and the tall warhorses neighed from time to time. They were very vigilant of their surroundings.


    ¡°Dad, is it really alright? Ever since we entered Jiangdu City, those people from the coastal cities have never looked at us in a good way,¡±


    a young man with long, fluffy hair said in a low voice.


    ¡°No matter where we are, strength is the foundation. The reason why we are being viewed as enemies is because our arrival has intensified the competition. Let¡¯s endure it for now,¡±


    a middle-aged man with a full beard replied in an equally low voice.


    The young man with long, fluffy hair fell silent, but from his expression, it was clear that he was not convinced. He just had no choice but to follow his father¡¯s orders.


    The reason why he objected was mainly because in their hometown in the western plains, they were above the others.


    But after traveling thousands of kilometers to Jiangnan province and entering the stronghold of the otherworld, they had become a small group of weak people who were easily bullied and had no one to complain to.


    No matter how he thought about it, it was better to stay in the plains and rule over the region.


    ¡°What future can there be if you continue to stay in the plains? Entering the otherworld is the trend now. If you don¡¯t follow the trend, you will definitely be eliminated.¡±


    The bearded middle-aged man glared at him.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The fluffy-haired young man wanted to defend himself, but was interrupted.


    The bearded middle-aged man continued, ¡°This is a stronghold now. Before long, it will definitely develop into a city. In the future, it will become the elite area of the Daxia Kingdom.


    There is a huge difference in the cultivation environment across a space-travel passage. Are you pretending to be stupid or are you really stupid?¡±


    Towards the end, his saliva flew everywhere as he lectured him.


    ¡°I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just what? If you have the ability, you can open up a space-travel passage on the plains and build a long-term stronghold there. In the future, the elite district will be right outside our house. Then, you won¡¯t have to go so far, but can you do it?¡±


    The young man with the fluffy hair was reprimanded openly in the streets, but he could not refute it.


    The passers-by glanced at the young man with contempt in their eyes. One more person meant one more competitor. If he did not want to be here, he could stay away. He was not welcome here.


    Chen Yiming passed by and saw everything.


    He suddenly realized a problem. Even the elite martial artists in the western plains thousands of kilometers away had gathered in Jiangnan province. The situation in the nearby provinces was probably even worse.


    Because of the development of the otherworld in Jiangnan province that he was overseeing, they had absorbed a large amount of martial arts power from the other provinces.


    At some point, the balance of strength between the human cities and the mutant beasts would be broken.


    To deal with external threats, one had to first settle internal affairs. If he did not resolve the problem of the mutant beasts gathering in the Daxia Kingdom first, it would always be a hidden danger.


    Perhaps one day, they would be used by others, just like how it was when the Western corporations had sent the evil organization to cause trouble.


    He whispered, ¡°Dealing with the gathering place of the mutant beasts in the Daxia Kingdom involves too many things. It¡¯s not something that can be resolved by just killing them. That will only cause a beast tide that will sweep through the entire country.


    However, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to only target the mutant beasts gathered in Jiangnan province.¡±


    ¡­


    After returning to the camp, Chen Yiming went to the shooting range to check on Chen Yingying.


    After confirming that his sister was not sleeping in and was practicing with the archery teacher, he found a quiet place and communicated with the figure in his mind.


    Chen Yiming: Have you fully explored the rocky plains?


    The figure in his mind: It¡¯s done. The rocky plains is about 1,000 kilometers wide.


    Chen Yiming: What about the traces of the Western martial master?


    The figure in his mind: The range of the search is too large, so I didn¡¯t find anything for the time being. He should be hiding somewhere again.


    Chen Yiming: The Skill Points are always increasing by one at a time. Are there no stone golems at the master realm in the entire rocky plains?


    The figure in his mind: I¡¯ve never encountered any. They might be hiding underground.


    After understanding the situation, he stopped his communication with the spiritual figure.


    Chen Yiming frowned. He felt that he had underestimated the effect of the master realm on one¡¯s lifespan, which would be increased by two to three times.


    Even in the otherworld, as long as one¡¯s luck was not too bad, one could go almost anywhere. Therefore, all of them would rather be cowards and hide if they sensed that something was amiss.


    However, not only did the spiritual power have the ability to detect things, but it also had many other uses like hiding one¡¯s aura. Even though Chen Yiming had the advantage of fighting two against one, it would be a waste if he couldn¡¯t find his target.


    He said angrily, ¡°Consider yourself lucky. If you can¡¯t find another space-travel passage that connects to the blue planet, you can stay in the otherworld forever! Let¡¯s see who can last longer.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re lucky enough to find a space-travel passage and secretly return to the blue planet, it¡¯s best if you hide your identity well. Otherwise, hehe¡­¡±


    ¡­


    East Lake City.


    Chen Yiming called the spiritual figure back to the stronghold and switched from offense to defense to ensure his sister¡¯s safety. Without telling anyone, he quietly left the otherworld.


    When he returned home, he found his mother burning incense and praying to Buddha.


    ¡°Son, why are you suddenly back? Where¡¯s your sister?¡±


    Mother Chen was surprised to see the person who had opened the door.


    ¡°Chen Yingying is too weak. I asked her to cultivate in the otherworld for a while longer. By the way, where did Dad go?¡±


    Chen Yiming changed into slippers and walked into the living room.


    ¡°Sigh! I won¡¯t agree to let your sister go to the otherworld no matter what next time. She¡¯s not suited for it, and I¡¯m on tenterhooks all day.


    Furthermore, your father is obsessed with the otherworld. He goes to the square every day to brag to others. If you ask me, why should he care about such things? Is your father really able to cultivate martial arts again at his age?¡±


    Mother Chen said to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made the arrangements for my sister to stay in the otherworld. Her safety is definitely not a problem,¡±


    Chen Yiming explained, trying to reassure Mother Chen.


    ¡°These days, even brothers can turn against each other for the sake of some assets, let alone strangers. Outsiders are ultimately outsiders. You can¡¯t be completely at ease,¡± Mother Chen retorted.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll find another time to bring my sister back,¡± Chen Yiming said helplessly.


    The spiritual figure was equivalent to his clone, but this was not something he could easily explain to Mother Chen, who was still an ordinary person. She probably wouldn¡¯t believe him and it might even backfire.


    ¡°Then hurry up. Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Mother Chen¡¯s eyes lit up as she said seriously.


    Chen Yiming smiled bitterly. He could vaguely understand Mother Chen¡¯s thoughts. He had been running around all year round and wasn¡¯t often at home, leaving only Chen Yingying at home. Mother Chen naturally wanted her daughter to stay by her side.


    ¡­


    At lunchtime, Father Chen returned from outside.


    Because he ate and slept well every day, his face was flushed with vigor, and he seemed to have become 10 years younger.


    When Father Chen heard that Chen Yingying had been left behind in the otherworld to cultivate, his reaction was completely different from Mother Chen¡¯s. He agreed with Chen Yiming¡¯s decision.


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s martial arts talent is not very good to begin with. Of course, a weak person has to know their limits and not slack off. She has to work harder and put in more effort than others.¡±


    Father Chen gave him a thumbs up.


    These words angered Mother Chen. ¡°Old man, what nonsense are you spouting? What did the news report? Don¡¯t just read the good news. Don¡¯t you care about how many people have died?¡±


    Father Chen argued, ¡°How can there be anywhere that is 100% safe in this world? Besides, the news deliberately emphasized the number of casualties just to lead up to the upcoming restrictions. The government doesn¡¯t want everyone to rush into the otherworld. The blue planet still needs martial arts power to support it.¡±


    Mother Chen retorted, ¡°What¡¯s the use of worrying about that? It¡¯s none of our business.¡±


    Father Chen couldn¡¯t outargue her, so he turned to Chen Yiming for help. ¡°Yiming, tell me. Between me and your mother, who makes more sense?¡±


    Chen Yiming wiped his sweat. How was his mother trying to reason with him? He decided not to get involved to prevent himself from being implicated.


    At the same time, from the information revealed by Father Chen, Chen Yiming realized that Jiangnan province would impose restrictions on entering the otherworld. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the information would be released.


    This was normal. If they all rushed into the otherworld, would the city not need anyone to guard it? Would they not need to be wary of the beast tide?


    The development of the otherworld had to be done step by step. If they took too big a step, it would be easy for them to screw things up.


    ¡­


    After lunch, Father Chen went out again.


    Mother Chen told Chen Yiming, ¡°Your father is going to the square to brag to others again. The news of your return can¡¯t be hidden anymore.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m not working in secret. It¡¯s fine if others know that I¡¯m back. I¡¯m just used to keeping a low profile.¡±


    However, seeing that his mother was still angry, he did not say anything in the end.


    Chen Yiming lay on the sofa and turned on the television. He switched channels continuously to see if there was anything interesting.


    When he turned to the Jiangdu TV station, a general from the military was speaking. The reporter in charge of the interview was Zhang Yan.


    ¡°Recently, there are rumors among the general public that the evil organization has not been completely wiped out. General Li, what do you think of this problem?¡±


    ¡°The military has already set up an inescapable net in Jiangnan province. We promise not to let any member of the evil organization off and to bring justice for all the victims.¡±


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    He did not go back on his word. Zhou Hongquan had done a good job. Otherwise, he would have become a heartless scumbag.


    At this moment, Mother Chen suddenly said, ¡°This girl is not bad. She has a good temperament and has a good figure. It¡¯s just that as a reporter, she can¡¯t take care of her family. What a pity!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he almost revealed a strange expression.


    No one dared to spread the rumors about him. Mother Chen still did not know that he had already laid with the female reporter.


    ¡­


    After dinner, the mayor of East Lake City, Hong Yi, visited.


    Now that the Chen family had a special status, the higher-ups of East Lake City would not disturb them unless it was for something important.


    Hong Yi¡¯s tone was very respectful. He did not make any requests from the start to the end and only talked about the changes in East Lake City.


    Time passed very quickly, but it also felt like it was passing very slowly. Back when East Lake City was attacked by the alien bird creatures, Hong Yi had even assigned Chen Yiming the task of transporting supplies back to Luoxi City.


    How long has it been? This young man, who was not even 20 years old, was already standing at the top of the world. His every move could even affect the situation of the entire blue planet.


    In comparison, as the mayor of a small city, Hong Yi¡¯s influence was no longer on the same level. If not for the fact that East Lake City was his hometown, he would not have had any reason to visit him.


    Half an hour later, Hong Yi left the Chen family¡¯s house.


    ¡°Mayor Hong is so polite. It¡¯s a little different from what I saw on television,¡± Mother Chen sighed after sending him out.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Isn¡¯t it because of our son? If our family was still the same as when we opened the restaurant, would Mayor Hong have come to visit? Would he have been so polite?¡± Father Chen leaned back on the sofa and replied.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t ask our son for any help. Don¡¯t be too suspicious,¡± Mother Chen retorted.


    ¡°Tsk! You don¡¯t understand. If my son doesn¡¯t object, then he doesn¡¯t have any other opinion. That¡¯s enough. Do you think I¡¯m wasting my time going out every day?¡± Father Chen said confidently.


    ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it. You¡¯re just feeling good about yourself.¡± Mother Chen rolled her eyes.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, so be it. Time will prove everything. Just you wait and see.¡± Father Chen had no way of proving it, so he could only say this.


    Chen Yiming sat on the other sofa and didn¡¯t get involved in the conversation.


    Hong Yi had said that the railway between East Lake City and the base city had been completed. The city had built enough trains to ensure that East Lake City would operate the transportation smoothly.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t object or give any comments. Hong Yi had relied on this to get a second opinion that they were more than qualified to operate the railway to the base city.


    Hong Yi also mentioned the changes in the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. All the teachers and students in the academy had switched to the cultivation technique left behind by Chen Yiming. At the moment, they were improving at an astonishing speed.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t comment, indicating that he agreed with the East Lake Martial Arts Academy¡¯s actions.


    This way, the East Lake Martial Arts Academy would become a pilot school for his technique. It would be very attractive to the young geniuses from other schools and even other provinces.


    ¡­

 Chapter 292 - Strange Mountain Village

    At midnight, Chen Yiming returned to his bedroom and lay down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling as he fell into deep thought.


    ¡°According to the information in the library of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, there are a total of six large provincial sects in Jiangnan province. The location of the six large sects are distributed in a hexagon shape. In the middle is a strange place, also known as the training ground. Before the abnormalities occurred, it was a small mountain village. Those who can enter this strange place and leave alive will definitely make rapid progress in their martial arts cultivation.¡±


    ¡°There are no records in the Myriad Phenomena Sect of whether the two martial masters from the south and north of the Daxia Kingdom have entered it to investigate the situation.¡±


    ¡°From this, it can be seen that the reason why the six large provincial sects have been standing strong all this time is because Jiangnan province has secretly supported them to guard that strange place.¡±


    ¡°Previously, when I was at the peak of the warrior realm, although I could fight against someone at the master realm, I did not have the ability to kill him. Now, the situation is completely different. After breaking through to the master realm and being able to transform into a giant, I have the confidence to beat someone at the master realm into a pulp. It¡¯s time to clean up these strange places.¡±


    After making up his mind, Chen Yiming fell into a deep sleep.


    Nothing could compare to this feeling of home. He slept very well that night.


    ¡­


    When he woke up the next day, Chen Yiming felt better than ever. He felt energetic and was filled with motivation.


    He sat cross-legged on the bed. After adding the Giant Talent, he had obtained the daily cultivation method used by giants.


    Streams of air surrounded his body and resonated with the clouds in the sky, forming a special force field that acted on every cell in his body. It was as if he was restrained down by shackles weighing 10,000 kg.


    The mysterious thing was that the special force field was completely created within his body and did not affect his surroundings at all.


    This cultivation method was unique to the giants. Unless one could completely analyze a powerful creature like the giant, one could not learn this body tempering technique.


    After his cultivation ended, he took a hot shower in the bathroom at home and started to pack his luggage.


    Actually, there was not much to pack. Other than some personal identification and his bank card, he mainly needed some spare underwear after his transformation to a giant.


    On the blue planet, one only needed to spend money or swipe their card to get whatever they needed. The records of his contribution points from the otherworld were useless, so Chen Yiming threw them all into a drawer.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mom, I have something urgent to deal with. I¡¯ll pick Chen Yingying up in a few days.¡±


    Before he left, Chen Yiming explained to Mother Chen.


    ¡°Alright. Be careful,¡± Mother Chen said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m invincible on the blue planet,¡± Chen Yiming promised as he patted his chest.


    The information recorded by the Myriad Phenomena Sect was definitely not as detailed as that in the internal affairs department of the Jiangnan provincial government. Chen Yiming planned to make a trip to Jiangnan City first.


    ¡­


    Ever since the opening of the stronghold in the otherworld, Jiangnan City¡¯s status had been challenged to a certain extent. It had become a little deserted, and the crowd had temporarily moved to Jiangdu City.


    After entering the city, Chen Yiming saw many shops with signs saying they wanted to transfer their leases to someone else.


    Cultivating martial arts was a huge expense. A large number of martial arts practitioners had gathered in Jiangdu City, taking away their large spending that originally belonged to Jiangnan City.


    On the other hand, the rent would not decrease for the time being. The direction of the province¡¯s strategy was not clear, and the shops in certain areas were forced to transfer their leases to prevent losses.


    At the entrance of a shop selling martial arts supplies, three students from the martial arts academy walked out with disappointed expressions.


    ¡°What the hell! Jiangnan City is the provincial capital. Why is the blood essence suddenly out of stock? Those scalpers are really despicable.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already gone to five shops. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, why don¡¯t we go to Jiangdu City to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the news? The average rent in Jiangdu City has increased by more than 10 times recently. How can the price of the blood essence there still be the same? I don¡¯t want to give money to these scalpers.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? If we don¡¯t progress in our martial arts cultivation, we¡¯ll fall behind. I don¡¯t want my cultivation to be affected.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. It¡¯s impossible that only the few of us are facing this problem. Let¡¯s ask the martial arts teacher if there are any alternatives.¡±


    The huge rewards from the rocky plains had affected the entire Jiangnan province overnight. The small merchants who did not have the ability to enter the otherworld on their own spontaneously formed groups to work together.


    The first to be affected were the supplies. Materials like cultivation consumables would be sent to wherever the prices were highest.


    ¡­


    At the entrance of the security bureau, when Chen Yiming arrived, he realized that there were many more people than the first time.


    Judging from their clothes, some of them were not members of the bureau. From their aura, many of them were quite strong.


    He recalled Chief Xie¡¯s 100 members plan. It seemed that the plan had continued after he left, and he had really recruited many civilian experts.


    At the window of the service counter, Liu Sujuan was sitting at her desk, supporting her chin with one hand.


    On the surface, she was still Consultant Chen¡¯s exclusive contact person, but in reality, she had been forced to return to her original position for the time being. She had nothing to do all day and came to work just to pass the time.


    She had looked for the bureau chief, Xie Jimin, but he always had a bitter expression on his face. He told her about the difficulties the bureau was facing and refused to let her quit her job as a contact person.


    Liu Sujuan massaged her numb hands and sighed. ¡°My body is about to die from just sitting here all day.¡±


    Fang Rou, who was at the side, replied angrily, ¡°You really don¡¯t know how lucky you are. I work overtime every day to make the publicity materials. I¡¯m going crazy from all the work.¡±


    Liu Sujuan said, ¡°I said I would help you with it, but you didn¡¯t let me.¡±


    Fang Rou rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. When you helped me make the materials last time, I was scolded by the bureau chief. You should go and be a good mascot for the bureau.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Consultant Chen made my situation like this¡­¡±


    Liu Sujuan was halfway through her sentence when she saw Chen Yiming walking towards the service counter.


    Her mouth fell open and her body stiffened. She was instantly stunned.


    Chen Yiming saw someone he knew at the service counter. He walked over and asked, ¡°Is Chief Xie around?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring you to him.¡± Liu Sujuan nodded awkwardly.


    Fang Rou almost laughed out loud when she saw Liu Sujuan¡¯s embarrassed expression.


    Soon, the two of them left the service counter.


    ¡­


    In the archives room beside the bureau chief¡¯s office, Xie Jimin took out a piece of information from the locked cabinet. ¡°That strange place was originally a small mountain village. After a space-travel passage appeared in the village, something strange happened.


    After that, it became very lively once every 10 years. Rumor has it that a demon lives inside. As long as one passes the demon¡¯s test, they can make a deal with it and change their fate to obtain an even better martial arts talent.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing? It feels too fake. Didn¡¯t the martial masters from the Daxia Kingdom investigate the situation?¡± Chen Yiming asked in surprise.


    ¡°The two martial masters have been staying at the border all this time. When they had some time to spare, they did a simple investigation. They concluded that a creature at the master realm was probably causing trouble on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    If a battle between martial masters broke out, without the confidence to kill the other party, Jiangnan province cannot withstand it, so nothing has been done about it.


    The other party might also have the same worries, so they didn¡¯t go overboard,¡± Xie Jimin explained.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Such a time bomb had existed openly for many years. If it exploded one day, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    It was unknown if the sect masters of the previous six large sects were aware of this news or if they had been fooled by the higher-ups of the government into thinking that the demon was a half-step away from the master realm.


    Seeing this, Xie Jimin smiled bitterly. His meaning was obvious.


    The six major sects of Jiangnan province had received support, so they naturally had to take the corresponding risk. There was no free lunch.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything. Perhaps the sect masters had already realized it, but they pretended not to know about it.


    After all, the risk was unknown, but the immediate benefits were already in their hands.


    He flipped open the information and read through it briefly. It said that the mountain village in the strange place was covered in a layer of fog. Every 10 years or so, the range of the fog would expand greatly.


    At this time, those who dared to risk their lives and enter the fog to participate in the demon¡¯s trial would have their martial arts talent greatly increased.


    The information mentioned a sect master who had used this opportunity to break through to the peak of the warrior realm. He was the sect master of the Kunshan Sect, Lu Zhenshan, who had been killed by Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Could the Kunshan Sect¡¯s Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist have something to do with the demon?


    Or was Lu Zhenshan the spy that the demon had planted in the human world?


    It¡¯s very likely that he rose up too quickly. With its appearance once every decade, that demon still doesn¡¯t know that his informant has been killed, so there¡¯s no response yet.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of this possibility.


    However, to the current him, it did not matter if there was a problem with the Kunshan Sect. The source of the problem was that demon, and he could just kill it to resolve the problem.


    ¡­


    Xie Jimin personally sent Chen Yiming to the entrance of the security bureau.


    Liu Sujuan was extremely conflicted. As they walked from the office building to the entrance of the security bureau, she had wanted to ask something. No matter the outcome, this would give her a reason to negotiate a transfer with the bureau chief.


    However, she swallowed her words several times, worried that she would ruin the plan for the bureau.


    After Chen Yiming disappeared down the street, Xie Jimin said, ¡°Xiao Juan, you might not be so free from now on.¡±


    Liu Sujuan asked excitedly, ¡°Chief, have you agreed to transfer me?¡±


    Xie Jimin coughed and continued, ¡°That¡¯s not it. There were some problems with the bureau¡¯s work previously. We can take this opportunity to repair our relationship with Consultant Chen. From now on, you have to be on standby 24 hours a day.¡±


    ¡­


    There was no hurry to deal with the strange place. After Chen Yiming left the security bureau, he felt that he had taken a huge step forward in his decision to push forward the development of the otherworld through the rocky plains.


    Therefore, he planned to walk around and see the changes in Jiangnan City with his own eyes.


    1


    Not long after, he arrived at an area with dilapidated houses. The rent here was relatively cheap, and it reflected the living conditions of most people in the city.


    A long-haired youth in a punk outfit suddenly tried to mug Chen Yiming as he passed by.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned cold. He snorted and grabbed his opponent¡¯s wrist tightly, just like an iron handcuff.


    ¡°Brother, this is a mistake. This is a misunderstanding.¡± The long-haired youth¡¯s face was filled with fear as he squatted down and begged for mercy.


    Chen Yiming broke his opponent¡¯s wrist before letting go.


    ¡°It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!¡±


    The long-haired youth held his injured hand and rolled on the ground.


    Chen Yiming was a little angry. He had hidden 10 pairs of underwear in his luggage, and he couldn¡¯t let anyone see them. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing. Coincidentally, this youth had dared to touch his personal belongings.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with the other party, it wouldn¡¯t have been something that could be resolved with just a small punishment.


    The long-haired youth wailed for a while. He wanted to say something harsh and get others to help him deal with Chen Yiming, but when their gazes met, his heart seemed to have stopped beating.


    It was like an ordinary person turning around and seeing a large tiger staring at him from behind.


    The long-haired youth often did things like stealing, so how could he not understand that he had encountered someone he could not afford to provoke? Suddenly, his wrist did not seem to hurt anymore. He got up in a hurry and quickly left.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the long-haired youth and thought to himself, ¡°It looks like even the provincial city has been affected. A large number of soldiers have been sent to the otherworld. After the defense power of the city drops, they will definitely have to compromise. The law and order in the ordinary people¡¯s living areas is not as good as before.¡±


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming wandered around and followed the crowd to a lively place.


    A plaque with the words ¡°Martial Arts Certification Center¡± written on it hung above the door of a three-story building.


    There was a queue of 100 meters long at the door. A staff member was sitting at the wooden table and registering their personal information.


    Beside it was a sign that read, ¡°Martial arts level certification registration fee: 1,000 yuan for the disciple realm and 10,000 yuan for the warrior realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked around and his gaze landed on the two young girls.


    The two of them were about 15 or 16 years old, about the same age as Chen Yingying. They had sweet looks, and at this age, most of them liked handsome boys. He was very confident about this.


    He walked over and greeted them shamelessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many people. Have you registered?¡±


    ¡°Are you also here to register for the certification?¡±


    The two girls looked at the person who had arrived and were instantly a little shy. One of them, who had a ponytail, responded boldly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I just feel that there are too many people, so I haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Chen Yiming said without changing his expression.


    ¡°So are we,¡± the long-haired girl beside him replied with a red face as she avoided his gaze.


    The girl with the ponytail took the initiative to ask, ¡°We¡¯re from First High. What about you?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m from Second High.¡±


    The girl with the ponytail continued, ¡°Our First High School is preparing to hold a practical class to head to the stronghold in the otherworld. However, the martial arts teacher said that the train from Jiangdu City to the base city will soon require the passengers to have a martial arts certification before they can purchase tickets. What about Second High?¡±


    Chen Yiming continued to spout nonsense. ¡°Second High is the same.¡±


    The girl with the ponytail sighed and said, ¡°I observed the speed of the assessment inside. There¡¯s only one staff member in charge of registration at the door. I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll have to queue for our turn. We still have class in the afternoon.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°There are indeed too many people. Unless we take leave from school, two hours in the afternoon won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    The girl with the ponytail complained, ¡°It¡¯s said that their working hours are still from 9 to 5. They only work on Saturdays on the weekends. It¡¯s too much for us students to wait until Saturday. I wonder if it will reach our turn.¡±


    The long-haired girl echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. What if the practical class starts next week? If we can¡¯t complete the certification this Saturday, we won¡¯t be able to go to the stronghold in the otherworld.¡±


    Chen Yiming gave them an idea. ¡°Go back and ask your family for help. After you¡¯ve registered, get your family to keep an eye on the numbers. When it¡¯s almost your turn, get them to inform you. If you can¡¯t get a leave of absence, just skip class.¡±


    The long-haired girl hesitated and said, ¡°Our form teacher is very strict. It¡¯ll be troublesome if we get caught skipping class.¡±


    Chen Yiming came up with another idea. ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, you can pretend to be sick tomorrow morning and take a leave of absence. You can act first and deal with the consequences later.¡±


    The girl with the ponytail said excitedly, ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s talk to our family first. So what if the form teacher knows that we¡¯re pretending to be sick?¡±


    Chen Yiming chatted with the two girls and quickly figured out the situation.


    The martial arts level certification was only the beginning. Depending on the certified level, there were different restrictions for buying tickets to the stronghold in the otherworld.

 Chapter 293 - Controlling The Kunshan Sect

    After leaving Jiangnan City, there were many tall buildings behind him. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the industrial park, and thick black smoke rose towards the clouds.


    In the wilderness in front of him, there were still a large number of people from other provinces heading towards Jiangdu City. However, the path that adventurers often took was empty. It was much quieter than usual.


    From time to time, birds would fly past in the sky. They would circle overhead a few times before flying into the distance.


    Chen Yiming looked up at the sky and decided to head to the strange mountain village to resolve the hidden danger.


    The development of the otherworld was irreversible, and he had contributed greatly to it.


    Before the appearance of the space-travel passages, the mutant beasts were just meat for humans. A large number of species were on the verge of extinction, and they had no choice but to build a wildlife park to help them reproduce.


    Now that they had the ability to create a more stable environment, they should re-establish the glory of humanity and take back control of the wilderness.


    ¡­


    ¡°What is the Kunshan Sect trying to do in broad daylight?¡±


    A group of three large trucks was stopped. A middle-aged man was arguing with them, and the people following behind him had angry expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Cut the crap. You can choose whether you want money or your lives.¡±


    A disciple of the Kunshan Sect, who looked to be in his thirties, had an impatient expression on his face. He was about to attack if there was a disagreement.


    The traders had never thought that the Kunshan Sect would throw away their reputation and behave like bandits.


    ¡°Fine! Qian Yong Trading Company will admit defeat. Xiao Zhang, go get the keys from the car.¡±


    The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he chose to spend his money to avert the disaster. At this moment, the Kunshan Sect had weakened to an unprecedented level, but it was still not something that a small trading company could provoke.


    The young man called Xiao Zhang ran towards the large truck at the back in a disorderly manner. This incident had overturned his worldview, and his good image of the large provincial sects collapsed.


    When Xiao Zhang handed over the car key to the middle-aged man, the middle-aged man¡¯s heart was bleeding. A truck full of daily cultivation consumables would be taken away by the Kunshan Sect just like that.


    It had to be known that the overall price of goods in Jiangdu City had soared. The profits that could be earned by the trading companies were at least four to five times that of normal.


    It was unknown how long this situation would last. This situation was equivalent to a trading company working freely for the Kunshan Sect.


    ¡°This is the key to the truck at the back.¡±


    The middle-aged man handed the key to the disciple from the Kunshan Sect. His hands were trembling as he did so. This key represented a large sum of money.


    ¡°At least your company knows its place.¡±


    The Kunshan Sect disciple took the key and walked to the large truck at the back.


    The martial arts factions in Jiangnan province and other provinces could go to the otherworld through the base city, but the Kunshan Sect could not.


    As Chen Yiming displayed his combat strength at the master realm, the identity of the masked man was no longer a secret. It was just that the higher-ups of the government and the various factions pretended not to know about it.


    The Kunshan Sect had been put in an awkward situation because of this. They were the only large sect in Jiangnan province that had a grudge against the masked man. Without Chen Yiming¡¯s permission, Jiangdu City had tacitly rejected the requests from the disciples of the Kunshan Sect to buy train tickets to the base city.


    It could be said that the Kunshan Sect had lost its sect master and all its allies. They had already been forced into a corner and had nowhere to retreat to. They could not even get sufficient consumables for their daily cultivation.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming was rushing towards the strange mountain village when he bumped into a Kunshan Sect disciple robbing a trading company.


    He frowned. The Kunshan Sect had actually fallen to such a state. What was the difference between them and the evil factions hiding in the wilderness? Not only did they not play a role in stabilizing the situation, but they were also causing trouble.


    With this thought, streams of air began to circle in midair, turning into a huge palm that finally slammed down on the Kunshan Sect disciple.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With a loud bang, the ground caved in by a meter, forming a huge pit and raising a cloud of dust.


    The Kunshan Sect disciple had just raised his head to look at the sky, and before he could react, his blood and flesh was mixed together with the soil, creating a bloody mess.


    The people from the trading company looked at each other and fell silent. For a moment, they could not tell what the person¡¯s motive was. Was he trying to help them? Or was he a tiger that had a bigger appetite than the wolves?


    Chen Yiming walked over. ¡°Tell me about the situation on the trade route.¡±


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man relaxed and explained, ¡°Before our trading company set off, we knew that the road had not been peaceful recently. Some evil factions in the wilderness were robbing passing merchant groups. We just didn¡¯t expect the Kunshan Sect to do such a thing.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked again, ¡°There should be many trading companies heading to Jiangdu City. Didn¡¯t anyone go to the province to report the robbery?¡±


    The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°It¡¯s said that most of the troops from Jiangnan province have been mobilized to the otherworld. For example, that disciple from the Kunshan Sect only wanted to take a portion of the money and did not kill anyone. He made sure that the matter was not too serious so that the higher-ups would turn a blind eye to it.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. People moved for their own profit. The benefits from the otherworld were too enticing, even for the Jiangnan provincial government.


    As for the headquarters in Jiangnan province, not only were they facing external threats, but their internal affairs were also undergoing huge changes. Countless gazes were fixed on Jiangdu City, and the evil factions in the wilderness were also secretly taking a share of the loot.


    ¡­


    The sun gradually set in the west, and the clouds in the sky seemed to be dyed red.


    Chen Yiming turned around and looked at the end of the road. He took a deep breath and changed directions to go to the Kunshan Sect first.


    The entrance to the Kunshan Sect was still where it used to be. Previously, it was one of the six large provincial sects in Jiangnan province, and its overall strength was above average.


    However, they currently lacked a sect master, and several inner court heads had died. Their strength had fallen to the bottom, and they were only left with the reputation of a large provincial sect.


    A young man was walking alone in the wilderness. Every step he took seemed to allow him to teleport 100 meters away in the blink of an eye.


    When the people lying in ambush in the forest saw this scene, they were so frightened that they did not dare to breathe too loudly. They held their breaths and prayed for peace in their hearts.


    They were robbing and stealing from others, and could not stand up to any investigation. They were afraid that this unknown expert would act in the name of justice.


    Chen Yiming ignored these small fries. As long as he could intimidate them enough, the robbery of the merchant groups heading to Jiangdu City would stop.


    ¡­


    Not long after, he arrived at the foot of the mountain where the Kunshan Sect was located.


    Unlike the lively town at the foot of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the small villages at the foot of the Kunshan Sect were all abandoned. No one had lived there for a long time.


    Chen Yiming sized it up with a serious expression. He had a feeling that something was definitely wrong with the Kunshan Sect. It was as if the sect was sealed off from the outside world.


    Just as he stopped for a moment, a team of four rushed over.


    They were all wearing the standard attire of the Kunshan Sect, and there was a faint black aura hidden under the skin on their faces. They looked wild, crazy, and bloodthirsty.


    The leader of the group of Kunshan Sect disciples shouted at Chen Yiming, ¡°This isn¡¯t a place where you should be. Get lost!¡±


    The other three Kunshan Sect disciples looked at Chen Yiming with a hint of hunger in their eyes. They subconsciously licked the corners of their mouths.


    Chen Yiming took in their expressions. He had wanted to check what had happened to the Kunshan Sect, but he now understood that there was definitely something wrong with the sect. It was probably related to the strange village.


    With a flick of his finger, a stream of energy pierced through one of the leader¡¯s legs. Before the other party could react, he was down on one knee, and a large area of his injured leg was dyed red.


    The remaining three disciples of the Kunshan Sect realized that they were in trouble. The black aura on their faces instantly covered their bodies and turned into oval-shaped black spots.


    At the same time, a spiritual fluctuation mixed with madness, bloodlust, and killing intent charged at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not materialized spiritual power, ordinary warriors will definitely be unable to focus on the battle after being disturbed by this spiritual fluctuation.¡±


    Chen Yiming made a judgment.


    He flicked his finger again, and three streams of energy rushed out, striking the legs of the remaining three people. The black spots seemed to be able to predict what was going to happen, and all of them gathered at the spot where the energy had struck.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The black spots were blown away by the streams of energy and left the bodies of the three people.


    The energy streams were formed by Chen Yiming mobilizing the power of nature. Each stream was equivalent to a super heavy bullet, and their lethality was far greater than appeared on the surface.


    After defeating the four of them, he extended his spiritual power and grabbed the remnants of the black spots that had fallen on the ground.


    ¡°Still alive?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. He could sense that the aura on the black spots was still there. This was not a level that the Kunshan Sect could reach.


    He walked up to the four of them and kicked the leader. ¡°Tell me what happened in the Kunshan Sect.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Just you wait. Someone will come down the mountain to deal with you soon.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned cold and he stepped on the person.


    A white stream of air surrounded his feet, like a huge mountain bringing with it a strong pressure. Before he could actually step on his opponent¡¯s body, it had already sunk deep into the ground, turning into a flat pancake sandwiched by mud.


    Chen Yiming looked at the three disciples of the Kunshan Sect who were still alive. When their gazes met, they felt like they had been transported from a sauna into a world of ice and snow. They couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    ¡°Can you answer me now?¡±


    The three Kunshan Sect disciples hurriedly nodded. Their teeth were chattering, making a clattering sound.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. What happened at the Kunshan Sect?¡±


    ¡°The disciples of the Kunshan Sect are divided into two groups. One group will rob the merchant groups heading to Jiangdu City, while the other group will be like us and patrol the area around the Kunshan Sect. Strangers are not allowed to get close.¡±


    The black spots had completely separated from their bodies, and the three disciples were no longer being controlled. Their minds became clear, and they did not dare to hide anything.


    Chen Yiming continued to ask, ¡°Then what¡¯s with the black aura on your faces?¡±


    ¡°We were arranged to enter a small pool. After soaking in it for a while, it became like that. In reality, we don¡¯t know either, but Sect Master Cheng must know.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked again, ¡°Sect Master Cheng? Is he the previous inner court head called Cheng Shikun?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The three of them nodded in unison.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned cold. The change in the Kunshan Sect was undoubtedly Cheng Shikun¡¯s doing. It must have something to do with the strange mountain village.


    He could not help but curse in his heart. As long as there was enough temptation, there had always been no shortage of traitors among the humans. If he had not intended to clean out Jiangnan province, he might not have been able to stop them in time.


    After Chen Yiming turned around and left, the remaining three disciples of the Kunshan Sect endured the pain and struggled to get up.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Should we go back and report this to the sect master?¡±


    ¡°Are you courting death? Let¡¯s observe the situation first. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we ran away?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, three streams of energy flew over. Bang! Bang! Bang! They exploded into balls of blood, leaving large patches of blood behind.


    ¡­


    Beside a small pond in the Kunshan Sect, the sect master, Cheng Shikun, was surrounded by a black aura. His aura was as dark as an abyss, carrying all kinds of negative emotions such as evil, killing, and despair.


    He saw the black water boiling in the small pool and muttered to himself, ¡°It seems that someone who has reached a certain level has sensed the abnormality in the Kunshan Sect.¡±


    The two deputy sect masters, Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng, were also surrounded by the black aura, but it was slightly fainter than Cheng Shikun¡¯s.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we hide it anymore?¡± Shi Qingxin frowned, his face twitching as he spoke.


    Xu Zhansheng laughed wildly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we can¡¯t hide it. Let¡¯s kill this reckless guy and take advantage of the fact that no one really knows the situation to launch a surprise attack on Jiangnan City then return to the village immediately. We don¡¯t have to panic at all.¡±


    Cheng Shikun suddenly let out a sinister laugh. ¡°Chen Yiming, just you wait! So what if you¡¯re at the master realm? One day, my lord will descend into the human world. At that time, I¡¯ll let you experience the pain that we have to endure.¡±


    When Shi Qingxin and Xu Zhansheng heard this, the black aura around their bodies surged, and they were also affected and laughed.


    In just a few months, the three of them had broken through to the half-step master realm. The black aura around them was their materialized spiritual power.


    The internal force of the Five Labors and Seven Wounds Fist had even undergone a further transformation, turning into a true curse. Their lord had told the three of them that if they worked together to launch a sneak attack, they could even severely injure a martial master.


    ¡­


    Just as the sect master and deputy sect masters of the Kunshan Sect decided to kill the person who had barged into the territory of the Kunshan Sect and launch a sneak attack on Jiangnan City,


    muffled groans could be heard throughout the Kunshan Sect.


    Wherever Chen Yiming passed, the natural power he had mastered spread out. Its attribute was something similar to gravity, and it completely crushed the disciples of the Kunshan Sect who had rushed over.


    When these disciples who were affected by the black aura saw the intruder, they were instantly controlled by emotions like bloodlust, madness, and killing, as if they could not think for themselves.


    Even though their allies were easily crushed, they still charged forward without hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little like puppets being controlled!¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was ugly.


    If he and the spiritual figure were not on the blue planet, and the eruption of the strange mountain village swept through the entire Jiangnan province, who knew what kind of hellish scene would result?


    However, these people who were affected by the black aura had a weakness. Faced with absolute defeat, they would rather die than turn around and escape. This saved Chen Yiming a lot of trouble.


    In less than 10 minutes, the Kunshan Sect fell completely silent. The disciples of the Kunshan Sect had fought to their deaths on this battlefield.


    Chen Yiming raised his head and looked past the rocks, cliffs, and buildings in the direction where the black aura was the densest.


    The air there was vaguely distorted, as if it was the entrance to hell. Ghosts appeared in the air one after another and met his gaze.


    At the same time, their materialized spiritual powers started to attack him. Chen Yiming had the Undying Body talent and strength attribute, while his opponents had the corruption attribute.


    The moment they came into contact with each other, the other party used negative emotions like madness, bloodlust, and killing to attack him, trying to create a crack and break past Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely at the master realm!¡±


    Chen Yiming made a judgment based on the strength of their spiritual power.


    His spiritual power was like that of a well-armed man. Compared to him, his opponent was like a child. He could easily defeat his opponent¡¯s attacks one after another.


    However, in terms of cultivation level, they were on the same level. It was just that his Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent were too powerful.


    With this thought, Chen Yiming walked towards the source of the black aura. He had decided to completely destroy the Kunshan Sect and not allow this extremely corrupted power to spread.

 Chapter 294 - Giant Against Giant

    Soon, Chen Yiming arrived at the source of the black aura.


    There was a pool of boiling black water and three men surrounded by black aura. The two sides met just like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you guys?¡±


    Two surprised voices sounded, and both sides were surprised.


    Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng were still full of confidence a moment ago. When they saw who it was, their expressions instantly became flustered.


    In private, the three of them didn¡¯t care much about Chen Yiming. This was because they had the backing of their lord, who had surpassed the master realm. They felt that they would break through to the master realm sooner or later.


    At that time, it would be three against one, and the three of them thought that Chen Yiming had no chance of survival.


    But that was in the future, not at this moment.


    Now, even though their lord had told them that a joint attack from the three of them could severely injure a martial master, their foundation was still a little weak.


    Chen Yiming noticed that the three inner court heads had already broken through to the half-step master realm. They had broken through one and a half realms in a row and were almost catching up to him. It was clear that the existence supporting the three of them was not something straightforward.


    The pool of boiling black water was the source of power that could fight against him on a spiritual level.


    At the thought of this, he did not dare to hide his abilities.


    Giant transformation!


    The streams of air around his body began to spin crazily. Every time his heart beat, it was like a cannonball had exploded. His entire body suddenly increased from 1.9 meters to 100 meters.


    This was the first time he had transformed into a giant on the blue planet. His entire body was about 50 times larger, and his feet were about 15 meters long. Each of his legs was as tall as a building with more than 10 floors.


    Countless web-like cracks spread out in all directions from where he was standing. It was as if an earthquake had occurred on the mountain, and some of the older buildings in the Kunshan Sect had collapsed.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s giant form was already causing the Kunshan Sect to be on the verge of collapse before he even made a move.


    ¡°F*ck, this guy is not human!¡± Cheng Shikun cursed.


    Even for bloodline warriors, there had never been a case of such a large change in size. Usually, one would become close to 10 meters tall, and the height of a three-story building was the limit.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, what should we do!¡±


    the other two deputy sect masters exclaimed. The visual impact of the 100-meter-tall giant was something that one could only understand when they saw it with their own eyes.


    Some time ago, it was still unclear if the martial master from the Sam Nation was dead or alive. From the looks of it, the odds were stacked against him.


    Cheng Shikun glanced at the pool of black water at the side. This was the mission that their lord had given them. No matter what, they could not afford to lose it. He was trying to think of a way to successfully retreat while taking the black water with him.


    Chen Yiming was like a skyscraper standing naked in front of the three of them. Other than using his energy to cover his private parts, his full body of muscles was revealed. It was clear that he had a terrifying amount of strength.


    When he looked down at the three people, it was as if he was looking at three ants. There was a feeling that he was bullying the weak.


    ¡°The Kunshan Sect made a deal with the devil. Die!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s angry voice exploded like thunder, and the clouds in the sky shook.


    When Cheng Shikun, Shi Qingxin, and Xu Zhansheng saw this scene, they held their breaths. Their eardrums buzzed, and their faces turned pale.


    They looked at each other and controlled the black aura around them and transformed it into ghosts. Some were holding steel forks, some were holding axes, and some were holding spears.


    Hundreds of ghosts rose into the air and charged at the giant not far away.


    ¡°Evil aura, extinguish!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. He raised his foot, and it was as if a small building was lifted into the air. An invisible barrier was created that stopped the movements of all the ghosts within it.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The huge foot stomped down.


    A crack appeared that ran from the top to the foot of the mountain. A large amount of rubble flew into the sky before falling to the bottom of the mountain. None of the ghosts could even put up a struggle and they were all instantly wiped out.


    The sect master, Cheng Shikun, felt as if his body was being held down by heavy shackles. He gasped. With his spiritual power severely damaged, he forced himself to dodge the huge foot.


    Was this a power that humans could possess?


    The ghosts were transformed from his spiritual power, but they were no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The difference between the two sides was too great. In addition, due to the influence of the mysterious barrier, his speed was greatly reduced, and he could not think of a way to break out of the situation.


    The other two deputy sect masters were in a similar situation. The two of them were weaker than Cheng Shikun to begin with, and they had to use almost all their strength to dodge the huge foot.


    They spat out a mouthful of blood. The attack earlier had used up about a third of their spiritual power, and all of it had been destroyed in an instant. At this moment, their heads were aching so badly that it felt like they were about to explode.


    Since he had severely injured the three of them with just one move, there was no need to be concerned about them. Chen Yiming turned to look at the small pool.


    Previously, what was resisting his spiritual power was the black water inside. Under his gaze, the black water could no longer hide what was underneath.


    The black water exploded with a bang, and the black aura spread out. Soon, it also formed a 100-meter-tall giant.


    The difference from Chen Yiming was that the giant formed by the black aura was wearing a thick layer of armor. It held a large black sword in one hand and a black shield in the other.


    The three people from the Kunshan Sect were wrapped in the black aura and floating at a position between the eyebrows of the giant.


    ¡°Is this the treasure that the Lord gave us?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Too powerful. It feels like a god-like power.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to be afraid of Chen Yiming anymore. Kill him.¡±


    The spiritual power of the three people from the Kunshan Sect mixed with the black aura, and they could make the black giant move under their command. They could experience the ability of the master realm to mobilize natural power.


    Under their command, the black sword slashed forward vertically. A tornado formed from the black aura spun out, and a large amount of sand and rocks were swept up in its wake.


    Chen Yiming frowned. Could it be that the demon in the strange mountain village was really an existence beyond the master realm? Could this be a strange item that could give one the combat strength of the master realm?


    He could not believe it, because the black water clearly looked like a living creature.


    Before the black aura tornado arrived, his ears were already filled with the screams of all kinds of ghosts. Chen Yiming ignored them and threw out a punch.


    With the enhancement from the force similar to gravity, his fist became countless times heavier. Numerous shock waves exploded outwards, and the air shook.


    When the huge black tornado collided with the ordinary-looking fist, its internal structure instantly collapsed, exploding into wind blades that shot out in all directions.


    Wherever the black wind blades touched, the grass withered and the rocks melted, and sounds like ghosts crying and wolves howling rang out. Everything in their path was destroyed.


    With this collision, the Kunshan Sect was almost completely destroyed by the black aura.


    The destructive power of the black aura tornado was clearly terrifying, but the three people from the Kunshan Sect widened their eyes and could not be happy about it.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Although the black aura tornado was powerful and could create a storm of curses, it was clearly inferior to the stronger power.


    The scattered black wind blades hit Chen Yiming, but they didn¡¯t even break his skin. The terrifying power of the curses was completely blocked out.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn! Take this.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hold back at all. He kicked hard with his huge foot, and the mountain instantly experienced a level-10 earthquake. Almost none of the buildings in the mostly destroyed sect survived, and they were all reduced to ruins.


    In the blink of an eye, he rushed in front of the black giant. A force similar to gravity restrained the other party, and with the unimaginable strength of a giant, he punched the black giant in the chest.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    It was a little like a volcanic eruption.


    His opponent raised his black shield to defend itself, but it was instantly broken. Immediately after, his fist punched into its chest, and all the power exploded there.


    The black giant¡¯s entire body expanded a few times. First, it became fatter, then it became a balloon with holes everywhere. Finally, its body completely exploded.


    ¡­


    A few minutes later.


    ???


    Chen Yiming scanned his surroundings with his spiritual power, but his mind was filled with unanswered questions.


    The black giant was blown up by his punch, turning into a black rain that fell on an area of about 10 kilometers. Then, there was nothing else. The scene he had imagined of it gathering again or escaping in different directions did not happen.


    He was using his spiritual power to scan the area the entire time, so it was almost impossible for it to have escaped.


    ¡°This guy is a little weak! Could it really have been finished off with a single punch?¡±


    ¡°Or is my giant talent too strong?¡± Chen Yiming said in shock.


    Since he could not figure it out, he could only find another suitable opponent to fight with in the future. He retracted his 1.9-meter-long head and quickly rushed towards the strange mountain village.


    10 minutes later, a young man returned to the ruins of the Kunshan Sect. It was Chen Yiming.


    After wandering around and not finding anything, he had no choice but to leave.


    Half an hour later, the young man returned again. This time, after confirming that there was really nothing, he rushed to the strange mountain village.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming arrived at the strange mountain village, the sky had already started to darken.


    He went up to a mountain peak and studied his destination from a few kilometers away.


    A dilapidated mountain village came into view. Strangely, he did not see the fog mentioned in the information. He could only see a spatial rift in the middle of the village.


    ¡°According to the information, the fog usually doesn¡¯t cover a large area, but it can still cover the entire village. Why did it suddenly dissipate?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    He wanted to enter the otherworld to investigate, but when he thought about how the three people from the Kunshan Sect had said that the black water was a treasure bestowed by their lord, Chen Yiming hesitated.


    He should put his safety first. This type of unknown danger should be investigated by the spiritual figure that could be revived by him.


    ¡°If the three people from the Kunshan Sect used some special method to escape with the black water, it is very likely to be related to the strange mountain village. Let¡¯s keep an eye on things first.¡±


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged and waited for changes to appear in the village.


    ¡­


    At midnight, light footsteps sounded as someone stepped on the gravel.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s ears twitched as he looked in the direction of the noise. A figure was carefully moving forward, heading straight for the village.


    The figure stopped a kilometer away and started to walk around the village to observe it. It took him more than half an hour to circle the village.


    ¡°Someone who wants to try the demon¡¯s test?¡±


    From the other party¡¯s actions, it was easy to make such a judgment. He watched the intruder intently.


    ¡­


    Gao Qi explored the area around the legendary strange mountain village, then walked back in the direction he had come from.


    He was the boss of a trading company that did business across the provinces. He was 49 years old this year and had broken through to the warrior realm 19 years ago. After that, he was stuck and could not make any progress for many years.


    By chance, he heard some news about the strange village.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that its position is surrounded by the six large sects, and it¡¯s also true that there¡¯s a spatial rift in the middle of the village. However, what exactly is the test? There¡¯s no hint at all. As a mere warrior, I can¡¯t just enter an unknown area in the otherworld, right?¡± Gao Qi cursed.


    Chen Yiming was following behind him and eavesdropping.


    Gao Qi walked for a while more before he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He chuckled and said, ¡°Why am I so stupid? If I leak out the information about the strange mountain village, there will definitely be people who are not afraid of death who will scout the way for me.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you know.¡±


    A voice suddenly sounded from behind him.


    Gao Qi¡¯s face froze, and his entire body tensed up.


    In this dark and windy wilderness, he was actually followed by someone, but he did not notice it. How terrifying!


    Chen Yiming waited for the other party to turn around. With a wave of his hand, a tree more than 10 meters away fell to the ground as if it had been cut by something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Gao Qi raised his hands, indicating that he would not resist.


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Gao Qi took a deep breath and said, ¡°When I was drinking with a disciple from the Kunshan Sect, I heard from him that entering that village would immediately increase one¡¯s talent. Then, I went to the library in Jiangnan City to look through the geographical information and found that the address of the village had a red cross drawn on it, indicating that it was an extremely dangerous place. In the end, I came alone to take a look at the situation.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°How many times have you been here? Has the village always been like this?¡±


    Gao Qi replied, ¡°Three times. The first time was a week ago. I haven¡¯t noticed any changes in the village.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t come here again. It¡¯s not something you can come into contact with. You¡¯ll die.¡±


    Chen Yiming left behind a warning and disappeared from Gao Qi¡¯s sight.


    After returning to the mountain peak, he continued to monitor the village.


    ¡°It became like this at least a week ago. It¡¯s still unclear when the fog dissipated. I have to be patient.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, the sun rose.


    Chen Yiming monitored the area for the entire night but didn¡¯t find anything.


    At noon, teams of soldiers came to the vicinity of the strange mountain village and set up camp, but they did not dare to get within a kilometer of it.


    ¡°Will there be suicide squads risking their lives to enter the otherworld?¡±


    Chen Yiming observed the situation secretly and didn¡¯t make his presence known.


    It was not that he wanted the soldiers to take the risk, but that it would take time to switch with the spiritual figure. He had originally planned to monitor the situation for three days, but if there were no results, he would get the spiritual figure to investigate.


    ¡­


    On the third morning, the sky was gray and it suddenly started to drizzle.


    Wang Ronghui, one of the three city guardians of Jiangnan City, personally arrived at the strange village. Behind him was a team of more than 10 armed people.


    The team carried some simple tools, such as gas masks, oxygen tanks, and some grappling hooks.


    Soon, the team took the risk and entered the village. They checked every one of the dilapidated houses and did not find anything amiss.


    The most dangerous moment was about to arrive. The team gathered in front of the spatial rift. Each of them carried a gas mask, an oxygen tank, and a grappling hook tied to their waists, ready to deal with the extreme situation on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    Under the command of the captain, the team charged into the space-travel passage.


    Next, they waited anxiously. Not only was Wang Ronghui, the city guardian, observing the situation, but Chen Yiming was also secretly paying attention.


    From time to time, crows would fly over the village and circle around it. Everyone¡¯s expression was solemn. This usually meant that something bad was going to happen.

 Chapter 295 - War Approaches

    Time passed. The team had been in there for more than an hour, but they had yet to return. Everyone¡¯s hearts were clouded over.


    Wang Ronghui, the city guardian, had an ugly expression on his face as he paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. The soldiers stationed there stared at the spatial rift and prayed that nothing would happen to the team.


    ¡°Chief, I¡¯m willing to lead the soldiers in to investigate.¡±


    At some point, a middle-aged officer walked up to Wang Ronghui and knelt on one knee.


    ¡°Nonsense! Go back.¡±


    Wang Ronghui reprimanded him and waved his hand to reject the officer¡¯s request.


    It was still drizzling. None of the soldiers present, including Wang Ronghui, used their protective internal force to block out the rain. Their clothes were quickly drenched.


    All kinds of signs indicated that the exploration team might never return.


    Chen Yiming recalled the confident words of the three people from the Kunshan Sect. He had no idea what was above the master realm.


    He could not tell if those words were true or not, but the credibility of their words had increased from 30% to 70%.


    In the blink of an eye, another hour had passed. During this time, the officer begged a second time to be allowed to lead a team into the otherworld. Wang Ronghui still objected to it.


    Chen Yiming was also anxious. If Wang Ronghui agreed to it, he would appear and persuade the officer not to do it.


    Just as everyone was tacitly agreeing that the entire reconnaissance team had been wiped out, the spatial rift shook slightly, and figures walked out one after another.


    It was the reconnaissance team from before. Not only were they not injured at all, but their oxygen tanks, gas masks, ropes, and other tools were also intact.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t you follow the plan?¡± Wang Ronghui asked solemnly as the captain walked over.


    ¡°Chief, a war has broken out over there. The reconnaissance team had no choice but to lie low patiently and find a suitable opportunity to return,¡± the captain explained.


    War?


    As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Ronghui¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Chen Yiming, who had hidden himself and was eavesdropping, felt the same way. He was glad that he hadn¡¯t entered the otherworld rashly. He was different from the reconnaissance team and wasn¡¯t a small fry that could be ignored.


    If there was really a battle between existences beyond the master realm on the other side, his spiritual power could not hide his aura and he could not guarantee that he would not be discovered.


    ¡°Sir, a war between the black river and the treants has broken out in the otherworld. The reconnaissance team was hiding behind a rock to observe the situation¡­ There were treants as far as we could see, so we can¡¯t determine the scale of the war.¡±


    The captain¡¯s voice was trembling.


    When Wang Ronghui heard this, he stood rooted to the ground and did not reply for a long time.


    Based on what they had seen, the scale of the war had reached the highest level of danger. It was fine if there was no intention of invading the blue planet, in which case they only needed to remain vigilant.


    On the other hand, if they invaded Jiangnan province one day, there would be a terrifying and unimaginable scene.


    Chen Yiming frowned. The small pool filled with black water must be related to the black river.


    He had destroyed all the black water in the pool with a single punch. Since they were separated by the space-travel passage, it was impossible to determine if the black river had sensed it or not. It was also impossible to determine the outcome of the war between the black river and the treants.


    He could not decide if he should send out the spiritual figure.


    If he could not win, and the other party took the chance to invade the blue planet through the space-travel passage, that would cause a huge problem.


    Soon, Wang Ronghui instructed the troops stationed there to retreat 10 kilometers and monitor the situation before leaving in a hurry. Chen Yiming glanced at the village and cursed under his breath before turning to leave as well.


    ¡­


    At the shooting range of the military camp at the stronghold in the otherworld, the archery teacher, Wu Youjia, was giving Chen Yingying some pointers on archery.


    Chen Yiming walked over and expressed his intentions. ¡°Teacher Wu, you¡¯ve worked hard. Something happened at home and we need to bring Chen Yingying back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Yingying has always been very smart. She has always learned quickly,¡± Wu Youjia said with a smile.


    Chen Yiming glanced at his sister strangely.


    Was that true? Could it be that there was a mistake in the direction he had been nurturing her? Was his sister more suitable for long-range attacks like archery?


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve made a lot of progress in drawing the concept diagram recently. My archery skills can also be used in actual combat. Can¡¯t I stay for a few more days? I still want to rely on myself to kill the creatures from the otherworld!¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted and tried to refuse.


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at his sister and continued, ¡°Mom gave me an order to bring you home. Why don¡¯t you return to the base city and give Mom a call?¡±


    He snorted in his heart. By mentioning Mother Chen, his sister would definitely give in.


    As expected, Chen Yingying did not say anything else and agreed tacitly.


    Chen Yiming instructed, ¡°Go tell your teachers and classmates. See if they want to return to East Lake City together. We¡¯ll set off in an hour.¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded and quickly left.


    At this moment, only Chen Yiming and Wu Youjia were left at the shooting range.


    Wu Youjia wanted to say something but hesitated. Not only was she in charge of teaching Chen Yingying archery, but she was also assigned an important mission by the chief to report Chen Yiming¡¯s movements.


    Chen Yiming could roughly guess what the other party was thinking. He said, ¡°There might be some changes in Jiangnan province in the future. We should be more conservative about the development of the otherworld.¡±


    The spiritual figure had switched from attacking to guarding the stronghold. He also hoped that he could spread the message through the military and calm down those who were rash and impulsive, reducing the unnecessary casualties.


    ¡­


    In the wilderness, on the way back to East Lake City from the base city, troops could be seen rushing in a certain direction from time to time. Tanks, armored vehicles, and missile trucks drove on the gravel and grass, leaving behind long tracks in their wake.


    A fighter jet flew past in the sky, startling the mutant beasts hiding in the forest. They looked up and watched it fly past.


    ¡°Brother, did something happen?¡± Chen Yingying realized that something was amiss and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you break through to the warrior realm. Until then, just stay at home,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    Chen Yingying nodded, knowing that he was indirectly saying that she was too weak.


    The teachers and students of the martial arts academy also noticed the movements of the military.


    They sighed in their hearts. Fortunately, they were returning to East Lake City. If the situation became chaotic, who knew what would happen to the stronghold in the otherworld?


    At this time, nothing could give one a greater sense of security than their own home.


    The group rushed back to East Lake City before the sky turned dark.


    The walls of East Lake City were filled with patrolling soldiers. Machine guns, cannons, and other weapons were already in position and could be fired at any time to deal with potential enemy attacks coming from outside the city.


    After entering the city, Chen Yiming and his sister separated from the teachers and students of the martial arts academy. However, there were still two more people.


    One was Shen Mengwei, who had planned to return to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and the other was Song Shanshan, who had shamelessly followed him.


    ¡°When are we going to the Myriad Phenomena Sect?¡± Song Shanshan asked curiously as she watched the pedestrians walking around.


    It was the time when people got off work, and the streets were bustling with people.


    Even though East Lake City was affected by the opening of the stronghold in the otherworld, many small and medium-sized factions still chose to stay there and transferred their headquarters from other cities to this place.


    Therefore, the speed at which the population increased did not slow down.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s mind was filled with questions. When did I agree to bring you to the Myriad Phenomena Sect?


    He was the sect master. How could he bring such a weak student back to the sect? If she wanted to continue playing dumb and sneak into the outer sect, he would not let her succeed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for you to cultivate in the Mantis Snake Sword School for the time being. When Shen Mengwei is free to leave the mountain, it¡¯ll be convenient for the two of you to meet. Or I can arrange for someone to send you back to Jiangdu City.¡±


    Song Shanshan was clearly stunned when she heard this. Shen Mengwei tugged at her sleeve and gave her a look.


    In the end, Song Shanshan didn¡¯t choose to return to Jiangdu City. Chen Yiming also arranged for Shen Mengwei to stay in the Mantis Snake Sword School temporarily and decided to bring her along whenever he returned to the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    ¡­


    Back at the Chen residence, ¡°Mom, I brought my sister back,¡± Chen Yiming shouted before he even entered the room. It was obvious that he was trying to claim credit.


    When Father Chen and Mother Chen heard his voice, they hurriedly ran over.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten thinner. Sit down and eat some fruits first. I¡¯ll start cooking a feast immediately.¡±


    Mother Chen grabbed Chen Yingying¡¯s hand and muttered non-stop.


    Father Chen stood at the side happily and observed his daughter.


    Compared to when she was at home, her skin had turned a little darker. She was clearly much more energetic and no longer looked weak.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Go out more in the future. You can¡¯t stay at home all the time.¡±


    When Mother Chen heard this, she glared at Father Chen. ¡°It¡¯s so chaotic outside. Aren¡¯t you afraid that something will happen to your daughter? Damn old man.¡±


    Father Chen retorted, ¡°With our son around, why are you worried?¡±


    He glanced at Chen Yiming.


    Mother Chen was furious and said angrily, ¡°Are you trying to anger me to death? In any case, I firmly object.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were about to start arguing, Chen Yingying promised not to run around too much in the future. Only then did Mother Chen calm down.


    ¡­


    As Chen Yiming was bringing Chen Yingying back to East Lake City from the stronghold in the otherworld, a document was being sent out from the Jiangnan city government overnight.


    In front of the train station in Jiangdu City, a notice was posted at the entrance of the train station in black and red.


    Announcement: From today onwards, the time between the purchase of tickets to and from the base city will be changed from one week to one month. The processing fee for exchanging cash for contribution points will be increased to 20%. You can only buy tickets after completing the martial arts level certification.


    The crowd surrounded the ticketing counter and chattered about the announcement.


    ¡°F*ck! Isn¡¯t this too bad for us? Aren¡¯t they afraid of incurring the public¡¯s wrath by sucking us dry so ruthlessly?¡±


    ¡°I was told that the tickets I just bought don¡¯t meet the conditions. The money was refunded to me in full, but am I someone who lacks that money?¡±


    ¡°Previously, there was a rumor that we would soon start a few more railways to the base city. Now, it seems that there¡¯s no need to worry. We just set up three shops in Jiangdu City, so it¡¯s all good.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this martial arts level certification? There¡¯s actually no center set up in Jiangdu City. Are they deliberately trying to restrict people from entering the otherworld?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that this restriction is only targeted at the independent martial arts practitioners?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I saw that the general manager of Shunda Logistics was also refunded his ticket.¡±


    ¡°Then why the restrictions?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I heard that the military is making a big move.¡±


    The war on the other side of the space-travel passage in the strange mountain village had put a huge amount of pressure on the Jiangnan provincial government. The plan was originally in a draft state, but it was announced after a meeting.


    Many people could tell what they were trying to do. They wanted to temporarily slow down the development of the otherworld and leave most of the martial art power in Jiangnan province.


    Coupled with the scattered news that a large number of troops had been mobilized in the wilderness, they all realized that this was the prelude to a storm.


    ¡­


    At night, in the Mantis Snake Sword School in East Lake City, after a new round of renovations, the venue was nearly four times larger than before.


    Chen Yiming and Wan Rong sat in the tea room on the third floor drinking tea. From the window of the tea room, one could see the entire training hall on the first floor. Whether the disciples were slacking off and whether they were improving could not escape the eyes of the head.


    Even when the head was not around, it was as if they were being watched by a pair of eyes, indirectly giving the disciples some pressure.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since then. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m qualified to teach disciples anymore.¡± Wan Rong looked at the situation in the training hall and sighed.


    ¡°I met Shen Mengwei by chance in Jiangdu City. She was originally guaranteed admission to the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy. I didn¡¯t want a talented young person to be buried,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    Wan Rong took a sip of tea and commented, ¡°Even in the high school world of Jiangdu City, the martial arts environment is not much better. For this girl to be able to stand out, her talent is indeed astonishing.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t understand either. It¡¯s said that Shen Mengwei has defeated almost all her peers in the high school world of Jiangdu City. However, not a single martial arts school tried to snatch her away. Even her admission to the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy was not guaranteed. Instead, she was given a chance to take the assessment,¡± Chen Yiming said, finding it strange.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of her age. At the age of 15 or 16, she didn¡¯t spend much effort on martial arts. Those who are older often think that their potential is exhausted, so they miss out on the opportunity.¡±


    Wan Rong had many years of experience nurturing disciples and guessed at the only possibility.


    The reason was that he had also encountered an extremely old disciple.


    Chen Yiming had only entered the Mantis Snake Sword School at the age of 18. In the world of martial arts, he was a few years too late. Under normal circumstances, there wasn¡¯t much value in nurturing him.


    This was the truth. Without the martial arts talent system, Chen Yiming might not even have been comparable to his body¡¯s owner.


    ¡­


    As the two of them drank tea and chatted, the disciples below formed a large circle. In the center was the new eldest senior brother, Xu Zilong, and Shen Mengwei, who had just arrived. The two of them were sparring with their swords.


    Xu Zilong was a warrior candidate at the age of 18. He was almost guaranteed to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect. He would at least become an outer sect disciple.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s batch of core disciples from the Mantis Snake Sword School had all joined the Chen corporation. Most of the core disciples had just joined after Chen Yiming¡¯s rise.


    Xu Zilong used the Mantis Snake Sword Technique beautifully, but it was easily countered by Shen Mengwei, and he did not even get the upper hand.


    The surrounding disciples exclaimed from time to time.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, you can do it!¡±


    ¡°Is the newcomer that powerful? Eldest Senior Brother actually couldn¡¯t defeat her!¡±


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, don¡¯t go easy on her just because she¡¯s a girl!¡±


    Song Shanshan¡¯s eyes revealed that her plan had been a success. In order to protect her from being bullied in the future, she had told her friend in advance to make a move to shock the eldest senior brother of the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    Xu Zilong¡¯s ears were filled with the cheers from his junior brothers and sisters. Compounded with the fact that he had been attacking for a long time and still could not defeat the newcomer,


    he became impatient, and his footwork suddenly became messy. When the sword in his hand was blocked by the other party, he tripped and fell to the ground in a sorry state.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    The entire martial arts hall fell silent. No one had expected this outcome. Their eldest senior brother Xu Zilong had actually fallen and lost so badly.


    Shen Mengwei sheathed her sword and stood up. She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Senior Brother, are you alright?¡±


    Xu Zilong lay on the ground for a long time without moving. In fact, he had tripped because of his panic. However, he had lost too much face and had not thought of how he should deal with it.

 Chapter 296 - Visitor From the Capital

    Near midnight, Chen Yiming left the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    The street lamps on both sides lit up the entire street. The small vendors selling supper kept calling out to the people passing by. In their food trucks, there were fried scallion pancakes, skewers covered in sauce, and all kinds of snacks¡­


    Some of the young people who had cultivated hard in the martial arts school until late at night before returning home smelled the delicious snacks and their stomachs started to growl. After some hesitation, they stopped in their tracks and bought some supper.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the young people who were secretly snacking, then rushed back home.


    Along the way, he fell into deep thought, thinking about a suitable way to deal with the war on the other side of the strange mountain village. At some point, his surroundings had become quiet, causing him to be even more immersed in his own world.


    The journey home was not far, but he had already reviewed everything he saw and heard during the day and still had not arrived. It seemed abnormal? No, it must be abnormal.


    All along, the spiritual world had been protected by the figure in his mind. He had never been worried about those unorthodox methods. Now that the figure in his mind had already turned into a sword spirit and was sent to the otherworld, he would have to rely on himself to deal with the enemy¡¯s spiritual methods.


    Chen Yiming suddenly realized this.


    ¡°That pool of black water? The black giant that I destroyed with one punch?¡±


    Just as he pinned his suspicions on the only suspicious person, a voice interrupted Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Master, wait a moment. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw Shen Mengwei running over. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and he could vaguely make out her curvy figure.


    He looked at her openly and pretended not to notice anything amiss. He asked, ¡°Did the people in the school gang up on you?¡±


    Shen Mengwei nodded and unbuttoned the first button of her collar, revealing a scar on one shoulder from a sharp weapon.


    The wounds had not completely scabbed over, and blood was seeping out from the edges.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened and his expression froze. His gaze couldn¡¯t help but drift to the area around the wound. Her skin was as pale as milk¡­


    He muttered in his heart, ¡°Shen Mengwei is a female disciple I just took in. As her master, how can I have such thoughts? No, I have no intention of taking her in as my own disciple! My arrangement for Shen Mengwei has always been to let her enter an inner court to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, I was tricked. This wasn¡¯t my intention at all. I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡±


    Shen Mengwei suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Chen Yiming¡¯s hand. She asked shyly, ¡°Master, I want to stay at your house. Your parents and sister should be asleep by now. It should be fine if we are quiet.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I clearly know that this is fake, but it feels too real!¡±


    He subconsciously swallowed his saliva as he enjoyed the view from this perspective.


    This unknown enemy could actually turn an imaginary scene into something that was almost real. Other than the fact that Shen Mengwei could not be such a person, he really could not see anything strange about her.


    Chen Yiming allowed her to grab his hand. The smoothness of her skin made his heart race.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t make a decision, Shen Mengwei hugged the hand she was grabbing onto, indicating for him to agree quickly.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Chen Yiming gasped. His gaze met Shen Mengwei¡¯s. He really didn¡¯t want to expose his enemy and wanted to see how far he could go.


    However, Shen Mengwei¡¯s watery eyes suddenly turned black. A suction force like a vortex appeared, and Chen Yiming was pulled into the darkness.


    Around him was an endless black sea. Indistinct whispers surrounded his ears, and ghostly figures appeared and disappeared on the surface of the sea.


    ¡°Eh? Is this fake? Or was my consciousness really dragged into the otherworld?¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up his surroundings and waited for his enemy¡¯s next move.


    Actually, he was not that worried. This was because the main body of the black river was in the otherworld, and he was on the blue planet. If the other party really had the power to cross worlds to attack him, how could he influence only the strange mountain village and be limited to such a small area previously?


    If it was the black water that he had defeated, he could just destroy it again.


    Next, as if angered by Chen Yiming¡¯s calmness, huge waves rose from the black sea. Countless ghosts and monsters charged at him amidst the waves.


    ¡°F*ck! Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡±


    He transformed into a giant.


    Chen Yiming transformed into a 100-meter-tall giant to face the attack.


    His endless stamina, inexhaustible energy, and indescribable strength gave him plenty of confidence.


    Even if he was fighting against the sea, the other party seemed unlikely to win.


    Every punch and kick of the giant that Chen Yiming had transformed into created huge waves that were hundreds or even thousands of meters long. The ghosts were all wiped out.


    The huge waves and ghosts appeared continuously. It seemed like they wanted to tire the giant out.


    An hour passed.


    Two hours passed.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    At some point, the darkness suddenly dissipated, and the black sea quickly collapsed.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s vision flashed, and the real world appeared. He stood in the middle of the road and looked up at the sky. He realized that not much time had passed since he left the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    After subtracting the time spent in a conversation with the fake Shen Mengwei, only a short period of time seemed to have passed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of a battle of attrition.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled. There was no need to consider techniques when using one¡¯s pure strength to crush one¡¯s enemies. It was suitable for the blue planet where martial arts talent was relatively weak.


    At this moment, the martial arts talent panel appeared.


    ¡°Swordsmanship talent Skill Point requirement: -1,000¡±


    Chen Yiming realized that this was a good way to determine whether the enemy was alive or dead. The black water was a special life form, so he could use his previous experience with killing spirits using the Sword Aura as a reference.


    After thinking it through, he quickly rushed home.


    ¡­


    The next day, at dawn, Chen Yiming knocked on his sister¡¯s bedroom door and shouted, ¡°Wake up.¡±


    The sound of someone tossing and turning could be heard from the room, but it quickly quieted down. Clearly, Chen Yingying did not want to get out of bed, so she covered her head and continued to sleep.


    Sleep in?


    This was impossible. Her talent was too low, and she could not slack off for even a day.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    Chen Yiming continued to knock.


    A minute later, Chen Yingying opened the door sleepily and muttered, ¡°Brother, you didn¡¯t even let me have a good rest on the first day back.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow and returned to his bedroom to start his daily cultivation. No, he fell back asleep.


    He felt that he could not give his sister a chance to slack off. As for himself, he still felt a little tired from the battle with the black sea last night. He needed to sleep more to make up for it.


    Near noon, the mayor of East Lake City, Hong Yi, visited again.


    As usual, they exchanged some pleasantries. Before he left, he asked Chen Yiming if East Lake City should enter a state of war.


    East Lake City only needed to give basic respect to an ordinary warrior. The military could directly suppress any abnormal actions at the warrior level. For warriors who had mastered the transformation of internal force, East Lake City would want to get along well with them, but they did not ask for their opinion.


    For someone at the peak of the warrior realm, everyone in East Lake City, including the city guardians, had to give him the highest respect, but they would never allow him to interfere in government affairs.


    As the pillar of Jiangnan province and even the eastern province of the Daxia Kingdom, Chen Yiming only wanted to cultivate quietly and didn¡¯t want to get too involved with other places. However, East Lake City had shamelessly tried to curry favor with him.


    This was the influence brought about by being at the level of the guardian of the country. Recently, there had been rumors that the new guardian of the Daxia Kingdom had the combat strength to suppress those of the same level.


    Such a person came from East Lake City. Unless the higher-ups in East Lake City were crazy, they would treat him with the same respect as they would accord their ancestors.


    Chen Yiming gave his opinion. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Even if a war breaks out, we will still be temporarily protected by the six large sects.¡±


    If anyone else said this, Hong Yi would only scoff. However, Chen Yiming¡¯s words indicated the location where the enemy would be coming from if the war affected Jiangnan province.


    Soon, Mayor Hong Yi stood up and bowed to give thanks on behalf of East Lake City before leaving the Chen residence.


    ¡­


    As the days passed, Jiangnan province used the locations of the six large sects as the frontline of an upcoming battle. Countless tanks, missile trucks, and armored vehicles were stationed there, ready to fire at any moment.


    The surrounding provinces also transferred a portion of their military forces into Jiangnan province to provide support.


    From time to time, Jiangnan City would send out reconnaissance teams to enter the otherworld on the other side of the strange mountain village to observe the situation of the war between the black river and the treants.


    A week later, at the airport in Jiangnan City, a military transport plane successfully landed on the runway.


    The door opened, and three men and a woman jumped down from the plane without waiting for the ladder to be placed properly.


    At the same time, the four of them did not hide their auras. The entire airport seemed to be covered in dark clouds, and the air became unusually hot. The airport staff all found it difficult to breathe.


    Wang Ronghui, the city guardian of Jiangnan City, led the higher-ups of the provincial government to quickly welcome them.


    ¡°Welcome to Jiangnan City.¡±


    The four of them nodded at Wang Ronghui and did not pay him any more attention.


    They were all from the sect of the martial master in the north. Each of them was half a step away from the master realm, and they were the cream of the crop in the Daxia Kingdom.


    Now that the situation in Jiangnan province had suddenly changed, and it was very likely that they would be affected by a war above the master realm, the four of them had been sent over to provide support.


    Among them, a man with long hair looked in the direction of the strange village and said calmly, ¡°Is that where the battle at the master realm broke out? Perhaps this time, the four of us will have a chance to fight a life-and-death battle with a true martial master.¡±


    He had a large bow on his back but did not carry any arrows on him. He was not very old, only in his early thirties, but his words were filled with confidence.


    In the south, many people might not know about him, but in the capital, the long-haired man was known as the Divine Arrow and was a hero to countless people.


    A red-haired woman among them rolled her eyes. ¡°Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings against kings. It¡¯s not like no one in Jiangnan province can match up to them. I think the probability of what you said happening is not high.¡±


    She had a delicate appearance, exquisite facial features, and an alluring smile. However, there was a spear hanging on her back, which was completely at odds with her appearance.


    In reality, the red-haired woman was the most violent of the four. She liked to fight the most. Her enemies would often be easily fooled by her appearance and she would have the upper hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the war is a battle between two special life forms at the master realm from the otherworld. As long as we show enough strength, I believe we will have a chance,¡± the long-haired man thought nothing of it and muttered to himself.


    ¡°If they can suppress one side that is at the master realm, but do you think they lack a second hand to suppress the other? Just use your arrows to clear out the small monsters. Don¡¯t be a burden,¡± the red-haired woman retorted.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something you would say,¡± the long-haired man said meaningfully as he glanced at the red-haired woman.


    The red-haired woman also felt that what she said was inappropriate, so she quickly explained, ¡°You only know how to hide at the back and shoot arrows. When have you not let a woman like me fight at the front? This time, you¡¯re trying to send me to my grave.¡±


    The long-haired man turned his head away and did not reply.


    A middle-aged man at the side said, ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯re here to provide support. Just follow the arrangements. We should stick together.¡±


    With that, he turned to the city guardian, Wang Ronghui, and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to do anything unnecessary. Just bring us to the area we will be responsible for.¡±


    Wang Ronghui nodded and waved his hand. Five military off-road vehicles drove over.


    Soon, the group boarded the vehicles and sped off.


    ¡­


    More than an hour later, the off-road vehicles stopped in the wilderness.


    Wang Ronghui and the group alighted from the vehicles and looked at the ruins not far away.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ruins of the Kunshan Sect,¡± Wang Ronghui said as he pointed at the broken mountain.


    As the engines were killed, the scene fell completely silent. No one spoke as they stared blankly at the mountain full of cracks.


    The remnants of the Kunshan Sect¡¯s buildings were scattered across the mountain, and not a single one of them was intact. The special thing about them was that they looked like they had collapsed from some impact, and were not damaged directly.


    In addition, large pits had appeared in the mountains. From the outside, they looked like footprints, but the size was too shocking.


    The long-haired man came to Wang Ronghui¡¯s side and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did you get hold of any videos? Let us take a look.¡±


    Wang Ronghui smiled bitterly. ¡°The battle ended too quickly. When someone noticed and reported it, we sent a helicopter to the scene. But we could only capture some of the aftermath of the battle and had to rely on verbal descriptions of the situation.¡±


    With that, he took out a special playback he carried with him that was a little like a tablet computer. He clicked on a file and entered a password. Then the video began to play.


    The red-haired woman and the other two people also came over to watch the video together.


    The video started playing from the helicopter¡¯s perspective. The gazes of the four of them were attracted to the video right from the start, and they only came back to their senses after the video ended 10 minutes later.


    The red-haired woman was full of adoration. Her eyes lit up as she whispered, ¡°He can crush them like a group of ants with just one step. If only I could become like that.¡±


    When the long-haired man heard this, he raised his eyebrows. He finally understood why the red-haired woman had been going against him after getting off the plane.


    Violence and violence would resonate.


    Wang Ronghui put away the device and told them about the situation. ¡°According to a few people who happened to be passing by, there was a battle between two 100-meter-tall giants in the Kunshan Sect. The giant formed by the black aura was blown up by the other giant with a single punch.¡±


    100-meter-tall giants?


    This¡­


    Even though the red-haired woman had already guessed it from observing the footprints left behind, she was still shocked to hear it from Wang Ronghui himself.

 Chapter 297 - War Plan

    In the living room of the Chen family¡¯s house, the news was being broadcasted on the television.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, you guys should eat more too. The lychees grown in this otherworld taste amazing!¡± Chen Yiming said as he leaned against the sofa and peeled the skins off them.


    Not long after, the trash can was filled with fruit shells. Chen Yiming¡¯s hands moved very quickly.


    Father Chen peeled a lychee and ate it in one bite. ¡°Mayor Hong is too polite. He even asked someone to deliver the latest specialty from the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Your sister is very tired from practicing archery. Leave some for her too,¡± Mother Chen said after eating a few of the lychees.


    Chen Yiming instantly recalled the scene he had seen of a martial arts trainee secretly snacking after practicing martial arts.


    Training the body in the disciple realm was essentially the same as working out for ordinary people. The difference was in the strength and method of training.


    For those with average physical talent, in order to increase their cultivation efficiency as much as possible, the martial arts teacher would instruct them to strictly follow a diet and not overeat or eat any snacks.


    Chen Yingying happened to have an average physical talent.


    ¡°Mom, lychees are high in sugar. If Yingying eats them, she¡¯ll have wasted her day of training,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    Mother Chen was in disbelief and asked, ¡°No way? Can¡¯t she eat just a few?¡±


    Without waiting for Chen Yiming to reply, Father Chen interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s true. Those customized nutritious meals tend to be bland. It¡¯ll be difficult to keep eating them after a period of time. Many of my friends are complaining in private that they¡¯re afraid that making some new dishes for their children will affect their cultivation. It¡¯s also uncomfortable to just watch and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s eat all the lychees. I¡¯ll throw the shells away later. Your sister won¡¯t be tempted if she doesn¡¯t see them.¡± Mother Chen nodded.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen increased the speed at which they peeled the shells, praising the sweetness from time to time.


    Chen Yiming left the rest of the lychees for his parents. When he went to wash his hands, he suddenly remembered that actually his sister was starting to break through to the warrior realm, so it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t follow a strict diet occasionally.


    After all, it was not at the initial stage when ordinary people were trying to reach the disciple realm. However, since he had already said it, he could not take it back.


    After washing his hands, he sat back on the sofa.


    The news from Jiangnan province quickly attracted Chen Yiming¡¯s attention, making him forget that he had deprived his sister of the lychees for no good reason.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, Chen Yiming continued to watch the news on the sofa like a retiree. In reality, he was waiting to see how the situation would develop.


    In this war, the humans were on the passive side. In principle, they didn¡¯t want to get into a conflict with either the black river or the treants. Therefore, Chen Yiming could only wait.


    At this moment, Song Shanshan dragged Shen Mengwei over to the house.


    ¡°Are you getting used to the martial arts school?¡±


    Chen Yiming poured a glass of water for each of the girls.


    ¡°Everyone is very friendly.¡±


    Shen Mengwei and Song Shanshan sat down obediently and maintained their smiles.


    ¡°Master Wan from the Mantis Snake Sword School has been in the warrior realm for many years. He was also my teacher back then. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him. Don¡¯t be shy,¡± Chen Yiming instructed Shen Mengwei.


    The Chen family¡¯s sofa had a U-shaped design. Song Shanshan sat on the sofa at the side while Shen Mengwei sat beside Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming turned his head slightly as he spoke to Shen Mengwei. His gaze happened to drift to her chest, and he couldn¡¯t help but compare it to what he had seen the last time.


    He sighed at how amazing the black water¡¯s spiritual power was. It had imitated Shen Mengwei¡¯s figure perfectly, from every angle. The only pity was that things came to an end too early that day.


    Song Shanshan winked at Shen Mengwei, indicating that she should get straight to the point. However, Shen Mengwei sipped at the water several times and did not take any action.


    Song Shanshan shamelessly asked, ¡°After a week, other than the head, Mengmeng can¡¯t find a suitable opponent to spar with¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and pretended to be in deep thought.


    He pointed at the news being broadcasted on the television and asked, ¡°Is it about the war that Jiangnan province might face?¡±


    Shen Mengwei shook her head, but Song Shanshan nodded.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°If a war breaks out, the Myriad Phenomena Sect will definitely take the lead to fight. Shen Mengwei is still at the stage of rapid development. It¡¯s more appropriate for her to stay in East Lake City.¡±


    Before Song Shanshan could speak again, Shen Mengwei interrupted, ¡°Then I won¡¯t go to the Myriad Phenomena Sect for now. I¡¯ll stay in East Lake City.¡±


    Since her friend had already said so, Song Shanshan could only remain silent.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. As expected, people who focused on martial arts were different. On the other hand, Song Shanshan had too many thoughts and was too thick-skinned. He had to keep a distance from her in the future.


    Soon, he sent the two girls out.


    Chen Yiming had his own reasons for not bringing Shen Mengwei to the Myriad Phenomena Sect immediately. He planned to let Shen Mengwei go through the channel of being recommended by Wan Rong.


    Shen Mengwei was the young genius he had helped the Myriad Phenomena Sect to recruit. He did not want the Myriad Phenomena Sect to misunderstand that he was taking in a direct disciple.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, another week had passed. It had been half a month since the war between the black river and the treants was discovered.


    One day, a reconnaissance team failed to return on time. A few hours later, three treants dozens of meters tall walked out of the space-travel passage and set down their roots in the village.


    In the middle of the treant¡¯s trunk was a human-like face. Compared to ordinary mutant plants, the other difference was that the branches were extremely agile and could move freely.


    Chen Yiming received the news immediately and was invited to Jiangnan City to discuss a solution.


    He immediately left East Lake City. Not long after, he arrived at the territory of Jiangnan City. 20 to 30 kilometers away from the city, he accidentally discovered a special unit stationed in the wilderness.


    There were less than 1,000 people in this unit, and their main weapons were the missile trucks. The special thing about them was that the missiles they carried were abnormally thick. In addition, Chen Yiming could sense from afar that a large number of military martial arts experts were guarding this unit.


    ¡°Could they all be carrying nuclear bombs?¡±


    Chen Yiming stopped on a mountain and observed the situation from afar.


    Other than the strategic nuclear troops, there would not be any other conventional troops that would create such a large formation. Clearly, the fact that he had not taken the initiative to attack the black river and the treants had sent an extremely serious signal to the outside world.


    The martial arts masters of the country had a conservative and defensive attitude. It was obvious what kind of danger it represented. It could be said to be a disaster at the national level.


    After the short break, Chen Yiming continued on his way to Jiangnan City.


    ¡­


    In front of the provincial government building,


    Wang Ronghui, the city guardian, waved to him and walked over. He said respectfully, ¡°Everyone else is already here. They¡¯re just waiting for you to give them their orders.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Besides, I don¡¯t know how to command an army.¡±


    War wasn¡¯t child¡¯s play. Of course, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t pretend to know something he wasn¡¯t familiar with just because of his pride. In situations where an outsider took over the job without experience, history had shown that this would lead to an irreversible tragedy.


    Wang Ronghui continued to flatter him. ¡°Those are just minor details. With a martial master holding the line, the soldiers will have the support and confidence not to retreat in fear.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s impression of Wang Ronghui improved, even though he knew that he was just being polite.


    However, Chen Yiming still told him the truth. ¡°Professional matters should be done by professionals. I really don¡¯t know anything about war. I definitely won¡¯t interfere in the order of command.¡±


    After exchanging some pleasantries, Wang Ronghui led Chen Yiming to the large conference room.


    ¡­


    In the large conference room,


    more than 10 provincial representatives and four people from the northern martial arts sect had already arrived. In addition, the capital had sent a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a woman in her thirties.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions were solemn. To be able to participate in such a discussion, their statuses were not ordinary. It was precisely because they knew more about the situation that they knew the seriousness of the matter.


    If the nest was destroyed, no eggs would be left intact. If Jiangnan province could not withstand it, the neighboring provinces would not be spared either. In the end, the entire Daxia Kingdom would be in trouble.


    Wang Ronghui pushed open the door and entered. Chen Yiming followed behind him. Instantly, all the gazes in the meeting room landed on him.


    Wang Ronghui introduced them to Chen Yiming. ¡°This is Madam Wu Jinyan from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is Ling Zhongyun, Zhu Song, Jiang Kai, Zhao Shumin¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming noted down the names of the spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the four people from the capital who were half a step away from the master realm. The representatives from the other provinces were just there to listen in, so he subconsciously ignored them.


    Ling Zhongyun, who was carrying a large bow on his back, secretly sized Chen Yiming up.


    On the surface, this person only looked a little handsome, and his aura was restrained, revealing nothing. If not for Wang Ronghui¡¯s introduction, they would have treated him as a passerby and ignored him.


    When the red-haired woman, Zhao Shumin, saw who it was, she revealed a rare shy expression. After meeting Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze for a moment when he just entered the room, she averted her gaze and pretended to be deep in thought.


    Chen Yiming sat down in an empty seat.


    Wang Ronghui did not waste any time and started the meeting. He first projected the latest information on the screen, and a 10-minute video started to play.


    The air around the space-travel passage in the middle of the strange village suddenly became blurry. In the next moment, a treant that was dozens of meters tall walked out, and then two more walked out.


    The three treants let out muffled roars. After not receiving any response for a long time, they patrolled the surroundings of the strange mountain village and finally set down their roots in three different directions.


    The camera zoomed in, and the faces in the middle of the tree trunks disappeared. The three treants had turned into three huge trees, and they did not move at all, behaving as if they were huge trees that had always been there.


    After the video ended, Wang Ronghui said, ¡°We don¡¯t know the outcome of the war between the black river and the treants in the otherworld, but there¡¯s a high chance that the treants won.¡±


    ¡°From the information brought back by the reconnaissance team, there is an endless sea of treants. The number of them can¡¯t be estimated, and we can¡¯t judge what the treants¡¯ attitude is towards the environment on this side of the space-travel passage.¡±


    The meeting room was silent for a long time. A provincial representative stood up and said, ¡°According to the years of research done by several botanical experts, the subconscious mind of the treants, as a special plant life form, will not change when it comes to expanding their territory. There¡¯s a high chance that after figuring out the situation on our side, they will gradually take root and expand their territory in all directions.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, I suggest that we should immediately launch a nuclear bomb to change the environment around the strange mountain village and use nuclear radiation to persuade the treants to leave.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the other provincial representatives objected. ¡°We have to use the nuclear bombs carefully. The problem started by Western Australia has yet to be completely resolved. We will be forced to move to the capital.¡±


    The representative who suggested using the nuclear bombs was not angered by this. This meeting was to exchange ideas and try to come up with the most suitable war plan.


    There was another period of silence. Seeing this, Wang Ronghui asked, ¡°Other than using nuclear bombs, does anyone have any other good suggestions?¡±


    The representatives from the provinces looked at each other helplessly.


    In reality, when it came to a national disaster, the details of the battle could no longer affect the overall situation. The only ones who could influence the final outcome were the nuclear weapons and the martial masters.


    Those below the master realm, no matter how strong they were, would just be cannon fodder. It was even considered normal for the top powers in the provinces to die in just one strike.


    Wang Ronghui nodded. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s put this topic aside for the time being. Let Madam Wu from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tell us some information about the foreign countries.¡±


    Wu Jinyan, who was wearing a suit, walked onto the stage with a serious expression. She projected the diplomatic announcement from the eight western countries on the screen.


    Sam Nation: Immediately release the control over the stronghold in the otherworld. Otherwise, full sanctions will be imposed.


    The Never-ending Day Empire: The otherworld belongs to all of humanity. The Daxia Kingdom must unconditionally open up the stronghold of the otherworld.


    Gaul: The base city should be switched to a shared system. Everyone should manage it together and share the benefits.


    ¡­


    ¡°The eight western countries want to take advantage of the situation and interfere in the internal affairs of the Daxia Kingdom?¡±


    a provincial representative asked angrily.


    The others also had ugly expressions on their faces as they suppressed their anger.


    Wu Jinyan explained, ¡°According to the information sent back by the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s spies in the west, they are most likely making an empty show of strength. This is especially true for the Sam Nation. One of their martial masters has yet to return, and the situation in the country is also unstable.¡±


    The expressions of the provincial representatives immediately improved.


    This was the normal international situation. The space-travel passage was not unique to any country. The top powers often could not be easily mobilized.


    The last time the Sam Nation mobilized a martial arts master, they had actually taken a huge risk and let him temporarily leave the country to head for the Daxia Kingdom.


    However, the outcome was the worst-case scenario. It was obvious that the Sam Nation was already unable to take care of themselves. They did not have the ability to really threaten the Daxia Kingdom. They were just shooting their mouths off.


    As for the other seven countries, they used to be the underlings of the Sam Nation. Unless they could really work together, they would not be able to achieve anything.


    After describing the international situation, Wu Jinyan quickly sat back down.


    The meeting returned to the original topic of whether to activate nuclear weapons and artificially create a nuclear radiation area.


    Ling Zhongyun stood up and suggested, ¡°Perhaps we can consider killing the three treants rooted in the strange mountain village and the treants at the exit of the space-travel passage in the otherworld immediately to display our strength and intimidate the treants.¡±


    ¡°If the treants show signs of continuing to invade via the space-travel passage, we can directly launch a nuclear bomb at the strange mountain village and create a nuclear radiation zone. There¡¯s a high chance that the weaker treants will not be able to move around in the nuclear radiation environment. We only need to focus our forces on dealing with the powerful treants who can rush out of the nuclear radiation environment.¡±


    What Ling Zhongyun meant was that by combining the power of martial arts and nuclear weapons, even if the treants forcefully invaded, they would have to pass through a nuclear radiation zone first.


    This suggestion received the approval of almost everyone in the meeting room.


    If nothing unexpected happened, the general framework was pretty much settled. All that was left was to fill in the details.


    Chen Yiming pretended to cough. Everyone turned around and looked at him. He said, ¡°This is a good plan, but I need to remind everyone of something.¡±


    ¡°I encountered a pool of black water similar to the black river in the Kunshan Sect. The other party displayed combat strength at the master realm. In addition, I heard from the three sect masters of the Kunshan Sect that their lord, which should be from the black river in the otherworld, is an existence that surpasses the master realm.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, for the plan to quickly kill and intimidate the treants, I¡¯ll only be responsible for protecting the people who make a move. I won¡¯t make a move for the time being to prevent attracting the attention of the strongest treants fighting the black river.¡±


    This¡­


    Surpass the master realm?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s words stunned the others in the meeting room. Everyone suffered a huge blow in their minds and couldn¡¯t think straight for a moment.

 Chapter 298 - Success at the First Step

    When Chen Yiming mentioned that the black river might have surpassed the master realm, he specially observed the changes in the others in the meeting room.


    The provincial representatives looked so shocked that it was almost certain that they did not know anything.


    The people from the capital were the same. Chen Yiming was a little disappointed that he didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted.


    After another round of discussion, the war plan was finalized. However, even the people from the capital seemed to be lacking in confidence.


    ¡­


    After the meeting ended, a notice was issued that there was a commotion in the capital. On the same day, two more nuclear troops were sent to Jiangnan province.


    Another day passed, and Chen Yiming and the group from the capital set off.


    Along the way, the atmosphere within the team was very awkward.


    One reason was that they weren¡¯t familiar with each other, and also because Chen Yiming was too young and too strong.


    Zhu Song was the oldest of the four people from the capital. He had a calm personality and did things properly. Most of the time, he was the decision-maker in the four-man group.


    The team arrived at the encirclement the military had set up around the village. Taking advantage of the short break, Zhu Song sought out Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s handsome and young face made it seem like he did not belong on the blue planet.


    For example, Ling Zhongyun was in his early thirties. Among the small group of people in the Daxia Kingdom who were half a step away from the master realm, he was considered the youngest. However, compared to Chen Yiming, he was still like an uncle to a nephew.


    As for Zhu Song, he had an old-looking face. Even though he took care of his beard every day, it could not hide his appearance as a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. Compared to Chen Yiming, he was from a completely different generation.


    Zhu Song said politely, ¡°Chief Chen, the official operation is about to begin. Please take care of us later.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a chief.¡± Chen Yiming quickly waved his hand to express his stance.


    Zhu Song had an apologetic expression on his face as he explained, ¡°Everyone needs your protection. It¡¯s only right for us to call you chief.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened. He thought to himself that he had encountered another thick-skinned person. Was he trying to tie him to the military and force him to take charge?


    However, the other party was of the same age as Father Chen and looked very respectful. Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t find any reason to refute him.


    The other three members of the team pretended to observe the village and quickly returned to join in Chen Yiming and Zhu Song¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Chief Chen, your breakthrough speed is really too fast. I didn¡¯t even hear of your name before I entered the otherworld to cultivate. After I came out, I already had to look up to you.¡±


    The red-haired woman, Zhao Shumin, had a look of admiration on her face.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Could it be that this woman is a fan of mine? We¡¯ve only met twice, so isn¡¯t she being too enthusiastic?


    At the same time, he thought about it. No wonder he rarely saw anyone at the half-step master realm. It turned out that they had all entered the otherworld to cultivate.


    However, this was normal. Those who were only half a step away from the master realm had a lot of potential. Compared to carrying out all kinds of dangerous missions, it was far more important to nurture them into martial masters.


    ¡°I heard from Wang Ronghui that all of you are half a step away from the master realm. It seems that there are many hidden talents in the capital. Jiangnan province is far inferior in comparison.¡± Chen Yiming changed the topic.


    ¡°Actually, the capital is only so-so. The actual situation is not much better than Jiangnan province. The four of us are all affiliated with some unit in the capital, but we do not have a permanent position,¡± Jiang Kai said.


    He was a muscular man who was more than three meters tall. His weapon was a large shield, and it was obvious that he was a meat shield in the group of four from the capital.


    Zhu Song added, ¡°There are less than 20 people in the Daxia Kingdom who are half a step away from the master realm. Almost all of them are gathered by the side of the two martial masters in the north and south. Unless something happens that even the military can¡¯t resolve, they won¡¯t easily disturb our cultivation.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he glanced at Ling Zhongyun and said, ¡°He¡¯s the only one who is more effective in missions because he has mastered powerful archery skills, and has taken on many more missions.¡±


    Chen Yiming noticed that Ling Zhongyun, who had been silent the entire time, had a large bow on his back. With his accurate and powerful long-range attack ability, he indeed had an advantage when it came to carrying out missions.


    Everyone in the half-step master realm was precious. At the very least, when this person was in danger, because he was kept at a safe distance, the chances of him dying were low, and the chances of him surviving were much higher.


    Zhao Shumin suddenly muttered, ¡°He hides far away and shoots arrows from a distance. He¡¯s as thin as a stick. Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to send me to kill the enemy in a few moves?¡±


    Ling Zhongyun¡¯s originally calm face darkened when he heard this.


    Only Zhao Shumin would dare to not give him face. In the capital, his title of ¡°Divine Arrow¡± was synonymous with cold, machine-like precision, and mercilessness.


    This was not his own bragging, but everyone¡¯s recognition of his abilities.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the spear on Zhao Shumin¡¯s back. In contrast to her delicate features, he realized that she was a violent woman. If it was a long sword, he would have thought that she was a gentle and sensible fighter.


    Zhao Shumin did not even look at Ling Zhongyun¡¯s dark expression and continued, ¡°Chief Chen, you should just flatten the Kunshan Sect and kill those evil spirits. This is the true way of martial arts.¡±


    Chen Yiming scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.


    He waved his hand with a smile and explained, ¡°I was a little anxious back then. I was afraid that the other party would escape and return to the otherworld to inform the others. Actually, I¡¯m usually a little introverted.¡±


    Zhao Shumin nodded. ¡°I know. Chief Chen is keeping a low profile and doesn¡¯t like to be in the limelight. It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t make a move, but once he does, he¡¯ll shock the world, unlike some people¡­¡±


    Ling Zhongyun was angered by this. The person Zhao Shumin was talking about was him.


    Chen Yiming could tell that the two of them had a serious conflict in their opinions on martial arts, but they were still assigned to work together. Each of them had their own valid points, so he couldn¡¯t say who was right or wrong.


    ¡­


    Not long after, a division commander from the military jogged over.


    ¡°Reporting to the chief. The surveillance from yesterday to today shows that the three treants have not made any further movements. They have remained rooted in the strange mountain village and have not moved at all.¡±


    ¡°Then should we still follow the original plan?¡± Jiang Kai, who was holding a large shield, asked everyone.


    The treants had suddenly quietened down and did not show any signs of invading an unfamiliar land. It was unknown if they were probing to see if there were any powerful creatures in this land or if they really had no intention of invading.


    The others looked at each other. This was not an easy choice.


    Chen Yiming suddenly realized that everyone was looking at him. Were they asking him to make the decision? What did he know about strategy? He only knew how to fight. It would be troublesome if he made a mistake.


    In the end, after some thought, he still chose to carry out the mission as planned.


    The treants were also plants. There was no reason for them to leave a new territory alone and not occupy it. It was probably more of a test.


    Once they realized that this place did not have an owner, or that there were no enemies who could match them, the humans would probably have to face countless treants who would walk out of the space-travel passage.


    After the team finished reorganizing, they continued on their way.


    The division commander also relayed the decision to the command center. The nuclear troops were on standby at all times, waiting for the order to launch. The conventional troops were also prepared to fight.


    ¡­


    On the way from the encirclement to the village, the team did not encounter any obstacles. They stopped at a cove more than two kilometers away from the village.


    At this moment, the ground under their feet had changed a little. The weeds had lost their normal green color and became abnormally withered.


    ¡°Eh? Did we get discovered?¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    Just as he noticed the change in the weeds, he vaguely sensed a slight tremor deep underground. Such a coincidence was bound to arouse suspicion.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone heard a commotion in the village.


    They did not release their spiritual power to investigate. Instead, they used the cover of the rocks to observe the situation. The outline of human faces appeared in the middle of the three treants¡¯ trunks, and they looked in the direction of the cove.


    ¡°We¡¯ve really been discovered!¡±


    In reality, these three treants were not very powerful. They were only equivalent to the peak of the human warrior realm. Any one of them in the team could wipe out the three treants.


    However, they did not expect the treants¡¯ perception to be so sharp. This was not within the range of the information that had been gathered previously. Clearly, the treants did not take the ordinary surveillance teams seriously and deliberately pretended not to notice them.


    ¡°Follow the plan,¡± Chen Yiming whispered.


    In his plan, unless it was a matter of life and death, he would not make a move easily. The four people from the capital would be in charge of killing the treants.


    ¡°I¡¯ll suppress them from a distance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll attack at close range.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll block the space-travel passage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate with you to hold back the enemy.¡±


    The four of them reiterated their respective responsibilities before the fight. Immediately after, they rushed out of the cove and headed straight for the strange mountain village.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Ling Zhongyun stopped in an area that gave him a wide field of view and moved like a phantom. In the blink of an eye, three arrows imbued with his energy were aimed at the treant and shot out.


    The energy arrows spun continuously as they flew, forming three small whirlwinds. Their speed increased by one level, and their attacks were enhanced by the spinning force. At the same time, the edges of the arrows had an extremely strong cutting force.


    Before they landed, the houses in the village were already on the verge of collapse from the aftershock of the whirlwind.


    The outlines of the three treants¡¯ faces changed. Realizing how powerful the intruders were, they had already retracted their roots. At this moment, they stood up like humanoid creatures and dodged to the side.


    However, at the half-step master realm, the materialized spiritual power was not just for show. It was even more effective for long-range attacks. The three small whirlwinds changed their direction in midair and flew straight at the treants.


    Chen Yiming, who was watching at the back, acknowledged Ling Zhongyun¡¯s strength. He wanted to find an opportunity to secretly learn some of his tricks and teach them to Chen Yingying when he got back.


    As for letting Ling Zhongyun teach Chen Yingying directly, forget it! His sister was still young, and he would regret it if she was cheated of her feelings by this man.


    As he was thinking about it, the other three had only covered half the distance when the three arrow whirlwinds hit the three treants.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    The treants let out painful cries. Their bodies shone with a golden light, and a golden barrier appeared on each of their surfaces to block the piercing and cutting force of the energy arrows.


    In terms of internal force, there was a qualitative difference between someone at the half-step master realm and someone at the peak of the warrior realm. Chen Yiming had relied on his talent to fight across realms.


    Therefore, even if the treants were at a disadvantage, it was impossible for them to be instantly killed by the arrow whirlwind. However, the whirlwind from the arrows still temporarily restrained the treeman.


    Zhao Shumin used this short period of time to rush to the front of one of the treants.


    She waved the spear in her hand, and a dark red flame lit up on it. Without any fancy moves, she stabbed at the treant who could not dodge in time, aiming at the spot where it had been hit by the arrow.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    It was as if a TNT bomb had exploded. The treant¡¯s entire body was surrounded by flames and black smoke rolled out, spreading in all directions and up into the sky.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming could feel the tragic state of the treant being blown up from the inside.


    He gasped. He had a feeling that it was best not to provoke such a woman. The main attribute of her internal force was explosion, and its lethality was extraordinary.


    Once she broke through to the master realm, she could use the natural power to greatly increase her endurance, and she would become a human bombing machine.


    1


    However, thinking about his powerful body, it should not be difficult for him to subdue such a woman.


    The other two treants had escaped the control of the arrow whirlwind. When they saw that the aura of their kind was quickly weakening from the explosion, they immediately turned around and moved towards the space-travel passage.


    Jiang Kai held his large shield and rushed to the front of the space-travel passage. A layer of blood-colored energy flowed through his body, and then his muscles and bones quickly increased in size.


    His entire body grew from three meters to nearly 10 meters before stopping. He was like a small giant that was as tall as a three-story building.


    At the same time, the large shield in his hand, which was made of some unknown material, began to expand as he transferred his internal force into it. In the end, it became a shield that was 1.5 times the size of Jiang Kai.


    His 10-meter-long body and 15-meter-long shield completely blocked the space-travel passage.


    Zhu Song charged straight at the two treants who were retreating. He took out six small discs from his pocket and covered them with his green internal force, causing them to expand into flying wheels with a diameter of three meters each.


    The flying wheels had a circle of sharp blades surrounding them. The surface was surging with a green energy, and when it made contact with the air, it made a sizzling sound.


    In the next moment, Zhu Song threw out the flying wheels. Using his materialized spiritual power to guide them, the three wheels flew towards the two remaining treants.


    Wherever they flew past, bits of green energy fell to the ground, creating long ditches where they made contact with the ground. Small creatures in the soil melted away, and white smoke rose from their bodies.


    Seeing this, the two treants were forced to come to a stop. Their bodies were covered in a layer of golden light as they fought against the flying wheels that were attacking them from three directions.


    The human faces in the middle of their tree trunks revealed looks of despair. The space-travel passage was blocked by the small shield-wielding giant, and their bodies were threatened by the poisonous flying wheels.


    Even if they could withstand one wave of attacks, the next wave of attacks would come quickly. If they let any of the poisonous wheels cut into their tree trunks, it would not be a good outcome. They would not even have the strength to rush to the space-travel passage.


    It seemed that no matter what they did, they could not escape the outcome of death.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    Zhao Shumin, who had successfully destroyed one of the treants, had her red hair fluttering in the wind. She entered a wild state and charged at one of the remaining treants with her spear.


    Ling Zhongyun was not slow either. Like a chess player, he accurately predicted the treant¡¯s next few steps. The three arrow whirlwinds were only a step slower than the spinning wheels, but they dealt the last treant a fatal blow.


    In a few breaths, the three treants were wiped out by their joint attacks. In reality, there were only three half-step martial masters working together, but the damage they caused was increased by many times.


    Faced with the materialized spiritual power, the treants could not effectively dodge the attacks. They were at a huge disadvantage. In such a situation, they were still being attacked two on one, and they did not have the time to put up a decent resistance.


    ¡°Not bad! In a one-on-one fight, at the peak of the warrior realm, I would definitely be able to suppress them. However, facing the joint attacks of the four of them, they won¡¯t be able to kill me, but I¡¯m afraid they will hold me back for a while,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.

 Chapter 299 - Successful Return

    The treants were easily dealt with, and Chen Yiming walked into the village.


    Most of the buildings inside had been damaged by the whirlwind, explosions, and tremors. The ground was cracked and houses had collapsed.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the remains of the dead treants. ¡°It¡¯s very mysterious. Their roots can lengthen and shorten at will, and their perception of vibrations is extremely sharp. It¡¯s almost impossible for us to infiltrate the otherworld.¡±


    Zhu Song examined one of the more complete corpses of the treants and replied, ¡°That¡¯s true. Once we step onto the land on the other side of the space-travel passage, the surrounding treants will definitely notice us. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have enough time to gather information.¡±


    The mission went according to plan, but everyone¡¯s mood became heavier.


    Facing the treants with their sharp senses, the team did not have much choice. If they entered, they would have to fight. After that, they would retreat from the space-travel passage and wait for the situation to develop further.


    This feeling of not being able to control their own fate could not help but cause them to feel frustrated, anxious, and hesitant.


    Zhao Shumin kicked at the tree trunk that was still burning. A large amount of black ashes mixed with flames exploded, revealing the empty core of the tree.


    She muttered, ¡°In order to kill the treants, I didn¡¯t control my strength well and damaged all of them.¡±


    These words that were spoken without any sincerity immediately dissipated the heavy atmosphere. At the very least, everyone could force a smile.


    At this point, it was useless to think too much. They could only try their best to do every step well.


    ¡­


    Everyone sat down and perfected their plan before entering the space-travel passage.


    As soon as they stepped into the otherworld, a rotting, sinister, and smelly smell assaulted their noses.


    This was a cave with a diameter of more than 10 meters. There were all kinds of bones left in the corners. From their appearance, size, and shape, a small portion of them were human bones.


    ¡°Is this the truth about the trial grounds?¡±


    Chen Yiming could tell at a glance that this was a trick. At the level of the black river, it was almost too easy for it to create a small test with its materialized spiritual power.


    Those who could pass the test must have a strong will and have undergone a certain level of transformation of their spiritual power. Coupled with the hints given to them, their martial arts would improve by leaps and bounds after they left this place.


    However, this improvement was essentially a transformation brought about by one¡¯s own will. However, one would subconsciously think that this was a new life bestowed upon them by a higher being.


    At this moment, there was a rustling sound outside the cave. Big trees turned into treants one after another, and the faces turned to look into the cave.


    These treants were of varying heights. The tall ones were nearly 100 meters tall, and the short ones were just over 10 meters in height. Some were strong, and some were weak. Not every one of them was very strong.


    Chen Yiming turned to look out of the cave.


    As far as the eye could see, it was a desolate land. The sky was yellow and gray, and the air carried a large amount of sand with it.


    Without the treants, the area would almost completely lose its green color. The real appearance of this place would be like the Gobi Desert, which was in line with the changes in the environment brought about by the black river. There were almost no living creatures in the area.


    Ling Zhongyun, Zhao Shumin, and the others were already prepared for battle.


    Chen Yiming instructed, ¡°The situation among the treants is unknown, and we don¡¯t know where the strongest treant is. Unless I have no choice, I won¡¯t make a move. Try not to put yourself in danger.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that, Zhao Shumin was the first to rush out of the cave with her spear.


    Zhu Song and Jiang Kai quickly followed. One of them was responsible for provoking the enemy, while the other was responsible for blocking the enemy¡¯s powerful attacks. They worked together with Zhao Shumin to increase the combat strength of the three of them.


    Ling Zhongyun stopped at the entrance of the cave. He was in charge of suppressing the enemy from a distance and observing the situation.


    If not for Chen Yiming holding the line from the back, Ling Zhongyun would have been the one to make the decision during the battle. He would usually choose an open area on higher ground to prevent the enemy from setting up a trap and keeping the team in the dark.


    The first battle between humans and treants in the otherworld was about to begin.


    Wherever Zhao Shumin passed, the tree trunks of the treants exploded. In an instant, flames soared into the sky. A series of explosions shook the ground without stopping, leaving behind charred pits everywhere.


    Zhu Song¡¯s flying wheel was even more effective than Zhao Shumin¡¯s attacks when faced with the treants that were weaker than him. The branches of the treants that were poisoned quickly melted away, and they died while letting out painful cries.


    Jiang Kai had transformed into a small giant. Before they encountered any treants at the same level as them, he used his brute force to sweep across the treants with his shield. A large number of tree trunks were broken just like this.


    Ling Zhongyun, who was standing at the entrance of the cave, continuously fired nine arrows. Each arrow created a much smaller whirlwind, and under the control of his spiritual power, they shot towards the treants like tracking missiles.


    Long-range attacks ignored dodging and distance when faced with the relatively weak treants. The efficiency of such attacks was higher than the other three members of the team combined.


    In just a few minutes, the group had swept through the area within five kilometers of the cave. Almost all the weak treants had been wiped out, and more than 20 treants were still standing, chasing after the three-man team.


    These 20-over treants were led by three treants who had reached the level of a half-step away from the master realm.


    The top combatants were all at the half-step master realm, with four on the human side and three on the treants¡¯ side. The humans had the advantage, but the treants still had many other weaker fighters.


    Zhao Shumin, Zhu Song, and Jiang Kai used guerrilla tactics to lead the treants in circles. From time to time, they would attack ruthlessly and kill one or two relatively weak treants.


    Ling Zhongyun used energy arrows to attack them from a distance, constantly forcing the relatively weaker treants to dodge. This caused the treants to be unable to surround the three people even though they clearly had the advantage in numbers.


    Along the way, the treants tried to split off into a small group and charge towards Ling Zhongyun in the direction of the cave. The three of them immediately unleashed their full strength and killed three treants in a short period of time, forcing the treants to return to the main group to provide support.


    After about 10 minutes, there were less than 10 treants left.


    The treants stopped their pursuit and retreated into the distance. The three humans also stopped and did not chase after them.


    In the distance, a large number of treants had surrounded the cave. The faces had different expressions, but they did not take any further action.


    At this point in the mission, the battle plan could be said to have been perfectly executed. The humans gave a bold response to the treants¡¯ tentative invasion.


    Whether it was a bluff or not, since the treants did not know the true situation in the human world, the goal of intimidating them was most likely achieved.


    Chen Yiming and the four-man team stood at the entrance of the cave and watched as the treants gathered in the distance. The forest that the treants had transformed into seemed to have come alive.


    Fortunately, no treants above the master realm had appeared from the start to the end. There was no need for Chen Yiming to make a move to help them.


    They did not stay for long and quickly returned to the blue planet through the space-travel passage.


    ¡­


    Unlike the oppressive atmosphere when they left, when they stepped onto the blue planet again, a heavy burden seemed to have been lifted off their shoulders.


    This was especially true for the middle-aged man, Zhu Song. His usually serious face was also smiling at this moment.


    When Wang Ronghui, who was waiting outside the village, saw this, he walked forward and said, ¡°All of you have worked hard. Leave the rest to the military. Jiangnan City has already organized a banquet to welcome the return of the heroes.¡±


    Zhu Song looked up at the sky and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Chief Chen holding the line for us this time. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have dared to barge into the territory of the otherworld creatures without finding out the true situation first.¡±


    Wang Ronghui smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Chief Chen, you deserve the credit.¡±


    The two of them echoed each other, as if the mission could not be completed without Chen Yiming leading the way.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming became vigilant. The price for freedom was high. He wouldn¡¯t accept anything even if they were offered for free. The main reason was that these people couldn¡¯t give him what he needed.


    Moreover, there was definitely something amiss. Zhu Song might have been a member of the military from the start, and might have been carrying out additional missions.


    Of course, he could gain a lot of power if he was given a high ranking position, but it would also take up a lot of his time. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to live a life where he couldn¡¯t complete his work every day.


    They got into the off-road vehicles and drove away from the village.


    Along the way, Chen Yiming saw a large group of soldiers digging holes in the wilderness. Carriages of explosives were waiting nearby. The wilderness had become a large construction site.


    Due to the fact that the area around the space-travel passage was also slightly affected by the otherworld, technological weapons could fail, misfire, and so on.


    Therefore, they could only retreat to a distance away from the strange mountain village and plant bombs around it to ensure that once the treants invaded, they would immediately be attacked by the humans.


    They had achieved their goal of intimidating the treants, but that did not mean that they could rest easy. The situation was still not completely clear, and Jiangnan province and even the Daxia Kingdom needed to continue to be on guard.


    ¡­


    At the Star Sky Hotel, at this moment, the entrance of one of the most luxurious hotels in Jiangnan City was already empty. Soldiers were also standing guard at the end of the street, and unrelated people were not allowed to enter.


    Two luxury cars entered the underground parking lot under the command of the security guards.


    Chen Yiming handed over an invitation to the soldiers on the street. After receiving permission to enter, he walked to the entrance of the hotel.


    He originally did not want to participate in the banquet. Wouldn¡¯t it be good to stay at home and cultivate quietly?


    However, Wang Ronghui had promised repeatedly that he would not let him go on stage to make a speech to celebrate. He would help hide his true identity the entire time. He only needed to attend quietly.


    In the end, Chen Yiming saw that it wasn¡¯t easy for Wang Ronghui to handle the many matters in Jiangnan province, and his hair had turned white, so he relented and agreed.


    ¡°Welcome!¡±


    At the entrance of the banquet hall, two lines of long-legged receptionists in exquisite makeup smiled and greeted him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze stopped on the two at the front. They seemed to be the announcers from some television station, and their faces and figures were indeed attractive.


    For the sake of the television station¡¯s viewership, most of the female announcers were dressed sexily. Silk stockings and short skirts were the standard attire, but because of the camera¡¯s wider field of view, many of them were not as good-looking on television as they were in real life.


    The receptionists treated Chen Yiming as an ordinary guest and smiled in response to his gaze.


    Chen Yiming walked into the banquet hall and realized that there were already many people inside.


    Other than some beautiful socialites, there were the higher-ups of the government, the martial arts factions, the presidents of large companies, and some people from the second generation.


    These people had their own social circles. For example, the socialites were gathered together and chatting softly, and the second generation were gathered together and chatting loudly.


    Chen Yiming told himself that he had been too tense the entire day. He would treat it as taking a meal to relax.


    ¡°Handsome, did you come alone?¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming took a plate of dessert, steak, and fruits and started eating, a woman in a low-cut shining gown walked over with a wine glass in her hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I couldn¡¯t turn down the repeated invitations. Actually, I didn¡¯t want to come at all.¡± Chen Yiming glanced at the person who had arrived and continued to eat his steak.


    ¡°You¡¯re so funny.¡± Of course, the woman did not believe him. She covered her mouth and laughed.


    She only thought that the other party was a young master from a certain clan. It was just that he had a strange personality and did not like to form factions.


    Chen Yiming finished his steak in a few bites and took a tissue from the side to wipe his mouth. He said, ¡°You look a little familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen you on television before. What song were you singing¡­¡¯I Can¡¯t Fall Asleep Tonight¡¯.¡±


    The woman was a little angry and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t sing that. That was the song of Sun Fei, the queen of love songs. My famous song is ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯.¡±


    With that, she added, ¡°I was invited from the capital to Jiangnan City to cheer for all the soldiers at the front line.¡±


    At this point, the young woman subconsciously straightened her back. She felt a strong sense of duty, honor, and responsibility.


    Chen Yiming stole a glance at the other party¡¯s low-cut gown and said apologetically, ¡°I see. I might have mistaken you for someone else.¡±


    The woman was clearly not satisfied with his words and asked again, ¡°Sun Fei is already in her forties or fifties. Are you kidding me?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but he suddenly asked, ¡°You¡¯re not even thirty¡­ are you still not married?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± The woman was stunned and could not understand why he would say that.


    In the next moment, she felt dizzy and her legs went weak. She took a step back before she could steady herself.


    She was only 25 years old. How could she be 30?


    The woman corrected him angrily, ¡°It¡¯s all because you men like those who are sexy. It¡¯s like we¡¯re all forced to be sexy. I¡¯m only in my early twenties, and I¡¯m not married.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only 19,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    ¡°Damn it! Doesn¡¯t this person know that asking a woman¡¯s age is taboo? Which family¡¯s young master is he? Other than being a little handsome, he doesn¡¯t know how to say anything nice.¡±


    The woman was going crazy in her heart from anger, and her face was completely red.


    However, she had to force a smile. After all, those who were invited to this banquet came from extraordinary backgrounds. He might be the descendant of some big shot or martial arts expert,


    Although she was quite famous and had made a name for herself with just one song, and was often invited to various banquets and concerts all over the country, she was only a singer after all. She had gained some fame, but her fate was not in her own hands.


    Her greatest wish was to marry into a wealthy family, just like her countless peers. However, this was too difficult. Countless examples showed that there was a high chance that she would become a mistress and be abandoned after being played by others for a period of time.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming realized that he had been too blunt. He decided to ignore the woman and picked up two more steaks to eat.


    The woman stopped trying to make friends with him and snorted. In the end, she turned around and left, clicking away in her high heels.


    Chen Yiming glanced at her departing figure. The back of the woman¡¯s gown was V-shaped, revealing her fair skin.


    He shook his head and felt that he was not entirely to blame for this. After all, this woman looked like she had just gotten married and had been nourished until she was fair and rosy.

 Chapter 300 - New Combat Assessment

    Under their feet was a soft animal fur carpet, and soft music echoed in their ears. The warm lights from the ceiling shone with a soft yellow-white glow. In such an environment, they could all temporarily forget about the tense situation in the outside world.


    Chen Yiming filled his stomach and glanced at Ling Zhongyun, Zhao Shumin, and the others, who were busy socializing.


    As powerful external aid called over from the capital, the four of them were highly sought after by countless people. At this moment, there were many people around them, all lined up to share a toast with them.


    Those in the half-step master realm were considered channels to communicate with those in the master realm. Even if they clearly rejected it, it could not stop the enthusiasm of others.


    He sighed to himself. ¡°Fortunately, I had foresight.¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to leave, the woman who had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation went on stage with a microphone.


    The woman first introduced herself simply. Her name was Han Qiufeng. Then, she announced that she would perform a song called ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯.


    A round of applause rang out in the banquet hall. Most of the people stopped talking and it suddenly became much quieter.


    ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯ was a song that encouraged people to have a strong will and maintain a positive attitude, never giving up and believing that humans would one day be able to reclaim their lost territory.


    Not long after this song was released, because it matched the trend of the development of the otherworld, it was already on the verge of becoming popular throughout the Daxia Kingdom. As the composer and singer, Han Qiufeng also became famous.


    Even though the wilderness was not peaceful recently, she was still invited to sing all over the Daxia Kingdom. This time, Jiangnan province was preparing for the war with the treants, so they invited Han Qiufeng over. After that, she would sing for the military.


    Chen Yiming thought that he could spare five minutes, so he stopped in his tracks and blended into the crowd.


    Five minutes later, the performance ended. The banquet hall erupted in applause again. Many people had tears in their eyes, and the applause lasted for nearly two minutes before it completely stopped.


    ¡°They¡¯re all actors,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    Coupled with the current situation, this song could indeed move the hearts of the ordinary people. However, almost all the people present were from the upper echelons of the military, large factions, and the second generation. How could they be moved so easily?


    It had to be known that there was no guarantee that the treants would not continue their invasion. The situation was still not looking good.


    At this moment, a young man beside him agreed. ¡°Indeed, they¡¯re all pretending. In the background, they¡¯re doing all kinds of despicable things.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned awkward. He didn¡¯t expect someone to hear him.


    However, this was how it was in high society. One had to do a good job on the surface, unless they were like him, who could completely not give anyone face.


    Even if he kicked them, they would still crawl back and lick his boots.


    The young man continued in a low voice, ¡°Although Han Qiufeng is doing well now, the more popular she is, the more people will target her. Now that someone is preparing to set a trap for her, she¡¯s still so stupid that she doesn¡¯t realize it at all.¡±


    ¡°Those people just want to sleep with her and obtain the thrill of conquest. In the end, she will probably be sold off and still have to earn money for others.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked strangely at the young man beside him.


    The young man was stunned and explained, ¡°I only received some insider information in advance. I don¡¯t have the ability or power to help her. I just feel that it¡¯s a pity that those dirty things contaminated this song.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood now. This young man should be one of the second generation who liked music.


    At the same time, he was filled with a sense of justice. However, his ability was limited, and he had a certain level of self-awareness. He would not easily get his elders involved.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°An undeserved reputation is only a burden. Strength is the foundation.¡±


    With that, he left.


    The young man felt that he had met someone like him and wanted to interact further with Chen Yiming. However, the other party left without hesitation. He thought about it for a while and didn¡¯t follow him.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming left the banquet hall and returned to East Lake City.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Chen Yiming entered the house and found Father Chen and Mother Chen sitting on the sofa watching television.


    ¡°You¡¯re back so soon? We thought you were going to be away for a while,¡± Father Chen said as he looked over.


    Chen Yiming explained, ¡°Things went smoothly.¡±


    Mother Chen stood up from the sofa and walked over. ¡°Have you eaten? If not, I¡¯ll cook for you now.¡±


    Chen Yiming patted his stomach and replied, ¡°After things ended, someone treated us to a big meal.¡±


    Knowing that her son had already eaten, Mother Chen took out some fruits from the fridge, washed them, peeled them, and placed them on a plate. The family sat on the sofa and watched television, enjoying the rare time together.


    On the television, Han Qiufeng was singing ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯ in the Jiangnan National Square. The audience filled up the venue, and the streets outside the National Square were blocked off.


    Chen Yiming ate a few pieces of apple and asked, ¡°Dad, Mom, do you like this song too?¡±


    Mother Chen muttered, ¡°It¡¯s your father who likes it. He¡¯s already watched the recording a few times. I even suspect that this old man is thinking of starting an affair.¡±


    Chen Yiming shut up and continued eating his fruit.


    Father Chen, who was at the side, explained angrily, ¡°Hmph! This is a form of emotional attachment, do you understand? Back when the Chen family opened the restaurant, we lived the kind of life described in this song.¡±


    ¡°If we didn¡¯t persevere, how would we have a son like this now? He might still be learning how to cook from me!¡±


    Chen Yiming choked and almost spat out the apple he had just swallowed.


    His body¡¯s owner had not gained much from his martial arts cultivation and had only left behind some theoretical knowledge. On the other hand, he had relied on the martial arts talent system and a little bit of his own hard work. He did not rely on a persevering spirit or other such things.


    Mother Chen retorted, ¡°Our son relied on his own hard work. You¡¯re just a chef. What else can you do other than cook? How dare you take the credit for it?¡±


    Father Chen was speechless and turned back to the television.


    The resonance caused by the song was something that those who did not feel it could not understand.


    In addition, Mother Chen had a slight misunderstanding. No matter what he said now, it would be wrong. She would be fine after she calmed down tomorrow.


    Chen Yiming had wanted to brag to Father Chen and Mother Chen that Han Qiufeng had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation with him at the banquet. However, seeing the atmosphere at home, he swallowed his words.


    ¡­


    Three peaceful days passed just like that. The preparations for war in Jiangnan province did not stop. Everyone from the martial arts experts to the ordinary citizens in the major cities felt the oppressive atmosphere of the approaching war.


    The government sent out a large number of retired soldiers to organize schools, institutions, and companies for military training to deal with the war that could break out at any moment.


    The streets and alleys were filled with recruitment notices. The existing workshops and factories were all overworked. Countless chimneys emitted black smoke, and a strange smell pervaded the air in the city.


    In addition, the factories were undergoing expansion works. Construction sites could be seen everywhere in the suburbs. There was no longer a need to pay attention to whether there was excess capacity. Everything was done in preparation for a possible war.


    Early in the morning, by the river,


    Chen Yingying was practicing archery while Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on a large rock to carry out his daily cultivation.


    After adding the Giant Talent, he had obtained a powerful strength, but his body¡¯s improvement had not reached its limit. Every day after his cultivation ended, he could feel that his body had become stronger.


    However, the damage caused by a single punch was too terrifying. He had to think of a way to test and quantify the strength of the attack.


    On the other hand, his sister had almost stopped progressing after leaving the otherworld. She could only use her work hard at it and did not dare to slack off at all.


    While he was cultivating, he glanced at Chen Yingying, who was sweating profusely, and muttered, ¡°As expected, this is the difference between people.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what did you say?¡±


    Chen Yingying stopped practicing and rubbed her sore hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just said that your practice is going well. Keep it up,¡± Chen Yiming said loudly.


    Chen Yingying nodded and asked, ¡°But why do I feel like I¡¯ve reached a bottleneck? I still can¡¯t do what the teacher taught me.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°Unless you can use the system like me and continuously increase your talent, how can you not reach a bottleneck with your skills?¡±


    With a serious expression, he said in an educating tone, ¡°It¡¯s only been a while since you returned from the otherworld. You don¡¯t have to think too much about the outcome. There¡¯s nothing more important than to focus on your training.¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded, as if she had learned the truth. She turned around and continued practicing her archery.


    Chen Yiming looked at his sister, who had her back facing him, and shook his head helplessly. It seemed like he had to do something. Perhaps he could secretly learn something from Ling Zhongyun.


    1


    ¡­


    After lunch, there was still no news from Jiangnan City, which meant that the movements of the treants were still unclear. It was useless to be anxious.


    Chen Yiming had nothing to do at home, so he decided to watch the news.


    Mother Chen pulled Chen Yingying over. His sister had a reluctant expression on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Yiming asked in confusion.


    ¡°Now that the martial arts level certification has added a new component of actual combat assessment, I¡¯m a little worried. Go with her,¡± Mother Chen said.


    A combat assessment?


    Didn¡¯t they just need to exchange a few blows with the tester?


    Why should I go?


    Chen Yiming looked at his sister.


    Chen Yingying stammered and explained, ¡°The actual combat assessment has been changed to take place outside the city. I heard that it will be in an area in the wilderness with mutant beasts.¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could speak, Mother Chen grumbled, ¡°Your sister insisted on participating in that combat assessment. She said that if all the students in the class participated, it would be embarrassing if she didn¡¯t. The news said that it is very chaotic outside. How could I be at ease?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to look at his sister again. He realized that she had no intention of giving up. Clearly, she didn¡¯t want to be the exception among her classmates.


    ¡°Chen Yingying is already someone who is about to break through to the warrior realm. Unless she just stands there foolishly, nothing will happen to her,¡±


    Chen Yiming explained the situation to Mother Chen.


    The location of the actual combat assessment was not too far from East Lake City. Coupled with the fact that he was guarding East Lake City, how could the person in charge of the assessment let Chen Yingying encounter any danger?


    In fact, this combat assessment was just a formality for his sister. There was a possibility that they would secretly go easy on her.


    Mother Chen was a little angry and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Either you get your sister to give up on the actual combat assessment, or you go with her. Choose one.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go with Chen Yingying,¡± Chen Yiming agreed helplessly.


    He could understand Mother Chen¡¯s thoughts. After all, she was her only daughter, and he was at home all day with nothing to do.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Mother Chen sent Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying to the house door.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t pass the actual combat assessment, then so be it. Be careful of your own safety,¡± Mother Chen reminded his sister repeatedly.


    Chen Yingying muttered, ¡°Mom, I understand. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    The two of them waved at Mother Chen and walked towards the East Lake Martial Arts Academy.


    On the way, Chen Yingying hesitated for a long time before saying in a low voice, ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you walk around outside? I¡¯ll contact you after I finish the assessment.¡±


    This was not like the last time when she went to the otherworld to train. It was just a simple combat assessment. The reason why they turned the opponent from a tester to a mutant beast was mainly to get rid of those who were not completely prepared for the assessment.


    In reality, the mutant beasts that were their opponents were much weaker than the people participating in the assessment. They could pass if they displayed 70% of their strength.


    And she had even killed real creatures from the otherworld. How could she fail the assessment?


    Moreover, the martial arts teacher had told her in private that the specific procedures and difficulty of the assessment would not be a problem for anyone in the class, even those who were much worse than her.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t believe that anything around East Lake City could hurt his sister under his watch. However, seeing how anxious his sister was, he pretended to be stubborn. ¡°No, you only have that little bit of actual combat experience. How am I going to explain it to Mom if you get into trouble?¡±


    Chen Yingying had a pitiful expression and fell silent.


    Chen Yiming decided not to tease his sister anymore. He said, ¡°I won¡¯t show my face, alright? I¡¯ll just find a random mountain and protect you from afar. If you really mess up, I¡¯ll save you in time.¡±


    In the end, he and his sister reached an agreement for him to only protect her in secret.


    ¡­


    A military camp was located two to three kilometers east of East Lake City.


    The various heavy weapons around the camp had already been loaded with live ammunition. The muzzles of the cannons were raised high, ready to deal with any unexpected situations.


    Beside it was a man-made area with a radius of five kilometers. It was surrounded by metal railings, and troops were standing guard at intervals.


    There was a small lake, a small forest, and a man-made rock barrier inside. It could simulate the environment in the wilderness where most of the mutant beasts were fighting, and was as realistic as possible.


    Three large military transport trucks drove over from afar and stopped in front of the military camp.


    The door opened and the people who had registered for the combat assessment alighted.


    There were nearly 300 people in total, including students and members of the public. They were all led into the military camp by the officers.


    Chen Yiming stood on a mountain a few kilometers away and saw Chen Yingying in the crowd. His sister was walking with a few female classmates, looking excited.


    He turned to look at the man-made assessment area and saw that there were aquatic mutant beasts lying in ambush in the small lake. The mutant beasts that came to the shore to drink water were all very careful.


    There were also hidden dangers in the forest. There were mutant beasts hiding in the shadows of the forest, waiting to ambush passing prey.


    Chen Yiming sighed. ¡°First, there was a stronghold in the otherworld that needed to be developed. Next, the treants might invade Jiangnan province. The times are changing drastically. Jiangnan province is going all out this time!¡±


    It was impossible for there to be only one assessment point. Maintaining these man-made assessment areas all year round would consume a lot of manpower and resources from the military. Moreover, it was not like they were nurturing new blood in the military, so there was not a lot of benefit to them.


    Chen Yiming thought about it. The Jiangnan provincial government controlled the space-travel passage to the base city. In the long term, they would be able to nurture more talents. These people were indirectly working for the Jiangnan provincial government, so they would be able to earn back their investment in the future.

 Chapter 301 - The Treants Movements

    In a corner of the camp, because of these 300 outsiders, the originally quiet camp became noisy. Beast roars could be heard from the combat assessment area from time to time.


    An officer stood rooted to the ground with a serious expression. In front of him were three young men in casual clothes. The three of them were holding a portrait in their hands, and the portrait was of Chen Yingying.


    The officer asked loudly, ¡°You can¡¯t let her get injured at all. In an emergency, you are allowed to reveal your identity. Remember that!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± the three of them replied in unison.


    The officer nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start now.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The three of them saluted and ran towards the area where the candidates had temporarily stopped.


    These three men in casual clothes were internal personnel arranged by the military. Their mission was to ensure Chen Yingying¡¯s safety during the assessment. Each of them had the strength of a warrior candidate.


    ¡­


    ¡°Yingying, there are so many people! What if someone tries to steal our kill?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we work hard to defeat the monsters and others jump out to snatch them away, should we admit defeat or challenge it?¡±


    The girls gathered together and chatted non-stop.


    Everyone who participated in the actual combat assessment received a map of the assessment area and information on the mutant beasts.


    The rough distribution of the mutant beasts was indicated on the map, including their strength, as well as the item used to verify the results of the assessment, which was a certain part of the mutant beast¡¯s body.


    It involved a complicated set of calculations. In the disciple realm, the number of transformations would affect the final score.


    This score did not represent the level of one¡¯s cultivation, but to a certain extent, it could differentiate the potential and combat strength of people of the same level.


    In addition, in order for the candidates to take it seriously, this result would be recorded. In the future, the martial arts factions could refer to the actual combat assessment scores of the candidates.


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s said that the military will release drones to monitor the situation. Who would dare to do anything rash? Aren¡¯t they afraid that they will be blacklisted?¡± Chen Yingying asked in surprise.


    ¡°What if others avoid the drones¡¯ line of sight? The assessment area is five kilometers wide. It¡¯s impossible for them to not miss anything!¡±


    ¡°We are just a group of girls, so we look like we can be easily bullied.¡±


    ¡°Yingying, you¡¯re the strongest. You can¡¯t abandon us.¡±


    ¡°We have to stick together too. We can¡¯t give the perverts an opportunity to take advantage of us.¡±


    The girls discussed various conspiracies non-stop. There were expressions of excitement, nervousness, and fear on their faces. After all, this was the first time they were participating in an actual combat assessment.


    Chen Yingying nodded. She had been full of confidence before she came, but the situation was different after she arrived at the military camp. Hearing the roars of the mutant beasts coming from the assessment area from time to time, it was still a little scary.


    She subconsciously looked around, trying to find Chen Yiming.


    After a while, she saw a small figure on the top of a mountain in the distance. The figure noticed her gaze and waved at her.


    This made Chen Yingying heave a sigh of relief. She smiled again and continued to chat with the girls.


    ¡­


    Not long after, a few officers came over to announce the start of the combat assessment. It would last for a total of three hours.


    There were nearly 300 people, and they were divided into four groups. Each group was brought to one of four directions in the assessment area. They entered from four entrances at the same time.


    Chen Yingying and her classmates were lucky enough to be grouped together. They all heaved a sigh of relief. At the very least, they did not have to think of a way to meet up with each other after getting in.


    Following this, the roars of beasts rang out repeatedly. Fight after fight broke out between humans and mutant beasts in the assessment area.


    In order to obtain a higher score, most people went all out and killed or ambushed their targets in the marked areas.


    Chen Yingying and her female classmates were the same, but the situation was different from what they had expected.


    Chen Yingying shot out an arrow and in the blink of an eye, a pig-type mutant beast, the steel-haired pig, fell to the ground. With another arrow, another dog-type mutant beast fell to the ground.


    Seeing this, the mutant beasts nearby fled in panic.


    ¡°Yingying, you¡¯re a sharpshooter.¡±


    ¡°These mutant beasts are just pretending to be strong. Do they think we¡¯re easy to bully?¡±


    ¡°Come over if you have the guts. Weren¡¯t you very fierce just now?¡±


    A few female students turned into passers-by who just stood around and praised Chen Yingying.


    When the other candidates saw this, they all hid far away. No one was willing to get too close to someone stronger than them unless they were willing to return empty-handed.


    Chen Yingying was a little embarrassed by the praise. Actually, she could tell the underlying reason for the instant kill.


    The pig¡¯s speed and agility were average, but its strength and defense were not bad. However, in front of the armor-piercing arrow made of special materials, its additional defense was not enough to withstand the attack and the arrow pierced right through its heart.


    It could be said that using precious armor-piercing arrows to kill such weak mutant beasts was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. However, to Chen Yingying, armor-piercing arrows were consumables for her to practice archery. She did not have any ordinary arrows on her.


    Other than that, what the people participating in the actual combat assessment did not know was that the military had secretly simplified the process. They did not require everyone to use the standard weapons and equipment provided by the military camp.


    Of course, this would only happen once. Everything would return to normal later on, and this simplified process would be covered up.


    The team formed by the girls cut off the parts used to verify the score, then retrieved the armor-piercing arrows and continued forward.


    Because Chen Yingying was already at the stage of breaking through to the warrior realm, and she had the powerful armor-piercing arrow to further increase the lethality of her attacks, wherever she passed, the mutant beasts were almost completely crushed. No mutant beast dared to get close to her.


    This also allowed the three people in charge of Chen Yingying¡¯s safety to calm down. However, they still did not dare to relax.


    The girl was clearly strong, but they had still been arranged to protect her secretly. It was obvious what this meant. If she was unlucky and encountered some kind of incident, the three of them would not be able to bear the responsibility.


    ¡­


    In the center of the combat assessment area, the three-headed cobra king was struggling in pain.


    Its body had been pierced by more than 10 armor-piercing arrows. Each time it moved, a large amount of blood would seep out of its wounds.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Not far away, someone gasped.


    The beast diagram showed that this three-headed cobra king was at the level of a warrior candidate. As the strongest mutant beast in the actual combat assessment area, it was the final boss.


    However, before he could do anything, it was killed by a young girl.


    It was impossible to say that he did not feel any resentment. However, in the air above the central area, drones could be seen everywhere, so he could not do anything.


    ¡°Sigh! I originally wanted to get a high score by killing the cobra king, but now¡­¡±


    Someone sighed and shook his head before turning to leave.


    The female students praised Chen Yingying again. On the way here, they had fought a number of mutant beasts, and it could be said that they had defeated all the opponents along the way.


    Even Chen Yingying was feeling a little smug. With the powerful armor-piercing arrows and the archery skills she had learned, it seemed that those below the warrior realm¡­


    ¡­


    The days returned to normal, and in the blink of an eye, another week had passed.


    The haze of war seemed to be dissipating, and the tension in the cities in Jiangnan province relaxed a little. The focus gradually shifted back to the development of the otherworld.


    After his daily cultivation in the morning, Chen Yiming received a message from Wang Ronghui. He informed his sister, who was practicing archery, and left immediately.


    A reconnaissance team had sent back a message. Near the cave on the other end of the space-travel passage in the strange village, an individual that was clearly much taller than the other treants had appeared.


    Although the treants did not immediately invade Jiangnan province, an oppressive atmosphere had already spread throughout the Jiangnan provincial government. Orders were issued to prevent any unit from being careless.


    In the large conference room, after Chen Yiming entered, he didn¡¯t see the representatives from the various provinces. There was only Wang Ronghui, Ling Zhongyun, and Zhao Shumin.


    Wang Ronghui greeted him and went straight to the point. He projected the drawings provided by the team on the screen.


    A treant more than 100 meters tall was walking over from the horizon. The ground was shaking, the treants were cheering, and the weather was changing. In the end, it turned into a huge tree that reached into the sky and took root near the cave.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t know if this treant was the one who had fought with the black river, but since he had the power to change the weather, he was undoubtedly at least at the master realm.


    He was not afraid of a treant at this level, but the reason was still the same as before.


    It was not a problem for him to kill the treants, but would it attract the attention of the stronger treants? Would it cause the treants to launch a counterattack and invade Jiangnan province?


    This was something to consider carefully.


    Zhao Shumin slammed the table and stood up. ¡°Damn it! I don¡¯t believe that Chief Chen and the four of us combined can¡¯t deal with that treant.¡±


    The middle-aged man, Zhu Song, advised, ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. The new treant didn¡¯t dare to enter the space-travel passage directly, which means that the treants don¡¯t know anything about the blue planet. It might not be a good thing for us to take the initiative to attack.¡±


    Wang Ronghui had been shocked by Zhao Shumin¡¯s words. He looked at Chen Yiming, who was silent. It was clear that he didn¡¯t agree with Zhao Shumin¡¯s thoughts.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with the treants. If the enemy doesn¡¯t make a move, I won¡¯t do anything either. If that treant dares to come to our side, it won¡¯t be too late to join forces to destroy him.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s decided then. We won¡¯t take the initiative to attack, but we won¡¯t let the treants who dare to enter the space-travel passage go either. It¡¯s best if we remain wary of each other and keep things this way.¡±


    At the end, he muttered, ¡°After all, the cultivation environment on the blue planet is worse. Other than obtaining some territory, there¡¯s nothing much for the treants here.¡±


    Since Chen Yiming had spoken, Zhao Shumin sat back down and didn¡¯t refute him. The others also agreed with his decision.


    The short meeting ended just like that. Before he left, Zhao Shumin approached Chen Yiming with a red face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and forced himself to remain calm. Although his combat style had become violent after transforming into a giant, the violent woman wasn¡¯t the type he would fall for.


    Zhao Shumin stammered as she begged for his guidance.


    Chen Yiming said a few words and found an excuse to leave, even though the other party looked like a fangirl, her gentle expression moving him.


    He thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m someone who can control myself.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Wail!¡±


    Chen Yiming, who was wandering along the street, suddenly heard the sound of an air raid siren. The passers-by stopped in their tracks and started discussing among themselves.


    He used his spiritual power to scan the area and quickly found out the reason.


    The situation had suddenly changed. In order to deal with the possibility of a war, the public security department in Jiangnan City had organized a drill to adapt to any sudden situations in advance.


    Chen Yiming strolled along the street again, taking in the changes in the city.


    Without a doubt, the threat of the treants had a huge impact on Jiangnan province, causing the good situation to be temporarily brought to a pause.


    If humans lost to the treants, even if they could eventually destroy the treants that invaded the blue planet, their confidence in the development of the otherworld would be greatly reduced.


    This was a chain reaction that stemmed from their fear of the creatures from the otherworld.


    Not long after, a familiar face walked towards Chen Yiming.


    Han Qiufeng was wearing a black mask and had her head lowered. There were obvious tears at the corners of her eyes. Beside her was a short and fat middle-aged woman.


    A few meters behind, a middle-aged man walked out of the restaurant. He looked over with an expression that said he had everything under control.


    ¡°Qiufeng, don¡¯t be agitated. Let¡¯s go back and talk to CEO Zhang. I¡¯m your manager. I¡¯ll do my best to help you resolve this,¡± the short and fat middle-aged woman said anxiously.


    ¡°Really? But didn¡¯t CEO Zhang say that we should follow the contract?¡±


    Han Qiufeng wiped her tears and stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s just both sides testing the limits. How can it be so absolute? Anything can be discussed,¡± the short and fat middle-aged woman said with a smile as she grabbed Han Qiufeng¡¯s hand.


    As a manager, how could the middle-aged woman not understand the hidden meaning in CEO Zhang¡¯s words? Someone behind the scenes had taken a fancy to Han Qiufeng, and this person had extraordinary power.


    The reason why CEO Zhang emphasized the contract was to put pressure on Han Qiufeng to pave the way for the next step.


    As a manager, the middle-aged woman was naturally someone who knew how to adapt to the circumstances. She knew that if she did not cooperate with them to deal with Han Qiufeng, she would be the one to suffer in the future.


    The two of them happened to be in Chen Yiming¡¯s path. Their eyes met, and Han Qiufeng smiled bitterly and greeted him, ¡°It¡¯s you, handsome.¡±


    The situation in Jiangnan province was serious. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to bother with such trivial matters, but he thought about how Father Chen had been touched by her song ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯.


    This meant that Han Qiufeng was not completely useless. When a war really broke out, this song might be able to motivate the citizens and bolster their confidence.


    Therefore, he reminded her loudly, ¡°The person beside you is just trying to trick you! The contract involves nothing more than money. What¡¯s money in this world? Martial arts resources are the truly valuable items. Besides, what¡¯s there for others to covet about you? Isn¡¯t it because someone wants a taste of your body?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged woman¡¯s face darkened. CEO Zhang, who was standing at the entrance of the restaurant not far away, also had an ugly expression.


    His plan had actually been ruined by a young man who had suddenly appeared. Although he could use forceful methods, Han Qiufeng was still popular, and Jiangnan province was in a tense situation.


    At this moment, there were countless gazes on them. The person behind this did not want to cause a commotion over such a small matter, so he had set up a trap through CEO Zhang.


    Han Qiufeng¡¯s face was pale. She bit her lip so hard that it turned red. Clearly, it was impossible for her not to notice it at all. She was just flustered and did not know how to deal with it.


    The middle-aged woman suppressed her anger and asked Han Qiufeng in a low voice, ¡°Qiufeng, who is he?¡±


    ¡°We met at the banquet at the Star Sky Hotel.¡±


    The middle-aged woman choked. Although she could not find out his name, how could he be an ordinary person if he was able to attend a banquet of that level?


    Just like Han Qiufeng, she also treated Chen Yiming as a second generation from some rich family.


    At the same time, she felt a little afraid. She had almost cursed at him earlier, but fortunately, she had not said anything.


    CEO Zhang, who was at the entrance of the restaurant, also felt extremely uncomfortable. Regardless of whether the matter could be settled, he would offend someone.


    He could only curse in his heart. You people from the upper echelons really know how to play. Is there any point in making things difficult for your subordinates?

 Chapter 302 - Chaos

    The awkward situation did not last long. CEO Zhang and Liu Fang were both tactful and shrewd people. Giving face was something that depended on the other party. In front of this person, they were of a lower status and were unwilling to offend him.


    ¡°My name is Zhang Sheng!¡± The middle-aged man called CEO Zhang walked over and forced a smile as he extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m the head of Jiangnan Television¡¯s news station.¡±


    ¡°My name is Liu Fang!¡± The middle-aged woman extended her hand and smiled as well. ¡°I¡¯m a manager at the Entertainment and Media Company.¡±


    However, the two of them realized that the other party was completely ignoring them, and his gaze was fixed on Han Qiufeng. However, it was precisely this disdainful attitude that Zhang Sheng and Liu Fang raised the young man¡¯s status in their hearts.


    To dare to openly ruin the trap set against Han Qiufeng, he was not someone that a station head and manager could provoke.


    Han Qiufeng twisted her fingers together and asked weakly, ¡°Really? But what should I do?¡±


    After the song ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯ became popular, she was invited to tour the various cities in the Daxia Kingdom. However, as the second party in the contract, she was naturally the weaker party compared to the first party.


    It was not uncommon for people in the same profession to be subjected to unspoken rules. In the end, there were those who committed suicide, those who held back their tears, and those who caused a commotion.


    She had also learned some insider information, but knowing about it was one thing, and dealing with it was another. There were some things that Liu Fang would not tell her clearly, and would only promise to help her settle them.


    Previously, she had rejected Zhang Sheng on the spot and stood up to leave resolutely because she suspected that her manager, Liu Fang, had already been bribed.


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡±


    With that, he stretched out a finger and gestured a few times in the air. In that instant, a huge pressure appeared out of thin air. Zhang Sheng, Liu Fang, and Han Qiufeng felt as if their hearts were being pressed tightly against their chests, preventing them from beating.


    Fortunately, the pressure disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. It was as if a ferocious beast had walked past them. However, it left them with a lingering fear.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    At this moment, a golden ¡°stop¡± word appeared on Zhang Sheng¡¯s chest, making it impossible for one to look away. Their gazes were strongly drawn to it.


    Unlike Liu Fang and Han Qiufeng, who were stunned, Zhang Sheng revealed a terrified expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. Could it be that this person is not only a second-generation descendant, but also a second-generation descendant with outstanding martial arts talent?¡± This was what Zhang Sheng thought.


    The meaning of the word ¡°stop¡± was obvious. The young man had spoken in such a manner, telling them to stop immediately and not to target Han Qiufeng.


    Without any negotiation or hesitation, he directly used forceful methods to suppress them and the people behind them. Furthermore, they could not bring themselves to fight back.


    This was the deterrence brought about by his strength.


    ¡°The current situation in Jiangnan province is unstable. Your song is not bad. You should make more,¡± Chen Yiming said to Han Qiufeng.


    With that, he continued walking without waiting for Han Qiufeng to come back to her senses, leaving behind only his figure disappearing into the distance.


    To him, this was just a small incident. He had just happened to encounter it and was casually helping a small singer to uphold justice.


    In reality, be it the turmoil in the hearts of the people or the undercurrents, Chen Yiming himself was the one who could influence the situation.


    As long as he did not lose, Jiangnan province would be fine. If he lost, the province would be occupied by the treants and become an environment filled with hidden dangers.


    ¡­


    The darkness dissipated, and the sun rose from the east again.


    However, the sky was covered in dark clouds, blocking out most of the sunlight. Gradually, it started to drizzle.


    Upon receiving the order issued by the Jiangnan provincial government, the major cities in the province quickly took action overnight. They tensed up again.


    All the industries, especially those in the industrial parks of the major cities, began to enter a state of war. They no longer considered whether the products produced could be sold. Instead, they prepared for war at full capacity.


    At the same time, the markets also entered a state of restriction, and limits were placed on the number of purchases that could be made by each household. A large number of armed police officers took to the streets to maintain order in the city and suppress all unstable factors.


    Chen Yiming stood on the rooftop of a building and took in the changes in Jiangnan City.


    He sighed in his heart. ¡°When I transmigrated to this world that was similar to Earth, East Lake City encountered an accident not long after and a war broke out with the creatures from the otherworld that came out of the lake in the west.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I could only hide in my house in the village and wait quietly for my talent to increase. It could be said that I couldn¡¯t withstand the storm back then.¡±


    ¡°The war with the creatures from the otherworld only affected a few cities around the lake, but the scope of the war with the treants this time is not something that can be compared to the last time.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I went from a rookie in martial arts to an important figure in the war between humans and treants.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked past the mountains in the direction of the strange village and sighed. ¡°Since the treant at the master realm dared to come to the cave at the entrance of the space-travel passage to guard it, a war is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s left is the time it takes for the treants to invade and the number of treants in the first batch.¡±


    ¡°Although we are feeling lucky, it¡¯s very likely that even the black river, which has surpassed the master realm, is not a match for the treants. There¡¯s no reason for the treants to retreat so easily.¡±


    ¡°This way, it¡¯s almost a matter of time before we launch the nuclear bombs at the strange mountain village. Weakening the treants to the maximum will create a more advantageous situation for the humans.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming recalled the history of nuclear war in his previous world.


    From the scattered descriptions in the books, it could be seen how powerful this weapon was, even in this world where extraordinary powers existed.


    Before reaching a certain level, those at the center of a nuclear explosion, even if they were creatures from the otherworld, would not be able to withstand it.


    ¡­


    In the basement of a house in the suburbs of Jiangnan City, this was an underground space with three floors. There was a large amount of food, military equipment, and other supplies stored inside.


    The space closest to the ground was filled with smoke and cigarette butts. Two burly men were sitting on the sofa, smoking to ease their anxiety.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Li Chenglong threw the cigarette butt in his hand to the ground and stood up to pace around. ¡°What¡¯s the point of making a promise? Are they treating us like abandoned pawns?¡±


    The two burly men were both doing smuggling work, and there were people among the higher-ups who provided them with special access. However, Jiangnan City had suddenly entered a state of war, and there were armed police everywhere to maintain order. At the same time, they were reorganizing the entire city. How could those with questionable occupations dare to go out at will?


    As for why the two of them did not stop in advance, they did not have a choice. The higher-ups had not said anything, and countless secrets were in their hands. They did not dare to stop at will.


    Zhou Tao exhaled a cloud of smoke and narrowed his eyes. His expression was dark as he muttered, ¡°We can¡¯t continue to wait like this. We have to rely on ourselves.¡±


    The person behind them had yet to give them an explanation. Clearly, he was definitely doing something behind their backs. In fact, the person behind them had deliberately cut off their connection with them. The two of them might have already been used as bait to divert someone¡¯s attention.


    In the current situation, if they hid in the basement, they did not know when the armed police would come looking for them. Only by escaping would they have a chance of survival.


    Li Chenglong lit another cigarette and took a deep breath. He said, ¡°Should we leave now or wait for the night?¡±


    ¡°Tonight,¡± Zhou Tao replied.


    ¡°Damn it! If only we had made a prompt decision last night, we would not be in such a defensive position,¡± Li Chenglong cursed.


    ¡°Who knew that this would happen? The situation was clearly turning for the better.¡± Zhou Tao was equally angry.


    After deciding on the plan to escape from Jiangnan City after dark, the basement fell silent. The two of them continued to smoke one cigarette after another to ease their frustration.


    At some point in the afternoon, their ears twitched as they vaguely heard footsteps coming from above.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s here!¡±


    After a moment of silence, the two of them threw down the lit cigarettes and stomped them out.


    ¡°Damn it, why did something go wrong at this time?¡± Li Chenglong¡¯s heart turned cold. He walked a few steps to a small device and glanced at the video feed from the camera. ¡°It¡¯s the armed police. There¡¯s a small team of seven people in total.¡±


    ¡°Let them in and kill them,¡± Zhou Tao gritted his teeth and said.


    Under normal circumstances, the two of them would try their best to hide the existence of the basement and deal with the armed police who had come knocking on their door. Even if they revealed some flaws, they could still contact the people behind them and suppress the matter.


    However, they had no choice now. If they smoked too many cigarettes, the smoke would drift into the house from the basement entrance. There would be problems everywhere for a while, and they would not be able to stand up to a proper investigation.


    Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao quietly crawled out of the basement and hid on either side of the door.


    ¡­


    A small team of armed police officers was walking towards a dilapidated house at a slow pace.


    ¡°Captain!¡± The armed police officer, Zhang Xiaogang, rubbed his sore thigh and rotated his sore ankle. He grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we have to patrol 24 hours a day! My body can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    The order to enter a state of war was issued overnight. The armed police team had not rested for almost half a day. Along the way, they only drank a few mouthfuls of water and ate a few pieces of bread. They did not even get to rest their eyes.


    Zhang Xiaogang had already broken through his physical limits a few times, and the amount of work he had to do far exceeded his usual limit. He could not muster any more strength, and his body was as soft as noodles.


    However, they had no choice. A large number of soldiers had been transferred to the front line of the battlefield, and they were short on manpower. They could only give more work to the remaining soldiers.


    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± The captain, Xue Peng, glared at Zhang Xiaogang. ¡°Are you usually slacking off during training? You already can¡¯t continue just like that?¡±


    With that, he turned to observe the situation of the other armed police officers and realized that they were all staggering. This was not an act, but their bodies really complaining.


    Seeing this situation, Xue Peng had no choice but to announce, ¡°Rest for five minutes, then search the houses in one go.¡±


    According to the rules, the team had to maintain their normal combat strength at all times. As the captain, Xue Peng could not ignore their basic needs just because of the heavy workload.


    If the armed police team, which did not have much stamina, encountered any accidents, it would be troublesome. At best, there would be casualties, and at worst, the team would be wiped out.


    ¡°I can finally catch my breath.¡±


    The armed police officers sat on the ground and let out a long breath. Taking advantage of the short break, they unscrewed the cap of their bottles and gulped down some water.


    Five minutes later, the armed police team, which had recovered a portion of its strength, continued walking towards the houses.


    ¡­


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Li Chenglong cursed under his breath when he saw the armed police team resting on the spot through the crack in the door.


    Initially, he and Zhou Tao had an 80% chance of defeating all of them here. However, the situation had changed. Did they sense that there was something amiss with the house? Or was there some other reason that they did not know about?


    Zhou Tao pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not wait for the night. Let¡¯s get rid of this armed police team and leave immediately.¡±


    Li Chenglong¡¯s expression darkened, but he still nodded in the end. The two of them had no choice. Even if they wiped out the armed police team, it was impossible for them to remain undetected for a long time.


    The two of them had discussed splitting up to launch a sneak attack on the armed police team. No matter the outcome, they would escape after 15 minutes.


    ¡­


    The armed police team that entered the houses spread out. Each of them was in charge of a few houses and started to search them.


    Zhang Xiaogang pushed open a rusty metal door. The lock on the metal door had long been broken and fallen at the door. He walked into a courtyard covered in weeds.


    Even though he knew that no one was living there, he still shouted, ¡°Is anyone there? We are¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt a blow to his neck. Zhang Xiaogang¡¯s vision was instantly filled with stars, and he lost control of his body. Then, he lost consciousness.


    Li Chenglong spat at the fallen armed police officer and closed the courtyard door. He leaped over the wall with a whoosh and searched for his next target.


    After he successfully launched another sneak attack, he suddenly heard the sound of fighting.


    ¡°So soon?¡± Li Chenglong¡¯s expression was fierce as he quickly rushed in the direction of the commotion.


    Just like Li Chenglong, Zhou Tao had successfully ambushed two armed police officers. The difference was that he had been noticed by the captain of the armed police, Xue Peng.


    Xue Peng¡¯s eyes were red as he fought Zhou Tao.


    At this moment, he was extremely regretful. His armed police team members were in a poor condition and should not have split up at this time. However, in order to complete the patrol on time, he did not realize this earlier.


    However, at this moment, the armed police team unluckily encountered the two fugitives.


    When he was at full strength, it would not take him long to take down Zhou Tao. However, after working hard for half a day, he only had 70% of his strength left and could only fight his opponent to a draw.


    The remaining two armed police officers could only point their guns at the two people fighting from afar. The first reason was that their bodies were not in good condition, and the second was that they were not strong enough. They might not be able to help if they went up to fight in close combat.


    Li Chenglong sneaked over and saw Zhou Tao fighting the captain of the armed police. He was about to launch a sneak attack on the remaining two armed police officers.


    Xue Peng suddenly shouted, ¡°The two of you, be careful. He Guangwen and Lin Yang are still missing. They might have been killed.¡±


    Li Chenglong was annoyed that he was just a few seconds late, but he had no choice.


    The captain of the armed police, Xue Peng, was originally much stronger. Even though his physical condition was poor, Zhou Tao¡¯s stamina began to decrease after more than 10 moves, and he gradually fell into a disadvantage.


    He charged out from the corner and targeted the remaining two armed police officers.


    After being reminded by Xue Peng, the two armed police officers had already focused their attention on their surroundings. Li Chenglong was shot as soon as he rushed out.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Li Chenglong cursed and was forced to find cover.


    In the end, those in the disciple realm were still made of flesh and blood. Without the protection of internal force, they could not repel bullets.


    At this moment, Zhou Tao shouted, ¡°Come and deal with this guy with me. They don¡¯t dare to shoot if we are in close combat.¡±


    Li Chenglong quickly stuck out his head to confirm the location of the battle. Then, he charged out in an irregular path. He moved around and dodged left and right.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Gunshots rang out continuously, but they all missed and were dodged by Li Chenglong.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The eyes of the captain of the armed police, Xue Peng, were about to burn with anger. Originally, he could have dealt with the person in front of him by fighting a drawn out battle. Now that it was two against one, it was hard to say who would win.


    Next, the three of them fought. Even though Xue Peng was fighting one against two, and spat out a mouthful of blood after every 10 moves, the tough will of a soldier made him temporarily forget the pain.


    When Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao saw this, they thought that this person was about to die. They increased the intensity of their attacks and wanted to kill him here even if they were injured.


    Unexpectedly, after exchanging more than 20 blows, although Xue Peng vomited more blood, his strength did not decrease at all. He even showed signs of becoming more and more fierce.


    The two of them hesitated in their hearts. Time was not on their side. They took advantage of the gap in the fight to look at each other. After Xue Peng vomited blood, they escaped.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Gunshots rang out again, but because Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao were already prepared, the bullets still missed their target. After the targets escaped from the effective firing range, the armed police were forced to give up.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    One of the armed police officers wanted to ask Xue Peng if they should chase after the fugitives, but just as he shouted his name, Xue Peng fell to the ground and vomited blood.


    The armed police officer panicked and immediately called the ambulance.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t die.¡±


    Xue Peng waved his hand to indicate that he was fine. He took out his communicator and made a call to report the situation to the armed police squadron.


    After making the report, Xue Peng ordered the remaining two armed police officers to check on the others and see if they could still be saved.


    After that, he started to deal with his injuries.


    In reality, he was severely injured. It was two against one, and he was in a hurry to take down the two of them. It was different from usual when he held back 30% of his strength for each attack. Most of the time, he would exchange injuries for injuries.


    Both sides were trying to end the battle quickly, and the weaker side was naturally at a disadvantage.

 Chapter 303 - Nuclear Explosion

    On a street near the river,


    Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao moved at a faster speed than ordinary people. The two of them had changed into new clothes and were wearing human skin masks. At first glance, their disguise was flawless.


    ¡°Soon! Soon! We¡¯ll reach the entrance of the underground sewers in less than a kilometer.¡±


    The two of them cheered in their hearts.


    The two of them had killed four people from the seven-man armed police team and severely injured the captain of the armed police team. The two of them knew what this meant.


    Now that the two of them were definitely wanted by the entire city, they would not be able to withstand any interrogation if they left the city through the normal ways. They could only take the unconventional path.


    Their escape route was to sneak into the bottom of the river through the underground sewers and hijack a ship or swim out of the city based on the situation.


    ¡°The two of you, stop for a moment!¡±


    When they were only 100 meters away from the entrance of the sewer, an armed policeman suddenly shouted.


    Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao¡¯s expressions turned cold. They suppressed the anxiety in their hearts and retracted their steps. Although their destination was only 100 meters away, it was often easier for problems to arise at the last step.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry to buy our share of supplies for tomorrow.¡±


    The two of them did not wait for the armed police officer to approach them. They took out their identification cards and told him the reason for their trip. They hoped that the interrogation would be quick, and that they could easily get away with it.


    The armed police officer walked over to the two of them and took their identification cards. He first used a scanner to verify the authenticity of the identification cards, then compare their faces with the photos.


    ¡°At the Hurun supermarket, there are fewer people queuing up,¡± the armed police officer reminded them kindly as he returned the identification cards.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a breeze blew past. The armed police officer¡¯s nose felt uncomfortable and he asked, ¡°What work do you guys do? Why is there such a bad smell coming from your bodies?¡±


    In the next second, before the armed police officer could react, his head was struck hard and he fell to the ground. Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao ran towards their destination.


    The pedestrians on the street were in chaos. Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao had crazy smiles on their faces as they killed the pedestrians they encountered along the way. They even threw the corpses around to destroy the shops along the street.


    It was not enough for the two murderers to kill the armed police that interrogated them. They also tried to create more chaos to confuse the armed police who would come to investigate later.


    After killing seven or eight pedestrians, the two of them quickly rushed into a small street. At the corner of a building more than 10 meters away, a sewer cover was right in front of them.


    The reason why they had chosen this place to enter the underground sewer was because the manhole cover happened to be in a blind spot. Even if the two of them caused a huge commotion, it would be difficult to determine their whereabouts in a short period of time.


    However, Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure falling from the sky. Before they could look up to see what was going on, their legs went weak and they fell to the ground.


    The two of them struggled with all their might, their eyes bulging, but it was useless. They were pressed to the ground by an invisible force.


    Just like that, Li Chenglong and Zhou Tao endured the torture for half a minute. They watched helplessly as the armed police officers rushed over and handcuffed them. Only then did the pressure on them dissipate.


    Chen Yiming stood on the rooftop of a high-rise building and subdued the two people who were attacking the pedestrians. He ignored them after the armed police arrived.


    Suddenly, all the major cities in the province were under martial law and entered a state of war. It was normal for there to be a certain amount of chaos in the early stages. Only by resolving these hidden dangers could Jiangnan province deal with the incoming treants with all their might.


    He had already expected this. Coincidentally, the treant at the master realm was temporarily staying in the otherworld, so he could spare some time to suppress the evildoers.


    ¡­


    The chaos in Jiangnan City lasted for three days.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In a remote area in the wilderness, a palm about a kilometer in size descended from the sky. The people hiding there were all crushed into a pulp.


    Chen Yiming leaped down from the sky and confirmed their identities.


    In the past three days, the level of control had increased. Due to the complicated situation, there was no room for negotiation.


    If they were found, people would be sent to capture them. Those who had the ability to escape to the wilderness also had someone waiting for them.


    One of the people who had been turned into meat paste by Chen Yiming was a deputy mayor.


    This deputy mayor had always been in charge of coordinating the logistics. Even if he immediately covered up all the clues pointing to him, he could not withstand a strong investigation. The day before the matter was exposed, he escaped from the city through an underground secret passage.


    However, after using his spiritual power to scan the area, Chen Yiming still found them and killed them all.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡±


    Chen Yiming pondered for a moment before rushing back to Jiangnan City.


    However, something strange happened. Vines covered in barbs shot out from the surrounding trees that were a few meters tall, aiming at the ground that was covered in flesh and blood.


    ¡°This is?¡± Chen Yiming said in shock.


    The small trees in front of him were devouring the blood and meat with the help of the vines, making a faint gurgling sound.


    His gaze swept across the forest not far away, and his powerful perception captured the moment when many small trees trembled slightly.


    ¡°Eh? There are too many mutant plants!¡±


    The reason for the existence of mutant beasts and mutant plants was the appearance of the space-travel passages, and their evolution was due to the influence of the otherworld. Due to their strong mobility, the mutant beasts quickly spread out throughout the wilderness.


    On the other hand, most of the mutant plants had low mobility. When they completed their evolution near the space-travel passage, they would already be eaten by powerful mutant beasts. Therefore, it was not that there were no mutant plants on the entire blue planet, but that their numbers were far lower than that of mutant beasts.


    ¡°The treants¡¯ invasion has already begun!¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. He had passed by this area of wilderness many times, and it didn¡¯t seem normal for there to suddenly be so many mutant plants.


    Moreover, there were no mutant plants at the master realm in Jiangnan province. This way, it was almost certain that the treants from the otherworld were behind it.


    ¡°At the start, the true goal of the three treants who set down their roots in the strange mountain village was to spread the seeds that could grow into more treants,¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was serious as he thought to himself, ¡°Although these small treants are weak, they are already a threat to those in the disciple realm, let alone ordinary people.¡±


    Realizing this, he immediately rushed back to Jiangnan City.


    ¡­


    The atmosphere in the large conference room was heavy.


    Wang Ronghui projected the latest reports of the injuries on the screen. Chen Yiming, Ling Zhongyun, and Zhao Shumin looked at the pictures on the screen solemnly.


    In an ordinary residential district, a woman was watering the flowers when the petals suddenly exploded into sharp blades. The woman collapsed in a pool of blood, and her blood was drawn away by an invisible force into the flower pot.


    The murderous flowers sucked the woman dry and turned her into a dried corpse. Then, things returned to normal as if nothing had happened. The surveillance camera in the residential district just happened to have captured this scene.


    The next murder:


    In the park by the river, at night, a few old men were playing chess at a stone table by the street lamp. Dozens of vines on the grass suddenly rose up and tied up the old men playing chess and dragged them back into the darkness.


    The passers-by who were taking a stroll retreated in panic. Some bold people took photos as they retreated.


    ¡­


    More than 10 such murder cases were recorded.


    ¡°The military has submitted a request to launch a nuclear bomb,¡±


    Wang Ronghui turned off the projector and said in a low voice.


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Ling Zhongyun, Zhao Shumin, and the others had no objections.


    ¡°I also think that¡¯s what we should do,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    The treants¡¯ method of spreading their seeds was very difficult for humans to deal with using conventional methods. Only by turning the area around the strange mountain village into a nuclear radiation zone could they prevent the treants from spreading the seeds in large quantities again.


    The meeting ended quickly, and Wang Ronghui left in a hurry.


    ¡­


    As he walked along the street, Chen Yiming saw the remains of plants falling from the sky.


    The incident of plants injuring people quickly spread throughout the city. Most of the families who originally liked to raise flowers and plants did not dare to risk their lives even if most of the potted plants were normal.


    Besides, even if the people who loved plants were unwilling to throw them away, their families would also force them to do so.


    In front of a flower shop, the surroundings had already been cleared. Two armed police officers held the lady boss back, and the other two armed police officers held strong acid jets and sprayed the entire shop.


    The lady boss shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°How can you guys be like this! I already said that I checked them one by one. There are no plants that can hurt people.¡±


    The armed police faced the florist, and no one replied.


    There were also three armed police officers who were holding flamethrowers. Once any of the plants in the flower shop attacked them, they would kill them even if they had to burn down the shop.


    At this moment, the white fog emitted by the acid spread out. Through the glass window, one could vaguely see the flowers and plants melting.


    Just as everyone heaved a sigh of relief, a small potted tree in the flower shop started to wave its branches to drive away the strong acid.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± an armed policeman reminded his colleague loudly.


    Three armed policemen holding flamethrowers pressed the button half a second after they saw the small potted tree move.


    Three flames shot into the flower shop in a triangular formation. In the blink of an eye, the flower shop had turned into a house of fire. The potted tree struggled violently in the flames, and its sharp leaves shot out in all directions. At first, the flames were repelled.


    However, since it was not long after it grew up, the flower shop calmed down after 10 seconds, and only flames remained.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    The lady boss¡¯s lips moved as she slumped to the ground. Her throat was hoarse from the shouting, and she could not believe what had happened.


    The armed police cleaned up the scene and quickly left.


    Similar cleanup operations were carried out in large numbers in the city.


    The soldiers cleared out the green areas in the city, the forest parks in the city, the orchards in the suburbs, and so on. Be it the normal trees or the plants that the treants had turned into, they were all completely destroyed.


    In the blink of an eye, the city had completely lost its green color, leaving only the grayish-white color of steel and concrete. A sense of decline was felt throughout the city.


    Most people were forced to stay at home. Even some teams hunting mutant beasts did not dare to leave the city easily. This was because if the city was like this, the wilderness was probably even more dangerous.


    Chen Yiming walked around casually and realized that there weren¡¯t any big problems. He prepared to leave Jiangnan City and rush to East Lake City.


    After they started an all-out war with the treants, he would not be able to move around freely. He would take advantage of the time he had left to comfort his family.


    Suddenly, he sensed that something serious had happened. He turned to look towards the horizon.


    Half a second later, the clouds were dyed red by the flames. A red and black mushroom cloud slowly rose up, and the yellow and white air currents turned into a ring that spread out in all directions.


    After a while, the sound of thunder and tremors from the nuclear explosion finally reached Jiangnan City. The ground visibly shook.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nuclear explosion!¡± a pedestrian shouted as he covered his face.


    Most of the pedestrians stopped in their tracks and stared blankly in the direction of the nuclear explosion.


    A nuclear bomb.


    Before the birth of the martial masters, this was humanity¡¯s strongest trump card. However, even now, it could not be ignored. It was one of humanity¡¯s strongest trump cards.


    For example, stopping the treants from spreading their seeds through the air was very troublesome for the country¡¯s martial masters. They was not as effective as nuclear bombs in this case.


    Immediately after, a second mushroom cloud rose up. A few seconds later, a third one rose up.


    Not everyone understood the seriousness of the treants¡¯ invasion of Jiangnan province, but the nuclear bombs explained everything. This time, the three consecutive explosions not only announced the official start of the war with the treants, but also caused the seriousness of the war to be deeply ingrained in their hearts.


    ¡°I hope the nuclear radiation can kill as many ordinary treants as possible!¡± Chen Yiming prayed in his heart. He didn¡¯t stay any longer and rushed towards East Lake City.


    According to the estimates given by the military, there was a high chance that Jiangnan province would not be able to defeat the treants in a head-on battle.


    Their only advantage was that they were fighting on their home ground. Once the nuclear bombs were dropped, the area around the strange mountain village would be enveloped by nuclear radiation. The weak treants would not be able to break out of the radiation zone.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family house, Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying had already decided to stay at home and not go anywhere.


    When Chen Yiming returned home, they were watching the news and paying attention to the nuclear explosion.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back. They really dropped a nuclear bomb!¡±


    Chen Yiming was taking off his shoes when his sister ran over, her face full of shock.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the three huge mushroom clouds?¡± Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at his sister.


    ¡°But why did they launch the nuclear bombs?¡± Chen Yingying refused to give up and continued to ask.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the television. ¡°Didn¡¯t the news say that an alien plant species called the treants has invaded Jiangnan province?¡±


    Chen Yingying received an affirmative answer and nodded.


    Sometimes, the news on television might not be completely true, but she knew that Chen Yiming was an important person. What he said must be true.


    Chen Yiming walked towards his parents on the sofa and instructed, ¡°There are people protecting the Chen family in secret. As long as you stay at home and don¡¯t run around, there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Mother Chen had a serious expression on her face as she nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your father and I aren¡¯t going anywhere. We won¡¯t cause any trouble for you.¡±


    Father Chen, on the other hand, wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Chen Yiming sat down on the sofa. Seeing Father Chen¡¯s dilemma, he asked, ¡°Dad, did your friends in the square ask you for insider information?¡±


    Father Chen had retired early. His hobby was to go to the square and chat with others, so he naturally made a group of friends.


    Father Chen sighed and said, ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary friends. If it¡¯s not convenient, then forget it.¡±


    Chen Yiming knew the insider information, but he didn¡¯t want Mayor Hong to visit him again. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s still far away from East Lake City. Even if a war breaks out soon, it will be limited to the encirclement established by the military with the six large sects as the boundary.¡±


    Father Chen heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s fine. I have a few friends who were frightened out of their wits. They have packed their belongings and almost went to join their relatives in another province.¡±


    At this moment, Chen Yingying suddenly interrupted, ¡°Brother, the teacher from the martial arts school asked me to cultivate at home. How should I reply?¡±


    ¡°Stay at home for the time being.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. He could understand the martial arts academy¡¯s actions. At this moment, he didn¡¯t want his sister to run around.


    In any case, with Chen Yingying¡¯s mediocre talent, it would not affect her much if she wasted some cultivation time. It was better to rely on him to think of a solution.

 Chapter 304 - Giant From the Sky

    The next day.


    Early in the morning, in the open-air square.


    Usually, it was mostly young people practicing martial arts here. The old people often took a stroll here. At this moment, many middle aged men and women were also gathered here.


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting! They¡¯re fighting!¡±


    ¡°They should be able to destroy the invading treants at the entrance of the space-travel passage!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Do you still remember the battle at the lake in the west last year? That battle lasted for a long time. This time, the entire province is on lockdown. The situation isn¡¯t looking good.¡±


    ¡°But this time, we used a nuclear bomb. Isn¡¯t a nuclear bomb enough?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s precisely because they had to use nuclear bombs from the start. It shows that the invading treants are very powerful.¡±


    From time to time, fighter jets would fly past in the sky, causing the people who were chatting to exclaim. This was the air support from other cities in the province and even the neighboring provinces for the encirclement around the strange mountain village.


    When the news that treants could secretly spread the seeds through the air was reported, winning the war with the treants was already a matter that had already reached the level of the entire country.


    Just as the atmosphere was filled with feelings of anxiety, frustration, and conflicted emotions, the television wall in the square suddenly lit up, and a piece of news was broadcasted.


    ¡°The defensive counterattack was unstoppable. The first batch of treants were wiped out before they could escape the nuclear radiation zone.¡±


    ¡°In order to stop the treants from invading, our army has fought day and night and established three layers of encirclement. The plan¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming had received the news that the first batch of treants had invaded and that the humans had wiped out all the invading treants. He looked in the direction of the strange village and communicated with the figure in his mind.


    Chen Yiming: How¡¯s the situation in the stronghold?


    The figure in his mind: Everything is normal.


    Chen Yiming: Did the western martial master cause any more trouble?


    The figure in his mind: The damp wasteland, the graveyard, and the rocky plains around the stronghold are all very calm.


    Chen Yiming: We can¡¯t care so much about that anymore. Go to the vicinity of the strange mountain village and guard it secretly. If the treant at the master realm dares to come out of the space-travel passage, kill it immediately.


    After making the arrangements, he quietly left East Lake City and headed to the vicinity of the base city.


    If anything happened in the stronghold, he could immediately provide support. If something happened to the village, he could also quickly go over to provide support.


    The most important thing was to ambush the western martial master who had set up a trap for him and completely remove this hidden thorn.


    ¡­


    Late at night, all was silent.


    Around the stronghold in the otherworld,


    two soldiers were patrolling the area. Their footsteps sounded out against the gravel in the wasteland. The sound caused them to be on tenterhooks.


    At some point, one of the middle-aged soldiers yawned and said, ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I have to rest here and take a smoke break to refresh myself.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, have mine,¡± the young soldier beside him said with a smile.


    With that, he took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed one to the middle-aged soldier. He then took out a match from his other pocket. A small flame appeared, and he quickly lit the cigarette for the middle-aged soldier.


    Immediately after, the young soldier lit one for himself.


    The two of them stood there and smoked. They looked at the sky that had been dyed dark red by the flames from the stronghold and discussed some news that had just reached the stronghold in the otherworld.


    ¡°So what if there are many treants? They still died in the nuclear radiation environment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but the stronghold has become unstable. Without the guardian martial master here, there are fewer explorers who dare to go to the rocky plains.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big problem. After dealing with the treants that invaded the blue planet, the development of the otherworld will rise up again sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s just wait patiently.¡±


    ¡­


    As he spoke, his voice subconsciously became louder and louder, spreading into the darkness.


    After finishing a cigarette and chatting for a while, the loneliness and boredom they felt dissipated. The two soldiers continued their patrol.


    In a dark cave nearby, a human figure was secretly observing two soldiers in the distance.


    His body was completely hidden in the shadows. At the entrance of the cave two to three meters away, a creature was observing the occasional prey that passed by.


    However, even though they were two to three meters away, they did not notice the person hiding in the shadows.


    ¡°The heavens are helping me. With the war between the Daxia Kingdom and the treants erupting, the Jiangnan province will definitely not be able to take care of themselves and the stronghold in the otherworld at the same time,¡± the person in the shadows muttered to himself.


    He was not speaking the language of the Daxia Kingdom, but the language of the Sam Nation.


    Soon, the person in the shadows smiled fiercely. ¡°What a beautiful stronghold from the otherworld. What right does the Daxia Kingdom have to occupy such a precious place? I really want to flatten it with one move.¡±


    A desire to destroy it surged in his heart, but he quickly calmed down.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy to hide on the blue planet as in the otherworld. If I anger them, it¡¯ll be troublesome to make my way back to the Sam Nation. Forget it, I¡¯ll let you guys off.¡±


    Rover was one of the two martial masters in Sam Nation.


    His words were accompanied by a sigh, and there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. No matter what reason he used, he was still weaker than his opponent, so he was just trying to give himself a way out.


    The reason for this was that the spiritual figure had used the rain of swords to sweep through almost the entire rocky plains.


    Even the strongest of the stone golems had hidden themselves. As the one who had started things, Rover had been secretly observing the situation.


    It had to be known that although those in the master realm could mobilize the power of nature, it was not difficult for them to control such a huge amount of power. For a short period of time, it would not be difficult for them to summon wind and rain, change the weather, or cause a natural disaster. Over time, the pressure on their mental strength would increase greatly. It could also be described as a backlash from the power of nature.


    Under normal circumstances, such control would not last long. The spiritual power of a human at the master realm was not enough to support a range of more than 1,000 kilometers.


    However, someone had done it, and he had seen it with his own eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just wait around like before. I have to leave quickly and take advantage of the fact that the treants are holding him back.¡±


    After thinking it through, Rover immediately set off to infiltrate the stronghold and try to return to the blue planet without attracting the attention of the military.


    ¡­


    In the middle of the night, in the direction of the base city,


    Chen Yiming, who was resting on a huge rock, was suddenly jolted awake. He looked up at the moon and guessed that it was about 3 am.


    His intuition told him that a human who was also at the master realm was approaching him. The two of them were still very far away, but he had sensed him through some kind of connection.


    Chen Yiming leaped onto a huge rock and looked at the dark forest. Some glowing insects were dancing in the grass, making a buzzing sound.


    ¡°At this time, from this direction, there¡¯s no mistake. It¡¯s that person,¡± he thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡­


    About half an hour later,


    in the dark forest, the air was slightly distorted. The grass on the ground swayed in one direction. At first glance, it was easy to think that it was caused by the wind.


    However, while this could deceive most people, it was very difficult to deceive people of the same level at close range.


    A cold expression appeared on Chen Yiming¡¯s face as he looked in the direction of the abnormality.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    A figure muttered to himself and suddenly stopped in his tracks. The shadow energy around him became unstable, revealing a portion of his face.


    The outline was that of a red-haired middle-aged man with a western face. His skin was relatively pale, and there were two fangs at the corner of his mouth. He looked a little like a vampire.


    To Rover, who was at the master realm, controlling the shadow energy was as easy as eating and drinking. It was almost impossible for him to lose control over it.


    The only possibility was that he was really frightened.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to hide this time?¡±


    Chen Yiming had never objected to the research of bloodline warriors. He just couldn¡¯t bear to watch them conduct human experiments without restraint.


    And those Western corporations had done exactly that. They had even doubled down on their crimes in Jiangnan province, causing the deaths of many innocent people.


    In essence, those people had long lost their humanity and did not treat the people below them as humans. They were only treated as tools that could be abandoned after the deed was done.


    The figure did not reply. Instead, with a flash, nine afterimages appeared and fled in various directions.


    ¡°You think you can escape?¡±


    Chen Yiming roared, and his spiritual power turned into a shock wave that spread out. Almost instantly, eight of the nine afterimages exploded. The remaining figure was hit by the spiritual attack and continued to escape into the distance with a grunt.


    However, the distance of hundreds of meters between them was covered in an instant. Chen Yiming used his Giant Talent to transform into a 10-meter-tall giant. He took three to four steps forward and threw a huge fist at the fleeing person.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud sound echoed through the forest. A strong wind blew, and rubble flew everywhere. The aftershock of the air current flattened the surrounding grass.


    At the last moment when the fist approached, the figure mobilized the power of nature and formed three blood-colored heavy shields in front of him.


    However, the power contained in the fist still exceeded the limit of what he could withstand. The three blood-colored heavy shields were destroyed, and the remaining force hit Rover, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood.


    After the figure flew two to three kilometers away, he quickly got up and continued to escape. He had no desire to fight at all.


    At this moment, Rover was filled with regret. He wanted to ask,


    ¡°The treant invasion is imminent. Don¡¯t you need to hold down the fort? How dare you set a trap for me here?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that the treants will launch a surprise attack and break out of the encirclement to start a massacre in Jiangnan province?¡±


    Chen Yiming had always been famous for his swordsmanship, and the spiritual figure was exactly the same as him. Therefore, for the time being, no one knew that he had a double.


    However, no matter how much Rover thought about it, he felt that he had fallen into a trap. He could only place his last hope on the sea and endure his internal injuries to rush over as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Huh? Is he going to be a punching bag for me?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at Rover, who had displayed his cowardice to the fullest. He didn¡¯t expect the martial master of the Sam Nation to be so cowardly as to not fight back at all.


    Thinking of this, his body continued to expand, and in the blink of an eye, he had turned into a 100-meter-tall giant.


    A ring of air erupted from under the giant¡¯s feet, and he soared thousands of meters into the sky. His figure drew a parabola in the sky and crashed into the fleeing Rover, like a meteorite falling from the sky.


    Rover, who was running for his life, felt the pressure from above him. His already pale face had completely lost all color.


    He realized that it was useless to keep running, so he threw off his clothes. The muscles on his back squirmed, and his wings, which were only covered by a layer of skin, spread out.


    At the same time, hundreds of blood-colored bats appeared around him, turning into a blood-colored torrent that flew towards the giant that had descended from the sky.


    Rover himself also flew into the air, flapping his wings desperately to move away from the direction of the giant¡¯s fall.


    ¡°Where are you going!¡±


    The giant that Chen Yiming had transformed into shouted, his voice echoing through the clouds like thunder.


    At the same time, he mobilized the power to control the clouds that the giants were born with. The clouds in the sky were stirred by an invisible force, as if a lid was pressing down towards the ground.


    An invisible force field appeared within the range of the attack. It did not differentiate between friend or foe, and carried a heavy shackling force with it. It also indirectly enhanced the impact of his fall.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Rover¡¯s eyes bulged and his expression changed drastically.


    Every time he flapped his wings, it was met with a huge amount of resistance. His flying speed had decreased by at least half, and he could not fly any higher. He could only fly at a low altitude of about 10 meters above the ground.


    The blood-colored bats¡¯ performance was even worse. They all exploded into a bloody mist, and did not provide any distraction, poison, or vitality-stealing effect.


    ¡°Justice has fallen from the sky! No, a giant elephant has fallen from the sky. No! A giant has fallen from the sky!¡±


    Chen Yiming turned into a meteorite and smashed into the ground. A loud bang rang out. Although it wasn¡¯t a blackish-red mushroom cloud that would cause one¡¯s expression to change like a nuclear explosion, the direct impact and destructive power it created was greater.


    A powerful shock wave spread out in all directions, uprooting many large trees along the way. Countless rocks and dust turned into a sandstorm that swept in all directions. With the landing point as the center, the shock wave cleared out an area in a radius of more than 10 kilometers around it.


    When the dust settled, a huge hole that was three to four kilometers wide was revealed, along with a giant that was standing unharmed in the center.


    ¡°Those blood-colored bats are too weak in direct combat. They can even be torn apart by an invisible force field,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smirk.


    Although the two of them had only exchanged a few blows, it was clear that Rover was not the type to fight head-on.


    From the start, his stealth ability, wings, and agile blood-colored bats were all more for support, which suited his style of secretly causing trouble.


    ¡°Could he have died just like that? That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Those who use blood as the core usually have stronger vitality and are very difficult to kill.¡±


    Chen Yiming spread out his spiritual power and searched the area, not missing even a single drop of blood.


    Finally, after eliminating all other suspicious objects, there was only one ball of flesh that still held a hint of life. This ball of flesh had some characteristics of a heart, but most of it did not look like one. In addition, its surface looked a little like it was affected by cancer.


    ¡°Perhaps if I hand it over to the experts from the biological research institute, they will be able to give us an answer as to why it has become like this.¡± Chen Yiming glanced at it a few times, but couldn¡¯t figure it out and just gave up thinking about it.


    There were professionals in every field. Doing research work was not something he could do in his previous life or in this one.


    As he left the area, Chen Yiming fell into deep thought. He realized that he had underestimated the combat strength formed by the combination of the Giant Talent and the Undying Body talent.


    The effect of two close combat talents was no longer the same as an ordinary 1+1 being more than 2. For example, Rover, who had transformed into a vampire-like creature, was directly smashed to pieces by him. He did not put up any resistance throughout the entire battle.


    Another example was the black giant that he had destroyed with a single punch.


    Thinking of this, it might be that even when faced with the black river that had surpassed the master realm and the treant at the same level, it was not impossible for him to defeat them together with the spiritual figure.


    This way, the war plan needed to be changed, and he had to be more proactive.

 Chapter 305 - A Pause to the War

    In the Gobi Desert in the otherworld, the treants retracted their huge roots and moved towards the space-travel passage, revealing the original terrain of the area.


    At this moment, the cave where the space-travel passage was located had already been razed to the ground. Circles of treants surrounded it and entered it one after another.


    From the sky, with the space-travel passage as the center, the surrounding 20 to 30 kilometers were covered in a sea of green, and outside this area it was grayish-white.


    A huge tree was rooted in the green sea. Its trunk was much taller than the surrounding treants. In addition, its leaves were not green, but a cold metallic color.


    Even though the giant tree did not move, the air currents around it had a sharp edge to them. The treants that walked past it consciously avoided it.


    On the blue planet, surrounding the strange village, three mushroom clouds had appeared in a row, leaving behind an empty area of about 10 kilometers. Deadly nuclear radiation that could not be seen or touched was scattered in the air. This was a place of death that humans had created with nuclear explosions.


    The treants who walked out of the space-travel passage could only move safely in the radiation environment if they had mastered the internal force.


    However, they would still feel that an invisible force was invading their bodies. Their internal force was constantly being consumed to resist it, and there would be problems if they stayed in such an environment for a long time.


    The treants who had not mastered internal force immediately felt uncomfortable after coming out of the space-travel passage. A few of them soon felt strange all over, and their combat strength was greatly reduced.


    The invading treants not only encountered a harsh environment from the start, but also artillery shells that were constantly flying over from the sky.


    There were treants burning everywhere after being bombarded, but the humans were still nowhere to be seen. The treants had never experienced such an attack before, and they were still foolishly gathered together and stationed around the village, allowing the humans to bomb them as they pleased.


    ¡­


    In the command center behind the encirclement, the screen replayed the scene from the strange mountain village in real time. The treants who had mastered internal force were constantly fighting head-on with the incoming artillery shells. Before their internal force was exhausted, they would only suffer some light injuries.


    ¡°Why did the intelligence of these treants suddenly drop by several levels? The second line of defense we set up outside the radiation area is no longer needed.¡±


    Zhao Shumin laughed as she stabbed her spear into the ground, creating a hole in the floor.


    According to the original plan, most of the martial arts power in Jiangnan province, coupled with the reinforcements from the various provinces, would fight the treants who had rushed out of the radiation area in a melee battle to stop them from spreading further.


    The other three people from the capital, Ling Zhongyun, Zhu Song, and Jiang Kai, were also smiling brightly. They did not expect the nuclear explosion to make things go so smoothly along with the usual long-range attacks.


    ¡°The invading treants have suffered heavy casualties, but there are still no signs of them retreating to the otherworld. We can¡¯t let our guard down so quickly.¡±


    Wang Ronghui paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I reckon that when the treant above the master realm appears, the other treants will definitely launch powerful attacks. Since the treants have such large numbers, they might still be testing us further.¡±


    This made sense, but the atmosphere in the command center was still relatively relaxed.


    The reason was that there were no good materials on the blue planet. The main conflicts with the otherworld had always been with creatures from the otherworld below the master realm.


    This was also the reason why humans could still maintain a stable footing even though they were at an absolute disadvantage compared to the otherworld.


    The topic quickly changed to the stronghold established in the otherworld in Jiangnan province. The four people from the capital asked Wang Ronghui about the Sam Nation¡¯s martial master, Rover.


    ¡°Rover is the result of the best research on the bloodline warriors from the Western corporations. He has always avoided fighting us head-on,¡± Wang Ronghui shook his head and said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s a pity. It¡¯s very difficult to keep the news of the treants¡¯ invasion a secret from the stronghold. There¡¯s a high chance that he will take the opportunity to escape back to Sam Nation.¡±


    ¡°Rover is a very troublesome person.¡±


    Ling Zhongyun crossed his arms and nodded. ¡°Five years ago, there was a conflict between the Daxia Kingdom and the Sam Nation over a small island in the Pacific Ocean. Rover¡¯s ability to control the blood bats was extremely difficult to deal with.


    At that time, two blood bats were attacking me. The blood bats could constantly convert the blood energy to recover from their injuries, while my arrows could not kill the blood bats. In the end, if not for Rover being forced back, I might have lost my life there.¡±


    Jiang Kai recalled the battle on the island and had a bitter expression on his face. ¡°You could still rely on your speed and archery skills to deal with the blood bats. My speed was inferior to the blood bats, so I could only rely on my large shield to fight them head-on. That was why one of the blood bats chased after me. At that time, its fangs pierced through my protective internal force and sucked my blood. I almost lost my life because of that. It took me a few months to recover completely.¡±


    Zhao Shumin pouted. At the mention of this topic, she fell silent. In that battle, she was even worse than Jiang Kai. Jiang Kai was a tank with thick skin, while she was a fighter with explosive attacks.


    In a battle at the level of the half-step master realm, she relied on her explosive lethality to achieve victory. However, against an enemy at the master realm, her attacks were not enough.


    In addition, her defense and agility were not outstanding. At that time, she had been in an extremely sorry state when fighting Rover¡¯s blood bats. It could be said that she had become a burden to the team.


    Among the four people from the capital, the last was a middle-aged man, Zhu Song. Like Zhao Shumin, he smiled and stayed silent.


    The poisonous internal force on his flying wheels was useless against the blood bats. On the other hand, the blood poison from the blood bats had almost killed him, and the aftereffects had yet to be completely eliminated.


    This was the difference between the internal force and the power of nature. The difference in quality between the two types of powers was not something that could be made up for with a substantial amount of spiritual power.


    Comparing the two, the internal force after fusion was equivalent to a well-furnished house. The power of nature was equivalent to a tsunami rushing towards the coast.


    Unless one had a special talent, no matter how well the house was designed, it would usually not be able to withstand the impact of the tsunami.


    Just as the people in the command center were talking about Rover, a commotion comparable to a nuclear explosion suddenly appeared in the distance. Then, a terrifying tremor spread out, and the entire command center building shook continuously.


    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡±


    Wang Ronghui was the commander in the war with the treants. When such a thing happened at this critical moment, he fell speechless for the second time in a row.


    The eyes of the four people from the capital twitched. They rushed out of the command center and looked in the direction of the commotion.


    That was an area close to the coastline. However, they could not understand why such a sudden change had happened there. After all, there was nothing special about it.


    Soon, an officer ran over with an anxious expression. ¡°The treants have all taken root and returned to their normal tree forms.¡±


    Wang Ronghui had a serious expression on his face when he heard this. One form was good at defense, while the other form was good at offense. The treants could switch between forms at will.


    Now that the treants were clearly affected by the changes in the distance and had temporarily changed to a defensive stance, should the military also try to determine what was happening along the coastline?


    After weighing the pros and cons, Wang Ronghui ordered, ¡°Stop the bombardment for the time being, but make sure all the troops are on high alert. Once the treants show any signs of returning to their humanoid form, fire again immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The officer turned to leave.


    Wang Ronghui turned around and picked up the phone again. After a few words, he arranged for two military investigation teams to go to the location where the commotion had occurred to investigate the cause.


    After giving the order, he returned to the command center and looked at the map on the wall in a daze.


    At this moment, he was already so tired that his eyelids were trembling. However, before there was an outcome, he did not dare to fall asleep. He could not even rest for a while.


    Before long, the troops outside the encirclement stopped firing. Other than the treants who had turned into tree forms, no new treants appeared from the space-travel passage.


    Peace returned to the battlefield and a strange atmosphere emerged.


    ¡­


    East Lake City was the hometown of the new martial master in the Daxia Kingdom.


    At this moment, although they had entered a state of war according to the orders from the province, the atmosphere in the city was not as tense.


    Before the war with the treants broke out, although a few people had the intention to leave Jiangnan province to avoid trouble, more people had entered the province than had left.


    Chen Yiming had gotten rid of Rover, so he no longer had to worry about the other party causing trouble when the treants invaded. Hence, he returned home with a peace of mind.


    He did not know that the commotion caused by the giant descending from the sky had not only frightened the invading treants, but also all the humans, causing the war to be put on pause.


    ¡°Son, are you alright?¡±


    At around four in the morning, the Chen family¡¯s house was brightly lit. Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying had all woken up.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, what are you worried about? The army is in charge of the war with the treants. I¡¯m just providing support,¡± Chen Yiming comforted them.


    Although he said that, it was impossible for them to let go of their worries. Father Chen and Mother Chen watched the news faithfully every day. The war with the treants had long been declared a nationwide war.


    In reality, this was also the case. Without the orders from the capital, the Jiangnan province would not be able to attack with the continuous bombardment.


    Therefore, on the surface, the battlefield was limited to a certain place in Jiangnan province, but in reality, the treants were facing the entire Daxia Kingdom. Once the encirclement established in Jiangnan province showed signs of being broken through, the Daxia Kingdom would immediately be able to mobilize more troops to provide support.


    ¡°You must be hungry!¡± Father Chen brought the food he had warmed up to the table. ¡°There were still some of your favorite braised pig trotters left from last night. It¡¯s too late to make a fresh one now, so make do with it and eat something to fill your stomach.¡±


    ¡­


    While Chen Yiming was chewing on the pig trotter, Chen Yingying asked curiously, ¡°Brother, did you know about the tremor earlier?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want Mother Chen to know too much. The more she knew, the more she understood the danger involved. Hence, he tried to bluff her. ¡°It should be an earthquake! What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    At that time, a few classmates who were close to her had called. After chatting for a while, they all agreed that something big had happened that was similar to the treants¡¯ invasion of the blue planet.


    Chen Yiming chuckled to himself and picked up another braised pig trotter to eat. He asked, ¡°Then what do you think happened? Did a meteorite fall from the sky?¡±


    Chen Yingying stammered in response.


    Chen Yiming had successfully tricked his sister. He turned around and continued to finish off the braised pork trotters. Not long after, there were only bones left.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming was in a good mood after managing to pull out a nail that had been stuck to the ground in Jiangnan province. He felt much more relaxed, so after eating braised pork trotters at 5 am, he slept until almost noon.


    By the time he took the item that Rover had left behind to the command center, it was already afternoon.


    At this moment, Wang Ronghui, Ling Zhongyun, Zhu Song, and Jiang Kai couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally went to their rooms to rest.


    ¡°Chief Chen¡­ Brother Chen, you¡¯re here. I¡¯ll go make a pot of tea for you.¡± Zhao Shumin looked like a little girl as she blushed and scrambled to find the tea leaves.


    Fortunately, while the command center was the center of the war, it did not lack for coffee and tea. Even if Zhao Shumin was not sure where it was usually kept, she could easily find it.


    ¡°No need! No need!¡± Chen Yiming quickly waved his hand in refusal.


    Before he entered, he had thought that everyone was present, so he did not ask the soldiers guarding the door. However, all of a sudden, it was just one man and one woman alone in the room.


    Furthermore, Zhao Shumin was an extraordinary woman. On the surface, she looked like a gentle lady, but she had a violent personality. One could tell that from watching her fight.


    Now that she was even calling him brother, Chen Yiming was firmly against it. He was clearly the one who was much younger.


    A few minutes later, Chen Yiming was forced to drink the tea that Zhao Shumin had made.


    From the moment she started brewing the tea, it was obvious that she had not studied how to make tea. In the end, she had naturally wasted these good tea leaves by just boiling them directly.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. We really couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally took a short nap.¡±


    Just as Zhao Shumin was about to ask Chen Yiming for guidance on martial arts, Wang Ronghui entered with dark circles under his eyes. Behind him were Ling Zhongyun, Zhu Song, and Jiang Kai.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just arrived not long ago.¡± Chen Yiming smiled. They had arrived at the right time. He knew his own teaching standards and he didn¡¯t want to give Zhao Shumin a chance to get too close to him.


    Wang Ronghui asked Chen Yiming about the incident that happened near the coastline last night.


    ¡°Oh that! At that time, it suddenly occurred to me that there was a high chance that Rover would take advantage of the treant¡¯s invasion to think that all our forces were being held here and try to escape back to Sam Nation,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly, ¡°I just tried to ambush Rover. I didn¡¯t expect to catch him.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he took out the item that Rover had left behind, a ball of flesh that had clear traces of life.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t careful and didn¡¯t control my strength well enough. I ended up beating him until there was only this left,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    The command center suddenly fell silent. Other than Zhao Shumin, who had a glint in her eyes, the others were clearly stunned and did not know what to say.


    The men had waited until dawn for the news from the investigation teams, who reported that the scene was similar to a meteorite hitting the ground.


    The huge pit at the point of impact was nearly four kilometers wide. It destroyed an area of more than 10 kilometers around it, and indirectly affected an area of 20 to 30 kilometers.


    After communicating with the meteorological department, they confirmed that no meteors had fallen from the sky at that time.


    After eliminating the possibility that a meteorite had fallen from the sky, there was only one possibility. Someone above the master realm must have fought there, and it was someone with powerful destructive power,


    As Chen Yiming didn¡¯t communicate with the command center immediately, Wang Ronghui and the others thought of the worst after discussing it with many parties.


    They suspected that a powerful creature from the otherworld had suddenly appeared in a space-travel passage in Jiangnan province. Chen Yiming had been monitoring its movements, so he couldn¡¯t contact them.


    They hadn¡¯t expected that Chen Yiming had just gone home to sleep after defeating Rover.

 Chapter 306 - Rovers Remains

    Wang Ronghui came back to his senses and changed the topic to the ball of flesh that Rover had left behind.


    Chen Yiming was now one of the pillars of Jiangnan province and even the Daxia Kingdom. He was a playboy who had relations with many young ladies, was not very disciplined and did things at his own pace, and was capable of but unwilling to take on important roles.


    He had many shortcomings, but this did not stop Jiangnan province from using this person as a symbol of their strength, hiding his shortcomings and highlighting his strengths.


    They even took the initiative to help him deal with the things that he had overlooked to reinforce his positive image.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Rover to be a complete, man-made bloodline warrior.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed after hearing Wang Ronghui¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not completely the same as what the Western countries are promoting. In fact, Rover must be involved in the otherworld, even though we don¡¯t know the details,¡± Wang Ronghui added.


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    If it was really as the publicity materials said, the Western countries would have already mass-produced others like Rover. The Sam Nation was known as the beacon of humanity, and they had a large number of weaker countries behind them. They should not only have two martial masters.


    Chen Yiming had originally intended to hand the ball of flesh over to the biological research institute. After he found out that Rover was closely related to the bloodline warriors, he passed the ball of flesh into Wang Ronghui¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This is?¡± Wang Ronghui¡¯s hands trembled. Of course, he knew that the ball of flesh was of extraordinary value, but he hadn¡¯t expected Chen Yiming to give it away for nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ball of flesh with a powerful life force. It fell out of Rover¡¯s body, and I can¡¯t eat it. Let the research institute study it and try to crack the secret within it,¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly, his tone nonchalant.


    ¡°How can that be? The Western corporations will definitely not let the matter rest. If this thing is handed over to us, if it is lost or snatched away¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter! If the Western corporations dare to extend their hands here, I¡¯ll cut them off again.¡±


    ¡°However, the level of scientific research in Jiangnan province is limited. If the ball of flesh is ruined, it will be hard for us not to blame ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll destroy the ball of flesh so that others won¡¯t covet it,¡± Chen Yiming said seriously.


    ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll definitely get the best people to be in charge of this matter and try to recruit the top experts in the capital. Jiangnan province will definitely not let us down.¡±


    Hearing that he had the intention to destroy the ball of flesh, Wang Ronghui hurriedly agreed and gave a solemn promise.


    Actually, when Chen Yiming took out the ball of flesh and introduced it as Rover¡¯s remains, Wang Ronghui had already thought about it. However, he couldn¡¯t say anything because he was afraid that the research institute in Jiangnan province wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on to something of this level.


    His initial expectations were that he would be very satisfied if he could borrow it for a few rounds of research.


    ¡­


    The war suddenly stopped, and another three days passed peacefully. During this time, the humans sent out helicopters and martial arts experts to monitor the situation 24 hours a day.


    Among the nearly 10,000 treants who had barged into Jiangnan province, those who had not mastered internal force would not be able to survive until the next day. They died due to various mutations in their bodies.


    On the third day, even though treants who had mastered internal force could continuously absorb energy from the ground to replenish their energy, maintaining their internal force to protect themselves against the nuclear radiation still caused these treants to fall into a weakened state.


    On the night of the third day, some treants who could not withstand the nuclear radiation retracted their roots and transformed into their humanoid form. They walked towards the space-travel passage to return to the otherworld.


    After another night, at dawn, the strange mountain village fell completely silent. There were no longer any living treants taking root here. Only the remains of the treants that had died from mutations due to nuclear radiation remained.


    Some of these corpses had deformed lumps growing out of them, some had completely decayed and lost all signs of life, and some were covered in grayish-white spots of various sizes.


    Chen Yiming circled the area within 10 kilometers, but the treants rooted in the village did not stir.


    He tried to mobilize the power of the clouds. The treants immediately seemed to have sensed something, and the outline of faces appeared, revealing panicked, complicated, and thoughtful expressions.


    ¡°A creature from the otherworld like the treant isn¡¯t something so simple. Even a treant at the warrior realm is so sensitive to the power of nature.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn.


    He did not know how the treants had sensed it. Was it their ability? Or was it some other reason?


    However, the biggest reason for the treants to stop their invasion was undoubtedly because he had mobilized the power of the clouds the night he ambushed Rover.


    Chen Yiming had not expected to be noticed from so far away, though he had used too much force when controlling the clouds, and the range of his power was a little large.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for the treants to occupy the territory of the black river through war for no reason. In the desolate Gobi Desert, the huge roots of the treants under the ground are the only thing that can¡¯t be seen clearly.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming had the intention to send his spiritual figure into the desert to investigate.


    However, on second thought, since he could become stronger by just adding points steadily, there was no need to put Jiangnan province back in danger of the treants¡¯ invasion for his own selfish reasons. Therefore, he temporarily suppressed his curiosity.


    In any case, it was the same no matter how strong he became. This was how confident he was with the martial arts talent system.


    ¡­


    On the day that all the invading treants retreated to the space-travel passage, the major cities in Jiangnan province began to clean up the plants and move them from the city to the wilderness.


    In Jiangnan City, at the former location of the city¡¯s forest park.


    The park, which was originally covered in trees, had become a bare and empty area. At this moment, an army of 1,000 soldiers was gathered here. Other than that, there was also a group of civilian martial arts factions.


    For some reason, before they left the city to eliminate the mutant plants in the wilderness, the military had invited Han Qiufeng to sing the song ¡®Tomorrow Will Be Better¡¯. It was said that it was to encourage the people.


    Many of the civilian factions participating in the operation scoffed at this.


    To them, the arts could not save the world. No matter how beautiful her singing was, it was useless. Only strength could bring them a sufficient sense of security, and they did not agree with the military¡¯s way of doing things.


    However, they could not win against the military, so they suppressed their urge to complain and listened to the entire song.


    The only highlight was that the woman who was singing was very beautiful, causing many martial arts practitioners who thought that they had good conditions to imagine having further relations with Han Qiufeng.


    Chen Yiming returned to Jiangnan City from the strange mountain village.


    It was said that the newly reorganized research institute had made a major discovery while studying the ball of flesh left behind by Rover. He planned to check it out.


    As noon approached, Chen Yiming felt a little hungry when he heard the sounds of cooking coming from the small restaurants along the street.


    He chose a random shop and walked in.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    The person in charge of taking orders from the customers was a young girl. She had a sweet smile and was very polite. She had a small dimple at the corner of her mouth and looked to be about 16 or 17 years old.


    ¡°Three servings, no, five servings of stir-fried beef. Help me choose a few dishes to go with it,¡± Chen Yiming said as he glanced at the menu.


    With his appetite, eating three or five servings was not much of a difference. It was just that he could eat a few more mouthfuls to satisfy his cravings.


    ¡°Please wait a moment!¡±


    The young girl passed the number plate to Chen Yiming. He reached out to take it and realized that she hadn¡¯t let go of it. He lowered his head and realized that she was still in a daze.


    ¡°Ahem! Ahem!¡± Chen Yiming coughed twice to remind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was distracted.¡± The young girl was shaken out of her daze and quickly apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Chen Yiming replied as he took a seat at an empty table.


    He thought to himself that even if he didn¡¯t manage to use the system after transmigrating, he should be able to do well with his face. Chen Yiming subconsciously ignored the changes to his body brought about by his cultivation.


    In reality, if he did not embark on the path of martial arts, his body¡¯s owner would be an ordinary loser.


    Soon, five servings of stir-fried beef were brought over by the young girl. She even gave him a bottle of beverage for free and explained with a smile that every customer who came to eat that day would receive one.


    Chen Yiming waited for the other party to turn around before glancing at the other tables. Most of them had no drinks. He suspected that this young girl was the daughter of the restaurant owner.


    The low voices of the other diners could be heard.


    ¡°Have you heard? The invading treants have been defeated.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. There was a report on the morning news. I followed it every day.¡±


    ¡°The treants didn¡¯t do much! The province created such a huge formation, with the nuclear explosions and the mobilization of an army to surround them. I didn¡¯t expect it to end so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? In any case, the state of war has already been canceled. After dinner, I have to go back to the company to work overtime. I suddenly miss staying at home.¡±


    After having his meal, Chen Yiming left the restaurant and walked dozens of meters away.


    Across the street, a beautiful woman wearing a cap, large sunglasses, and a long trench coat walked out of a shop with a cup of milk tea in her hand. Beside her were two burly men in black suits.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Chen Yiming was about to head to the research institute when he heard a familiar voice. He looked across the street and exclaimed, ¡°Han Qiufeng, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Even though Han Qiufeng was in military attire and had wrapped herself up tightly, Chen Yiming could still recognize her at a glance. However, he didn¡¯t expect that after not seeing her for a few days, the other party seemed to have completely gotten rid of the trouble around her.


    The original manager had disappeared, and two burly bodyguards had replaced her.


    Han Qiufeng jogged over from across the street. She guiltily took off his baseball cap and sunglasses, revealing her exquisite face. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have a chance to thank you. It¡¯s all thanks to you being there that day. Without your help, I would have been finished.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! I can¡¯t stand those dirty things either. I just happened to run into you,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    When Han Qiufeng heard this, she was instantly filled with disappointment. It was a little different from what she had expected.


    It had to be known that she had only been able to escape from the bad situation because she had met this benefactor who was willing to help her.


    After that day, the person who had set up a trap for her, a second-generation martial artist, came to beg for forgiveness. At that time, that person looked really miserable. He had lost an arm and became a one-armed man at a young age.


    Other than that, she was quickly arranged to enter the military and become a female soldier. However, she did not need to report to the military and was still living a normal life.


    The management contract was also quickly transferred to Jiangnan province¡¯s television station. An experienced manager took over the job, and four burly bodyguards were assigned to take turns guarding her in pairs for 24 hours a day.


    She had never even dared to dream of such treatment. After all, in this era, martial arts reigned supreme, and everything else was inferior.


    Some of the passersby recognized the popular Han Qiufeng and looked over curiously.


    Chen Yiming had an idea and put on Han Qiufeng¡¯s sunglasses. He said, ¡°There are too many people here. I like to keep a low profile, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    With that, he left without looking back.


    By the time Han Qiufeng reacted, he had already walked far away. She hesitated for half a second more, and he disappeared from the end of the street.


    ¡­


    The Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute was only a street away from Jiangnan University.


    It was originally just a small unit. However, after suddenly receiving the support of the government, the small units and residential houses beside it were cleared out and quickly modified for use by the provincial biological research institute.


    The institute head, Wu Weiguo, was over 50 years old. He had a full head of short white hair, but he was still full of energy. He did not seem to be tired from old age.


    At this moment, he was walking back and forth between the various laboratories. The entire building was relatively quiet, and some of the young researchers did not dare to speak even in low voices. Only the sound of equipment operating could be heard.


    Previously, there was a researcher who could not stand the strict rules. After he was discovered slacking off, he complained a little and tried to defend himself, and he was chased out of the research institute. The institute head, Wu Weiguo, had announced that he had been fired.


    This researcher was not someone dispensable. He had worked in a key laboratory in the capital for many years and had returned to Jiangnan province a few years ago. He had always been a core member of the project.


    This move shocked all the staff in the biological research institute. After that, no one dared to slack off.


    A soldier ran quickly towards the research building. The sound of his footsteps came from the stairwell. After the soldier found Wu Weiguo, he informed him that Chen Yiming had arrived.


    Wu Weiguo toned down his serious expression and turned into an amiable old man. He followed the soldier downstairs.


    Chen Yiming was wearing a pair of large sunglasses and walking around the research institute with a guard.


    With a sweep of his spiritual power, he discovered that there were researchers working in every laboratory in every building. Furthermore, everyone was extremely serious and was racing against time to conduct experiments.


    He thought to himself, ¡°Not bad! It seems that there is no problem with the way they are dealing with the ball of flesh left behind by Rover.¡±


    The ball of flesh was not of much use to him, but it was of great scientific value. If they used it well, they might be able to catch up to the research on bloodline warriors from the Western countries.


    If it was handed over to the wrong person, it would be troublesome. There might be some trouble. After all, the people who coveted the item left behind by Rover would only give up if the item remained in his hands.


    Wu Weiguo exited from the stairwell and quickly walked towards Chen Yiming and the guard.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± Wu Weiguo greeted him and took the initiative to shake his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The research institute is quite busy,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    He got to know the institute head briefly and they exchanged a few pleasantries. He then followed him to the basement where the ball of flesh was sealed away.


    The entrance to the basement was guarded by martial arts experts from the military. It was the same inside. After going through a total of three security procedures, the two of them were able to reach the room where the ball of flesh was stored.


    As soon as he entered, Chen Yiming saw that the ball of flesh left behind by Rover had changed drastically. Many tubes were inserted into it, and it was soaked in a pool of green liquid.


    Its size had not changed, but its life force had become much stronger. Furthermore, it was beating continuously like a real heart.


    At the same time, the pool of green liquid was gradually becoming paler. Every minute or so, the ball of flesh would discharge a stream of bright red air into the tube.

 Chapter 307 - Miracle Blood

    ¡°Wherever the bright red stream of air passes, it can actually create a wave of natural power?¡± Chen Yiming frowned in surprise.


    ¡°It really triggered the power of nature? Are you sure?¡± Wu Weiguo asked. He suddenly forgot about introducing the research results to Chen Yiming.


    Before the power of nature was controlled, it was an invisible and mysterious thing. Even though it was clearly present, it could not be seen or touched. Only by using one¡¯s spiritual power to sense and control it would it manifest in the form of a natural phenomenon.


    In recent years, with the cooperation of the two martial masters from the Daxia Kingdom, they had designed some ingenious experiments to indirectly track the flow of natural power.


    However, the experiments were still far from perfect. In most cases, it was not accurate, and they often came to the wrong conclusion.


    Chen Yiming nodded and continued, ¡°It¡¯s related to the power of nature.¡±


    ¡°The power of nature! The master realm! The power of nature! The master realm!¡± Wu Weiguo fell into a daze and started to mutter to himself, ¡°It seems that I underestimated it. I have to strengthen the security of the research institute in the future.¡±


    The research institute had already confirmed that the ball of flesh did not belong to a human.


    This shocking piece of news was unearthed. A large part of why Rover could break through to the master realm was probably not because of his own abilities, but because of the ball of flesh in front of them.


    In this case, in the eyes of the Western corporations, the ball of flesh might even be more important than Rover himself.


    Thinking of this possibility, Wu Weiguo, the head of the research institute, revealed a worried expression on his face. His heart was clouded.


    He already had a feeling that this ball of flesh would draw the attention of the entire western world to the research institute. There would even be people secretly eyeing it in the Daxia Kingdom.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Wu Weiguo, who was deep in thought. He turned to look at the shelf in the corner of the room. There were 10 test tubes filled with the bright red liquid on it.


    Perhaps because of the difference in concentration, the liquid in the test tube had a hint of gold in it, and the glow it emitted was even brighter.


    Not long after, Wu Weiguo snapped out of his brooding and quickly told Chen Yiming the shocking piece of news. ¡°The research institute has extracted the cells from the ball of flesh. We can confirm that they aren¡¯t human cells.¡±


    ¡°Eh? In other words, the ball of flesh is a foreign body that was artificially implanted into Rover.¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised by this. After all, Rover was a martial master who was good at controlling the power of blood. His life force was very compatible with the ball of flesh, but it didn¡¯t come from him.


    Wu Weiguo walked to the shelf and took out a pair of gloves from a drawer. He put them on and pulled out a test tube from the shelf.


    ¡°The liquid inside is what the ball of flesh produced after absorbing the nutrient solution. The research institute temporarily calls it the ¡®miracle blood¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The reason for the name is because we conducted a detailed test on this miracle blood. We discovered that it can not only help one¡¯s body become stronger, but also suppress the blood of other creatures.¡±


    ¡°It looks like Rover is the key to the reason why the western world has more success creating bloodline warriors than us,¡± Chen Yiming said as he stared at the liquid in the test tube.


    ¡°The research institute thinks so too. Although we do not have the corresponding results yet, the miracle blood produced by the ball of flesh is undoubtedly the key to resolving the issue of the human body¡¯s rejection of the mutant blood essence,¡± Wu Weiguo added.


    The reason why bloodline warriors were difficult to create was because it involved the fusing of blood essence from other living creatures to steal their talent. There was an extremely tricky issue of rejection.


    At this moment, no matter which suppressant one used, it was impossible to suppress the blood essence and the harm it caused to the human body to a reasonable level.


    Most of the time, even if the fusion was successful, the foundation of one¡¯s martial arts would be severely damaged, and one would become half-crippled. Only a few people would be able to become bloodline warriors.


    Next, Wu Weiguo took out the experimental records and explained the results from the research so far.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming gained a better understanding of the ball of flesh.


    This bright red liquid, known as the miracle blood, could allow someone in the disciple realm to break through to the limit of the ninth transformation without any bottlenecks.


    If it was used by someone in the warrior realm, it would greatly increase their perception of the concept diagram, making it much easier to advance through the three stages of this realm.


    As for the side effects, the duration of the research was too short, so they had not studied in full yet.


    After leaving the basement, Wu Weiguo begged Chen Yiming to work at the provincial biological research institute as an honorary head.


    ¡°This¡­ Jiangnan province is only so big. If anything happens, I¡¯ll be able to rush over quickly. Let¡¯s forget about the honorary role.¡± Chen Yiming found an excuse to reject him.


    Wu Weiguo¡¯s expression was bitter. He did not give up easily and continued to explain the problems they would face.


    ¡°Even if the provincial biological research institute has reorganized and expanded, we don¡¯t have full confidence in our defenses for the time being. Especially since we are holding such an important item, what if someone¡­¡±


    Towards the end, his voice was a little choked up. He was just short of kneeling down in front of the other party.


    ¡°This¡­ Alright!¡± Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t reject it in the end, so he had no choice but to agree to take on the position of the honorary head.


    As he walked out of the research institute, he thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m indeed a perfect brother. I¡¯ve done everything I could for my sister¡¯s martial arts, even going against my own will.¡±


    As long as it was confirmed that the miracle blood had no side effects, Chen Yiming felt that it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for the ball of flesh to produce more miracle blood than the amount needed for research. If it really didn¡¯t work out, he could feed the ball of flesh more nutrients.


    ¡­


    The treants suddenly stopped their invasion. There also seemed to have been a fight between martial masters near the coastline of Jiangnan province, and the Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute had been reorganized and expanded greatly.


    There were no secrets in the world. The informants planted in the Daxia Kingdom by the western countries quickly gathered the news of these abnormal events and sent them back through secret channels.


    Although there was a delay of a few days, it still caused a commotion in the short term.


    Rover was actually responsible for a large part of the Sam Nation¡¯s control over the other countries in the west. Without him, the project of becoming a bloodline warrior would need a huge adjustment and might even affect the amount of say the Sam Nation had in the entire western world.


    Of course, the Sam Nation would not take the initiative to reveal the secret of the bloodline warriors, not even to their allies.


    In the Chen family¡¯s house, Father Chen and Mother Chen were watching the news.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, where¡¯s Yingying?¡±


    Chen Yiming scanned the house with his spiritual power, but there was no sign of his sister.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the war over? Your sister has returned to the martial arts academy to continue her studies,¡± Mother Chen turned to inform him before turning back.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening that¡¯s causing the two of you to be so focused on the television?¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He quickly looked at the television. A piece of news was playing on the television. The beautiful female host said seriously,


    ¡°Last night, the president of the Sam Nation arrived at Tokyo International Airport on a private plane under the protection of a large number of fighter jets.¡±


    ¡°After having dinner with the Japanese emperor, the president of the Sam Nation announced that the two countries would work together on more than 10 mutually beneficial projects and their military would move together.¡±


    ¡°This morning, the president of South Korea visited the White House in Sam Nation. The two sides reached an agreement on several national projects and announced that they would form an alliance and establish a special bloodline warrior team.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Most of it is about the research on bloodline warriors. Are Japan and South Korea out of their minds? The ball of flesh that can produce the miracle blood is now in Jiangnan province¡­ Could it be that the president of Sam Nation is giving the two countries a blank cheque?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t rule out this possibility. It¡¯s said that this president didn¡¯t achieve much in reality, but he did a lot of things to trick his allies. Everything is based on the interests of the Sam Nation,¡± Chen Yiming muttered after watching the news.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± Mother Chen finally turned around. Her face was filled with anger. ¡°You didn¡¯t see the news earlier. Those western countries are really despicable. They actually slandered the Daxia Kingdom, saying that we set up a trap to bring down a big shot from their country.¡±


    ¡°Now, there are protests everywhere. Taking advantage of the fact that the Daxia Kingdom is in a state of war, they are clamoring to launch full-scale sanctions and form an alliance to sever ties with the Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    Sanctions?


    Due to the obstacles in the wilderness, the cost of cross-border trade was extremely high. There were actually few interactions between the countries.


    Rover¡¯s death in the Daxia Kingdom could not be hidden forever. Previously, eight countries had made a joint declaration. After that, they did not send a martial master into Daxia Kingdom. It was probably still for the purpose of shifting the hatred away to a convenient target.


    Chen Yiming comforted Mother Chen. ¡°These are just superficial tricks to trick the public. You and Father Chen can just enjoy the show.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Previously, I was analyzing the situation with a few old friends. I thought that the Daxia Kingdom had been isolated.¡± Father Chen also joined in the conversation.


    Chen Yiming shrugged and said, ¡°I can¡¯t explain all the details to you, but there is indeed a very important figure in the Sam Nation who died on our land.¡±


    Hearing this, Father Chen and Mother Chen smiled. For those who did not know the truth, the news that the Daxia Kingdom had been isolated by almost all the mainstream countries already sounded like a bluff, but in reality, it had no effect at all.


    In any case, Chen Yiming had brought down the evil organization from the Western corporations that was infiltrating the Daxia Kingdom. Even after so long, they were still shouting loudly without taking any concrete action.


    ¡­


    At dinnertime, his sister returned from school, and the family gathered happily for a meal.


    After Chen Yiming finished eating, he instructed Chen Yingying, ¡°Don¡¯t cultivate too much for the next few days. Try your best to keep your body at its peak. When the time comes, I¡¯ll bring you for a checkup.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, before Chen Yingying could react, Mother Chen¡¯s mouth fell open in surprise. ¡°No way! Is there a problem with your sister¡¯s body because of her training?¡±


    Father Chen also revealed a worried expression. He was different from Mother Chen. Even though Chen Yingying¡¯s talent was mediocre, he had always supported her in practicing martial arts.


    It was precisely because of this that he would regret it for the rest of his life if something really went wrong with her body.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Chen Yiming coughed and explained, ¡°What are you guys thinking? I recently obtained something good that can increase one¡¯s martial arts talent.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s best to check your body before using it, just in case. Also, I¡¯ll be at the scene when the time comes. If anything happens, I¡¯ll resolve it on the spot.¡±


    At the end, he added, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t let it slip when you¡¯re bragging to others. The production rate of that thing isn¡¯t high, so we don¡¯t want others to covet it.¡±


    The reason why he emphasized that the production was not high was because Chen Yiming had never planned to let his sister become a bloodline warrior. Instead, he wanted to use the miracle blood for regular cultivation. But even he wasn¡¯t sure how much of the miracle blood would be required.


    In addition, after obtaining the Giant Talent, Chen Yiming knew the shortcomings of a bloodline warrior very well.


    Other than those like him who could breakthrough continuously and increase the upper limit of his talent, there was a limit to the biological blood essence talent that bloodline warriors could obtain through the fusion. He could not ruin his sister¡¯s long-term martial arts path by letting her take a shortcut.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen nodded when they heard this. Mother Chen promised seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll remind your father every day.¡±


    Only then did Chen Yingying react and ask curiously, ¡°Brother, what exactly is it? Let me know in advance.¡±


    Chen Yiming used the excuse that she wouldn¡¯t understand and not to think too much about it to evade the question.


    ¡­


    If one wanted to go further in martial arts, one could not lack talent, cultivation techniques, teachers, and other resources.


    If nothing went wrong, Chen Yingying would soon break through to the warrior realm after using a large amount of the miracle blood to cultivate.


    Chen Yiming had secretly observed that his sister seemed to be more interested in archery than swordsmanship. He didn¡¯t know anyone who was better at archery than Ling Zhongyun, so he didn¡¯t have any other choice.


    On a sunny afternoon, Chen Yiming asked Wang Ronghui about Ling Zhongyun¡¯s whereabouts and arrived at a new archery school in Jiangnan City.


    ¡°Ultimate Archery School? Could it be that Ling Zhongyun wants to popularize his archery skills?¡±


    Chen Yiming walked into the archery school with this question in his head.


    After entering, he realized that the archery school was not small. The entire building was more than 100 meters in both depth and width. Other than a circle of shops outside, the interior was all the Ultimate Archery School¡¯s territory.


    However, there were not many trainees practicing archery, only a dozen of them in total. Practicing archery required a lot of space. It was different from other martial arts like swordsmanship and saber techniques.


    ¡°Eh? There¡¯s something unexpected.¡±


    Chen Yiming saw Ling Zhongyun and a young archery teacher giving pointers to the students.


    The young archery teacher was probably in her early twenties. She had just shed her fresh and innocent aura, and her long black hair was tied into a bun for the sake of teaching.


    From her side profile, she had a high nose bridge, a pink mouth, and a slightly thin face. She was wearing a sporty short-sleeved shirt. Chen Yiming¡¯s dynamic vision was extremely good, so he accidentally caught a glimpse of what was underneath through her sleeve.


    For bottoms, she was wearing hot pants, revealing a pair of smooth, fair legs. The muscles on them were toned and tight, forming a streamlined shape. They were not thick, but they did not lack strength .


    Ling Zhongyun¡¯s sharp senses caught on to the fact that someone had glanced over, and he turned around to see Chen Yiming.


    Soon, Ling Zhongyun called Chen Yiming over and they were sitting down on the sofa in the resting area. He took the initiative to introduce the place to him. ¡°This Ultimate Archery School in Jiangnan City is a newly established branch of the school that I used to study martial arts from.¡±


    ¡°The person teaching the trainees is one of my junior sisters¡­¡±


    Towards the end, Ling Zhongyun sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching hard for an opportunity to break through to the master realm. I haven¡¯t been back since I left the sect. I happened to be free after the war suddenly stopped, so I came over to help. Only then did I realize that I didn¡¯t know this junior sister. She joined the sect after I left.¡±


    ¡°So I was wrong. It¡¯s a junior sister he just met,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself. At the same time, he glanced at the junior sister Ling Zhongyun was referring to and realized that she was looking towards the resting area.


    Their eyes met, and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t avoid it at all. Ling Zhongyun¡¯s junior sister blushed and turned back in embarrassment to continue with her teaching.

 Chapter 308 - Obtaining the Star Chasing Arrow

    As Ling Zhongyun sighed at the passing of time, Chen Yiming retracted his gaze from his junior sister.


    Ling Zhongyun¡¯s junior sister had the aura of a big sister next door, but he was here to observe Ling Zhongyun¡¯s archery skills and help his sister secretly learn them.


    The spiritual figure had already been summoned to the vicinity. Now, he had important matters to attend to. He could not let himself be distracted by other matters.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t ask Ling Zhongyun directly to learn archery from him. After all, Chen Yiming was at the true master realm, while the other party was only half a step away from the master realm. Chen Yiming was not the type to be overly eager to learn and unashamed to ask someone who was his junior.


    ¡°The Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute is studying the ball of flesh left behind by Rover. They just obtained something called the miracle blood. It¡¯s said that it can allow one to break through to the master realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the initiative to start a conversation.


    ¡°I heard about this too. Unfortunately, the natural power I have some affinity with is the power of the storm. I don¡¯t know anything about the natural power related to blood energy. Otherwise, this miracle blood might be of some help.¡±


    Ling Zhongyun had a bitter expression on his face, and his words were filled with regret.


    The opportunity to break through to the master realm had appeared, but it was not the path of martial arts that Ling Zhongyun had taken. It was as if a vault of gold was in front of him, but he did not have the key to enter it.


    The two of them quickly got into a deep conversation about the miracle blood.


    As they chatted, Ling Zhongyun suddenly lowered his voice and said, ¡°Actually, the miracle blood has been traded between the large western countries for a long time. It¡¯s said that some of it occasionally appears at auctions, and they would be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars for each tube.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked by the high price. However, on second thought, the rarer something was, the more valuable it was. The actual amount of miracle produced by the ball of flesh wasn¡¯t enough to meet the demand.


    This way, if one or two tubes of the miracle blood appeared outside occasionally, it might be due to some insider trading. On the surface, it was a transaction of money, but in secret, there might be an exchange of other benefits.


    Ling Zhongyun continued, ¡°A tube of miracle blood is worth more than 100 million US dollars, and the western countries have each established a bloodline warrior army. I wonder how much profit the Sam Nation has accumulated over the years.¡±


    ¡°All along, the other countries have lowered themselves to become Sam Nation¡¯s subordinates. They even threatened to surround and attack the Daxia Kingdom. Fortunately, the key to producing the miracle blood has fallen into our hands.¡±


    From Ling Zhongyun¡¯s words, Chen Yiming could tell how effective diplomacy using the miracle blood was.


    He also learned that the core members of the bloodline warrior army did not have the weakness of unstable emotions. They performed extremely well on the battlefield.


    This made Chen Yiming feel much more at ease with the miracle blood. If there were any obvious side effects, he wouldn¡¯t dare to give it to his family members. After all, safety was the most important thing.


    Not long after, Ling Zhongyun¡¯s junior sister walked over with two bottles of iced plum juice.


    Chen Yiming turned around and happened to see her pair of long, fair legs through a thin gap.


    ¡°The weather is hot. I brought you some iced plum juice to quench your thirst.¡± Yu Tingting sat down beside Ling Zhongyun and smiled at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Chen Yiming replied seriously. At the same time, he thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m just too attractive. It¡¯s only our first meeting, but Ling Zhongyun¡¯s junior sister has already become my fangirl.¡±


    Ling Zhongyun glanced at the trainees and gestured for Yu Tingting to put down the plum juice and leave.


    The content of his conversation with Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t suitable for Yu Tingting to hear. If she knew too much, she might be targeted and get into trouble one day.


    However, Yu Tingting clearly did not want to leave. She looked at Ling Zhongyun with a pitiful expression and hesitated to speak.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming thought that it was his chance to show off.


    ¡°The matter of the miracle blood can¡¯t be hidden. It won¡¯t be long before there are all kinds of discussions about it globally. Everyone will know that the item left behind by Rover is in our hands.¡±


    Ling Zhongyun nodded. Since Chen Yiming had spoken, he had no intention of chasing his junior sister away.


    Yu Tingting received permission to stay, and her expression turned back into a smile in the blink of an eye. She asked boldly, ¡°What is this miracle blood you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Chen Yiming was in a good mood and gave her a brief introduction, emphasizing the rarity of the miracle blood and how valuable it was.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. How amazing!¡± Yu Tingting smiled.


    Then, she turned to Ling Zhongyun and said, ¡°Senior Brother, you¡¯re the main force under the martial master guarding the country. With you in Jiangnan City, I don¡¯t have to worry even if I¡¯m in charge of the archery school alone.¡±


    Ling Zhongyun coughed and quickly corrected her. ¡°I have an important job to do, so I might not be able to take care of the archery school. If the sect wants to expand the Jiangnan branch, we still have to send more people to Jiangnan City.¡±


    Yu Tingting looked troubled. ¡°But the previous head told me to ask you for help if I encountered any difficulties.¡±


    Ling Zhongyun explained with a serious expression, ¡°War is a national matter. It¡¯s impossible to joke about it. I hope Junior Sister can understand.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly felt that something was amiss. Yu Tingting¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ling Zhongyun the entire time, and he seemed to have become invisible.


    So it was a misunderstanding. He thought that he had gotten another fangirl, but her attention was only drawn to him because he happened to be sitting with her senior brother.


    Chen Yiming had never been ignored like this before. He thought to himself that he had to teach Ling Zhongyun¡¯s junior sister a lesson and broaden her horizons.


    After Ling Zhongyun rejected Yu Tingting¡¯s request for help, Chen Yiming explained to Ling Zhongyun his true motive for looking for him.


    ¡°Testing the limit of the power of my arrows? Asking me to lead the other three to take on the responsibility of blocking the treant¡¯s escape in the war against the treants?¡± Ling Zhongyun asked in surprise.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t they say that there are treants who have surpassed the master realm¡­¡±


    Ling Zhongyun was dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t expected Chen Yiming to suggest a counterattack.


    Hearing this, Yu Tingting also became dumbfounded. Chen Yiming was secretly delighted.


    ¡°What about Rover, who is a martial master? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that much different from killing a chick. That¡¯s why I have the intention to counterattack. Of course, we still have to consider the details of the operation.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have to spell everything out. In reality, wasn¡¯t he the one who had the final say on whether to carry out the counterattack?


    ¡°Please take care of me!¡±


    When Ling Zhongyun understood that this was not a joke, he cupped his fists and his expression turned unprecedentedly serious.


    After Chen Yiming easily defeated the Sam Nation¡¯s martial master, Rover, he had already become the number one martial master on the blue planet. Although the Western corporations were not a tight alliance, the number of martial masters in their employ was several times that of the Daxia Kingdom.


    However, even so, there had been no retaliation from them. The reason was that they had grown to fear Chen Yiming and were afraid that they would fail again and fall into his trap instead.


    Now that the strongest person had expressed his intention to test him, Ling Zhongyun felt that he was lucky enough to be honored and acknowledged by him.


    ¡°Should we do it in the archery school? Or¡­?¡± Ling Zhongyun asked.


    ¡°The archery school is fine.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Ling Zhongyun turned around and instructed Yu Tingting, ¡°Take the trainees out of the archery school and lock the door.¡±


    After a few minutes, the school was cleared out. Chen Yiming and Ling Zhongyun stood at two ends of the spacious hall, separated by a distance of more than 100 meters. Yu Tingting leaned against the door and looked nervously at the two of them.


    Her head was buzzing. Chen Yiming¡¯s calm words were still replaying in her mind.


    The martial master guarding the country? Killing a chick? A counterattack plan?


    Where did her senior brother meet this friend? She did not even dare to think about it in her dreams.


    ¡°The Star Chasing Arrow is an archery technique inherited from the Jijian Sect. It was created by comprehending the changes in the positions of the sun, moon, and stars. In theory, one can fire 28 arrows at once, but I can only fire nine arrows at once,¡± Ling Zhongyun explained.


    ¡°Ling Zhongyun, who is half a step away from the master realm, can only shoot nine arrows? It seems that this archery technique is very profound. Its potential should be able to be further explored,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself. At the same time, he communicated with the figure in his mind and prepared to secretly learn from it.


    1


    ¡°Let¡¯s start quickly. I¡¯ll restrict my power to a small space. The archery school will not be damaged,¡± Chen Yiming said with his hands behind his back.


    Ling Zhongyun didn¡¯t think that there was anything wrong with Chen Yiming¡¯s actions. He knew his limits and the gap between the two of them.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Chen Yiming was mainly trying to show off in front of his junior sister.


    He took a step forward, and his movements were like a phantom as he readied his bow and arrow.


    In the next moment, the nine energy arrows shot out at the same time, forming a lifelike figure of a divine eagle in midair.


    At the same time, whirlwinds appeared around his body. Then, wind blades spread out in all directions, as if they could cut through space. If they were fully unleashed, the aftershock could easily destroy the entire archery school.


    Yu Tingting¡¯s fingers were tightly intertwined as she nervously watched everything that was happening in the archery school.


    Her senior brother, Ling Zhongyun, was the number one genius in the history of the Jijian Sect. He had surpassed the previous sect masters and followed the martial master in the north to cultivate diligently, giving him the title of ¡°Divine Arrow¡± in the capital.


    He was the perfect idol in the hearts of countless senior and junior sisters of the Jijian Sect.


    He had always been regarded as the strongest person among the younger generation, especially those below the age of 40.


    However, today, this impression seemed to have been destroyed. A man who was even younger than her senior brother came to look for him, and a series of events unfolded.


    No matter how worried Yu Tingting was, when the nine arrows were fired at the same time, an invisible barrier appeared in the archery school.


    The wind blades that were glowing with white light suddenly slowed down drastically when they reached the walls. It was as if they had fallen into an invisible pond and finally dissipated in midair.


    The divine eagle formed by the nine arrows screamed. The nine arrows combined into a spear that shot towards Chen Yiming, who had his hands behind his back.


    ¡°There¡¯s a slight piercing feeling at the spot where I was targeted.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt the feedback from his body and increased the intensity of the invisible barrier.


    The stable structure of the spear, which had been formed by the energy arrows, was instantly broken. Before it could reach Chen Yiming, it exploded in midair.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Countless wind blades shot out in all directions, creating a small storm in the archery school. However, it was useless. As they approached the wall, they were restrained by the invisible barrier and collapsed.


    ¡°The nine arrows can¡¯t even touch the corner of his shirt! Is this the difference between us?¡±


    Ling Zhongyun took a deep breath and focused his gaze, as if he had made a decision.


    He nocked another bow and fired another arrow. This time, 13 arrows were fired at the same time. However, the moment the 13 energy arrows appeared, a ferocious expression appeared on Ling Zhongyun¡¯s face, as if he was enduring great pain.


    In the end, he endured the pain of his spiritual power being torn apart and controlled the 13 arrows to turn into a single ray of white light that shot straight out.


    ¡°Boom!¡± It was as if a cannonball had been fired, but also like a laser weapon.


    The white light drowned out the entire archery school, and their vision was filled with the small wind blades. Under normal circumstances, one¡¯s body would be mercilessly torn to pieces in such a situation.


    However, the target, the young man with his hands behind his back, remained indifferent. His eyelids did not even twitch.


    Ling Zhongyun spat out a mouthful of blood.


    This was not because he was angry, but because he had used so many arrows that it had exceeded his control. Not only was his spiritual power injured, but he had also suffered internal injuries from releasing an amount of internal force that was beyond his body¡¯s ability to withstand.


    He ignored his injuries and stared intently at the white light, hoping that this attack would make the other party raise his hand in response.


    However, Ling Zhongyun¡¯s vision turned black. Before he could see the outcome clearly, he fainted. He could vaguely hear:


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t his body a little too weak?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother! Senior Brother!¡± Yu Tingting cried.


    ¡­


    The white light was suppressed by an invisible force and instantly dissipated.


    Chen Yiming stood awkwardly beside the unconscious Ling Zhongyun. Yu Tingting ran over and collapsed on Ling Zhongyun, crying as she called his name.


    Taking the opportunity to attack her unconscious senior brother?


    How could this be?


    Ling Zhongyun won¡¯t blame me when he wakes up, right?


    Chen Yiming had no choice but to say, ¡°Lady, let me take a look at Ling Zhongyun¡¯s situation. It¡¯ll be troublesome if his foundation is damaged.¡±


    However, it was as if Yu Tingting did not hear him. The sound of crying echoed throughout the archery range.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything else and waited at the side.


    About two to three minutes later, Yu Tingting came back to her senses and wiped the tears off her face. Only then did she remember that she should send her injured senior brother to the hospital quickly.


    Chen Yiming watched from the side as Yu Tingting frantically called the emergency number. He sighed to himself. ¡°I failed to show off and scared her too much.¡±


    While waiting for the ambulance, Yu Tingting took good care of Ling Zhongyun. In reality, her efforts were in vain. Chen Yiming had nothing to do and used his consciousness to communicate with the figure in his mind.


    Chen Yiming: Ling Zhongyun only shot twice. Did you manage to secretly learn the full technique?


    The figure in his mind: No, but I deduced the rest.


    Chen Yiming was speechless.


    This was his hidden talent after he transmigrated!


    His consciousness had split into a spiritual figure that inherited most of his comprehension talent. The remaining consciousness became that of a normal person.


    The figure in his mind was originally one with him, but in reality, he was still a genius?


    At this thought, Chen Yiming thought, ¡°Come over now!¡±


    The figure in his mind: Yes.


    Half a second later, a stream of light entered the archery school through the glass window and entered Chen Yiming¡¯s head.


    In his spiritual world, Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness had fused with the figure in his mind. He instantly understood the Star Chasing Arrow technique that the figure had deduced.


    He recalled Ling Zhongyun¡¯s arrow just now and realized that there were many imperfections in it, as well as the situation of Ling Zhongyun¡¯s internal force and spiritual power.


    ¡°So weak!¡±


    Compared to when Chen Yiming was half a step away from the master realm, not only was Ling Zhongyun¡¯s internal force far inferior, but his spiritual power was also far inferior.


    His physique was also much better, and his body was much stronger. No wonder the other party could not withstand the backlash.


    It was only by choosing long-range attacks like archery that Ling Zhongyun could achieve his current achievements. If he had taken the path of the saber, spear, and fist techniques, it would have been difficult for him to obtain his current achievements.


    Not long after, the siren of an ambulance sounded from the street.


    ¡°Make way, leave it to us.¡±


    As soon as they entered, the doctor gestured for Yu Tingting to move aside. His tone was firm.


    When Yu Tingting saw that it was a doctor, she stood up and moved aside.


    Soon, the doctor started to check Ling Zhongyun¡¯s physical condition and found that his life was not in danger.


    After that, Ling Zhongyun was carried on a stretcher by a few doctors and nurses. Yu Tingting followed the doctors and nurses, and Chen Yiming watched them leave.


    He muttered, ¡°Could it be that I unintentionally aided them to become a couple?¡±


    Thinking about it, it was quite possible. Someone like Ling Zhongyun would have focused fully on practicing martial arts, so there would be no one suitable for him by his side. The only woman of the right age, Zhao Shumin, was Chen Yiming¡¯s fangirl, and she looked down on the weak Ling Zhongyun.


    Usually, it was difficult for Yu Tingting to get close to Ling Zhongyun, but now that Ling Zhongyun was injured, there was a chance.


    1

 Chapter 309 - Southeast Asian

    After another half a month of peace, Jiangnan province basically returned to its previous state before the war broke out.


    In the forest by the river in East Lake City.


    The original forest had been flattened once, and the hidden harmful plants had been cleared away. Now, normal trees had been transplanted from other places, and the forest had roughly returned to its original appearance.


    Chen Yingying was practicing archery when Chen Yiming kept pointing out the flaws in her movements.


    ¡°Your starting moves are too standard. The rhythm of drawing the bow and shooting the arrow is not smooth.¡±


    ¡°Cultivation techniques vary from person to person. Everyone¡¯s height, strength, and arm span are different. You have to learn to be flexible and find something that suits you best.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shorter, so your feet can be a little further apart¡­¡±


    After the figure in his mind transmitted his understanding of the Star Chasing Arrow to Chen Yiming, he went from an amateur to a master of archery.


    When he looked back at his sister¡¯s archery practice, he saw that there were problems everywhere. His words were no longer like before, where he could only give her some motivation. Instead, he could talk about the specific parts that were problematic and how to resolve the problems.


    ¡°Brother¡¯s requirements are too harsh. The teacher said that I have mastered my archery perfectly,¡± Chen Yingying thought to herself.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. He continued to play the role of a temporary archery teacher and gave her pointers.


    His sister did as he said. Her movements, which were already very standard, became more coordinated, and she exuded an air that the arrow would do whatever she wanted.


    It was also because she felt the immediate improvement. Even though Chen Yingying felt that her brother was too strict, she could only suppress her unhappiness.


    At this moment, a few short men with yellowish-black skin avoided Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying, and entered the forest by the river. They found the shade at the foot of a tree and lay down to rest.


    These men had rough and flamboyant facial features. They were clearly not from the Daxia Kingdom but from Southeast Asia.


    In addition, they were dressed in tattered clothes that were not very clean. They were covered in sweat and it was obvious that they were workers who did manual labor.


    ¡°Hughes, the Daxia Kingdom is really great. The city is safe and the income is stable. They don¡¯t even force us to take on risky jobs,¡± a short and muscular man with dark skin said with a smile.


    As he spoke, he took out a bottle of soda from his pocket and drank it while lying down.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The foreman actually didn¡¯t withhold our salary and actually paid us every day. I¡¯ve saved up about 500 yuan these past few days. I have to find a girl to fulfill my needs tonight.¡±


    The man called Hughes was slightly thinner, and he had a lecherous expression on his face.


    The other short men at the side said in surprise, ¡°Hughes, you¡¯re too bold! This is the Daxia Kingdom, not Southeast Asia. Strictly speaking, we¡¯re not even allowed to enter the city.¡±


    Hughes didn¡¯t think much of it. He took another sip of soda and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t having the money all they care about at that kind of place? What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Awesome! Awesome! But speaking of which, the women of the Daxia Kingdom are really beautiful. With their thin waists and fair legs, they might become so weak that they can¡¯t work the next day,¡± the short man said with a smile as he drooled.


    ¡°My body is very strong. It¡¯s not a problem for me to go seven times in one night. I have to make the most of this 500 yuan.¡± Hughes patted his chest and burped.


    The short man rolled his eyes. ¡°Hughes, scout it out for us. Don¡¯t forget about us when you come back.¡±


    Hughes laughed out loud. ¡°You guys do my job for me tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell you all about it when I get back.¡±


    The short men looked at each other and promised that each of them would help out and cover Hughes¡¯ work for the next day. The condition was that when Hughes returned, he had to explain things to them.


    To the small countries in Southeast Asia, the Daxia Kingdom was like a kingdom in the sky. It seemed that they had to satisfy themselves with the women from the upper countries to hide the inferiority in their hearts.


    Coupled with the fact that they had traveled under cover for over thousands of kilometers and finally found a stable environment, their desire could no longer be sated by their own hands.


    Chen Yingying stopped practicing her archery and pointed at the group of Southeast Asians.


    ¡°Brother, there have been many foreigners in the city these past few days. I have a middle school classmate who was on her way home from her evening self-study session and was almost ambushed by someone.¡±


    Chen Yiming spread out his spiritual power and scanned half of East Lake City. He realized that the Southeast Asians in East Lake City were doing a lot of hard labor such as construction work, unloading vehicles, transporting and chopping meat, as well as some dangerous transportation jobs.


    He frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°These Southeast Asians should have sneaked into the Daxia Kingdom. It¡¯s understandable that they are used as cheap labor, but we should also tighten our control over them and not just leave them to do as they wish.¡±


    Chen Yingying echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. That classmate of mine was almost captured and thrown into the fields. I heard that she doesn¡¯t even dare to leave the house or go to school now.¡±


    Next, Chen Yiming instructed his sister to continue strengthening her foundation and work on the problems he had pointed out. Then, he left the riverside.


    Unlike what Chen Yingying saw on the surface, Chen Yiming could clearly hear the private conversations between the Southeast Asians with his spiritual power.


    Recently, the Southeast Asian countries had fallen into a state of chaos. It seemed that there was a problem along the coastline.


    However, these Southeast Asians did not know what exactly had happened. They only heard that the Daxia Kingdom was the strongest country on the blue planet, so they thought of ways to sneak over. Therefore, this situation happened.


    ¡­


    At 9 pm, the streets were filled with pedestrians.


    At a roadside barbecue stall, the full 10 over tables were filled with customers. The boss was so busy that he barely had time to catch a break.


    At one of the tables, seven or eight Southeast Asians were drinking and eating barbecue.


    ¡°Barlow, drink up,¡± a short and thin man shouted.


    He was covered in grease, and his clothes were tattered and patched up. In addition, he was barefooted, and one could catch a whiff of a strange smell when they walked past him.


    ¡°Cheers! Cheers!¡± Barlow picked up his beer and downed it in one gulp.


    The others did the same and downed their large mugs of beer in one go.


    It was not only the short and thin man. None of the people at the table were clean. If not for their well-defined muscles, one would have thought that they were beggars.


    ¡°This job is too tiring. That supervisor is trying to kill us,¡± the short and thin man grumbled as he downed a mug of beer.


    ¡°What can we do? This is a foreign country. Can you beat up the supervisor?¡± Barlow grinned.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t stand working honestly. I really want to go back to my old job.¡± The short and thin man vented his dissatisfaction under the influence of alcohol.


    The expressions of the others at the table changed, and they lowered their voices. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Didn¡¯t we agree to find a proper job and settle down for the time being?¡±


    The short and thin man curled his lips and downed another mug of beer. He whispered, ¡°I was just saying. It¡¯s not easy to commit murder and arson, but you can at least get some extra income.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The others felt an itch in their hearts when they heard this, but they were still a little hesitant.


    They had ruled over others in their hometown with their rudimentary martial arts skills, and they had never been treated like this before.


    However, this was the Daxia Kingdom. It was said that East Lake City was not a big city yet, but the tall city walls were filled with armed soldiers.


    Everything made it so that no one dared to act rashly.


    The short and thin man lowered his voice. ¡°We can¡¯t let that supervisor think that he can bully us as he pleases. I¡¯ll plan for all of us to be absent from work for a few days. We¡¯ll find a remote place to steal some lunch money.¡±


    Barlow was still a little hesitant. ¡°Are we really going to do that? If we get caught¡­¡±


    The short and thin man did not reply to Barlow. Instead, he poured out beer for everyone at the table. ¡°Working for someone? I¡¯ve never done such hard work in my life.¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll say this first. I¡¯ll go and find a target tonight, whether you guys want to do it or not.¡±


    ¡­


    After class, Chen Yingying and a few female students left along the main road from East Lake Second High.


    These female students were Chen Yingying¡¯s classmates from before she joined the East Lake Martial Arts Academy.


    ¡°Yingying, thank you so much,¡± a girl whose house was further away said as they walked.


    To the middle school students of East Lake City¡¯s Second High, Chen Yingying was a true martial arts expert. Their form teacher had said that she was the most talented student he had ever taught.


    They did not dare to say anything about how things would be in the future, but at least everyone felt relieved tonight.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but why didn¡¯t the school suspend the evening self-study? They must know that the streets are troubled at night,¡± Chen Yingying asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know either. The teacher said that the school is already thinking of a solution. They want us to go home together and try to take the main roads,¡± the girls beside her explained.


    Chen Yingying asked again, ¡°How¡¯s Jiayi¡¯s situation? Is she still not at school?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be attending school for the time being. Her parents came to school today and asked the form teacher to let her take a leave of absence,¡± a girl said.


    Chen Yingying nodded and asked, ¡°Alright! I want to visit Jiayi. Do you guys want to come with me?¡±


    ¡°With you around, Yingying, what are we afraid of? Of course we¡¯ll go together,¡± the girls said in unison.


    The Jiayi they were talking about lived in an old house in the suburbs. Even in the past, the security was only so-so, not to mention the fact that many Southeast Asians had sneaked into the city recently.


    At this time, the cheaper the residence, the more unsafe it was.


    After agreeing, the girls quickened their pace.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family¡¯s house, Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on the balcony. He was using an invisible force to temper his body as he carried out his daily cultivation.


    Comparing the master realm and the warrior realm, there was a huge gap between the power of nature and the internal force. Even though he had two additional talents, his cultivation speed had still slowed down.


    As he felt that he was getting stronger all this while, he did not know when his body would eventually reach a bottleneck.


    The head of the security department of the Chen corporation suddenly called to tell him that Chen Yingying had accidentally killed someone. His voice was trembling.


    In East Lake City, there had always been experts from the security department following Chen Yingying around to eliminate suspicious people and protect her.


    Now that such a thing had happened, when the security minister received the news, his soul was about to leave his body. He was scolding his subordinates right in their faces. This was a serious dereliction of duty. How did they treat their work?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched, but he didn¡¯t think it was anything serious.


    Chen Yingying had hunted mutant beasts and killed creatures from the otherworld. The only thing missing was that she had not killed people. Previously, she had not been completely mentally prepared.


    However, killing people was different from killing mutant beasts. One could not just kill innocent people, right?


    He told Father Chen and Mother Chen, who were watching television, that he was heading out, but did not tell them the details. He then set off to the place where his sister had accidentally killed someone.


    ¡­


    In a district of old houses in the east of East Lake City, a short and thin Southeast Asian man was lying in a pool of blood. Beside him, four other Southeast Asian men were watching the surrounding crowd warily.


    The murder had alarmed all the residents in the area, and onlookers had surrounded the area.


    Chen Yingying and a few girls were not far from the person who had died. There were members of the Chen corporation¡¯s security department separating them from the crowd.


    ¡°We killed someone. Yingying, what do we do?¡± a girl whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! These drunkards have ill intentions. This is self-defense.¡± Chen Yingying pretended to be calm, but her hands were clenched tightly, and her palms were drenched in sweat.


    Killing people and killing mutant beasts were two completely different things.


    This was the first time she had killed a person. Although it was due to a mistake since she did not have a good grasp of her own strength, she felt that she had broken through another barrier in her heart.


    Martial arts was not just a show of fancy moves, but a type of killing technique.


    When Chen Yiming arrived at the scene, the police had yet to arrive. He controlled an invisible force and allowed it to spread out. The crowd felt a force pushing against them and were forced to make way for him.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re here.¡± Chen Yingying instantly relaxed when she saw who it was.


    Chen Yiming walked over and glanced at the Southeast Asian man lying in a pool of blood, then at the security team with their heads lowered. He didn¡¯t say anything.


    What had happened had already happened. Without him saying anything, the Chen corporation would also start thinking about how to deal with it as it should be.


    He could just wait for the police to deal with the rest.


    The four Southeast Asian men saw that the crowd had automatically parted ways for a young man to walk over. Their hearts skipped a beat as they thought to themselves that they had offended someone they could not afford to offend.


    At this moment, the four of them hated the man who had fallen into a pool of blood. It was all his idea. It did not matter if he died, but he had dragged them all down with him.


    ¡°Yingying, is this your brother?¡± a female classmate asked softly as she poked Chen Yingying¡¯s waist.


    Everyone had heard that Chen Yingying had a very powerful brother who had helped her to skip a grade to become a student of the martial arts academy.


    Having a brother like that made her classmates envious.


    Not long after, the sound of police sirens rang out.


    Three police cars arrived at the scene of the crime. More than 10 police officers got out of the cars, along with the mayor of East Lake City, Hong Yi.


    ¡°She¡­¡±


    The four Southeast Asian men were about to explain themselves to the police, hoping that they would be treated in a fair and just manner, but they were immediately dumbfounded.


    The four of them had directly been handcuffed by the police, and the girl who had killed someone did not have anything done to her.


    They did not follow the proper procedures!


    The Daxia Kingdom was a powerful nation, but they were actually bullying the citizens of a small country!


    The four of them roared in their hearts, but they did not dare to make any moves.


    These police officers all had martial arts training, and they were illegal immigrants. They knew in their hearts that they could not resist no matter what. Otherwise, they would be accused of even more crimes.


    ¡­


    That night, East Lake City started a citywide census to thoroughly investigate all the foreigners.


    At some entertainment venues, many people were captured by the police. A Southeast Asian man named Hughes had chosen an overnight package, and he had his pants off, ready to go into battle.


    The police suddenly broke in and pinned him to the ground, and cuffed his hands.


    The lady at the side was caught in the act and exclaimed in fear.

 Chapter 310 - The Sea Monster Holding the Anchor

    At midnight, in a large empty area in the southern suburbs of East Lake City, in the citywide census operation, those who could not produce a residence permit for East Lake City were all gathered here. A small number of them were from other cities and other provinces, but most of them were from Southeast Asia.


    A cordon surrounded these people. Outside were armed police officers who prevented them from starting a riot.


    At this moment, nearly 10,000 people were gathered here. Pots and pans were scattered on the ground, and most of them were Southeast Asian people in tattered clothes. It looked like a refugee camp.


    A few people from the Daxia Kingdom who were not from East Lake City stayed at the edge of the quarantine zone. They cursed and waved their hands at the Southeast Asians from time to time, indicating for them to stay away.


    ¡°Damn it! These illegal immigrants really know how to trick people.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! There were rumors that these Southeast Asians were messing around with a young girl. I¡¯m about to get my residence permit, but it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, we should send all these illegal immigrants to the battlefield. In the past few days, East Lake City has been filled with them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s time for the higher-ups to deal with it. Ever since these cheap laborers came, many jobs have stopped hiring people from the Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    At the same time, the Southeast Asians formed small groups and chatted.


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. Will we be thrown into jail?¡±


    ¡°We made the wrong choice. The only good thing about the Daxia Kingdom is that it is close to us. They don¡¯t even care about people like us who come from Myanmar.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! If I had known earlier, I would have gone to the Never-ending Day Empire. It¡¯s dangerous on the road, but I heard that there is free food there, and the work isn¡¯t that hard.¡±


    ¡­


    In the East Lake City government, after the meeting about the illegal immigrants ended, Chen Yiming walked out of the meeting room. Mayor Hong Yi also walked out with him.


    Hong Yi said helplessly, ¡°With this incident on the sea, Southeast Asia is in chaos. This is only the first batch of refugees. There might be a second and third batch.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s not realistic to block the border. The strange mountain village and the stronghold in the otherworld need our martial arts power to be stationed there.¡±


    Hong Yi continued, ¡°Now that Gui province and Min province have banned these refugees from entering the city, there¡¯s only the Jiangnan province that needs a lot of manpower after opening up two battlefields. Therefore, we turned a blind eye to this situation previously.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at a building that was being renovated and said, ¡°They¡¯re not from the Daxia Kingdom after all. If Jiangnan province encounters a crisis one day, they might become a hidden danger.¡±


    Hong Yi¡¯s expression was solemn. They had discussed this before.


    Jiangnan province was currently the most special province in Daxia Kingdom, or even on the entire blue planet. There were frequent conflicts with the otherworld, and the overall situation was headed towards the development of the otherworld.


    However, there was a huge difference in the amount of manpower and resources needed to develop and defend the city.


    The truth was that in the rocky plains, the territory equivalent to two or three provinces in the Daxia Kingdom had already been cleared out by the spiritual figure. The strongest creatures, the stone golems, had retreated and were in hiding.


    If not for the lack of manpower, the rocky plains would have already been annexed by the Daxia Kingdom.


    Therefore, in secret, the capital, Jiangnan province, and the cities in the province had already reached their limits in their manpower. The refugees from Southeast Asia were like money on the ground for them. They were afraid that if they used too much force, they would scare the people after them away.


    Chen Yiming saw through Hong Yi¡¯s biggest dilemma and hinted, ¡°The miracle blood can¡¯t be hidden for long. When the time comes, Jiangnan province will only attract more attention. There¡¯s no need to be afraid of scaring away the refugees.¡±


    Hong Yi let out a long breath when he heard this. ¡°Recently, there have been more mutant beasts in the wilderness around East Lake City, and only half of the troops sent to surround the strange mountain village have returned. We have to find people to fill this gap.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while longer before Chen Yiming turned to leave.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family¡¯s house, Chen Yingying had already returned.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen had heard from the residents in the district that a foreigner had died in the city. They were telling Chen Yingying to be careful when she went out.


    When Chen Yiming returned, he saw his sister sitting quietly on the sofa. Mother Chen was still nagging beside her. He knew that his sister had not told the two elders that she was the main character in the incident.


    ¡°Son, what¡¯s going on outside? Why did I hear that thousands of people have been captured?¡± Mother Chen asked hurriedly when she saw Chen Yiming enter.


    Chen Yingying took advantage of the fact that Father Chen and Mother Chen were not looking at her to shake her head at Chen Yiming, indicating that he shouldn¡¯t tell them the truth.


    Chen Yiming said casually, ¡°I just returned from the city government. The city has already come up with a solution. They won¡¯t let the chaos continue.¡±


    Mother Chen was relieved to hear this. ¡°That¡¯s good. I almost didn¡¯t dare to go to the market to buy groceries tomorrow.¡±


    Father Chen was very curious and asked, ¡°Yiming, I heard from the neighbors that a refugee camp has been set up in the south of the city. Do you think they will be used as a form of labor?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°Father Chen used to be a chef. Now, he goes to the square every day to brag to others. How did he guess part of it so quickly?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Something like that. East Lake City is expanding rapidly, and we are short of manpower to begin with. Previously, due to various reasons, they didn¡¯t manage it too strictly.¡±


    ¡­


    At 3 am, the police officers in charge of guarding the temporary camp received the order to release the Daxia Kingdom people who did not have a residence permit. The remaining Southeast Asians would be handed over to a team of soldiers.


    There were less than 20 soldiers in this group, but each of them emitted substantial pressure. When one met their gazes, their expressions would freeze.


    Soon, the group of nearly 10,000 Southeast Asians were escorted out of the city by this group of soldiers.


    The police officers looked enviously at the soldiers escorting them away.


    ¡°How strong! I was clearly prepared just now, but my heart still raced when I met their gaze.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If there¡¯s just a dozen people escorting nearly 10,000 people out of the city, without the strength to suppress them, what if they all escape halfway?¡±


    ¡°Go back and have a good rest, then continue your training tomorrow. If you get a chance to go to the otherworld one day, you might be able to take off.¡±


    It was already late at night, but there were still some onlookers nearby.


    When they saw the refugees from Southeast Asia being escorted out of the city by the soldiers, they could not help but clap and cheer.


    Clearly, the refugees from Southeast Asia who had sneaked in were not welcomed by the locals.


    ¡­


    The next day, there were no longer any people who were not from the Daxia Kingdom on the streets of East Lake City. It seemed to have become much cleaner, and the entire city had a different scenery.


    Chen Yingying took the initiative to ask Chen Yiming to be her sparring partner.


    The two of them went to the riverside again. Chen Yiming played the role of a moving target, using irregular movements to simulate actual combat. Chen Yingying played the attacking role and shot out arrow after arrow.


    They practiced for a long time, and Chen Yingying only stopped when she was so tired that her posture had changed and her entire body was drenched in sweat.


    Chen Yingying had landed a few shots on Chen Yiming during this sparring session. At this moment, she asked uncertainly, ¡°Brother, have I improved?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Keep it up.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    He was not lying to his sister. In terms of archery skills, he could be said to be at the level of a grandmaster. After yesterday¡¯s guidance, Chen Yingying¡¯s basic archery skills were closer to perfection, so she had naturally improved greatly.


    However, there was no obvious improvement to be seen today. Many of the archery techniques in the next stage involved the internal force. It was a domain that Chen Yingying could not reach for the time being.


    ¡°When are you bringing me to the otherworld to cultivate again?¡±


    Chen Yingying asked this out of the blue with a serious expression.


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t continue and fell into deep thought.


    It was still unknown what the situation was like on the other side of the space-travel passage in the strange mountain village. Were the treants retreating forever or were they using other secret methods to investigate the situation in Jiangnan province?


    If he arranged for Chen Yingying to stay in the stronghold in the otherworld for a long time to cultivate, without either him or the spiritual figure guarding the stronghold, how could Chen Yiming feel at ease?


    If a powerful flying creature passed by and destroyed the entire stronghold, it would be too late for him to feel regret.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave for the time being. I¡¯ll make the arrangements as soon as possible,¡± Chen Yiming said seriously.


    His attitude towards the battle with the treants had been the same throughout, and he had not changed his stance. He hoped that the treants would reveal their true strength first so that he could make a move to counter them.


    However, from his sister¡¯s expression, he could tell that it was different from before.


    This way, it was naturally not a problem to be a little more flexible. After all, national matters were very important.


    ¡­


    That day, Chen Yiming ended his leisurely life and set off for Jiangnan City.


    Along the way, he saw a group of Southeast Asians repairing the roads between the cities in the wilderness under the supervision of soldiers.


    At this moment, compared to the other provinces in the Daxia Kingdom, the strength of the mutant beasts in Jiangnan province had decreased greatly. Without strong mutant beasts around, the humans who could previously only stay within the city walls began to gain the upper hand.


    This way, the plan to gradually bring the wilderness back under human control had been proposed.


    To do this, the first thing they had to do was to build more roads and wider roads to ensure that the military could quickly provide support if there were any problems at any location.


    Chen Yiming went straight to Wang Ronghui, who was now in charge of all matters in Jiangnan province. The two of them stood on the rooftop of the highest building in the government office area, overlooking the entire Jiangnan City.


    Wang Ronghui had dark circles under his eyes. As soon as Chen Yiming arrived, he complained, ¡°It¡¯s not just the countries in Southeast Asia that are in trouble. The Daxia Kingdom¡¯s East Sea province probably can¡¯t avoid it either.¡±


    Chen Yiming was about to ask about the situation with the treants when Wang Ronghui told him about the problems that East Sea province was facing.


    Half a month ago, a sea monster suddenly appeared on the coastline of Southeast Asia.


    These sea monsters held anchor-like weapons in their hands. They were exceptionally strong, and there was a layer of skin on their bodies, like a layer of biological armor. Their internal force had the water attribute.


    In addition, the reason why the Southeast Asian countries were in such chaos was because more than 10 sea monsters had gathered together. They could create huge waves to cause tsunamis that destroyed the cities near the coastline.


    Chen Yiming asked in surprise, ¡°This sea monster shouldn¡¯t be a native creature from the blue planet, right? Did you notice which space-travel passage it came from?¡±


    Wang Ronghui smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°Ever since the otherworld invaded the blue planet, the sea has become a restricted area. Only those at the peak of the warrior realm dare to move freely on the sea.¡±


    ¡°However, there aren¡¯t many people at this level in a province, let alone in a small Southeast Asian country. They can¡¯t even deal with a sea monster that has come ashore, so how can they have the ability to investigate the situation?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°No wonder so many refugees were forced to pass through the dangerous wilderness and sneak into the Daxia Kingdom. The coastline of Southeast Asia must have been breached by the sea monsters, and the country was in danger of being destroyed.¡±


    It was unknown how many people would die along the way. At the moment, for those who made it into the Daxia Kingdom alive, only the cities in Jiangnan province allowed them to enter.


    However, now that East Lake City was taking the lead to capture the illegal immigrants, the speed at which the other cities followed these actions would not be much slower.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming fell silent.


    Jiangnan province had indirectly benefited from the arrival of the sea monster. He also knew what Wang Ronghui meant by saying that there was a high chance that East Sea province could not avoid it. Everything was obvious.


    After Wang Ronghui told him about the sea monster incident, the two of them quickly started a casual conversation.


    Not long after, the topic changed. Chen Yiming asked Wang Ronghui if Jiangnan province had sent any special troops to enter the space-travel passage in the strange mountain village to investigate the movements of the treants.


    Wang Ronghui smiled bitterly again. ¡°In the past half a month, a team has been sent in every week, but they never returned. There was no news from them at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned solemn. Two teams had entered the space-travel passage a week apart, but neither of them had returned.


    From the looks of it, the treants treated the humans on the blue planet cautiously. There must be some treants guarding the exit of the space-travel passage and stopping the teams that had gone over to investigate.


    Wang Ronghui continued, ¡°Ling Zhongyun, Zhao Shumin, and the other two requested to go in and investigate the situation, but I didn¡¯t allow them to.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly had a thought and said, ¡°The treants didn¡¯t hesitate to start a war and occupy the territory of the black river. The terrain of that area is completely a desert.


    Now that they are guarding it against humans, coupled with the fact that the treants have large roots, could there be something special deep underground?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ It might be the legendary energy mine.¡±


    Wang Ronghui hesitated for a moment before saying in an uncertain tone.


    Chen Yiming was confused. The treants¡¯ actions were obvious. The top human experts had explored the otherworld for many years, so why couldn¡¯t they give him an answer with at least 70% confidence?


    Wang Ronghui organized his thoughts and continued, ¡°It¡¯s still unknown how big the otherworld is. Some experts once guessed that the reason why creatures from the otherworld could evolve or cultivate was because there was something called an energy mine deep underground.


    This type of energy mine was similar to the oil underground on the blue planet, but there was a certain difference. In the otherworld, there were substances called essence energy and spiritual energy. Experts guessed that it was produced by the energy mine.


    However, the soil in the otherworld is much harder than on the blue planet and the depth at which the energy mines might be located could also be far beyond imagination. Furthermore, high-tech equipment can not be used in the otherworld.


    We also asked the martial masters to investigate this. They explored more than 3,000 meters underground, but they didn¡¯t find anything, so we haven¡¯t been able to verify it.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming remained calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.


    The Skill Points in his body were essentially obtained from converting absorbed energy. He had verified this long ago.


    The energy mines that might exist would represent countless Skill Points for him!


    Now that the number of Skill Points needed to increase his talent level was increasing, it was extremely slow to rely on just accumulating Skill Points every day. He wished he could immediately send out the spiritual figure to investigate.


    After all, it could still be revived if it died. But he had to deal with the treants first.

 Chapter 311 - Wiping Out the Sea Monsters

    After leaving the Jiangnan provincial government area, Chen Yiming was still feeling excited. He chose a random direction and walked along the street.


    He had expressed his aspiration when Wang Ronghui mentioned the energy mine, but in reality, Wang Ronghui did not pin much hope on him.


    This was because the strongest human had always been at the master realm.


    At this point, there was no longer a path that his seniors had explored and understood for him to use as a reference. Wang Ronghui didn¡¯t think that Chen Yiming would be able to break through in the next one to two decades.


    This way, discussing the energy mine seriously might only be something that they should consider many years later.


    Chem Yiming passed by a martial arts training center.


    Through the glass window, he saw dozens of young people practicing the basic sword techniques under the guidance of a female teacher.


    ¡°Too slow!¡±


    A thought suddenly appeared in his mind.


    Even though Jiangnan province had successfully established a long-term stronghold in the otherworld, the province was still facing the threat of mutant beasts and the unknown dangers from other space-travel passages.


    It was impossible and unrealistic to send all their forces to the otherworld.


    ¡°Regardless of whether it¡¯s now or in the future, it¡¯s impossible for the Daxia Kingdom to give up on their territory in the blue planet. The otherworld is only a place to plunder resources after all. Perhaps the energy mine is the key to martial arts for all its citizens.¡±


    ¡°Only by nurturing more warriors can we go deeper into the otherworld and discover more energy mines. This way, I can get enough Skill Points to increase my talents,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    As his influence as a martial master gradually spread throughout the eastern provinces of the Daxia Kingdom, he slowly felt invisible chains holding him back.


    Even though he and his spiritual figure had the advantage in numbers, they were often tied down by unexpected events.


    Unless he abandoned everything other than his family, the scope of his authority would only increase. One day, even if he wanted to send out his spiritual figure, he would need to make sure it was suitable to do so.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, another week had passed.


    During this time, Chen Yiming brought Chen Yingying to the provincial biological research institute for a physical examination. After sending his sister back to East Lake City, he secretly went to East Sea province alone.


    He had arranged for the spiritual figure to be stationed near the strange mountain village to ensure that the treants could be suppressed immediately if they made any moves.


    It was said that the sea monsters had broken through the coastal areas of several Southeast Asian countries and had already started to move along the coastline. As a large island in the Daxia Kingdom, East Sea province was facing the danger of the sea monsters causing tsunamis from all directions.


    This was the truth. In the past two days, the news that the sea monsters were about to land on the shore had spread like wildfire to every city in East Sea province, causing everyone to panic.


    However, East Sea province was dozens of kilometers away from the mainland of the Daxia Kingdom. It was not that far away, but since there were aquatic mutant beasts hiding in the sea, it was unrealistic for most people to escape to the mainland of the Daxia Kingdom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that much time to waste on the sea monsters. I have to intimidate the sea monsters all in one go and give the refugees fleeing to the Daxia Kingdom more confidence.¡±


    Chen Yiming stood on the rooftop of a building.


    The surrounding buildings were already empty. The streets were filled with abandoned items, and there were a few supplies left in the shops that had not been taken away in time.


    This was a small city by the sea to the east. Almost everyone had packed their bags and left, gathering in the cities in the middle of East Sea province.


    Near the distant coastline, troops were waiting in formation, their cannons aimed at the sea.


    He looked at the calm sea again and leaped from the building into a mall with a generator. He checked that the spare diesel fuel was still there.


    A few minutes later, when the noise from the generator started, the lights in the mall came on.


    Chen Yiming walked into a shop where the television hadn¡¯t been taken away. He turned on the power and switched to the news channel.


    On the East Sea province¡¯s news station, two experts sat down facing each other.


    The two of them answered various questions, urging the people not to panic since the Daxia Kingdom was not a small country in Southeast Asia.


    The sea monster¡¯s ability was to cause huge waves. Once it reached the land, with its unwieldy body, the army would have plenty of ways to deal with it. As long as they repelled the sea monster a few times, the other party would naturally retreat.


    At that time, the citizens would return to the cities by the sea.


    ¡­


    In the southern sea of East Sea province, about 10 kilometers away from the shore,


    two soldiers carrying weapons were traveling in a speedboat. One was in charge of controlling the direction of the speedboat, and the other was in charge of observing the situation on the surface of the sea.


    The speedboat moved along the designated patrol area.


    The sea was a deep blue, and the coastline was behind them. In front of them was an endless horizon. It was a very monotonous scenery. They could only hear the roar of the engines and the sound of the waves.


    ¡°After the sea monsters come ashore this time, I don¡¯t know if the cities near the coast will be able to recover,¡± the soldier in charge of observing the situation said worriedly.


    What the experts on the news station said was not completely correct. It was mainly to calm the people down and stabilize the situation.


    In reality, as long as the matter with the sea monsters could not be dealt with at its core, even if they were defeated once or twice, who knew if they would return one day?


    ¡°Compared to the countries in Southeast Asia, no matter how bad our situation is, at least someone can help us,¡± the soldier controlling the engine said.


    ¡°Indeed. Although nuclear bombs are not useful at sea, the Daxia Kingdom still has another card to play. The sea monsters can¡¯t cause too much of a stir.¡±


    These two military martial arts experts firmly believed that even if the sea monster could temporarily come ashore, once the situation in East Sea province showed signs of collapse, the new martial master from the Daxia Kingdom would definitely not just stand by and do nothing.


    Not long after, the speedboat reached the furthest point it could go on its patrol route. It drew a long arc and turned around to head towards the coastline.


    The soldier standing at the bow of the ship picked up the device in his hand and looked at it every once in a while. Then, he clicked confirm and sent the data back.


    The device was a small receiving device. On it was a small LCD screen that displayed the signal received in real time.


    Because the sea monsters liked to cause huge waves, the military had placed a large number of surveillance devices in the sea around East Sea province to monitor the flow of seawater.


    ¡­


    On the shore, in a temporary house in the military camp.


    This was the data processing center on the southern sea of East Sea province.


    A soldier in charge of analyzing the data finished his work and turned to ask, ¡°Do you know how many people died in Myanmar this time?¡±


    ¡°It should be a few hundred thousand people!¡±


    ¡°I just saw the latest information. The death toll is more than two million people. In fact, it must be more than that.¡±


    ¡°Gasp! When the sea monsters went ashore, didn¡¯t those people run away?¡±


    Although the staff at the data processing center could only see the cold numbers, it did not stop them from imagining tragic scenes.


    The sea monsters charged into the human cities on huge waves and started a massacre. No one could stop them.


    Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on his back.


    ¡°How could the higher-ups of Myanmar release the real number? The data that just came back was collected by the people we planted in various cities.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I heard that a large number of refugees risked their lives to cross the wilderness and enter our country. Once the true number of casualties is announced, I wonder how many more people will escape.¡±


    Just as everyone was chatting about the situation in Myanmar, a few numbers in the data that were being sent back exceeded the accepted range. However, because there were too few samples, the program did not immediately prompt them and only turned the numbers red.


    For such cases, they had to wait for the entire batch of data to be released before the experts could analyze it and make a judgment.


    ¡­


    Night fell. 12 hours later, the darkness was chased away by the sunlight.


    Chen Yiming woke up on a lounge chair. He could vaguely sense a slight vibration coming from the south. From his experience, it was close to 1,000 kilometers away.


    At this distance, it had already exceeded the distance from his position to the southern coastline. There was a high chance that there was a situation in the sea.


    His sleepiness instantly dissipated. He quickly left the mall and leaped up to the rooftop of the tallest building nearby.


    Looking into the distance, there happened to be an army rushing south.


    ¡°The sea monster should be coming ashore soon,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself. With that, his figure flashed and he rushed towards the southern sea.


    ¡­


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Five kilometers away from the coast, the artillery positions were lined up and firing freely at the surface of the sea.


    On the surface of the sea, huge waves were surging towards the shore. Under the surface of the sea, there were dense black shadows. From time to time, sea monsters holding anchor-like weapons would appear to observe the situation on the shore.


    Occasionally, a cannonball would explode beside the sea monsters. The seawater would first reduce a portion of the attack¡¯s lethality before it landed on the thick layer of skin on the sea monsters¡¯ bodies.


    Most of the cannons could not even leave a black mark on them, and the sea monsters were almost unharmed after the attacks.


    At the moment, the artillery positions were far enough from the coastline that the huge waves caused by the sea monsters could not reach them. As for a tsunami, it needed a cumulative effect. The conflict between the sea monsters and humans was currently in a stalemate.


    Suddenly, half of a huge sea monster¡¯s body surfaced.


    The skin on its back was different from that of ordinary sea monsters. Not only did it have barbs, but it also emitted a dark golden glow.


    It suddenly raised its head, opened its mouth, and spat out a long stream of water.


    A faint golden light flowed on the surface of the water beam. It was like a high-pressure water gun that crossed a few kilometers and shot towards the artillery formation.


    In the next moment, the artillery formation was swept away by the water beam from left to right.


    The soldiers were still aiming, reloading, and firing. Many of them were hit by the water beam and exploded. Suddenly, there were heavy casualties, and blood was everywhere.


    There were powerful sea monsters ambushing the artillery troops.


    This scene happened too quickly, just in the blink of an eye. It caught all of them off guard.


    In just a few seconds, nearly 100 soldiers had died.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    There was not only one artillery formation. The other artillery troops immediately opened fire to provide support. The black artillery shells that filled the sky drew an arc and landed in the area where the powerful sea monster was.


    However, the sea monster ignored the incoming cannonball and spat out another stream of water.


    The attacks from both sides hit each other almost at the same time. This time, there was time to react. When the water beam shot out, everyone immediately dodged it. Only a few people who could not dodge it were killed.


    On the other hand, the sea monster allowed countless shells to explode on its body, and a layer of golden light appeared on its skin.


    The artillery shells that filled the sky could not cause any damage and only caused a huge splash. This also caused the balance of the war to tilt, and more sea monsters boldly surfaced.


    There were thousands of sea monsters, and half of their bodies were hidden in the huge waves. When the artillery troops saw this scene, the officer immediately ordered them to retreat.


    Fighting the sea monsters at sea was disadvantageous to the humans. The artillery had originally planned to slow down the sea monster¡¯s speed of reaching the shore and give the rear some time to react.


    Now that the situation had changed, the sea monsters seemed to be on the verge of launching a full-scale attack. They had to retreat immediately and preserve their strength to fight the sea monsters on land.


    Just as the powerful sea monster was about to spew out a third stream of water, an arrow emitting a white light tore through the air at the speed of light.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, the arrow successfully hit its target.


    Accompanied by the blood that filled the sky, a white light spread out for more than 10 kilometers.


    Within this range, the air seemed to have distorted, and an invisible force pressed down on the surface of the sea.


    Immediately after, amidst the cries of the soldiers at the artillery camp, a deep pit more than 10 kilometers wide appeared on the surface of the sea. The surface of the sea around the pit instantly rose by hundreds of meters, as if there was suddenly a huge pillar there.


    However, this unimaginable phenomenon quickly disappeared. A larger and taller wave attacked the shore, and it was about 1,000 meters tall, blocking the huge pillar from sight.


    ¡°This!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over! It¡¯s too late!¡±


    At this moment, the countless soldiers seemed to have seen death.


    After all, a distance of five kilometers was nothing to a 1,000-meter wave. Most of the soldiers would not be able to withstand the impact of such a huge wave.


    Just as everyone¡¯s bodies stiffened and their faces turned pale, a figure landed in front of the huge wave. From the back, he had short black hair and seemed very young.


    The young man threw out a punch, and an invisible force similar to before erupted. A white light outshone the sun in the sky, and the soldiers¡¯ vision was filled with white.


    When the soldiers closed their eyes and opened them again, their vision had returned to normal. They saw that the huge wave had been blown apart into countless water droplets and was moving back.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Is he still human?¡±


    Looking at the sea that had been dyed red in front of them, this was the only thought that everyone had.


    ¡­


    In the military camp, Chen Yiming shook hands with the highest-ranking official.


    ¡°Hello! My name is Liu Wenjun, the division commander of the artillery division. We didn¡¯t receive any notice and weren¡¯t prepared at all. Thank you so much for taking the time to come over.¡±


    How many people in the Daxia Kingdom could cause such destructive power with one strike?


    Seeing his young appearance, there was no need to verify who it was.


    Liu Wenjun was very enthusiastic. He held his hand for a long time before letting go, as if they were old friends who had been separated for many years.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Chen Yiming frowned, he didn¡¯t know how long he would have held on to his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Division Commander Liu. The sea monsters shouldn¡¯t dare to come ashore again for the time being. I¡¯ll go to the surrounding sea to confirm the situation,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    ¡°How can that be? You came all the way to support East Sea province. We haven¡¯t even had the chance to thank you yet!¡±


    Liu Wenjun turned to the communications officer beside him and instructed, ¡°Xiao Zhou, you¡¯re in charge of taking care of him.¡±


    He turned back to Chen Yiming and said, ¡°Xiao Zhou is my communications officer. He knows most of the situation, so I asked him to accompany you.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Unable to dissuade Commander Liu, Chen Yiming agreed to it.


    Liu Wenjun quickly left and reported the news that Chen Yiming had appeared in East Sea province and wiped out the first batch of sea monsters.

 Chapter 312 - Post-War Report

    Zhou Yong was Liu Wenjun¡¯s communications officer. He had a well-proportioned figure and walked with his head held high. He looked to be in his twenties and was full of energy.


    Chen Yiming and Zhou Yong arrived at the seaside and saw the limbs of the sea monsters floating messily on the surface of the sea. Some distance away, there were aquatic mutant beasts that quickly jumped out of the water to grab at pieces of the sea monsters¡¯ bodies before escaping far away.


    If not for the fact that there were many sea monster parts and the temptation was too great, the aquatic mutant beasts would not have dared to approach the battlefield after such a short time.


    Chen Yiming could vaguely sense a pair of eyes observing the coast from within the endless sea. It was very likely that it was the king of the sea monsters or some powerful mutant beast from the bottom of the sea.


    However, since they were dozens of kilometers away, it was difficult to pinpoint their exact location. Even if Chen Yiming rushed over immediately, it would be easy for the other party to hide.


    As expected, the other party seemed to have sensed something and the gaze from the deep sea disappeared.


    ¡°The probability of it being a sea monster is high. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    Seeing this, Zhou Yong wanted to ask about it but did not dare to.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°If your Division Commander Liu asks about this later, tell him that the threat of the sea monster has been eliminated.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Yong¡¯s mind was in a mess when he heard this, and he replied loudly.


    Soon, the two of them returned to the camp from the beach.


    Previously, part of the camp had been destroyed by the water beam spat out by the sea monster. After some emergency repairs, other than some traces of damage, the camp had basically been rebuilt.


    ¡°Communications Officer Zhou, you¡¯re back! The sea monster¡­¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Yong was not alone and that there was an unfamiliar young man beside him, the voice stopped.


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the camp and saw dozens of people gathered there. Their auras weren¡¯t weak, and the biggest difference from the surrounding soldiers was that they weren¡¯t wearing military uniforms.


    ¡°Zhou Yong, aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡±


    A woman with a hot figure smiled as she turned her gaze from Zhou Yong to Chen Yiming.


    Zhou Yong was stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted and introduced them to Chen Yiming. ¡°They are the leaders, sect masters, and bosses of the large martial arts factions in East Sea province. The sea monsters have come ashore from the southern sea. Everyone, quickly send reinforcements over from the other areas in East Sea province.¡±


    After a pause, he introduced him to everyone. ¡°Everyone might have only heard of his name but never seen him in person. This is Chen Yiming, the new martial master from Jiangnan province in the Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Welcome! Welcome!¡±


    A round of applause rang out in the camp. Everyone had already guessed the young man¡¯s true identity and wanted to get to know him.


    Li Peilan smiled, her eyes burning.


    She was the woman with the hot figure who had taken the initiative to speak.


    In addition, the reason she was the first to react was that she had participated in the fight for the willow tree cores on the island.


    The masked man appeared for the first time in East Lake City and became famous after the battle on Mist Island. He suppressed the sect masters of many large sects and then disappeared without a trace. After that, a martial master appeared from East Lake City.


    A line could be drawn from these clues. The masked man and Chen Yiming were the same person. On the surface, no one dared to say anything, but in private, it was no longer a secret.


    However, she did not expect to get to know a legendary figure on such an occasion. It was really difficult for her to remain calm.


    To her, Chen Yiming¡¯s speed of breaking through was like a rocket soaring into the sky. It was something she could only dream of achieving.


    However, the other party was extremely young. It was said that he was not even 20 years old and had only stepped onto the path of martial arts for less than two years.


    In comparison, she suddenly felt that she was extremely mediocre. Her 10 years of bitter cultivation had been wasted.


    The applause lasted for more than a minute, but there was no sign of it stopping. No one wanted to be the first to stop.


    Chen Yiming turned away from the crowd and instructed Zhou Yong to bid farewell to Division Commander Liu for him. Only then did the applause gradually stop.


    ¡°The difference in strength is too great. There¡¯s no basis for peaceful communication,¡± he thought to himself.


    The smiles on the faces of the people in front of him were a little stiff. They did not dare to say anything rash, and even if they did speak, they would say something polite. It was all just meaningless conversation.


    ¡°Sir, we met once on Mist Island. Do you remember me?¡±


    The atmosphere in the camp was a little awkward. Seeing that Chen Yiming was about to leave, Li Peilan walked over to get close to him.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s face almost turned red as he quickly coughed to hide his embarrassment.


    As the masked man, he had done some shameful things in his early days. For example, he had forcefully taken someone else¡¯s wife, forcefully taken the items obtained by the Kunshan Sect from the auction, and sneaked into other sects to steal their cultivation techniques¡­


    Of course, as he became a martial master, all these things seemed to have turned into smoke and disappeared. The Jiangnan provincial government pretended that nothing had happened. At most, people would only dare to discuss it in private.


    This was the first time he had seen someone as straightforward as Li Peilan.


    ¡°Rumor has it that a team of maritime explorers saw an island filled with sea monsters¡­¡±


    Li Peilan had achieved her goal and took the initiative to change the topic.


    Chen Yiming looked at the woman. She had big breasts and a perky butt. She was wearing a tight-fitting bra and a pair of shorts, revealing her firm waistline.


    However, he had never seen her on the trip to Mist Island. It was also possible that the other party was just a small fry and had not participated in any real battles.


    He stared at the deep groove in the other party¡¯s chest. He took in the sight as payment for making him feel awkward. Then, he said, ¡°An unfamiliar island on the sea? Can it only be seen in the distance and its exact location cannot be determined?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether this is true or not, it¡¯s too far from the capital of the Daxia Kingdom. It¡¯s meaningless to make a move. Besides, the threat of the treants has yet to be completely resolved. How can we have the time to start a war with the sea monsters?¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Even the communications officer, Zhou Yong, held his breath. They thought it over repeatedly.


    The Southeast Asian countries that were being ravaged by the sea monsters were not far from East Sea province. They only needed to put in some extra effort to deter the sea monsters, just like what had happened earlier.


    From their reaction, Chen Yiming realized that he had revealed his thoughts.


    However, he did not care. When he returned to Jiangnan province, the news would quickly spread and be interpreted freely by various parties.


    The reason was that there were times when the difference between them and the martial masters was like the difference between heaven and earth. The Sam Nation¡¯s Rover was completely held back in the Daxia Kingdom. Even if the small and medium-sized countries in Southeast Asia knew about it, it was a separate matter whether they dared to condemn him.


    Furthermore, the possibility of an energy mine made Chen Yiming extremely excited. It was easy to find an excuse not to help with this problem.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When the topic turned to the level of the entire country, Li Peilan immediately lost her composure and fell silent.


    For those who had not reached a certain level, it would be a disaster if they knew too much. There would be endless trouble coming their way in the future.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming knew that this woman had chickened out. For some reason, he felt secretly pleased with himself. He continued to chat about his opinion of the war against the treants.


    As everyone listened, their expressions changed. Even the surrounding guards held their breaths as quietly as possible, unwilling to miss a single word.


    The same words would have a different impact on different people. Coincidentally, Chen Yiming was the one who could influence the situation of the country with just his words and actions.


    He took the initiative to talk about the war with the treants. Perhaps this was the direction the wind would blow in the future, just like the development of the stronghold in the otherworld.


    Everyone had their own thoughts about such a huge piece of news. For example, Zhou Yong, the communications officer, only wanted to report the news as soon as possible.


    Another example was some people who were already thinking that they had to leave for Jiangnan province as soon as possible.


    There were also some people who had no intention of getting involved and were thinking about how to use it to exchange for benefits with others at the right time.


    Chen Yiming deliberately released the news that he might take the initiative to attack the treants. After talking for nearly 10 minutes, he found an excuse to leave the camp.


    Zhou Yong left with Chen Yiming, leaving everyone else looking at each other.


    After a while, someone sighed. ¡°Is this the power of a martial master?¡±


    Someone at the side let out a long breath. ¡°The big picture¡­¡±


    ¡­


    On the news station in East Sea province, a beautiful announcer could not hide the excitement on her face as she reported the latest situation in the southern sea.


    ¡°News from the front says that the sea monsters that came ashore have been wiped out¡­¡±


    After reading the script, pictures of the scene appeared on the screen. The sea was dyed red with blood, and it was calm and silent. Broken limbs could be seen floating everywhere.


    The countless people who were gathered in the central cities of East Sea province, whether they were at home, in the squares, or in the shopping malls, were all watching the news.


    Seeing this scene, most of the people jumped up and cheered loudly. They shouted until their voices were hoarse and their faces were red.


    At the same time, the entire city was in an uproar. The streets, residential districts, and wide squares were completely blocked. Their field of view was filled with people celebrating the victory over the sea monsters.


    Some time ago, the coastlines of Southeast Asia had been breached by sea monsters. This news frightened everyone, and they were afraid that the East Sea province, which was separated from the mainland, would suffer the same fate.


    Countless people had fled from the cities near the sea. Previously, they had been suppressing their emotions, but now, they were extremely excited. They were glad that they were born in the powerful Daxia Kingdom and not some small country.


    The scene changed, and two old experts walked up.


    ¡°Hello, experts!¡±


    ¡°Hello, announcer!¡±


    The announcer greeted them and turned to introduce two old experts to the audience. One was doing research on the marine environment, and the other was doing research on marine life.


    The two old experts spoke in unison and praised Chen Yiming for his strength.


    Then, they presented a few captured battle scenes to the camera. After playing them for the camera, they returned and analyzed them one by one.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Countless people in the audience who were still watching the news gasped.


    The sea was the ultimate force of nature in people¡¯s minds. For example, when the sea moved slightly, a tsunami rushed up the coast, and everything along the way was destroyed.


    But now, it was being easily crushed by a single person. A white light easily changed the shape of the sea. A huge wave that was 1,000 meters tall was shattered with a single punch¡­


    After analyzing the battle scenes, the topic changed.


    ¡°Have the sea monsters only retreated temporarily?¡±


    ¡°Will the sea monsters dare to make a comeback?¡±


    ¡°Does East Sea province have the ability to deal with the sea monsters?¡±


    The two old experts gave their analysis of the sea monsters¡¯ behavior from the habits of the sea monster as a sea creature, the special environment of the sea that was different from land, the conflict between humans and the sea monsters, and so on.


    In the end, they concluded that although there might be sea monsters occasionally appearing in the surrounding sea, the situation of a large number of sea monsters coming ashore in East Sea province would not happen again.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming, who had left the camp, didn¡¯t return to his previous resting spot. Instead, he walked along the surface of the sea for about 100 kilometers.


    He tried to track the sea monster for a while, but the bottom of the sea was different from on land. The sea monster did not leave any traces, so he found an unknown island to settle down on.


    The island was less than a kilometer wide. Other than some rocks and trees, there was only damp mud. There were no mutant beasts on the island.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave after intimidating the sea monster again,¡± he muttered to himself and transformed into a 100-meter-tall giant. Then, he sat cross-legged in the middle of the island and began to practice the cultivation technique of the giants.


    The clouds in the sky were originally very quiet, but suddenly, vortexes began to stir the entire sky. An invisible barrier covered the entire island, including a large area of the sea.


    Although Chen Yiming controlled all the pressure to focus on himself, the scene of the abnormal phenomenon and the huge aura coming from the sky still spread far and wide.


    The underwater creatures living around the island fought to escape from the vicinity. They only stopped again when they were dozens of kilometers away.


    ¡­


    In the data processing center of the military camp, the staff were so busy that they did not even have time to take a sip of water. The machine was also running at full capacity, and paper filled with data kept coming out of the printer.


    ¡°This¡­ this is too much!¡±


    A staff member put together a few pieces of data and got the results from the corresponding analysis. He could not help but curse under his breath.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Another staff member asked without turning his head as he focused on what he was doing.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it at all. The energy fluctuation from that arrow was greater than a nuclear explosion.


    Moreover, this isn¡¯t just a little bigger. From the data, it¡¯s on a completely different level. Other than radiation, the energy level of a nuclear explosion is much weaker.¡±


    ¡°Are your eyes playing tricks on you?¡± a female staff member asked doubtfully, ¡°The energy intensity of nuclear bombs and attacks from the master realm has always been equivalent. The difference in strength is fixed in the same range, so the difference won¡¯t be too great.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Then come over and help me check if there are any mistakes in my analysis.¡±


    There was no hesitation in his words. He firmly believed that he had made no mistakes.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, we have a lot of things to do! Aren¡¯t you making things difficult for us?¡± someone said.


    Actually, everyone was tempted, but the military officer had urged them to analyze the report after the battle. If they delayed the important matters at hand, those who were slow would not only have to write a self-reflection letter, but might also be punished.


    As staff members of the data processing center, they could check the information at any time, so everyone was still doing what they needed to do.


    ¡°Alright! Alright! Alright! I¡¯ll make a copy for each of you. Take some time to read it when you have the time.¡± The person called Brother Zhang cursed.


    Soon, more than 10 copies of the data were placed on the desks of the others.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Zhang!¡± Everyone thanked him in unison.


    Those who could work in the military¡¯s data processing center were not only talented in martial arts, but also had extraordinary intelligence. Those who were not intelligent would not be able to take on this job.


    They used the downtime when binding the reports and while the machines were printing out the data to take a few glances at it and analyze it in their hearts.


    10 minutes later, ¡°Eh? It seems¡­¡±


    Half an hour later, ¡°Tsk! Could it be that the data collected is wrong?¡±


    Many people¡¯s expectations were broken. Then, they put down what they were doing and picked up the data report beside them to analyze it.


    ¡°This data seems to show that it was stronger than what we saw,¡± a staff member exclaimed.


    ¡°Of course. You, me, and him are all newbies in martial arts. We only have a little cultivation experience. We¡¯re not those martial arts experts, so how can we judge accurately with our naked eyes?¡± Brother Zhang muttered.


    ¡°Not many people in the entire Daxia Kingdom can reach the level of those martial arts experts you mentioned,¡± someone retorted.


    ¡°Hey! We got off topic. This isn¡¯t the important thing now, but¡­¡± Brother Zhang frowned and reminded him.


    However, before he could finish speaking, footsteps sounded from outside.


    The frequency of the footsteps was much higher than usual. The staff of the data processing center could tell from the sound that they were here to rush them for the report after the battle.


    Therefore, the dozen or so people quickly stopped their discussion and busied themselves with the tasks at hand.

 Chapter 313 - Super Newcomer Yuan Chengwei

    Two days had passed since the sea monsters that had landed on the shore were completely wiped out.


    Speedboats carrying martial arts experts cruised the area near the sea, leaving behind a large number of underwater detectors to send back real-time recordings.


    The news of the victory was widely publicized in various ways. Celebrations were held in the cities one after another, like a banquet where everyone was invited.


    The people who had gathered in the cities in the middle of the island also started to return to their hometown. The wilderness was filled with people traveling in groups.


    All kinds of signs indicated that Chen Yiming had killed the invading sea monsters. In the end, just as expected, East Sea province seemed to have walked out of the shadow cast by the sea monsters.


    On the unknown island, Chen Yiming ended his cultivation and returned to his normal size from a 100-meter-tall giant.


    At the same time, the vortex storm in the clouds gradually dissipated, and the oppressive aura that enveloped a radius of dozens of kilometers suddenly disappeared. This made the nearby underwater creatures feel like a natural disaster had passed.


    He took one last look at the horizon. The sea was very calm, and only small waves were left hitting each other. Therefore, he turned around and left.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming returned home and walked into the living room. He realized that lunch was being prepared.


    ¡°Did you settle what you have to do?¡± Mother Chen put down the spatula and turned to ask.


    The news channel in East Lake City had broadcasted the news from East Sea province. The Chen family knew that Chen Yiming had killed the sea monsters that had attacked them. Now that her son had returned safely, Mother Chen felt relieved.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and realized that there was a set of documents on the coffee table.


    The documents were in a brown envelope, and Chen Yingying¡¯s name was written in the middle. In the lower right corner was written: Jiangnan Province Biological Research Institute.


    He sat down on the sofa and opened the brown envelope. Inside was a physical examination report.


    After flipping through it briefly, the report listed the results from Chen Yingying¡¯s various checkups. Almost all the items that the miracle blood could be used to improve were green.


    As Chen Yiming had made it clear that he didn¡¯t need the miracle blood to purify the blood essence of other living creatures, there wasn¡¯t any information related to this.


    Mother Chen placed the freshly cooked meat on a plate and placed it on the dining table.


    ¡°You brought Yingying for that physical examination last time. I read the report. Are you going to inject that thing called the miracle blood into her body?¡±


    Her words carried a hint of concern.


    Bloodline warriors had always been something that many people paid attention to in private. They represented an opportunity to defy the heavens and change one¡¯s fate.


    However, the benefits came with risks. There had never been a perfect solution to the issue of rejection. Failure often meant death. Mother Chen did not know much about the miracle blood, but she knew that it would be considered a foreign substance by Chen Yingying¡¯s body.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°When did I say I wanted to inject the ¡®miracle blood¡¯ into her body? That¡¯s the path of a bloodline warrior. This ¡®miracle blood¡¯ is to be used as an ointment by Chen Yingying to improve her physique.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Mother Chen was stunned for a moment before she heaved a sigh of relief.


    If it was applied as an ointment, there was no problem. Mother Chen had used a similar treatment when she was feeling unwell in the past.


    ¡­


    At night, the family sat on the sofa and watched television.


    East Lake City¡¯s television station broadcasted an interview. The camera was focused on a handsome man in his twenties, and beside him was a beautiful reporter holding a microphone.


    The reporter said, ¡°Yuan Chengwei, how did you feel when you dared to take on such a dangerous mission at such a young age?¡±


    Yuan Chengwei said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much about it at that time. I thought that I was the most suitable candidate, so I accepted the mission. However, I was still a little afraid after that.¡±


    The reporter said, ¡°For the second question, the outside world is saying that you are number one among all the martial arts academies in the Daxia Kingdom. Do you have any experience or any thoughts you want to share with us?¡±


    Yuan Chengwei said, ¡°I am very grateful to my teachers, my parents, thank you so much¡­¡±


    The interview continued. Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow. Chen Yingying was staring intently at the television, as if she only had eyes for the young man called Yuan Chengwei.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    He coughed and asked, ¡°Have you been practicing your archery while I was in East Sea province?¡±


    Chen Yingying was still focused on the television and did not hear him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze. He picked up a glass of water and took a sip to calm himself down.


    After five minutes, the interview ended. Chen Yingying turned around and said, ¡°Brother, Yuan Chengwei is so powerful. He actually dared to enter the space-travel passage alone and bring back information about the treants.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s temples tensed up. He had a bad feeling about this.


    Chen Yingying continued, ¡°Brother, did you know? Now, the martial arts academy is talking about how Yuan Chengwei, the super rookie, is the next you. He¡¯s so amazing!¡±


    At this point, adoration appeared in her eyes.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming felt indescribably uncomfortable. It felt like a portion of what originally belonged to him had been taken away by someone else.


    Along with this, his impression of ¡°Yuan Chengwei¡± became so cold that it was freezing. However, for some reason, he suddenly felt that something was amiss.


    From the interview, he learned that Yuan Chengwei was a student at the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy. He used wood-based internal force and could control plants.


    However, he had never heard of this person before. It was as if he had suddenly appeared and coincidentally completed a dangerous mission that others had not been able to complete.


    ¡°A sudden rise?¡±


    ¡°Treated as my successor?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was trying to push things too far and over-publicize himself, his situation was indeed a little similar to Chen Yiming.


    However, Chen Yiming still felt that there might be something amiss. He didn¡¯t believe that there would be someone else like him who had the help of the martial arts talent system.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming rushed to Jiangnan City at dawn.


    Of the four people from the capital, only the middle-aged man, Zhu Song, was present. Ling Zhongyun, Zhao Shumin, and Jiang Kai were all on missions and had been assigned to the border of Gui province. As for what they were doing, it was unknown.


    Yuan Chengwei was definitely a person of interest to the Jiangnan city government. It seemed a little inappropriate to look for Wang Ronghui, so he went to look for Zhu Song.


    ¡°Everyone knows your intentions. The three of them have gone to the border to eliminate the mutant beasts in the wilderness,¡± Zhu Song said with a smile as he brewed a pot of hot tea.


    Chen Yiming had killed the sea monsters that had landed on the shore in East Sea province, which had greatly increased the influence of the Daxia Kingdom. However, he had stopped there and didn¡¯t help the Southeast Asian countries defeat the sea monsters that had landed on their shores.


    This way, a large number of refugees only had three choices left. They could either stay where they were and pray for the sea monsters to retreat, head to the cities inland, or leave their homes and head to the powerful Daxia Kingdom.


    Those who stayed behind were either fools or those who were not afraid of death.


    At this moment, refugees were already forbidden from entering the cities inland. Staying in the wilderness around the city for a long time was equivalent to sending oneself directly to the mouths of mutant beasts.


    In order to survive, most people were forced to go north to the Daxia Kingdom.


    Chen Yiming coughed and reminded him, ¡°Cough, cough! Keep it down. Don¡¯t let others expose this. I won¡¯t admit to this if others start talking about it.¡±


    Zhu Song continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The three of them will only be going to kill the powerful mutant beasts. They are not allowed to interfere in anything else.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and changed the topic. ¡°I heard that a very powerful young man called Yuan Chengwei suddenly appeared in Jiangnan City?¡±


    Zhu Song explained, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him a few times in the military camp. His martial arts talent is indeed excellent, but his personality is a little bad. He¡¯s too arrogant and looks down on everyone.¡±


    Chen Yiming recalled Yuan Chengwei in front of the camera. He had a confident and tenacious expression on his face, like a cheerful boy. From the looks of it, he was doing this for the sake of publicity.


    He instantly felt relieved. It turned out that Yuan Chengwei was not a threat to him at all. That way, he just had to tell his sister the truth.


    Zhu Song continued, ¡°After Yuan Chengwei broke through to the warrior realm, he displayed an extraordinary talent for the wood-attribute internal force. He is comparable to a natural bloodline warrior. Not only can he control plants at will, but he can also fuse with them and completely conceal his aura.


    In addition, his cultivation level had broken through to the peak of the warrior realm quickly like a train. That was why he could accept such a dangerous mission as a student of the martial arts academy.


    However, the rumors about his martial arts talent are getting more and more exaggerated. At the half-step master realm, there is no shortcut for the transformation of spiritual power. It can only be completed after years of hard work.


    If we can really create such miracles one after another, there would be more than just a handful of martial masters.¡±


    Towards the end, Zhu Song praised him, but hinted that Yuan Chengwei would be stuck for the time being. It was impossible for him to become a martial master like Chen Yiming.


    The two of them chatted for a while more. Chen Yiming learned from Zhu Song that the cave at the entrance of the space-travel passage had been razed to the ground and was now tightly surrounded by three treants.


    In addition, the entire desert was occupied by the treants, and there were more of them than when they started the invasion.


    ¡­


    In the open-air camp in the wilderness outside Jiangnan City.


    This was a newly built bloodline warrior training base in Jiangnan province. There were all kinds of equipment and experienced instructors.


    Dozens of strong men and women were resting on the equipment beside them after their daily cultivation.


    Around this equipment, many solid steel balls were placed. Their weight started from one ton and increased by half a ton at each step. The largest steel ball weighed 10 tons.


    ¡°The blood essence that has fused with the miracle blood is really different. The side effects are almost negligible, and the body doesn¡¯t seem to be tired at all. No matter what, it can recover quickly. I feel that with two more injections, I will definitely be able to obtain the internal force,¡± a bald man said loudly.


    Bloodline warriors were different from those who pursued pure martial arts. Pure martial arts required one to learn and draw the concept diagram to obtain the internal force.


    As for bloodline warriors, as long as the concentration of certain factors in their blood reached a certain level, they would naturally have the corresponding internal force.


    The man with the buzz cut disagreed and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not as optimistic as you. Strength is strength, and internal force is internal force. The sudden increase in strength often gives people a mistaken perception. It might be better not to have it.¡±


    The woman who had tied up her hair added, ¡°I think so too. Besides, it¡¯s impossible for the research institute to have an unlimited supply of the miracle blood. 10 injections might seem like a lot, but it might have been our mistake. Actually, 10 injections might not be enough in the end.¡±


    The bald man did not care about his companions¡¯ pessimism. The 10 injections they were given placed a lot of pressure on everyone in the training base. If they did not succeed, they would be eliminated and a new member would be replaced.


    However, even if he did not obtain internal force in the end, these 10 injections of blood essence could still help him transform into a warrior candidate.


    If he failed as a bloodline warrior, he could still walk the normal path of martial arts. Cultivating the concept diagram corresponding to the blood essence was much easier than purely walking the path of martial arts.


    In short, since the issue of rejection had been eliminated from the path of the bloodline warriors, the threshold for possessing internal force was greatly reduced.


    Not long after, an instructor in a dark green military uniform walked over.


    Dozens of gazes immediately focused on the officer. The desire on their faces was even stronger than the lust for a goddess. If it was anyone else but the instructor, goosebumps would have appeared all over their bodies.


    Because most of these gazes were from men.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be anxious. There¡¯s a problem with the supply of miracle blood from the research institute. It will take about a week to go back to normal.¡±


    The instructor faced their gazes and explained everything to them.


    ¡°No way? Will a week without it affect our progress?¡±


    Many people were worried about this.


    For a moment, they started to whisper to the people around them.


    The instructor clapped his hands together, indicating for everyone to be quiet. Then, he continued,


    ¡°There are only benefits and no disadvantages to a week without the injections. Everyone, you can use this time to fully tap into the potential of the blood essence you injected earlier.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone felt much better.


    Although only the relevant researchers could confirm the authenticity of this statement, it was true from the perspective of cultivation. The concentration of blood essence in one¡¯s body would not decrease for no reason, and more cultivation time would not be a bad thing in theory.


    Perhaps someone who was lucky enough could rely on this one week to turn their failure into a breakthrough.


    ¡­


    Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute.


    Chen Yiming came to this place after finding out some things from Zhu Song.


    He had made an agreement with the institute head, Wu Weiguo, to give Chen Yingying some miracle blood for her daily cultivation.


    After reporting to the soldiers guarding the entrance, two to three minutes later, a woman in a white coat walked over from the entrance of the laboratory building not far away.


    Chen Yiming sized her up from the corner of his eye.


    This woman was 1.75 meters tall. If not for the loose white coat covering her figure, she should have a curvy figure. Her long legs revealed that her body had a golden ratio.


    In his heart, he thought that this woman¡¯s appearance was close to full marks. The only flaw was her cold expression, which gave off a feeling that she was a thousand miles away.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Wu Weiguo¡¯s daughter, Wu Susu. I¡¯m also a researcher at the research institute.¡±


    The woman stopped two meters away and took the initiative to greet him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s reaction speed was unimaginable. He didn¡¯t reveal any flaws and pretended to be serious as he extended his hand. ¡°Is Head Wu not at the research institute?¡±


    Wu Susu frowned slightly, but she still reached out to shake Chen Yiming¡¯s hand. ¡°My father went to the capital for something and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Chen Yiming said casually and let go of her hand.


    He thought to himself, ¡°Her personality is a little cold, but her skin is smooth and soft. I¡¯ve been rewarded by getting a chance to touch it.¡±


    Then, the two of them walked side by side towards the laboratory building.


    Chen Yiming asked Wu Susu about the progress of the research on the miracle blood. Wu Susu told him what she knew and didn¡¯t hide anything.


    The only thing that made him uncomfortable was that the other party¡¯s tone was a little cold.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. He just treated Wu Susu as a researcher who was focused on her research and wasn¡¯t interested in anything else.

 Chapter 314 - The Change Brought About by the Miracle Blood

    10 minutes later, Chen Yiming and Wu Susu came out of the laboratory building. He was carrying a special box that was silver in color and had a high-tech lock. There were 500 tubes of the miracle blood in it.


    At the same time, he took in Wu Susu¡¯s expression from the corner of his eye.


    When institute head Wu¡¯s daughter heard him say that he would take 500 tubes from the secret underground chamber, her cold expression finally changed. In an instant, her expression froze.


    500 tubes were about half a month¡¯s production. He had almost wiped out the entire stock of miracle blood in the secret underground chamber.


    This gap not only caused many research projects to stagnate, but also affected the cultivation of bloodline warriors. However, Wu Weiguo¡¯s instructions before he left made it impossible for Wu Susu to reject him.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°After receiving the ball of flesh that produces the miracle blood, the research at the institute doesn¡¯t seem to be progressing well.


    You have to know that the Sam Nation can exchange miracle blood for benefits at the national level. They definitely have to guarantee that they will have enough for themselves first. It¡¯s impossible for them to only produce about 1,000 tubes a month.¡±


    Wu Susu¡¯s face turned pale and she quickly explained, ¡°The problem lies in the nutrient solution. The research institute has just reached an agreement with the military.


    However, the military is also very short-handed, so they need some time to form a special unit that serves the research institute.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and continued, ¡°This problem is easy to resolve. The blood essence of a powerful creature is more effective than any nutrient solution. Leave your number with me. I¡¯ll contact you when I find something suitable.¡±


    When Wu Susu heard this, a look of joy appeared on her face. She didn¡¯t think too much about it and said, ¡°Thank you so much. My number is 133¡­ I¡¯ll definitely turn it on 24 hours a day. I guarantee that you can contact me at any time.¡±


    This time, Chen Yiming felt a little apologetic. He had been mostly bragging earlier.


    He would be a failure if he made a woman wait for his call without actually intending to call her. However, he could not go back on his word.


    Soon, under Wu Susu¡¯s longing gaze, Chen Yiming left the research institute with the special box.


    ¡­


    As he crossed the street in front of the city government area, signs for recruitment could be seen everywhere.


    Chen Yiming stopped and took a look. He realized that most of the recruitment requirements on the sign stated that one¡¯s strength had to be above the warrior realm. Furthermore, they would be treated well and would receive a cut of the rewards.


    It could be said to be a collaboration rather than a recruitment.


    He thought to himself, ¡°The news spread quite quickly. It¡¯s only been three days, but many factions have already come to Jiangnan City to make preparations.¡±


    At this moment, a beautiful woman walked over and introduced with a smile, ¡°Handsome, our blood shadow hunting group is very strong. You can consider coming to the headquarters to take a look.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s attention was drawn to the person beside him. The beautiful woman¡¯s voice was very seductive. However, her actual strength was weak and she seemed to be a salesperson.


    Not far away, there were two burly warriors from the blood shadow hunting group. As if to show off the strength of the group, they did not hide their auras at all.


    The beautiful woman thought that Chen Yiming was looking at the reward on the sign, so she continued, ¡°Although the share given by our blood shadow hunting group isn¡¯t the highest, the amount of money earned from a single mission is often related to the strength of the leader¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a student of the martial arts academy. I was just passing by. I don¡¯t meet your requirements¡­¡±


    Before Chen Yiming could finish speaking, the beautiful woman stopped smiling. She glared at him and turned to return to the recruitment team. The gazes of the two burly men in the team had also changed.


    In their eyes, a kid from the martial arts academy who was just joining in the fun was wasting everyone¡¯s time. If not for the fact that they were in the city government¡¯s office area, they would have taught him a lesson.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family house,


    Chen Yingying returned from school. As soon as she entered, she saw an unfamiliar box on the coffee table.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen were holding a piece of white paper with small black words printed all over it. They looked very focused as they read. Chen Yiming, who was sitting on the sofa, was leisurely watching the news.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Mother Chen greeted her.


    ¡°What are you guys looking at?¡± Chen Yingying walked over and asked.


    ¡°Your mother and I are studying the instruction manual. This is the miracle blood your brother brought back from the provincial city,¡± Father Chen said as he pointed at the box on the coffee table.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up as she turned to look at the box.


    Chen Yiming had told her that using the miracle blood to assist in cultivation could purify the impurities in one¡¯s body and improve one¡¯s physique, thereby changing one¡¯s martial arts talent.


    For most people, their martial arts talent could not be changed. The rumored bloodline warriors had an extremely high failure rate. Few ordinary people would risk their lives to try it.


    Now, the miracle blood that was safe and had no side effects was in front of her.


    Chen Yiming glanced at his excited sister and thought to himself, ¡°No one outside will treat you so sincerely. Now you know who¡¯s really treating you well!¡±


    He did not continue to keep his sister in suspense and pressed his thumb to the lock on the front of the box.


    ¡°Beep!¡±


    He passed the fingerprint verification, and the lock automatically opened.


    Two layers were stacked together, with 250 test tubes on each layer.


    Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying held their breaths for a moment. Their attention was attracted by the red liquid in the test tubes.


    Chen Yiming took out a test tube and handed it to Chen Yingying. ¡°This is the miracle blood I got for you.¡±


    ¡°This is the miracle blood!¡±


    Chen Yingying carefully took it and gently turned the test tube to examine its contents carefully from all directions.


    She discovered that the pure red liquid was faintly glowing with a golden color. One could tell at a glance that it was extraordinary.


    ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t drop it,¡± Mother Chen suddenly reminded her.


    It would have been better if he had not said that. Once she did, Chen Yingying¡¯s hand trembled. Coupled with the fact that her palm was sweating a little from nervousness, she was so frightened that she almost dropped it.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen quickly reached out to catch it. Fortunately, Chen Yingying held on to it in the end.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°This miracle blood can be produced continuously. If you drop it, so be it. There¡¯s no need to be so careful.¡±


    Father Chen asked doubtfully, ¡°Is that so? Many friends asked me about the all-purpose blood and said that they were willing¡­¡±


    Mother Chen glared at Father Chen and interrupted him. ¡°What kind of friends are those? It¡¯s fine if you brag usually, but don¡¯t let it slip this time for the sake of your pride. We¡¯ll be in trouble if that happens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We can¡¯t be careless about this,¡± Father Chen muttered to himself.


    To Father Chen and Mother Chen, although Chen Yiming had said that they didn¡¯t have to care too much about the blood, they knew how precious it was. They all thought that their son was joking.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°Yingying, let me know after you use up this batch. I¡¯ll go get more. Dad, Mom, you guys can also add a few drops to your bath water every day and see if it can help you regain your energy. Perhaps you can use this opportunity to embark on the path of martial arts again.¡±


    ¡°No! No! No!¡±


    When Father Chen and Mother Chen heard this, they subconsciously refused.


    Mother Chen waved her hand and said, ¡°Your father and I are already old. How can our bodies withstand the torture of practicing martial arts?¡±


    Father Chen also quickly said, ¡°Even if we can step onto the path of martial arts again, we have to spend most of our time practicing martial arts like your sister. Your mother and I are used to living ordinary lives, so how can we endure that? Let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°How can you two be the same as my sister?¡±


    Chen Yingying was still a young girl. Of course, she had to either focus on her studies or on martial arts. She could not be idle. Otherwise, if she was tricked by a boy one day, the two of you would be worried.


    He continued, ¡°We can talk about martial arts in the future, but you should add a few drops to your bath water every day. Improving one¡¯s physique and extending one¡¯s lifespan is a huge matter that we have to take seriously.¡±


    In the end, Father Chen and Mother Chen couldn¡¯t dissuade Chen Yiming and agreed.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Chen Yiming woke up in bed with Father Chen and Mother Chen whispering to him.


    ¡°Jindong, come and take a look. The wrinkles on my face seem to have disappeared a little.¡± Mother Chen tried her best to lower her voice, but she could not hide the excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± Father Chen walked over and glanced at the mirror with a smile.


    ¡°Tsk! Go away! You don¡¯t know how to say anything good.¡± Mother Chen pushed Father Chen, indicating that he should not get in the way.


    Then, she dressed up seriously in front of the mirror, her eyes filled with vigor.


    Women of all ages cared a lot about their appearance. Sometimes, they would act as if they didn¡¯t care about their appearance. This was either because they didn¡¯t have the ability to do so, or they had resigned themselves to their fate after losing their looks. They knew that it was useless to make a fool of themselves.


    Father Chen chuckled and walked into the bathroom with a razor. He shaved his beard clean in front of the mirror and washed it with water.


    At this moment, an energetic middle-aged man appeared in the mirror.


    ¡°The effect is too good. I feel like I became five years younger overnight. My waist is stronger and my legs aren¡¯t sore anymore,¡± Father Chen said narcissistically.


    He even rolled up his sleeve and bent his forearm, trying to flex his biceps.


    In reality, there was not much change in his appearance. After all, improving his physique would not help him train his body. However, Father Chen felt that he had become stronger.


    Then, as if it was not enough, he rolled up his other sleeve and struck a pose that was specially used in bodybuilding. This was not all. He turned around and studied himself from every angle.


    ¡°Tap! Tap!¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of someone walking past in slippers could be heard. Father Chen quickly straightened his sleeves, picked up a cup and toothbrush, and gargled his mouth to hide what he was doing.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re in the bathroom? Then I¡¯ll wait to use it later.¡±


    Chen Yingying had come to the door, but she turned to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done washing up. You still have to go to school, so I can¡¯t make you wait. Come and wash your face quickly.¡±


    Father Chen quickly took in a few mouthfuls of water and spat them out. He put away the cup and toothbrush and walked out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Dad! You seem to have become younger.¡±


    Chen Yingying, who was at the bathroom door, was surprised when she saw Father Chen.


    ¡°Is that so? Maybe it¡¯s because I shaved my beard!¡± Father Chen smiled and walked straight back to the bedroom.


    Watching Father Chen leave, Chen Yingying pouted and felt a little flustered.


    Unlike Father Chen and Mother Chen, who had only used one drop of miracle blood, she had used up an entire tube last night. However, other than sleeping very soundly at night, she did not feel much different.


    ¡°No way! Could it be that a whole tube of miracle blood is still ineffective for me?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom and Dad are both ordinary people. It¡¯s not fair to compare us directly.¡±


    Chen Yingying washed her face and rinsed her mouth. Her mind was in a mess, and she could only find this excuse to comfort herself.


    ¡­


    During breakfast, the family sat around the dining table.


    Mother Chen had prepared hand-made buns and freshly-made soy milk.


    Chen Yingying wanted to say something, but she was too embarrassed. Chen Yiming saw all of this, but he pretended not to notice and continued to eat the buns Mother Chen had made.


    Unlike Father Chen and Mother Chen, Chen Yingying had changed very little. However, this was very normal. Their basic physiques were not on the same level, so the difficulty and speed of improvement were naturally different.


    Furthermore, the changes in Father Chen and Mother Chen¡¯s bodies would only be so obvious the first time they used the miracle blood.


    After that, they would enter a slow process of transformation. Perhaps it would take a few months, half a year, and a year for there to be any more obvious changes.


    The efficiency of using this method was very low, and most of it would be wasted.


    This was unlike the blood essence that was treated with the miracle blood. The bloodline warriors could see an immediate effect from the moment he was injected with the first syringe of the mixture. He would move from an ordinary person to the disciple realm.


    Chen Yingying found a topic and asked, ¡°Brother! The teachers and students from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy will be coming to the East Lake Martial Arts Academy for a martial arts exchange today. Yesterday, the teacher asked if I wanted to go on stage to spar.¡±


    Chen Yiming was eating a bun when he heard the words ¡°Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy¡±. He raised an eyebrow.


    He had heard from Zhu Song yesterday that Yuan Chengwei, who was known as a super rookie, was a student of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    He nodded and continued to eat his buns.


    As someone who had lived two lives, how could he not understand the things that happened between adolescent boys and girls? Forcefully intervening would often have the opposite effect.


    In any case, Yuan Chengwei¡¯s true personality was extremely arrogant. If he was provoked a little, he would definitely be exposed. Chen Yiming was not anxious at all.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t object, Chen Yingying continued, ¡°I originally wanted to rely on my miracle blood to break through to the warrior realm before going on stage to spar. That way, I wouldn¡¯t embarrass you, but now¡­¡±


    Her voice became softer and softer. Most of the students in Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy were at the higher end of the disciple realm. Chen Yingying did not have any confidence that she would win.


    Chen Yiming swallowed the bun in one gulp and said with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? If you want to go on stage and spar, go ahead. After all, the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy is from the provincial capital. It¡¯s still worth interacting with you.¡±


    Although he said that, in reality, he had already planned to go with her in secret. If that super rookie, Yuan Chengwei, also came, once he had any ill intentions, he would directly break all of his legs.


    Chen Yingying nodded and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll try my best to win.¡±


    East Lake City was the hometown of the four members of the Chen family, and Chen Yiming was a famous martial master. In reality, Chen Yingying only wanted to help the East Lake Martial Arts Academy as much as possible.


    What Chen Yiming had imagined wasn¡¯t the real situation.


    After Chen Yingying went to school, Father Chen and Mother Chen said that they were going to buy groceries. They left almost immediately.


    Chen Yiming sighed. ¡°Yesterday, the two elders reached a consensus that they couldn¡¯t be careless. Today, they clearly look younger, but they can¡¯t wait to go out.


    As expected, regardless of gender or age, they must be very concerned about the traces of time left on their bodies.¡±


    He stood up, and the air suddenly distorted. If anyone else was here, they wouldn¡¯t have seen Chen Yiming himself, but someone with a completely different appearance, figure, and aura.

 Chapter 315 - Ambushing Yuan Chengwei

    The sky was blue and there were not a single cloud.


    At the entrance of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, a street was filled with groups of young people who looked to be 15 or 16 years old. All of them were chatting non-stop.


    ¡°Xiao Li, do you think the East Lake Martial Arts Academy can win?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be! The recruitment standards of the two martial arts academies are too different. Furthermore, Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy also has the super rookie, Yuan Chengwei, holding the line.¡±


    ¡°That Yuan Chengwei is much stronger than all the other martial arts students. He shouldn¡¯t be participating in such an exchange competition, right?¡±


    ¡°Even so, it will be tough. Unless someone can defeat multiple opponents on their own, I think it¡¯s already very good if the East Lake Martial Arts Academy can win a few rounds.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! If we can¡¯t even win one round, that would be a little embarrassing. Our East Lake City is a place where one of the country¡¯s martial masters live¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming walked between the middle and high school students.


    The people gathered at the entrance of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy were not students of the martial arts school or people from the martial arts factions. They were students from East Lake City¡¯s middle and high schools.


    It was clear how popular Yuan Chengwei was among the students.


    Chen Yiming stopped for a moment in the crowd and found out two pieces of information from the students.


    Yuan Chengwei had come with the delegation from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    Someone had secretly added fuel to the fire and used his status as the martial master to add Chen Yingying to the martial arts competition.


    Chen Yiming frowned. He had a feeling that something was amiss. Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps someone had done it on purpose.


    After all, he was a famous martial master. On the surface, he could not hold it against Yuan Chengwei.


    Thinking of this, he had originally only planned to ruin Yuan Chengwei¡¯s chance to get close to his sister. Now, he was interested in investigating Yuan Chengwei.


    Therefore, after Chen Yiming entered the martial arts academy, he contacted Zhu Song from a remote corner and made the necessary arrangements.


    ¡­


    Thousands of students were gathered in the martial arts academy¡¯s stadium.


    A red banner that read ¡°Welcome to the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy Exchange¡± hung above the podium.


    On the stage, the dean, Yang Xiaoman, and a large group of leaders from the martial arts school warmly welcomed the teachers leading the team from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    Jiangnan City, East Lake City, and Jiangdu City were the three cities that received the most attention at the moment. Therefore, the exchange between the two martial arts academies received unprecedented attention.


    No matter the outcome, it would expand the influence of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy again and increase the quality of the next batch of students.


    In the front row below the stage, Jiangnan TV Station and East Lake TV Station had sent reporters over to record this event.


    Chen Yiming blended into the crowd of students below the stage and looked towards Yuan Chengwei.


    Although Yuan Chengwei was only a student, his status was higher than the teacher leading the team. The leaders of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy went up to shake hands with him one by one.


    At the same time, the life force emanating from his body was like a ball of flames in the darkness. The others around him were not even comparable to the sparks that flew out.


    However, even without using his spiritual power, Chen Yiming could vaguely sense that the life force emitted by Yuan Chengwei was a little inconsistent.


    This dissonance could be hidden from almost everyone, but it could not be hidden from the martial masters who could mobilize the power of nature with their spiritual power.


    He thought to himself, ¡°There¡¯s indeed something wrong with this person.¡±


    A clear female voice sounded in Chen Yiming¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Student, the teacher has requested to organize the team. Are you a student of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy?¡±


    Chen Yiming was interrupted from his thoughts. He turned around and saw a slightly chubby girl with a ponytail standing beside him.


    The girl seemed to have misunderstood and continued, ¡°I thought you were a student from another class. Sorry about that.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and turned back.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡±


    However, the girl did not leave. After apologizing, she asked, ¡°Will Yuan Chengwei from your school participate in the competition?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to bother with her, but his current status was problematic. He had no choice but to patiently chat with the girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary student. I don¡¯t know if Yuan Chengwei will participate or not.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Yuan Chengwei¡¯s personality like? Is he very easygoing? Is he very patient?¡± the girl asked nervously.


    ¡°He¡¯s alright,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    It turned out that the girl was Yuan Chengwei¡¯s female fan. He instantly fell speechless. He was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°What do you mean by alright?¡± the girl stammered.


    At this moment, the head of the academy, Yang Xiaoman, announced the official start of the martial arts competition. The students representing the two martial arts academies walked up from both sides of the stage.


    Chen Yiming ignored the girl and turned his gaze to the stage.


    ¡­


    Chen Yingying appeared in the team representing the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. On the other side of the stage, Yuan Chengwei was not in the team from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    This made the students of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy heave a sigh of relief.


    Yuan Chengwei, who was known as a super rookie, had appeared on various television stations. If he took part, there would be nothing left for them to do. He would completely crush everyone else.


    The rules of this friendly competition were that the two martial arts academies would each send out 10 students. The winner could choose to stay and fight the next opponent.


    Next, the leaders walked down from the stage and sat in the first row below the stage.


    On the stage, both teams were ready. Each team sent out a student, and the others retreated to a corner.


    In the first round, a tall boy from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy faced off against an equally tall boy from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    ¡­


    Two hours later, the martial arts competition ended.


    Chen Yiming, who was hiding among the students, thought to himself, ¡°How boring.¡±


    Initially, he had been looking forward to Chen Yingying being beaten up. It would be best if she was beaten until she was on the verge of tears, then she would lose her good impression of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    However, when it was Chen Yingying¡¯s turn, the other party actually went easy on her.


    In the end, Chen Yingying won three consecutive matches and became the only student from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy to defeat her opponents.


    The East Lake Martial Arts Academy could completely accept this result of 7 to 3. The Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy was located in Jiangnan City, and the quality of its students was not something East Lake City could compare to. Under normal circumstances, it was not strange for them to lose all the matches.


    As for Yuan Chengwei, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t understand him. From the beginning to the end, he sat quietly with the teacher from the martial arts academy and watched the martial arts exchange.


    However, since the enemy was out in the open and he was hiding in the dark, he had the patience to let the other party reveal himself first. Therefore, he did not pay much attention to it.


    ¡­


    Night fell. In a forest in the wilderness,


    Chen Yiming and Zhu Song met.


    ¡°Are you saying that you want me to test Yuan Chengwei?¡±


    Zhu Song was surprised to hear Chen Yiming¡¯s plan.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a test. Yuan Chengwei has a lot of life force. You have to be determined to kill him. Otherwise, there¡¯s a high chance that you¡¯ll return empty-handed,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°This is a little too much! Even someone at the half-step master realm who has mastered materialized spiritual power can¡¯t suppress Yuan Chengwei, who is at the peak of the warrior realm?¡± Zhu Song asked.


    1


    ¡°This is the problem with Yuan Chengwei. The strong vitality in his body isn¡¯t derived from his physique. It¡¯s more like a foreign object,¡± Chen Yiming explained.


    ¡°A foreign object!¡± Zhu Song was dumbfounded and a little shocked.


    If what Chen Yiming said was true, for an ordinary student of the martial arts academy to be able to break through to the peak of the warrior realm in a short period of time, such a treasure was indeed tempting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he wants to snatch it for his sister?¡±


    This thought surfaced in Zhu Song¡¯s mind. He knew that Chen Yiming had a sister with mediocre martial arts talent, but he only dared to think about it in his heart.


    Chen Yiming keenly sensed the change in Zhu Song¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t voice his deeper suspicions. He planned to test the waters first before adjusting his plan.


    After discussing it, the two of them continued to stay in the forest.


    Yuan Chengwei also publicly announced that his desire to hunt mutant beasts far exceeded that of ordinary people. He took time out almost every day to enter the wilderness.


    This was also one of the reasons why he was widely praised and thought of as a role model.


    This morning, he had attended the martial arts competition. In the afternoon, the East Lake Martial Arts Academy had welcomed all the teachers and students from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    The day had passed just like that. If Yuan Chengwei wanted to leave the city to hunt mutant beasts, he could only choose to do it at night.


    ¡­


    At 8 pm, the bright moonlight fell on the hotel balcony.


    Yuan Chengwei stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the city below.


    However, at this moment, his heart was beating faster and faster, and the life force emanating from his body had become even more unstable. There were even specks of green light that left his body and floated into the air.


    During the day, only the martial masters would be able to notice the abnormalities in his life force. But now, even those that were half a step away from the master realm could tell that something was amiss.


    ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡±


    Suddenly, there were knocks on the door, bringing Yuan Chengwei back to reality.


    Then, a pleasant female voice sounded.


    ¡°Senior, the students from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy are treating us to supper. Do you want to come with us?¡±


    Yuan Chengwei did not reply and turned to look at his room.


    The room was dark without any lights on. He had brought dried mutant beast meat in his suitcase, as though it was the most delicious food in the world. His body emitted a strong desire to replenish its energy.


    ¡°Senior, are you there?¡±


    The voice at the door asked again.


    After waiting for nearly a minute, since there was no answer, the girl could only give up and the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.


    At this moment, Yuan Chengwei entered the room from the balcony. He did not turn on the lights and quickly took out the dried mutant beast meat from his suitcase.


    At this moment, something strange happened. Vines that were almost no different from internal force emerged from the skin of his arm, and there were thin barbs of hair on the surface.


    Immediately after, all the vines stabbed into the dried mutant beast meat. In less than half a second, they were all sucked dry.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wasted too much time today. The investigation can only be carried out tomorrow. Let¡¯s feed it tonight,¡± Yuan Chengwei muttered to himself.


    With that, his figure flashed and he leaped out from the balcony. He changed directions in the air a few times and landed lightly at a dark corner in the back street of the hotel.


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    A rat vaguely saw a black shadow and immediately ran away in fear. When it looked up again, the black shadow had already disappeared.


    After leaving East Lake City, Yuan Chengwei headed east to hunt mutant beasts.


    The reason he had chosen to go east was because Chen Yiming had already killed all the powerful mutant beasts in Jiangnan province, causing them to be severely wiped out.


    If he did not get enough food even after killing mutant beasts all the way to the beach, he could directly enter the sea and continue hunting until it was full.


    The figure in his mind: The target is heading east away from East Lake City.


    After Chen Yiming met up with Zhu Song in the wilderness, the figure in his mind took on the task of monitoring Yuan Chengwei. After confirming the direction he had left in, it immediately sent the news back to his main body.


    When Chen Yiming received the news, he looked to the east and said in a low voice, ¡°You can take action now! Yuan Chengwei is heading east.¡±


    Zhu Song was almost frightened by Chen Yiming¡¯s sudden words. Before he could think about how Yuan Chengwei was being spied on, he nodded and quickly disappeared from his spot.


    On the way, he came back to his senses and thought to himself, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to offend him! I can¡¯t afford to offend him! It¡¯s a nightmare to make an enemy out of him.¡±


    At the same time, he mourned for Yuan Chengwei. So what if he was a super rookie? No matter the reason, he was unlucky enough to be targeted by Chen Yiming. No one could help him.


    Zhu Song decided to keep this matter to himself and not reveal his actions tonight to anyone.


    ¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    A black panther that was nearly 10 meters long let out a cry and fell to the ground.


    In the darkness, rustling sounds rang out as more vines crawled onto the black panther¡¯s body. In a few seconds, the black panther had turned into a corpse with only its bones left.


    ¡°Too weak! I don¡¯t feel anything!¡±


    Yuan Chengwei retracted his vines. The hunger from his body was almost the same as before he killed the black panther.


    Suddenly, in a flash, taking advantage of the fact that the vines had shrunk back into the gaps between his arms, the darts shot towards Yuan Chengwei in a triangular formation. Their speed and angle almost sealed off all escape routes.


    The reason why he used the darts instead of the spinning wheels was to avoid being recognized.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Yuan Chengwei realized how powerful the attacker was. He focused his attention on the vines and controlled them to wrap around the incoming darts.


    However, it was not his own ability in the end. His control was not perfect, and he was successfully ambushed.


    Two of the darts hit the vines, causing them to freeze for a moment. The next dart successfully passed through.


    ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Yuan Chengwei¡¯s expression instantly turned sinister. He was forced to communicate with the mysterious seed in his body as he watched the last dart fly towards him.


    In an instant, his life force appeared as a green glow from his body, turning into a layer of armor that protected Yuan Chengwei.


    The dart bounced off his forehead, and black smoke rose from the point of impact. Zhu Song¡¯s poisonous internal force was continuing its attack on him.


    However, the strange thing was that Yuan Chengwei was rooted to the ground in a daze. More than a second passed before he suddenly woke up. His head was buzzing, as if someone had hit him hard on the back of his head.


    Seeing that the poisonous internal force was trying to break through the armor, his back was instantly drenched in sweat. He had never encountered such an attack before.


    At this moment, the seed in his body sent a thought to Yuan Chengwei. It roughly sensed that he had been affected by a spiritual attack.


    When Yuan Chengwei received it, his face turned pale.


    He no longer cared about anything else. He pressed his palms together and shouted, controlling countless vines to rise from the ground. The scene was like the corals at the bottom of the sea being enlarged dozens of times, and the vines covered an area of hundreds of meters.


    At the same time, the poisonous internal force on the dart was also destroyed by the life force that erupted from Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body.


    Zhu Song frowned in the darkness.


    Materialized spiritual power was the sign that one was half a step away from the master realm from the peak of the warrior realm. This half step realm was extraordinary, and one had the ability to control their spiritual power well.


    With the spiritual attack combined with the sneak attack from the poisonous internal force, the moment his opponent was distracted, he would definitely lose control of his protective internal force, and the poisonous internal force on the dart would successfully invade his body.


    However, unexpectedly, the sneak attack failed.


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    ¡°Damn you!¡±


    ¡°A rat that only knows how to hide in the darkness!¡±


    ¡°A sneak attack, right? If you have the ability, come at me again!¡±


    Yuan Chengwei was surrounded by vines and regained his confidence. He immediately cursed and revealed his true personality.


    Half a minute later, he realized that the attacker had no intention of showing himself. Anger welled up in his heart, so he controlled the vines to sweep through the surroundings, destroying everything they could, trying to force the attacker to come out.

 Chapter 316 - Behind the Scenes

    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The vines that shot out from the ground seemed to have a mind of their own as they continued to extend into the distance. Wherever they passed, they cleared out all obstacles in their way. Rubble flew and trees fell.


    Zhu Song felt a strong sense of danger from the vines. ¡°Not good,¡± he thought to himself. He jumped up and retreated.


    With this jump, his position was immediately exposed to Yuan Chengwei. A huge number of vines automatically adjusted their direction and surrounded him from all directions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡±


    As soon as Zhu Song landed, he threw out a row of poisonous darts to try and stop the vines that were surrounding him. An excited voice sounded in his ears.


    He instantly felt a chill run down his spine, so he jumped up again and continued to retreat.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The darts and the vines collided violently.


    The sound of explosions continuously rang out in the air.


    The green poisonous fog and the green life force mixed together, emitting sizzling sounds. At the same time, a large amount of smoke spread out, affecting Yuan Chengwei¡¯s line of sight to a certain extent.


    ¡°What exactly is the foreign object in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body?¡±


    The sound of vines piercing through the air filled his ears. Zhu Song kept flying back to dodge the attacks, unable to calm down.


    After a short exchange, he could tell that there was something amiss with his opponent.


    However, his poison internal force was definitely inferior to the opponent¡¯s powerful vitality, let alone the vines that filled the sky. Zhu Song was completely on the losing end.


    Furthermore, after failing to launch a spiritual attack the first time, it would be very difficult to deal any substantial damage to the other party.


    Now, he was the one who needed to take cover and escape.


    Just as Yuan Chengwei and Zhu Song were chasing after each other, a voice transmission sounded in Zhu Song¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Take the small sword in your hand and stab it straight at Yuan Chengwei.¡±


    The voice transmission came too suddenly, and Zhu Song was so frightened that he almost lost his rhythm. After recognizing Chen Yiming¡¯s voice, he looked down and saw a small silver sword moving by his side.


    The small silver sword was formed by the spiritual figure, and its surface emitted a terrifying sharp aura.


    Zhu Song¡¯s confidence increased greatly, and he took the small silver sword into his hand without hesitation. After he landed again, he suddenly exerted strength in his legs and changed directions, charging towards Yuan Chengwei.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Seeing that his attacker could not escape and was trying to fight back, Yuan Chengwei cursed angrily and continued, ¡°Are you trying to kill me because I¡¯m a young genius? You didn¡¯t expect that you wouldn¡¯t be a match for me, did you?


    Resistance is futile. Isn¡¯t it better to kneel and beg for mercy? I can consider giving you a quick death.¡±


    Zhu Song remained silent and stared intently at Yuan Chengwei. Then, with a flick of his left wrist, another row of darts shot out.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The darts collided with the vines and exploded, and the smoke spread out again.


    Zhu Song seized the opportunity to quickly approach Yuan Chengwei. When he was less than five meters away, he no longer considered the vines that were coming at him. He raised his hand and stabbed the small silver sword at his opponent.


    Yuan Chengwei¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    His intuition warned him that the small silver sword was extremely dangerous, but it was too late to dodge.


    He could only communicate with the mysterious seed in his body. A dragon-shaped creature formed by his life force emerged from his body and opened its mouth to swallow the small silver sword.


    At this moment, the dragon-shaped creature¡¯s mouth emitted a powerful suction force. This suction force was not only targeting physical objects, but also internal force. Zhu Song felt that his control over his internal force had suddenly decreased.


    If not for the fact that it was Chen Yiming who had sent the voice transmission, even if it was the martial master of Sam Nation, Rover, it would have been suppressed. Facing the suction force from the dragon-shaped creature¡¯s mouth, Zhu Song dodged quickly.


    When the two sides collided, the small silver sword stabbed straight into the dragon-shaped creature¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Yuan Chengwei¡¯s eyes widened.


    He watched helplessly as the dragon-shaped creature turned into pieces. Then, he seemed unable to react, and continued to watch in a daze. The protective armor given to him by the mysterious seed had shattered at the slightest touch, and the small silver sword had pierced through his chest.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Countless wisps of Sword Aura erupted from Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body. Most of the cells in his chest were injured by the Sword Aura.


    This was Chen Yiming¡¯s plan. He controlled the power of the Sword Aura and let Yuan Chengwei live, but he would suffer injuries that would be difficult to recover from.


    Zhu Song pulled out the small silver sword, and Yuan Chengwei could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood. He felt that he had lost all his strength and was about to fall to the ground.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    A thought came from the mysterious seed. The green light of life force in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body shone brightly, and his strength returned.


    At this moment, while the surrounding vines continued to attack Zhu Song, Yuan Chengwei held the bloody hole in his chest and escaped without any hesitation.


    Zhu Song raised the small silver sword and swung it at the vines that filled the sky. All the vines were instantly cut apart, and the life force on them quickly dissipated.


    He wanted to chase after him, but a voice transmission made him stop in his tracks.


    ¡­


    Yuan Chengwei vomited blood as he fled. Behind him he left numerous footprints and patches of blood that fell from time to time.


    With an endless supply of life force, even if the cells in his body had turned into balloons with holes in them, his physical condition seemed to be no different from usual, and his movements were not affected at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say that no one can cause any threat to my life?¡± Yuan Chengwei communicated with the mysterious seed in his body through his mind. The wound in his chest stretched as he moved, and it hurt so much that he gritted his teeth.


    Mysterious Seed: It¡¯s because of the small silver sword.


    Yuan Chengwei¡¯s face darkened when he heard this.


    After picking up the mysterious seed, things had progressed smoothly for him. He had stood out from his classmates, defeated the teachers of the martial arts academy, and even the martial arts experts from the military.


    He had never been in such a sorry state as he was tonight. It could be said that once the silver sword was used, even the mysterious seed in his body would be unable to help him.


    Yuan Chengwei: What should we do now?


    Mysterious Seed: The attacker has yet to catch up. It¡¯s very likely that using the small silver sword consumed a lot of energy.


    When Yuan Chengwei heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. He subconsciously slowed down his pace to reduce the pain from his wound.


    Mysterious Seed: The strange energy left behind in your wound is very troublesome. You have to quickly replenish my energy. Otherwise, you might bleed to death.


    Yuan Chengwei had just heaved a sigh of relief when he felt suffocated again.


    In reality, he had felt that something was amiss all this while. The strong life force provided by the mysterious seed filled his cells with vitality.


    Logically speaking, even if he was seriously injured, he could speed up his recovery by increasing the speed at which his cells divided.


    However, the wound on his chest had not healed yet, and he still had to hold it close with his hand.


    Mysterious Seed: Not only is there a wound on your chest, but all the cells in your chest have a problem. Once you lose the endless life force provided by me, your cells will soon die in large numbers.


    When Yuan Chengwei heard this, he could not help but spit out a large mouthful of blood.


    In his heart, he hated the person who had ambushed him with the small silver sword. He wanted to tear his flesh and blood apart and use the cruelest torture tools to take revenge.


    He could not help but suspect that the attacker had not planned to kill him, but to cripple him.


    Mysterious Seed: This kind of injury is just a little troublesome, but it¡¯s not impossible to resolve. As long as you give me more energy, I can use the seed cells to replace your damaged cells.


    Yuan Chengwei¡¯s expression finally improved. Even if a portion of his body was occupied by the mysterious seed, it was better than dying suddenly.


    At the same time, he decided to go back and find out who wanted him dead.


    ¡­


    In the conference room of the Jiangnan city government, Chen Yiming sat calmly. His consciousness was connected to the spiritual figure, and he was monitoring Yuan Chengwei from afar.


    Zhu Song explained the abnormalities he had discovered that night. Of course, he glossed over the part involving the silver sword.


    Wang Ronghui, who was overlooking all the matters in Jiangnan province, had a bitter expression on his face as he listened. He smoked one cigarette after another.


    ¡°This can only prove that Yuan Chengwei¡¯s martial arts talent is not as shocking as it appears to be. He relied on external factors to take advantage of the situation.¡±


    Wang Ronghui was silent for a moment before saying this.


    Zhu Song couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°When I launched a spiritual attack on Yuan Chengwei, he was clearly affected. However, the vines on his body continued to attack me.


    In the subsequent battles, the vines also displayed their autonomy. They did not need anyone to control them.¡±


    On the way back to Jiangnan City, Zhu Song understood why Chen Yiming had arranged for him to test Yuan Chengwei.


    The wood-based internal force, the foreign object, vines that had a mind of their own. When these clues were connected, they pointed to the treants who had not made any movements at all.


    As for why no one had suspected anything previously, it should be because they had been blinded by his reputation as the super rookie, the next hope, the young hero. Subconsciously, they would not have suspected Yuan Chengwei.


    Wang Ronghui thought about it again. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss. All the clues combined undoubtedly pointed to evidence that the treants had used another secret tactic.


    At the thought of this, cold sweat broke out on his forehead and a chill ran down his spine.


    Once Yuan Chengwei really entered the decision-making level, all the arrangements of the humans would be exposed. The treants would also be able to grasp their weakness, and how they were using nuclear explosions to hide their lack of strength.


    This way, the treants could even leave the radiation zone of the strange mountain village without any worries. They would immediately launch an all-out attack on the encirclement.


    As Chen Yiming communicated with the figure in his mind, he glanced at the flustered Wang Ronghui.


    There was another more important reason why he had arranged for Zhu Song to test Yuan Chengwei. That was to verify if the treants could directly contact the chess pieces left on the blue planet from the otherworld.


    It was similar to his relationship with the spiritual figure.


    This was very important. It involved his next series of actions.


    Wang Ronghui wiped the sweat off his forehead and said with a complicated expression, ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble. I wonder if there¡¯s anyone else related to the treants other than Yuan Chengwei.¡±


    Zhu Song had a serious expression on his face as he nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s definitely a need to target Yuan Chengwei and find out if there¡¯s any more such cases.¡±


    Wang Ronghui understood his intention and imagined that the reason Chen Yiming didn¡¯t personally kill Yuan Chengwei was to get Zhu Song to test the waters.


    Chen Yiming was the strongest trump card in Jiangnan province. Although Yuan Chengwei was a super rookie, it was difficult for him to come into contact with high-level secrets in a short period of time.


    Therefore, as long as the treants didn¡¯t know any details about Chen Yiming, the humans would have a higher chance of winning at the critical moment.


    Before he left, Chen Yiming wrote down Yuan Chengwei¡¯s current location and handed it to Wang Ronghui.


    Wang Ronghui put it away solemnly and immediately headed to the military command center to prepare for the plan to ambush Yuan Chengwei.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family house,


    Chen Yiming had just entered the house when he saw Father Chen reading the newspaper excitedly.


    From his sister¡¯s bedroom, the laughter of the mother and daughter rang out. Mother Chen was helping Chen Yingying apply the miracle blood to ensure that a few spots that she could not reach were also perfectly covered.


    Father Chen happily invited his son to sit on the sofa. He flattened the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table. He pointed at a large photo on the cover.


    ¡°Yingying¡¯s performance is really beyond my expectations. Look at her. Compared to the students of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy, she actually has the upper hand. She fought against three of them in a row, and in the end, she was defeated because her stamina ran out.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the name of the newspaper, East Lake Daily. No wonder they were lying through their teeth.


    He knew Chen Yingying¡¯s true level. She might be able to win one round, but if her physical condition deteriorated in the second round, she would have almost no chance.


    The two martial arts academies had a tacit understanding to create a fake competition. They could only trick the students and the people who did not know the truth.


    Hearing the door open, Mother Chen and Chen Yingying quickly came out of the bedroom.


    Chen Yingying jogged over and said excitedly, ¡°Brother, did you see the news or newspapers? How was my performance today?¡±


    Chen Yiming took in his sister¡¯s expression and realized that Chen Yingying really hadn¡¯t realized that her three opponents were secretly going easy on her. He couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about his sister¡¯s intelligence.


    If that was the case, he could not be blamed for spouting nonsense and trying to claim some of the credit.


    He coughed and said, ¡°Do you know how good the miracle blood I got for you is now? If the competition was brought forward by a day, you might only have won at most one match.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded vigorously and took the initiative to pour Chen Yiming a glass of water.


    Chen Yiming took it and finished it in one gulp. He thought to himself that he had improved his image in front of his sister.


    Father Chen, who was at the side, instructed, ¡°Yingying, you can¡¯t be proud just because you managed to defeat three people in one go this time. Your brother has prepared the miracle blood for you. This is something that can change your martial arts talent, so you should work harder and aim higher.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to my room and continue drawing the concept diagram.¡± Chen Yingying nodded.


    With that, she stood up and walked towards her bedroom.


    ¡­


    At 12 am,


    the spiritual figure floated between the mountains like a ghost.


    A few kilometers away, Yuan Chengwei walked ashore from the sea with a tired expression.


    The sea was not peaceful tonight. A massacre had lasted for more than an hour, and peace had yet to return.


    Yuan Chengwei looked around. After confirming that no one was following him, he sat cross-legged on the beach.


    Not long after, the life force in his body gradually became stronger, especially in his chest. Towards the end, his entire body was bathed in a liquid-like life force.


    ÖÜÔâÊý°ÙÃ׵ĺڰµ,±»Â̹âÕÕµÃͨÁÁ,һЩDZ·üÔÚºÚ°µÖеÄÒìÊÞ,Êܵ½¾ªÏÅ°ÎÍȾÍÅÜ.


    At this moment, sprouts grew out of the wound in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s chest one after another, gradually covering his entire upper body. Then, clusters of cells that had been completely damaged were expelled from the wound and fell to the ground.


    Immediately after, a green light shone brightly from his chest, and something seemed to be growing inside.


    Yuan Chengwei¡¯s expression began to turn ferocious as he let out a wail. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his flesh as he endured the immense pain.


    After more than 10 minutes, the cell replacement ended. The discomfort from before suddenly disappeared completely.


    Yuan Chengwei stood up and touched the spot where the hole was. The skin on it was very tight, and there were no injuries at all.


    He revealed a ferocious smile. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know your identity yet, just you wait! I, Yuan Chengwei, will return it tenfold or even a hundredfold.¡±


    After making the oath, Yuan Chengwei began to sense the changes in his body. Through the seed cells in his body, the abilities he had obtained previously could now be used freely, and he no longer felt like he was being cut apart.


    He had officially changed from controlling a machine to making it his own ability.

 Chapter 317 - Sword Aura Storm

    A new day had begun. East Lake City was peaceful and calm.


    No one seemed to have discovered or investigated the huge battle that happened in the wilderness last night. It was just brushed aside calmly and did not cause any panic in East Lake City.


    After Chen Yingying went to school, Chen Yiming turned on the television and switched to the Jiangnan television station. The morning news was playing.


    An announcer in a suit and stockings with long legs broadcasted to the audience the latest news from the day before in Jiangnan province.


    Chen Yiming watched the morning news from beginning to end, paying special attention to the resettlement plan for the refugees from Southeast Asia.


    He also noticed that there was a small black mole on the collarbone exposed by the collar of the female announcer¡¯s white blouse.


    Of course, he could not be blamed. For the sake of the viewership ratings, most of the female announcers were wearing white blouses.


    However, the female host¡¯s chest was rather large, so she couldn¡¯t fasten the top button. Furthermore, Chen Yiming¡¯s vision was extremely sharp.


    Not long after the morning news ended, the phone at home rang. Chen Yiming picked it up and held it to his ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re at home!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t you publicize a simplified version of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique in the martial arts academy? Just now, the academy head came to me and asked to invite you to the martial arts academy.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°Yuan Chengwei is really bold. However, it¡¯s also possible that the person behind him is asking him to do this because he wants to test me face to face.


    However, since you are on the third level, you might not have thought that I am on the fifth level. When the two of us meet, it will be the time for the spiritual figure to enter the otherworld.


    Not only can it verify if the treants have the ability to communicate through space in real time, but it can also clean up the treants on the other side of the space-travel passage.¡±


    Thinking of this, he replied to his sister, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make time to go over in the afternoon.¡±


    After hanging up on his sister, he called Wang Ronghui and told him the time he needed to clear the treants on the other side of the space-travel passage. He suggested that Jiangnan province send out a large number of scouting teams after the battle.


    ¡­


    in the Gobi Desert in the otherworld, with the space-travel passage as the center, the area within dozens of kilometers was filled with green.


    The treants had all turned into tree forms, and their huge roots dug deep into the ground.


    The strange thing was that even though a large number of treants were rooted here, the original appearance of the Gobi Desert still existed. The ground was filled with exposed rocks and loose yellow sand.


    At the same time, in the depths of the ground that could not be seen, the roots of the treants wrapped around each other. Then, something similar to a fusion happened, and they became thicker and longer.


    Starting from the edge dozens of kilometers away, countless roots gathered towards the center, finally forming a group of roots in the shape of a huge funnel. Endless life force could flow freely within it.


    At the bottom of the roots, a tree root of unknown length grew out, piercing straight into the depths where no light could reach. After reaching a certain depth, the tree root was suddenly attacked by a strange force.


    This strange power was invisible and formless. It was a little like a curse, but also a little like radiation. There was also an unknown whispering voice echoing in the depths.


    The tree root could not do anything about the strange power. It could only rely on its immense vitality to withstand the attack and extend deeper into the ground.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, the weather was bright and sunny.


    At the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, unlike the grand occasion when the representatives from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy came the day before, once the martial arts competition ended, the high school students in the city no longer paid attention to it.


    At this moment, the situation at the entrance of the academy had already returned to normal. However, having fewer people did not mean anything. It was just that they did not publicize it.


    The academy head, Yang Shimeng, and a few other teachers, as well as Chen Yingying, had arrived at the school gate at two in the afternoon. The sun was shining brightly above their heads, and they had been waiting for more than half an hour.


    ¡°Yingying, did your brother say when he would come over? I mean, is your brother really free to come over?¡± the academy head, Yang Shimeng, asked softly.


    Yang Shimeng was over 70 years old, and his hair was already completely white. He had the appearance of a kind old man, and there was no trace of pride about him. If he was on the streets, no one would think that he was the head of a martial arts academy.


    Chen Yingying looked up at the scorching sun and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make a call and check with my brother.¡±


    ¡°No! No! I was just asking casually.¡± Yang Shimeng waved his hand and stopped Chen Yingying.


    The school teachers at the side were feeling terrible. They were standing in a military posture under the hot sun and did not move at all. Not only did they not dare to complain, but they could not even rest or move around to drink some water.


    This was something that the academy head, Yang Shimeng, had arranged in advance. From Chen Yingying¡¯s words, Chen Yiming had only mentioned he would come in the afternoon, and didn¡¯t say what time he would be there.


    If not for the fact that he was related to Chen Yingying, no one would even care about the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. Yang Shimeng knew this very well, so he had arranged everything in advance.


    ¡­


    Time passed by slowly. At 4 pm, Chen Yiming walked over slowly from the street.


    In reality, he had been monitoring the situation nearby. Of course, he was not paying attention to the attitudes of the teachers of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. Instead, he was observing the dozens of teachers and students in the martial arts academy¡¯s stadium.


    Among these people were the elite teachers and students of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy and the teachers and students of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.


    Chen Yiming was secretly watching Yuan Chengwei in the crowd to see if he had any signs of sending out an advanced warning.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m the head of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, Yang Shimeng.¡± When Yang Shimeng saw who it was, he took the initiative to welcome him and extended his hands enthusiastically.


    ¡°Hello, Principal Yang.¡± Chen Yiming also extended his hand and shook hands with Yang Shimeng. He continued, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Chen Yingying.¡±


    ¡°No! No! It¡¯s what I should do,¡± Yang Shimeng hurriedly said politely.


    That was what he said, but he did not really think so. In reality, Chen Yingying had always enjoyed the best conditions for her martial arts cultivation. Therefore, there was not much difference in which martial arts academy she studied in. Instead, the martial arts academy itself would benefit from it.


    The teachers of the martial arts academy at the side finally got a chance to relax. They smiled as they gently moved their ankles.


    What kind of person was a martial master? He was one of the three such existences in the Daxia Kingdom. If they could talk to him face to face, they would be able to brag about it for the rest of their lives. No matter how tired they were, they had to endure it.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Shimeng invited Chen Yiming into the martial arts academy. He led the way and the group headed straight for the sports field.


    ¡°How¡¯s the cultivation of the simplified Mantis Snake Sword Technique going?¡±


    ¡°No one among the students has successfully broken through to the warrior realm, but seven of the teachers have already used this opportunity to break through.¡±


    Along the way, Chen Yiming and the academy head, Yang Shimeng, chatted. He roughly understood the situation.


    He realized that the students of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy had a poor foundation. Even if they used a technique that greatly reduced the threshold for breaking through, it would be difficult for them to make any progress in a short period of time.


    He then thought about how the students recruited by the East Lake Martial Arts Academy were already young people with medium-level talent.


    There were even more people who were less talented and did not manage to enter the martial arts academy to further their studies. Instead, they directly joined the hunting teams, small sects, and so on to become fighters.


    This did not include those who had extremely poor martial arts talent who were not worth nurturing.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°Everyone cultivates martial arts, but optimizing the cultivation technique is far from enough. The cultivation environment is more important for most people with mediocre talent.¡±


    At the thought of this, the energy mine that might have been occupied by the treants aroused Chen Yiming¡¯s interest again.


    ¡­


    In the sports field, the people from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy and the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy had waited for two hours in boredom. Everyone chatted and joked with each other to pass the time.


    At this moment, they saw the academy head leading a few people over from afar. The teachers immediately urged the students to line up.


    The students jumped up from the ground like frightened rabbits, looking for their assigned positions in a panic.


    The head, Yang Shimeng, naturally saw this scene, but he could only feel anger in his heart and could not flare up on the spot.


    Chen Yiming remained calm and looked straight ahead, as if he didn¡¯t care. In reality, he was communicating with the figure in his mind. ¡°Attack!¡±


    Yang Shimeng took the initiative to introduce them to Chen Yiming. ¡°On the left are the elite teachers and students from the East Lake Martial Arts Academy. On the right are the representatives from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy.¡±


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across them and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Martial arts is not something to cultivate in secret. Before the representatives from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy leave, give them a copy of the simplified version of the Mantis Snake Sword Technique.¡±


    Yang Shimeng¡¯s heart was bleeding when he heard this, but he still maintained a smile on his face. ¡°Indeed. If all the cultivation techniques in the world are improved, the overall strength of humans will definitely increase by leaps and bounds.¡±


    In reality, the martial arts exchange this time also involved a private agreement. The Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy had brought the super rookie, Yuan Chengwei, along to give the East Lake Martial Arts Academy face. Yang Shimeng had to return the favor and try to invite Chen Yiming to the academy.


    The agreement did not require the East Lake Martial Arts Academy to fulfill their request. If it worked out, everyone would be happy. If it did not, the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy could only treat it as if they were unlucky.


    However, Yang Shimeng felt that he had made a huge loss. Previously, Chen Yiming had not said anything about letting the East Lake Martial Arts Academy distribute the simplified version of the technique. The East Lake Martial Arts Academy had also tacitly agreed to only publicize it internally.


    But now¡­ the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy would also have a copy.


    Chen Yiming nodded and started to explain his rationale for creating the simplified version of the technique in front of the teachers and students.


    ¡°The concept diagram is essentially formed by lines of spiritual power. Through a special arrangement, it resonates with the corresponding supernatural power, which is internal force, and is finally transformed from the body¡¯s energy.¡±


    ¡°My modified method simplifies the original arrangement and maintains the strength of the resonance at the lowest level at which one¡¯s energy can be converted into internal force¡­¡±


    The teachers and students in front of him listened attentively.


    In fact, most people just blindly copied the standard concept diagrams, including the seven teachers who had used it to break through to the warrior realm.


    This was just like a mathematical theorem. Using a theorem did not mean that one knew how to prove it, let alone an illusory concept diagram that was simulated by one¡¯s spiritual power.


    If not for the fact that the concept diagram could be obtained from the creatures from the otherworld, it would be extremely difficult to find the pattern of spiritual power that resonated with internal force.


    Although Chen Yiming¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t to create a cultivation technique out of thin air, he still had to thoroughly analyze the corresponding concept diagram. This involved extremely strong spiritual control.


    At some point, energy fluctuations suddenly appeared in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s sharp senses caught it immediately. From the corner of his eye, he observed Yuan Chengwei, who seemed to be still immersed in his thoughts.


    After about another minute, Yuan Chengwei¡¯s expression changed. He could no longer maintain his composure, and he seemed to be wavering.


    Chen Yiming chuckled to himself. He continued to add more information and talk about his experience with the concept diagram. He even talked about the combination of various types of internal force, the transformation of internal force, and the fusion of internal forces.


    All the teachers and students subconsciously held their breaths. This was a valuable lesson he was sharing from his experience. Many people could not understand the cultivation after the warrior realm and could only rely on feeling the rocks to cross the river.


    They might not be able to use it at the moment, but they could use this to build their foundation for their future cultivation, trying to break through to an unimaginable level in the future.


    Only Yuan Chengwei fell into an extremely awkward situation.


    The mysterious seed seemed to have a bad feeling, as if something important was being destroyed, so it kept asking Yuan Chengwei to leave.


    ¡­


    10 minutes earlier,


    in the Gobi Desert in the otherworld,


    the treants¡¯ territory suddenly had an uninvited guest.


    The spiritual figure rushed out of the space-travel passage and floated in midair. Its powerful spiritual power spread out, and wherever it passed, the treants felt that their spiritual power was cut through.


    ¡°A powerful enemy!¡±


    ¡°What a terrifying existence!¡±


    Some of the treants instantly had this thought. Their huge roots were intertwined together, so this thought instantly spread to all the treants, even those dozens of kilometers away.


    A commotion started deep underground. First, the tree roots that were shaped like funnels quickly retreated.


    At the same time, the huge funnel formed by the roots began to collapse. All the roots began to break away from their fusion state and wanted to return to their main body.


    The spiritual figure scanned the area with its spiritual power and placed its palms together.


    The treants had just reacted when a powerful aura soared into the sky. The clouds in the sky seemed to have been pierced by a sharp sword, revealing a huge hole.


    Immediately after, ring after ring of Sword Aura appeared, forming a sphere and then a storm.


    With the enhancement from the Undying Body talent, the spiritual figure floated above the space-travel passage, mobilizing the power of nature and turning it into the Sword Aura, starting to attack crazily on the spot.


    It did not need to care about whether it was taking on too much power, or to consider whether it would be accidentally injured. It did not need to think about anything. There was only one thing it cared about: to kill.


    The treants near the space-travel passage did not have the time to retract their roots and return to their humanoid forms before they were swept away by the Sword Aura Storm and cut into pieces in the blink of an eye.


    Looking down from the sky, a bright white hemisphere formed by Sword Aura was constantly expanding. Along the way, whether it was the treants or the mountain, as long as they were enveloped by the bright white hemisphere, nothing would be left behind.


    A few minutes later.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    The spiritual figure let out a breath.


    It was not that it could not continue, but that the Sword Aura storm only had a maximum range of 20 kilometers. All the treants in this range had already been wiped out by the Sword Aura.


    What greeted its eyes were the ground, which had been wiped clean of treants for more than 100 meters. It was filled with countless holes, broken wood, and yellow sand.


    However, the chaos underground had yet to stop. The spiritual figure used its spiritual power to scan the area and discovered that the tree roots that had retreated deep underground were continuously dividing.


    It turned from a big root to a few small roots and quickly retreated in the direction of the treants that were not affected by the Sword Aura storm.

 Chapter 318 - Mysterious Symbol

    Just as the spiritual figure conveyed the outcome of the Sword Aura storm to Chen Yiming, the treants in the distance who were still alive underwent some changes.


    The treants that had retracted their roots quickly turned into their humanoid form and started to fuse together. As two treants approached each other, their roots and leaves intertwined, forming a single, larger treant.


    The large treants fused with other large treants and became even taller and bigger.


    In less than a minute, the fusion ended. Three huge trees appeared in the distance. Their trunks were dozens of meters thick and they were more than 1,000 meters tall.


    A terrifying aura spread out. The clouds were stirred up, and the air was distorted. A huge amount of air waves rushed over, mixed with yellow sand.


    The spiritual figure seemed to be smaller than an ant in front of the opponent¡¯s huge body.


    Three angry faces appeared from the tree trunks and looked towards the spiritual figure from afar. There was no doubt that the two sides had formed a life and death grudge.


    ¡­


    In the sports field of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, Chen Yiming received a timely update from the figure in his mind. The Sword Aura storm destroyed nearly a quarter of the treants within a radius of dozens of kilometers.


    He carefully compared the energy fluctuations in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body and the time it took for his expression to change.


    The energy fluctuations appeared almost at the same time as the update from the figure in his mind. The change in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s expression occurred after a small delay. He studied the anxious expression on the other party¡¯s face.


    Clearly, the existence in Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body had only vaguely sensed that something was wrong with the tree person. However, he could not communicate with it like Chen Yiming could with the figure in his mind.


    This way, Chen Yiming could let go of his worries.


    He did not have to worry about the real-time update from the otherworld¡¯s treants to their pawns on the blue planet after they noticed his main body. They would not be able to quickly target the cities, the Chen family, the encirclement, and so on.


    In other words, he would not be tied down to the blue planet. He could make a move at any time if either side needed support.


    The teachers and students listened quietly, and only Chen Yiming¡¯s voice could be heard. The talk seemed to be getting further and further away from a conclusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. I need to go to the toilet.¡±


    Yuan Chengwei suddenly found a lousy excuse and interrupted Chen Yiming¡¯s speech.


    ¡°Okay, go!¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and concluded, ¡°This is the general idea. At this stage of drawing the concept diagram, others can¡¯t provide much help. One can only rely on one¡¯s own talent and perseverance to overcome the fatigue and pressure on the spiritual level.¡±


    When Yuan Chengwei disappeared in front of everyone, all the students, including the representative from the Jiangnan martial arts school, felt a little regretful. Perhaps Chen Yiming would have said more without this sudden interruption.


    ¡­


    As soon as Yuan Chengwei entered the toilet, the mysterious seed took over his body.


    A figure appeared from Yuan Chengwei¡¯s body. Other than his skin being dark yellow and his face appearing dry and wooden, his aura was almost exactly the same as the real person.


    Immediately after, the seed cells in his chest quickly split apart. Yuan Chengwei wanted to ask what it was doing, but the new cells quickly spread throughout his body.


    Finally, under Yuan Chengwei¡¯s dumbfounded expression, his entire body transformed into a treant. Then, a face appeared in the middle of the tree trunk, but it was not Yuan Chengwei¡¯s face.


    The treant¡¯s face revealed a conflicted, frightened, and complicated expression. Then, the treant gradually sank into the ground and disappeared from the toilet.


    Yuan Chengwei, who had been separated from the wooden figure, sat motionless on the toilet bowl. His eyes were dull and lifeless.


    ¡°This is the end of the treant¡¯s pawn,¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself. His spiritual power spread out and swept across the toilet area without holding anything back. He immediately realized that the wooden figure was a fake and that its true body was escaping underground.


    His figure flashed and instantly disappeared.


    The academy head, Chen Yingying, and the dozens of teachers and students who were left behind looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.


    ¡­


    On the rooftop of a tall building near the East Lake Martial Arts Academy, the four people from the capital, Ling Zhongyun, Zhao Shumin, Zhu Song, and Jiang Kai were already on standby. They were responsible for not letting Yuan Chengwei escape.


    Chen Yiming appeared on the rooftop and said, ¡°The target is escaping. I¡¯ll leave him to you.¡±


    With that, he leaped into the sky and aimed at a spot in the wilderness. In an instant, the clouds were triggered by an unknown force, and a palm descended from the sky.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The ground cracked and the mountain exploded.


    The treant who was escaping underground was suddenly stopped by an invisible pressure. Then, he was hit by a terrifying force and exploded on the spot.


    In order to not give the other party any chance to escape, Chen Yiming did not mind bullying the weak and directly launched a strong attack. What he left for the four people from the capital was a target that might be dead or severely injured.


    After the attack ended, Chen Yiming headed straight for the space-travel passage in the strange village. The spiritual figure had already sent back another message. After the Sword Aura storm, the remaining treants had fused together and turned into three huge trees.


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that all the tree people came from one powerful treant.¡±


    On the way, Chen Yiming suddenly had this thought.


    This was a type of splitting ability that could be switched back and forth between quality and quantity. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain how the treants had done it.


    It had to be known that even if they were from the same species, there would be a huge incompatibility between their bodies and spiritual power. If they forcefully fused with each other, at best, they would cause spiritual disturbances, and at worst, they would die on the spot.


    ¡°The black water river and black water pool might even have a similar splitting ability.¡±


    ¡°This way, the strongest treant has never moved from its spot. It only split into countless treants.¡±


    ¡°No. During the war between the black water river and the treants, the treants defeated the black water river in the form of countless individuals and took root in the area near the space-travel passage.¡±


    Realizing that he had discovered a shocking truth, Chen Yiming thought of the most important characteristic of the treants: their vitality.


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that splitting into countless bodies is more conducive to absorbing energy from the ground and converting it into a huge amount of life force. The black water river was defeated in this way in a battle of attrition.¡±


    With all the clues connected, the truth about the treants became clear.


    The only thing he could not be sure of was the strength of the three huge treants after the fusion.


    ¡­


    In the otherworld, the spiritual figure that did not need to fear death took a step forward and made the first move.


    A huge sword appeared from the clouds, like a dragon poking its head out. Then, it descended from the sky and pointed straight at one of the huge treants.


    A thunderous sound rang out in the air, and the Sword Aura left behind a temporary trail, as if space had been cut apart.


    The three huge treants had extremely murderous expressions on their faces. Mysterious symbols appeared on the surface of the vines one after another, making the treants look extremely mysterious.


    Then, the treants started to counterattack. The entire ground suddenly shook, and the vines rushed towards the huge sword in the sky like chains.


    In the next moment, the huge sword made contact with the vines.


    Instead of the earth-shattering collision that one would imagine, the huge sword was instantly entangled by the vines. Countless mysterious symbols appeared in the air and locked the huge sword in place.


    The spiritual figure controlled the huge sword to make it explode, turning into countless Sword Auras that struck the space sealed by the vines, creating a loud bang.


    However, other than the air being distorted and shaking, the Sword Aura could not break through the seal of the mysterious symbols.


    Clearly, the vines that were strengthened by the mysterious symbols were stronger than the Sword Aura and could not be affected by its attacks.


    Chen Yiming stopped near the space-travel passage in the strange village.


    He received the real-time update from the spiritual figure and muttered, ¡°Could it be that the level above the master realm is related to those mysterious symbols?¡±


    He had seen similar mysterious symbols in the space in the ring. The mysterious symbols turned into a sealing power that trapped the female spirit.


    The three treants¡¯ faces stared fixedly at the spiritual figure. An ant of a lower level had actually ambushed and killed a large number of its split figures.


    Every split treant represented a part of the original body. A small loss did not affect it, but a large loss was different.


    This time, nearly a quarter of their numbers had been wiped out, causing them to be unable to fuse into the strongest single entity. They were forced to fuse into three individuals that were half a level weaker.


    They were weaker in the sense that it was not easy to use the mysterious symbols every time, and their ability to fight a battle of attrition became weaker.


    If more than half of them were killed at once, their cultivation level after the fusion would fall to the master realm, and their combat strength would decrease exponentially.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The treants moved again in anger. Mysterious symbols appeared in the air, and vines that filled the sky shot towards the spiritual figure.


    This scene was terrifying. Before the vines arrived, the target space had already been sealed off. The air became extremely thick, and it was difficult for ordinary people to move in it.


    This also caused the spiritual figure to be instantly trapped. It could only use the Sword Aura storm to resist the vines that were surrounding it from all directions.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    In the sealed space formed by the vines with the mysterious symbols, loud sounds of Sword Aura explosions rang out. At the same time, a bright light exploded, and the figure inside was completely drowned out.


    The only difference from before was that the huge sword was like a tree without roots. Now that their target was the spiritual figure, an endless stream of Sword Aura shot out in all directions.


    For a moment, the two sides were in a stalemate. The sealing power could not go any further, so the vines could not reach the target inside.


    Chen Yiming received another real-time update from the spiritual figure. He gasped. ¡°My guess was right. The higher the level, the more difficult it is to deal with enemies of a higher level. It won¡¯t be so easy to achieve.¡±


    The reason why he was being cautious when facing them was because he had considered the possibility that he might not be able to defeat them. The blue planet was only so big, and if he was chased by them, there was no way for him to escape.


    He was in a dilemma. From the looks of it, the combat strength of the treants had definitely decreased.


    However, from his current performance, it should not be difficult for him to defeat the three treants if he joined forces with the spiritual figure.


    He just did not know if the treants had any stronger trump cards that they had yet to use.


    In the end, Chen Yiming decided to observe the situation for a while longer. However, he wouldn¡¯t do it on the blue planet. Instead, he would enter the otherworld and prioritize finding an opportunity to launch a sneak attack on the treants.


    On the battlefield, 10 minutes had passed, but the stalemate between the two sides was still ongoing.


    After 20 minutes, the spiritual figure still did not show any signs of exhaustion. The treants¡¯ expressions began to change.


    In theory, the power of nature was endless, but there was a limit to the spiritual power of an individual creature. Therefore, after continuously mobilizing the power of nature, one needed to give their spiritual power time to recover. However, the ant in front of them seemed to have violated this rule.


    After 30 minutes, the Sword Aura storm released by the spiritual figure seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. The treants finally could not remain calm and took the initiative to change their strategy.


    Two of the huge treants turned into tree forms and set down their roots on either side of the treant in the middle. Part of their huge roots reached deep into the ground, and the other part reached towards the treant in the middle.


    Perhaps because the treants had replenished their energy, the light from the mysterious symbols became even more dazzling. The sealed space began to grow smaller bit by bit.


    The balance of the situation seemed to be leaning towards the treants.


    At this moment, because the treants¡¯ attention was focused on the spiritual figure, they did not notice that a figure had slipped out of the space-travel passage.


    ¡°A chance!¡±


    Chen Yiming, who was half-buried in the sand, saw the three treants gathering their strength in one body.


    He no longer hesitated and leaped up. It was as if a missile had shot into the sky from the ground, and he was preparing to use the pure impact of a giant descending from the sky to attack.


    The treants saw a small black dot fly into the sky. It was a little strange, but they did not take it too seriously and continued to pressure the spiritual figure with a stronger sealing power.


    ¡°You guys will suffer later!¡±


    Chen Yiming was secretly delighted. He kept borrowing the force from the air to reach a height of about 10,000 meters before turning around and diving down.


    If he only had the ability of transforming into a giant, he would definitely not have dared to do such a thing. After all, strictly speaking, turning one¡¯s body into a meteorite was a suicidal move that would bring one down together with the enemy.


    However, since he also had the Undying Body talent, not only was he not afraid of death, but such suicidal moves had also become his strongest attacks.


    When he was about 3,000 meters away, Chen Yiming transformed into a 100-meter-tall giant, shocking the three huge treants.


    A hint of panic appeared on the treants¡¯ face, but they were mostly feeling conflicted.


    How strong was the attacker? In that instant, it was difficult to determine if he was just trying to scare them to save the spiritual figure. Or was he really trying to perform a suicidal move?


    The treants finally judged that he was trying to scare them, but it was not like they let themselves be completely unguarded from a possible attack.


    The huge treant on the left retracted the tree roots that had reached towards the treant in the middle. Together with the vines and the mysterious symbols that appeared again, they formed a dome that covered the three treants.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break it!¡± Chen Yiming shouted and used the ability that giants were born with.


    The clouds in the sky began to spin. The domain formed by the invisible force covered both sides. The mysterious symbols on the dome actually showed signs of instability.


    However, it was too late. They could only take the attack head-on.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A terrifying collision occurred on the spot, and it was as if a nuclear explosion had occurred. Flames soared into the sky, and waves of air surged as a shock wave spread out in all directions.


    In the sky, the symbols sealing off the spiritual figure suddenly disappeared. All the vines seemed to have lost their vitality and fell to the ground.


    A huge pit more than 10 kilometers wide appeared on the ground.


    The spiritual figure knew that its main body would not die, so it floated quietly in the air and waited for the smoke and dust to settle down.


    A few minutes later.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming coughed out a mouthful of blood. His throat finally felt better.


    There were bloody holes all over his 100-meter-tall body. Most of his bones were broken, and his internal organs were severely injured.


    However, despite his seemingly terrifying injuries, his flesh was already growing back. It would not be long before he completely recovered.


    ¡°The other party is too tough. It hurts!¡± Chen Yiming cursed as he clutched his chest.


    The first time he had used the giant descending from the sky as an attack, the ground on the blue planet was as soft as a beach. But this time, the dome enhanced by the mysterious symbols was countless times harder.


    After confirming that his body was fine, he started to look around. He saw burning wood everywhere.


    ¡°Could the three huge treants be killed in one strike?¡±


    His head was still buzzing as he tried his best to recall what had happened. He seemed to have heard a cracking sound during the collision, and then his body hit the treants.


    Chen Yiming communicated with the figure in his mind: Where are the treants?


    The figure in his mind: They were destroyed.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming felt relieved. The reason why he wasn¡¯t sure was because he was stunned by the collision. He only stood up after recovering for a few minutes.


    In the end, he had won.

 Chapter 319 - Corpses Deep Underground

    Near the exit of the space-travel passage in the strange mountain village, three elite military teams were sent flying by the terrifying shock wave, and it took them a long time to regroup.


    It was clear how destructive the giant¡¯s attack was. The shock wave caused by it almost destroyed everything in its path. Even the members in the elite teams, who could all use the internal force, could not withstand it.


    ¡°Captain Li, Captain Wang, how¡¯s the situation?¡±


    A bald officer turned towards the people who had arrived. There were three team members beside him.


    The bald officer was supposed to be wearing a military cap, but at that moment, they had just experienced a shock wave that was even more terrifying than a nuclear explosion. He could not care less about such a trivial matter.


    The other two teams were in a similar situation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. We were more than 10 to 20 kilometers away from the battlefield.¡±


    The man in a buzz cut, Captain Li, gazed out at the battlefield filled with yellow sand and said in a low voice, ¡°However, a member of my team was sent flying by the impact wave and crashed into a mountain even though he had internal force to protect himself. He sustained a few fractures.¡±


    Internal force was equivalent to a layer of skin with a strong defense. It would not be an exaggeration to describe it as a superhuman power.


    Furthermore, the elite teams were not in the middle of the battlefield. They had only encountered a shockwave that was many times weaker.


    The middle-aged man, Captain Wang, smiled bitterly. ¡°Two of my team members, Xiao Zhang and Xiao He, were standing at the top of the mountain and looking into the distance to investigate the situation. They were sent flying into the sky by the shock wave and fell to the ground.


    If the two of them were unlucky, and their legs were broken. They won¡¯t be able to participate in the rest of the mission.¡±


    Captain Wang¡¯s tone was filled with helplessness. As the captain, he could not have expected such a situation. He had treated their position as a safe distance from the battle.


    The three elite teams¡¯ captains only met for a short discussion. In the end, the team member who had sustained fractures was assigned to escort the team members who had broken their legs back.


    Then, the teams split up and started to carry out their investigation.


    ¡­


    In the middle of the pit, Chen Yiming and the spiritual figure were discussing countermeasures.


    Only a few minutes had passed, and he had returned to his normal size. His injuries had already healed, and the scabs from his wounds had automatically fallen off. His skin had returned to its original state.


    The only difference was that he had changed into a brand new pair of underwear. His original pair had exploded because the timing was too sudden for him to change out of them.


    1


    According to the spiritual figure, all the power of the treants had been gathered and fused together to reach an unknown depth underground.


    He could not reach this depth with his spiritual power, so he did not know what was going on.


    Chen Yiming muttered, ¡°We were lucky that the first Sword Aura storm attack went so smoothly. From the looks of it, the treants gathered most of their power underground.


    As for going as deep as the tree roots did, perhaps conventional digging methods won¡¯t work at all.¡±


    The gravity on the surface of the otherworld was 10 times that of the blue planet. The pressure deep underground would only be greater, and it might even reach an unimaginable level.


    In that case, he could only rely on himself to find the energy mines if they existed.


    The spiritual figure suggested that he could transform into a drill and follow the traces left behind by the tree roots to open a path and personally enter the depths of the ground.


    Chen Yiming thought about it but couldn¡¯t think of a better idea.


    The mysterious symbols on the vines were closely related to the power of nature. This was what Chen Yiming had roughly sensed.


    In other words, all the treants were undoubtedly above the master realm, and were stronger than him and the spiritual figure.


    If the treants still needed to go all out, it meant that there was a terrifying danger underlying it.


    Chen Yiming could only comfort himself. ¡°This isn¡¯t cowardice. It¡¯s about safety. The spiritual figure can be revived, but if the main body dies, I¡¯m dead.¡±


    After deciding on the excavation plan, Chen Yiming and the spiritual figure used their spiritual power to scan the area and confirm the position that was at the center of the treants¡¯ roots previously.


    It was located half a kilometer away from the exit of the space-travel passage.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The spiritual figure changed to the form of a drill and spun rapidly, creating a small Sword Aura storm. Immediately after, it pierced deep into the ground, leaving behind a large and deep hole.


    At the same time, the ground began to shake, not just once or twice, but with a continuous tremor.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The dull sound of drums echoed throughout the Gobi Desert. The range it spread to was not just a few kilometers, but dozens of kilometers. It could be felt even from hundreds of kilometers away.


    At this moment, be it the creatures from the otherworld hiding in the sand or the elite team that was carrying out an investigation, they were all terrified.


    They all thought that the battle had ended, but who knew that something else would happen?


    The creatures from the otherworld did not dare to move easily and buried their bodies underground. The elite team, on the other hand, was on a mission similar to a suicide mission, so they could only suppress their fear and continue forward.


    ¡­


    10 minutes later.


    The figure in his mind: The remains of a tree root were discovered at a depth of three kilometers. The root seemed to have undergone some kind of mutation. It suddenly attacked and was killed by the Sword Aura.


    ¡°Mutation?¡±


    After Chen Yiming received the news, he thought about the huge number of treants that could gather a huge amount of life force and suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Half an hour later.


    The figure in his mind: Starting from 10 kilometers deep, there is a strange power in the air. It is extremely invasive. Perhaps it is the cause for the mutation of the tree root seen earlier.


    ¡°Invasive?¡±


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes when he received the second message.


    At this moment, his hope towards the possibility of the energy mines existing had already decreased greatly. Instead, his vigilance towards unknown dangers had increased greatly.


    In the next hour, the figure in his mind did not discover anything else,other than the strange, ghostly voices that surrounded the underground space.


    Chen Yiming paced back and forth hesitantly. He could only use the fact that risk and opportunity often co-existed to comfort himself.


    More than two hours later, the spiritual figure had already reached a depth of 40 to 50 kilometers underground, and the terrifying pressure was starting to become unbearable.


    Suddenly, the spiritual figure broke through the soil and landed in an empty area. However, before it could use its spiritual power to investigate, a killing intent appeared from the darkness.


    Countless creatures that looked like ghosts charged over from all directions with strange weapons in their hands, letting out strange cries.


    At the same time, an invisible force appeared, countless times stronger than before.


    The spiritual figure pressed its palms together and countless Sword Auras erupted from all over its body. It only had time to inform Chen Yiming that there was a mysterious space underground before its figure was drowned out.


    In the underground space, the Sword Aura continued to kill the attacking ghost creatures, but there was an endless stream of ghosts coming in to replenish their numbers.


    At first, the Sword Aura storm instantly created a safe area hundreds of meters wide. After that, the area was continuously closed in by the ghosts until it was only a little more than 10 meters wide.


    The spiritual figure finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    The rapid recovery ability of the Undying Body talent was displayed at this moment. As long as it was not completely defenseless, there was no need to consider retreating immediately.


    With a sweep of its spiritual power, the situation in the mysterious underground space was relayed to Chen Yiming by the spiritual figure.


    Mysterious space?


    Ghosts?


    A corpse that was 10,000 meters long?


    Essence energy?


    Chen Yiming held his breath and paced around with his hands behind his back.


    The information from the spiritual figure was too unbelievable, completely exceeding his expectations.


    According to the description by the spiritual figure, a 10,000-meter-long corpse was lying in the mysterious underground space.


    The reason why it was surrounded after breaking out of the ground was because the commotion caused by burrowing into the ground was too big. Countless ghosts were woken up and waiting for the intruder to appear.


    In addition, the essence energy and ghosts came from the corpse. The essence energy was similar to the substance that existed in the outside world that was used for cultivation. However, the density was so high that it was in the form of a mist, and was not something that the outside world could compare to.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, ¡°What kind of world is the otherworld? Why is there such a terrifying corpse buried deep underground?¡±


    At the same time, he immediately communicated with the spiritual figure: Hang in there.


    Then, he transformed into a 100-meter-tall giant and mobilized the power of nature to form a large shovel. He picked up the shovel and started to dig.


    ¡­


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    With the enhancement from the Giant Talent and the Undying Body Talent, his stamina was endless. There was no such thing as exhaustion.


    Without the ability to use the Sword Aura, he could only use the simplest and most direct method to try to dig a path down. In addition, he had the thought of bringing out the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    The creatures from the otherworld within a radius of 100 kilometers and the human reconnaissance teams felt the ground shake, and started to tremble again.


    Furthermore, unlike the spiritual figure, which used its skills to go deep underground, Chen Yiming used pure strength.


    Not only did it cause an even greater commotion, but the soil in his way was also directly turned into nothingness by the energy that erupted from his body. However, his digging speed was far inferior to the spiritual figure.


    An hour later, he reached the depth that the spiritual figure had taken 10 minutes to reach.


    Some of the ghosts that had mutated from the remains tried to attack Chen Yiming, but they were melted by the scorching energy that was emitted from his body.


    Two hours¡­ three hours¡­


    The spiritual figure suddenly sent back the news that the ghosts had retreated.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the tunnel around him and suddenly felt exhausted.


    If he had known that the Sword Aura could restrain the spirits, and that the ghosts would fail to break through at the start, he would not have been so anxious.


    However, he suddenly recalled that there were too many examples of people who had failed because they hesitated and could not make up their minds. It was best to avoid any regrets in the future, so he started to dig again.


    In the end, after half a day, Chen Yiming finally dug through to the mysterious underground space.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The 100-meter-tall giant landed heavily on the ground. A muffled sound like a mountain collapsing echoed throughout the entire space. A large number of ghosts and monsters were alarmed by the commotion under his feet and appeared.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his foot and stomped on the ground again, turning dozens of ghosts into dust.


    Not only did the other ghosts not counterattack, but they also let out screams and fled into the darkness.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered with them. He released his spiritual power to investigate his surroundings. The spiritual figure was floating not far away, and under his feet was the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    Other than the fact that the corpse did not have any living aura, it was completely preserved. There were no injuries on it, and he could not help but suspect that it was only pretending to be dead.


    The fur on the corpse was abnormally thick. The long and dense black fur almost made Chen Yiming not notice the skin underneath.


    Its skin was engraved with dense mysterious symbols, which gave off a grayish-white aura of death. However, one could not take their eyes off it.


    ¡°Gasp! Mysterious symbols!¡± Chen Yiming was stunned.


    This was different from the mysterious symbols that appeared when the treants attacked. Although the skin of the corpse did not glow, the pattern was much stronger and more complete. It seemed like it could be used for further investigation.


    This way, the value of this corpse was immeasurable.


    He suppressed his joy and planned to clean up the remaining ghosts in the underground space together with the spiritual figure.


    ¡­


    A portion of the ghosts in the underground space had already been killed by the spiritual figure. Now that Chen Yiming, a powerful reinforcement, had arrived, there was no way for them to put up an effective resistance.


    In the end, most of the ghosts were killed by the Sword Aura. Chen Yiming could only reminisce in his heart. ¡°Although the powerful Sword Aura has left me, at least I used to have it.¡±


    After figuring out the actual situation of the ghosts, the Sword Aura killed them the moment it came into contact with them, wiping out a large number of ghosts at once. On the other hand, Chen Yiming could only use his fists to attack. His speed of killing the enemies was much slower.


    The mysterious underground space was two to three times larger than the corpse. Chen Yiming walked around, but he still couldn¡¯t be sure what it looked like. In any case, he didn¡¯t find anything special about it.


    He returned to the corpse. The limbs of the corpse were a little human-like, but their thickness was not of the correct proportion. From its size, it was similar to a large version of a chimpanzee.


    He couldn¡¯t care less about anything else. The dense essence energy in the air was too tempting. Chen Yiming sat cross-legged and started to absorb it crazily.


    The essence energy that was so dense that it appeared to be in the form of a mist was drawn to his side and eventually used up by the system.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 2, Giant ¡ª?? Level 1


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ?¡ª Level 4


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill Points: 17,853


    ¡°More than 10,000 Skill Points!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s breathing became heavier than ever. At this moment, nothing held his attention more than this number. No matter how beautiful or attractive a woman was, it wouldn¡¯t work.


    He looked at the corpse at his feet again, and his eyes flashed. What he felt towards it now was hard to describe, but at least he no longer thought it was ugly.


    ¡°The essence is being emitted from the corpse. I wonder how much is left in the actual body?¡±


    When this thought appeared, he walked straight to one of the corpse¡¯s wrists.


    The thickness of its wrist was about the same as his wrist in the giant form. He went up and kicked it, trying to use brute force to open a hole.


    The next moment.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Chen Yiming clutched his foot and fell to the ground. ¡°F*ck! It hurts.¡±


    The mysterious symbol at the point of impact flickered, and the foot he had used to kick the corpse disappeared from the ankle down.


    After rolling around in pain for a few minutes, new flesh quickly regenerated. Chen Yiming¡¯s missing foot had completely regrown. He stood up and stomped the ground angrily.


    In the end, he did not dare to attack the corpse again.


    After calming down, Chen Yiming suddenly recalled the strange power that had appeared from 10 kilometers underground.


    The strange power was now confirmed to have the same aura as the ghosts in the underground space.


    The ghosts and essence energy came from the corpse. Then, could there be similar corpses elsewhere in the otherworld?


    A bold guess appeared in Chen Yiming¡¯s mind. Could it be that the cultivation environment in the otherworld was created by countless such corpses?


    If that was really the case, he would have to keep a low profile even if he broke through to a higher level before figuring it out.

 Chapter 320 - Deformed Monster

    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed since Chen Yiming dug out the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    This was the first time that humans had discovered such a huge creature. The entire Daxia Kingdom was in an uproar because of this, and it was even more intense than when Jiangnan province had successfully established a stronghold in the otherworld.


    Not only had the capital sent a group of high-ranking officials and a large number of experts and professors to Jiangnan City, but the two martial masters from the north and south almost went over as well. However, in the end, they still placed the defense of the nation first and only sent people over instead of going personally.


    The reason for all this was that Chen Yiming had said that the corpse would constantly emit essence energy, creating a better cultivation environment.


    Because of this, meetings were held one after another, and the corpse from deep underground was still temporarily placed at the entrance of the space-travel passage.


    On the surface, the military martial arts experts were guarding it, but Chen Yiming had also arranged for the spiritual figure to watch over it in secret. He wasn¡¯t guarding against humans spying on them, but against powerful creatures from the otherworld who might try to steal the corpse.


    ¡­


    In the provincial government office, the head of the office, Zhang Cheng, was holding a document in his hand, but his face was filled with panic. He asked, ¡°How should we reply?¡±


    Wang Ronghui frowned and could not come to a decision even after a long time.


    The document was from the capital regarding the disposal of the 10,000-meter-long corpse. The opinions from the capital and the Jiangnan provincial government differed when it came to where to place the corpse.


    The proposed location in the document was in the northern plains, and there were many reasons supporting it.


    Chen Yiming had mentioned that while the corpse was constantly emitting essence energy, it might also transform the surrounding living creatures into monsters.


    This phenomenon could not be explained. It was what he had observed in the mysterious space deep underground. However, could this phenomenon still happen if the corpse was brought back to the blue planet? It could not be verified yet.


    As a top official of the Daxia Kingdom, Wang Ronghui¡¯s suggestion was naturally more appropriate from the perspective of the Daxia Kingdom.


    After all, Jiangnan province was a large coastal province. Not only were the cities in the province densely populated, but the surrounding provinces were also in a similar situation. This corpse that contained an uncontrollable risk should be placed on the sparsely populated plains.


    However, for Jiangnan province, at the same time that they mitigated this unknown risk, they would also lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Furthermore, the space-travel passage where the corpse came from was in Jiangnan province, and it had been personally dug out by Chen Yiming from the depths of the otherworld.


    If he let go of this opportunity so easily, he could predict that the name ¡°Wang Ronghui¡± would one day be cursed by all the people in Jiangnan province.


    Wang Ronghui thought about it again and said in a low voice, ¡°Technically, since the corpse wasn¡¯t dug up by the Jiangnan provincial government, we don¡¯t have the right to decide how to deal with it.¡±


    Zhang Cheng understood what he meant and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll deal with it now.¡±


    ¡­


    While everyone was still discussing how to deal with the corpse, Chen Yiming had already left Jiangnan City. He entered the wilderness alone and cultivated as usual.


    In reality, the essence energy released by the corpse in the mysterious underground space was all converted into Skill Points at once. After that, it was as if he had entered an enlightened mode, and his interest in the corpse decreased greatly.


    Now, he was more concerned about how to use these 17,000 Skill Points.


    There were two ways to use his Skill Points. The first was to upgrade the swordsmanship talent of the sword spirit, which was the spiritual figure, to Level 5.


    After killing all the ghosts in the mysterious underground space, the requirement for upgrading to the Level-5 swordsmanship talent had decreased by nearly 10,000 points. In other words, he only needed to get another 3,000 Skill Points.


    The second was to upgrade the Undying Body talent to Level 3, and the Giant Talent to Level 2.


    Both options had their advantages and disadvantages. With a Level-5 swordsmanship talent, he was almost certain that the spiritual figure would undergo a qualitative change and break through to the same level as the treants. However, he still needed to wait and accumulate more Skill Points.


    The second plan only required 6,000 Skill Points to increase both of his talents. After the upgrade, he would still have more than 10,000 Skill Points left. For Chen Yiming, the Undying Body talent increased his combat strength at his current level, while the Giant Talent allowed him to obtain the abilities of the giants and achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation level.


    As for the Level-2 Giant Talent, it was almost certain that it would not allow him to break through from his current level. It was more likely that he would unlock another ability of the giants.


    This made him feel extremely conflicted. He could not decide what to do.


    At night, Chen Yiming decided to go home.


    As soon as he entered the house, he saw Zhu Song sitting on the sofa in the living room, chatting with Father Chen.


    The two of them were quite close in age, and it was as if there was no generation gap between them. Father Chen had a happy expression on his face as they chatted non-stop.


    Chen Yiming was surprised.


    Logically speaking, Zhu Song should be staying in Jiangnan City at this time to fight for the corpse for the capital on behalf of the northern cities.


    ¡°You¡¯re back! Your subordinate¡­ your colleague has come to look for you several times!¡± Father Chen greeted Chen Yiming when he entered the house.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Yuan Chengwei. The higher-ups haven¡¯t been able to make up their minds, so they had no choice but to send me over.¡± Zhu Song laughed and explained his motive for visiting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been cultivating outside and just returned,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    It was not appropriate to talk about Yuan Chengwei at home.


    The two of them exchanged a few more pleasantries before Chen Yiming suggested that they go out for a meal.


    After Chen Yiming and Zhu Song left the Chen family¡¯s house, Mother Chen asked Chen Yingying curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t Yuan Chengwei appear on television some time ago? What happened?¡±


    Chen Yingying also had a puzzled expression on her face. Ever since Yuan Chengwei went to the toilet that day, she had not seen him again. Even when the representatives from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy left, he had not been with them.


    Therefore, she shook her head, indicating that she did not know either.


    Father Chen, on the other hand, seemed to have guessed something. He instructed, ¡°Yingying, don¡¯t think too much about it. Your brother found so much miracle blood for you. You should focus on your martial arts.¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded and continued, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to my room and apply the miracle blood.¡±


    ¡­


    At the East Lake Hotel, ¡°Welcome!¡±


    The long-legged receptionist at the door, who was wearing stockings and black high heels, bowed enthusiastically and extended her hand to invite them in.


    Although it was only a scene he saw in passing, Chen Yiming had still caught it from the corner of his eye. The lady had been smiling the entire time, not knowing that she had a wardrobe malfunction.


    The two of them asked for a private room and ordered a full table of dishes. Zhu Song also ordered a bottle of expensive white wine.


    Soon, the wine and dishes were served.


    Zhu Song did not continue the topic with Yuan Chengwei. He first talked about the news brought back by the military investigation team.


    The three teams did not find any more traces of the treants, but they found a cave hundreds of kilometers away.


    After a simple exploration, they turned back at the first fork in the path and did not dare to go any further.


    The exploration team found some marks left behind on the stone wall. They judged that they were probably used as road signs, which meant that intelligent creatures had entered the depths of the cave.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming thought that the treants must all have died.


    The ability to split did not mean the ability to recover from injuries.


    Since the reconnaissance team could not find any traces of them even after searching for hundreds of kilometers, it was almost certain that other than the pawns left behind on the blue planet, the split-up treants had all gathered around the space-travel passage.


    Since he killed almost all the treants at once, unless the treants had a talent similar to his Undying Body, and that talent was at an even higher level,


    otherwise, it would be impossible for the treant to recover completely from such a serious blow to both its body and mind.


    He was certain that the treant had already died after being ambushed by him and the spiritual figure.


    Next, Zhu Song talked about Yuan Chengwei. ¡°That day, you crushed him to death underground. After we dug him out, the other party suddenly turned into a treant and attacked.¡±


    ¡°Was he pretending to be dead? Or did he die in its place?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    Zhu Song explained, ¡°After that, they dissected the corpse. There were two types of cells in the body, so he should have died in its place.¡±


    After that, Zhu Song continued to describe the situation of the battle.


    Yuan Chengwei, who had turned into a treant, had actually mobilized the power of nature to launch three attacks. If not for the fact that the four-man team from the capital had once been defeated by Rover from the Sam Nation and had experience fighting against martial masters, they might have died in battle.


    After Zhu Song finished speaking, he finished the white wine in his glass in one gulp and smiled bitterly. ¡°At that time, we didn¡¯t dare to approach the opponent and only dared to follow from afar. However, for some reason, Yuan Chengwei, who had become a treant, suddenly died.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    Of course, he knew the reason. The three huge treants had been ambushed by the giant that had descended from the sky, and their main body had been completely destroyed. It was not strange for their clones to die on the spot.


    Next, the two of them chatted as they ate. Not long after, the dishes on the table were finished.


    As for the white wine, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t drink it. Zhu Song finished it all by himself.


    Before they left, Zhu Song¡¯s face was red. He sighed in his drunken state. ¡°The difference between the half-step master realm and the master realm is like the difference between heaven and earth. In the two battles at the master realm, we were in a sorry state and almost died.¡±


    After sighing, he expressed his hope that Chen Yiming could give them some pointers.


    Chen Yiming was taken aback. He had thought that Zhu Song was going to ask about the 10,000-meter-long corpse, but Zhu Song had not even brought up this topic.


    Seeing this, Zhu Song thought that Chen Yiming was troubled. After all, strictly speaking, the four of them were under another martial master.


    Therefore, he took the initiative to end the topic.


    In reality, Chen Yiming had relied on the abilities he had obtained from upgrading his Giant Talent. He naturally knew how to mobilize the corresponding power of nature in a way that was similar to an instinct.


    Therefore, it was not possible for him to teach others how to use it.


    The main reason was that he did not dare to teach them since he did not actually know it.


    When spiritual power came into contact with the power of nature, it was easy to control for those who could do it. Those who could not would at best suffer heavy spiritual damage, and at worst, their spiritual power would be extinguished on the spot.


    It could be said to be an extremely risky attempt.


    It would be troublesome if there was a problem due to his wrong teaching. Losing four people who were half a step away from the master realm was not a small matter for the Daxia Kingdom.


    ¡­


    The next day, after another night of consideration, Chen Yiming decided to keep things as they were for the time being to deal with any unforeseen situations flexibly. He wanted to rest comfortably at home for a day.


    However, Wang Ronghui called to tell him some bad news. Not long after one of the soldiers in charge of guarding the corpses returned to the blue planet, his entire body suddenly became deformed. He turned into a monster and started a massacre.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    ¡°As expected, there¡¯s a reason why the corpse is buried so deep underground.¡±


    Carrying his doubts, he rushed to the scene of the accident.


    ¡­


    In a large shopping mall in Jiangnan City, the building was badly damaged. The walls were full of holes and broken glass.


    At this moment, the surrounding streets had been sealed off by armed soldiers. On the rooftop of the nearby buildings, military martial arts experts were in charge of guarding the area.


    In the sky, three helicopters were circling around. Soldiers were speaking through loudspeakers to maintain order in the city.


    Chen Yiming walked over and scanned the mall with his spiritual power. There were a total of eight people in two groups, one of which was the four-man team from the capital.


    In addition, a monster¡¯s corpse was lying in a pool of blood. Broken limbs could be seen everywhere nearby, and many people had died.


    Wang Ronghui was already waiting outside. When he saw Chen Yiming, he quickly walked over and asked the soldiers to clear a path for him.


    ¡°Have you dealt with the monster?¡± Chen Yiming asked in a low voice.


    ¡°At the time of the incident, a meeting was being held in the province. The people sent by the two martial masters from the north and south were both present, so they were able to provide timely support to kill the monster,¡± Wang Ronghui explained as he led the way to the mall.


    After that, he added, ¡°Now, all the people who have interacted with the 10,000-meter-long corpse have been arranged to return to the otherworld. At the moment, there hasn¡¯t been anyone else who has shown any abnormalities.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and entered the mall with Wang Ronghui.


    Two groups of people were surrounding the corpses of the mutant creatures. When they saw Chen Yiming enter, they automatically moved to the side.


    From their expressions, it could be seen that the relationship between the two groups wasn¡¯t that good. They seemed to be at odds with each other. However, as soon as Chen Yiming entered, they made way for him respectfully.


    Chen Yiming had no interest in the conflict between the two groups. He looked at the deformed monster¡¯s corpse and saw that it had been nailed to the ground by an arrow.


    His face had long lost its human characteristics. His facial features either became bigger or smaller, or changed color. In short, he had become extremely ugly.


    In addition, its body was covered in thick fur, and it had a long tail covered in barbs. It also emitted a disgusting stench.


    ¡°How strong was the monster?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The other group of people wanted to answer, but Ling Zhongyun quickly stood up and said,


    ¡°The power mastered by the monster is not the same as ours. During the battle, I felt that it was a type of corruption.


    This kind of power did not have the defensive ability to protect one¡¯s internal force. It pursued extreme offensive power, and felt extremely invasive.


    The other party¡¯s aura is equivalent to the warrior realm, but it neutralized a portion of the materialized spiritual power I released. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Was he that powerful?


    From the aura, it was a little like a ghost from the 10,000-meter-long corpse possessing a human body.


    As for the ghosts, he and the spiritual figure had killed countless of them in the mysterious underground space, whether it was with the Sword Aura or his fists.


    In short, other than their numbers, there was nothing else that he was worried about when it came to the ghosts.


    However, on second thought, while the ghosts might not be able to do anything to him, it was different for others, including the treants who were at a higher level than him.


    According to Ling Zhongyun, the deformed monster was clearly much weaker, but it could still injure humans who were half a step away from the master realm.


    This way, the supernatural power mastered by the monster was worth paying attention to.

 Chapter 321 - True Trial Grounds

    The entire mall was silent. No one dared to make any comments when it came to the 10,000-meter-long corpse. They were all waiting for Chen Yiming to speak.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know what to do. Strictly speaking, he was a combat type, not a research type.


    His spiritual power scanned the monster¡¯s corpse and realized that it was just as Ling Zhongyun had said. This monster had a very dangerous corruption power.


    At this moment, even though he was already dead, when his spiritual power came into contact with it, the corruption-based power still somehow existed and did not dissipate with his death.


    This way, it seemed to be even more troublesome than the ghosts produced by the 10,000-meter-long corpse. When the ghosts were killed, they died out completely, and there was no trace of corruption left behind.


    However, everything in the world often had two sides to it. Although the power of corruption was extremely invasive and dangerous, it was the best way to temper one¡¯s spiritual power.


    The strange mountain village was originally a trial created by the black river.


    If they sealed the 10,000-meter-long corpse in a restricted area, humans could enter and kill the mutant monsters and ghosts that were formed.


    Not only would their spiritual power be tempered, but they could also use the essence energy emitted by the corpse to cultivate. It could be said that both the body and spiritual power would undergo improvements at the same time.


    This area would become a true trial grounds, except that the mortality rate could not be openly announced.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°To make this true trial grounds, it must be accompanied by a bad reputation. This way, the family of those who die in it won¡¯t be reasonable. Otherwise, Wang Ronghui or someone else will have to take the blame.¡±


    After thinking for a while and making sure that he had not overlooked anything, he said, ¡°Let the experts from the research institute take over the corpse of the deformed monster. The soldiers guarding the 10,000-meter-long corpses should retreat as soon as possible. I¡¯ll drag the corpse back and temporarily store it in the strange mountain village.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Wang Ronghui was secretly delighted.


    Previously, Chen Yiming had briefly told them about the 10,000-meter-long corpse that had been dug out and then disappeared. That was why the capital had sent over the documents regarding the proposed placement of the corpse.


    Now that the matter had been decided, all the parties who had objections could only shut their mouths and tacitly agree that the 10,000-meter-long corpse would be left behind in Jiangnan province.


    As for the eight people under the northern and southern martial masters, they had no objections to this decision.


    The previous conflict between them was about the two proposed locations for the corpse to be placed, which were the northern plains and the no man¡¯s land in the southwest.


    ¡­


    That night, the troops in charge of guarding the 10,000-meter-long corpse returned to Jiangnan province through the space-travel passage. Then, they were gathered and placed under quarantine for a month.


    Chen Yiming also dragged the 10,000-meter-long corpse back to the village overnight.


    Unless it was buried extremely deep underground, at about the same depth as the earth¡¯s mantle, there was no difference whether it was simply buried or not. In addition, he had the intention to push for the creation of a true trial grounds.


    Therefore, he placed the corpse out in the open.


    Such a huge corpse that was 10,000 meters long could be seen from afar. Naturally, it attracted the attention of many civilian martial arts experts.


    ¡­


    The sky turned bright and the sun soon rose.


    Early in the morning, at Sister Luck¡¯s Breakfast Shop, ¡°What do you want to order?¡± the lady boss asked.


    A young girl was helping the other customers pack their food.


    ¡°Two buns, a fried dough stick, and a cup of soy milk. For dine-in,¡± Chen Yiming said after glancing at the menu, then found an empty table in the shop.


    Not long after, the girl walked over with a tray filled with the buns, fried dough stick, and soy milk.


    He looked up and realized that the girl¡¯s face had turned red. She immediately turned around and ran back to help with the shop.


    Chen Yiming picked up the buns and finished each of them in one bite. The soy milk also tasted good.


    Not long after, two police officers walked into the breakfast shop. After ordering a few buns, they sat down at the wooden table beside it.


    ¡°Have you heard about the selection in the wilderness?¡± one of the middle-aged police officers whispered.


    ¡°I heard about it,¡± the young policeman said with a nod.


    The two police officers were eating breakfast, but their expressions were not relaxed at all. They looked troubled. The young officer lit a cigarette and took the initiative to light one for the middle-aged officer.


    The two of them took a few puffs before their expressions relaxed.


    ¡°I¡¯m already over 40 years old, and my body is no longer at its peak. If only I was 10 years earlier!¡± the middle-aged policeman suddenly sighed.


    ¡°Brother Hong, don¡¯t be discouraged. Didn¡¯t the leader say that the selection this time is mainly to choose people with strong willpower, not individual strength?¡± the young policeman comforted him.


    The middle-aged policeman shook his head slightly and did not reply. He took a few deep breaths and finished his cigarette.


    The young policeman did not know how to continue comforting him, so he could only suppress his emotions and light another cigarette.


    When he was about to finish his second cigarette, the middle-aged policeman let out a long breath of smoke. He seemed to be much more relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. I have my elders and children to take care of. I have to give it a shot even if I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    The young policeman said, ¡°Brother Hong is too humble. In terms of willpower, we young people are at a disadvantage.¡±


    The middle-aged policeman finished the last bun in one bite.


    How could he not know the true situation? However, the leader did not make it clear. He was worried that even if he passed the test of willpower, his declining body would be a burden.


    Chen Yiming, who was at the next table, heard the conversation between the two police officers.


    He thought to himself that he could completely relax now. The true trial grounds might not be completely open to the public immediately, but the army would undoubtedly take action overnight.


    Ghosts were good at many strange attacks when it came to spiritual power. Those who did not have a strong will would not be strong enough and would only be turned into deformed monsters.


    The selection in the wilderness was for soldiers who were preparing to enter the true trial grounds. Not only were they nurturing martial arts experts in the military, but they were also tasked with collecting information about fighting the deformed monsters and ghosts.


    After leaving the breakfast shop, there was still more than half an hour before most people started work, but Jiangnan City was already in an uproar.


    All kinds of rumors began to spread quickly. Before a high-ranking official from the provincial government came forward to explain things, there were all kinds of versions being spread. The more they spread, the more exaggerated they became.


    Chen Yiming suddenly remembered that he had arranged for the experts from the research institute to accept the corpse of the deformed monster.


    If he was not mistaken, this research institute was the provincial biological research institute. Coincidentally, there were people he knew inside. At the same time, he was a little worried that there would be an accident during the research process when facing the corpse of a monster that they had encountered for the first time.


    Therefore, he planned to go over and find out more about the situation.


    ¡­


    In front of the provincial biological research institute, Chen Yiming gave a call to Institute Head Wu¡¯s daughter, Wu Susu.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t look for Institute Head Wu and instead looked for his daughter was not because Chen Yiming had any ulterior motives towards Wu Susu, but because he had bragged to her earlier.


    In reality, since he had already made a trip here, it did not matter who he looked for. However, he wanted to make sure Wu Susu knew that he had already done what he had said he would do. If she did not know, there might even be some misunderstanding between them.


    This was a matter of pride for a man.


    Not long after, Wu Susu walked out of the laboratory building in a white coat.


    Chen Yiming noticed the dark circles under her eyes. It was obvious that she had worked all night and hadn¡¯t rested well.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    He pretended to cough and asked, ¡°Have you found anything from the corpses of the mutant monsters?¡±


    Wu Susu could not even open her eyes. When she heard this, she suddenly woke up, thinking that the other party was here to rush her research.


    It had to be known that not only the provincial government and the military, but also many other parties, including the capital, were looking forward to getting the valuable research reports from the Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute as soon as possible.


    Therefore, the entire research institute was under a lot of pressure. The institute head, Wu Weiguo, had issued a military order that they would not be a burden and led all the researchers to work all night.


    She stammered, ¡°The flesh and blood of the deformed monster has too much corruption. The corresponding suppressants have yet to be developed, so many experimental equipment need to be adjusted¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. In reality, if they wanted results in such a short period of time, a miracle would have to happen. Under normal circumstances, they couldn¡¯t rush it.


    He then asked if there were any accidents during the research of the corpse that caused the corruption to leak out. This was worth paying attention to. After all, the research institute was in the city.


    Wu Susu patted her chest and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Before all the laboratory technicians come into contact with the monster¡¯s flesh, they have to read the information carefully three times under the eyes of the chief before they are allowed to conduct the experiment.


    There are also requirements for more than three people to work together at a time to prevent anyone from making a mistake.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood this and wanted to leave, but Wu Susu suddenly invited him to the office to show him the progress of the research.


    Since he didn¡¯t have anything important to do, Chen Yiming agreed and followed Wu Susu to the laboratory building.


    ¡­


    The office was the innermost room on the third floor of the laboratory building.


    When Wu Susu brought Chen Yiming in, the office was empty. The researchers were still working overtime in the laboratory.


    ¡°Here, this is the result of the research institute¡¯s overnight efforts.¡±


    Not long after, Wu Susu took out a stack of materials from the drawer and handed them to Chen Yiming.


    It was Chen Yiming¡¯s turn to be embarrassed. He was just concerned about the outcome. How could he understand such technical matters?


    Therefore, he could only pretend to flip through it and compliment their work.


    Wu Susu heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this.


    For researchers, what they cared about the most was opportunity.


    The first corpse of a deformed monster was handed over to the provincial biological research institute without any discussion. While they felt that they were being trusted, they also felt that they received a heavy responsibility.


    None of the researchers in the institute were willing to drop the ball.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming¡¯s habit of bragging in front of beauties was triggered again.


    From the military¡¯s selection of those with strong willpower, he could tell that the matter of the true trial grounds would be carried out quickly.


    However, the military would not tell Wu Susu, a mere researcher, what kind of research they needed the most at the moment.


    Therefore, he suggested a few research topics for Wu Susu, including the ability to withstand corruption and illusions, and the ability to maintain one¡¯s will.


    ¡°There will be some big movements next. You¡¯d better prioritize research related to fighting the deformed monsters.¡±


    Wu Susu¡¯s eyes lit up. She nodded and quickly marked the relevant materials with a pen.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded from the corridor. Wu Weiguo dragged his tired body to the door of the office. When he reached the entrance, he had a surprised expression on his face.


    When Wu Susu saw who it was, she called out, ¡°Dad.¡±


    She turned around and continued to flip through the materials, quickly finding and marking down everything that Chen Yiming had pointed out.


    Chen Yiming was afraid that her father would misunderstand, so he quickly walked out of the office and chatted with Wu Weiguo at the staircase. He then explained the reason for his visit.


    ¡°Thank you for coming all the way here. We will definitely be careful.¡± Wu Weiguo bowed slightly to express his gratitude.


    Chen Yiming waved his hand and said, ¡°Just proceed as usual. Don¡¯t feel too pressured.¡±


    Wu Weiguo did not stay for long before he left again. As the head of the institute, he had a lot of work to do. He needed to coordinate the progress of the entire research institute, the allocation of manpower, and so on.


    When Chen Yiming returned to the office, he originally planned to leave after informing Wu Susu. However, he realized that she had fallen asleep on the table.


    Perhaps because she was too tired, she even let out a soft snore.


    Chen Yiming looked at her delicate face and had the thought of pinching her. Of course, he couldn¡¯t do it himself. Otherwise, there would be evidence left behind and it would be troublesome if he was blamed for it.


    He released his materialized spiritual power and pinched her nose. Wu Susu¡¯s face quickly turned red, and she had no choice but to breathe out through her small mouth.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°It seems that she¡¯s really tired. She is sleeping very soundly.¡±


    He wanted to mess with her a little and turned his materialized spiritual power into a finger to poke at her waist. He thought that it would be fine since she was sleeping so soundly, but Wu Susu¡¯s waist was extremely sensitive and she suddenly woke up with a shock from her sleep.


    In addition, because she jumped too hard, she could not maintain her balance and fell to the side.


    Chen Yiming wanted to use his spiritual power to support her, but he was afraid that he would expose himself as the one who had teased her. As he hesitated, Wu Susu stumbled and fell to the ground together with the chair.


    A minute later, Chen Yiming bade farewell to Wu Susu, who had a bruise on her face.


    Fortunately, what he had done was not discovered. Wu Susu reflected on her poor willpower and poured all her energy into her work.


    ¡­


    After a day, the news about the mysterious corpse had already spread throughout the entire Jiangnan province and all the cities in the Daxia Kingdom.


    When Chen Yiming dragged the corpse back to the blue planet, since he did not bury it deep underground, the matter couldn¡¯t be hidden any longer.


    The news spread like wildfire. Martial arts factions with a certain level of strength had already sent people to the top of the mountain in the distance to investigate and see the appearance of the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    On the Jiangnan TV Station, the evening news was playing.


    The news announcer introduced the huge corpse that had been dug out from the depths of the otherworld to the audience.


    From 7 pm to 7:30 pm, the 10,000-meter-long corpses occupied all the news slots.


    Even though the audience sitting in front of the television knew that it was only a broadcast, they were all shocked by the image.


    The aura that was like the difference between heaven and earth placed a heavy burden on one¡¯s heart, causing one¡¯s expression to freeze and not dare to make a sound.


    Compared to the 10,000-meters long corpse, even the distance between the east and west of Jiangnan city was not as long.


    It was hard to imagine that if this corpse was alive, it only needed to turn around slightly to flatten a large city. All the countries on the blue planet combined would probably not be a match for it.


    At the same time, the informant planted in the Daxia Kingdom by the western world ignored the risk of exposing his identity and immediately contacted the contact person behind him to send back the news on television.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡­


    That night, the leaders of countless countries exclaimed in disbelief when they saw the corpse.


    Chen Yiming had risen too quickly. They had only failed once when attacking him, but they had lost their chance forever.


    Now that this 10,000-meter-long corpse had been dug out from the depths of the otherworld, it was clear that his strength was still increasing rapidly.


    This undoubtedly made the other countries despair, especially the Sam Nation. After the chief commander received the news, he immediately gave up.

 Chapter 322 - The Beginning of the Era of Warriors

    There were many undercurrents on the blue planet.


    This was especially true for the western world. The leaders of the large countries met many times in private.


    Some suggested working together with the Daxia Kingdom, some suggested lowering their heads and recognizing the Daxia Kingdom as the new global leader, and some suggested forming a stronger alliance¡­


    However, there was no single suggestion that won the approval of the majority of the leaders.


    The reason was that Chen Yiming had been hiding in a province of the Daxia Kingdom and it was unclear what his attitude towards other countries was.


    This made the heads of the countries who wanted to secretly suck up to the Daxia Kingdom hesitant.


    They were afraid that if they took the initiative to lower themselves and approach him, he would not look up to them or care about them, and they would lose their place in the alliance.


    ¡­


    Another half a month had passed since the corpse of the deformed monster was sent to the Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute. During this time, two small incidents had occurred.


    Fortunately, the provincial government and military martial arts experts, including Chen Yiming, were secretly monitoring the situation and quickly dealt with it. This didn¡¯t affect the progress of the research on the power of corruption.


    With the hard work of all the researchers from the provincial biological research institute, a few important results were quickly obtained.


    A type of suppressant was developed that could be injected into wounds. It could prevent the power of corruption from spreading for a short period of time, ensuring that one would not instantly lose their combat strength in battle.


    However, there were many limitations. It would mostly be used for superficial injuries.


    If one¡¯s organs were invaded by the power of corruption, the suppressant could not be used. Forcefully using it would cause permanent damage to the organs, and there was a high chance that one would die in battle.


    A special alloy was also developed that could greatly increase one¡¯s resistance to the power of corruption when fused into a weapon. It could ensure that one would not fall into the predicament of fighting an enemy with their bare hands in battle.


    What required further improvement was that the overall performance of the formula that was unintentionally developed still had to be optimized. At the moment, it could increase one¡¯s resistance to the power of corruption, but it had decreased one¡¯s other attributes.


    A type of stimulant was also developed that could be injected before fighting with deformed monsters or ghosts. It could continuously stimulate the nerves and effectively negate spiritual attacks.


    The disadvantage was that there were many side effects. It was impossible to guarantee that it would not cause spiritual injuries. It was similar to the trauma from war, and it required time and more data to be improved.


    ¡­


    In East Lake City, Chen Yiming walked along the street. He had only been gone for less than a month, but the city had changed a lot.


    In a little over half a month, other than the fact that there were more people and more people, the types of shops on the street had also clearly changed. There were a few types that were the most eye-catching.


    There was a registration point for warrior-level hunting teams. Those above the warrior realm would lead the teams into the trial grounds to fight.


    The trial grounds was currently divided into three regions. The outer area was 50 to 100 kilometers away from the 10,000-meter-long corpse. The inner area was 10 to 50 kilometers away from the 10,000-meter-long corpse. The middle area was 10 kilometers away from the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    The trial grounds¡¯ supply shops were operated by the provincial government. They sold equipment and medicine to fight against the deformed monsters and ghosts.


    There were also scalpers who were selling the slots where experts from the province went to various universities to conduct classes. They specially introduced the deformed monsters and ghosts, explaining the details that needed to be taken note of in battle, techniques, and so on.


    ¡°Handsome, do you want to know more about the Golden Spear Hunting Team?¡±


    When Chen Yiming stopped by the roadside, a beautiful woman carrying a flyer walked over in her high heels.


    Chen Yiming was stunned for a moment before he smiled and said, ¡°Oh, forget it. I just returned from Jiangnan City. I heard that the mortality rate in the trial grounds is extremely high. I¡¯m not in a rush and want to observe the situation first.¡±


    ¡°Handsome, how can you think like that? You have to know that you can enter the trial grounds for free now. After a while, it might become like going from the base city to the stronghold in the otherworld. You will have to pay a high fee,¡± the beauty smiled back and continued.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°As expected, beauties are all experts. They don¡¯t even blush when they lie.


    The trial grounds is not located in the otherworld, but on the blue planet. Furthermore, the area is 100 kilometers wide. It¡¯s impossible for the military to have such a huge amount of manpower and resources to seal off such a large area of wilderness and restrict entry.¡±


    He shrugged and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m still far from being a warrior candidate. I know my limits.¡±


    The beauty was not angry when she heard this. Instead, she covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Handsome, you must have a lot of potential since you¡¯re so young. You can also look for me if you need a spot in the expert course at East Lake University!¡±


    With that, she handed over a business card.


    Chen Yiming took the business card and stuffed it into his pocket. He glanced at it and found out that the beautiful woman was the sales manager in an agency.


    Did the sales manager need to go out on the street to distribute flyers?


    It had to be fake. She was clearly a salesperson.


    In this day and age, all those who tried to trick others liked to pretend to have a high status.


    ¡°Handsome, goodbye!¡±


    The beauty waved her hand and smiled charmingly before turning to leave in her high heels.


    Chen Yiming took out her business card and threw it into the trash can by the roadside.


    ¡­


    When Chen Yiming returned home, he realized that Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying were all there.


    It was daytime, and Chen Yingying should be studying in the martial arts academy at this time. However, she was at home today.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen were pleasantly surprised but also worried when they saw Chen Yiming return.


    Where did he go for more than half a month this time? Was the matter there very serious?


    How was the food? Where did he live?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in Jiangnan City and helping to monitor the corpse of the deformed monster. Not only is it not dangerous, but I didn¡¯t have to do much. The food and accommodation were arranged by the provincial government,¡±


    Chen Yiming explained with a smile. He understood Father Chen and Mother Chen¡¯s worries. They were probably judging the severity of the matter based on how long he had been out.


    In reality, although the sneak attack on the treants and the excavation of the 10,000-meter-long corpse were all done in a day, the danger involved was much greater.


    ¡°That¡¯s good! That¡¯s good! You¡¯ve already practiced martial arts to this extent. Remember to play it safe and don¡¯t force yourself to take on anything that is beyond your ability,¡± Mother Chen said with red eyes.


    ¡°After the news station announced the news about the 10,000-meter-long corpse, I didn¡¯t see you return for half a month. Your mother often can¡¯t fall asleep. When I asked the leaders in East Lake City, they didn¡¯t know the details,¡± Father Chen said.


    Other than Chen Yiming himself, even Wang Ronghui and the four-man team from the capital didn¡¯t know much about the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    They only knew that the corpse was unimaginably terrifying when it was alive, and that Chen Yiming had dug it out from under the ground in the otherworld.


    What they knew more about was only the deformed monster.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything to them about the mysterious symbols. He didn¡¯t think much of it for the time being.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to your father¡¯s nonsense. I just asked him to do something, but he¡¯s not reliable at all. He doesn¡¯t understand anything,¡± Mother Chen muttered.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve always thought twice before acting. I won¡¯t do anything I¡¯m not confident of,¡± Chen Yiming quickly patted his chest and promised.


    With that, he turned to Chen Yingying and changed the topic. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at school today?¡±


    ¡°Brother, I broke through!¡± Chen Yingying, who had been quietly waiting at the side, said excitedly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Yiming was taken aback, but he quickly reacted and nodded.


    He thought to himself, ¡°This prodigal daughter, I guess I didn¡¯t take so much miracle blood for her in vain.¡±


    He had asked Chen Yingying to apply the miracle blood on her skin so that her skin could absorb it naturally and improve her physique. Although it was safe and had no side effects, it was the least effective way to use it.


    1


    In the research institute, when the researchers did experiments, they used it by the drop.


    In the bloodline warrior training base, the reserve bloodline warriors would inject the blood essence that had the miracle blood in it. One tube of miracle blood could be split into four to five portions.


    In addition, very few people could obtain one or two tubes of miracle blood and use them directly to inject it into their bodies to make full use of it to improve their physique.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen also smiled again. Clearly, Chen Yingying had successfully broken through to the warrior realm. If not for the fact that they were worried about Chen Yiming, who had been away from home for a while, they would have held a celebration for her.


    Chen Yingying continued, ¡°Brother, when are you free to bring me to that place called the trial grounds? The teachers all said that although it¡¯s dangerous, it¡¯s an excellent place for cultivation.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Yiming agreed after some thought.


    If he left Chen Yingying at the stronghold in the otherworld for a long time, he would not be able to feel completely at ease without the spiritual figure nearby to protect her.


    However, the trial grounds were different. One could enter during the day and come out at night. Then, they could settle down in the military camp around it.


    Furthermore, the trial grounds could not only provide a cultivation environment similar to the otherworld with its essence energy, but also temper one¡¯s will in the fight against the power of corruption.


    This was something that the stronghold from the otherworld could not compare to.


    The strength of one¡¯s will happened to be an important factor that led to further progress in martial arts above the warrior realm.


    ¡­


    At the border of Jiangnan province, ever since the 10,000-meter-long corpse was revealed, Jiangnan province had another treasure that was being coveted by others. The military greatly increased the patrols at the border of the province.


    A team of soldiers was patrolling the wilderness. The target of their patrol was the refugees from Southeast Asia.


    More than a month ago, Jiangnan province had even planned to allow the refugees to enter the city. They would be captured and arranged to build roads, transport, and perform other dangerous jobs in the wilderness.


    However, with the birth of the trial grounds, a large number of people from the other provinces in the Daxia Kingdom had started to flow to Jiangnan province, including the various martial arts factions in other provinces.


    This indirectly increased the overall martial arts level of Jiangnan province.


    At this time, due to the frequent activities of countless martial arts experts in the wilderness, the danger of those who needed to work in the wilderness had already decreased greatly. The citizens would naturally protest that the refugees from Southeast Asia were fighting for jobs with their own people.


    To many ordinary people, the trial grounds indeed had nothing to do with them, but it might have something to do with their children. No one wanted foreigners to enter for free at this time. The competition would become even more intense for their children.


    Suddenly, there was a movement in the grass in the distance.


    ¡°Who is it!¡±


    The soldiers immediately stopped in their tracks and raised their guns, ready to fire at any moment.


    There was no more movement in the grass, as if the earlier disturbance was caused by the wind. However, the soldier recalled that there was no wind earlier.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A moment later, the officer leading the team suddenly fired into the sky.


    There was a movement in the bushes, but when they realized that the bullets were not fired at them, they instantly calmed down.


    ¡°Come out. If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll really shoot you,¡± the officer threatened loudly and fired another warning shot.


    Not long after, more than 10 refugees in tattered clothes got up with their hands raised. They spoke in a foreign language that most of the soldiers could not understand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! We¡¯re humans, not mutant beasts.¡±


    The officer assigned to the border of the province had taken some language lessons. In the same foreign language, he told the refugees, ¡°Jiangnan province has already implemented a new policy that does not allow unidentified people to enter the province. It is impossible for illegal immigrants to find a job. We suggest that you either return to your country or find a job in the neighboring provinces for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    The refugees looked at each other and did not dare to get into a conflict with the military, even though there was a rather strong leader among them.


    His strength was not bad. He could basically come and go freely in the wilderness, but it was nothing compared to the martial arts environment in Jiangnan province where experts were as common as clouds.


    In fact, the refugees from Southeast Asia were in a more dangerous situation, especially in the trial grounds. Logically speaking, no one was willing to let foreigners fight for opportunities with them.


    ¡­


    After dinner, Chen Yiming was dragged out by Chen Yingying to buy some common items needed when one entered the trial grounds.


    Before leaving, Chen Yingying said, ¡°Don¡¯t help unless my life is in danger. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to strengthen my willpower at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming agreed readily. He thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to be confident, but you can¡¯t be arrogant. You¡¯ll know how scary it is tomorrow. You¡¯ll come crying to me.¡±


    The two of them arrived at a specialized shop selling supplies for the trial grounds in the business district.


    The boss was an enthusiastic middle-aged man. He greeted the customers and asked them to look around. They could just get whatever they liked and settle the bill at the counter.


    Chen Yingying followed the expert¡¯s recommendations and chose one item after another, including medicine, special arrows, and some small items that could interfere with the deformed monsters.


    Chen Yiming had no interest in this and waited not far away.


    At this moment, two young girls walked towards Chen Yiming. They picked up the items on the shelves and looked at them before putting them back. They didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of buying them.


    The two of them were about the same age as Chen Yingying. They looked 99% alike and were almost the same height. They should be twin sisters.


    The only difference was that one had tied up her hair, while the other had long hair that fell naturally to her shoulders.


    Chen Yiming noticed the swords hanging from the girls¡¯ waists. On the scabbards were the words ¡°Mantis Snake Sword School¡±.


    ¡°Can you make way? You are blocking the Spirit Slaying Sword on the shelf,¡± the girl with her hair tied up walked over and said with a red face.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to cough and moved aside. ¡°You guys are disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School, right? It¡¯s not that easy to enter the trial grounds.¡±


    What he meant was that they were young and talented, so they should not be in a hurry to go there. They should cultivate in the martial arts school for a few more years first.


    However, it sounded a little strange coming from him. Chen Yiming was a young and handsome man, but he was giving suggestions in the tone of an elder.


    ¡°My sister is the new eldest senior sister of the Mantis Snake Sword School. Don¡¯t look down on us just because we are young.¡±


    The long-haired girl beside him glared at him unhappily.


    The girl with her hair tied up turned around and tugged at her sister¡¯s sleeve. Then, she quickly apologized. ¡°My sister is too straightforward. She actually doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions. Don¡¯t mind her!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze landed on the girl with her hair tied up.


    He had not noticed earlier that this young girl with her hair tied up was actually a true warrior, and her aura was very stable.


    To have such control at this age, it meant that she had astonishing talent.


    However, such a talented young girl had only just become the new eldest senior sister of the Mantis Snake Sword School in East Lake City. She had yet to enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect to further her cultivation.

 Chapter 323 - Special Spiritual Power Cultivation Technique

    Chen Yiming chatted with the girl who had her hair tied up.


    The other party was not from East Lake City, but from another province in the mainland. She had been arranged by her clan to enter the Mantis Snake Sword School to practice martial arts. Their goal was obvious. They wanted her to enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect through the school.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care about the specific matters regarding the running of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The position of sect master was like that of a figurehead, and he didn¡¯t interfere with the rapid development of the sect.


    Furthermore, using his name, the Myriad Phenomena Sect could recruit people with astonishing potential from all over the country.


    The Jiangnan provincial government also gave various benefits to the Myriad Phenomena Sect. For example, there was no time limit on the tickets to the base city for the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    Another example was that in the stronghold in the otherworld, the Myriad Phenomena Sect had received many good positions from the start. Now, it has already become an important faction in the development of the otherworld.


    Half an hour later, Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying walked out of the shop.


    Around them was a bustling street filled with traffic. There were colorful neon lights everywhere, and many pedestrians were coming and going. The noisy environment forced people to raise their voices when talking so that the people beside them could hear them clearly.


    ¡°If only I had started shopping from the shelves over there from the start!¡±


    Chen Yingying had a look of regret on her face. By the time she turned to the shelf where the Spirit Slaying Sword was, it was already in the hands of the two girls. Furthermore, there was only one such sword in the entire shop, and the other spirit-slaying weapons were not suitable for her.


    ¡°Those two girls are disciples of the Mantis Snake Sword School. One of them is a warrior like you. They are also preparing to go to the trial grounds.¡±


    Chen Yiming reminded his sister to prevent her from slacking off after breaking through.


    Chen Yingying was stunned at first, then she nodded and lowered her voice.


    The Mantis Snake Sword School in East Lake City was only a faction under the Myriad Phenomena Sect that was used to nurture talents for the sect. It was not a place for the young people who had true talent to stay long at.


    This made her fall back down to the ground after she started floating for a while. The sense of urgency she had felt previously instantly returned.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Chen Yiming left East Lake City with Chen Yingying and headed to the trial grounds. They arrived at the place where the encirclement of the strange mountain village was previously.


    Along the way, they encountered many people heading in the same direction. Everyone maintained a certain distance from each other and did not take the initiative to socialize.


    On the surface, they might be able to laugh and joke around, but there were too many people who would stab others behind their back.


    Not long after, the friends they had just made might become their rivals. No one was willing to let others know about their true abilities beforehand.


    After more than half an hour, Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying finally arrived at a military camp to the northeast of the trial grounds.


    There were many other such military camps. As sentries sent to monitor the trial grounds, the military did not prevent people from loitering nearby.


    Therefore, the civilian warriors used the military camps as temporary stops when they entered and exited from the trial grounds.


    Not far ahead was the outer area of the trial grounds. Behind them was a forest in the wilderness. From time to time, some birds would fly past in the sky.


    At this moment, the environment in front and behind her looked exactly the same, but since she knew beforehand that she was about to enter the trials ground, the images of the deformed monsters appeared in Chen Yingying¡¯s mind. She thought of the expert¡¯s explanation that the ghosts could turn humans into deformed monsters through manipulating one¡¯s will.


    She instantly felt a quiet, cold, and dead aura surge towards her. She subconsciously held her breath and stood rooted to the ground like a statue.


    Chen Yiming chuckled to himself when he saw Chen Yingying¡¯s expression. ¡°Who was the one who suddenly became so confident yesterday and told me that I shouldn¡¯t help unless her life was in danger?¡± he thought.


    He walked towards a team of adventurers by the roadside.


    There was a man in the team who was holding a stack of maps. Many people passing by were buying them.


    ¡°Give me a map of the trial grounds!¡±


    ¡°Do you want a rough map of the terrain, or a map of the distribution of deformed monsters within a range of 1,000 meters?¡± the man asked cheerfully.


    ¡°Is that real?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    He could not believe that an adventurer team by the roadside had the ability to draw a detailed map of the trial grounds.


    As if he knew that the other party would ask this, the man explained, ¡°It¡¯s only a map of the outer area, but our team can guarantee that the map was drawn within the day. You won¡¯t regret it if you buy it.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°Alright, give me a detailed map.¡±


    After receiving the payment, the man handed over a two-fold map. Chen Yiming spread out the map and glanced at the dense red crosses drawn on it.


    Each red cross represented the location of a deformed monster, and there were thousands of them.


    Chen Yiming realized that Chen Yingying was still in a daze.


    He deliberately coughed to wake his sister up. Then, he handed over the map without any explanation and said, ¡°This is a map of the deformed monsters drawn by the adventurer team.¡±


    Chen Yingying took the map.


    At this moment, her movements were stiff, as if she was a robot. When she looked at the dense red crosses on it, her face immediately turned pale.


    Last night, she was firmly opposed to being watched over too carefully while she trained. But now¡­


    ¡°Go on!¡± Chen Yiming turned to the trial grounds and gestured with his eyes.


    Chen Yingying opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she kept quiet.


    Before she set off, she turned around and whispered, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go too far away, and don¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    ¡­


    After arranging for the spiritual figure to secretly follow Chen Yingying, Chen Yiming chose a random direction and entered the trial grounds out of curiosity.


    Ever since he arrived at the military camp outside the trial grounds, he had noticed a phenomenon among the surrounding people. A few of them had very active spiritual power.


    It was a little like shaking off the dust on one¡¯s body or taking a shower.


    If those people realized this, and they immediately calmed down to focus on the transformation of their internal force and the fusion of their internal force, there was a high chance that they would make visible progress.


    He thought about how fighting with the deformed monsters and ghosts to disperse the power of corruption was essentially a form of spiritual cultivation.


    This was similar to patients who had a terminal illness. Some people maintained an optimistic attitude and had extremely strong willpower. They did not end up thinking that there was no hope or living a life of despair every day.


    Before they died, they were suddenly blessed by a miracle. The immune cells in their body successfully killed all the diseased cells, and they were reborn.


    After some people found out that they had contracted a terminal illness, they fell into despair on the spot. This was especially true for those who were weak in spirit. The feeling of falling behind was like the god of death waving a sickle, wanting to take their souls away.


    After they returned, they would completely lose their energy and age overnight. They would die in a few days, even if there was originally a chance for them to be cured.


    ¡­


    Somewhere in the forest, there were a large number of rocks and thick trees scattered around. There were naturally a large number of obstacles everywhere.


    A seven-man team was using a team strategy to surround and kill a deformed monster.


    The deformed monster had abnormally long fangs and rotten skin. Its eyes were filled with bloodlust, madness, and anger.


    Looking at its overall figure, one could barely make out that it was originally a black panther.


    Every time the deformed black panther pounced, a corrosive zone would be created, leaving behind a pool of liquid that no one dared to come into contact with.


    When the people who were targeted saw this, they did not dare to fight head-on and retreated without hesitation.


    The others attacked from afar, using grenades, incendiary bombs, arrows with internal force¡­


    At this moment, the weakness of the deformed monster was revealed. It was clearly stronger than any of the seven of them, but it was only a killing machine and did not have much intelligence. It was actually being played by a simple team tactic.


    Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t retreat anymore. Go to the right!¡±


    The reason why they were forced to do this was because if they retreated any further, they would enter the territory of another deformed monster. Their team tactic might not even succeed against one deformed monster. If they attracted the attention of another monster, they would have to consider how to escape with their lives.


    As the person being targeted was forced to make a turn, the deformed black panther instantly closed the distance between the two sides. The situation changed drastically, and the strategy of the humans seemed to be about to cause one of them to be killed first.


    ¡°Find an opportunity to take some hits in exchange for a chance to escape, then inject the suppressant.¡±


    When the person chasing after the black panther saw that his companion was about to be caught, he reminded him loudly again to prevent his companion from being stunned and not being able to react properly.


    The black panther could not understand human language. When it entered its attack range, it spat out a pungent liquid that emitted smoke.


    Immediately after, it prepared to pounce and watched the direction in which the human in front of it was going to escape in.


    The person who had fallen into a desperate situation had a flash of inspiration and threw out the long saber in his hand. The long saber was thrown out with a special attack. Regardless of whether the black panther monster dodged it or not, its path would still be blocked.


    At this moment, escaping with his life was the most important. He rolled to the left, but did not immediately stand up. He rolled to the right again and returned to his original position.


    The black panther had misjudged the situation. First, it allowed the long saber to stab into its body, causing its body to instantly stiffen. Then, it pounced at the spot that the human had rolled towards.


    As soon as it landed and wanted to pounce again, it was hit by the grenades, incendiary bombs, and arrows with internal force, allowing the human to escape.


    Chen Yiming watched the entire battle from afar.


    He had originally planned to secretly stop the black panther, but he did not expect that person to be so lucky.


    Next, the seven-man team fought while they retreated, reaching a stalemate with the black panther.


    The person who had been targeted earlier was lucky enough to not be injured by the power of corruption at all. However, the dangerous situation gave all of them a shock.


    Due to the terrain and the threat of the other deformed monsters, it seemed like their tactic could be used to find an opportunity to kill the monsters in a battle of attrition.


    On the other hand, the human team would not be able to withstand even a small mistake. However, it was difficult to execute their tactics perfectly on the battlefield.


    They were already considered lucky that no one had died in the incident earlier.


    Not long after, the human team retreated far away from the territory of the black panther. They did not stay in the trial grounds any longer and retreated towards the military camp.


    After a fruitless battle of attrition, their bodies were no longer at their top condition. It was not wise to provoke other deformed monsters at this time.


    ¡­


    Watching the seven-man team leave, Chen Yiming secretly observed a few more teams.


    He realized that during the battle between humans and the deformed monsters, when the two sides did not come into physical contact with each other, or when the humans won with an overwhelming result,there was limited effect on their spiritual cultivation.


    In the former case, they would only consume a large amount of their physical strength, and they would be more afraid than excited. If they took on a huge risk and fought the deformed monsters for nothing, the price they would have to pay and the reward they could receive were far from proportionate.


    As for the latter, the battle ended quickly and easily, but it could not really excite them, nor could it stimulate their spiritual power.


    A phenomenon that truly caused one¡¯s spiritual power to become active appeared in battles where the humans and the deformed monsters were evenly matched.


    There was another tough condition. These people had to suffer injuries on the surface of the skin, where they could inject a suppressant on the spot to prevent the power of corruption from spreading through their bodies. Then, they could get rid of the portion of the flesh that had been contaminated and eventually survive.


    Those who were severely injured could not withstand the corruption spreading in their bodies.


    However, there were very few such battles. Not many people could really set their minds on it and place their lives on the line.


    ¡°It seems that in order to fight in the trial grounds and use this special method of spiritual cultivation, we still need to deal with the problem of people not daring to come into contact with the power of corruption.¡±


    Chen Yiming could tell that there was a critical problem.


    He immediately communicated with the spiritual figure and arranged for it to use its spiritual power to secretly suppress the deformed monster so that Chen Yingying and the monster would be evenly matched.


    This was too easy for him and the spiritual figure. After all, there was a huge difference in reaction speed, perception, and control. He could always balance the scales with his power.


    ¡­


    In the evening, near the military camp.


    Chen Yiming lay on a large rock with his eyes closed.


    Chen Yingying, who was at the side, used a tree trunk in the distance as a target. She shot out arrow after arrow, causing tremors in the forest and creating small windstorms.


    She had an epiphany regarding the usage of internal force in archery at the warrior realm. The internal force was firmly attached to the arrow, as if there was a third hand helping to stabilize it.


    The improvement in her control over internal force was visible to the naked eye.


    ¡°Brother, stop sleeping. Get up and see if my archery skills have improved.¡±


    Chen Yingying had an excited expression on her face. She really wanted to share her joy with someone else.


    When she first entered the trial grounds during the day, she saw that most people moved in small teams. She had moved alone, and she could not hold it back any longer.


    After studying the locations marked on the map, she carefully checked out several places. She only glanced at the deformed monsters from afar.


    Then, she observed how a team fought the deformed monsters from afar before trying it out on her own.


    After repeatedly comparing the strength of the deformed monsters, she chose the weakest one.


    However, one¡¯s appearance would often be deceiving. The deformed monster she had chosen was not very strong, but it was small and agile.


    At normal distances, Chen Yingying¡¯s arrows could not hit it at all. She also did not dare to rashly give up her advantage in long-range attacks.


    Therefore, the first battle was fruitless, and Chen Yingying took the initiative to retreat.


    After that, Chen Yiming arranged for the spiritual figure to secretly make a move.


    It did not matter if Chen Yingying no longer took the initiative to attack the deformed monsters. The spiritual figure directly chased a monster over from afar, forcing the battle to break out.

 Chapter 324 - Differences in Ideas

    Glancing at the excited Chen Yingying, Chen Yiming said, ¡°The reason for this level of improvement is firstly because of the miracle blood that improved your physique, and secondly, by fighting in the trial grounds this time, you managed to unleash the accumulated potential.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Yingying nodded vigorously.


    She could also feel the changes in her physique brought about by the miracle blood. She had more stamina, more agility, and sharper observation skills.


    After Chen Yingying turned around and continued her cultivation, Chen Yiming released his spiritual power and observed her secretly.


    At this moment, the sky was gradually turning dark. Teams of adventurers walked out of the trial grounds one after another and rested near the military camp. There were about 1,000 of them.


    Many fires were lit. The adventurers tacitly found a spot in the wide area each and kept a distance from each other to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on them.


    Those in charge of logistics placed mutant beast meat on the fires to roast them. The adventurers sat around the fires and started to review their experiences fighting the deformed monsters during the day.


    Chen Yiming scanned the area with his spiritual power and roughly found out about the adventurers¡¯ experiences during the day.


    A small number of people had suddenly made obvious progress. In fact, this had already been noticed by the people in their team. The active state of their spiritual power was temporarily called an epiphany.


    However, there were too few cases, and their experiences were different. Even the person involved was not sure what was going on, so they could not figure out the principle behind the special spiritual cultivation technique for the time being.


    Even more adventurers had yet to obtain such an active state in their spiritual power.


    However, there were accidents happening every day, causing entire teams to be wiped out. The atmosphere became a little gloomy. Some people had the intention to retreat and wait and observe the situation, while others were worried that things may change in the future and wanted to give it another shot.


    In short, most of the teams were at their lowest point. They felt anxious, conflicted, doubtful, and various other negative emotions.


    ¡­


    Three days later, Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying set off on their way back.


    ¡°Brother, I feel that I can even master the transformation of the wind attribute internal force when I go back.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at his sister.


    The special spiritual cultivation technique could not only produce a tempering effect on the spiritual level, but also quickly unleash one¡¯s potential.


    However, this kind of improvement made it easy for one to have a misunderstanding of their abilities. Subconsciously, one would think that even after leaving the active state of one¡¯s spiritual power, one could still be the same as before.


    In reality, Chen Yingying had yet to reach the level of mastering the transformation of internal force, and even if she did, she would definitely reach a bottleneck after she returned.


    It was just like when one was exhausted while rock climbing. The goal was clearly right in front of them, but they could not take another step forward.


    The reason was that the potential she had built up using the miracle blood, the knowledge of the internal force, and the experience she had from practicing martial arts had all been used up during this trip to the trial grounds.


    Chen Yingying would definitely experience a huge difference. The only way to continue to break through was to increase her martial arts talent.


    It was useless to be worried about one¡¯s talent. She had to persist in using the miracle blood to strengthen her body and fight in the trial grounds every once in a while. That way, her body and mind would improve at the same time.


    Chen Yiming smiled and remained silent.


    Chen Yingying was still too young and had been protected well by her entire family. She was very naive, so it was not a bad thing for her to suffer some setbacks.


    The strong will needed on the path of martial arts would gradually be formed after repeated successes and failures.


    ¡­


    The sun rose and set again.


    In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since Chen Yiming brought Chen Yingying back from the trial grounds.


    During this half a month, the correct way of fighting in the trial grounds was gradually figured out by people during the frequent battles between humans and deformed monsters.


    There was a saying among the people: ¡°Between life and death, one can break through the limits of the human body. There are no shortcuts in the trial grounds.¡±


    After a large number of corpses of the deformed monsters entered the various research institutes in the Daxia Kingdom, almost all the research in the country was focused on this matter and produced new findings one after another.


    The discussion about the trial grounds had reached an unprecedented level. News that someone had broken through to the warrior realm in one go spread like wildfire.


    At this moment, not only were the various martial arts academies discussing whether to let the teachers lead the students into the trial grounds, but even the martial arts world in middle and high schools were discussing whether to let the students enter the trial grounds for a special class on a yearly basis.


    ¡­


    Early in the morning, a piece of news first shook Minnan province, then Jiangnan province, and then the entire Daxia Kingdom.


    In the Green Mountain Sect, which was the largest sect among the civilian factions in Minnan province, the Sword Clan and the Spirit Clan had gotten into a serious fight, and a large bloodbath had broken out.


    Xiao Mingshan, the sect master, was originally from the Spirit Clan. He had made a move to suppress the elder from the Sword Clan who had led the way to cause trouble, but in the end, he was foiled by a disciple instead.


    After that, Xiao Mingshan wanted to suppress them along with that disciple to maintain the control of the Spirit Clan over the Green Mountain Sect. Unexpectedly, he was beaten until he vomited blood in a crushing defeat. He could not fight back at all.


    That night, Xiao Mingshan suddenly died in his room, which meant that the Spirit Clan where the sect master was from suffered a serious blow. The Green Mountain Sect might enter an era where the Sword Clan controlled the position of the sect master.


    The Green Mountain Sect¡¯s Spirit Clan had always emphasized on being neutral and peaceful, moving forward steadily. Their cultivation style was also the same. They preferred to focus on cultivating on the mountain and let nature take its course.


    As for the Sword Clan, the sword was a weapon for killing. The style of the Sword Clan was the same. They liked to make use of battles to achieve breakthroughs and improve their cultivation, so they often went down the mountain to participate in battles.


    The appearance of the trial grounds was undoubtedly more in line with the style of the Sword Clan. It represented a difference in ideals in martial arts between the two clans, and might have been the trigger for the conflict.


    When the news spread, the name ¡°Feng Wuji¡± became famous throughout the country in a short period of time.


    The reason for Xiao Mingshan¡¯s sudden death was not what most people were concerned about.


    Most people paid more attention to Feng Wuji, the disciple from the Sword Clan of the Green Mountain Sect. Before he entered the trial grounds, he had only broken through to the warrior realm less than a year ago. Now, he had actually broken through continuously in the trial grounds.


    To be able to defeat Xiao Mingshan, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, he was undoubtedly a half-step away from the master realm.


    There were not many people in the Daxia Kingdom who were half a step away from the master realm. Almost all of them were being nurtured as potential martial masters.


    At the same time, the name ¡°Wuji¡± also implied that he was brave and fierce, which matched his mentality when fighting the deformed monsters.


    Perhaps these were all coincidences, but it drew countless people to ask about Feng Wuji¡¯s background, development, personality, experiences, and so on.


    Sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the living room.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s bedroom door was tightly shut. She did not show any signs of waking up early to practice martial arts.


    Recently, her martial arts confidence had been severely damaged. The words that she had uttered on the way back from the trial grounds, were proven to be just her own fantasies the next day.


    ¡°Knock knock knock!¡±


    Chen Yiming behaved like a stern teacher and knocked on the door to urge his sister to wake up and cultivate her martial arts.


    He was able to cheat and could continuously increase his talent using the system, so he had never experienced being tied down by his talent, but he could still understand his sister¡¯s feelings.


    However, even though he understood it, he also knew that it was useless to be depressed over it.


    Chen Yingying had to come to terms with reality again. At the warrior realm, she had to compare herself with others in the warrior realm. She had once again returned to being mediocre among her peers.


    Not long after, the door opened.


    A young girl walked out. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious, and her low spirits were written all over her face.


    Chen Yiming watched as Chen Yingying entered the bathroom. She washed up briefly, picked up her bow and arrows, then left the house. The entire process took about 10 minutes.


    Similarly, he did not stay at home for long. He left the house almost immediately after his sister did.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was autumn.


    On the road, withered leaves could be seen everywhere. The cleaners worked hard to clean up the streets to keep up the appearance of the city.


    The sunlight felt warm on his body. It was no longer hot to the point that his scalp felt numb, and he felt comfortable all over. He had fallen in love with such weather.


    This was also the best season for practicing martial arts. The weather was cool, and there was little negative interference. It was easier to stay focused, so the efficiency was naturally high.


    Chen Yiming passed by a residential district and saw a notice on the wall from the corner of his eye.


    There was a large amount of advertisements posted on it.


    Teacher Meng is teaching a small class. Bring your child to learn the truth about the training ground in advance. Call XXX.


    The Starlight Mercenary Group¡¯s swordsmanship expert, Lu Zhou, will train you step by step. He has complete knowledge of the trial grounds.Call XXX.


    The class teaches the strongest body technique: recovery-type cultivation techniques. Guide your child down the right path. Call XXX.


    ¡­


    In the trial grounds, the special corruption power of the deformed monsters was no longer a secret after more than a month. Classes teaching one how to deal with this power appeared in large numbers, and the importance of recovery-type cultivation techniques had increased greatly.


    First of all, regardless of whether one could withstand the corruption, people would subconsciously think that a recovery-type cultivation technique was an excellent choice.


    As a result, the value of recovery-type cultivation techniques was high. At the same time, a large number of scammers had appeared, taking advantage of some parents who were in a hurry to teach this technique to their children.


    After all, even if the child did not learn it well, the scammers could just say that the child was just not talented enough. If the parents were just ordinary people, they would not be able to refute it.


    By the time the scammer was exposed, he would have already packed his bags and run away.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the notices before leaving.


    He walked a few blocks and entered a salon.


    It had been a long time since he had come to the salon for a haircut. He had been doing it himself. When he woke up this morning to wash up and looked in the mirror, he suddenly felt that he could not continue like this. Such matters should be left to the professionals.


    It was working hours, and there were no other customers in the salon.


    The hairdresser was a beautiful woman in her thirties. When she saw Chen Yiming enter, she asked, ¡°Handsome, what hairstyle do you want?¡±


    Chen Yiming scanned the hairdresser from head to toe.


    The woman¡¯s long hair was tied up behind her head, and her face was pale and red. She was a mature woman.


    In addition, she had a slightly plump figure. From the knees down, her stocking-wrapped calves were revealed. She was wearing open-toed sandals and had light pink nail polish on her toes.


    He said calmly, ¡°Give me a slightly more layered style.¡±


    The beautiful woman smiled and did not seem to mind his gaze at all. She replied, ¡°The weather is starting to turn cold. It¡¯s alright to keep your hair a little longer, right?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Do it your way.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    Soon, he sat on a chair in the salon. The beautiful woman took out an electric razor from the drawer, planning to trim the hair first.


    ¡°It¡¯s too hard!¡±


    After a while, the beautiful woman turned off the power switch and grumbled.


    ¡°Is it very hard?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked as he quickly thought of a solution.


    Before the beautiful woman cut his hair, he had already extracted all the life force from his hair and used his spiritual power to destroy every cell in his hair.


    However, for electric scissors, they were still too tough. There did not seem to be a good way, unless the salon had special scissors.


    ¡°Handsome, you¡¯re so young. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a warrior already,¡± the beautiful woman asked as she pinched Chen Yiming¡¯s hair.


    At this moment, she was standing right behind the chair. From the mirror, her chest seemed to be resting on his head, causing Chen Yiming to take a few more glances at her.


    His gaze happened to land on the eyes of the beautiful woman. Unlike before, her face was red and she was clearly avoiding his stare.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°When ordinary handsome men look at you, you don¡¯t have any reaction. When it¡¯s a warrior, you blush and avoid his gaze. You¡¯re too good at acting.¡±


    He nodded, tacitly agreeing that he was a warrior.


    The beautiful woman put a pause on cutting his hair and asked, ¡°Handsome, are you a student of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy? Or are you a disciple of one of the martial arts sects?¡±


    Chen Yiming was a little impatient and said perfunctorily, ¡°I¡¯m from a martial arts sect.¡±


    ¡°A martial arts sect! How powerful!¡± The beautiful woman¡¯s red lips parted slightly as she continued, ¡°My daughter is in the third grade of primary school. I¡¯m planning to consider laying a good foundation for her. Handsome¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming interrupted her with a cough, indicating that she should get on with her work.


    When the beautiful woman came back to her senses, she also felt that she had been too rude. However, the price for cutting a warrior¡¯s hair was naturally not the same as that of ordinary people. These people did not lack that bit of money at all.


    She smiled and suggested, ¡°Handsome, I won¡¯t be able to use the razor. I can only use the scissors to cut your hair. Your hair is hard, so the cost is about this much.¡±


    She spread out all five fingers in front of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. His attention was drawn to the ring on her ring finger. It was a wedding ring.


    He was too lazy to ask for the exact cost. In any case, the beautiful woman did not have the guts to trick him.


    Next, the beautiful woman used a pair of scissors to cut Chen Yiming¡¯s hair. From time to time, she would complain that her wrist was sore. Her tone carried a hint of resentment, perhaps trying to gain sympathy.


    Of course, there was no lack of inquiries about the foundation of martial arts.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know much about these things. After upgrading his talent, he had been breaking through continuously and had never thought about the problem of building his foundation.


    Therefore, he could only briefly explain Chen Yingying¡¯s situation.


    The beautiful woman revealed a surprised expression from time to time. The combination of mutant beast meat that Chen Yiming had mentioned was too expensive, and it wasn¡¯t something she could afford.


    In the end, the beautiful woman took more than two hours to cut his hair. She cut his hair for more than an hour, and used the remaining hour to style his hair.


    ¡°Handsome, are you satisfied?¡±


    After washing his hair, the beautiful woman dried Chen Yiming¡¯s hair with a hairdryer.


    Chen Yiming looked at himself in the mirror and was satisfied.


    He stood up and planned to pay with his card. ¡°5,000 yuan, right?¡±


    The beautiful woman¡¯s face lit up and she nodded.


    In reality, when she showed him five fingers, she had meant that it was five times the price. The normal cost for a man¡¯s haircut would be no more than 300 to 500 yuan. The price she had set in her head for cutting a warrior¡¯s hair was between 1500 to 3000 yuan.


    As for his hair being too hard and difficult to cut, as well as her sore wrists, these could all be overcome with enough money.


    The beautiful woman took the bank card from Chen Yiming and glanced at it. She realized that it was different from ordinary bank cards. It looked like a limited edition card that was specially made for specific people. The texture was different from normal.


    She swiped the card and turned the machine around for Chen Yiming to enter the passcode.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s hand was big, so it was inevitable that he would hold her hand along with the card reader. The woman¡¯s skin was smooth and tender, and it was clear that she had taken good care of it.


    He did not bully her too much. After two seconds, he took the card reader from the woman¡¯s hand and entered the passcode before handing it back to her.


    Finally, under the beautiful woman¡¯s curious gaze, he walked out of the salon.

 Chapter 325 - Establishment of the Mediation Team

    By the roadside, young girls turned to look at him repeatedly. Chen Yiming immediately put on an indifferent expression and puffed out his chest, as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    He thought to himself, ¡°As expected, appearance is everything. Previously, I felt that something was missing. It turns out that I cared too little about my hairstyle.¡±


    It was lonely at the top.


    Ever since he became a martial master, he had become more and more fond of hiding his identity and blending into society. He did not want to become like the ancient emperors who were constantly busy with government affairs.


    For example, if he wanted to secretly control Jiangnan province or even the Daxia Kingdom, to become like the corporations in the western world, when faced with an existence that could easily suppress other martial masters, the government and military could only submit and cooperate with him.


    At the same time, he understood better why the ancient emperors were willing to take the risk and travel around as ordinary people.


    He originally wanted to cut his hair and go to the deep forest in the wilderness to cultivate for a day. As he walked, he turned a corner and headed to the park square in East Lake City.


    ¡­


    The square was very lively.


    From time to time, birds would land in the square and get fed by the bird lovers.


    Many young people were sparring to check what they had learned and help each other in their training.


    Chen Yiming walked around and realized that many people were discussing the name Feng Wuji and the events surrounding him.


    He thought to himself, ¡°From the ordinary warrior realm to the half-step master realm, his progress is even faster than mine.


    Either something similar to Yuan Chengwei happened to Feng Wuji, or the trial grounds triggered his hidden spiritual talent.¡±


    At the third stage of the warrior realm, one used the internal force. The difference between the transformation of internal force and the fusion of internal forces was the level of control one had over the internal force.


    With his spiritual talent activated, his ability to control his spiritual power would instantly reach a high level. It was indeed possible for him to quickly completely control his internal force.


    Then, he quickly underwent a qualitative change and completed the materialization of his spiritual power. He leaped to the half-step master realm in one go, shocking the world.


    A girl walked towards Chen Yiming and patted his shoulder from behind. ¡°Senior Brother Chen, long time no see.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power had already sensed that the person behind him was Song Shanshan, who had shamelessly followed him when he brought the genius girl, Shen Mengwei, back to the sect.


    The other party thought that he was a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    He glanced at Song Shanshan and said, ¡°It¡¯s you! Are you alone?¡±


    Song Shanshan nodded and said, ¡°I stayed in the Mantis Snake Sword School to practice martial arts. Mengwei passed the assessment and entered the Myriad Phenomena Sect to cultivate.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Didn¡¯t we just happen to meet? How can the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy compare to the Myriad Phenomena Sect? If not for your recommendation, Mengwei would have been a pearl covered in dust,¡± Song Shanshan said enthusiastically, her tone filled with gratitude.


    Chen Yiming fell silent. The capital¡¯s martial arts academy and the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy were the two most famous martial arts academies in the Daxia Kingdom. They might have an advantage over ordinary provincial sects in terms of competing for talents.


    However, facing the Myriad Phenomena Sect, which had a martial master as its sect master, the attraction immediately decreased by several levels.


    ¡°Um¡­ Do you know if Feng Wuji¡¯s deeds are true? Is the trial grounds really so magical that it can change one¡¯s fate?¡±


    Suddenly, Song Shanshan started to act shamelessly and asked hopefully.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said mercilessly, ¡°That depends on the person. For example, the potential in your body can be filled with a cup of water, while Feng Wuji¡¯s potential can fill up a water jet.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Song Shanshan stood rooted to the ground. The hope on her face instantly disappeared, and her face turned pale.


    To be able to go from the warrior realm to the half-step master realm was something almost everyone had dreamed of. It was inevitable that they would hope they were lucky enough to achieve this.


    Now that her trace of hope had been shattered, she felt upset, very upset, extremely upset.


    Chen Yiming also felt that his words were too blunt, so he added, ¡°If you can settle down and cultivate diligently, you might have a chance to see the power of internal force in the future.¡±


    His words were not baseless. On the surface, Song Shanshan¡¯s talent was limited, but she had a very powerful friend, Shen Mengwei.


    If Song Shanshan relied on herself, she would not be able to reach the threshold of the warrior realm even if she practiced martial arts for another 10 or 20 years. However, with the help of her friend, she might have a chance.


    Sometimes, choices outweighed hard work.


    Chen Yiming sighed to himself as he watched Song Shanshan leave. The influence of the trial grounds had spread so quickly that it had become a topic of discussion among all the citizens.


    Martial arts had always been the dream of countless young people, but in reality, only a small number of people had truly embarked on this path.


    It involved spending a lot of time and money, and persevering every day to cultivate arduously in the same place.


    The appearance of Feng Wuji seemed to give countless people with mediocre martial arts talent hope that they could change their fate.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to end his stroll and head to the deep mountains for his daily cultivation, Wang Ronghui called.


    On the phone, it was briefly mentioned that the Minnan provincial government had the intention to invite Chen Yiming to be a mediator. He would lead a team to the Green Mountain Sect to help resolve the internal strife in the sect.


    After hanging up, Chen Yiming understood what was going on.


    Since it involved someone who was half a step away from the master realm, no one in the Minnan provincial government could speak to Feng Wuji on an equal footing.


    It had to be known that the sect master, Xiao Mingshan, had died that night. In such a short time, no one could figure out Feng Wuji¡¯s true personality.


    If they rashly came into contact with him when their strength was not on the same level, the Minnan provincial government was afraid that it would cause a conflict that could not be resolved.


    However, they had to resolve this issue. There were not many people who had the ability to speak up and could spare the time to deal with the problem. Chen Yiming seemed to be the only one who was suitable.


    ¡­


    In a meeting room in the Jiangnan provincial government office, Chen Yiming was arranged to sit at the head of the table. A female civil servant in a suit served him tea enthusiastically.


    He thanked her, and the female civil servant was immediately overjoyed. She smiled back at him brightly.


    Sitting around the conference table were the provincial head, Wang Ronghui, one of the four people from the capital, Zhu Song, a young man, and a middle-aged man.


    The young man¡¯s name was Zheng Hong, and he had a green sword tied to his waist. He was a subordinate of the martial master stationed in the south of the Daxia Kingdom. Chen Yiming had seen him at the scene of the deformed monster¡¯s corpse.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s name was Huang Guangqing, and he was the second-in-command of Minnan province. He was usually in charge of managing the civilian martial arts factions in the province, so he had been arranged to be in charge of this matter.


    ¡°Tell everyone about the current situation of the Green Mountain Sect,¡± Wang Ronghui said to Huang Guangqing after the female civil servant closed the door.


    Huang Guangqing nodded and stood up to adjust the settings on the projector. He clicked on the remote control and projected the top-secret information on the screen.


    The video began to play, showing the scene of a competition between the Sword Clan and the Spirit Clan of the Green Mountain Sect. Every fight between the disciples was recorded.


    From the looks of it, the disciples of the Sword Clan had won more often than they had lost. Most of the disciples of the Spirit Clan were red in the face and extremely angry.


    Huang Guangqing pressed the pause button and briefly explained, ¡°The Green Mountain Sect¡¯s Spirit Clan¡¯s cultivation technique has a longer foundation stage, but it is also more powerful. There are many more experts in the middle-aged and older generation than in the Sword Clan.


    The cultivation technique of the Sword Clan had a relatively shorter foundation stage, and its power was much weaker than that of the Spirit Clan. However, its effectiveness in actual combat in the early stages was good, and to a certain extent, it made up for the difference in quality between the disciples.


    It¡¯s recorded that before the appearance of the trial grounds, in the annual competition between the disciples of both sides, the disciples of the Spirit Clan relied on the quality of their life force to give them an advantage. Even though the combat strength of the cultivation techniques they cultivated in the early stages was relatively weak, they had never lost.¡±


    Chen Yiming roughly recalled the scene of the competition between the disciples of the Green Mountain Sect.


    The disciples of the Sword Clan who had returned from the trial grounds had relied on their explosive strength to easily defeat the disciples of the same level who were valued more.


    Once they were able to hold their heads high, they would probably not say anything good. It was inevitable that they would mock others, show off, and be mean to others.


    The disciples of the Spirit Clan were very angry, but they could not win. The more the competition progressed, the more embarrassing it would be.


    Huang Guangqing pressed on the remote control, and the paused video resumed.


    After the competition ended, an elder from the Sword Clan stood up and made a suggestion to the sect master, Xiao Mingshan, in front of everyone.


    From now on, the Sword Clan had to obtain the respect they deserved. They asked the Green Mountain Sect to split the resources equally and change the distribution plan.


    Then, the other elders of the Sword Clan stood up in support, along with many disciples of the Sword Clan.


    All of a sudden, the sect master, Xiao Mingshan, and the many elders of the Spirit Clan were embarrassed by the people from the Sword Clan.


    Huang Guangqing paused the video again and explained, ¡°The founder of the Green Mountain Sect set a rule. Through the annual disciple competition, the resources for the next year will be allocated. The position of sect master and the distribution of cultivation resources have always been controlled by the Spirit Clan.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°No wonder the disciples of the Spirit Clan were so angry. Not only were they humiliated, but they also had to follow the rules set by their ancestors and give a portion of their cultivation resources to the Sword Clan the next year.


    It was unknown what the founder of the Green Mountain Sect was thinking. He wanted to have a friendly competition between the two clans in the sects but from the weaker power of the cultivation techniques of the Sword Clan, there was clearly a difference between them.


    As the Spirit Clan had controlled the Green Mountain Sect for a long time, perhaps they subconsciously viewed the other clan as inferior to them. How can they accept the other party climbing over their heads?¡±


    The meeting room was silent. No one expressed their opinion for the time being.


    Huang Guangqing paused for a moment before clicking on the remote control again. The video resumed.


    Xiao Mingshan used the excuse that the disciples of the Sword Clan had cheated by training in the trial grounds to reject the request from the Sword Clan¡¯s elders to redistribute the resources.


    This was difficult for the people from the Sword Clan to accept. Xiao Mingshan, the sect master, had actually broken the rules set by the founder.


    The atmosphere between the Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan suddenly became tense. One of the elders of the Sword Clan said fiercely, ¡°Either you agree to the redistribution of resources, or everyone from the Sword Clan will leave the Green Mountain Sect and establish another sect.¡±


    When the sect master, Xiao Mingshan, heard this, his expression darkened. He suspected that the elders of the Sword Clan had come prepared, and their true goal was to split from the Green Mountain Sect.


    With a leap, his internal force turned into a spirit claw that covered half the sky and grabbed at the elder who had spoken those harsh words.


    Seeing this, the elder of the Sword Clan cursed angrily, ¡°Xiao Mingshan, you didn¡¯t follow the rules of the sect and you don¡¯t even treat the Sword Clan as part of the Green Mountain Sect. Now you want to harm your own sect members? I¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, not only did he not dodge, but he also charged forward. His sword stabbed out, accompanied by a stream of green and red energy.


    However, the difference in their cultivation levels was huge. The spirit claw easily broke through the green and red energy, and its power did not seem to decrease at all.


    Seeing this, the elder of the Sword Clan immediately cursed, ¡°Damn it! Xiao Mingshan, you really want to kill me.¡±


    At this moment, it was too late to dodge. Everyone seemed to have foreseen the situation that would occur in the next moment.


    The elder from the Sword Clan who had taken the lead to cause trouble and said that he would set up another sect was suppressed by the sect master, Xiao Mingshan, in one strike. He ruthlessly rejected the Sword Clan¡¯s arrangement to split from the sect.


    The disciples of the Spirit Clan had unfriendly gazes as they imagined how they would deal with the disciples of the Sword Clan later.


    It was the same for the elders of the Spirit Clan. They mocked the elders of the Sword Clan in their hearts for not knowing their place. So what if they won the competition among the disciples? The true decision-maker of the Green Mountain Sect was the sect master and the elders.


    The disciples and elders of the Sword Clan were dumbfounded.


    They did not expect this to be the result. In an instant, the seeds of their desire to leave quickly sprouted. They could not convince themselves to continue staying in the Green Mountain Sect.


    Suddenly, a low voice rang in everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s incredulous gazes, a disciple of the Sword Clan stood up.


    The longsword at his waist was instantly unsheathed, revealing a six-colored stream of energy around it. The longsword curved through the air and shattered the spirit claw.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°How can that be!¡±


    ¡°He actually¡­¡±


    Surprised cries rang out.


    At this moment, even the elders and disciples of the Sword Clan were dumbfounded. This young disciple, Feng Wuji, had actually destroyed the spirit claw in a head-on attack.


    It had to be known that the spirit claw was used in an attack made out of anger by Xiao Mingshan, who was at the peak of the warrior realm. From the looks of it, he did not care if the elder of the Sword Clan was dead or alive after the attack. Even if it was not a full-powered attack, he had used at least 80 to 90% of his power.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The muscles on Xiao Mingshan¡¯s face twitched as he lost face in front of the sect.


    If the spirit claw could be shattered once, it could be shattered a second time. The situation seemed to be getting out of hand.


    Feng Wuji did not say a word and walked to the side of the elder who had almost been hit by the spirit claw.


    ¡°Wuji, you¡­¡± The elder of the Sword Sect hesitated.


    He wanted to ask his disciple what had happened, but he realized that it was not suitable to do so in the current situation.


    ¡°Elder He, what should we do now? Should we leave or stay?¡± Feng Wuji whispered.


    His voice was not loud, but the other elders and disciples of the Sword Clan felt relieved, as if they had found their pillar of support who could shelter them from the storm.


    Of course, Xiao Mingshan had heard it too. The disciple was completely looking down on him. He was saying that they could leave or stay as they wanted.


    He leaped into the air angrily and struck out with both palms from the left and right.


    A roar rang out. The air became distorted and dark, and the sky above seemed to be about to collapse, turning into a seal that suppressed everything.


    This was the pinnacle of the Spirit Clan¡¯s internal force cultivation technique. It could allow one to fuse and create a stronger internal force. Each move and stance did not need to be fancy, and one could directly use their power to suppress others.


    Feng Wuji did not panic. With a light push, he sent the elder to the back of the crowd.


    He still had the mood to observe the situation and wait for the huge seal to land before launching a counterattack.


    A crystal shadow appeared behind his head, and a longsword formed from the six-colored energy appeared beside him.


    In the next moment, he executed a flying sword technique. With a wave of his hand, his sword shot into the sky, as if it was about to destroy the seal.

 Chapter 326 - Crystal Meditation Technique

    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The seal that covered the sky was broken by the six-colored energy stream, and it shattered on the spot and gradually dissipated into the air.


    The six-colored energy stream came to a stop, and small cracks appeared. It seemed that it did not have much strength left.


    In terms of pure internal force, those at the half-step master realm could only gain the upper hand. They did not have the ability to crush those at the peak of the warrior realm.


    Suddenly, Feng Wuji pressed his palms together, and the crystal shadow behind his head shone brightly.


    Everyone present, including the sect master, Xiao Mingshan, suddenly felt a huge spiritual pressure. It was a feeling like they wanted to wake up but could not open their eyes.


    In midair, the stream of six-colored energy that was showing signs of disappearing was quickly repaired by his materialized spiritual power.


    Immediately after, as if it was a rocket that had just refueled, the energy stream struck Xiao Mingshan, who had not been able to dodge in time.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Xiao Mingshan used his internal force to defend himself and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    His figure drew a parabola in the air and flew into the sky before falling into the mountains a few kilometers away.


    The video ended there.


    In the meeting room, everyone was not very interested in Xiao Mingshan¡¯s defeat.


    In terms of the strength of one¡¯s internal force, there was not much of a difference between the peak of the warrior realm and the half-step master realm. However, the influence of one¡¯s materialized spiritual power could make a huge difference.


    Of course, Zhu Song and Zheng Hong, who were both half a step away from the master realm, were secretly amazed by Feng Wuji¡¯s control over his spiritual power.


    The two of them could also do it, but there was a high chance that it would not be so smooth and seamless.


    Everyone¡¯s main focus was still on the crystal shadow behind Feng Wuji¡¯s head.


    The others temporarily suppressed their thoughts. Chen Yiming knew that they were all waiting for him to go first, so he said to Huang Guangqing,


    ¡°The crystal shadow might be a manifestation of Feng Wuji¡¯s spiritual talent. Perhaps one day, he will be able to step into the master realm. How does the Minnan provincial government want to approach this matter?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    ¡°Is¡­ is that true? Is there really a chance of breaking through to the master realm?¡±


    Huang Guangqing, the second-in-command of Minnan province, asked in disbelief. The others also reevaluated Feng Wuji in their hearts.


    Zhu Song and Zheng Hong, who had followed the martial master for many years, knew the key to breaking through to the master realm was whether one¡¯s spiritual power could resonate with the corresponding power of nature.


    However, there was no standard way to obtain this mysterious resonance. Even if one knew the general path, they would have to rely on years of experimentation and hope that they would figure it out one day.


    Even after one was enlightened, there was still a long way ahead.


    If one could not comprehend it, one would be stuck halfway up the mountain and could not find a way to climb over it.


    As the video couldn¡¯t completely replicate the scene, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything else. The crystal shadow should be the key to Feng Wuji¡¯s rapid improvement in the trial grounds.


    It could be said that the corruption from the deformed monsters was the catalyst for Feng Wuji¡¯s spiritual power to continuously evolve.


    For example, people like Zhu Song and Zheng Hong had purely hoped to receive enlightenment and break through to the master realm. That was a sign that their talent was inferior.


    Another example was Chen Yiming. After adding the Giant Talent, his talent was equivalent to the talent from the master realm. He could then subconsciously control the corresponding power of nature.


    Coincidentally, Feng Wuji¡¯s situation at this stage was similar to Chen Yiming adding a new talent.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s recognition as a martial master, Huang Guangqing shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s all Xiao Mingshan¡¯s fault for openly breaking the rules set by the founder of the Green Mountain Sect for his own selfish reasons. How can it be so easy to let the matter go? It looks like the Sword Clan had no choice but the split from the sect.¡±


    ¡­


    After setting the tone for the Green Mountain Sect to split into two, the mediation team set off for the sect.


    There were a total of four people on this trip: Chen Yiming, Zhu Song, Zheng Hong, and Huang Guangqing. The weakest was the second-in-command of Minnan province, Huang Guangqing, who was also at the peak of the warrior realm.


    In less than an hour, the four of them arrived at the foot of the mountain.


    As far as the eye could see, the mountain was lush and green, and the forest was dense. Between the mountains, there was almost nothing other than green.


    Chen Yiming observed his surroundings.


    There was not even a small town at the foot of the mountain, and it was completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of the civilian world. It perfectly matched the cultivation philosophy of the Green Mountain Sect, and was indeed a good place for cultivation.


    He suddenly thought that the Spirit Clan would definitely like this environment, but the Sword Clan might not be willing to continue staying in such an environment.


    To the Sword Clan, there was nothing more suitable than the area around the trial grounds.


    However, the trial grounds was in Jiangnan province. Feng Wuji, who had the potential to reach the master realm, might leave the province. It was unclear if Huang Guangqing had considered this possibility.


    He could not help but ask, ¡°Who will go and who will stay?¡±


    Huang Guangqing was stunned.


    He subconsciously thought that Chen Yiming was referring to the matter of Xiao Mingshan¡¯s sudden death in the middle of the night.


    Under normal circumstances, the Sword Clan was currently the stronger party. There was no reason for the victor to leave.


    However, regardless of whether Xiao Mingshan had died due to some old illness or if there was some other reason, the Sword Clan would not be able to get out of being blamed for the previous sect master dying in the sect.


    Once they asked the Spirit Clan to leave, wouldn¡¯t it be spread to the outside world that Feng Wuji had assassinated Xiao Mingshan in the middle of the night to get rid of the old sect master?


    Zhu Song, who had interacted more with Chen Yiming previously, coughed and suggested, ¡°For the matter of who stays and who leaves, since we¡¯re outsiders after all, it¡¯s not good to try to decide for the Sword Clan, right?¡±


    Zheng Hong, who was at the side, echoed Zhu Song¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Indeed, interfering in the internal affairs of other factions is a huge taboo. We would offend Feng Wuji for no reason.¡±


    Huang Guangqing seemed to be wavering. At the same time, he felt much less confident.


    From what Chen Yiming, Zhu Song, and Zheng Hong said, it was clear that they wouldn¡¯t interfere too much. They were only helping the Minnan provincial government to prevent the Sword Clan and the Spirit Clan from fighting to the death.


    After another round of discussion, before going up the mountain, the four of them reached a consensus that they should prioritize resolving the conflict between the Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan.


    As for the matter of splitting the Green Mountain Sect, they would let the Sword Clan and the Spirit Clan discuss it themselves. The four of them would be witnesses to ensure that the overall benefits were distributed equally.


    ¡­


    On the mountain peak, in front of the training square, the elders and disciples of the Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan stood on two sides. Both sides glared at each other and started to argue across the distance of a few meters.


    If not for the presence of the elders from both sides, the disciples would have already started fighting.


    Chen Yiming, Zhu Song, Zheng Hong, and Huang Guangqing stood in the middle.


    Huang Guangqing looked at the two sides, who were getting more and more hostile, and turned to Chen Yiming for help.


    To the Minnan provincial government, the most important thing now was to resolve the internal strife in the Green Mountain Sect. Even if Feng Wuji could not break through to the master realm in the end, he was still half a step away from the master realm.


    In the past 20 years, there had not been anyone in Minnan province who was half a step away from the master realm. They really wanted him.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t notice as his attention was focused on Feng Wuji.


    This was a young man in his early twenties. He looked a little mature and his appearance suggested that he was a few years older than he actually was.


    In addition, before yesterday, the other party had been fighting the deformed monsters and ghosts in the trial grounds.


    However, after only a day or so, there was no trace of killing intent on his body. He gave off an extremely pure feeling and was not contaminated by any impurities.


    At this moment, an elder from the Sword Clan walked forward and said apologetically, ¡°There¡¯s a small problem within the Green Mountain Sect. We are sorry to trouble you with this.¡±


    Was this a small problem?


    The sect master of the sect, Xiao Mingshan, had died suddenly.


    If they did not reach a resolution that both sides could accept as soon as possible, the bloodshed would continue and become a matter of life and death.


    Huang Guangqing cursed in his heart.


    With a serious expression, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not peaceful in Minnan province either. At this time, we shouldn¡¯t be fighting among ourselves. How about we let this matter go?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The words ¡°completely unacceptable¡± were written all over their faces.


    The sect master of the sect, Xiao Mingshan, had died. How could they let it go so easily?


    Now that the Sword Clan had Feng Wuji, they could foresee that the Sword Clan from yesterday would take over the position of the Spirit Clan in the future.


    In the eyes of the people from the Spirit Clan, letting the issue go just like that was equivalent to choosing a fate worse than death.


    ¡°Let Feng Wuji prove his innocence!¡±


    The people from the Sword Clan had such thoughts and were also unwilling to accept Huang Guangqing¡¯s suggestion to smooth things over.


    Feng Wuji had already declared that he did not attack Xiao Mingshan in the middle of the night.


    The elders of the Sword Clan had discussed this in private beforehand. They hoped that Huang Guangqing would investigate the matter thoroughly and not pin the blame on Feng Wuji.


    There was also a very reasonable explanation for this. Xiao Mingshan had been seriously injured many years ago. The reason why he had died silently in the room was undoubtedly because of his rage and the worsening of his old injuries.


    Seeing this, Huang Guangqing¡¯s head hurt.


    At the same time, he was grateful that Chen Yiming was willing to help him.


    If there was no one powerful enough that offered their aid, if he, as an outsider representing the Minnan provincial government, interfered, it would definitely arouse the hostility of the entire Green Mountain Sect.


    Not to mention that the Sword Clan had Feng Wuji, who was half a step away from the master realm. There was no need for him to show Huang Guangqing any respect.


    ¡°Then tell me what the two sides think first!¡± Huang Guangqing was helpless and was forced to take a step back.


    Next, the Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan each sent out an elder. Both sides expressed their own opinions, and there was almost no agreement between the two.


    The Sword Clan requested the elders of the Spirit Clan to publicly announce that Xiao Mingshan had died from his old injuries. Then, they would distribute the resources according to the results of the competition.


    The people from the Spirit Clan insisted that Feng Wuji had assassinated Xiao Mingshan. Not only did they not agree to redistribute the resources according to the results of the competition, but they also begged the Minnan provincial government to uphold justice and get everyone from the Sword Clan to leave the Green Mountain Sect.


    When Huang Guangqing heard this, it was no longer just a headache for him.


    Clearly, with the current situation of the Green Mountain Sect, the grudge between the Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan was not much different from a life-and-death grudge. The only way to resolve this was to split them up.


    He looked at Chen Yiming for help again.


    This time, Chen Yiming saw it, but he could only shrug, indicating that he was unable to help.


    How could it be that simple? Feng Wuji had the absolute strength to suppress all the objections in the Green Mountain Sect, but he did not do so. Wasn¡¯t his intention obvious?


    Huang Guangqing understood Chen Yiming¡¯s meaning, so he suggested a rough solution. The Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan would split the Green Mountain Sect¡¯s current resources, such as its treasures, cultivation techniques, and so on.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the entire training square immediately became noisy, and there were signs of things getting out of hand.


    Chen Yiming coughed and swept his spiritual power across the area.


    In an instant, the overwhelming aura that was comparable to a natural disaster made everyone hold their breaths. They felt how small they were.


    The elders snapped out of their daze and realized that Huang Guangqing wasn¡¯t alone. Instead, he had brought along Chen Yiming, who could make the final decision.


    Feng Wuji¡¯s expression changed at that moment.


    Somehow, it felt like his secret had been uncovered, but there was no evidence, so he could only suppress his doubts.


    On second thought, the other party was the founder of the trial grounds. Why would he care about his little secret?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he retracted his spiritual power.


    In reality, he had peeked at the situation in Feng Wuji¡¯s spiritual world. His consciousness had turned into a crystal that floated quietly in the middle.


    The special thing was that the crystal seemed to be breathing as if it was alive. As his spiritual power entered and exited it, some impurities were vaguely expelled.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming used his consciousness to communicate with the figure in his mind.


    After making the arrangements, he said, ¡°Materialized spiritual power can easily interfere with reality, but it¡¯s still insignificant in front of the power of nature.


    Zhu Song, Zheng Hong, Feng Wuji, you guys can interact more. Everything else is a small matter..¡±


    He even emphasized the last part with his tone.


    Feng Wuji immediately felt enlightened.


    Before entering the trial grounds to activate his spiritual talent, he had always held on to this thought. Focusing on other aspects of martial arts was just unnecessary.


    When he came back to his senses, he realized that he seemed to have lost himself in the past two days and was being held back by some miscellaneous matters.


    Since Chen Yiming had spoken, Zhu Song and Zheng Hong also expressed their stance. ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Wuji. From now on, let¡¯s interact more and improve together.¡±


    Feng Wuji¡¯s face revealed his excitement.


    He didn¡¯t know how to thank Chen Yiming for introducing him to the circle of half-step masters.


    As a rookie wandering outside the master realm, he had long sensed the terrifying power of nature in the world. It was not something that the docile internal force could compare to.


    Relying on oneself to mess around on the path of cultivation was undoubtedly the last resort and a sure way to one¡¯s early demise.


    Huang Guangqing smiled and suggested to the elders on both sides, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and sit down to discuss things.¡±


    As long as Feng Wuji was not present, Huang Guangqing, who was at the peak of the warrior realm, was confident that he could control the situation.


    The elders from both sides had bitter expressions on their faces. They had no choice even if they were unwilling.


    In the face of a huge spiritual pressure comparable to a natural disaster, there was no room for negotiation. Now, it was time to consider how they could get more benefits for their side.


    ¡­


    Not long after, in the mountains dozens of kilometers away from the Green Mountain Sect,


    Zhu Song and Zheng Hong took turns fighting Feng Wuji.


    Facing an opponent of the same level, Feng Wuji naturally did not hold back and displayed his spiritual talent.


    Comparing the three of them, it was obvious that Feng Wuji¡¯s control over his spiritual power was more precise, natural, and smooth.


    This made Zhu Song and Zheng Hong envious. Feng Wuji was the person who had a higher chance of breaking through to the master realm.


    Chen Yiming, who was at the side, had fused his consciousness with the figure in his mind and received a spiritual power tempering technique based on the crystal.


    He temporarily called this cultivation technique the ¡®crystal meditation technique¡¯.


    The purification power from the tempering of one¡¯s spiritual power was an excellent way to deal with the corruption from the deformed monsters.


    At the same time, in order to let the crystal meditation technique be born naturally, he focused on Feng Wuji¡¯s spiritual talent on the spot and pointed out many details that the other party did not notice.


    The other party¡¯s spiritual talent was similar to Chen Yiming¡¯s Giant Talent. They were both of the type that could be activated naturally.


    His consciousness had turned into a crystal. Feng Wuji only knew that this could temper his spiritual power and expel the impurities, allowing him to easily control his internal force.


    From the transformation of his internal force to the fusion of his internal force, and then to the materialization of his spiritual power, everything seemed to be going smoothly. It did not take him any effort at all.


    Zheng Hong and Zhu Song listened from the side and exclaimed from time to time.


    This was because what Chen Yiming had said was vaguely connected to a spiritual cultivation technique.

 Chapter 327 - Version 1

    ¡°Buzz¡­¡±


    ¡°Buzz¡­¡±


    ¡°Buzz¡­¡±


    As Zhu Song and Zheng Hong exclaimed, Chen Yiming waved his finger in the air like a pen.


    The air was constantly trembling. Threads of spiritual power extended from one node to another, turning into a huge crystal that floated in midair.


    The crystal was colorless and transparent, with a large number of irregular sections. As it spun quietly in place, it refracted the light into seven colors.


    On the surface, this crystal was about 70% similar to the crystal shadow that Feng Wuji had activated. It was the same principle as the concept diagram that humans had comprehended from the creatures from the otherworld.


    The original version was different from the version suitable for most people.


    ¡°A technique targeted at tempering one¡¯s spiritual power was created just like that!¡±


    This was too unexpected and unbelievable. Zhu Song and Zheng Hong knew very well that the spiritual domain had always been a forbidden area for research.


    This forbidden area did not mean that no one was allowed to study it. It was just that spiritual power involved the human brain. Unlike the other parts of the body that were relatively crude, the outcome of experimenting carelessly with the brain was almost equivalent to killing someone.


    In reality, most warrior candidates could only vaguely sense their spiritual world. That was why it was so difficult to draw the concept diagram.


    In other words, before one¡¯s spiritual power materialized, it was very difficult to study the spiritual domain. There were too few people who had the ability to analyze the essence of spiritual power.


    ¡°Too similar! Too similar!¡±


    Feng Wuji was dumbfounded and could not help but reach out to touch it.


    When his finger approached the crystal in midair, the color of blood on the surface of his skin gradually faded, and his nails began to turn pale.


    The purification power emitted by the crystal was too strong. He could only go up to one meter from it, and could not get any closer.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s something I created from a flash of inspiration. The first version of the crystal meditation technique isn¡¯t very suitable for everyone. It¡¯s only suitable for people with materialized spiritual power to try and cultivate.¡±


    Zhu Song, Zheng Hong, and Feng Wuji, who were all half a step away from the master realm, were stunned. When they turned around and saw Chen Yiming standing with his hands behind his back under the sunlight, they felt like he had the aura of a martial arts grandmaster.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°Feng Wuji, you can also take a look. It might help you develop your crystal shadow talent further.¡±


    Feng Wuji nodded gratefully and circled the crystal in midair.


    He tried to extend his spiritual power into the crystal, but he lost control of a portion of his spiritual power. The pain he felt made him gasp.


    Then, the spiritual power that he had lost control of dissipated, and all traces of his power was purified. The crystal had washed it out like it was an impurity.


    Zhu Song and Zheng Hong looked at the ball of spiritual power with burning gazes.


    At this moment, this was like the most delicious food in the world to them, and they could not take their eyes off it. The two of them finally understood one of the reasons for Feng Wuji¡¯s rapid improvement.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming reminded them, ¡°Even if it is a purified form of spiritual power, it¡¯s still a foreign object. It¡¯s different from one¡¯s own spiritual power.


    It¡¯s not impossible to directly absorb it, but you have to continue the purification through the crystal meditation technique, and leave your mark on it.


    Furthermore, it¡¯s best to absorb power from something at a lower level than you to prevent the situation where remnant marks of other creatures cannot be completely removed, leaving behind some unpredictable hidden dangers.¡±


    From this perspective, the crystal meditation technique seemed to be a demonic technique.


    Those who cultivated this technique could rely on killing a large number of creatures and simply purify and absorb the other party¡¯s spiritual power to quickly gather more spiritual power, as long as one was not afraid of the possible confusion, influence of the thoughts from the defeated creatures, and the remnant impurities that may exist.


    ¡­


    After the mediation team left the Green Mountain Sect, the Spirit Clan and the Sword Clan split up the resources from the sect.


    In the end, just as Chen Yiming had guessed, the Sword Clan didn¡¯t care about the current location of the Green Mountain Sect and took the initiative to move to another location.


    Perhaps it was because Feng Wuji had secretly interacted with the elders of the Sword Clan, but their new location had yet to be decided. The entire Sword Clan was temporarily staying at a martial arts school set up in the city by the original Green Mountain Sect.


    East Lake City was much more lively than before.


    Compared to usual, there seemed to be more martial arts experts in the city, especially the famous figures in the province.


    An endless number of factions had come to visit the Chen family. It was not only the leaders of the provinces and cities, but also the large sects from the surrounding provinces.


    Countless rare items that would cause a bloodbath once they were revealed outside were already piled up in the storeroom. They had no choice but to arrange for another place to store them.


    The influence of the crystal meditation technique gradually spread, and it did not lose to the influence of the 10,000-meter-long corpse in the middle of the trial grounds.


    After he bid farewell to the person in charge of a research institute in another province, Wang Ronghui brought Wu Weiguo to visit.


    ¡°Why are you guys here too?¡± Chen Yiming asked with a smile.


    Wang Ronghui knew that the crystal meditation technique could not be promoted to the general public for the time being. It would take time for it to be simplified, and it would also take time to verify the safety of any new versions.


    ¡°This crystal meditation technique is another huge matter! Now, the provinces are talking about it non-stop,¡± Wang Ronghui explained with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Chen Yiming said as he gestured for the two of them to enter.


    The three of them sat down on the sofa. Tea had already been brewed and they could drink it immediately.


    ¡°Why is Institute Head Wu here too? Is there a problem at the research institute?¡± Chen Yiming asked after sitting down.


    Wu Weiguo did not know what to say. Wang Ronghui explained, ¡°A portion of the task of optimizing the crystal meditation technique was assigned to the provincial biological research institute. Old Wu has been going bald working on it for the past two days.¡±


    Chen Yiming sized him up and realized that it was true.


    Not only did Wu Weiguo look tired, but he had also lost a lot of hair. He seemed to have aged by quite a few years.


    This was also understandable. Faced with the illusory spiritual power, the researchers did not have powers like the internal force or the power of corruption to deal with it.


    Most of them could not even sense their own spiritual world and could only rely on the information provided to imagine the situation.


    With these conditions, they were now arranged to be in charge of optimizing a portion of the cultivation technique. This was because the power of purification mentioned in the crystal meditation technique was related to the power of corruption of the deformed monsters.


    This was too difficult for those researchers.


    Next, the three of them drank tea and exchanged some pleasantries. Wang Ronghui also revealed the purpose of his visit. ¡°It¡¯s about the location.¡±


    This location referred to the location that Chen Yiming would choose to publicize the crystal meditation technique in the future after optimizing it to a version that could be shared with the general public.


    This matter was of great concern to many factions. If he chose to release it in East Lake City, would the size of the city be large enough to accommodate the influx of people coming from all over?


    After all, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t openly demonstrate the crystal meditation technique too many times.


    Since watching the founder demonstrate the cultivation technique on the spot would be the best option, everyone was paying attention to this matter. No one dared to guarantee that there would not be a mistake if someone else demonstrated the technique, and they were afraid that there would be a problem if they cultivated a technique that was taught second-hand.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turned awkward.


    Everyone was too excited and waiting anxiously, making him feel a little pressured.


    In reality, there was a huge difference between the crystal meditation technique and the Giant Talent.


    After returning from the Green Mountain Sect, he had tried it out himself. He realized that it was almost useless for him, so his interest in it was greatly reduced.


    The three of them chatted for a while more.


    As Chen Yiming had not thought about it, the matter of choosing a location was put aside for the time being. Wu Weiguo took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Do you need more miracle blood?¡±


    Chen Yiming silently calculated the rate at which it was being used. There was still about half of it left. He said politely, ¡°It¡¯s enough for now.¡±


    Wu Weiguo said, ¡°The production capacity of the miracle blood has increased a lot. You can come over and get it at any time.¡±


    About half an hour later, the two of them left the Chen family¡¯s house. Wang Ronghui shook his head and sighed.


    He could vaguely sense that Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t too concerned about the crystal meditation technique.


    So what if he was the head of the province? In front of this person, he was nothing. He could only rely on their past relationship to exchange a few pleasantries. If he said too much, he would only ruin their relationship.


    The difference between two humans was even greater than the difference between humans and apes.


    Just like the trial grounds, the crystal meditation technique that could change the cultivation environment made countless people extremely anxious.


    ¡­


    A few days later, in the wilderness, deep in the forest.


    ¡°Brother! My head feels like it¡¯s about to explode. I feel terrible.¡±


    Chen Yingying closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.


    At this moment, she felt like the world was spinning. She wanted to maintain her balance, but she had completely lost control of her body.


    Not far away, Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°Choosing Chen Yingying was indeed a mistake. Even if she bathes in the miracle blood every day, it won¡¯t be able to make up for her poor talent.¡±


    Over the past few days, he had been modifying the crystal meditation technique in his spare time, creating version 1.0 of the crystal meditation technique.


    In this version, the power of purification was greatly weakened and had almost no ability to be used for the offensive. It only retained the strength of the defense against the invasion of the power of corruption and the ability to slowly temper one¡¯s spiritual power.


    With such bold and decisive modifications, the complexity of the spiritual concept diagram was greatly reduced. The crystal shadows no longer had the natural feeling from before, and man-made traces could be made out with the naked eye.


    Compared to Feng Wuji¡¯s crystal shadow talent, the original crystal meditation technique was even more complete and detailed. The current version 1.0 could only be considered a super weak version.


    After letting his sister rest for 10 minutes, Chen Yiming started to teach her step by step. There was no better way.


    Relying on the fact that his spiritual power could remain materialized forever in the air, he slowly traced the spiritual concept diagram that formed the crystal shadow.


    ¡°Do you remember it clearly?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked after the demonstration.


    ¡°About half of it.¡±


    Chen Yingying lowered her head and quickly glanced at Chen Yiming¡¯s expression. She realized that there was no change in his expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If you can¡¯t do it after the first time, I¡¯ll show you a few more times,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    At the same time, he completely understood the reality of the situation. His sister had relied on the miracle blood to improve her physique to break through to the warrior realm, so her spiritual talent was naturally very poor.


    If she wanted to go further on the path of martial arts in the future, she had to master a stronger version of the crystal meditation technique.


    Two hours later, Chen Yiming held his sister¡¯s hand as they walked back to East Lake City.


    This was her first time trying to temper her spiritual power. Chen Yingying was under a lot of pressure both physically and mentally. Constructing the crystal shadow in her spiritual world felt like someone was using a sledgehammer to modify the shape of her brain.


    After each knock, she felt like she was about to faint.


    ¡­


    The next day, after checking Chen Yingying¡¯s physical condition and not finding any side effects from cultivating the crystal meditation technique, Chen Yiming headed straight to the provincial biological research institute.


    Version 1.0 of the crystal meditation technique was too weak. Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t sure how it would fare against the corruption from the deformed monster.


    He planned to use his materialized spiritual power to construct a crystal for the research institute to conduct various tests on.


    If the power of purification was not strong enough, he could continue to adjust it to create version 2.0 of the crystal meditation technique.


    ¡­


    Not long after, Chen Yiming left the provincial biological research institute.


    Behind him, all the researchers were very excited. All of them had looks of joy on their faces, and they wished they could return to the laboratory immediately.


    The institute head, Wu Weiguo, sent him from the laboratory building to the entrance of the research institute. Along the way, he expressed his gratitude in various ways.


    10 minutes ago, Chen Yiming had carved out a spiritual crystal in front of everyone, allowing the researchers to see his materialized spiritual power for the first time.


    It was colorless and transparent, and they crystal was only the size of a fist. It floated quietly in the air.


    However, even with just a glance, it placed an extremely strong invisible pressure on the person watching it, as well as inducing a feeling of fear.


    Compared to Chen Yiming, ordinary people would explode immediately if their consciousness came into contact with his materialized spiritual power.


    Even if they just made eye contact with it, the aura it emitted was like a sharp blade to ordinary people. They could not get too close to it.


    One would die if they touched it.


    Wu Susu, who was beside Wu Weiguo, hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Um¡­ If it¡¯s not a problem to test it out, can we try to cultivate the crystal meditation technique using the spiritual power crystal you left behind?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at Superintendent Wu¡¯s daughter, not understanding what she was trying to say.


    The purification power of the crystal meditation technique was targeted against the power of corruption from the deformed monsters. This was an opposition at the level of these supernatural powers. The highest cultivation level of the researchers in front of him was only at the middle stage of the disciple realm.


    Chen Yingying had already verified that since it involved the mysterious spiritual domain, the difficulty of cultivating the crystal meditation technique was very high. At the very least, it was not something that ordinary warrior-level internal force cultivation techniques could compare to.


    Unless there was someone in the research institute who was born with extraordinary spiritual talent, it was not suitable to test it out. Furthermore, such people would definitely have already stood out in the martial arts world, and it was unlikely for them to be doing research.


    Seeing this, Wu Weiguo quickly explained, ¡°Susu¡¯s memory has been astonishing since she was young. No matter what it was, she could learn it and understand it immediately. She can remember almost everything she has seen before. She also entered a martial arts school for a period of time.


    However, her physical talent was one of the worst. At that time, the head of the school regretfully said that the difficulty of Susu breaking through to the warrior realm was lower than the difficulty of her transformation in the disciple realm.


    Later, Susu felt that she was more interested in books, and her martial arts progress was slow, so she quit the school and became a researcher.¡±


    Chen Yiming said in surprise, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    This was also the first time he had heard or encountered such a situation. It sounded unbelievable.


    He released some of his spiritual power while completely restraining his aura, and used it to carefully approach Wu Susu. He observed the situation inside from outside her spiritual barrier.


    A dark yellow ball floated in the middle of the space. Below it was a naked figure that looked almost like a human. Chen Yiming was immediately attracted to it.


    The naked figure was formed from Wu Susu¡¯s consciousness. It was a little similar to the figure in his mind. She was born with the ability to simulate a human figure in her mind.

 Chapter 328 - The People Who Were Waiting

    Chen Yiming observed it carefully, then came back to his senses.


    He suddenly realized that he seemed to be in trouble.


    If Wu Susu achieved success in her cultivation one day, she would definitely recall what had happened today.


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was very likely. First of all, the provincial biological research institute controlled the production of the miracle blood. Institute head Wu only needed to give it to his daughter¡­


    Wu Weiguo and Wu Susu quietly waited for an answer with hopeful expressions on their faces.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he nodded and said, ¡°If you still remember the order of the spiritual concept diagram, you can give it a try, but it¡¯s best not to force yourself to cultivate it.¡±


    Wu Susu was all smiles as she thanked him.


    Institute head Wu offered to treat him to a meal.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming tactfully refused and quickly escaped.


    ¡­


    Ever since Chen Yiming left the spiritual crystal at the provincial biological research institute, many higher-ups had come over to check on the progress of their research.


    It was unknown how many people¡¯s hope had been placed on the fist-sized spiritual crystal.


    The stronghold in the otherworld, the miracle blood, the training ground, and the crystal meditation technique appeared one after another in less than a year. They could almost make up for all the shortcomings in the humans¡¯ martial arts talent.


    For those with poor physical talent, the miracle blood could make up for it. For those with insufficient spiritual talent, the crystal meditation technique could make up for it¡­


    Although the technique was still far from being optimized, Jiangnan province was quickly entering the era where warriors were commonplace. They could already see a hint of this future scenario.


    At the same time, those who were forward-looking felt a sense of urgency. They felt like they were being pushed forward continuously. No one was willing to miss out on this opportunity.


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    The seemingly peaceful Jiangnan City had already become filled with undercurrents. Whether it was outside the city or in the city, some unidentified people had secretly sneaked in.


    Early in the morning, a large number of strong armed police officers appeared in the streets, districts, and buildings. They could be seen everywhere in the city.


    After consulting Wang Ronghui, Chen Yiming decided to publicize the first version of the crystal meditation technique in Jiangnan City.


    The armed police had received orders to capture any unidentified persons and do their best to prevent the information about the crystal meditation technique from spreading out of the Daxia Kingdom.


    In reality, unless the crystal meditation technique was not promoted as a universal cultivation technique, sooner or later, other countries would be able to obtain it through various channels.


    But there was no need to worry too much.


    With just the crystal meditation technique alone, it would take 10 to 20 years to see obvious improvement.


    The Daxia Kingdom still had an advantage of the cultivation environment in the trial grounds that other countries could not compare to.


    ¡­


    In front of the park by the river.


    ¡°Hello, Chief Instructor Zhu!¡±


    A young man bumped into Zhu Song by the river and saluted him.


    ¡°Wei Qiang, you¡¯re here too. Where are the others?¡± Zhu Song stopped and asked.


    Zhu Song was also the chief instructor of a special forces team in the capital. Wei Qiang was one of the members of this team.


    ¡°The others have various tasks to do and can¡¯t leave. They can only arrange for me to come alone to learn the crystal meditation technique,¡± Wei Qiang explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This might be the only chance. Remember to study it carefully and try to master it fully in one go,¡± Zhu Song said with a nod.


    ¡°Chief Instructor, I heard that you also participated in the creation of the crystal meditation technique. Can you tell me about the situation back then?¡± Wei Qiang asked curiously.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s every move was being watched by countless people.


    Before Chen Yiming accepted the invitation to be part of the mediation team, the attention on the internal strife in the Green Mountain Sect was limited to Minnan province. No one outside the province knew about it unless they deliberately tried to find out about it.


    However, Chen Yiming¡¯s actions immediately brought the matter to everyone¡¯s attention.


    After that, detailed information was gathered and sent back to the capital to the higher-ups in the central government.


    ¡°Where did you hear that? In reality, I was useless from the start to the end. I was just an audience member during the entire process,¡± Zhu Song said in a low voice with an awkward expression.


    ¡°This¡­ That¡¯s impossible!¡± Wei Qiang was speechless.


    In his eyes, chief instructor Zhu was already a god-like existence.


    When training the team members, even if it was not an area that the instructor himself was familiar with, he could still give many pointers, which was comparable to being omniscient and omnipotent.


    However, when it came to the crystal meditation technique, his role was only that of an onlooker.


    ¡°Look at the clouds in the sky.¡± Zhu Song pointed at the sky and said helplessly, ¡°The difference between me and the other party is much greater than the difference between you and me.¡±


    ¡°Is this what a true genius is like? Walking at the forefront of the path of martial arts, opening up a path that no one has explored before,¡± Wei Qiang muttered in shock.


    ¡°You can say that.¡± Zhu Song sighed and said, ¡°Only when you really come into contact with him can you understand that in front of him, we are the same. In fact, we are no different from ordinary people.¡±


    The shock brought about by the 10,000-meter-long corpse dug out from the otherworld was indescribable.


    Now, the middle area of the trial grounds where the corpse was located was surrounded by a large number of ghosts. Deformed monsters could be seen everywhere in the inner layer. Most of the people who entered the trial grounds were training in the outer layer.


    Wei Qiang had already lost the chance to see the true appearance of the corpse.


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Wei Qiang thought for a moment and said, ¡°I remember that when the war with the treants entered a stalemate, while our special operations team was on standby, news of our victory suddenly came back.¡±


    Zhu Song nodded.


    He had no intention of telling Wei Qiang that the true level of the treants in the otherworld was above the master realm.


    The martial master Rover from the Sam Nation had been beaten to a pulp. The entire western world did not dare to take any sort of revenge.


    The four people from the capital seemed to have been arranged to stay in Jiangnan province for the long term.


    All of this meant that it was a taboo topic.


    Not long after, Zhu Song and Wei Qiang left and walked along the riverside.


    ¡°Chief Instructor, I heard that the crystal meditation technique will be demonstrated on the river, right?¡± Wei Qiang asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. There are too many people who want to see how the crystal meditation technique is cultivated,¡± Zhu Song replied casually.


    ¡°At that time, both sides of the river will be filled with people. The noise will definitely be very disruptive. What should I do if I can¡¯t learn it all at once?¡± Wei Qiang revealed an uncomfortable expression.


    He had come alone, with the hope of the entire special operations unit placed on him.


    If he returned empty-handed, even he would not be able to forgive himself.


    ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t put on a tough front. You can¡¯t learn everything by yourself. As long as you don¡¯t mind learning from me, feel free to ask if you have any questions,¡± Zhu Song said with a smile.


    Then, he added, ¡°Although I might not have a chance to return to the special forces, I¡¯m still your chief instructor.¡±


    This was not a joke, but reality.


    The miracle blood and the trial grounds were all in Jiangnan province.


    The center of the Daxia Kingdom had already begun to shift.


    Wei Qiang smiled when he heard this and heaved a sigh of relief.


    There were too many situations where the relationship between people faded as they parted ways. Fortunately, Zhu Song was a person who held onto his old ties.


    In addition, they were all adults. Meeting each other coincidentally was something that could only be used to trick children. Wei Qiang had come to look for his old superior with this intention in mind.


    ¡­


    In a special prison in Jiangnan City, the cells were not made of ordinary steel. Instead, they were mixed with special ores from the otherworld, and were many times harder than ordinary steel.


    In addition, there was a martial arts expert from the military standing at the entrance of each cell to guard the prisoners. There were extremely high security standards.


    ¡°Let me out. I¡¯m really not a traitor!¡±


    ¡°My father is Li Gang. You arrested me without any evidence. I¡¯ll deal with you when I get out. I¡¯ll make you guys suffer.¡±


    From time to time, the sound of handcuffs clanging and shouts for justice could be heard from the cells.


    The martial arts experts in charge of guarding the area were all expressionless and unbothered.


    Some of the people who had been arrested suddenly were the second or third generation descendants of big shots, and some were informants who had been bribed by unknown factions.


    In short, as long as there was reason to suspect them, they would be arrested regardless of their identity and temporarily held here.


    At the very least, they would have to wait for the public demonstration of the crystal meditation technique to be over before someone would come to deal with them.


    ¡­


    It was afternoon.


    Jiangnan City, which was the provincial city, began to become crowded. Be it in the city center or the suburbs, there were large crowds everywhere.


    As for the two sides of the river, they were already filled with people. These people had brought along their luggage and were preparing to camp here.


    The time for the demonstration of the crystal meditation technique was either tomorrow or the day after. Other than a few people who knew the details, the exact time was still being kept a secret.


    In a private room in a restaurant, Feng Wuji, a few elders of the Sword Clan, and more than 10 disciples were eating.


    A disciple asked gloomily, ¡°Senior Brother Feng, is the crystal meditation technique really going to be made public for free? That was originally your unique spiritual talent!¡±


    The elders looked at each other, but no one berated this disciple.


    In their eyes, such a good thing was indeed that was originally monopolized by the Sword Clan. Now that they were preparing to publicize it to everyone, their hearts ached so much that they could not breathe properly.


    If not for the fact that the person who revealed the crystal meditation technique could suppress the entire Green Mountain Sect with just a flip of his hand, the elders of the Sword Clan would have long since charged over with their swords to let the other party understand the consequences of stealing the secrets of their sect.


    Feng Wuji was speechless. His hand that was holding the teacup paused for a moment.


    All the disciples and elders of the Sword Clan thought that he was a genius. In terms of the speed at which he broke through, he could be said to be the fastest person in the history of the Daxia Kingdom.


    The master realm, and even what was after the master realm, was in his reach. It was only a matter of time before he got there.


    These words were partly true and partly wrong.


    He knew very well that his performance of geniuses at the three stages of the warrior realm or even the half-step master realm was all due to the talent of the spiritual crystal.


    The deformed monsters and ghosts in the training ground could not win against the purifying power of the crystal shadow. The power of corruption and their curse techniques did not let them gain the upper hand against him, so he did not have to be as afraid as the others.


    At the same time, he absorbed the purified spiritual power and quickly completed the accumulation of spiritual power. Only then did he notice the speed at which he was breaking through.


    The path of martial arts from now on would not be as smooth as it was before.


    Because he was an outsider, and had only just come into contact with the top circles of martial arts, he did not have a cultivation technique that could allow him to cultivate to the master realm.


    Chen Yiming had given him some pointers back then, and he didn¡¯t think it was good for him to try out cultivation techniques at the master realm. This was because the cultivation techniques corresponded to the power of nature, and the probability of it being compatible with Feng Wuji¡¯s talent was too low.


    It was best to start with the talent of the crystal shadow itself. However, during this period of time, no matter how he tried, he could not create any resonance with the corresponding power of nature.


    It could be said that his martial arts path had reached a bottleneck. However, the elders and disciples of the Sword Clan still thought that it would not be long before Feng Wuji became the fourth martial master in the Daxia Kingdom.


    Feng Wuji took a sip of tea and cleared his throat. He corrected them and said, ¡°How can the talent of the crystal shadow be the same as the crystal meditation technique?


    For example, if the skeleton of a creature from the otherworld had the original concept diagram on it, could you develop a corresponding cultivation technique based on it?


    That can¡¯t be! Let alone a cultivation technique that can temper one¡¯s spiritual power. There are no similar cultivation techniques left behind by previous generations to refer to.¡±


    The disciple had nothing to say to refute Feng Wuji¡¯s explanation.


    This was indeed the case. Talent and cultivation techniques could not be mixed up. Using the crystal shadow as the blueprint, it was possible to create crystal meditation techniques, crystal body tempering techniques, crystal martial arts techniques, and so on.


    The existing internal force cultivation techniques of humans were all created by geniuses.


    Those who could learn it among the later generations were already considered genius disciples. As for taking a new path, this had nothing to do with most people.


    The elders of the Sword Clan remained silent.


    How could they not know that it was just their selfishness? They felt that they had not received enough in return.


    Feng Wuji did not want to dwell on this topic anymore and said, ¡°How¡¯s the progress on the transfer of the base?¡±


    The elder in charge of this matter lowered his voice. ¡°The supplies that can be moved over have been secretly transported. We can set up the new base at any time.¡±


    Feng Wuji nodded and took another sip of tea.


    The Sword Clan had already secretly discussed using this opportunity to move their base to the vicinity of the trial grounds.


    However, this was not something they could publicize after all, so they could only do it in secret. They planned to act first without the Minnan provincial government knowing and report it later.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    Chen Yiming stood on the balcony and looked down at the brightly lit city.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t you have to write a speech? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your brain will go blank if there are too many people?¡± Chen Yingying walked over and asked curiously.


    She had given a few speeches before, and the school had prepared the speech in advance. She just needed to memorize it in advance.


    Chen Yiming was indeed troubled. He wasn¡¯t troubled by the script, as he didn¡¯t plan to say much.


    What he was troubled about was whether he should demonstrate the crystal meditation technique with his true appearance. This did not mean that he did not dare to show his face in public, but that he did not want to be recognized wherever he went in the future.


    Facing his curious sister, Chen Yiming turned around and said calmly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m you? I already have a plan.¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted and nodded.


    Chen Yiming changed the topic. ¡°How¡¯s your cultivation of the crystal meditation technique going? After it¡¯s made public tomorrow, you will lose the advantage of having a head start.¡±


    Hearing him ask about the cultivation of the crystal meditation technique, Chen Yingying immediately cowered and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s really difficult. It wasn¡¯t easy to successfully construct the crystal, but after it was completed, the power of purification didn¡¯t appear at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°There¡¯s not even a trace of the purification power. How can that be considered a success? There must be some problem with it.¡±


    However, no matter how disappointed he was, he could only encourage her. ¡°There are many similar cultivation techniques that can be referenced for internal force cultivation techniques. But there¡¯s only one spiritual power technique. It¡¯s also very difficult for others to cultivate it. There¡¯s no need to be discouraged.¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded, seeming to have regained some of her confidence.

 Chapter 329 - Giant Spirit Crystal

    The sky had just turned bright.


    On both sides of the river, the darkness gradually faded, revealing a large group of people camping there. From the sky, they looked like a swarm of ants in an ant nest.


    ¡°Mom, I want to go to the toilet.¡±


    A fat teen took a wet towel from a middle-aged woman and washed his face.


    ¡°You already went there once in the middle of the night. Why are you still going now? Didn¡¯t I tell you to drink less water?¡± the middle-aged woman asked.


    ¡°Look at the clouds in the sky. They¡¯re so dense.¡± The fat teen pointed at the sky and explained, ¡°It was hot and stuffy last night. My throat felt uncomfortable if I didn¡¯t drink water.¡±


    At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over after washing up.


    The middle-aged man was wearing a training robe. Under the loose robe, his muscles were like those of a mouse, and his entire body was filled with an explosive power.


    When the chubby young man saw the middle-aged man, his voice quickly became softer, afraid that he would be beaten up on the spot.


    When the family who ran a small martial arts school heard that the crystal meditation technique was going to be publicly displayed, they hurriedly rushed to Jiangnan City. However, without a certain level of status, they could not book a hotel room.


    It was all for the sake of this chance, which could almost be considered an opportunity that had fallen from the sky.


    Combining the two possible chances to watch the demonstration in the morning and afternoon, the middle-aged man and woman planned their schedule in advance.


    After all, if they missed this opportunity and later sought guidance from those who had mastered the crystal meditation technique, firstly, they would be far behind others in the queue, and secondly, they would no longer be able to learn it for free.


    Moreover, there was no way to guarantee that the other party had really mastered the crystal meditation technique. In this day and age, there were countless scammers. It was very likely that their anxious feelings would be used against them and they would have spent their money for nothing.


    The middle-aged man glared at the fat teen who was feeling uncomfortable and instructed, ¡°Go and come back quickly. Be careful.¡±


    After receiving permission, the fat teen quickly ran off.


    The middle-aged man shook his head.


    ¡­


    It was 8 am.


    In the park by the river, a few raised platforms were suddenly opened up by the soldiers.


    A group of older people had lined up beforehand to go up on the raised platforms. They sat down at the designated seats and one could tell at a glance that these people had the air of scholars.


    The people on both sides of the river immediately became restless. It was obvious what kind of signal the experts and professors had sent. It was almost certain that the demonstration would happen this morning.


    ¡°Susu, the crystal meditation technique is about to be released to the entire society. Can¡¯t you reveal something? Just tell me about the progress,¡±


    a woman in her twenties continued to pester her after sitting down.


    The woman¡¯s name was Zhao Lei, and she was Wu Susu¡¯s university classmate.


    Both of them were talented young girls working in the academic field. They had graduated from the top academy in the Daxia Kingdom and were currently working at a research institute in the capital.


    Wu Susu only nodded weakly and did not say anything else.


    Zhao Lei held Wu Susu¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Today is the day the crystal meditation technique is made public. Why are you always distracted? What exactly happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡±


    Wu Susu explained, ¡°I just didn¡¯t rest well these past few days. I¡¯m too tired.¡±


    Zhao Lei could tell that the other party had something on her mind, but she did not want it to be revealed to anyone else. She said helplessly, ¡°Alright then! You can lean on my shoulder and rest for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up when it starts.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    Wu Susu did not refuse. She leaned against Zhao Lei¡¯s shoulder and quickly closed her eyes.


    Her vision turned black, and she felt like the world was spinning, but also like she was weightless.


    In the next moment, a human-shaped spirit opened its eyes.


    After entering the spiritual world for the second time, Wu Susu looked up at the dark yellow ball floating in midair.


    She did not know what the dark yellow ball was for the time being. She only knew that it was very comfortable to stay below it, and it felt like her body was soaking in a hot spring.


    Next, Wu Susu could not help but size up her body again.


    This spiritual body was formed from her consciousness. Other than the fact that it was not made of flesh and blood, it was no different from a real person. The lines of the figure were perfect.


    This situation was completely different from what was recorded in the martial arts information.


    Under normal circumstances, when one sensed the spiritual world for the first time, they should only see a ball of disorderly spiritual power, and they could only see and do nothing.


    The first time she entered, she could control the human-shaped spiritual body at will and move around in her spiritual world.


    Wu Susu suddenly thought of something, and the faces of the people in the outside world turned red.


    She quickly shook off the distracting thoughts and controlled the threads of spiritual power to appear. She tried to cultivate the crystal meditation technique according to the sequence by which Chen Yiming had constructed the crystal.


    However, even though she could control her spiritual power freely, Wu Susu¡¯s martial arts experience was almost nil. What she had learned during the initial stages of her cultivation was completely useless to her now.


    In the end, the crystal that was constructed could only take on the form in structure but not in spirit, so the power of purification naturally did not appear.


    ¡­


    It was 10 am.


    Half an hour ago, the clouds that had been brewing all night had finally let loose and rain had started to pour, accompanied by the sound of thunder.


    The heavy rain continued for half an hour, but there were still no signs of it stopping. Many low-lying spots by the river had already been flooded, and the people waiting had no choice but to let the water reach their calves.


    In the rain, complaints could be heard continuously. However, there were people all around them, so they could not change positions unless they took the initiative to leave the riverside and find a place to hide from the rain.


    However, they were just complaining and would not do anything about it.


    Leave?


    They had been waiting since the day before, and it was about to begin. How could they leave so easily?


    Chen Yiming arrived in the vicinity of Jiangnan City.


    Looking down from the sky, the river that ran through the entire city was filled with people on both sides. In the middle of the crowd, the people were almost standing right next to each other. There were probably tens of millions of people altogether.


    Of course, most of them were ordinary people. They were just here to join in the fun.


    Only a few people had truly reached the threshold to learn the crystal meditation technique.


    Before he appeared, Chen Yiming decided to use his spiritual power to distort the air. Others could only see a blurry figure.


    The reason was to make everyone focus on the crystal meditation technique and not on him.


    ¡­


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky, and the thick rain blurred their vision.


    Suddenly, countless people felt that they could not breathe properly. The beating of their hearts was more strenuous than usual, and they felt a huge pressure as if the sky was about to collapse.


    ¡°What exactly is happening here?¡±


    This thought appeared in their minds.


    The clouds in the sky were stirred up by an invisible force and quickly turned into a huge tornado.


    Immediately after, the storm was gathered by an invisible force and sent into the tornado.


    Finally, the sky cleared up and their vision became clear.


    Countless people watched as all the rainwater flowed back into the river at the bottom of the huge tornado. They were stunned by the changes in the weather.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this still the power of a human?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, even the legendary immortals are only at this level!¡±


    The people on both sides of the river immediately started to discuss that situation.


    Most people only knew that the martial masters were guarding the Daxia Kingdom in a place that ordinary people could not see. Very few people had seen the destructive power of an attack at the level of a natural phenomenon with their own eyes.


    It was no wonder why the martial masters were equated with nuclear bombs. Their power was simply terrifying and beyond the understanding of ordinary people.


    Of course, the level of Chen Yiming¡¯s attack this time was something that other martial masters couldn¡¯t achieve in terms of both power and range.


    The huge tornado gradually dissipated into the air.


    Amidst the cries of countless people, the air in the middle of the river suddenly distorted. An ordinary-looking figure appeared there, as if he had walked out of another space.


    Chen Yiming scanned the area with his spiritual power and realized that most of the people he knew were here. There were also many people he didn¡¯t know who had powerful auras.


    The four people from the capital, the four people from the no man¡¯s land in the south, Wang Ronghui, the higher-ups of the provincial government, the court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the representatives of the Chen corporation, and the sect masters of many large provincial sects¡­


    When his spiritual power swept across the area where Wu Susu was, that strange gaze made him feel extremely guilty. It seemed that his spying that day had most likely been exposed.


    He thought to himself that he had to keep a distance from the provincial biological research institute in the future. As long as they did not meet head-on, nothing awkward would happen.


    Chen Yiming said seriously, ¡°As everyone knows, the source of internal force cultivation techniques can be traced back to the creatures from the otherworld. In essence, we have to comprehend similar cultivation techniques that humans can cultivate from their innate abilities.


    The crystal meditation technique is the same. I came up with it from observing the spiritual talent of a human.¡±


    His voice was like a huge bell ringing, spreading out in a mighty manner. Even the people more than 10 kilometers away felt their eardrums hurt from the impact.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. I¡¯ll try my best to demonstrate the construction of the crystal slowly so that everyone can see it clearly.


    After that, the spiritual crystal can last for two to three days. Don¡¯t be anxious if you don¡¯t remember it all the first time. You have plenty of time to study it.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    countless people spontaneously applauded. The applause went from sparse to thunderous, echoing throughout Jiangnan City.


    The elders and disciples of the Sword Clan on the balcony of the River View Hotel applauded as well.


    When they saw the power that could change the weather earlier, no matter how unhappy they were, they did not dare to let it show. On top of that, there were many martial arts experts around them as well.


    If word got out that they had said something wrong, they would bring down the Sword Clan.


    Not long after, the figure in the sky started to move.


    The figure extended a hand and waved his finger in the air.


    At the same time, lines of spiritual power the size of fists began to extend in the air, moving from one node to another.


    In order to let as many people as possible see it clearly, Chen Yiming deliberately enlarged the spiritual power crystal many times. The extent of magnification was equivalent to the original silk-like lines of spiritual power increasing to the size of a fist.


    Fortunately, he had the Undying Body talent, which allowed him to quickly recover the spiritual power he had consumed. If it was any other martial master, they would not have the confidence to withstand such a high rate of spiritual power consumption.


    A huge crystal gradually appeared in midair.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Such a scene left countless people dumbfounded. Just like how the weather had changed not long ago, it had changed their understanding time and time again, and their hearts had suffered another blow.


    Shocking!


    Unbelievable!


    What a surprise!


    What kind of spiritual power was needed to create the scene in front of them?


    This was especially true for martial arts experts from the various regions. In the past, they could only understand the difference between them and Chen Yiming from his deeds. The difference between them already felt unimaginably huge.


    However, compared to the current situation, their spiritual power was like the light of a firefly competing with the bright moon. They felt extremely small.


    ¡­


    Time passed slowly.


    After more than an hour, the huge spiritual crystal was formed.


    The air distorted again, and the figure seemed to be walking towards another space before disappearing into the river.


    Invisible ripples spread through the river below. The originally turbid river water became clear in the blink of an eye, and the impurities stuck together and sank to the bottom of the river.


    Finally, a man-made phenomenon occurred. With the huge spiritual crystal as the boundary, the water upstream was turbid, and the water downstream was comparable to pure water.


    On both sides of the river, countless people were discussing it as they watched the huge spiritual crystal and the purification power that changed the river.


    ¡°This is too magical. It¡¯s simply a miracle.¡±


    ¡°He left just like that? There¡¯s no explanation?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s as good as not seeing it.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect? For him to teach you step by step?¡±


    ¡°This thing is similar to the concept diagram. If you know it, you know it. If you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t know it. You have to rely on yourself to comprehend it.¡±


    ¡­


    Across the sea, in the office of the Sam Nation¡¯s prime minister.


    The president was unreliable. After receiving his call, he cursed under his breath and angrily pushed all the items on the desk to the ground.


    The content of the call was that the Daxia Kingdom had arranged for a large number of martial arts experts to follow countless troops to sweep through Jiangnan City and the surrounding wilderness, not letting any suspicious people through.


    The informants who had an important role in the development of the Sam Nation and the undercover martial arts experts who had been installed into their positions were basically useless.


    The current predicament they were facing was that only their informants at the ordinary level had not been exposed. However, they could only look at the huge spiritual crystal and could not directly learn the crystal meditation technique.


    The only thing they could do was to hold a camera and record the scene from afar. It was too difficult to use this to learn the crystal meditation technique.


    They needed a genius among geniuses in martial arts comprehension, and on top of that, they would have to hope that a miracle would happen.


    In reality, it was better to secretly send someone to contact the martial arts experts of the Daxia Kingdom who had learned the crystal meditation technique.


    They would start from this point and try to learn it secretly at a price.


    The only drawback was the time. It might take a month, a few months, half a year, or even a year to succeed.


    ¡­


    In the government office in South Korea, the parliament was holding a meeting, and the discussion was very intense.


    ¡°There¡¯s a huge problem with the Sam Nation. The deal we agreed to last time is completely unfulfilled. They¡¯re still looking for reasons to delay it on their side. They can¡¯t deliver the miracle blood at all.¡±


    ¡°Chen Yiming¡¯s ancestors were in South Korea before. The blood of South Korea flows in his veins. We have to actively welcome him back.¡±


    ¡°Previously, South Korea¡¯s hand was forced by the Sam Nation. We¡¯ll immediately send someone to negotiate with the Daxia Kingdom and renew our friendship. We¡¯ll get them to send someone over to guide us in learning the crystal meditation technique.¡±


    The high-ranking government officials, representatives of the corporations, and military generals expressed their opinions enthusiastically.


    Everyone subconsciously ignored the fact that South Korea had sent out diplomatic personnel some time ago, but was rejected by the Daxia Kingdom.

 Chapter 330 - Mountain of Flesh

    Time flew by, and another month had passed.


    Chen Yiming had left behind a huge spiritual crystal in the air. Countless people were able to study the crystal meditation technique for free. The effect it caused was only just beginning.


    In the meeting room of the provincial government office, the secretary, Cao Xianghua, was reporting to Wang Ronghui about the changes the crystal meditation technique had brought to Jiangnan province in the past month.


    Wang Ronghui nodded from time to time, indicating for the secretary to continue.


    In front of Cao Xianghua was a stack of materials with more than 100 pages. Beside it was a large pot of luohan fruit tea.


    The door to the meeting room was closed from morning to afternoon. Cao Xianghua coughed to clear his throat and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat before continuing.


    Near evening, ¡°Xiao Cao, you¡¯ve worked hard. Go back and rest well,¡± Wang Ronghui said after hearing the report for nearly the entire day.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! It¡¯s nothing! This is my job,¡± Cao Xianghua quickly replied.


    As one of the people who was in charge of handling the information, he knew how complicated the job was.


    The sudden increase in the number of warriors caused a huge increase in the number of conflicts. The reshuffling of the martial arts factions and the re-establishment of standards for public security¡­


    Compared to the actual staff and Wang Ronghui, who needed to make a decision, the contribution he made as a secretary was undoubtedly much lower.


    After Cao Xianghua left, Wang Ronghui¡¯s work was still not over.


    He flipped through the documents again. As he gave his comments on each report, he fell into deep thought.


    The combination of the crystal meditation technique and the trial grounds had brought about too many changes in the martial arts world. This was a change that spanned across generations.


    Other than the invasion of the otherworld, there were no other similar examples in recorded history.


    For example, even if the humans successfully established a long-term stronghold in the otherworld, the immediate effect would be limited.


    In the long term, there would be an endless stream of martial arts resources from the otherworld to provide for the increasing number of martial arts practitioners.


    When he flipped to the statistics of the number of people above the warrior realm in the major cities of Jiangnan province, Wang Ronghui stopped on this page and frowned as he looked at the numbers on it.


    In Jiangnan City, there were 70,345 people above the warrior realm.


    In Jiangdu City, there were 34,067 people above the warrior realm.


    In Fanghua City, there were 9,045 people above the warrior realm.


    In Creek Mountain City, there were 2,013 people above the warrior realm.


    ¡­


    He recalled the corresponding number from when Chen Yiming had ended the war with the treants.


    The change was about 10 times the original number.


    What did 10 times mean?


    This was not a large-scale migration of ordinary people, nor was it a huge increase in the number of people in the disciple realm. It was not even a foundation for Jiangnan province in the next 100 years.


    This increase involved humans who had mastered supernatural powers.


    Internal force was the most important dividing line on the path of martial arts previously.


    Taking this step was like a bird learning to fly. It was like a fish walking on land, like a snake turning into a dragon. It was a qualitative change from the inside out.


    Wang Ronghui took a deep breath and recalled a time further back before Chen Yiming¡¯s rise.


    At that time, the number of warriors in the major cities in Jiangnan province was about five times lower.


    In other words, 40% of the people in the warrior realm had migrated here from other provinces in the Daxia Kingdom. Jiangnan province had relied on Chen Yiming to attract many martial arts experts to move over from other provinces.


    ¡°In just a year! 50 times the number!¡± Wang Ronghui muttered to himself, seemingly in a daze.


    What he saw was not simply a good change, but also a new and serious problem.


    As the saying went, a warrior broke the rules by using martial arts.


    With such a huge number of warriors, if they could not make proper arrangements, at best, the price of goods in the province would increase exponentially. At worst, there would be internal strife over resources.


    After 10 to 20 minutes, the meeting room fell silent.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be rash about this,¡± Wang Ronghui suddenly shook his head and muttered.


    After giving the ¡°undetermined¡± comment on this page, he flipped to the next page.


    ¡­


    In a house in Jiang City, in the middle of the Daxia Kingdom, above the entrance hung a plaque with the words ¡°West Mountain Martial Arts Alliance¡±.


    The West Mountain Martial Arts Alliance was an alliance formed by more than 10 martial arts schools. Originally, each of them had a warrior supporting them. After the alliance was formed, the scale was close to a medium-sized martial arts faction.


    Many such alliances had appeared recently, not only in Jiang City, but also in the other cities in the Daxia Kingdom.


    The reason for this was that even if the martial arts factions in the other provinces of the Daxia Kingdom did not move their bases to Jiangnan province, the trial grounds was still a place they had to go every once in a while.


    However, Jiangnan province had absorbed a lot of martial arts talent from their neighboring provinces. In addition, a lot of improvement in the martial arts world was brought about by the trial grounds and the crystal meditation technique.


    This caused the average level of martial arts in Jiangnan province to surpass that of the other provinces by a large margin, causing an unprecedented amount of internal competition. A trend of ¡°bigger is better¡± swept through the entire country.


    Previously, the martial arts schools did not even dare to enter the trial grounds if they did not have a warrior to support them, even if it meant that they would not be able to keep up with the changing times.


    Inside the house, more than 10 middle-aged men and women were discussing the crystal meditation technique.


    In front of them was a high-definition television, and the image was paused on a huge spiritual crystal in the air above the river. More than 10 drawings were hung on the left wall, and more than 10 drawings were also hung on the right wall.


    The hand-drawn pictures on the left gave off a natural and comfortable feeling, while the hand-drawn pictures on the right were clearly not on the same level.


    ¡°Old Wu, what the hell are you drawing? You¡¯re just like a primary school student. Are you trying to trick me on purpose?¡± a middle-aged woman said jokingly.


    ¡°Alright, alright! It doesn¡¯t count. I¡¯ll tear it up now.¡±


    Old Wu snorted when he heard this. He was angered by the teasing and was about to get up to make a move.


    Most ordinary martial arts practitioners believed in their own strength. Few of them did things like drawing. It was already good that they could shrink the huge spiritual crystal while preserving the proportions.


    It had to be known that Old Wu had used his brain a lot these three days. He had not had such a hard time in all the years he had been on the path of martial arts.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke!¡±


    The others quickly held Old Wu down, but they could not suppress the smile on their faces. However, no one dared to joke about Old Wu¡¯s drawings anymore.


    The drawing on the left was made by a martial arts expert and a master painter in Jiang City. The West Mountain Martial Arts Alliance had paid a huge price to buy it.


    Old Wu had the most outstanding martial arts talent in the West Mountain Martial Arts Alliance. Therefore, a month ago, he was recommended by everyone to go to Jiangnan City to learn the crystal meditation technique.


    Under the combined efforts of the West Mountain Martial Arts Alliance, the videos taken on the spot, Old Wu¡¯s drawings and the master¡¯s drawings were combined to prevent them from practicing the crystal meditation technique wrongly.


    After a month, other than Old Wu, two more people in the West Mountain Martial Arts Alliance had mastered the crystal meditation technique.


    The others who had yet to master it were also making more than 90% progress. All they lacked was the fine details of the technique. It would not be long before they could master it.


    These people who were originally just school heads did not expect to have a chance to break through to the warrior realm after their potential was exhausted.


    However, after the crystal meditation technique appeared, the situation had changed. It was still an extravagant hope to reach the peak of the warrior realm, but they were confident that they could control the transformation of their internal force.


    ¡­


    In a forest dozens of kilometers away from East Lake City, the dense forest was where mutant beasts usually hid. However, while the dense forest was still the same as before, there were no signs of mutant beasts at all.


    In the past month, the wilderness in Jiangnan province had undergone another huge change.


    Ever since the invasion of the otherworld, countless wild beasts had evolved into mutant beasts and occupied territory that originally belonged to humans. Humans were forced to defend the city.


    Ever since Chen Yiming rose to prominence, the increase in the overall level of martial arts in Jiangnan province had greatly reduced the danger in the wilderness. Mutant beasts were no longer a threat.


    At this moment, the number of warriors had increased by 10 times. Everyone needed mutant beast meat to replenish their energy for their daily cultivation.


    This way, the mutant beasts in Jiangnan province had completely become the prey, and they were almost extinct.


    ¡°Brother, I really feel that I¡¯ve improved a lot this time. After entering the trial grounds again, I¡¯ll definitely be able to quickly master the transformation of my wind-based internal force.¡±


    Chen Yingying fired three arrows at the same time, hitting three huge rocks in the distance.


    With a loud explosion, dust filled the air, and the wind blades cut through many of the surrounding trees.


    Chen Yiming had his hands behind his head and was strolling along at the side. He glanced at his excited sister. She seemed to have become a little arrogant after mastering the crystal meditation technique.


    He gave her a heavy blow by saying, ¡°I only entered the library of the Myriad Phenomena Sect once back then. I progressed along the path of martial arts after that. I didn¡¯t need any miracle blood or crystal meditation techniques at all¡­¡±


    At the same time, Chen Yiming rolled his eyes in disdain. He thought to himself, ¡°Chen Yingying, you¡¯re still too naive.¡±


    As expected, after Chen Yingying heard this, she no longer felt that mastering the crystal meditation technique was something to celebrate.


    Not long after, a team of adventurers walked over from afar.


    A pig-type mutant beast was screaming. Its bones had been broken and it was tied up and being carried by four people.


    ¡°Captain, this can¡¯t go on. In the past, there was no need to bring the mutant beasts back alive.¡±


    ¡°We really have to make a change. The wilderness here doesn¡¯t look like it should be at all. We only caught one mutant beast after half a day. This amount of profit is unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°I think we can take more risks and enter the otherworld to hunt. We can plan the time to go back and forth between the trial grounds and the stronghold in the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Our team isn¡¯t that strong, right? We might as well go to the wilderness in the surrounding provinces.¡±


    The group discussed as they walked.


    There were many other adventurers that were forced to make changes because the competition in Jiangnan province had intensified.


    ¡°Brother, the miracle blood will be used up soon.¡±


    When the two of them and the adventure team walked past each other, Chen Yingying suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Chen Yiming replied.


    On the surface, he remained calm and collected, but he was secretly feeling a little regretful.


    If he had known earlier, he would have asked Wu Weiguo for more miracle blood when he visited the last time. That way, he would not be facing such a predicament now.


    After seeing the other party at what was equivalent to her naked state, and since he had no interest in someone like Wu Susu, it would be very awkward for them to meet again.


    If it really didn¡¯t work out, he could only find someone else to get it for him.


    ¡­


    In the trial grounds, teams of adventurers could be seen everywhere, and there were many more people than before.


    It was said that there were no longer enough mutant monsters in the outer regions for them to hunt. A team of adventurers had thought of a way to capture mutant beasts from the wilderness and drive them deep into the trial grounds so that they could be possessed by the ghosts and become deformed monsters.


    The principle behind the formation of ghosts was still a mystery. However, one thing was certain: most of them would not be too far away from the corpses.


    This also caused the inner area to be gloomy and gray. A large number of ghosts and monsters were gathered there, making it seem like a real ghost realm.


    After arranging for the spiritual figure to secretly follow Chen Yingying, Chen Yiming walked straight to the inner area.


    Along the way, whether it was the deformed creatures that smelled the scent of living people or the ghosts hiding in the shadows, those who dared to treat Chen Yiming as prey would be reduced to dust the moment they appeared.


    Looking at the Skill Points requirement on the talent panel that was decreasing from time to time, his eyes lit up with excitement.


    After leaving the ghosts alone for more than a month, their numbers must have increased a lot. He planned to harvest them all today.


    He ate the meat while all the other adventurers drank the soup. This was what he had planned from the start.


    From the outer area to the inner area, some martial arts experts began to sense that something was amiss in the trial grounds. There was a path where the sinister and cold aura seemed to have encountered a blazing sun.


    A wave of heat spread out in all directions. Along the way, the deformed monsters and ghosts seemed to have encountered their natural enemy and fled for their lives like humans who had encountered deformed monsters in the past.


    ¡°That¡­ is an indescribably huge amount of blood essence!¡±


    A swordsman in a long robe stood on a rock and looked at the mist in the air along the abnormal path.


    He could not see it clearly, but he was sure that it was not due to a deformed monster or ghost. It must be an extremely powerful creature. He did not know if it was a human, a mutant beast, or a creature from the otherworld that had come from an unknown space-travel passage.


    ¡°Retreat first!¡±


    the captain of an elite adventure team said in a low voice.


    With his sharp sense of danger, he had always been able to make the right choice.


    When the other team members heard this, no one objected. No one asked why. This was the trust that he had earned from the team members by making the right choice time and time again.


    Soon, the elite exploration team retreated to the edge of the trial grounds before stopping. They found a high spot and looked around. If the situation was not right, they would retreat immediately.


    When Chen Yiming arrived in front of the 10,000-meter-long corpse, the ghosts in the inner area had already summoned the deformed monsters and fused them into one.


    What awaited him was a mountain of flesh, which had turned into a monster.


    ¡°It only took a month for it to develop to the size of those three treants.¡± Chen Yiming sized up the huge monster in front of him.


    He was indeed a little surprised. He did not expect that there would be such a hidden danger after killing all the ghosts underground in the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming was puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s strange! It seems that the powerful creatures in the otherworld all have the ability to split themselves.¡±


    Because there were too few specimens, it was impossible to confirm whether he had encountered them by chance. Or perhaps it was the truth, and this was an innate ability of all creatures from the otherworld.


    This innate splitting ability could be activated when one was strong enough.


    At the same time, he was glad that he had only left the ghosts alone for a little over a month. If it was a mountain of flesh that had been accumulated over a year, even Chen Yiming would be a little afraid.


    Its size might not be just a little scary, but it would scare even him.

 Chapter 331 - Inscription Realm

    Just as Chen Yiming and the mountain of flesh were facing each other, the human martial arts experts also sensed that something was amiss.


    In the middle of the gloomy and gray trial grounds, a mountain of flesh suddenly stood up. Its huge body could no longer be hidden, and waves of a bloody, evil, and terrifying aura spread out.


    The fusion between the deformed monsters was not perfect. Parts of their bodies, such as their eyes, heads, limbs, and so on, were exposed to the surface.


    The large number of eyes on its body made countless people¡¯s scalps tingle.


    ¡°Oh my god! What kind of monster is this!¡± someone screamed in surprise. As he turned his head, he also tried to move away as quickly as possible.


    ¡°F*ck! There¡¯s a big boss hiding in the trial grounds.¡±


    Some people were glad that the mountain of flesh was not targeting them.


    However, even so, they did not dare to stay nearby and ran as fast as they could.


    The human adventurers¡¯ speed was very fast. Before the battle even started, they had already retreated far away like a tide, leaving the entire trial grounds empty.


    Facing Chen Yiming, who had stopped in his tracks, two huge legs quickly grew out from the bottom of the mountain of flesh, and it took a step forward.


    A shock wave spread out, accompanied by a loud bang, causing the entire trial grounds to shake, as if an earthquake had occurred.


    Then, it took a second step.


    The huge foot that descended from the sky seemed to want to crush Chen Yiming.


    Giant transformation!


    With a low growl, the blood essence soared into the sky, completely dissipating the sinister aura of the trial grounds.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A huge fist collided with a huge foot.


    The humans outside the trial grounds stood on high ground and saw that in the next moment, the mountain of flesh had been turned on its back by the giant.


    ¡°Is he really human?¡±


    Although the center of the battlefield was filled with smoke and dust and they did not have a clear view, they could vaguely make out a huge humanoid creature.


    The power of corruption spreading out from the mountain of flesh not only corroded the battlefield, but also almost dyed the sky green.


    However, the giant did not dodge at all, allowing itself to be enveloped by the power of corruption.


    After that, something even more shocking happened.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The giant used both his fists and feet. Every time he attacked, an invisible force seemed to descend from the sky. The mountain of flesh was pressed to the ground and beaten up violently. It tried countless times to get up, but it could not do so at all.


    This was not a battle where they were evenly matched, but one side was completely overpowering the other.


    Just like that, after being beaten up for more than 10 minutes, the mountain of flesh finally could not withstand it anymore and exploded. Its disgusting flesh and blood flew everywhere.


    In reality, what others could not see was that not only did the mountain of flesh use the power of corruption to try to infect the giant, but it also used all kinds of strange methods.


    However, it all was useless. It was clearly being beaten up.


    ¡­


    ¡°Swordsmanship talent requirement reduced by 3,000 Skill Points.¡±


    Chen Yiming returned to his human form and looked at the number on the talent panel.


    After killing all the ghosts in the mysterious underground space, the requirement had been reduced by 10,000 Skill Points. Now, it was reduced by another 3,000 Skill Points. He had reduced the requirement by a total of 13,000 Skill Points altogether.


    Coupled with the spiritual energy accumulated in the mysterious underground space, from which he had gained 17,000 Skill Points, he could already increase his swordsmanship talent from Level 4 to Level 5.


    There was no need to hesitate and feel conflicted about the two options he had thought about previously


    A higher level talent represented a stronger combat strength.


    He thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll upgrade the swordsmanship talent.¡±


    In the next moment, the talent panel emitted a golden light, blurring all the words and numbers on it.


    The golden light flashed across the panel from left to right.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 2, Giant ¡ª Level 1


    Level: Master Realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 5


    Level: Inscription Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 1034


    ¡°Is the mysterious symbol a manifestation of the inscription realm?¡± Chen Yiming asked softly.


    From the name of the realm, he instantly thought of the mysterious symbols that had appeared on the treants and the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    He could not understand the mysterious symbols back then, and he still could not understand them now.


    Chen Yiming comforted himself. ¡°This can¡¯t be helped. My swordsmanship talent has been stripped away and become part of the spiritual figure.¡±


    It was precisely because of this that the spiritual figure might be able to understand it, even if it cultivated a different type of power.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have brought Chen Yingying along.¡±


    What he was considering was that if something happened when he tested things out on the 10,000-meter-long corpse, he was not confident that he could protect his weak sister.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, Chen Yiming escorted Chen Yingying back to East Lake City and returned to the corpse.


    Along the way, after communicating with the spiritual figure, he already understood what was going on.


    The mysterious symbols were a manifestation of part of the power of nature.


    If he wanted to break through to the inscription realm, he no longer just needed to use his spiritual power to mobilize the power of nature. Instead, he needed to understand the true meaning of the power of nature to a deeper level and engrave it on his body in the form of mysterious symbols.


    After truly breaking through to the inscription realm, one¡¯s body would undergo a tremendous change after the mysterious symbols fused together.


    Every cell seemed to be resonating with the mysterious symbols in real time, and their connection with the power of nature became even stronger, more lively, and recovered faster¡­


    In essence, those in the inscription realm could get closer to the power of nature by inscribing mysterious symbols on their bodies. The amount of natural power they could mobilize at once would increase by several times to more than 10 times.


    ¡°Last time, just the recoil caused one of my feet to disappear. I have to be careful,¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered as he looked at the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    In order to prevent himself from being hit by a spontaneous counterattack, he retreated dozens of meters.


    The spiritual figure turned into a sword and flew over. Chen Yiming held it in his hand and admired it again.


    Mysterious symbols that he could not understand were engraved all over the sword. At the same time, an invisible force resonated with it.


    The sword was like a celestial object created by man, and its appearance was that of a most harmonious and perfect piece of art.


    ¡°Extend.¡±


    After admiring it for a while, Chen Yiming thought of something.


    Immediately, the sword lengthened until it reached the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    The 10,000-meter-long corpse had four thick limbs and was shaped like a chimpanzee.


    Chen Yiming gestured from dozens of meters away. In the end, he decided to test the waters first and attack one of the fingers.


    Although he called it a finger, it was a really huge finger. It was dozens of meters thick and hundreds of meters long. It was even larger than Chen Yiming¡¯s 100-meter-tall giant form.


    When he placed the sword on one of the corpse¡¯s huge fingers, the spiritual figure exerted its strength, and the mysterious symbols on the surface of the sword seemed to come alive.


    Chen Yiming stared at it, his eyes stinging with tears.


    He had personally experienced the difference between him and the inscription realm. If he got the spiritual figure to transform into a sword and slash at him, he would definitely not be able to withstand it even if he transformed into a giant.


    At this moment, the sword hit the huge finger, and the mysterious symbols on it automatically activated.


    Chen Yiming continued to endure the pain in his eyes. He wanted to see clearly why the treants could not do anything to him even though they were also enhanced by the mysterious symbols, but the 10,000-meter-long corpse could instantly make one of his feet disappear.


    The sword successfully cut through the skin of the huge finger, but the situation immediately fell into a stalemate.


    From its finger to its arm, countless mysterious symbols lit up.


    Immediately after, he saw a scene flash across the cut flesh.


    A pattern formed by the mysterious symbols that was far more complicated than what the figure in his mind had mastered created one formation after another.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Chen Yiming exclaimed.


    An incomprehensible power instantly erupted from the wound on the huge finger. The mysterious symbols on the surface of the sword dimmed before it was sent flying into the distant sky.


    At the same time, a stream of black blood shot into the sky.


    While Chen Yiming smelled the dense spiritual energy, he also sensed the evil aura emitted by the black blood. He could almost be sure that it was the source of the ghosts.


    ¡°What luck!¡±


    He cursed under his breath and quickly chased after it to resolve the mess he had caused.


    ¡­


    Three days later, Chen Yiming returned home.


    As soon as he entered, he saw the inquisitive gazes of Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying.


    In the past three days, the television news had been filled with reports of the battle between the deformed monsters and human martial arts experts.


    Even Father Chen and Mother Chen, who were still ordinary people, knew the seriousness of the matter.


    After a month, there were only a few people who had mastered the crystal meditation technique. Most of them did not dare to be affected by the power of corruption.


    This way, they would naturally be restrained when fighting the deformed monsters. When they encountered a situation where the strength of both sides was similar, almost all the time, the humans would be on the defensive.


    In addition, in many cases, they could not be compared to the teams of adventurers in the trial grounds who had worked together many times. Often, seven or eight human warriors of the same level would not be able to do anything to one single deformed monster.


    Chen Yiming explained simply, ¡°There was a problem in the trial grounds and it took some time to resolve. It¡¯s fine now.¡±


    Father Chen and Mother Chen nodded. Looking at their tired son, they did not ask further.


    Chen Yingying asked curiously, ¡°Brother, that day, you suddenly chased me back to East Lake City. Was there something wrong with that huge corpse?¡±


    Chen Yiming snorted. ¡°Have you mastered the transformation of your internal force? I remember someone saying that they improved a lot recently.¡±


    He had broken through another major realm and reached the inscription realm that no human in history had reached.


    However, it was a different story for his sister, who was constantly being helped by him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I just¡­¡± Chen Yingying wanted to explain herself.


    Back then, she had just killed a deformed monster when Chen Yiming appeared and forcefully sent her back to East Lake City.


    In other words, her trip to the trial grounds was actually put to an abrupt end.


    Chen Yiming gestured with his eyes. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up.¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted and nodded in response.


    ¡­


    On the second day after Chen Yiming returned, Wang Ronghui had invited him to Jiangnan City to discuss the general policy of Jiangnan province.


    The main question was whether to guide the increasing number of warriors in Jiangnan province to the stronghold in the otherworld or to the space-travel passage in the strange mountain village.


    No matter which direction he took, he couldn¡¯t avoid Chen Yiming. After all, no one other than him had the ability to guarantee the safety of the people sent to the otherworld.


    When Chen Yiming pushed open the door of the meeting room, he saw that everyone was already waiting for him.


    Other than the eight subordinates of the two martial masters from the north and south, there was also the new arrival, Feng Wuji.


    The Sword Clan had set up their base camp on a huge mountain near the trial grounds.


    Three days ago, when Feng Wuji was eliminating the deformed monsters, he had actively cooperated with Chen Yiming and expressed his intention to join him.


    Like Ling Zhongyun and Zhu Song, he wanted to cultivate under a martial master.


    Almost all the people at the half-step master realm were under the command of the two martial masters from the north and south. It was true that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have anyone at the half-step master realm under him.


    As for Ling Zhongyun and the others, their presence in Jiangnan province represented a friendly signal.


    Although he could also order them around at will, in the end, they already belonged to another martial master. Some private matters were not suitable for the other party to know.


    Not long after, the data was projected onto the screen by Wang Ronghui.


    Chen Yiming glanced at it and thought to himself, ¡°Compared to a year ago, the number of warriors in Jiangnan province has increased by 50 times. This is indeed a problem.¡±


    The reason was that there was a complete imbalance in the strength of humans and mutant beasts in Jiangnan province, causing the wilderness to completely become a hunting ground for humans.


    Basically, they had taken back all the territory that had been occupied by mutant beasts.


    At the moment, there were no signs of mutant beasts on the roads between the major cities in the province. The few who survived were hiding in the depths of the forest.


    Ling Zhongyun, Zhu Song, and the others also felt the seriousness of the situation when they saw the data.


    The temptation of the trial grounds was already very great. Now that the crystal meditation technique had been made public for free, Jiangnan province would continue to have a huge increase in the number of warriors in the next half a year to a year.


    At that time, the number might be 100 times, 200 times¡­ They did not dare to think about it.


    With such a large number of warriors gathered in a province, the martial arts resources would be insufficient for everyone.


    It was inevitable that their own people would start fighting among themselves, causing internal strife.


    When everyone came back to their senses, Wang Ronghui tapped the pointer, and the projected scene turned into some incomplete murals.


    He explained, ¡°This was brought back from an underground cave in the strange mountain village.¡±


    Chen Yiming recalled the information about the underground cave that Wang Ronghui had mentioned previously. It was something that the military investigation team had accidentally found while searching for traces of the treants.


    Unexpectedly, they had made a new discovery.


    From the content of the murals, they seemed to depict some of the scenery from the otherworld. There were also some mysterious words written on the side.


    ¡°These mysterious words have some similarities with the mysterious symbols on the surface of the 10,000-meter-long corpse.¡±


    Chen Yiming made this judgment immediately.


    He couldn¡¯t help but suspect, ¡°Could it be that the species that the corpse belonged to used to live in the Gobi Desert? The content of these murals seems to be teaching one how to control those mysterious symbols.¡±


    At this moment, Zhu Song said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s actually an incomplete technique from the original master realm.¡±


    Other than Chen Yiming, Wang Ronghui, and Feng Wuji, everyone else was shocked.


    A technique at the master realm was, in essence, a way to resonate with the power of nature.


    The martial masters in human history had all roamed the otherworld and occasionally obtained items like these murals or inherited such items from their predecessors.


    In the end, one had to combine one¡¯s talent and luck to successfully resonate with a certain natural power and break through to the master realm.


    It could be said that most people who were half a step away from the master realm had the talent to break through to the master realm.


    Instead, they had to find the power of nature that was compatible with them. If they had no corresponding objects like the murals that could give them guidance, what they cultivated would be a technique that was not suitable for them at the master realm.

 Chapter 332 - New Strategy

    The eight subordinates of the two martial masters from the north and south had their gazes fixed on the mural.


    Every additional martial arts technique at the master realm could increase the chances of all those who were only a half-step away to reach the master realm. This was too tempting.


    Chen Yiming listened quietly without saying a word.


    The fog in his heart had completely cleared up, and a path of cultivation related to controlling the power of nature had appeared in his mind.


    First, one could use their spiritual power as a link to try to resonate with the power of nature, then they could simply mobilize the power of nature for their own use.


    Then, by mastering the power of nature and comprehending its true essence, one could further strengthen the connection between their body and the power of nature by engraving mysterious symbols on their body.


    Finally, when he cut through the huge finger, he caught a glimpse of the mysterious symbols that created a formation on its flesh. Their power had easily sent the sword formed by the spiritual figure flying.


    When Chen Yiming found the spiritual figure, the mysterious symbols on its body were covered in cracks and were quickly repairing themselves.


    At that time, he was drenched in cold sweat. In the mysterious underground space, a slight backlash could cause one of his feet to disappear.


    If the corpse was still alive, he would be no different from a chick in front of the other party. His life and death would no longer be in his hands.


    Soon, the topic returned to the number of warriors in the province.


    The point of the discussion was how to come up with a strategy to allow the warriors in Jiangnan province to explore the otherworld and obtain the resources needed for their daily cultivation while allowing them to enter the trial grounds to cultivate.


    Wang Ronghui, Ling Zhongyun, and the others discussed for a long time, but they could not come up with a solution that could convince everyone.


    Chen Yiming was extremely calm.


    This was the purpose of inviting him here. As long as it involved the otherworld, those at the half-step master realm were able to protect themselves, but they could not guarantee anything more.


    As for Wang Ronghui, he represented a large group of government factions behind him. His relationship with the higher ups was even more complicated, and he could not make the final decision.


    In the end, it was just a matter of strength.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°In any case, almost all the mutant beasts in the province have been killed. We can set up a blockade at the border of the province and the trial grounds to restrict entry and exit. Then, we can relax the rules for entering and exiting the stronghold in the otherworld.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement. No one in the meeting room raised any objections.


    Other than Chen Yiming, no one else in Jiangnan province dared to suggest that they should set up a checkpoint at the border of the province and the trial grounds to restrict the entry and exit of people.


    The conflicts of interest involved were so complicated that no one could sort them out. It was no longer just the matter of Jiangnan province, but the entire Daxia Kingdom.


    For example, if the provincial head, Wang Ronghui, dared to come up with such a plan alone,


    there was only one outcome. Not long after, he would no longer be able to sit firmly in his position. He would either be transferred to another place or be forced to give up his position.


    Ling Zhongyun and the others had suggested a similar plan.


    However, most people would not acknowledge them at all. After all, they were not the martial masters guarding the country. The various factions would give them face if it was just a small matter.


    But when it came to the trial grounds, many people would join forces to oppose the implementation of such a policy.


    ¡­


    A few days later,


    on the Jiangnan TV Station, the evening news was playing.


    The female announcer announced the new policy of Jiangnan province with a serious expression.


    The content was: In order to deal with the large number of warriors in Jiangnan province, from next Monday, restrictions will be set at the border of the province and the trial grounds.


    Among them, the warriors who had left Jiangnan province were only allowed to register and return a month later.


    The restriction on the trial grounds was that one was allowed to enter only once a week.


    From today onwards, the base city would allow all the cities in Jiangnan province to open a special railway to the base city. There would no longer be a time limit for entering and exiting the stronghold in the otherworld.


    At the same time, warriors were warned that if they did not follow the rules and were arrested, they would be expelled from Jiangnan province forever. After that, if they were found to have sneaked into Jiangnan province, they would be treated as criminals.


    That night, countless people had a sleepless night.


    The new policy of Jiangnan province was simple and straightforward. If one wanted to continue cultivating around the trial grounds, one could go to the otherworld to obtain the resources needed for daily cultivation.


    They had reached an unspoken agreement. Warriors who entered the trial grounds for free needed to work for Jiangnan province, and their job was to explore the otherworld.


    ¡­


    In the Wolf Warrior Corporation in Chengdu city, Chuan province.


    The Wolf Warriors Corporation was a large company that had recently been established. It was formed by eight elite mutant beast hunting teams.


    Among them, the chairman, Qi Shan, was the strongest person in the company who had quickly mastered the transformation of internal force after mastering the crystal meditation technique.


    At this moment, it was already late at night, but the company headquarters was still brightly lit.


    The eight core members of the Wolf Warrior Corporation had immediately held a meeting after the evening news from Jiangnan TV Station. The door to the meeting room was tightly shut.


    The other members of the group, from the core members of the hunting team to the logistics staff who were working in civilian jobs, were all working overtime.


    Everyone was discussing the new restrictions in Jiangnan province.


    ¡°Sister He, do you think the company will move away too? I heard that in a small city like Jiangnan province with hundreds of thousands of people, the housing prices and prices will exceed those in the provincial capital of Chuan province.¡±


    A young lady in charge of logistics had a worried expression on her face.


    ¡°What can we do? If they really move, we won¡¯t be able to go with them. Besides, the company can¡¯t afford to support so many people once we get there.¡±


    Sister He had worked for more than 10 years and had seen many things. Her expression was calm.


    When the girl heard this, she looked at the various forms and documents on the desk. She immediately felt exhausted and no longer wanted to continue organizing the data.


    She was in charge of logistics, so she naturally knew the company¡¯s expenses.


    At this moment, Sister He suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry about your job. It¡¯s just that the direction of the work might change.¡±


    The girl asked softly, ¡°Sister He, do you mean that the company won¡¯t move?¡±


    Sister He explained, ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like Chengdu city doesn¡¯t have any advantages. The closer it is to Jiangnan province, the fewer mutant beasts there will be. The company might change its strategy to supplying mutant beast materials to Jiangnan province.¡±


    When the girl heard this, she asked uncertainly, ¡°Even my nephew is complaining all day about leaving Chuan province for Jiangnan province after graduation. Will the higher-ups of the company stay in Chuan province?¡±


    Sister He looked up at the surroundings before saying in a low voice, ¡°Although the Wolf Warrior Corporation is quite famous in Chengdu city, in reality, it¡¯s not the same in Jiangnan province. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    The little girl looked stunned.


    Thinking about it, it seemed to be true.


    The new policy issued by Jiangnan province was clearly aimed at those martial artists who were unwilling to go to the otherworld, and only allowed them to enter the trial grounds occasionally.


    Coincidentally, the Wolf Warriors Group¡¯s core business was not to enter the otherworld. They were only active in the wilderness and were only suitable for staying in Chuan province.


    ¡­


    In the morning, after Father Chen received a call, he went out excitedly alone.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s ears were sharp, so he heard everything that was said on the phone.


    A friend of Father Chen had asked him if he wanted to see the military push down the city walls of East Lake City and return the city to its original state before the invasion of the otherworld.


    Father Chen was now a retired old man. How could he miss out on such a lively scene?


    ¡°The city wall¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed, feeling like a lifetime had passed.


    The level of technology on the blue planet was roughly similar to that in his previous world.


    However, due to the invasion of the otherworld, the cities were usually in danger of being surrounded by the beast tide at any time, so they had to build hard and thick city walls to defend themselves.


    When he first transmigrated, he thought he had returned to ancient times. However, he was reminded by various modern buildings and technological creations that this was not ancient times.


    After coming back to his senses, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure flashed and he arrived at the rooftop of a tall building.


    He looked at the bustling area in the north of East Lake City.


    Dust spread out, and the roar of diesel engines temporarily drowned out the sound of the crowd. Excavators were working, tearing down the city wall.


    Many people had blank expressions on their faces.


    The city wall had always represented their protection. With the city wall present, the people living in the city felt safe.


    Now that they suddenly wanted to tear it down, they felt uncomfortable. Fear inexplicably welled up in their hearts, afraid that the mutant beasts in the wilderness would suddenly gather into a beast tide again.


    Therefore, they imagined the scene of a terrifying beast tide flattening a city without any city walls.


    This was due to their habitual way of thinking over the years. In fact, the news had reported several times that there were no longer any areas of wilderness in Jiangnan province, and ordinary people could move around freely.


    Someone at the side joked, ¡°It would have been better if I didn¡¯t come. I definitely won¡¯t be able to sleep at night.¡±


    These words were immediately echoed by the surrounding people. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t even dare to sleep with the lights on.¡±


    They could only make up for their lack of sleep during the day.


    Changes in the habits that had been formed for a long time needed some time to get used to. Before they got used to it, when they thought about how the city did not have walls to withstand the mutant beasts, how could they still sleep peacefully?


    ¡­


    That afternoon,


    Father Chen was busy with something again. He was invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony in East Lake City.


    Originally, East Lake City had already applied to the province to open a special railway to the base city. After a meeting and discussion, the province also approved the application.


    However, the sudden outbreak of the treant war forced it to be shelved.


    After the end of the treant war, the trial grounds appeared, and the crystal meditation technique was made public. No one seemed to care about the base city anymore.


    It had all been put on pause until now.


    After the new policy was announced, many cities rushed to work on the railway. In less than 24 hours, East Lake City held a ribbon-cutting ceremony.


    They also decided to send out the first train to the base city before nightfall.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, welcome!¡±


    Mayor Hong Yi held Father Chen¡¯s hand like they were old friends.


    Hong Yi didn¡¯t want to trouble Chen Yiming, but he was already very satisfied that he could get Father Chen to attend.


    ¡°No, no. Mayor Hong is too polite.¡±


    Father Chen smiled widely.


    From a small restaurant owner to being invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony in East Lake City as a VIP, he felt very honored.


    The reporters squatted down and snapped photos of the scene with their cameras.


    There were people who had been planted in the crowd who immediately took the lead to clap. Immediately after, the venue was drowned out by the applause and became extremely lively.


    The scene at this moment was recorded and made the headlines for the East Lake City news the next day.


    Next, Mayor Hong Yi spoke about


    the past of East Lake City to its future.


    In short, East Lake City had a bright future ahead of it. The various martial arts factions were welcome to stay there permanently.


    Then, he talked about the rapid development of the entire city in the past year. How many martial artists were stationed there, how many martial arts factions had set up their headquarters there, and so on¡­


    Hong Yi¡¯s speech only ended after nearly an hour.


    At this moment, the leaders walked onto the stage. Hong Yi and Father Chen stood side by side and completed the last step of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


    As they cut the ribbon, the cannons fired.


    The ribbons filled the sky and floated down. The atmosphere was at its peak.


    Immediately after, the sound of a train siren rang out.


    The train leading to the base city slowly drove over and stopped opposite the ribbon-cutting scene.


    The specially arranged passengers lined up and handed over their tickets.


    After the beautiful ticket collector checked their tickets, they entered the train carriages in an orderly manner. Almost all the carriages were filled.


    Another 10 minutes passed.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    The train let out a long whistle and slowly started to move again, gradually disappearing from sight.


    ¡­


    After the announcement of the new policy in Jiangnan province, the military sent out a large number of troops.


    A defensive line spanning more than 1,000 kilometers was established within a few days.


    Every road leading to and from the border of Jiangnan province was guarded by soldiers and military martial arts experts. The transport vehicles entering and exiting the province had to stop and be checked first.


    The person in charge of the convoy handed over the documents signed by the relevant departments in Jiangnan City. The soldiers checked them before letting them pass.


    Of the countless warriors who had been staying in Jiangnan province, half of them had already left.


    Almost all of these people were independent martial artists who were unwilling to join a martial arts faction.


    With the new policy, even if independent martial artists forcefully stayed in Jiangnan province, it would be very difficult for them to maintain their normal daily cultivation expenditure in the face of the rising price of cultivation resources.


    Most of the remaining warriors boarded the train to the base city one after another and gathered at the stronghold in the otherworld. The martial arts power of the human stronghold was at an unprecedentedly high level.


    In the future, these people¡¯s cultivation model would be to hunt creatures from the otherworld and expand the territory of the stronghold in the otherworld. From time to time, they would return through the space-travel passage and enter the trial grounds to cultivate.


    At this moment,


    Chen Yiming was lying at home, playing a game.


    This game was not a computer game, but a conversation between him and the figure in his mind.


    The figure in his mind: I have arrived at the stronghold.


    Chen Yiming: Observe the situation.


    The figure in his mind: The streets of the stronghold are filled with people. A few people are starting to leave the stronghold.


    Chen Yiming: Patrol the area around the stronghold in a range of 100 kilometers.


    A few minutes later.


    The figure in his mind: Most of the underground passages have been abandoned, and few underground creatures have appeared.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°It seems that I was ruthless enough last time on the rocky plains. I even scared away the underground creatures around the stronghold.¡±


    Chen Yiming: Head to the rocky plains to check on the situation.


    Two minutes later.


    The figure in his mind: When I arrived at the rocky plains, I discovered dozens of temporary human bases. Many human exploration teams are operating on the rocky plains.


    Chen Yiming stopped the conversation.


    The reason why he had sent out the spiritual figure was naturally to choose a suitable target to attack.


    Most of the warriors who had gathered at the stronghold in the otherworld did not have any experience in the otherworld. They were definitely filled with fear.


    In this state, they could only join a fight led by someone powerful.


    In other words, he would be bullying those creatures from the otherworld who were scared out of their wits.


    This way, the spiritual figure that had broken through to the inscription realm not long ago would lead countless human warriors to their first battle. It was undoubtedly the best choice.

 Chapter 333 - A Small Sun Descends From the Sky

    In the otherworld, the stronghold established by humans had the appearance of an ancient city.


    In all four directions, the city walls were connected. On the outer side of the city wall, the bones of creatures from the otherworld that had been specially processed were stuck into it.


    These bones were simple and practical materials. They could deter ordinary creatures from the otherworld that came out at night.


    The new policy was announced without any warning.


    However, none of the martial arts experts of the Daxia Kingdom objected.


    The warriors understood the underlying intentions. Most of them obediently followed the new policy and either left Jiangnan province or entered the stronghold in the otherworld.


    What followed was confusion. From their mentality, body, and knowledge, they were not prepared for anything.


    This was especially true for small and medium-sized martial arts factions. The core members looked to their boss, and their boss looked to the other factions. In the end, they looked at each other, and everyone was at a loss.


    On the square opposite the space-travel passage was a restaurant operated by the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    At this moment, there was a long line of customers holding queue tickets.


    Chen Yiming had once used four large golden words to guide the adventurers in the stronghold to the rocky plains. Therefore, a rumor spread that if something happened, he would come to the square at the exit of the space-travel passage.


    The ones who were most likely to receive the insider information were undoubtedly the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the largest sect in Jiangnan. This caused the business of the restaurants operated by the Myriad Phenomena Sect to soar,


    even though the cost of eating at the restaurants here far exceeded the average cost of eating at other restaurants in the stronghold.


    Of course, Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t given his faction any insider information. There was no need for that. The province had already given them a lot of special privileges.


    In the lobby on the first floor of the restaurant, in the northeast corner, there were more than 10 men and women sitting around a dining table with dishes in front of them.


    The ingredients were all from creatures from the otherworld. To martial arts disciples, these were all priceless supplements. To warriors, it was also a good supplement for their daily cultivation.


    ¡°Old Qin, why are they all customers with the same goal as us? There¡¯s no insider information being traded!¡±


    A middle-aged woman in simple clothes looked at the dishes in front of her with a pained expression.


    She pricked up her ears and listened for a long time. However, it was either a commotion coming from the door from time to time or a conversation about something unrelated.


    Old Qin smiled bitterly. What could he do?


    It had to be known that once upon a time, a warrior in a small city with hundreds of thousands of people was a big shot.


    Now, the number of warriors in Jiangnan province had increased by dozens or even hundreds of times. Their status was no longer the same as before, and they no longer enjoyed special privileges.


    Naturally, no one from the government would tell them the insider information in advance in order to rope in the civilian warriors.


    Seeing this, the middle-aged woman sighed and continued, ¡°Old Qin, the supplies the team brought are limited. Why don¡¯t we just go out of the city to hunt? We can¡¯t just sit back and eat our fill.¡±


    In order to allow the new policy to be implemented smoothly, Jiangnan province had also secretly reduced the supply of cultivation resources for the warrior level.


    This method helped to increase the price of cultivation resources on the market.


    Warriors were not ordinary people. Their daily cultivation consumed a lot of energy and resources, so they could not go against the direction of the new policy.


    Old Qin¡¯s chopsticks froze in midair as the gazes of everyone at the table fell on him.


    After a long time, he sighed and said, ¡°Three days, at most three days. During this time, let¡¯s split up and gather information. Try your best to be prepared.¡±


    Of course, Old Qin knew that he could not just sit back and do nothing.


    However, as the leader of a team of more than 10 people, not only did he have to consider money, but he also had to consider the overall situation. This was the first time they were fighting the unfamiliar creatures from the otherworld, and if they were not careful, there would be casualties.


    ¡­


    Just as the entire stronghold fell into a confused atmosphere, suddenly, a light comparable to a small sun appeared in the distant sky.


    Countless cries of surprise shook the entire stronghold.


    Everyone was alarmed. They jumped onto the high ground and looked in the direction of the light.


    ¡°It¡¯s the graveyard!¡±


    An experienced adventurer had determined the source of the commotion from simply estimating the distance.


    The warriors were dumbfounded and their eyes widened.


    This was no longer the destructive power of an ordinary meteor. If it landed on the sea of the blue planet, it would be enough to cause a terrifying tsunami that would sweep across the coastline of many countries.


    It would not be an exaggeration to describe it as enough to destroy a country.


    It was hard to imagine that they would have a chance of surviving if they were there.


    They did not have to wait long.


    The light comparable to a small sun fell straight to the horizon.


    Their vision instantly turned white, and the blinding light forced them to close their eyes.


    The sound came a moment later than the light.


    Immediately after, there was a loud bang. Everyone¡¯s heads went blank, and their minds buzzed. Their minds went blank for a moment.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Is it coming?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine from this distance!¡±


    When their vision returned, everyone felt an invisible shock wave heading towards the human stronghold.


    The shock wave spread out endlessly, destroying all obstacles along the way. To the naked eye, it looked like everything had directly melted into ashes.


    Some unlucky flying creatures flapped their wings in panic and tried to fly into the sky.


    However, as soon as they flew into the air, they were swept away by the shock wave. They could not even struggle and disappeared completely.


    At this moment, in the face of such a terrifying shock wave, the human stronghold was in chaos.


    However, there was nowhere to hide. They could only enter the space-travel passage and return to the blue planet. However, the square was filled with people. Only a few people could squeeze into the space-travel passage.


    About 10 minutes later, the aftershock of the shock wave spread to the human stronghold and weakened to the level of a typhoon.


    Most of the buildings in the stronghold were modular. Their stability, strength, and resistance were average, and they were severely damaged on the spot.


    On the other hand, the warriors were generally fine.


    Only a few people were hit by the debris and were covered in dust.


    ¡°Is the otherworld that terrifying?¡±


    ¡°Why did we set up a stronghold here? Do you want us to die?¡±


    Discussions rose and fell. Most people thought that an unknown disaster had occurred in the otherworld.


    In the military camp in the otherworld, similar to the other places in the human stronghold, it was also in a mess.


    More than 10,000 martial arts experts from the military stood motionless against the aftershock of the shock wave, ignoring the debris that was still rolling around them.


    They were divided into four divisions, and each division was divided into various elite teams. The team leaders were all at the level of having mastered the transformation of internal force, while the team members were all warriors who had the power of internal force.


    General Mu Wu frowned and thought to himself, ¡°Could this be the signal that Governor Wang was talking about?¡±


    It was really unbelievable. With such destructive power, he estimated that with just a few blows, the entire Daxia Kingdom would probably be destroyed.


    General Mu, who had always been swift and decisive, suddenly hesitated and did not give the order to set off.


    After waiting for five minutes,


    Mu Wu paced back and forth anxiously.


    No other incidents occurred. A second small sun did not appear.


    They waited for another five minutes.


    Mu Wu was almost certain that it was the ¡®signal¡¯.


    Without any hesitation, he immediately gave the order for the entire army to attack.


    The gates of the military camp opened on both sides. General Mu Wu was at the front, and the four divisions maintained their formation. They exited from the gates one by one and rushed towards the location of the incident.


    At the same time, the head of the provincial publicity department, Duan Feng, informed his subordinates about the ¡®signal¡¯ and arranged for it to be spread out as soon as possible through various channels.


    About half an hour later, the warrior army from the human stronghold set off and quickly followed the military team that had set off earlier.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family house, Chen Yiming was lying on the bed, still playing the game.


    The figure in his mind: Successfully launched an attack with the sword from the sky.


    Chen Yiming: How¡¯s the lethality?


    The figure in his mind: It leveled the graveyard with one strike.


    Chen Yiming was speechless.


    He was dumbfounded.


    The reason for this was because someone in his previous world had said that the rules were decided by one¡¯s strength.


    At that time, he wanted to represent the blue planet to display his strength to the otherworld. Therefore, he instructed the figure in his mind to use as much strength as possible.


    Then, with the enhancement from the Undying Body talent and the fact that he wasn¡¯t afraid of death, he naturally chose to showcase his finishing move: Giant from the sky.


    However, he had to be flexible and adapt it to become the falling sword.


    After a while, Chen Yiming received a shocking piece of news from the spiritual figure.


    The mysterious symbols acted as some kind of medium to connect the human body to the power of nature. Most of the damage would be transferred away.


    The spiritual figure turned into a sword and fell from the sky. Even without the enhancement from the Undying Body talent, it was still unharmed.


    In other words, as long as the mysterious symbols were around, it was very difficult to kill living creatures in the inscription realm. This was because to a certain extent, they were attacking the power of nature corresponding to the mysterious symbols.


    ¡°The treants died too aggrievedly.¡±


    From the spiritual figure, Chen Yiming learned how powerful the inscription realm was. The first thing he thought of was the treants who had died under the giant¡¯s attack.


    He guessed that each of the small treants was a part of its complete spiritual will.


    Thinking back, when all the treants were fused together, their huge roots had fused into one and they had gathered all their power into the mysterious underground space.


    Then, the spiritual figure launched a surprise attack from the other side of the space-travel passage. The Sword Aura storm had killed too many split treants at once, causing a huge problem for the other party.


    He remembered that the treants could not recover to their full form, but only fused into three treants that were half a level weaker.


    If they were half a level weaker, their cultivation level would definitely have fallen out of the inscription realm. It was very likely that their connection with the power of nature was no longer as close as before.


    That was why they had died in his hands.


    ¡­


    That night, the evening news did not report any news related to the stronghold in the otherworld.


    However, the office area of the provincial government was brightly lit all night. Everyone was at their posts.


    This reaction gave the people who did not know the truth a bad feeling. Could it be that something had happened to the many warriors who had entered the otherworld?


    For a moment, the atmosphere in Jiangnan province froze.


    The otherworld had always represented unknown dangers, and it was very difficult for everyone to feel at ease.


    ¡­


    The sun rose again.


    At Jiangnan TV Station, there was still an hour before the morning news started. The data from the television station showed that the number of viewers had increased abnormally.


    The warriors who entered the otherworld not only represented themselves, but also their families, clans, factions, and so on.


    Some bad rumors were spreading last night, causing the people paying attention to this matter to be nervous and lose sleep all night, afraid that something big had happened.


    After waiting anxiously for an hour, a beautiful announcer stood in front of the camera. She was so excited that she almost lost control of her emotions. Even her makeup could not hide it.


    Soon, they started to announce the big news of the day: humans had successfully occupied the graveyard and dug out a large number of soul crystals from the ground.


    Soul crystals had always been extremely rare.


    The reason was that humans¡¯ talent in the spiritual aspect was generally far inferior to that of undead creatures of the same level. As a result, every soul crystal was a reward that required a lot of risk to obtain.


    In addition, the soul crystals contained broken spiritual wills. While it could be used to temper one¡¯s spiritual power, it also brought about the hidden danger of damaging one¡¯s mind.


    Currently, the reason why the beautiful announcer had placed the news of the soul crystals together with the humans¡¯ occupation of the graveyard was all because of the crystal meditation technique.


    The purification power produced by the crystal meditation technique could allow one to be unaffected by the broken spiritual wills, turning the soul crystals into the best cultivation resource.


    Other than the active spiritual state brought about by resisting the power of corruption in the trial grounds created by the endless number of ghosts and deformed monsters, with the help of the crystal meditation technique, the soul crystal was the second most important item in one¡¯s cultivation in the warrior realm.


    ¡­


    In Jiangnan City, In the Dawn Martial Arts Training Center, in Class One, there was a group of students with the best talent in the training center. Most of these students were from the various high schools in Jiangnan City, and all of them were at the top of the disciple realm.


    The martial arts teacher, An Xiujie, was also the boss of the training center. He led dozens of students to watch the replay of the morning news.


    The real reason for this was to make use of the crystal meditation technique to recruit more students with potential and earn more money. At the same time, it would increase the reputation of the Dawn Martial Arts Training Center.


    Another reason was that the price of cultivation resources at the warrior level had increased exponentially. He did not want to leave Jiangnan province, nor did he want to enter the otherworld. He only wanted to live a stable life.


    This was a necessity.


    ¡°Teacher An, after we master the crystal meditation technique, even if we don¡¯t enter the trial grounds, we can use the soul crystals to quickly temper our spiritual power,¡± a girl said excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. After mastering the crystal meditation technique, the broken spiritual wills in the soul crystals will no longer be a problem,¡± An Xiujie explained with a serious expression.


    Of course, he understood his student¡¯s thoughts. They felt that they were still young and inexperienced in combat. To enter the trial grounds, it was not enough for them to just master the crystal meditation technique.


    The soul crystals made up for this. Those who could afford it could just buy it.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the students cheered on the spot.


    Almost everyone was fantasizing in their hearts, imagining a similar scene: After mastering the crystal meditation technique, one would first use the soul crystal to quickly improve themselves before entering the trial grounds to quickly progress even further in their cultivation.


    They would achieve one break through after another like a hot knife cutting through butter and became a big shot at a young age.


    An Xiujie remained serious and did not say anything.


    There was something that he could only bury in his heart. The undead creatures were not like the deformed monsters that could not be wiped out.


    The news mentioned that humans had already occupied the graveyard, which meant that the soul crystals were being divided up and would soon be used up for cultivation.


    By the time the students mastered the crystal meditation technique, children like them would not be able to get anything from the graveyard. Or perhaps the remaining few soul crystals would have already been sold for a sky-high price.

 Chapter 334 - Im From Outer Space

    In the evening, the Chen family ate together.


    Chen Yingying suddenly said, ¡°Brother, my progress is too slow if I just stay in East Lake City. I want to go to the otherworld and improve through actual combat.¡±


    Previously, when she had gone to the trial grounds, Chen Yiming had taken the opportunity to test his new moves. As a result, Chen Yingying had not gained much from it.


    At this moment, many human warriors had occupied the graveyard in the otherworld. This was a huge development that could not be ignored.


    It had only been half a day since the news was broadcasted in the morning, but the topic was already widely-discussed.


    The main beneficiaries of the trial grounds were the warriors. If they occupied a large piece of new territory in the otherworld, the martial arts disciples could also join in.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Mother Chen was drinking soup. When she heard Chen Yingying¡¯s words, she choked.


    The city wall had been knocked down in East Lake City and the other cities in Jiangnan province. This meant that the era of wilderness in Jiangnan province was over.


    Mother Chen could not understand why she insisted on going to the dangerous otherworld and put herself at risk.


    Chen Yiming continued to eat calmly, but he thought to himself, ¡°How stupid. She doesn¡¯t know how to pick a suitable time to mention it.¡±


    Chen Yiming could guarantee her safety, and Father Chen had always supported her unconditionally.


    Therefore, Father Chen quickly explained, ¡°In the afternoon, Professor Huang analyzed the situation within 1,000 kilometers of the human stronghold.


    The powerful creatures from the otherworld that are a threat have already left. The danger level has even decreased to a level that is not as dangerous as the average wilderness on the blue planet.¡±


    Mother Chen patted her chest and retorted, ¡°That won¡¯t do either. Isn¡¯t it enough to be a warrior? Yingying, once you¡¯re a little older, you can already find a job as a teacher in a martial arts academy and live a stable life.¡±


    Father Chen continued, ¡°There are also different levels in the warrior realm.


    The experts have mentioned that if one loses their motivation to improve, it won¡¯t take long for their martial arts progress to be wasted. When one gets older, there¡¯s still a chance that their cultivation level will decrease.¡±


    Mother Chen didn¡¯t think much of it and said, ¡°Different levels in the warrior realm? Can it increase one¡¯s lifespan? Or can it make one free from suffering and illness?¡±


    These words made Father Chen unable to refute her.


    It was indeed unheard of for a warrior to increase his lifespan after reaching a high level.


    On the contrary, most of them had internal injuries.


    Therefore, in the warrior realm, one would usually not live to the end of their lifespan.


    Chen Yingying, who was at the dining table, had an anxious expression on her face. It was obvious that Father Chen had been rebutted by Mother Chen.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming knew that only he could save his sister.


    He coughed and reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s very important to build a foundation in the warrior realm. Your lifespan will increase by two to three times when you break through to the master realm.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying looked at each other.


    One¡¯s lifespan would increase after breaking through to the master realm?


    No one had ever stood up to publicize this in the news, broadcasts, research results, and so on. This was a secret that belonged to the upper echelons of the martial arts world.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I insisted that the two of you use the diluted miracle blood to improve your physique.¡±


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    Compared to before, Jiangnan province had fallen silent. All the attention was focused on the new territory occupied by humans from the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming had mentioned that the master realm could increase one¡¯s lifespan, so Mother Chen had no reason to stop Chen Yingying from going to the otherworld to train.


    Increasing one¡¯s lifespan by two to three times was not considered immortality, but the attraction was still something that could not be ignored.


    In the morning, in the forest by the river outside East Lake City, there was a hammock tied to two tree trunks.


    A young man was lying in a hammock that swayed left and right in the wind, basking in the warm autumn sun.


    Chen Yiming was playing the game again.


    He controlled the spiritual figure in the inscription realm and caused a massacre in the otherworld. He had completely transformed into a gamer and even intended to rely on the spiritual figure¡¯s ability to revive indefinitely to destroy the otherworld.


    However, because of existences like the 10,000-meter-long corpse, he had no choice but to investigate an area before starting to fight the otherworld creatures. He did not dare to be reckless.


    At some point, his phone suddenly rang.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze. It didn¡¯t feel good to be interrupted in the middle of a game.


    If not for the fact that his phone number was a secret and that everyone who knew about it was in a high position, he would have hung up when it rang.


    He pressed the accept button, and Wang Ronghui¡¯s panicked voice sounded from the phone. ¡°Something big has happened in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest. Elder Zhang, who was in charge of guarding the place, was ambushed by an unknown creature. He¡¯s seriously injured and on the verge of death.¡±


    The Elder Zhang that Wang Ronghui mentioned was one of the two martial masters in the Daxia Kingdom.


    Before Chen Yiming¡¯s rise, it was the two martial masters from the south and north who had stabilized the overall situation in the Daxia Kingdom.


    However, there was suddenly bad news.


    Chen Yiming agreed to make a trip there and hung up.


    Wang Ronghui had already arranged for a military plane to take off immediately after he arrived at the airport in Jiangnan City.


    ¡°To be able to severely injure a martial master, it must be an existence at the level of the inscription realm. Could it be revenge for killing the treants?


    Or could it be that the spiritual figure has been going overboard recently and it knows that it can¡¯t win, so it used other space-travel passages to take revenge?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    He had no choice but to think so. After all, the martial master, Elder Zhang, was already at an old age. There had been no problems for so many years, but something had happened at this time.


    Just as he fell into a deep thought,


    suddenly,


    ¡°How dare you! I¡¯m impressed!¡±


    The sect master¡¯s ring on his finger suddenly emitted a spiritual thought. It crossed the barrier between different languages and clearly expressed what it wanted to say.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was stunned.


    The imprisoned female spirit actually took the initiative to communicate with him. He was a little confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m from outer space!¡±


    Another spiritual thought came from the ring.


    Alien?


    An image appeared in Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    At the same time, he realized that the secret contained in the ring had probably far exceeded his expectations.


    Chen Yiming fell silent.


    He suddenly realized that the ring had reacted at this moment instead of earlier.


    It was difficult to believe that there was no deeper reason for this.


    Perhaps the female spirit felt threatened and became anxious.


    Not long after,


    ¡°Run! Try your best to escape deep into space. The black tide is about to descend on this planet.¡±


    The female spirit suddenly sent out this strange message.


    Black tide?


    Could it be the ghosts born from the corpse?


    Did he create a huge problem by digging it out?


    Other than this, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t think of anything else that could be referred to as the black tide.


    The 10,000-meter-long corpse was originally buried deep in the mysterious space underground. Did the treants have the ability to kill the ghosts in that space? Did they have the ability to dig out the corpse?


    Thoughts raced through Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    There were mysterious symbols on the treants¡¯ bodies, so they were undoubtedly at the inscription realm. They must have been stronger than he was back then.


    The treants that were stronger than him did not dig out the corpse. Instead, they took the risk and gathered most of their strength deep underground.


    Now that he thought about it, it was probably not as simple as him having the good luck to launch a sneak attack successfully.


    He thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Escape? How? Do I just go into outer space with my physical body?¡±


    Initially, he did not have much hope that he would get a response. However, perhaps because the female spirit was really anxious or for some other reason, she told him: at the level of the inscription realm, one could fuse with the power of nature.


    After his physical body entered outer space, as long as he mastered the corresponding techniques, he could continuously fuse with and detach from the power of nature, moving quickly through space.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°That¡¯s great! Teach me that technique. I¡¯ll set off after I master it.¡±


    However, ¡°¡­¡± The female spirit in the ring suddenly stopped responding.


    After waiting for a few minutes, there was still no response.


    Chen Yiming laughed at himself. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s not that simple. How can the female spirit really be that stupid?¡±


    He had intended to trick the female spirit, but his plan to obtain the technique first had failed. The other party had not fallen for it.


    He waited for another 10 minutes.


    He knew that it was useless to be anxious, so he temporarily held back from asking the female spirit more about the black tide.


    Chen Yiming set off for Jiangnan City.


    ¡­


    The military plane landed at the Chengdu Airport in Sichuan province.


    The martial master, Elder Zhang, who was severely injured and on the verge of death, was currently recuperating in his villa.


    Chen Yiming alighted from the military plane. A female officer was in charge of receiving him.


    The other party looked to be in her mid-twenties. She walked with power, but she did not lose her feminine beauty and figure. Her military uniform was bulging at the chest.


    He quickly sized her up from head to toe and returned to his nonchalant self.


    The female officer asked seriously, ¡°Should we go straight to the scene of the incident or go to Elder Zhang¡¯s villa first?¡±


    Facing the stern-looking female officer, Chen Yiming knew that business was more important. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Elder Zhang¡¯s place first.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡±


    the female officer replied tersely, then turned around and waved at a military vehicle.


    Taking advantage of this short break,


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the airport and realized that most of the people were looking at the military plane.


    Their eyes were filled with anticipation, envy, and passion.


    Some people did not even pay attention to the road ahead. They bumped into people or obstacles and fell to the ground in a sorry state.


    Chen Yiming spread out his spiritual power and sensed that there were words representing Jiangnan province printed on the fuselage of the military plane behind him.


    These words were the focus of attention for most of the people in the airport.


    Soon, the military vehicle stopped in front of them.


    Chen Yiming and the female officer entered the backseat together.


    The military vehicle was an off-road vehicle, and the back seat was quite spacious. There was a rack placed on the back of the front seat, and a few bottles of mineral water were placed on it.


    ¡°Do you have enough space?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to look at their legs. Through her dark green pants, he felt a soft and bouncy texture.


    Although his figure was considered well-proportioned, it still depended on who he was being compared to. In reality, his physique was much stronger compared to ordinary people.


    Therefore, once he sat down, he occupied more space than a normal person.


    This caused the female officer to raise her legs slightly and place them against Chen Yiming¡¯s legs. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sit down.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The female officer waved her hand and closed the door. She said to the soldier driving, ¡°We can set off now.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    He had openly taken advantage of her. Since the other party did not care, he would sit as comfortably as possible.


    ¡­


    The military vehicles drove along the streets of Chengdu City.


    Although both were provincial cities, the number of people in Chengdu city was clearly not on the same level as in Jiangnan City.


    From some of the recruitment billboards, it could be seen that the standard requirements for ordinary martial arts training centers were a few levels lower. This represented the difference in quality of martial arts between the two provincial cities.


    ¡°Why did so many people turn to look at us when we got off the plane?¡±


    Chen Yiming was puzzled, so he turned to ask the female officer.


    The female officer paused for a moment. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because there¡¯s a symbol from Jiangnan province printed on the plane.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about that symbol?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    This situation was not normal. There was no grand reception prepared beforehand.


    Of course, before he boarded the plane, he had specially instructed Wang Ronghui not to do anything troublesome and let him keep a low profile.


    The female officer looked embarrassed and said awkwardly, ¡°In secret, people in Chuan province rarely call it Jiangnan province anymore. Instead, they call it the ¡®elite region¡¯.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming understood why the female officer was feeling awkward.


    The term ¡®elite region¡¯ clearly separated Jiangnan province from the other provinces of the Daxia Kingdom. It was also related to his suggestion to block the border of the province.


    Compared to Jiangnan province, Chuan province was much closer to one of the martial masters. It was also the frontline of the no man¡¯s land in the southwest, so it originally had a higher status.


    This huge fall in its status had happened in just a year. No wonder she didn¡¯t want to tell Chen Yiming about it.


    After that, the people in the military vehicle fell silent. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything, and the female officer was the same.


    When they passed by a fruit shop,


    Chen Yiming suddenly realized that the others would usually bring a gift. It wouldn¡¯t be good for him to visit the severely injured Elder Zhang empty-handed.


    Therefore, he called for the soldier to stop the car.


    He opened the door and got out of the car, then went to the fruit shop to buy a box of fruits and had them wrapped up as a gift.


    ¡­


    The military vehicle drove for nearly half an hour and finally arrived at a villa.


    The security around the villa was very high. Even the soldiers standing guard were not weak. They were all warriors.


    The door to the villa was wide open, and there were many people who had come to visit. There were people in military uniforms, plain clothes, and training robes.


    The female officer led Chen Yiming to the entrance to register.


    Many people stood up when they saw Chen Yiming enter the hall. The noisy hall suddenly fell silent.


    Zheng Hong came over to welcome him and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re too polite. We¡¯re already very relieved to have you come. You didn¡¯t have to bring a gift.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can¡¯t possibly come empty-handed, right?¡±


    Chen Yiming said casually as he handed over the fruits.


    When the mediation team was established, Zheng Hong was the representative sent by the martial master, Elder Zhang.


    Now, he was in charge of taking care of everything. Clearly, Zheng Hong had the highest status among his peers, and he was also the person Elder Zhang favored the most.


    At this moment, Zheng Hong waved at the corner of the hall and shouted, ¡°Qingqing.¡±


    A young, beautiful, long-legged girl immediately walked over quickly and took the fruits from Zheng Hong.


    Zheng Hong introduced her to Chen Yiming. ¡°This is Elder Zhang¡¯s youngest granddaughter, Zhang Qingqing.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Chen!¡±


    Zhang Qingqing greeted him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Uncle Chen?


    I¡¯m not that much older than you!


    Do you know how many people worship me? Shouldn¡¯t I be your idol?


    A middle-aged woman in the crowd also had a change in expression and glared fiercely at Zhang Qingqing.


    Zheng Hong looked embarrassed and quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. It was a slip of the tongue.¡±


    Chen Yiming waved his hand.


    Naturally, he would not hold it against a little girl. That would be too ungentlemanly.

 Chapter 335 - Sword, Come

    The episode of being called ¡°uncle¡± by a young girl quickly passed.


    The beautiful woman¡¯s expression changed as she circled the hall to avoid Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze.


    Zhang Qingqing took the box of fruits and walked back to the corner where she came from. The beautiful woman pulled her out of the hall. From the expression on her face, she would definitely be reprimanded.


    Zheng Hong led Chen Yiming to a room deep in the villa. All the people who had come to visit Elder Zhang followed behind.


    ¡°A sentry soldier died mysteriously. Elder Zhang received the news and went to investigate, then he was suddenly attacked by a black stream of light. At that time, he could still suppress his injuries, but not long after he returned, he fell unconscious.¡±


    During the short journey, Zheng Hong briefly explained how Elder Zhang got severely injured.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened when he heard this.


    To a country, a martial master was equivalent to a nuclear bomb. Their position was of strategic importance.


    For example, after Rover died in the Daxia Kingdom, whether it was working together as an alliance or making a joint statement, it was all just for show.


    Chen Yiming had been at home the entire time, but no one had really come to ask for an explanation.


    So what if their nation was the beacon of humanity? When one was weaker than others, they would still be forced to lower their heads. This was the deterrence brought about by the martial masters.


    At this moment, the Daxia Kingdom was also facing the loss of a martial master.


    ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    As soon as he entered, an old man in a white coat put down the equipment in his hand and looked up.


    Zheng Hong stepped forward and explained in a low voice. The old man nodded and got the medical team to make way. The figure of an old man appeared in front of them.


    Elder Zhang lay quietly on the bed, not moving at all. His face was ashen, and he revealed a pained expression from time to time.


    At the moment, his entire body was as thin as a skeleton. The skin on his hand from which was receiving an infusion had dried up, and the blood vessels underneath were clearly visible. It could be said that his blood essence had been severely depleted.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. His invisible spiritual power swept across Elder Zhang¡¯s entire body, and he instantly discovered the culprit that caused the martial master to appear in this state.


    There were fragments of mysterious symbols embedded in his flesh and blood, as well as scattered throughout his spiritual world.


    At this moment, Elder Zhang¡¯s body was like a battlefield. The fragments were like a virus, constantly attacking various parts of his body as well as his consciousness in his spiritual world.


    What was terrifying was that the fragments, which were foreign objects removed from their source, could actually forcefully convert the surrounding blood essence energy for its own use and was not weakened at all.


    The spiritual world was even more dangerous. Elder Zhang¡¯s spiritual body was forced to dodge continuously.


    This was even more vicious than a curse.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming tried to use his powerful spiritual power to wrap around a fragment in the elder¡¯s flesh, trying to drag it out of Elder Zhang¡¯s body.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A thunderous explosion rang out.


    Elder Zhang¡¯s entire body spasmed and his body bounced up and down. He spat out a mouthful of blood towards the ceiling.


    At the same time, in the microscopic world that could not be seen with the naked eye, the fragment exploded and the spiritual seal on it broke.


    However, it did not dissipate because of this. Instead, it turned into many more smaller fragments that remained in the flesh and continued to attack the surrounding cells. It did not seem to be weakened.


    In the outside world,


    Elder Zhang¡¯s family, old and young, rushed over in tears and surrounded the bed.


    For a moment, a heavy sense of grief surrounded the room. The others who had come to visit Elder Zhang also felt extremely uncomfortable.


    In everyone¡¯s opinion, since even Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t save Elder Zhang, he could only wait for death.


    Zheng Hong¡¯s eyes were red and his body was trembling. He looked at Chen Yiming and hesitated.


    Chen Yiming explained helplessly, ¡°The black light that ambushed Elder Zhang probably turned into a large number of mysterious symbols that currently exist as fragments in his body and mind. That was an attack at the level of the inscription realm.


    Earlier, I tried to forcefully take out a fragment, but it seemed to be programmed to self-destruct in response.¡±


    Chen Yiming had two powerful talents. If he was facing the black light attack, it would not be a problem for him to be hit by it.


    Firstly, in terms of endurance, he was absolutely confident that he could wear his opponent down to death.


    Secondly, he could rely on his regenerative ability to directly get rid of the affected parts.


    However, Elder Zhang clearly did not have such conditions.


    Zheng Hong¡¯s face was ashen as he sobbed. ¡°Is there no way to save him?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the others held their breaths.


    At that moment, they imagined a scene of a martial master being sucked dry and tortured to death.


    They could not accept such a tragedy.


    Elder Zhang was a martial master. For decades, he had held up a barrier for several provinces in the south of the Daxia Kingdom. He was equivalent to the guardian of the south.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. I have an idea. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m afraid Elder Zhang¡¯s body won¡¯t be able to take it,¡± Chen Yiming quickly said.


    The idea he was talking about was to summon the spiritual figure and use the Sword Aura to attack all the fragments of the mysterious symbols at the same time.


    Of course, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t specialize in medicine, and he wasn¡¯t confident that Elder Zhang, who was already severely injured and on the verge of death, would be able to survive an attack from someone at the level of the inscription realm.


    If he died on the spot and Chen Yiming did not explain things clearly in advance, it would be troublesome if Elder Zhang¡¯s family misunderstood his intentions.


    Zheng Hong¡¯s face turned red when he heard this. He asked in a trembling voice, ¡°How confident are you in this method?¡±


    Chen Yiming shook his head and said truthfully, ¡°I can¡¯t give you an answer. It all depends on whether Elder Zhang can withstand it himself. After all, this is a battle at the level of the inscription realm. Elder Zhang is too weak!¡±


    A martial master was said to be too weak.


    This might be the first time someone said this on the blue planet.


    The others looked at each other, not knowing what to say. At the same time, they secretly noted down the ¡®inscription realm¡¯ that Chen Yiming had mentioned.


    From his words, it was clear that Chen Yiming had already surpassed the master realm.


    This news was even more shocking than Elder Zhang being severely injured and on the verge of death.


    ¡­


    One step led to life, and one step led to death.


    Whether they chose to use a safe method of treatment and place their hopes on Elder Zhang himself to deal with it, or to risk it all, the three generations of the Zhang family would need to discuss it before making a decision.


    That night, Chen Yiming stayed in another villa under the arrangements of the higher-ups in Chengdu City.


    The clouds in the sky were sparse, and the sky was filled with bright stars. The white moonlight shone down on the ground.


    Chen Yiming stood in the courtyard and looked up at the starry night sky.


    At this moment, he was thinking about what the female spirit had said about escaping into outer space before the black tide arrived.


    The female spirit imprisoned by the mysterious ring was clearly afraid of being affected by the black tide, so she took the initiative to communicate with him.


    On the other hand, he had tested the power of the female spirit. She was definitely not just at the inscription realm. She was at an even higher level compared to the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    However, Chen Yiming had the special abilities from the martial arts talent system. He believed that with enough time, he wouldn¡¯t need to be afraid of the black tide. He might even be able to destroy it with a wave of his hand one day.


    Now he just needed more time to cultivate, and the crucial question was when the black tide would arrive.


    Would it travel through the space-travel passage from the otherworld? Or would it arrive from outer space? Or should it appear in a completely unexpected manner?


    Just as Chen Yiming was worrying about the black tide, Zheng Hong came looking for him.


    ¡°Has the Zhang family decided?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°The second and third generation of the Zhang family basically agreed to risk it all. Now, it¡¯s just Madam Zhang who doesn¡¯t agree. She insists that the suggested method will undoubtedly kill Elder Zhang on the spot.¡±


    Zheng Hong apologized and smiled bitterly.


    Chen Yiming nodded. He could understand Madam Zhang¡¯s decision.


    This was the truth. Sword techniques were not meant for treating others at all. They focused on killing decisively and destroying everything.


    It might be fine if they were at the same level, since the chances of Elder Zhang being able to withstand such an attack would be quite high. However, Chen Yiming had made it clear beforehand that this was a battle at a higher level.


    The Zhang family probably thought about how it was said that the country¡¯s martial master, Rover, had been beaten to a pulp.


    They probably also thought about how Chen Yiming had single-handedly resolved the war between the treants that had escalated to involve the entire country. How could they not sense the difference between the master realm and the inscription realm?


    It was not much different from a martial master bullying the warriors below him.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zheng Hong told Chen Yiming in detail about the situation in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest after Elder Zhang was severely injured.


    The no man¡¯s land in the southwest included the southwest border of the Daxia Kingdom and a vast area beyond the territory of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Many years ago, an earthquake that affected several provinces in the southwest of the Daxia Kingdom caused a huge crack in the middle of the no man¡¯s land.


    According to the records, it was dozens of kilometers long, but there were no records of its depth.


    After that, a space-travel passage appeared in the depths of the huge crack. On the other side of the space-travel passage was a large body of water.


    Therefore, a large lake suddenly appeared out of thin air in the no man¡¯s land where there was usually little rainfall.


    Under normal circumstances, this large lake would definitely become a gathering place for mutant beasts and lead to the threat of a beast tide in the southwest of the Daxia Kingdom.


    However, an otherworld creature that was equivalent to a martial master lived in the water on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    From the moment the large lake appeared until now, there were not many living creatures in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest area.


    The reason was that the alien creature had a special sense of smell. It often left the large lake and went ashore to hunt. Furthermore, it had a large range of movement and did not care about the size of the food or what it ate.


    Over time, the plains that were originally a paradise for mutant beasts was given a new name, the ¡®No Man¡¯s Land in the Southwest¡¯.


    After Chen Yiming heard this, he linked it to the fact that Elder Zhang was investigating the strange death of the sentry soldier who had been ambushed by a black light.


    The black light might be related to the black tide, but where did it come from?


    Was it from the space-travel passage in the strange mountain village? Or did it come from the large lake in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest?


    Or could it be that something was wrong with the alien creature?


    There were still no clues to this mystery.


    Chen Yiming chatted with Zheng Hong for a while more. He learned that after Elder Zhang was injured, no one had the ability to investigate if something had happened with the alien creature.


    There was no movement from the large lake for the time being.


    He sighed and rubbed his swollen temples. After resolving the problem of Elder Zhang¡¯s treatment, he decided to make a trip there himself.


    ¡­


    A night where countless people were unable to sleep passed, and the sun rose again.


    Early in the morning, Chen Yiming communicated with the figure in his mind and arranged for it to bring Chen Yingying, who was still training in the otherworld, back to East Lake City.


    Zheng Hong came knocking on his door with thick dark circles under his eyes, bringing with him bad news: The light in Elder Zhang¡¯s eyes were disappearing, and the blood in his body was showing signs of drying up.


    It was obvious what this meant.


    Elder Zhang had lost to the mysterious symbols. This was equivalent to a crushing defeat. The speed at which his injuries worsened was far beyond imagination, and he could die at any moment.


    A few minutes later.


    When Chen Yiming stepped into the room, he saw the Zhang family crying by the bed.


    The others who had come to visit Elder Zhang yesterday also arrived one after another. When everyone saw Elder Zhang¡¯s current appearance, it looked as though he had reached the end of his life.


    His injuries had unexpectedly worsened, and almost no one had any hope of him recovering.


    Madam Zhang sat alone in a chair with a blank expression, but no one blamed her.


    After all, the mysterious symbols and inscriptions realm were just a vague concept to all of them except Chen Yiming.


    Some people even compared the master realm and the inscription realm to the different levels of control one had over one¡¯s internal force in the warrior realm. They did not know how internal force could be compared to the power of nature.


    It was just like a cub that had just learned how to walk and an eagle that was already soaring in the sky.


    The cub could look up and see the sky, but crawling and running were completely different, let alone flying.


    The second and third generation of the Zhang family had already cried until their voices were almost completely hoarse.


    Zheng Hong said to Chen Yiming in a low voice, ¡°The Zhang family has already made a last-ditch effort and agreed to the suggested treatment from yesterday.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    Before he entered the room, he used his spiritual power to check on Elder Zhang¡¯s condition.


    At this moment, the cause of his injuries worsening was mostly because of his spiritual world. Elder Zhang¡¯s spiritual body was no longer complete, and the success rate of dodging attacks was getting lower and lower. He could collapse at any moment.


    When the others heard this, their hearts felt like they were being squeezed by a huge hand.


    Elder Zhang¡¯s injuries had already worsened to this extent. Were they still going to use a treatment method similar to fighting poison with poison? How could Elder Zhang¡¯s body withstand this?


    They might as well try to wake Elder Zhang up and see if there were any last words from him.


    Of course, no one dared to say this out loud. They could only think it in their hearts.


    In the blink of an eye, while everyone was still grieving, ¡°Sword, come!¡± Chen Yiming called out.


    Immediately after, thunder rumbled in the sky in the direction of Jiangnan province.


    The air suddenly became heavy, and it seemed as if every single breath required more force than usual.


    At this moment, everyone in the room came back to their senses and looked at the sky outside the door.


    In the distance, the clouds were forcefully pushed aside. The overwhelming aura blocked out the view of the land, and its range was similar to that of a typhoon.


    Not long after, a blinding flash of light appeared.


    In the next moment, a sword descended from the sky and landed in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    On the surface, densely packed mysterious symbols were engraved on the sword. There was no pattern to them, and no one could decipher them.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered with the dumbfounded crowd.


    He pretended that he was controlling the sword, then stabbed at Elder Zhang, who was on the bed.


    The sword tore through the air. The moment before it stabbed Elder Zhang, it turned into countless small swords that were much thinner than needles. They hit all the fragments of the mysterious symbols in Elder Zhang¡¯s body almost simultaneously.


    At this moment, Elder Zhang¡¯s body was filled with extremely thin lights from head to toe. It was a little like acupuncture, but the number of small swords was far greater than dozens of silver needles.

 Chapter 336 - Discovery During the Investigation

    ¡°Is this a kind of treatment? ¡­Directly attacking it?¡±


    ¡°No preparations are needed? But isn¡¯t this too rash!¡±


    Everyone in the room had just returned to their senses after hearing the word ¡®sword¡¯, and they were all shocked by this fierce attack.


    It was no wonder that others doubted it. Anyone who saw it with their own eyes would feel that it was an unreliable method, even Chen Yiming himself.


    This was similar to chemotherapy in cancer. This method forcefully destroyed the fragments of the mysterious symbols in the body. A healthy Elder Zhang might be able to withstand the rough treatment, but now, his pupils were starting to dilate.


    However, Chen Yiming believed that since he was facing an opponent at the same level, with the enhancement from the spiritual figure¡¯s swordsmanship talent, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to instantly destroy all the fragments.


    The problem was how to avoid affecting Elder Zhang as much as possible.


    At this moment, a scene had already appeared in some people¡¯s minds. Two forces at the level of the inscription realm were fighting in Elder Zhang¡¯s body, and then with a bang, Elder Zhang¡¯s body would be blown to pieces.


    The old doctor and his medical team were forced to move aside. Their temples were about to cramp up. This was completely against the normal rules of medicine.


    If Zheng Hong had not instructed him beforehand, he would have gone up to scold Chen Yiming.


    Under the gazes of many people who were not confident in the method, the thin needles that filled Elder Zhang¡¯s body grew brighter, then disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The sword returned to Chen Yiming¡¯s hand in a stream of light.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power had entered Elder Zhang¡¯s body and destroyed all the fragments of the mysterious symbols. The only uncertain factor was the incomplete spiritual body left in his spiritual world.


    ¡°Is Elder Zhang alright?¡± Zheng Hong asked in a low voice.


    The members of the Zhang family also looked at Chen Yiming, waiting for an answer.


    Chen Yiming retracted his spiritual power and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve achieved what I set out to do. The rest will depend on Elder Zhang¡¯s recovery ability.¡±


    ¡­


    Not long after, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Elder Zhang opened his eyes and sat up on the bed.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    His materialized spiritual power was indeed no longer as weak as before. Since his spiritual body was incomplete, he was definitely still affected, but at least it would not be a problem for him to wake up.


    Everyone from the Zhang family rushed forward and surrounded the bed, crying.


    The others were in a similar situation. They had their doubts, but they all hoped that Elder Zhang would pull through.


    After everyone calmed down, Elder Zhang expressed his gratitude to Chen Yiming.


    At the same time, he revealed a piece of bad news:


    The black light that had launched the attack came from the body of a soldier on patrol.


    Possession?


    Chen Yiming thought of this possibility.


    This seemed to be a little troublesome. In his memory, the ghosts born from the 10,000-meter-long corpse did not have much intelligence.


    However, since it could cause a martial master to be unable to react in time, he could no longer use his previous impression of the ghosts as a gauge.


    Zheng Hong immediately brought Chen Yiming to look for the soldier that Elder Zhang had mentioned.


    ¡­


    Before long, the two of them arrived at the sentry post at the border.


    It was called a sentry post, but it was actually a small military camp. The soldiers there were responsible for monitoring the movements in the surrounding 10 kilometers.


    At this moment, the lights in the sentry post were on, but it was strangely silent. Even from a distance, the two of them could sense that there was no sign of a living person inside.


    ¡°Something has happened!¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    The sentries had to report the situation to the command center in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest every once in a while. It was impossible for it to have gone unnoticed for a long time.


    And he had just destroyed the fragments of mysterious symbols in Elder Zhang¡¯s body.


    The two of them stopped at the entrance of the sentry post. Zheng Hong took out his communication device and contacted the command center. He learned that the sentry post had just reported the situation an hour ago.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened.


    This unknown enemy had clearly found out that the fragments of the mysterious symbols had been completely destroyed and left in advance. However, both he and the spiritual figure had not noticed it.


    Soon, the two of them entered the camp to check on the situation.


    As soon as he entered, two black lights shot over from both sides.


    Zheng Hong¡¯s entire body stiffened. At the moment he sensed the black light, his physical and spiritual reflexes seemed to have become much slower.


    A bone-piercing chill not only froze his flesh, but also affected the spiritual body in his spiritual world, infinitely magnifying the fear in his heart.


    It had to be known that he was not an ordinary person, but a half-step away from the master realm. There were less than 100 people in the entire Daxia Kingdom who had reached this level.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t dare to be careless. He held the sword formed by the sword spirit in his hand and slashed out in a circle.


    A circle of white light quickly expanded and collided with the incoming black light. Two forces, one black and one white, were instantly reflected off the clouds.


    The scene was similar to the intersection of the currents in the sea. The coldness and heat were separated by an invisible line.


    In the next moment, the scene in the sky collapsed.


    A dazzling white light blossomed, and the black patch that had turned half the sky from day into night quickly melted away, as if ice had encountered a scorching sun.


    On the ground, the entire sentry post was completely razed to the ground, raising a large cloud of dust.


    ¡­


    A few minutes later, everything returned to normal.


    Chen Yiming and Zheng Hong, who was still a little stiff, found two incomplete drawings in the ruins of the sentry post.


    These drawings were the source of the two streams of black light, and were originally carved into the stone wall.


    One of them was a monster with a goat head, its eyes blood-red and filled with madness. The other was a monster that looked like a bat. There were purple patterns on its body, and one¡¯s consciousness seemed to be pulled in from the first glance.


    ¡°A drawing made from mysterious symbols?¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the two drawings and communicated with the sword spirit in his hand.


    The figure in his mind: It¡¯s a combination of mysterious symbols unrelated to swordsmanship. Without the relevant knowledge, it is impossible to analyze it fully.


    At the same time, the spiritual figure sent over a new cultivation technique.


    The new technique used some of the mysterious symbols in the drawings as the foundation and used a power similar to the black light adapted for swordsmanship. Its attributes tended towards coldness, darkness, curses, and illusions.


    However, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need to rely on this to become stronger. Instead of learning about the mysterious symbols, he was better off accumulating more Skill Points to increase his talent.


    This technique could only be used to expand his knowledge about the mysterious symbols.


    Zheng Hong asked, ¡°What should we do with these two drawings?¡±


    His words were filled with panic.


    He had looked at the drawings of the goat-headed monster and the bat monster one after another. He suddenly found himself in a mountain of corpses in a sea of blood. His consciousness seemed to be showing signs of breaking down.


    Fortunately, since the drawings were incomplete, they did not seem to be able to be fully activated. This allowed Zheng Hong to forcefully break free.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze.


    He had seen Zheng Hong¡¯s abnormal situation earlier. The reason why he had allowed himself to be affected by the drawings was because he wanted to test how much resistance he could put up at half a step away from the master realm.


    His experiment proved that if it was a complete drawing, there was a high chance that he would fall under its control once he glanced at it.


    Even if it was incomplete, and it would not be a problem to take a look or two at it, it still could not be used for research.


    In the end, Chen Yiming destroyed the two incomplete drawings with one strike.


    Other than him, it was best not to let anyone else look upon it. He did not want to leave any hidden dangers behind.


    Other than the two drawings, they could not find any other clues. The other party seemed to have left behind just a trap and moved far away.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    During this time, Chen Yiming went to the large lake. The alien creature that was at the level of a martial master had disappeared.


    He entered the space-travel passage at the bottom of the lake. On the other side was a large body of water, but it was similar to the ocean on the blue planet.


    Furthermore, the environment was harsh, and there were often terrifying thunderstorms. The strength of the wind far exceeded any records on the blue planet.


    Since there was no end in sight, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t go too far. At the same time, he didn¡¯t find any traces of the otherworld creature.


    On a sunny afternoon, in the small courtyard of the villa, Chen Yiming chatted for a while with Elder Zhang, who was sitting in a wheelchair. He knew that the elder¡¯s injuries could be completely healed, but he needed time to recover, so he left.


    Some time after the conversation in the courtyard had ended, Zhang Qingqing came out of the house.


    She walked forward and helped push the wheelchair along the stone path.


    On the way, Elder Zhang suddenly said, ¡°I heard from your mother that you addressed him as ¡®uncle¡¯ the other day.¡±


    Zhang Qingqing looked embarrassed and explained softly, ¡°Uncle Zheng suddenly called me over. There were so many people in the hall at that time, I was confused.¡±


    Elder Zhang sighed and said, ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Zhang Qingqing pouted. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll just stay by Grandpa¡¯s side.¡±


    Elder Zhang could not do anything about it and did not ask any more questions.


    The members of the Zhang family from his children¡¯s generation were trying to set things up for the sake of the clan. There was no right or wrong to it.


    However, due to her background, Zhang Qingqing was used to having her way. It was clearly not suitable for her to be forced into something.


    However, even Elder Zhang was powerless to deal with the problem facing the no man¡¯s land in the southwest. Therefore, he had to plan ahead.


    He had planned to send a portion of the Zhang family to Jiangnan province. However, after the incident with Zhang Qingqing, he was too ashamed to ask Chen Yiming to take care of this matter.


    ¡­


    After leaving the villa, Chen Yiming walked casually along the streets of Chengdu City.


    Elder Zhang¡¯s serious injuries had not been publicized, but the military¡¯s actions would not stop because of this. Chengdu City had entered a state similar to wartime.


    Teams of soldiers walked onto the streets. Not only were they patrolling, but they were also checking every household and every corner of the city.


    These soldiers had all undergone special training. They moved in groups of three. One was in charge of checking, one was in charge of observing the situation, and one was in charge of supervising the other two.


    In short, they worked together according to their assigned roles.


    Once they discovered that something was amiss, the group would not investigate any further. Instead, they would report it to the captain to prevent everyone in the group from being affected.


    At some point, the phone rang.


    Feng Wuji¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line.


    He had called Feng Wuji over not because he was short on manpower, but because he wanted to try and see if he could turn the situation around with his crystal shadow talent.


    There was a fundamental difference between the crystal meditation technique and the crystal shadow talent it was derived from.


    As Feng Wuji progressed in his cultivation, there was still room for improvement of his crystal shadow talent in the future, especially when Feng Wuji broke through to the master realm.


    As for the crystal meditation technique, there was nothing else to refer to, and the upper limit was already fixed. It worked on the level of internal force, and was too weak against the power of nature.


    For example, Zheng Hong had mastered the crystal meditation technique. When faced with the two drawings and the mysterious symbols, the crystal meditation technique could be said to be useless.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming and Feng Wuji met at the airport.


    Chen Yiming led Feng Wuji to the flattened sentry post. Along the way, he briefly explained the mysterious symbols.


    When Feng Wuji heard this, not only was he not afraid, but he felt excited instead.


    On the path of martial arts, if one did not have a strong enough foundation, they still had to fight for their only chance.


    He had already reached a bottleneck, but what was the limit of his crystal shadow talent?


    If he encountered a suitable opponent, such as one with a natural power that was completely at odds with his power of purification, he might be able to complete a qualitative change in one go.


    ¡­


    At the flattened sentry post, ¡°Give it a try first.¡± Chen Yiming pointed out the location to Feng Wuji.


    Feng Wuji nodded and went to the spot where the destroyed drawing was.


    He pressed his palms together, and a glint flashed across his eyes. Immediately, a crystal shadow appeared behind his head.


    Compared to the crystal created by the crystal meditation technique, the crystal shadow talent undoubtedly had a trace of spirituality. This trace of spirituality brought about a dynamic nature, and it was not just an inanimate object.


    Then, streams of purification power slowly spread out from the crystal shadow in all four directions.


    Time quickly passed by.


    After nearly half an hour had passed, suddenly, something strange happened.


    Chen Yiming keenly sensed a trace of malice surging up from the ground.


    He quickly retreated a large distance and restrained his aura, afraid that he would scare the other party away.


    Feng Wuji understood his intentions. While maintaining the crystal shadow, he focused his attention on his feet.


    Chen Yiming had discussed it with him beforehand. Unless he was definitely going to die, he would have to rely on himself to resolve the problem.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    Dozens of shadow tentacles suddenly appeared from the ground, sealing off almost all of Feng Wuji¡¯s escape routes.


    Chen Yiming could only observe it with his naked eye.


    The shadow tentacles were almost made of pure energy. There were no mysterious symbols on them, but some strange marks with a trace of the mysterious symbols.


    He thought to himself, ¡°To deal with the black tide, it seems that I have to think of a way to trick the female spirit.¡±


    In the face of the black tide, the martial arts level on the blue planet seemed to be even weaker than that of a baby. At this moment, it was definitely only at the probing stage, and the other party had already displayed an unpredictable side.


    If Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t wrong, the strange marks on the shadow tentacles were a form that resonated with the power of nature.


    By mastering these marks, one could achieve a resonance with the power of nature. The mark was a simplified version of the mysterious symbols. Then, by mastering the mysterious symbols, one could break through to the inscription realm.


    This was a gradual path of improvement.


    As for the martial arts of the humans on the blue planet, be it the marks or the mysterious symbols, they lacked the corresponding cultivation techniques. It could even be said that they drew a complete blank when it came to these. Breaking through depended purely on one¡¯s talent and luck.


    As for Chen Yiming, he relied on the talent system.


    With such a method, one could naturally control the corresponding power when they broke through to the next level.


    The only flaw was that he himself could not explain how he could master the corresponding power of nature. Naturally, he could not teach it to others.


    On the battlefield, Feng Wuji was fighting the shadow tentacles.


    For Feng Wuji to be able to advance so quickly from someone who had just obtained internal force to someone who was half a step away from the master realm, the crystal shadow talent naturally had its own advantageous points.


    For the time being, with the help of an invisible force, Feng Wuji was only at a slight disadvantage.

 Chapter 337 - Old Wang and the Widow

    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A shadow tentacle pierced through an illusory human figure. Facing such an enemy, Feng Wuji¡¯s perception seemed to have increased by a level.


    Behind him, a huge rock and the grass were pierced through, creating a deep hole.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes when he saw the deep hole in the distance.


    Around the deep hole, the large patch of grass had turned grayish-white, revealing signs of its vitality being depleted.


    ¡°The life force in the grass has been sucked dry?¡±


    ¡°Elder Zhang was almost sucked dry by the fragments of mysterious symbols.¡±


    ¡°Inside the 10,000-meter-long corpse, I saw blood that had turned black.¡±


    Putting the clues together one after another, Chen Yiming seemed to have grasped the opponent¡¯s goal.


    Blood essence and spiritual power might be the food for the other party to strengthen its body. Or rather, the life force contained in living creatures was what caused the black tide.


    The martial master, Elder Zhang, had sufficient blood essence and spiritual power, which satisfied this hypothesis.


    The soldiers in charge of monitoring the sentry posts in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest were not ordinary soldiers. Instead, they were made up of military martial arts experts. Without a doubt, each of them had a strong life force.


    There was no need to mention the 10,000-meter-long corpse. Its life force was unimaginably strong, and it was a powerful creature of a higher level.


    Just as Chen Yiming was secretly summarizing the information about the black tide, the balance of the battle was suddenly broken. It wasn¡¯t the shadow tentacles that had unleashed a stronger ability, but Feng Wuji.


    Facing an opponent with opposing attributes and whose strength did not exceed the level he could withstand, his crystal shadow talent suddenly seemed to be enhanced.


    More complicated lines and structures emerged, creating a stronger purifying power.


    In fact, it even seemed to be imitating the marks that appeared on the shadow tentacles and creating marks with the opposing effect.


    This was the potential of one¡¯s talent. A suitable opponent would be able to cause one to surpass their limits in a battle.


    This was indeed reflected in the battle between Feng Wuji and the shadow tentacles.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Feng Wuji roared angrily and slashed at the shadow tentacles that were stabbing at him.


    The range of the attack was not large, not even a meter, but the power of purification within this range had become stronger and denser. This was an attack that sacrificed range to maximize its power.


    The shadow tentacles that had the upper hand earlier were cut in half by the sword, and a scream rang out from the cut.


    The severed shadow tentacle had lost its power and was turned into a black gas by the purification power, disappearing into the air.


    ¡°Pay attention to what is underground. The opponent is about to escape!¡±


    Chen Yiming reminded him from afar. He still restrained his aura to prevent the other party from sending a message over an unknown distance to report his investigative actions.


    Of course, this was only his guess. If the other party could preempt his next move, it meant that his guess was wrong. That would make things even more troublesome.


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang.


    A huge hole appeared in the ground, and an unstructured ball of shadow energy rushed out.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes took in the scene that flashed past amidst the flow of shadow energy.


    The soldiers at the sentry post were still in their military uniforms, which were all still intact. They were sleeping quietly inside the ball of shadow energy, each with a black tube inserted between their eyebrows.


    This was too surprising. Chen Yiming had thought that the soldiers at the sentry post would be sucked dry when faced with the same situation as Elder Zhang.


    Feng Wuji was standing in front of the ball of shadow energy and was completely dumbfounded.


    From the situation, the other party was performing some unknown evil act on the captured humans.


    Feeling an endless amount of anger, Feng Wuji could not stay his hand. He slashed out with his sword again and again, and the power of purification hit the shadow energy, creating a sizzling sound with each move.


    The shadow energy was immediately held back and could only counterattack.


    However, it did not seem to be a combat type to begin with. The shadow energy did not display much of its ability. Instead, it was forced to retreat after finding itself at a disadvantage.


    After another 10 minutes of fighting, suddenly, the shadow energy exploded and melted under the power of purification.


    Feng Wuji stopped immediately, but shockingly, the shadow energy did not leave any traces behind and completely disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself too much,¡± Chen Yiming said as he walked over. Feng Wuji looked very apologetic.


    At the spot where the shadow energy had dissipated, 11 soldiers were lying on the ground. Their eyes were tightly shut and their breathing was steady, indicating that each of them was still alive.


    However, the black tubes between their eyebrows were no longer there. It was unknown if they had dissipated or if they had hidden themselves by some unknown method.


    Chen Yiming started to use his spiritual power to randomly check one of the soldiers.


    Soon, he discovered that a hole had appeared in the wall of the soldier¡¯s spiritual world. The hole was filled in by a layer of shadow energy.


    If one¡¯s spiritual power had yet to transform to the point where it could materialize and was exposed to the power of nature, it would dissipate in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Was it left behind by the black tube?¡±


    Chen Yiming took in everything in front of him and didn¡¯t dare to rashly deal with the shadow energy.


    Then, through the wall of the spiritual world, he vaguely saw that half of the soldier¡¯s spiritual body was pitch-black and was taken over by the shadow energy.


    At the moment, the soldier¡¯s spiritual body had subconsciously shaken off the shadow energy. However, the two sides seemed to have reached some kind of balance only for the time being. The shadow energy was stuck to it like sticky candy.


    Chen Yiming retracted his spiritual power and started to check the other soldiers.


    A few minutes later, the inspection ended.


    The situation of the 11 soldiers was exactly the same. Exactly half of their spiritual bodies were taken over by the shadow energy.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn.


    Because he did not have much understanding of the black tide, as long as these soldiers were brought back, they would undoubtedly become hidden dangers.


    However, faced with a rare opportunity to find out the truth about the black tide, it seemed that he could only take a risk with this hidden danger.


    ¡­


    In a research institute in Chengdu City, the 11 soldiers were brought over and placed in a laboratory.


    On the outer streets and in the nearby districts, all the civilians had been cleared out. Teams of soldiers guarded every corner of the area.


    The transfer of personnel was underway. If no incidents happened, for the time being, this research institute would be classified as a military restricted area and would enjoy the highest level of surveillance.


    Outside the laboratory building, Chen Yiming and Elder Zhang were not the only ones present. Elder Zhang¡¯s other capable subordinates, the many leaders of Chuan province, and the highest-ranking leaders of the southwestern provinces were also present.


    For both body and mind, the master realm enhanced the vitality attribute. Elder Zhang¡¯s body was quickly recovering.


    Although he had yet to recover enough to fight, his physical movements were fine, and he could already use his spiritual power slightly.


    At this moment, everyone was silent.


    Elder Zhang had been in charge of the no man¡¯s land in the southwest for many years, and his reputation had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. After personally checking the soldiers that were brought back, he had come to the same conclusion as Chen Yiming.


    If that was all, the leaders of Chuan province and the surrounding provinces could barely accept it while mourning the loss of the soldiers. After all, an existence that had surpassed the master realm had appeared in the Daxia Kingdom.


    With Jiangnan province as the center, the entire Daxia Kingdom was thriving. There was no need to worry too much about the invasion of the otherworld, or the other threats on the blue planet.


    However, this new problem caused everyone to be at a loss. For the first time, Chen Yiming chose to reveal a portion of the matter regarding the black tide.


    He emphasized that the ¡®black tide¡¯ came from outer space. There was also a high chance that the otherworld was a world that had been invaded by the black tide.


    The 10,000-meter-long corpse was a powerful creature from the otherworld when it was alive. It was possible that it used its own body to seal away something similar to the black tide. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t announce this for the time being.


    Firstly, he could not be sure if it was true. Secondly, if even such a powerful creature could not withstand the black tide, it was just going to destroy everyone¡¯s confidence on the spot.


    After all, while the black tide was testing the waters, Chen Yiming was also becoming stronger. It was even possible that he could continue to grow stronger as they fought.


    It was still too early to decide who would be the final victor, but the others did not know that he was cheating using the talent system.


    After everyone digested the shocking news that there was an existence known as the ¡®black tide¡¯, Chen Yiming suggested, ¡°Our opponents related to the black tide seem to be attracted by powerful blood essence.


    Feng Wuji¡¯s crystal shadow talent was not only extraordinarily perceptive towards it, but was also able to effectively restrain the enemy.


    We can set up a special investigation team and let Feng Wuji lead the way to investigate the enemy¡¯s whereabouts. We can try our best to gather more information about the black tide.¡±


    The leaders looked at each other and then at Elder Zhang.


    All along, the major events in the southern provinces of the Daxia Kingdom were actually decided by Elder Zhang.


    It was obvious what it meant to have Feng Wuji lead the investigation team.


    Elder Zhang agreed without hesitation.


    With the powerful threat of the ¡®black tide¡¯ and the fact that Chen Yiming had saved his life, his position and authority were only inconsequential matters.


    If they could not overcome this hurdle, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    After that, things were easily settled, and they only needed to discuss some details. The main thing was to start from within the city and find out which places were the priority for the investigation.


    ¡­


    Ever since Chen Yiming announced the threat of the black tide, the provinces in the southwest were the first to take action.


    Not only did they enter a state similar to wartime, but a small booklet was quickly distributed to every household. The government also took decisive action.


    They organized a large number of people to conduct regular assessments. Every household had to participate at the designated time, and those who did not pass would be gathered together to study.


    The content of the booklet was compiled based on the limited information that had been gathered about the ¡®black tide¡¯. It mainly taught people how to determine if there were any strange incidents happening around them.


    There was also information on how they should pretend not to notice anything was amiss and quickly report it to the higher ups.


    Time passed day by day.


    The investigation team led by Feng Wuji started to investigate the cities starting from Chengdu City, paying extra attention to the higher ups of the martial arts factions in the cities. They wanted to prevent any human martial arts experts from being controlled.


    Chen Yiming stayed in Chengdu City and no longer arranged for the spiritual figure to go to the otherworld. Instead, he kept it in Jiangnan province so that he could summon the sword spirit at any time.


    ¡­


    In the slaughterhouse in the east of Chengdu City.


    In order to standardize the process, even if it was a dead mutant beast, as long as it entered the city, it had to be registered at the slaughterhouse and cut up into pieces then brought away.


    There was a strong smell of blood in the air. The area around it was completely surrounded by soldiers, and all the staff were being questioned.


    ¡°I really told you everything. I didn¡¯t hide anything. I¡¯m just an ordinary butcher. You have to believe me,¡± a middle-aged man explained anxiously. His hands were cuffed and he was tied to a chair with special ropes. Beside him, several military martial arts experts were watching him at the same time.


    This time, it was not the investigation team who discovered the abnormality. Instead, the middle-aged man¡¯s colleague had discovered it. After it was reported, it immediately received a lot of attention, which was why soldiers had surrounded the slaughterhouse.


    Chen Yiming sized up the middle-aged man.


    He had already used his spiritual power to check several times, but he did not find any abnormalities in the middle-aged man¡¯s body or spiritual world.


    This was the reason why Feng Wuji couldn¡¯t make up his mind and needed Chen Yiming to come over.


    The report was that a middle-aged butcher, who originally only had a little martial arts foundation, had obtained extraordinary power overnight.


    If it was any other time, perhaps his colleagues at the slaughterhouse would be envious and curry favor with him. They would think that the middle-aged butcher had finally been rewarded after his years of hard work and somehow became a warrior through cutting up mutant beast corpses.


    But now, almost everyone could memorize the contents of the small booklet. Everyone wished they could stay far away from him, afraid that they would be implicated.


    ¡°Could it be testing the intensity of the humans¡¯ counterattack? Or is there another motive?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    All kinds of signs indicated that the current enemy behind the ¡®black tide¡¯ was definitely not something ordinary. Otherwise, it would not have been able to trick the humans.


    That¡¯s right, in reality, they were all being played with.


    The investigation team led by Feng Wuji had indeed discovered a few abnormal human experts, but that was all. The clues had ended there.


    How did the other party silently bewitch the human experts and make them willingly accept the intrusion of the shadow energy? Every person who was captured and questioned gave a different answer.


    Some people picked up an item that they thought was a treasure, some people mistakenly thought that they had an epiphany while practicing martial arts, and some people claimed that they were being taught cultivation techniques in their dreams¡­


    At the side, Feng Wuji was feeling extremely anxious. He wished he could light a cigarette to ease his anxiety.


    Chen Yiming had given him some pointers about the ¡®mark¡¯ that appeared on the shadow energy. Without any guidance, he had relied purely on his crystal shadow talent to find the key to resonating with the power of nature.


    As he led the investigation team, he wished he could fight with enemies like the shadow tentacles instead, improving his talent through battle.


    Unfortunately, not only did he not achieve anything substantial, but the enemy was also nowhere to be seen. He felt like he had wasted his effort.


    Suddenly, a middle-aged woman raised her hand, indicating that she had something to say.


    Soon, the middle-aged woman was brought to Chen Yiming. There was a complicated expression on her face, as if she knew of some unspeakable secret.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The middle-aged woman stammered, ¡°Um¡­ Old Wang¡­ He likes to collect the bones of mutant beasts and even likes to practice carving on them.


    But he¡¯s been practicing at home. Almost no one knows.¡±


    No one knew because he was practicing at home?


    However, the middle-aged woman knew.


    Since the two of them were only colleagues, it meant that¡­


    Old Wang¡¯s colleagues from the slaughterhouse looked over with complicated expressions.


    Good lord!


    This secret was kept well!


    He had actually taken her right under everyone¡¯s noses.


    The middle-aged woman was a widow, and there were many colleagues who were interested in her.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and remained serious.


    The middle-aged woman was willing to reveal her private matters to expose Old Wang¡¯s practice of carving the bones in his own home. Clearly, she had realized that something was amiss after reading the booklet.

 Chapter 338 - Beginning of Chaos

    On a small road near the slaughterhouse, Old Wang was forced to walk in front of the soldiers. The widow walked a few meters behind him, protected by the soldiers to prevent any accidents from happening to the witness.


    Chen Yiming was also with them. They quickly arrived at a small courtyard.


    This was Old Wang¡¯s residence. It occupied a large area and had five rooms. However, it looked a little dilapidated, as though it had been around for a long time. The walls were covered in vines.


    After everyone entered, the widow quickly led them to the storeroom.


    The storeroom was quite tidy. The tools and materials were sorted by categories, and some bedding was folded and stuffed into the corresponding containers.


    There was no alcohol in the middle-aged man¡¯s house, which was a rare situation.


    It was no wonder that among his colleagues at the slaughterhouse, only the widow, his secret lover, had noticed the source of the abnormalities in Old Wang.


    ¡°The two of them should have been quite close before, but Old Wang became a warrior overnight. This suddenly turned the two of them into people from two different worlds.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced around and figured out the reason why the widow had stood up to testify against Old Wang.


    The widow was also a pragmatic woman. She knew the difference in status between warriors and ordinary people, and she did not want to be involved in any strange incidents.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything! Even if there¡¯s a problem, I am totally uninvolved.¡±


    After entering the storeroom, Old Wang quickly explained with a nervous expression.


    Anyone who inexplicably became a warrior would feel like they had just risen from the clouds and fallen back to the ground. It was too uncomfortable, and it would have been better if they hadn¡¯t experienced it in the first place.


    No one cared about Old Wang¡¯s protests. They all focused their gazes on the widow.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    The widow understood and nodded.


    She took a few steps to a large multi-layered storage cabinet and opened every compartment. It was filled with Old Wang¡¯s sculptures.


    Chen Yiming took a quick glance. Old Wang¡¯s level in carving was only slightly better than that of a beginner, but he was still at the level of an amateur.


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely something wrong with this carving.¡±


    The widow took out a piece of work that was facing inwards and placed it on the ground so that everyone could see the front.


    It was a goat¡¯s head with two horns missing. The surface of the bone was engraved with complicated patterns, making it look full of life even though the two horns were missing.


    It was on a completely different level compared to the other sculptures.


    Clearly, this was a mythical creature from Old Wang¡¯s imagination that had been brought to life through his carving.


    ¡°This is a piece that I suddenly had an inspiration for last week. I definitely carved it myself, and didn¡¯t pick it up from somewhere.¡±


    Seeing that he could no longer hide his masterpiece, Old Wang quickly explained himself.


    The booklets issued by the government emphasized that the strange incidents often involved foreign objects and abnormalities in the human body.


    For the time being, there was no information regarding works of art like paintings, carvings, calligraphy, and so on.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow, and Feng Wuji was equally surprised.


    To the surrounding soldiers, they might have seen a masterpiece, but it was strange that it was created by someone at Old Wang¡¯s level.


    What the two of them saw was a mark similar to the one on the shadow tentacles.


    It was precisely the existence of these mysterious marks that seemed to have changed the original patterns, giving the goat head the feeling of a masterpiece.


    ¡°This is rather difficult to deal with. They can actually secretly use the unsuspecting humans to leave traces behind in the city,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The reason why they were exposed was most likely because the enemies related to the black tide had a limited understanding of humans.


    They did not know that if an ordinary person who only had a little foundation in martial arts suddenly reached the level of a warrior overnight, it was enough to attract unwanted attention.


    At the same time, a sense of urgency welled up in his heart.


    From the looks of it, the black tide was undoubtedly far stronger than human civilization.


    If the enemy figured out the situation among the humans, their methods would definitely be more secretive, and there would not be much time left for the humans to learn more about the black tide.


    Just as all eyes were focused on the goat¡¯s head, Feng Wuji took a step forward and stood in front of everyone to prevent the goat¡¯s head from sensing that something was amiss and suddenly attacking or killing everyone.


    As expected, it seemed to have triggered a trap.


    Two red lights suddenly flashed in the empty eyes of the goat head.


    The scene before their eyes flashed, and all of them suddenly found themselves in a world filled with red, except for the black soil under their feet.


    ¡°Is this one of the enemy¡¯s special abilities?¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up his surroundings.


    In reality, they were still in the storeroom. This was just an illusion, but other than him and Feng Wuji, everyone else was panicking.


    At this moment, both Old Wang and the widow fell to the ground. Their mouths were tightly shut and their bodies were trembling.


    Furthermore, Old Wang himself did not notice that the handcuffs and ropes on his body had already disappeared.


    Although the soldiers accompanying him also had panicked expressions on their faces, they were well-trained and immediately acted on their instincts.


    They formed teams of three and stood back to back in a defensive formation. Each of them monitored one direction to ensure that there were no blind spots in their line of sight.


    At this moment, a black vortex appeared out of thin air in the distance. It spun and expanded, and a goat walked out of it.


    The goat¡¯s body was wrapped in black chains, and its missing horns had grown back. Almost all the mysterious marks were focused on its horns, and it was staring at everyone with its red eyes.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The moment the goat appeared, Old Wang, the widow, and the soldiers sighed.


    Everyone seemed to have entered a meditative state. They lost their energy and interest in everything.


    Feng Wuji looked over and asked, ¡°Should we make a move now?¡±


    The crystal shadow talent had automatically activated, preventing the red light from invading his body. A small portion of the real world was revealed due to this. However, the people around him who were affected by the red light did not seem to be able to see any of this.


    Chen Yiming also noticed this.


    He realized that the most effective way to deal with this situation was to further optimize the crystal meditation technique and lower the threshold for its cultivation.


    At the very least, the power of purification could allow one to keep a clear mind. Only by doing so could one have a chance to put up a stronger resistance. Otherwise, everything would fall apart if one fell under the control of the black tide.


    Or perhaps the Daxia Kingdom could be forced into an era of warriors. After all, the power of purification was considered a supernatural power. If ordinary people could master it, they would no longer be considered ordinary people.


    Soon, Feng Wuji, who had received Chen Yiming¡¯s signal, took the lead and charged at the goat.


    The goat let out a roar, and black ripples spread out towards Feng Wuji, enveloping his entire body in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Under the enhancement of the crystal shadow, Feng Wuji was not affected by the black ripples at all.


    He forcefully broke through the obstruction and kicked the goat. In the real world, Feng Wuji took a step forward and kicked the goat¡¯s head.


    The power of purification exploded inside the goat¡¯s body.


    With a crack, the red world shattered like a mirror, and the real world appeared from the crack. The scene flashed again, and everyone returned to the storeroom.


    At this moment, the goat head had split into two, with a crack formed between its eyebrows. It also revealed its original form and became similar to the other carvings around it, which were all at the level of an amateur.


    Chen Yiming turned to Old Wang, the widow, and the soldiers.


    Their faces gradually turned from pale to rosy, and their eyes lit up again. They were quickly recovering.


    ¡°It seems that the goat appeared and absorbed our human emotions.¡±


    He could be sure that what it absorbed was not spiritual power. This was because if an ordinary person¡¯s weak spiritual power was damaged, at best, they would have a mental breakdown, and at worst, they would go completely crazy.


    ¡°Could it be that the enemies related to the black tide can gather information about humans from our emotions?¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be sure either. He could only temporarily note this down as another special ability of the enemy.


    He had resolved the source of the abnormality in Old Wang, but no one could confirm if they had any other hidden tricks up their sleeves.


    Therefore, the soldier took the broken goat¡¯s head and brought Old Wang away with them.


    The widow heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was just as the booklet had described. Nothing good would come out of it. If she had been pulled into the red world when she was alone with Old Wang, they would have been doomed.


    Now, the matter had been resolved, and Old Wang would definitely be detained and monitored. She did not have to worry about what Old Wang would do to her, even if he was already a warrior.


    ¡­


    In the office of the department dealing with the abnormal events in Chengdu City, Chuan province.


    More and more information was gathered and analyzed.


    At the moment, it was almost certain that the enemies related to the ¡®black tide¡¯ were using strange methods to gather information about the human world.


    The purification power brought about by the crystal meditation technique was the most direct and effective means of resistance.


    At the same time, the idea of all citizens becoming martial artists also became popular.


    It was not only the provinces in the southwest that placed high importance on it. It was the same for the provinces in the east and north of the Daxia Kingdom. No one thought that the black tide would be limited to the no man¡¯s land in the southwest.


    Early in the morning, Chen Yiming pushed open the door to the information room.


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you on duty, Xiao Min!¡±


    A female secretary with a curvy figure smiled when she saw Chen Yiming.


    The information room in the department had three female secretaries assigned to it to ensure that there would always be someone there at all times to organize the information that was sent over.


    Chen Yiming wanted to refuse it, but he couldn¡¯t possibly sort them all out by himself. He didn¡¯t have the time, so he could only agree to let the three female secretaries help him.


    When it came to work, he knew his priorities and would definitely not mess around.


    The female secretary, Xiao Min, walked around the room in her high heels. She took out tea leaves from the cabinet and skillfully brewed a pot of hot tea.


    Chen Yiming sat down at the desk and flipped through the information that had been gathered overnight.


    ¡°October 14th, at 10 am, at the Hurun supermarket in Chengdu City, a salesperson was arguing with a customer when flames suddenly appeared on her body, causing a stampede in the supermarket.


    After the soldiers arrived, they tried to communicate with the salesperson. The salesperson¡¯s mood suddenly changed drastically, and she got into a conflict with the soldiers. With her ability to control flames, she created a chaotic situation and escaped from the city.¡±


    ¡°October 14th, at 2 pm, a guest checked into the presidential suite at the Hongsheng Hotel in Sanjiang City. While being served by his personal housekeeper, he started to have designs on her.


    After the housekeeper used a trick to appease the guest, she secretly pressed the alarm button. When the guest realized that he couldn¡¯t get his way with her, he directly kidnapped her and fled outside the city.¡±


    ¡°October 14th, at 9 pm, De An City was attacked by a beast tide. The mutant beasts¡¯ actions were reckless and they were not afraid of death or injury. They are suspected to be under someone¡¯s control.¡±


    ¡°October 14th, at 3 am, in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest, the sentry post was ambushed by an unknown creature. At the moment, there are no survivors.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°How eventful!¡±


    Chen Yiming felt a headache coming on.


    These were all news that had been received a while ago. The military had already sent out martial arts experts to resolve them.


    However, the temptation of power was not something that could be achieved just by keeping a clear head. As long as they could obtain power, some people were willing to pay any price.


    Even though the enemy was only testing the waters, the resources of the human cities were already stretched thin. Not only did they have to face the enemies from outside the city, but they also had to guard against the chaos caused from within.


    However, the hidden enemy had yet to reveal itself.


    Even if Chen Yiming wanted to fight his opponent head-on, he didn¡¯t have the chance.


    The only fortunate thing was that the ¡®black tide¡¯ that the female spirit mentioned would not appear so soon. This could be seen from the enemy¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Have some tea first!¡±


    Seeing Chen Yiming¡¯s troubled expression, the female secretary, Xiao Min, handed him a cup of hot tea.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Chen Yiming took the teacup and took a small sip.


    The taste was not bad. Having practiced brewing tea, the taste was indeed different.


    ¡°It¡¯s not long before your shift ends. Xiao Min, you can go back first,¡±


    Chen Yiming said when he noticed the other party¡¯s dark eye circles.


    Under normal circumstances, she would have to work the night shift until 8 am and wait for the next female secretary to take over before leaving.


    ¡°Xiao Fang has something on today and took half a day off. I have to work until noon before I can leave,¡± the female secretary, Xiao Min, explained with a smile.


    It was naturally not a problem for Xiao Min to leave 10 minutes early or half an hour early after receiving permission, but she did not dare to skip half a day of work. The head of the department was not so easy to deal with.


    ¡°Oh! I see!¡±


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°You¡¯ve been working all night. I¡¯ll read the information myself. Go to the lounge and lie down for a while!¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡±


    Xiao Min didn¡¯t finish her sentence. The lounge wasn¡¯t prepared for the secretaries, but for Chen Yiming, although he hadn¡¯t used it even once.


    ¡°Go on!¡±


    Chen Yiming waved his hand.


    ¡°Then if there¡¯s anything, just call for me.¡±


    Xiao Min nodded and stood up to walk to the lounge in the information room.


    The reason Xiao Min didn¡¯t reject the suggestion was because she felt that Chen Yiming was a kind and understanding person from their work together. In addition, the head of the department was always very respectful of him.


    Therefore, it was fine to slack off to a reasonable extent as long as she was not caught by the department head.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming was flipping through the information gathered, trying to find a way to break out of the situation.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The door to the lounge suddenly opened a crack.


    The reason was that the female secretary, Xiao Min, had closed the door very lightly so that she wouldn¡¯t disturb Chen Yiming, so it had not been closed properly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and saw Xiao Min lying on the bed through the small opening.


    The other party had taken off her suit jacket, and half of her shoulder was revealed from under the blanket. On it was a pink strap.


    In addition, as she breathed, her red lips parted, and the blanket rose and fell repeatedly.


    ¡°Gulp.¡±


    Chen Yiming subconsciously swallowed.


    During this period of time, he had been troubled by the matter of the black tide. He had been pent up and he felt a need to find his release.


    However, he instantly thought of the enemy who was continuously testing the humans.


    Work was more important! Work was more important!


    He immediately emphasized it twice in his heart and retracted his gaze. At most, he would steal a glance from time to time.

 Chapter 339 - Temptation to Go to Outer Space

    What exactly was the ¡®enemy¡¯ testing?


    Chen Yiming flipped through all the information he had gathered and repeated this question in his heart.


    He compared the various abnormal events that had happened inside and outside the city and came up with several possible answers.


    For example: Collect enough blood essence and set up some kind of evil ritual? Or develop a large number of spies in the human world and work together to attack the cities?


    Or was it because the current black tide was too weak on the blue planet and they did not dare to confront the native factions on the plane head-on?


    He thought about it a lot, but none of the answers were convincing enough.


    ¡°Sigh! Sometimes, asking for help is more useful than relying on yourself.¡± Chen Yiming sighed to himself.


    He helplessly sent a message into the ring in his hand.


    10 seconds passed.


    A minute passed.


    10 minutes passed.


    The ring showed no reaction.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s better to rely on oneself than on others,¡± Chen Yiming cursed under his breath.


    Of course, he only dared to curse in his heart. It was unnecessary and stupid for him to anger the female spirit and cause a conflict between them.


    At this moment, ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡± A knock on the door interrupted Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Chen Yiming suddenly recalled that the female secretary, Xiao Min, was sleeping in the lounge. The person who came looking for her was usually the head of the department.


    Without waiting for his reminder, Xiao Min jumped up from the bed reflexively. She had a panicked expression as she met the gaze of the person outside the door.


    Then, she tidied herself up and walked out of the lounge, appearing in front of Chen Yiming.


    She had a good figure, and all of it was real. Her curves were definitely not padded.


    ¡°It should be your department head. Go and open the door!¡±


    Chen Yiming said in a low voice, as though he didn¡¯t notice the blush on her face.


    The female secretary, Xiao Min, touched her hot face and took a few deep breaths before opening the door.


    Outside the door was the head of the department, Liao Yongquan.


    Liao Yongquan raised an eyebrow and retracted his gaze from Xiao Min¡¯s face before entering the room.


    If it was any other time, he would have given her a good scolding when he caught her slacking off at work. However, the situation now was different, so he pretended not to have noticed it.


    ¡°Is there bad news again?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    Department head Liao¡¯s expression was filled with panic, conflicting emotions, and urgency.


    Liao Yongquan nodded and said, ¡°More than 10 kilometers outside Sanjiang City, dense black shadows have appeared in the forest. We¡¯ll surround them and refrain from making a move for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what else is there?¡±


    Seeing that the other party was about to say something, Chen Yiming knew that he hadn¡¯t finished delivering the news.


    Liao Yongquan paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The situation in Chuan province is currently very chaotic. Almost all of our high-level combatants have been held back and can¡¯t leave. Outside of Chengdu City, a large number of people have started to escape towards Jiangnan province.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    This was indeed a problem. Everyone knew that Jiangnan province would definitely be the last bastion of peace.


    In the situation where there was a nationwide crisis, it did not matter even if they could not enter Jiangnan province. The surrounding provinces were also much better than the other provinces that were far away.


    They would use their feet to vote, unless they were forcefully stopped. However, no one would dare to give such an order.


    Wait a minute.


    ¡°Chaos?¡±


    A thought flashed across his mind.


    Chen Yiming suddenly grasped the crux of the black tide.


    He quickly recalled all the information he had gathered, from the sneak attack on the martial master, Elder Zhang, in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest to the series of abnormal events.


    Everything that had happened resulted in chaos.


    ¡°Chaos is only what is on the surface. The enemy definitely has something from the chaos.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his hand to signal for silence. This was a critical moment for his thoughts.


    Seeing this, Liao Yongquan and Xiaomin held their breaths and stood rooted to the ground, waiting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ignore all the distractions for the time being. Analyzing the problem from the basics, the ¡®black tide¡¯ is undoubtedly far stronger than the blue planet¡¯s creatures. If I put myself in the shoes of the ¡®black tide¡¯ and look at the mentality of ordinary people, what will I think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like looking down from the clouds. I won¡¯t care about them at all and will just do things my own way.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought it through. He put aside the interference from the abnormal events, which were just different forms of creating chaos.


    ¡°In Old Wang¡¯s house, the goat head pulled everyone into the red world. Everyone entered a meditative state on the spot. This is the result of all their emotions being absorbed in a short period of time.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Emotions.


    The more chaotic the human world was, the more they would be unable to suppress the negative emotions such as fear, panic, and despair.


    ¡°The female spirit mentioned that the black tide is about to arrive, and asked me to leave the blue planet and enter outer space with my physical body.


    It also mentioned that those in the inscription realm can fuse with the power of nature and rely on constantly fusing with the power of nature to move through outer space in this form.¡±


    Chen Yiming recalled the female spirit¡¯s words and realized that he had overlooked some important information.


    ¡°If one¡¯s body enters outer space, they can avoid the black tide. On the other hand, doesn¡¯t it mean that the black tide isn¡¯t traveling through outer space in its physical form?¡±


    Chaos, emotions, and arrival.


    Chen Yiming could roughly confirm that this was the general flow of the black tide¡¯s actions.


    The clouds parted and he could see the sky again. He felt indescribably relaxed. The problem had returned to a path with a solution. The Daxia Kingdom needed someone to step forward.


    Or rather, they needed a savior to give most people the confidence to defeat the black tide.


    Chen Yiming quickly sent department head Liao and Xiao Min away.


    He thought quietly in the room for a while and decided on his plan for the future.


    Being a savior was not something that could be achieved overnight. It was not something that could be achieved just by talking about it. One needed to win many battles to obtain the recognition of most people.


    ¡­


    In Sanjiang City, the black shadows in the forest outside the city did not surround the city from all directions. Instead, they surrounded one particular area.


    The streets of the city were in a mess, and there were small items abandoned everywhere. An atmosphere as though the city was about to fall shrouded the sky above it.


    Chen Yiming walked along the empty street and witnessed the current situation with his own eyes. It was even more serious than what department head Liao had said.


    Not long after,


    the sound of something being smashed came from a small alley.


    Chen Yiming stopped at the intersection and turned around to see a strange human figure. His body clearly had some abnormalities.


    His right arm was badly mangled, and a tentacle covered in barbs had grown out of it. It was three to five meters long.


    This tentacle, which was clearly a foreign object, had tubes sticking out of it, piercing through half of his body at the chest, shoulder, head, and neck.


    ¡°Come out! Old Man Huang, I know your granddaughter is still there.¡±


    The man used the tentacle to break the metal door. He was not in a hurry to enter, but shouted loudly at the door instead.


    The house was quiet. The hall was filled with abandoned items that could not be easily packed away. It seemed to indicate that Old Huang and his family had already left.


    ¡°Old Man Huang, you didn¡¯t expect this to happen, did you? When I bought buns at your breakfast shop, I only took a few more glances at your granddaughter. I still remember that look,¡±


    the man waved the long tentacle and muttered to himself.


    In the hidden basement of the house, the voice of the man could be heard through the air vent. Old Man Huang was so angry that he was shaking.


    Disaster really fell from the sky. He did not expect that a hooligan would now become a demon that was after the lives of his family.


    Old Man Huang¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s mouth was covered by her mother to prevent her from crying out loud.


    Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. Her face was filled with fear, and her entire body was trembling. Her hands gripped the corners of her clothes tightly.


    She was a young girl of 16 or 17 years old. At her age, she was like a flower that was in bloom. She had a delicate face and a tall and thin figure.


    The reason why Old Man Huang¡¯s family had stayed in the city was because his granddaughter had lost her father when she was young, and there was only one old man left in the family. It was unrealistic for them to make the long journey to Jiangnan province.


    Chen Yiming sized up the tentacle on the man¡¯s right arm as he walked over.


    The methods of the enemies related to the ¡®black tide¡¯ were indeed strange. They gave a human the ability to control flames, caused another to improve in their cultivation by leaps and bounds overnight, and even caused a human to grow an abnormal body part.


    The supernatural power of internal force that was mainstream on the blue planet was very dull in comparison.


    ¡°Kid, are you trying to be a busybody?¡±


    When the man saw a young man walking over, he raised the tentacle and took an offensive stance.


    ¡°How did you obtain such an ability?¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He tried to get some useful information from him. After all, he was sure that he was stronger than the other party. If he didn¡¯t tell him the truth, he would beat him up.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    When the man heard this, his expression turned sinister.


    Regardless of what type of power it was, everyone definitely wanted to keep its source a secret. How could they tell others so easily?


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the young man¡¯s figure appeared in front of him.


    Before the man could react, he was sent flying and crashed into a stone block at the end of the street, causing a large amount of rubble to explode.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    He spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The man¡¯s face was filled with fear.


    Before he could react, the tentacle on his right arm suddenly squirmed and sucked the man dry, leaving only his painful cries echoing through the street.


    Immediately after, the tubes broke off in unison and retracted into the tentacle. With another wriggle, the tentacle turned into a humanoid monster.


    It retained a small portion of the characteristics of the man. Its entire body was covered in an ugly layer of cuticle, and tubes protruded from its body and waved around in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s a living creature?¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised.


    A living creature had suddenly appeared in a person¡¯s body, just like a parasite.


    Taking advantage of Chen Yiming¡¯s momentary daze, the humanoid monster charged into another alley without hesitation.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Did it just escape?


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze.


    This meant that the humanoid monster was not a brainless idiot, but an intelligent creature.


    Knowing how to escape when facing an opponent it could not defeat was the right choice.


    However, this also depended on who it was facing. In this situation, whatever choice it made did not matter.


    A second later, with a loud bang, the entire street shook.


    Chen Yiming crushed the humanoid monster into a pulp.


    Its disgusting flesh and blood splattered on the houses on both sides of the street, leaving behind small holes that emitted sizzling sounds.


    ¡°Forget it. Research is not my forte,¡±


    Chen Yiming said as he looked at the remains before turning to leave the city.


    ¡­


    More than 10 kilometers outside the city, the dense black shadows flashing through the forest put an overwhelming pressure on Sanjiang City.


    The reason was that the martial master, Elder Zhang, had yet to recover to a level where he could make a move. Some of the half-step martial masters under him were monitoring the situation in the no man¡¯s land in place of the sentries, and some were carrying out missions to capture people who had shown abnormalities¡­


    Chuan province was in chaos. There were too many things to deal with, and their hands and feet were tied down. Department head Liao could only look for Chen Yiming.


    At this moment, a young man walked fearlessly into the forest.


    The black shadows started to get restless. They spread out and assumed a siege stance, then gathered at the center.


    From the looks of it, the gathered power seemed to be able to combine into one, making it suitable for dealing with a single powerful enemy.


    ¡°Is it another ability similar to splitting up?¡±


    Chen Yiming suspected that the splitting ability of the powerful creatures from the otherworld came from the black tide.


    Dust flew everywhere as the ground shook, raising waves of yellow sand that covered the sky.


    When the dust settled, a huge creature hundreds of meters tall flattened a huge mountain and landed on the ground.


    Its entire body was covered in shadow energy. It had a pair of huge wings, eight strong arms, and a long tail.


    What made Chen Yiming¡¯s expression turn solemn was that each arm was holding a different weapon. There was a huge spear, a huge sword, a huge axe, and so on.


    These weapons were not formed from simple shadow energy, but were made from a special material with mysterious symbols written on them.


    ¡°F*ck! Compared to him, I¡¯m just a poor country bumpkin.¡±


    He could not help but curse.


    His gaze remained fixed on the weapons. He felt like an employee who had just received his salary and was looking jealously at his boss who was driving a sports car.


    ¡°The strongest human, surrender! Join us, and I can give you a chance to go to outer space.¡±


    Suddenly, a thought appeared in his mind.


    ¡°How did you know that I¡¯m the strongest human?¡±


    Chen Yiming also sent a thought back while keeping his guard up.


    As expected, after destroying the mysterious symbol fragment in Elder Zhang¡¯s body that day, the other party knew of his existence. The various plans he had made previously could be said to be a waste of time.


    In the end, he had to deal with the enemy openly and rely solely on his strength.


    ¡°That¡¯s too simple. You¡¯ll know if you join us.


    I can tell you that in this dark forest, your planet is just one of many resources in our countless territories. We are a large faction that can be ranked among the top in the entire universe.


    On this planet, you are the only one who barely meets the requirements to join us. However, remember that you only have one chance. If you let it go, you will become our enemy.¡±


    Another thought was transmitted over.


    Dark forest?


    This seemed to be what the humans on the blue planet referred to as the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Under normal circumstances, the 10,000-meter-long corpse he had dug out would definitely have been more qualified while it was alive, but it still ended up like that.


    The more they expressed that they were a large faction in the universe, the more one would doubt it. Were they trying to trick him, thinking that he was a fool?


    At the same time, while it was unknown whether the dark forest was controlled by the black tide, Chen Yiming could roughly confirm that it had been invaded before by the black tide.


    Clearly, the ¡®black tide¡¯ was not a kind faction. With the strength of the blue planet, negotiating with the other party was pretty much impossible, and he would just be sending himself to his death.


    On the surface, Chen Yiming pretended to be interested and asked, ¡°If I agree to join you, can I go to the galaxy beyond the dark forest?¡±

 Chapter 340 - Terrifying Shadow Mouth

    At this moment, facing the curious Chen Yiming, the shadow monster was silent for a moment. It spread its wings and coiled its huge tail. The huge weapons in its eight arms were all pointed forward.


    This could be a threat through force, or it might really be about to launch an attack. It would not give him a second chance to go to outer space.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming cursed under his breath. ¡°I only asked two questions. It¡¯s too impatient.¡±


    Of course, he would not sit back and do nothing.


    ¡°Giant transformation!¡±


    ¡°Sword, come!¡±


    Facing the shadow monster with unknown strength, Chen Yiming had no intention of holding back.


    A light flashed in the sky, and the spiritual figure turned into a huge sword and descended from the sky.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming transformed into a 100-meter-tall giant and leaped into the air.


    Although his size was still smaller than the shadow monster, which was equivalent to about five or six of him in his giant form, the contrast was not as stark.


    On the battlefield, two huge creatures were confronting each other from a distance. Their invisible auras collided, dividing the battlefield into two. The number of weapons in their hands was eight against one.


    The mysterious symbols on the surface of the shadow monster¡¯s weapons seemed to have been activated, emitting a dazzling light. The air became blurry and unstable, and layers of invisible ripples spread out.


    The huge sword in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand didn¡¯t back down either.


    The mysterious symbols engraved on it moved as if they were alive. An invisible barrier appeared, blocking out all the ripples.


    ¡°Hmm? I didn¡¯t expect a living treasure to appear on a low-level planet. What a waste. It¡¯ll be mine.¡±


    A thought shot over.


    In the next moment, the shadow monster remained at its original spot. The scene flashed past, and the sky changed color.


    Chen Yiming quickly observed the changes in his surroundings. Sanjiang City, which was originally behind him, was nowhere to be seen. Everything was red, similar to the illusion created by the goat head.


    The only difference was that when facing the goat¡¯s head, he knew very well that it was an illusion that could be destroyed with a light strike.


    But now, it was as if he had really been dragged into another world.


    He quickly communicated with the figure in his mind: What¡¯s the situation now?


    The figure in his mind: There is no qualitative improvement in the level of its strength. It should be a special way to use the mysterious symbols.


    Chen Yiming: Did I fall into the opponent¡¯s trap?


    The figure in his mind: There¡¯s a 90% chance that this is the case.


    After the conversation ended, Chen Yiming felt a surge of anger.


    Comparing the black tide and the blue planet, one was at an unknown level in the galaxy, and the other was at a level where its power was still restricted to the planet. The difference was unimaginable, but they actually used underhanded methods to trick him.


    From the feedback he received from the spiritual figure, he estimated that it should have used the power of the mysterious symbols to set up a technique similar to an array formation or domain.


    Such an environment was definitely disadvantageous to him, but it would definitely be beneficial to the shadow monster.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    When his anger surged, this emotion did not accumulate in his body. Instead, it was suddenly and inexplicably absorbed by something.


    Chen Yiming entered a meditative state. His mind felt weak and he couldn¡¯t muster up any energy, let alone his fighting spirit, high focus, and adaptability.


    ¡°If it was anyone else, they would definitely be at the mercy of the shadow monster.¡±


    The rapid recovery ability of the Undying Body talent was activated, and Chen Yiming¡¯s face turned red again.


    Even if the opponent was slightly stronger than the shadow monster, if they could not resolve the problem of their emotions being suddenly absorbed, their combat state would be greatly affected. There was a high chance that the shadow monster would defeat them.


    However, it didn¡¯t have much effect on Chen Yiming.


    ¡°He actually recovered so quickly!¡±


    A thought came from above Chen Yiming¡¯s head.


    ¡°But it¡¯s useless. Your strength will continue to weaken, and mine will continue to increase.¡±


    In an instant, a shadow of a figure with huge wings spread out appeared on the ground. A huge saber slashed down from the sky. At the same time, mysterious symbols appeared in the air one after another, forming a cage.


    As a result, he was trapped in a small space. Even if he wanted to dodge, there was no room for him to do so.


    Chen Yiming forced himself to remain calm.


    The other party¡¯s unnecessary words in the battle seemed to be trying to shake his confidence.


    However, what the other party did not expect was that he did not need to do anything. The huge sword in his hand automatically faced the enemy and slashed at the long saber that was slashing down from the sky.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A white light exploded, temporarily covering the red world. Both sides had their line of sight blocked at the same time.


    At the same time, the mysterious symbols in the air shattered, and the cage dissipated. The huge saber flew back to the shadow monster.


    The moment the white light weakened and disappeared, a corner of the real world was revealed to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°As expected, we are still where we were. I wasn¡¯t transferred to some unknown location.¡±


    He confirmed that it was something similar to an array formation or domain that had changed the environment in a certain area. He felt much more relaxed. It was not the worst case scenario he had imagined.


    Otherwise, even if he came out alive, he would not know how to return to the blue planet.


    However, before Chen Yiming could catch his breath, another attack came his way.


    This time, not only was there a huge saber, but there was also a huge hammer.


    The mysterious symbols turned into a cage that restrained Chen Yiming. At the same time, the mysterious symbols on the back of the hammer turned into flames that shot out, as if a propulsion device had been installed on it.


    Chen Yiming looked up and the huge sword in his hand flew into the sky.


    The cage broke apart again.


    Immediately after.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The huge sword fought one against two. First, it sent the huge saber flying, then it stabbed the huge hammer that had yet to reach its maximum power, causing the mysterious symbols on the back to break into pieces.


    Chen Yiming, who was a spectator, saw the situation clearly.


    In terms of cultivation level, the shadow monster was undoubtedly at the level of the inscription realm. However, even so, it was clearly weaker than the sword spirit who had special abilities to increase its talent.


    The mysterious symbols on the huge sword formed by the sword spirit had never shown any signs of breaking.


    On the other hand, the cage created by the huge saber and the flames from the huge hammer all collapsed under the attack.


    In fact, even though it was one against two, the mysterious symbols on the other party¡¯s weapons were flickering, as if they were showing signs of damage from the head-on collision.


    Time quickly passed by.


    The huge sword and eight different weapons went from one against one to one against eight. They clashed dozens of times, then hundreds of times.


    The shadow monster¡¯s eight arms seemed to be able to do eight things at once. It swung its eight weapons in turns, and it also seemed to be able to replenish its strength from the red world, allowing it to maintain its peak condition.


    Slowly, the red world began to shake. Cracks appeared in the air, revealing a corner of the real world.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°How can a low-level planet give birth to an existence that can fight against me at the same level?¡±


    After not being able to take down the huge sword for a long time, the shadow monster that had yet to make a move gave off a fluctuation in its energy.


    What Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know was that the other party was already starting to panic.


    The red world also had its limits. Unless the battle ended quickly, it would be broken sooner or later. At that time, the outcome would be unpredictable.


    The shadow monster firmly believed that while it was easy to escape, the natives of the low-level planets could not have enough power to stop it.


    The stalemate continued.


    At some point, the red world could no longer withstand the collision between the two sides and completely shattered like a glass mirror.


    In the outside world, the forest and Sanjiang City were still the same as before, and they were not affected by the battle. All the impact of the battle was limited to the red world.


    ¡°We¡¯re out?¡±


    After returning to the real world, Chen Yiming glanced towards Sanjiang City.


    For a battle at the level of the inscription realm, a distance of more than 10 kilometers was not far at all.


    The power of nature was like a natural disaster. If it was hit by the aftershock of the battle, the entire city might be razed to the ground. No one would survive.


    At this moment, the air suddenly started to flow abnormally. Mysterious symbols appeared in the air, and each mysterious symbol turned into a stream of Sword Aura.


    Similar to the appearance of the red world, the scene flashed past. The sky changed color, and as far as the eye could see, it was filled with silver streams of light.


    Chen Yiming smiled when he received the good news from the spiritual figure. ¡°I was right to invest most of my Skill Points into my swordsmanship talent. The spiritual figure¡¯s comprehension abilities have never disappointed me.¡±


    He looked at the shadow monster that was surrounded by the Sword Aura.


    The other party did not seem to have reacted and was forced to stay in its place. The shadow energy covering its body fluctuated visibly. It was unknown if it was preparing some kind of big move or if it was really panicking.


    With this thought, Chen Yiming instructed the figure in his mind to attack without caring about anything else.


    In an instant, the void seemed to crack open. Every mysterious symbol turned into a sword that flew out, and the shadow monster was completely engulfed in the blink of an eye.


    At this moment, a terrifying collision was erupting. The shadow energy was dissipating, the mysterious symbols were shattering, and cracks were appearing on the eight weapons.


    The shadow energy on the monster¡¯s face fluctuated violently.


    Its huge wings could only defend against attacks from one direction, and its eight arms and eight weapons could not completely defend it in the other directions, causing the injuries on its body to increase.


    To it, it was already unbelievable that a native from a low-level planet could simply use mysterious symbols to strengthen himself after breaking through to the inscription realm.


    Without the inherited abilities, how could the power of nature be so easy for him to control?


    It did not dare to imagine what it would be like if he could also set up a large array formation with mysterious symbols like it could.


    ¡°Could there be a corresponding inherited ability left behind on this planet?¡±


    The shadow monster could only think in this way. It did not think that it was due to its abilities being used in battle and secretly learned by the opponent.


    Not long after, ¡°Boom!¡± A wave of air exploded.


    The terrifying force directly shattered one of the shadow monster¡¯s arms, and the huge saber it was holding was also shattered.


    The weapon made from the mysterious symbols finally exceeded its limit after numerous clashes.


    In the distance, Chen Yiming looked pained.


    He could only hope that not all eight weapons were destroyed. Be it for his own use or for research, their value was unbelievably high.


    At the same time, he felt relieved. So what if it came from outer space? It still couldn¡¯t win against someone at the same level.


    Just as the shadow monster seemed to be unable to withstand it any longer, a thought sounded. ¡°Let¡¯s make peace and pretend nothing happened. How about that?¡±


    Chen Yiming received it but pretended not to hear it.


    You want peace if you can¡¯t win? Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Do you think I¡¯ll wait for you to go back and get reinforcements?


    He did not believe that the female spirit would urge him to escape from the black tide by going into outer space if the shadow monster could let today¡¯s matter go so easily.


    He was 100% sure that he would be facing an enemy of a higher level next time if he let it go.


    Chen Yiming remained calm and thought about how to trick it into telling him some useful information.


    Suddenly, the strength of the shadow monster¡¯s aura increased drastically, and its entire body swelled up.


    Without any warning, it exploded, breaking open a small area in the formation created by the spiritual figure.


    Due to his carelessness, the remaining balls of shadow energy seized the opportunity to escape.


    At the same time, the air in the space-travel passage in the southwest no-man¡¯s-land was abnormally distorted, as if something was responding to the change.


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw dozens of black lights rushing out of the space-travel passage.


    ¡°Black light?¡±


    Caught off guard, the balls of shadow energy and black light were free to fly into the sky.


    ¡°Are they escaping to the moon?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and saw the direction they were heading in. He made a simple calculation and confirmed his opponents¡¯ destination.


    To be honest, he was very surprised. He did not expect the shadow monsters to have secretly set up a base on the moon. It had to be known that the moon was circling the blue planet.


    The spiritual figure retracted the formation and turned into a sharp sword that shot into the sky to chase after them.


    However, as soon as it left the atmosphere, something strange happened.


    On the moon, a circle of red light lit up all around it. Looking straight at it, it seemed to have a red ring surrounding it.


    The balls of shadow energy and all the black light seemed to have been enhanced by an unknown power, and their speed increased by several levels.


    They arrived in front of the moon almost instantly and were swallowed by the shadow of a huge mouth.


    Chen Yiming was dumbfounded.


    Not only was he stunned by the scene, but he also felt a terrifying power brewing in the shadow mouth.


    The next moment.


    The huge mouth chewed and spat out an invisible ripple, targeting the spiritual figure that was chasing after it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t block it!¡±


    He could feel the endless negative emotions, including fear, resentment, and horror. This was a corruption at the spiritual level that was transformed from the huge mouth.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s intuition alerted him.


    He subconsciously communicated with the figure in his mind and asked it to quickly dodge.


    However, the spiritual figure did not dodge. Instead, it turned into a huge sword formation that expanded to its maximum range.


    An invisible ripple swept past. The sword formation in the atmosphere only lasted for less than a second before it was corroded by the black aura and disappeared.


    After this attack, the shadow mouth gradually faded away, and the burning red ring on the moon also disappeared.


    ¡°We were almost wiped out.¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief.


    The spiritual figure¡¯s connection with him had not been broken, so he knew very well that it had escaped this attack.


    Although it could be recreated from Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how long it would take for it to split out again.


    Facing the black tide, the spiritual figure was the strongest combatant. He could not afford to lose it.


    After waiting for a while, a stream of Sword Aura descended from the sky and landed beside Chen Yiming. The figure in his mind entered his spiritual world.


    The spiritual figure turned into a sword formation, and most of it was destroyed by the invisible ripples.


    However, as long as they were not completely wiped out, they would be able to recover quickly after returning to the spiritual world to recuperate under the enhancement of the Undying Body talent.


    It was not a big problem for him to suffer extremely serious spiritual damage.

 Chapter 341 - Spaceship

    After some time, ¡°It disappeared?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked away from the moon.


    His intuition told him that the shadow monster and the black light had not successfully escaped. Instead, they had used a method similar to sacrificing themselves to launch a higher level attack.


    The reason he had such a feeling was because the feeling of hunger when the shadow mouth appeared had left an extremely deep impression on him.


    Chen Yiming walked to the spot where the shadow monster had self-destructed.


    There were three huge weapons, a sword, a flail, and a shield. They were slightly damaged, but unlike the other weapons, they had not exploded into pieces and become completely destroyed.


    Because he was most familiar with swords, he picked up the huge sword.


    He touched the surface of the sword. He did not know what it was made of, but it felt very compatible with him. Even those who were not good at swordsmanship would feel like they were one with the sword.


    After playing with it for a while, he turned to look at the mysterious symbols on it.


    ¡°If only it could become bigger or smaller at will.¡±


    Just as this thought appeared, something strange happened.


    After absorbing a trace of the spiritual power from Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze, a simple connection was established between them.


    This connection was like his spiritual power becoming a key that could be inserted into the sword to control it.


    Immediately after, the huge sword quickly became smaller. He could feel that he could stop its shrinking at any time.


    Finally, it shrank to the size of a small sword that was only a few inches long.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming gasped and was stunned.


    How else could he describe it? He could only sigh at how amazing the craftsmanship of this sword was.


    In comparison, the forging techniques of weapons on the blue planet were simply inferior.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze and used the same method to shrink the other two weapons.


    At the same time, he returned to his normal size.


    As for how to deal with the three weapons, he had not thought about it yet. In any case, their size was like that of small toys, and they were very convenient to carry around.


    Before he left,


    Chen Yiming collected the shattered pieces of the other weapons and looked up at the moon again. He confirmed his previous intuition.


    The key to controlling the weapons was spiritual power, so there was still the problem of what would come next.


    There was a high chance that the shadow monster was dead. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy for Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power to take over the weapons.


    ¡­


    In the meeting room of the department dealing with the abnormal events, the martial master, Elder Zhang, the big shots of the military in Sichuan province, and the old professors of the research institute were all gathered here.


    One of the six huge monitors in front of them was showing a live broadcast showing the moon.


    The remaining five screens were showing the densely packed black shadows outside Sanjiang City, the eight-armed shadow monster, the giant, a large patch of red fog, and the shadow of a huge mouth that appeared on the surface of the moon.


    At this moment, even Elder Zhang¡¯s face was tense.


    The ¡®black tide¡¯ from outer space was much more terrifying than he had imagined. It had actually left such a terrifying thing on the moon without the humans realizing it.


    To humans, the appearance of the huge mouth shadow was a blow that could reduce their confidence.


    At that time, just by looking at it through the screen, everyone present felt a chill run down their spines. They felt like creatures at the bottom of the food chain who had encountered creatures at the top of the food chain.


    They were fully at their mercy, and could not put up any resistance.


    The commander of the southwest military region, Huang Baijun, said the same thing over and over again, ¡°Are we really going to build a spaceship and escape into the unknown outer space?¡±


    Finding a second planet that was suitable for humans to live on was not an idea that was born from the moment they saw the huge shadow mouth. Instead, it had been proposed by many experts since the invasion of the otherworld.


    The surrounding people heard Huang Baijun¡¯s muttering, and the atmosphere became even more solemn.


    How could a spaceship be so easy to build?


    A planet that could support life was not something that could be found easily.


    Over the years, a large amount of manpower and resources had been used up in the conflict with the mutant beasts.


    The results of converting cutting-edge technology in the laboratory to practical applications had yet to be achieved due to money and other reasons.


    However, it seemed that humans could only escape to outer space.


    The new problem that followed was that the technology of the spaceship was far from mature. It was not even an exaggeration to say that if they really wanted to build a spaceship, they would have to solve the problems they encountered as they built it.


    How far could a spaceship built like this travel after it left the blue planet? Could it successfully reach a new planet? Only the heavens knew.


    Furthermore, the number of people the spaceship could hold was definitely limited. Could the countries work together? Who would board the ship? Who would be left behind?


    The range and difficulty involved seemed to be completely shrouded in fog.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Elder Zhang coughed, waking everyone from their daze. He continued, ¡°Whether we have a chance of winning against the black tide or not, we can talk about it when they return.¡±


    Even though he also thought that humans could only escape, on the surface, someone needed to stand up to comfort everyone.


    Seeing this, the provincial governor, Lin Qi, played along and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to be too negative. You have to know that the blue planet isn¡¯t something for them to be concerned about. The black tide is powerful, but will it use cannons to kill mosquitoes?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s a possibility.¡±


    The atmosphere immediately eased up a lot, and Lin Qi¡¯s analogy was acknowledged by the others.


    How much importance would be placed on the blue planet civilization that had yet to leave its native planet?


    From the information they had gathered recently, the enemies related to the black tide were more interested in using their wits to defeat the humans, rather than relying on mobilizing a large army to overwhelm them.


    This gave humans the time and space needed to make their choice.


    Should they escape? Should they stall for time? Or should they do something else? It was far from the point where they had no other choice.


    Time quickly passed by.


    At some point, a communications officer jogged over and hurriedly knocked on the door.


    The big shots in the military and the old professors of the research institute focused their gazes on the communications officer.


    The communications officer brought good news. Chen Yiming had returned, and he had brought a large pile of junk with him.


    With that, he let out a breath.


    Being stared at by the big shots was too stressful.


    Junk?


    Everyone looked at each other and did not think much of it. It was fine as long as he returned safely.


    Soon, everyone in the room walked out.


    ¡­


    In front of the department, fragments of unknown materials were piled up like a small mountain, and even the plaque hanging at the door was covered.


    It was surrounded by soldiers, and both ends of the street were blocked off by soldiers. The onlookers could only watch from afar.


    Elder Zhang led the way, followed by a group of people, and arrived in front of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Elder Zhang had a puzzled expression on his face.


    The battle between Chen Yiming and the shadow monster had been taking place in the array formation, so the others didn¡¯t know the exact situation inside.


    ¡°Ha! These are the fragments of the weapons from that shadow monster. I couldn¡¯t hold back in battle, so they are already broken,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    ¡°¡­Is this what the communications officer described as junk?¡±


    The big shots in the military and the old professors in the research institute were dumbfounded.


    Everyone had seen the scene of the shadow monster holding eight weapons. They just did not expect it to become like this.


    Chen Yiming continued to explain, ¡°The mysterious symbols on these weapon fragments should be very valuable for research.¡±


    With that, in order to increase his persuasive power, he took out a small sword from his pocket.


    ¡°Watch carefully! This is one of the weapons that wasn¡¯t destroyed in the battle. It¡¯s an extraordinary weapon.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, the small sword became larger and longer, finally stopping at a length of more than a meter.


    At the same time, the mysterious symbols on it were activated one after another.


    Chen Yiming had already tried his best to suppress the impact on the surroundings when the power of nature was triggered. However, from the reactions of Elder Zhang, the big shots, and the old professor,


    they all instantly felt that they could not breathe. They were frightened by the aura that was revealed, and their minds went blank.


    After less than a second, after letting everyone see how powerful this extraordinary weapon was, Chen Yiming controlled the sword again. The mysterious symbols went into an inactive state and disappeared from the sword.


    Elder Zhang came back to his senses and took a deep breath. He sighed and said, ¡°Extraordinary weapon, extraordinary weapon. The feeling it gave me just now was that I couldn¡¯t even withstand a single strike from it.¡±


    Since even the martial master who had presided over the no man¡¯s land in the southwest for many years said this, the others were even more shocked and did not know what to say.


    Looking at the mountain of weapon fragments, their eyes lit up. This was the best gift in the world.


    ¡°If only we could learn something useful from it. If we really can¡¯t develop anything that good, can we at least add these fragments to the hull when building the spaceship?¡±


    Many old professors had this thought.


    They could basically confirm that the performance of any material on the blue planet was definitely inferior to these weapon fragments.


    If this idea worked, it would undoubtedly greatly increase the chances of a completed spaceship being able to fly smoothly in space.


    The big shots of the military had another thought.


    ¡°Can we use a portion of these fragments to form a special unit?¡±


    It had to be known that these fragments were of an extremely high quality. They could be reworked into weapons that could be equivalent to half of an extraordinary weapon.


    With such a terrifying weapon in hand, they would definitely be a special unit that could be used as a trump card. At the critical moment, it might be of use.


    ¡­


    After settling the arrangements for the mountain of weapon fragments, Chen Yiming and the others returned to the meeting room.


    On one of the six monitors, the cameras were still pointing at the moon. On the remaining five monitors, the frozen scene did not change.


    After Chen Yiming sat down, he glanced at the screen and gave out a shocking piece of news. After the shadow monster was eaten by the huge mouth, he could confirm that it was really dead.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For all of them, this was another turn of events.


    Everyone had originally thought that the moon might be a base for the black tide, and that the shadow monsters had successfully escaped back to the base.


    ¡°Then has the threat of the ¡®black tide¡¯ been resolved?¡±


    a general in a military uniform was delighted and could not help but ask.


    Chen Yiming shook his head and explained, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. It depends on the status of the shadow monster in the black tide.


    If it¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t have a high status, it might be resolved. If it¡¯s someone with a high status, we might face an even stronger enemy next time.¡±


    In his heart, he was more inclined to believe that the shadow monster was arranged by the black tide to monitor the situation from the otherworld or was stationed there permanently.


    This could be seen from the first exchange between the two sides and the dozens of black lights that flew out of the space-travel passage before the huge shadow mouth attacked.


    ¡°A stronger enemy!¡±


    In the meeting room, many military and political big shots muttered softly.


    Without a doubt, the death of the shadow monster was not necessarily a good thing.


    However, it gave the humans more time to catch their breath. In fact, they could not even be sure of the time they had. The situation could still be getting worse.


    ¡­


    The crisis that had enveloped the southwest provinces of the Daxia Kingdom was temporarily covered up, but the preparations for war and retreat were still underway in an orderly manner, especially the spaceship plan.


    This plan was highly recommended by most of the experts and professors, and was also strongly supported by the elite warriors.


    Therefore, the entire Daxia Kingdom was like a machine that was running at high speed, investing a huge amount of resources to research the various planets.


    These were all planets that human civilization had once discovered and thought might be suitable for human survival.


    In the blink of an eye, several months had passed, and autumn had turned into winter.


    The cold wind howled and snow fell.


    It may be due to the influence of the trial grounds, or because of the events happening on the moon, but the winter in the Daxia Kingdom had become exceptionally cold this year. It was snowing heavily almost all over the country, and the average temperature had dropped by about 10 degrees.


    Chen Yiming returned home from the trial grounds and walked alone in the snow.


    Wherever his figure passed, the air was distorted and blurred. An invisible aura spread out in all directions, and a mud road on which the snow had melted extended forward.


    He had become even stronger.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 4, Giant ¡ª Level 3


    Level: Inscription Realm


    Physique: Basic Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 5


    Level: Inscription Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 5273


    During this period of time, Chen Yiming felt that an even stronger enemy was about to arrive, so he spent almost all his time in the trial grounds.


    He resisted the urge to launch countless attacks on the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    Letting it bleed, amputation its limbs, attacking its weak points¡­


    The reason was that after his two attributes were upgraded, his physique had become stronger than ever.


    This was the conclusion he had reached after testing it out on the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    He had the Level-4 Undying Body talent and the Level-3 Giant Talent. With both talents combined, he could suffer only light injuries from resisting the passive counterattack of the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    To Chen Yiming, such injuries could be healed in an instant and could be ignored.


    At this moment, his cells were no longer connected by invisible paired links such that he had to rely on the transmission of his life force between them to quickly recover from his injuries.


    Instead, the cells were connected by seven to eight links with the surrounding cells. Life force could flow freely through these invisible connections.


    This allowed Chen Yiming to gather a large amount of life force into a certain part of his body. This was the reason why he could withstand the passive counterattack from the 10,000-meter-long corpse.


    In addition, the upgrade of the Giant Talent not only made his physique stronger, but also made him taller and bigger. His ability to control the clouds and activate a gravitational field had also been upgraded.


    In the unknown depths of his body, a spinning sphere had appeared.


    This sphere could greatly increase the size of the giant¡¯s body, turning his powerful physique into its strongest form.

 Chapter 342 - Iterative Fighter

    ¡°Should I send the spiritual figure to the other planets to investigate?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he walked through the snow.


    After the spiritual figure secretly learned how to use the mysterious symbols to set up the formation from the shadow monster, its understanding of the mysterious symbols deepened greatly.


    The method described by the female spirit in the ring to enter outer space had almost completely been comprehended by the figure in his mind.


    The speed of movement depended on the strength of one¡¯s spiritual power and one¡¯s control over the mysterious symbols.


    However, even so, the distance between the two planets in space was still too far. During the journey back and forth, he would temporarily be left without the combat strength of the spiritual figure.


    If the black tide suddenly descended during this period, he would not be able to use his ultimate finishing move: relying on the spiritual figure that could constantly revive to fight the black tide.


    In his heart, he was more inclined to set off with the spaceship. It was equivalent to keeping a spark alive for human civilization.


    As for the spiritual figure, it would stay on the blue planet. If it could defeat the black tide, the spaceship could turn around and return at any time.


    If the enemy from the black tide was too powerful, when the spiritual figure revived from his consciousness, he could also adapt to the situation at that time.


    He could choose to let the figure in his mind fight its way back to the blue planet, or he could choose for it to go to the unknown planet together.


    At some point, the sound of fighting in the snow from a distance interrupted Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts.


    A mutant human was being chased by a seven-man team.


    This human¡¯s lower body had completely mutated. His legs had already disappeared and were replaced by dozens of spider legs.


    The seven-man team was led by a young woman. They were all wearing the same combat uniform, and the word ¡°Chen¡± was engraved on the sleeve on their shoulders, indicating that they were part of the Chen corporation.


    ¡°Are they chasing after the humans who were affected by the black tide?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and his gaze landed on the mutant.


    At this point, the truth about the mutant humans had already been figured out. This involved their faith and negative emotions.


    To put it simply, those who were affected by the deeds of the black tide and were constantly in a state of fear, panic and nervousness, and were facing a mental breakdown.


    At this moment, if one thought of the black tide as gods and other existences that could save the world, they could secretly communicate with the mysterious existence and hear whispers in a language that they could not understand.


    As for the parts of the body that had undergone mutation, there was no consensus for the time being. At the moment, it was believed to be related to what one was thinking the moment before the mutation.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk!¡±


    For some reason, the mutant human suddenly revealed an evil smile and charged at Chen Yiming.


    From the looks of it, it had the intention to take him hostage and cause trouble for the pursuit team so that it could find an opportunity to escape.


    ¡°Not good! Let¡¯s stop the mutant human together.¡±


    Seeing this, a man in the team reminded the others loudly.


    In the same realm, mutant humans were generally stronger than ordinary humans. Not only did they have all kinds of strange abilities, but their attack attributes were also extremely terrifying.


    In battle, the mutant humans who had handed over their faith to the black tide would no longer be affected by the negative emotions.


    It could almost be described as having one¡¯s pain receptors temporarily blocked. The more it fought, the more excited it became. It was not afraid of getting injured or dying.


    Therefore, even warriors who had mastered the crystal meditation technique often needed to work in groups to surround and kill a mutant human.


    However, at this moment, with the mutant human on high alert, it was too late for the seven-man team to surround it at the last minute. They could only watch helplessly as the mutant human successfully charged out of their formation.


    In the next moment, something shocking happened.


    As the mutant human quickly approached, it was suddenly shattered into countless black dots that gradually dissipated in the air.


    ¡°Uh¡­ this is?¡±


    Other than the young woman leading the team, the others had looks of disbelief on their faces. They had yet to see what had happened.


    ¡­


    In the snow-covered forest, Chen Yiming glanced at the six people walking away. In front of him was the young woman who led the team.


    Shen Jia was the receptionist who had handled the procedures when Chen Yiming registered for the Mantis Snake Sword School.


    After that, when he established his own faction, due to a shortage of manpower in the early stages, he personally invited the other party to join his faction.


    Chen Yiming was also a little surprised. At some point, an ordinary woman had become a warrior. Furthermore, she was quite strong and had the ability to lead a team of warriors.


    ¡°Long time no see!¡±


    Shen Jia¡¯s face was filled with surprise and confusion. When she spoke, she was almost tongue-tied.


    In an instant, a few images flashed across her mind. Although there were not many of them, they seemed to be engraved in her soul. They were still fresh in her mind even after a long time.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for two years and you¡¯ve changed a lot. Now, you can lead a team of warriors,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    The number of warriors in Jiangnan province was still increasing rapidly, and their status had fallen to that of warrior candidates from about two years ago. Even so, it was enough to motivate them to go from being ordinary people to warriors.


    ¡°I was lucky to have met you. Otherwise, I might still be sitting at the reception desk of the Mantis Snake Sword School. Oh, no, now that the Mantis Snake Sword School doesn¡¯t accept ordinary trainees, I might have been fired long ago,¡± Shen Jia replied with a bright smile.


    At the start of the era of warriors, among the adults, those who would benefit more were only those who had a good foundation as apprentices under warriors. The youths were the ones who would benefit the most.


    The martial arts cultivation environment of the new generation was far from what it was in the past.


    Under normal circumstances, a beauty like Shen Jia would only be able to envy others. No martial arts faction would give resources to ordinary people above the age of 20.


    However, as one of the founding employees of the Chen corporation, and one that Chen Yiming had personally hired, the situation was different. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she had soared into the sky.


    The various martial arts resources that ordinary people could not hope for were offered to her without needing any reason. She could use them however she wanted.


    Time quickly passed by.


    After the conversation started, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.


    After a brief chat, Chen Yiming bade Shen Jia farewell and disappeared into the snow.


    To him, this was just a small incident. He recalled bits and pieces from the past.


    Not long after, the other six members of the team returned. Shen Jia was still staring blankly in the direction Chen Yiming had left in.


    ¡°Boss, who is he?¡± one of the male team members asked curiously.


    His eyes flickered, as if to indicate that there was something going on between them.


    ¡°Tell us! Tell us!¡±


    The other five had similar thoughts, and the flames of gossip burned brightly.


    It had to be known that Shen Jia was usually very cold. She had countless suitors such as martial arts experts and outstanding people from the second generation, but they were all rejected.


    Shen Jia came back to her senses and glared at her subordinates. ¡°Take a look at the sign on your shoulder. That¡¯s your real big boss.¡±


    ¡°Boss, are you kidding me?¡±


    The few of them subconsciously thought that she was lying to them.


    Thinking about it carefully, Shen Jia¡¯s words were indeed true. The mutant human had been shattered into pieces through the air. In the warrior realm, even those at the peak could not reach this level.


    If a warrior could not do it, then he could only be a martial master. However, the martial masters of the Daxia Kingdom could not even do so much. There was no need to guess who it was.


    ¡­


    At home, Father Chen had gone out and was not at home.


    Mother Chen and Chen Yingying were sitting on the sofa watching television.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not slacking off. I¡¯m paying attention to the country¡¯s matters while I cultivate.¡±


    Seeing Chen Yiming¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, Chen Yingying quickly explained.


    At this moment, a beautiful woman was hosting an interview with a middle-aged man wearing a hard hat.


    While the camera was focused on the two of them, a fighter jet filled with a futuristic aura was shown in the distance.


    The beautiful announcer and the middle-aged man introduced the fighter jet to the audience.


    The fighter jets were different from any previous generation. They used the latest alien alloy materials from the laboratory. He briefly mentioned this and did not go any further.


    In addition, the power system of the fighter jet was also brand new. The middle-aged man called it rune technology, an invention that transcended the times.


    Chen Yiming knew more about this. The source of the rune technology was the fragments of the supernatural weapons he had brought back.


    When a researcher was studying it, he accidentally discovered a set of mysterious symbols arranged in hundreds of fragments.


    Some time ago, Chen Yiming had been asked to help separate the fragments of the mysterious symbols.


    Then, the middle-aged man emphasized to the audience that this futuristic fighter jet was not used on the blue planet, but for operations in space. It was about to make its first flight.


    The underlying meaning was meant for the other countries. The Daxia Kingdom had no intention of dominating the world, so they did not need to be worried.


    The truth was that this impressive fighter jet was only a transport shuttle for the spaceship.


    The main reason was that the overall performance of the fighter jets was extremely unbalanced. They were mostly formed from the technology on the blue planet and only had a small number of materials taken from the extraordinary weapons.


    At the moment, only its power could meet the requirements outlined by the rune technology.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze.


    In the face of the threat of destruction, the Daxia Kingdom was doing its best to prepare a plan to save the human civilization.


    The internal strife in the past was put aside, and they worked together unconditionally. Their efficiency was unprecedented.


    In such a situation, new results were produced almost every day. One difficulty after another was overcome by the power of the entire country.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s rare for you to come home. Did you bring me a gift?¡± Chen Yingying suddenly asked.


    A gift?


    It wasn¡¯t her birthday, so why should he give her a gift?


    Chen Yiming frowned, not knowing what his sister wanted.


    ¡°That¡­ that¡­ I heard that there are still some extraordinary weapons that are intact,¡± Chen Yingying stammered.


    So she wanted to see the extraordinary weapons.


    She could just say it directly.


    Chen Yiming took out three small items from his pocket and placed them on the table. There was a small sword less than a palm¡¯s length, a flail the length of a finger, and a shield the size of a palm.


    ¡°Brother, are you using toys to trick me?¡± Chen Yingying asked as she picked them up and looked them over.


    The mysterious symbols on the surface were so dense that they were almost stacked together, and it was impossible to distinguish them.


    ¡°How¡¯s your cultivation progress recently? Have you improved a lot? When can you materialize your spiritual power?¡± Chen Yiming asked three consecutive questions.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s expression froze, and the small shield in her hand almost fell off.


    She truly regretted the arrogance she had displayed when she blurted out those words. The higher her cultivation level, the more she felt like she was stopped by an invisible barrier. Recently, her cultivation progress had almost stopped.


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes and continued, ¡°The minimum requirement for controlling an extraordinary weapon is to be able to use materialized spiritual power. Otherwise, it¡¯s not much different from a toy in your hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work hard!¡± Chen Yingying nodded and whispered.


    Chen Yiming nodded and put the three weapons back into his pocket. He then said, ¡°When you complete the cultivation of your spiritual power, come and find me. You can choose one of the three. Sword, flail, or shield.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It was as if a car that was about to run out of gas was suddenly filled with fuel again. An urge to immediately go and cultivate surged in her heart.


    ¡­


    In an unknown sea in the otherworld, a terrifying lightning storm was raging on the surface. Red forked lightning struck down onto an area with a radius of 500 kilometers, causing countless lightning dragons to seem to be rolling on the surface of the sea.


    Day and night passed, and the lightning storm calmed down and left the area.


    A small black dot appeared on the endless sea.


    This was a lifeless island that was covered by a transparent dome. Black tentacles grew out of the edge of the island. Occasionally, sea monsters passing by at the bottom of the sea would sense the black tentacles and immediately leave.


    The island was a forbidden area in the dark forest. It had once left behind terrifying memories for the creatures in the surrounding sea.


    Other than the sacrificial ground in the middle of the island, there was only the purple liquid on the ground. There were no other living creatures on the surface.


    At this moment, the purple liquid seemed to have come alive and was slowly wriggling like it was alive.


    On the altar at the sacrificial ground, a stone platform dozens of meters tall was activated. The dense mysterious symbols on the surface were also activated.


    Not long after, a terrifying aura gradually appeared in the air. It was even more oppressive than the lightning storm that had just passed through.


    The black tentacles at the edge of the island also suddenly transformed. They became thicker and longer, until they reached the bottom of the sea. They were like super-large jellyfish floating in the sea.


    When the powerful aura reached its peak, a black light soared into the sky from the stone platform, dyeing the sky above the sea black. The surface of the sea immediately turned from day to night, as if it had fallen into an abyss.


    Then, an eyeball several kilometers wide appeared in the clouds.


    A terrifying spiritual storm spread out in all directions. Along the way, countless creatures from the otherworld died on the spot.


    After they died, their corpses were attacked by the black energy, and shadow monsters crawled out.


    There were four-legged creatures, some with wings, some with legs that could walk, and other strange and ugly creatures.


    After about 10 minutes, the eyeball retracted its spiritual storm. It turned its gaze back to the island and shot out a spear surrounded by black lightning.


    The spear fell from the sky and stabbed into the stone platform.


    The black lightning on the surface gradually turned into mysterious symbols and disappeared. The purple liquid on the ground slowly covered the spear. At this moment, it was impossible to tell that it was a spear.


    Finally, as if the eyeball had achieved its goal, the terrifying pressure began to weaken.


    It looked at the sky above the island, and the darkness faded and light descended again. The eyeball quickly disappeared. If one did not see it with their own eyes, it was difficult to imagine that such a change had happened in the sea.

 Chapter 343 - Attack from the Behemoth

    It was evening.


    Since Chen Yiming came back for once in a long while, Mother Chen put on her apron and cooked a big meal.


    Before long, the dining table was filled with all kinds of home-cooked food. There were more than 10 dishes in total, and they all contained meat and vegetables. The dishes looked, smelled, and tasted good.


    At this moment, a call came in. It was from Father Chen.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°I have something to do tonight, so I have to go back late.¡±


    ¡°Working overtime again?¡±


    ¡­


    Mother Chen picked up her phone and said a few words to Father Chen. After hanging up, her expression did not look too good.


    Chen Yiming, who had sharp ears, heard their conversation clearly. The second industrial base for the space plan was trying its best to overcome a certain technology and was at a critical moment. Dawn was just around the corner.


    As the leader, Father Chen took the initiative to lead by example and work overtime with everyone in the base.


    A few months ago, after the space plan was finalized, the Daxia Kingdom chose a suitable city in the north, south, east and west within a week.


    With the investment from the entire country, nine industrial bases were established, and each was in charge of a portion of the spaceship.


    The first industrial base was located in Jiangnan City. East Lake City had used its special status to establish the second industrial base.


    Father Chen was invited to be the head of the base and oversee the matters at the second industrial base.


    Of course, this was only a title. The head was in charge of the overall strategy, but there were also many experts gathered there, and the technical matters were dealt with by professionals.


    ¡­


    At dinnertime, Mother Chen kept heaping food onto his plate.


    The bowl in front of Chen Yiming was filled with food, but it was quickly finished.


    Moreover, as he ate, he casually helped Chen Yingying with the problems she had encountered during her cultivation.


    Possessing internal force was only the beginning of the path to becoming a supernatural being. As one progressed deeper into the warrior realm, on the surface, one¡¯s internal force would still remain the same.


    However, the quality of the internal force was already different. The difference in forms and the rejection between different types of internal force greatly increased the difficulty of controlling it.


    Unless one¡¯s spiritual talent was outstanding, there were no shortcuts in the warrior realm. One needed to take one step at a time, going from easy to difficult stages, to complete the entire process.


    Chen Yingying suddenly changed the topic and asked, ¡°What are the requirements to buy the tickets?¡±


    The ¡®ticket¡¯ he was referring to was for boarding the spaceship in the space plan.


    Other than the elites among the warriors and the experts from various industries who could confirm that there was a high chance that they would board the ship, the rest was still a mystery.


    ¡°Buy it? Where did you hear that?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°Uh, a classmate asked me about it, but I didn¡¯t know how to answer,¡± Chen Yingying explained.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°It¡¯s still early for the matters regarding the spaceship. Be patient and wait for the news. Everyone has a chance.¡±


    The goal of the space plan was not to take away all the elites of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Instead, it was to preserve the structure of human society from top to bottom and ensure that human civilization could be quickly restored after the spacecraft arrived on a new planet.


    In reality, there was no such thing as purchasing the tickets. They would all be decided before they set off.


    Of course, if a certain person was unwilling to leave the blue planet, the spot would be taken away and someone of the same status would replace him.


    Mother Chen glared at Chen Yingying. ¡°Don¡¯t leak such confidential information.¡±


    Chen Yingying quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just asking. I know what to do.¡±


    Of course, she knew that this was no small matter. It involved the overall arrangements of the Daxia Kingdom, so she could not say anything rash.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, Father Chen finally dragged his tired body home.


    Fortunately, he had been using the miracle blood to nourish his body for a long time. Father Chen had also started to practice some techniques to improve his health. As long as he did not overwork his body for a prolonged period, it was not a big deal.


    Chen Yiming talked to Father Chen and instructed him to take care of his body.


    There was something that was hard to say. Father Chen was not an expert, nor was he a strategic leader.


    The main reason why he was the head of the second industrial base was because East Lake City wanted to maintain close ties with Chen Yiming.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming left home and headed to the provincial biological research institute.


    After both of his talents were enhanced and he broke through to the inscription realm, he had relied on his terrifying recovery ability to cut off a small piece of the 10,000-meter-long corpse¡¯s finger.


    With the development of the miracle blood, and him providing this finger for their research, he hoped that there would be a huge research breakthrough soon.


    ¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the effect of the graft?¡±


    ¡°After the wound on the finger healed, the blood vessels growing out of the ball of flesh were directly broken. We tried many methods, including using fragments of the extraordinary weapons to help, but the effect was not ideal.¡±


    ¡°I see! I didn¡¯t expect a small part of the finger to still have such power.¡±


    ¡°We analyzed the cells of the finger and the ball of flesh. The result was that the difference in level was too great. Without external aid, the ball of flesh could not absorb any energy from the finger.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded with a serious expression.


    After he entered the research institute, he bumped into Wu Susu, who had been working all night and had just come out to take a breather.


    The quick-witted Chen Yiming immediately steered the topic back to the research progress.


    As expected, Wu Susu had completely entered the state of a researcher and didn¡¯t have the chance to talk about anything else. The matter of Chen Yiming seeing her spiritual form was glossed over just like that.


    Before long, Chen Yiming and Wu Susu arrived at a special independent building behind the laboratory building.


    The part of the finger of the 10,000-meter-long corpse he had provided was nearly 30 meters long. There was no suitable spot for it in the original laboratory building.


    This special independent building was 50 meters tall. Tall and thick shelves held the ¡®finger¡¯ up.


    As soon as they entered, a group of experts and professors with dark eye circles turned around in unison.


    After recognizing Chen Yiming, their eyes lit up. They hadn¡¯t been able to do anything about the finger on their own.


    The institute head, Wu Weiguo, walked over quickly, looking like he was troubled by something.


    Chen Yiming sized up the current situation between the finger and the ball of flesh.


    The mysterious symbols at the cross-section of the ¡®finger¡¯ seemed to be connected to each other, extending out from the flesh inside in the form of chains.


    At the moment, although the mysterious symbols were silent, they still protected the original wound tightly. It was like a seal formed by chains, and the blood vessels of the ball of flesh could not enter at all.


    Wu Weiguo said, ¡°By relying on the blood collected before the wound on the finger healed, the miracle blood transformed from the ball of flesh has created a special unit of 10,000 bloodline warriors.¡±


    ¡°10,000 people?¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. It was similar to what he had expected.


    If they squeezed out all that they could from this small finger immediately, they might be able to use it to transform millions of people into bloodline warriors.


    Of course, the level of the ball of flesh was limited, and the speed at which the miracle blood was produced would definitely not be able to keep up with the finger¡¯s recovery speed. Therefore, in theory, humans could rely on the small piece of their finger to continuously obtain the miracle blood.


    Next, his gaze landed on the mysterious symbols on the chain.


    At the moment, the obstacle in the production of the miracle blood was these mysterious symbols. Even though it had died, it could still turn the mysterious symbols into tools at will.


    Neither Chen Yiming nor the spiritual figure could do this.


    He walked over to the chains and grabbed them, then tried to pull them apart.


    The chains formed by the mysterious symbols suddenly shrank back into its flesh, revealing the wound on the finger.


    ¡°Is it instinctively afraid of me?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow. He could only think so.


    Back then, he had used his body to forcefully withstand his opponent¡¯s passive counterattack. He had then taken the opportunity to use the sword formed by the spiritual figure to slash open a huge wound.


    After failing to counterattack once, it tried a second time.


    However, Chen Yiming only spat out a mouthful of blood. During its counterattack, he had slashed at the wound again, causing it to widen.


    In the end, he relied on such a simple method to cut off a small piece of its finger by slashing at the same spot again and again.


    After that, he confirmed the truth. When this 10,000-meter-long corpse was alive, it had really sealed away something related to the black tide.


    This was because after killing the ghosts formed by the black blood, no more black blood seeped out from the ¡®finger¡¯, revealing normal bright red flesh.


    ¡°Take the blood!¡± Chen Yiming turned around and said calmly.


    At the moment, this small piece of finger had a subconscious ability to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. It also knew how to protect itself. They could only rely on him coming down every once in a while to get the blood from it.


    Seeing this, the experts and professors quickly took action.


    ¡­


    In the human stronghold in the otherworld, industries based on the loot from the creatures from the otherworld, such as processing plants, weapons manufacturing facilities and so on were established around the stronghold like bamboo shoots after a rain.


    This was not like the modern factories on the human blue planet. Instead, they relied purely on manpower to split the corpses of the creatures from the otherworld and make full use of the various materials.


    At this time, the stronghold was a lively place.


    Countless human warriors used the stronghold as a transit point and moved around in the range of more than 1,000 kilometers around it, hunting creatures from the otherworld and bringing them back to the stronghold.


    This was a positive feedback cycle. As time passed, the influence of humans in the otherworld would increase.


    However, at this moment, an extremely oppressive aura spread over from the distant sky. All the human warriors¡¯ scalps instantly turned numb and their hair stood on end.


    It was as if the heavens were watching them. At that moment, their hearts seemed to have stopped beating. Whether they lived or died was completely up to their opponent.


    All the sounds in the entire human stronghold instantly disappeared. There was a dead silence, and there was only the sound of some things or people falling to the ground.


    About 10 minutes later, the oppressive aura disappeared.


    ¡°What was that just now?¡±


    ¡°I think it might be a natural disaster in the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the arrival of the ¡®black tide¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No way. Isn¡¯t it said that the ¡®black tide¡¯ comes from outer space?¡±


    ¡­


    The human warriors outside the stronghold heaved a sigh of relief and started to communicate with each other.


    At the same time, the humans quickly retreated to the vicinity of the stronghold. They were all worried that something had happened in the otherworld.


    If they were near the space-travel passage, they could retreat to the blue planet quickly.


    A few hours later, suddenly, a row of dense black dots appeared from afar, causing the entire stronghold to shake slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a giant beast! A behemoth!¡±


    A human bloodline warrior who had a vision-related ability shouted, his face filled with fear.


    Ever since the news of the ¡®black tide¡¯ was made public, it was no longer a rare thing to see mutant creatures, including mutant humans. At the moment, various cities had organized special teams to hunt them.


    However, this was the first time such a thing had happened in the otherworld. It had to be known that the creatures from the otherworld were not like the mutant beasts in the Daxia Kingdom, where there were no powerful creatures.


    ¡°Really! Hurry and report it to the military.¡±


    Someone confirmed it then ran into the stronghold.


    This was not something that ordinary martial artists could deal with. Looking at the number of black dots on the horizon, it seemed like they were going to flatten the human stronghold.


    ¡­


    Wu Susu followed Chen Yiming out of the laboratory building.


    He suddenly stopped in his tracks, feeling inexplicably frustrated. He had a feeling that something bad had happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Susu asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just suddenly recalled some things from the past.¡±


    Chen Yiming found an excuse to brush it off.


    Soon, the conversation turned to the cultivation of spiritual power. Wu Susu had awakened a special ability similar to that of a bloodline warrior, which she temporarily called telekinesis.


    After hearing her description, Chen Yiming had to admit that this ¡®spiritual power¡¯ was a little special.


    After a little practice, the weight that Wu Susu could lift with this ¡®spiritual power¡¯ had rapidly increased. At the moment, it could allow her to fight someone who was a level higher than her.


    ¡°Another genius like Feng Wuji, and she was delayed for more than 10 years.¡±


    Chen Yiming could only sigh in his heart.


    Wu Susu¡¯s main focus was still on scientific research. She only took some time off to cultivate so that she could master the transformation of her internal force.


    If she focused mainly on her cultivation, in the past few months, she might have already broken through to the half-step master realm like Feng Wuji.


    At this moment, a call was made to the provincial biological research institute. After Wu Weiguo hung up, he rushed out of the laboratory building, interrupting Chen Yiming and Wu Susu¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°A behemoth is attacking?¡±


    ¡°The black tide has descended?¡±


    Hearing the urgent news from Wu Weiguo, Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Less than a quarter of a year had passed, and the space plan was far from completed.


    Now, they could barely resolve the problem of the power system by relying on the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.


    However, if they rashly set off for a new planet after resolving only the issue of the power system, there was a 99% chance that they would fail.


    For the space plan, it was estimated that it would take at least a year to make the preparations to head to a new planet. If they had three years, they would have full confidence that they could reach the new planet.


    Thinking of this, he felt frustrated.


    If the black tide really descended, the only thing he could feel a little lucky about was that it did not descend directly on the blue planet, but from a certain place in the otherworld.


    In other words, the shadow mouth on the moon was not a medium for its descent, but a powerful special weapon.


    ¡°Using battle to stall for time seems to be the only way to deal with this.¡±


    Chen Yiming, who was deep in thought, quickly made a plan.


    He needed to control the battle with the black tide as much as possible in the otherworld, and drag it out for at least half a year to ensure that the initial stages of the space plan were completed.


    At that time, no matter the final outcome, there would be a way out.


    In fact, even if he lost, he could just go to a new planet and stay there for the time being and increase his talent level before charging back.


    This was the confidence of someone who had the martial arts talent system. As long as he did not die, he would be able to return and obtain victory one day.

 Chapter 344 - Temptation of the Spaceship Ticket

    Back at the human stronghold in the otherworld, Chen Yiming stood in the midair and looked down at the behemoth attacking from the horizon. Below him was the human stronghold. The military¡¯s martial arts experts were patrolling the streets to maintain basic order.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a giant beast that has mutated.¡±


    His eyes narrowed and flashed.


    With his powerful vision, he seemed to have turned into an all-seeing eye that crossed the distance between them and arrived near the behemoth.


    In the inscription realm, the mysterious symbols acted as a medium. The connection between one¡¯s spiritual power and the power of nature was closer, more intimate, and simpler. One could easily project their will to an extremely far place.


    After personally experiencing the power of a new realm, the phrase ¡°becoming a saint¡± suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    Warriors and martial masters were the final categories of the martial arts path that humans had explored. They were the end point of the martial arts realms that humans could determine.


    ¡°Extraordinary¡± was usually used to describe humans who had mastered the internal force, which separated them from ordinary people.


    At the level of the inscription realm, one¡¯s powerful abilities were no longer simply categorized as extraordinary. Instead, one had stepped into a brand new domain, becoming a saint.


    This was similar to the Western gods and eastern immortals who looked down on the human world in myths and legends. The mysterious symbols tied the mind and body closely to the power of nature.


    Natural disasters such as lightning storms, huge typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and even nuclear weapons and laser weapons, were not much different from insect bites for creatures in the inscription realm.


    Facing the incoming black tide, Chen Yiming used a trace of his spiritual power to transform into a small figure and enter the space in the mysterious ring.


    Unlike the last time he entered, the moment he entered this time, something in the space in the ring seemed to have triggered and automatically activated.


    The inner wall lit up with a golden light, turning the entire space golden. At the same time, a large number of strange runes appeared, covering the entire inner wall.


    ¡°The runes might be an advanced form of the mysterious symbols.¡±


    From a different height, what he saw, thought of, and comprehended were completely different.


    Combining the scene when he entered the space in the ring this time with the scene inside the 10,000-meter-long corpse, the path of martial arts ahead of him became even clearer.


    At the same time, he felt a faint sense of rejection. If he dared to make a move here, he might be killed or expelled from the space.


    His gaze landed on the female spirit in the middle of the fog. She was curled up into a ball and surrounded by wisps of invisible aura, as if she was sleeping or accumulating her strength.


    From the looks of it, the female spirit must have sensed something in advance.


    ¡°What should we do? The black tide has really arrived!¡±


    Chen Yiming sent a thought at the other party.


    However, something awkward happened again. The female spirit did not respond and remained motionless.


    One minute, three minutes, ten minutes¡­


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to leave the ring, he received a response from the female spirit.


    ¡°Harvesting the negative emotions of living beings? Guiding the black tide to conquer this part of the galaxy?¡±


    The information revealed by the female spirit was different from what Chen Yiming had expected.


    Clearly, the true arrival of the black tide was not so simple. There were certain prerequisites.


    These prerequisites were related to the negative emotions of living creatures. Perhaps it was the unique way for the black tide to cross through space, and not a method that was understood at a glance like the space-travel passages.


    At the same time, the actions of the behemoth were easy to understand. It was not targeting the human stronghold, but the entire dark forest.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming retracted his figure and took a step forward. In the blink of an eye, he appeared at the end of the horizon and transformed into a 1,000-meter-tall giant.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The millions of behemoths stopped in their tracks and roared at the incoming giant. Their roars shook the clouds and created a terrifying invisible storm.


    If it was another human warrior or even a martial master, they would surely be devoured by this number of behemoths.


    At this moment, the mutated head, huge arms, and fur all became full of life and aimed at the giant that was descending from the sky.


    ¡°Too weak.¡±


    The giant sighed in pity.


    Once upon a time, the enemies Chen Yiming faced were often of a higher level and larger than him. However, he was the one who was stronger now.


    Among the behemoths that were attacking, no one could match his size.


    What happened next was a massacre.


    With just one punch and one kick from the giant, thousands of behemoths were killed. At the same time, a large amount of black aura surged out.


    The attack power of the black aura was extremely strong. Ordinary creatures would die if they touched it and would be transformed into mutant creatures.


    However, even after it accumulated to the extent that the black aura spanned hundreds of kilometers and enveloped the entire battlefield, it could not do anything to the giant.


    More than half an hour later, the battlefield suddenly fell silent. The behemoths had been completely wiped out, leaving behind only a 1,000-meter-tall giant and a black aura that dyed the entire sky black.


    ¡°These are all Skill Points for upgrading my swordsmanship talent!¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and summoned the spiritual figure.


    The black aura emitted after killing one behemoth was completely inadequate. However, it was different when there were millions of them.


    No matter how small a mosquito was, it was still food. With a large number of them, the upgrading of his swordsmanship talent was just around the corner.


    Another half an hour passed.


    The black aura on the battlefield was completely wiped out by the Sword Aura, revealing numerous bottomless holes on the battlefield. These were due to the aftershock of the giant¡¯s attack.


    ¡­


    In the suburbs of the capital, in an underground base more than 100 meters deep in the ground.


    This was the office of the highest military council in the Daxia Kingdom. It was the command center for wars at the national level. The reason why it was set up deep underground was to prevent any accidents.


    At this moment, the few people with the highest authority in the Daxia Kingdom were gathered in the underground base, including the politicians and the military.


    Among them, not only was the martial master, Elder Zhang, present, but the martial master, Elder Huang, who was in charge of the security of the north was also present.


    Elder Huang was wearing a loose training robe. If one did not look at his face, they would have thought that he was a middle-aged man.


    ¡°¡­This is what happened. The conditions for the arrival of the black tide have yet to be met. The behemoths are not only targeting our stronghold, but also causing panic in the otherworld.¡±


    Chen Yiming revealed the truth.


    The space plan could not be delayed any longer. There was nothing to hide in such an emergency situation. It could only be completed with the help of the entire Daxia Kingdom.


    The underground base was silent. The top leaders were so shocked that they found it difficult to breathe.


    Half a day ago, the behemoths had attacked the human stronghold. Their terrifying numbers had already caused the highest military council to be worried.


    This was because everyone already knew that the ¡®black tide¡¯ came from outer space. They naturally thought that even the strongest human, Chen Yiming, would not be able to withstand the arrival of the black tide.


    With the current progress of the space plan, which was only half completed, once the behemoths entered the blue planet through the space-travel passage, the Daxia Kingdom would be the first to suffer. They might even have no way to retreat.


    When they thought about the scene of the battlefield in the Daxia Kingdom, they shuddered.


    But now, he was actually saying that the terrifying army of behemoths were just pawns serving the black tide. How could they not feel despair?


    If not for the fact that the behemoth army had been completely wiped out by Chen Yiming, if the confidence of the humans had been destroyed, the space plan would have been forced to be carried out in advance.


    ¡°Since the behemoths caused chaos in the otherworld, and this is only the prelude to the arrival of the black tide, should we modify the space plan and launch small spaceships in advance to investigate the few planets that may be able to support life?¡±


    In the silence, the highest-ranking leader in charge of government affairs asked.


    Before today, no one knew when the black tide would descend.


    Was it a year? Or two years? Or three to five years?


    The space plan naturally required sufficient preparations to be made. They estimated that it would take them three years to build a more advanced spaceship.


    Regarding the choice of the destination planet, there were originally no plans to launch small spaceships in advance. Instead, all the resources were invested in a single large spaceship.


    On the day the spacecraft was launched, they would set off along the predetermined route in space. The route would pass by all the planets that may be able to support life, and humans would settle on any suitable planet.


    ¡°With the current resources, it¡¯s very difficult to build a single spaceship. I think we should observe the developments in the otherworld and make some last-minute adjustments if necessary,¡± Chen Yiming replied after some thought.


    The reason why he planned to observe the situation was not really because he wanted to sit back and wait. There was a deeper reason for this.


    According to the information he had obtained from the female spirit, a certain condition was needed to welcome the arrival of the black tide. Although it was temporarily unknown how much negative emotions the creatures from the otherworld needed to accumulate,


    it wasn¡¯t that Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t create an obstacle for the black tide or delay its arrival. The key was the spiritual figure that could be revived without fear of death.


    After he spoke, from the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, they didn¡¯t agree with Chen Yiming¡¯s words.


    The difference was that the others believed that the behemoths that affected the entire otherworld could not be stopped. To the humans, this was just the beginning of the arrival of the black tide. It was just a matter of time before they actually arrived.


    At this time, taking a risk was nothing. They should respect the principle of not putting all their eggs in one basket.


    This concept of sharing the risk had been proven by countless historical lessons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Just as the atmosphere froze, Elder Huang suddenly agreed and gave Chen Yiming his full support.


    ¡°I agree too.¡±


    Elder Zhang also voiced his support for Chen Yiming.


    When it came to the direction of overall strategy, his age was always an unconvincing point. Such matters involved experience that had to be accumulated over time, not his individual strength.


    The opinions of the two martial masters carried a lot of weight. It was a form of trust brought about by the fact that they had protected the Daxia Kingdom from the north and south for decades. It was far from what Chen Yiming, who had just risen to power, could compare to, even if he was stronger than everyone on the blue planet combined.


    Just like that, with the support of Elder Zhang and Elder Huang, the highest-ranking leaders of the Daxia Kingdom reached a consensus to continue the space plan according to the original plan.


    ¡­


    After leaving the underground base, Chen Yiming wandered around the capital.


    Even though Jiangnan province had risen quickly and was even given the name of the ¡°land of the elite¡±, the capital of the Daxia Kingdom still maintained its most special status.


    This place had something in common with Jiangnan province. The housing prices were sky-high, and the price of cultivation resources was high. There was a lot of pressure on those who were not locals or warriors.


    For example, a student who scored well would be admitted to a university in the capital from another province.


    After graduation, unless one met the standards of a ¡°talent¡± in a scientific research field, it was very difficult for most people to find a job in the capital that could support them.


    Another example was a young genius with martial arts talent who had transferred to a school in the capital. He had studied and practiced martial arts, and had tried both paths.


    However, the financial pressure of daily cultivation here was many times that of most places. Without strong financial support, he would not be able to withstand it.


    On the whole, no matter how tense the atmosphere was outside, the atmosphere in the capital was relatively peaceful. The people lived and worked in peace, and the entertainment venues on the street were lively.


    On the street, a man and a woman walked slowly side by side, chatting in low voices from time to time.


    Their conversation and the large belly of the pregnant woman attracted Chen Yiming¡¯s attention.


    As everyone knew, the first time Chen Yiming was placed in the limelight was after the battle in Japan with the barbarian sorcerer.


    These two people were from the Sam Nation and were experts in one area or another.


    The man was employed by a microelectronics research institute and was an expert in the field of communication. The woman was employed by a research institute and was an expert in the field of biological materials.


    Secretly, the two of them were also top intelligence agents from the Sam Nation.


    However, their thoughts had changed. They had rejected the request for information from the Sam Nation for various reasons.


    ¡°Anna! Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Living well is the right choice.¡± William sighed, his face full of bitterness.


    ¡°William, I¡¯m sorry. I really need a ticket for the spaceship, but¡­¡± Anna quickly explained in a low voice. At the same time, the corners of her eyes were wet. Her reason was very flimsy.


    ¡°I know. I can understand that. Isn¡¯t it the same for me?¡± William shook his head and let out a long breath. He seemed to feel much more relaxed.


    ¡°Are you doing well now? How did she treat you?¡± Anna wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked curiously.


    At the mention of this, a smile appeared on William¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s alright. She supports my work wholeheartedly. I can eat delicious food every day when I go home.¡±


    After hearing this, he wanted to say that she was pregnant just like Anna, but in the end, he did not say anything.


    After all, one had to look forward. William was a good man with a good character, so he naturally wanted the best for everyone.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and re-evaluated the temptation of the spaceship tickets.


    In the Sam Nation, the man and woman were not only top geniuses of the younger generation in the scientific research field, but also a couple.


    But now, the man was married to a woman from the Daxia Kingdom, and the woman was married to a man from the Daxia Kingdom.


    The reason was that the situation on the blue planet was getting worse. Other than the Daxia Kingdom, there was no other relatively stable environment outside.


    Other countries could not even resolve the problem of the mutant beasts, let alone deal with the pressure of the black tide. This was enough to influence the choice of most people.


    The man and woman could join the research institute as foreigners and be in charge of a portion of the important research, so they were naturally extremely calm.


    Both of them thought that heading to a new planet was the best path for humans. Therefore, they chose to give in to reality and rely on their outstanding scientific abilities to secure a ticket to board the spaceship.


    To put it bluntly, they felt that the situation on the blue planet was completely hopeless.

 Chapter 345 - First Auction of the Miracle Blood

    ¡°The highest-ranking leader is attending the launch of the New Era experimental ship from the Bohai Bay Shipbuilding Base. Tens of thousands of naval warriors have lined up and saluted, announcing that the space plan has officially entered the next stage.¡±


    ¡°The Jiangnan biological research institute has released an announcement that the miracle blood will be released to the public without restrictions. The era of martial arts practitioners is expected to arrive early. Those who want to buy it, please pay attention to the local government¡¯s announcement.¡±


    ¡°Jiangnan base city is holding a ceremony. Nine troops of 10,000 warriors and a troop of 1,000 elite warriors carrying extraordinary weapons have sworn to protect the human territory in the otherworld.¡±


    After the behemoths that had attacked the human stronghold were completely wiped out, news that shocked the entire blue planet was quickly announced one after another.


    Of course, due to the obstacle of the wilderness, as long as there were no reports or only selected reports, most of the citizens only had some impression of the situation overseas.


    With this, the rumors about the destruction of the world were immediately suppressed. The people¡¯s hearts were greatly appeased.


    Chen Yiming pressed the button on the remote control, and the scene on the television screen flashed past. He turned around and saw Feng Wuji who had come to visit.


    His spiritual power was abnormally active. The crystal shadow even automatically projected a corner of it in the real world. However, it was still a little short of qualitative change. It had accumulated enough power, but there was not enough pressure.


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Is the cleanup of the mutant creatures in the southwest provinces over?¡±


    Feng Wuji walked over and sat down. He nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t encounter any mutant beasts that were on par with my level. The crystal shadow talent has yet to undergo its transformation.¡±


    Towards the end, his face clearly revealed his frustration, disappointment, anxiety, and so on.


    After all, he had thought that he could use this opportunity to break through the bottleneck in his cultivation and become the fourth martial master in the Daxia Kingdom to help shoulder the heavy responsibility at the critical moment when the black tide descended.


    However, things did not go as expected.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze.


    He recalled that Chen Yingying had also been in a similar cultivation situation at that time. After her rapid improvement, she was suddenly stuck. At that time, she could not accept the difference in reality and her expectations.


    ¡°Go to the otherworld!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Go to the otherworld and fight the behemoths.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his hand to interrupt Feng Wuji. He knew what he was trying to say.


    The crystal shadow was the blueprint for the crystal meditation technique. It no longer involved just Feng Wuji, but was an important part of the plan to make all the citizens into martial arts practitioners.


    Therefore, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t the only one who was secretly helping him. The higher-ups were also secretly cooperating with him and giving him all their support, hoping for a good outcome.


    In the Daxia Kingdom, with his strength at the half-step master realm, his personal safety was under control to a certain extent.


    Feng Wuji was not afraid of death if he went to the otherworld to fight the behemoths. Instead, he knew that he carried the hopes of countless people. If he died in a corner for no good reason¡­


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°If the crystal shadow talent undergoes a qualitative transformation, it¡¯s indeed possible to obtain an advanced version of the crystal meditation technique, but there¡¯s a high chance that it would no longer be applicable to the masses.¡±


    After all, Feng Wuji had yet to truly break through to the master realm. His understanding of the power of nature could not be obtained by just using words.


    The purification power at the level of the power of nature was no longer suitable for most martial artists to break through to the master realm by following the same path. Most people would not have a high enough affinity with the corresponding power of nature.


    At the master realm, Feng Wuji would mainly be an existence that could restrain the mutant creatures and suppress the chaos caused by them.


    As for the plan to make all the citizens into martial artists, Chen Yiming had never thought of relying on this to withstand the black tide.


    If everyone had the extraordinary power of internal force, this would only increase the chances of them surviving till they could go to a new planet when the technology for the spacecraft was fully developed.


    They could only rely on Chen Yiming and the figure in his mind to stall for time against the black tide.


    When Feng Wuji heard this, he was stunned for a moment before he said, ¡°I overestimated myself.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything else. There were only three people in the Daxia Kingdom who had a true understanding of the power of nature. It was normal for the higher-ups¡¯ expectations to be wrong.


    Not long after, Feng Wuji bade him farewell.


    When he left, he had a determined expression on his face, as if he had abandoned the heavy shackles that bound him. He was determined to either succeed or die trying.


    After the door closed, Chen Yingying ran out of the room and asked curiously, ¡°Brother, did I hear you suggest that he go to the otherworld?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Chen Yingying hurriedly continued, ¡°I heard that all the behemoths are dozens of meters long, and their numbers are comparable to a beast tide. Isn¡¯t he just courting death by going there?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°As expected, only someone who has never experienced a life-and-death battle would ask such a stupid question.


    If we only deal with some weak mutant beasts in the Daxia Kingdom, Feng Wuji can¡¯t increase his talent. How can it be so easy to forcefully transform his talent?¡±


    Seeing Chen Yiming¡¯s disdainful expression, Chen Yingying hesitated for a moment before asking weakly, ¡°Am I wrong? Isn¡¯t there a rumor that he¡¯s the fourth martial master in the Daxia Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°What does a kid know? It¡¯s a waste of time to care about this. Have you made any progress in your cultivation recently?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡±


    In the end, Chen Yiming simply brushed it off.


    For those who did not have much talent, such as Chen Yingying, it was not a good thing to know too much. They would easily lose confidence.


    ¡­


    Time passed day by day.


    In the otherworld, the spiritual figure continuously attacked. To a certain extent, it was leading the native creatures of the otherworld to resist the behemoths that were spreading chaos without restraint.


    Chen Yiming was trying this method out to see if it could increase the difficulty of the enemy harvesting the negative emotions and delay the arrival of the black tide.


    Soon, it was time for the first auction of the miracle blood.


    Because the quantity had yet to reach the amount for commercial sales, the first few batches were temporarily sold at auctions, and the first auction was held in East Lake City.


    After all, it was something that would make people jealous. It was better to avoid any accidents as much as possible. Furthermore, the popularity of the first auction had already been expected. It would definitely make the news at the national level.


    ¡­


    At the East Lake Hotel, the street at the entrance and the surrounding two streets were guarded by soldiers, blocking out the lively crowd.


    However, even so, the people who had obtained the right to participate in the auction still filled the area surrounding the East Lake Hotel. These were not ordinary people, but martial artists.


    There were people from East Lake City, other cities in Jiangnan province, and even people from other provinces. At this moment, they were queuing up to enter the venue like ordinary people.


    Because there were too many people for the venue to accommodate at once, the organizers of the auction had no choice but to split the auction into three sessions in the morning and afternoon.


    Furthermore, each martial arts faction could only participate in one session. They could not rely on multiple people to obtain the right to participate in different sessions of the auction. Although independent martial artists did not have this restriction, their financial resources were limited. In reality, most of them were just participating.


    In a small private room in the hotel auction area, a young man stood up and looked around. He sat back down and muttered, ¡°What should we do? There are so many people. Are our preparations really enough?¡±


    The young woman at the side widened her eyes and said, ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, Master has prepared a check for 100 tons of mutant beast meat. It shouldn¡¯t be impossible to obtain at least one portion, right?¡±


    The one portion here did not refer to one tube. Instead, it referred to 100 tubes, which would be stored in a special box.


    The check for the mutant beast meat was signed by the government. It was the currency for transactions between martial artists. The other supplies related to the supernatural realm were converted according to a certain ratio to ensure that a huge amount of money could flow freely in the market.


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, it should be enough, but I¡¯m afraid that other martial arts factions will deliberately raise the price to create a fierce competition!¡± The young man clenched his fists so tightly that his joints cracked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Jiangnan Biological Research Institute say in their article that the miracle blood would be available in the market in the future?¡± The young woman looked confused.


    No matter how high the value of anything was, if it would be available in the market and one still wanted to raise the price to buy it at a much higher price than usual, they would undoubtedly have lost their mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that those large martial arts factions will work together to monopolize the early batches of miracle blood and use this opportunity to poach the geniuses from the small and medium-sized martial arts factions.¡±


    The young man was sharp and immediately thought of the crux of the issue.


    A large part of the difference between martial arts factions was their attractiveness to geniuses with potential. Therefore, in this era of rapid change, it was undoubtedly most important to seize the moment.


    Those with talent would have a bright future. The additional price they had to pay in the short term would most likely be earned back in the future. They would be able to rely on their greater financial ability to bully the small and medium-sized martial arts factions.


    ¡°Would the organizers not do anything about it? Are they just going to let those guys monopolize it?¡± The young woman¡¯s face turned pale as she spoke.


    The young man pondered for a moment and revealed the hard-to-swallow truth. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about raising the price? After all, this is the first batch of miracle blood. You have to know that among the martial arts factions, there are many who have actively participated in the development of the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do, Eldest Senior Brother?¡±


    The young woman thought about it and realized that it was true.


    This logic was very simple. If the martial arts factions were always rich, how could the government still command them? They would definitely agree on the surface but go against the rules in reality.


    ¡°You stay here and bid normally. I¡¯ll go out for a while and see if I can contact Master,¡± the young man instructed. Then, he quickly opened the door and left.


    At this moment, a similar situation was happening in the other private rooms.


    Many people from the large martial arts factions cursed under their breath. They had also sensed that they would have to make other plans.


    Was the space plan going crazy because of the lack of money? They had specially set up a miracle blood auction in East Lake City.


    The people who had come to participate, especially those who were developing rapidly, did they dare to not cooperate openly? Did they want to die?


    The space-travel passage in the base city, the trial grounds, and the miracle blood were all things that the martial arts factions could not avoid. After being slashed ruthlessly, they still had to clap and laugh along.


    Thinking of this, they could only hope that they did not have to fork out too much.

 Chapter 346 - The New Era Experimental Ship Returns

    At 8 am, the first auction for the miracle blood, which everyone was watching, finally started.


    The announcer was a thin middle-aged man with a beard and a yellow hat. When the leaders of many martial arts factions saw this person, they immediately extinguished their last hope.


    The thin middle-aged man was a veteran auctioneer in the industry, and not a staff member from a governmental organization. If they secretly worked together to tamper with the bidding, it would be difficult to hide it from the other party.


    This way, no matter what, they would definitely have to play by the rules. Otherwise, even if they managed to get by this time, it would be even worse if they were targeted in the future.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. Welcome to the auction for the miracle blood.¡±


    The thin middle-aged man on the stage spread his arms, an inexplicable sense of confidence on his face.


    The independent martial artists who were not in the private rooms applauded excitedly, their eyes filled with excitement.


    The information about the miracle blood had already spread like wildfire.


    After all, it was something that could change one¡¯s martial arts talent. Coupled with the blood essence of mutant beasts, it could easily create a bloodline warrior.


    It could be said that as long as one had enough miracle blood, a bloodline warrior could theoretically increase their talent to the limit of the mutant beasts.


    At the moment, it might be difficult to obtain the blood essence of mutant beasts that had reached the limit of the warrior realm due to their scarcity, but there were too many creatures with the same potential in the otherworld.


    There were even some people who thought that there was blood essence of creatures at a higher level than that of a warrior. Even if there was no precedent of success at the moment, could humans who were not talented enough break through to the master realm as bloodline warriors?


    At the same time, under everyone¡¯s gaze, a government staff member pushed in a small cart. On it were five tightly sealed boxes of miracle blood.


    A bald man followed a few steps behind the staff.


    The bald man¡¯s shoulders were three to four times as wide as that of a normal person, and he was more than three meters tall. When he walked, the ground trembled. He was like a small giant.


    ¡°Giant!¡±


    Someone gasped as thoughts raced through their minds.


    Was the organizer hinting at something? Were they just bluffing? Or was there really something?


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡±


    The thin middle-aged man gestured for silence. Then, he turned to the bald man and introduced, ¡°This man is a bloodline warrior from the special forces. His nickname is Boulder.¡±


    Immediately after, as if they had discussed it beforehand, the bald man tore off his shirt and revealed his strong body to the crowd below the stage. It was obvious that he was the type who had immense strength.


    However, this alone was not enough. Pure strength was useless in front of the internal force.


    ¡°Crack! Crack! Crack!¡±


    The bald man did not let the audience wait long. He clenched his fists, and electric sparks immediately appeared on his body. All his muscles and bones began to expand, and he turned into a 10-meter-tall giant.


    Following that, the bolts of lightning turned into protective armor. A ferocious aura covered the entire area, and the walls reflected the flashes of light.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    This time, even the leaders of the martial arts factions in the private room could not help but suspect that the military had secretly nurtured a special team formed by giant bloodline warriors.


    They must also be this type who had peerless strength. As long as there were enough of them, they could play a terrifying role on the battlefield.


    This type of warrior was also very coveted by the large martial arts factions, and was very suitable for their ranks.


    Backstage, Chen Yiming observed the scene outside with his spiritual power and glanced at Mayor Hong Yi with a strange expression. He didn¡¯t remember ever contributing his own blood essence.


    Hong Yi quickly explained, ¡°When the military explored the otherworld, they discovered a human-like race. The genetic analysis report shows that they are closer to humans than barbarians.¡±


    Chen Yiming asked doubtfully, ¡°Is the military going to develop a team of giants?¡±


    Hong Yi continued, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve interacted with the person in charge of the special forces. Cultivating giant bloodline warriors consumes a lot of the miracle blood. In reality, it isn¡¯t very cost-effective.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded his head.


    The basic function of the miracle blood was to improve one¡¯s physique. And for abilities that relied on one¡¯s body, it was normal for one¡¯s energy to be depleted very quickly.


    From the looks of it, the giant bloodline warriors were mainly used for the study of their genes.


    When it came to genetic research, there was a problem that could not be avoided. The bloodline warriors nurtured by humans currently had abilities that could not be passed down to the next generation.


    In other words, the descendants of bloodline warriors were not bloodline warriors, but normal humans.


    Perhaps the military wanted to start with these humanoid creatures to improve the genetic conditions of humans so that the next generation would be born with better talent.


    Just as the two of them were chatting about the giant bloodline warriors, the auction quickly reached its climax. Round after round of new bids were shouted.


    ¡°A check for 10 tons of mutant beast meat.¡±


    ¡°A check for 30 tons of mutant beast meat.¡±


    ¡°A check for 100 tons of mutant beast meat.¡±


    ¡°A check for 110 tons of mutant beast meat.¡±


    ¡­


    Hong Yi smiled awkwardly. ¡°It was all arranged by the higher-ups. I was just following their orders.¡±


    This price was indeed too high. If it was before the production of the miracle blood could be ramped up, the checks for the mutant beast meat would naturally not be able to be exchanged for the miracle blood. However, now, they really had the intention to take advantage of the situation.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it.


    The martial arts factions that had benefited greatly from following him had to be spurred on. Otherwise, no one would be willing to take the risk to explore the otherworld.


    If they all stayed on the blue planet and cultivated peacefully, where would they get the huge amount of resources?


    To put it bluntly, the rapid development of the Daxia Kingdom was essentially dependent on absorbing the blood of the otherworld.


    In addition, the investment needed for the space plan was indeed a bottomless pit. The portion that they could get from the auction could be treated as the price for a ticket for their escape in the future.


    That¡¯s right, if one did not want to contribute a portion of their strength to the space plan, how could they obtain the tickets? However, this matter could only be left unsaid.


    Half an hour later, the first auction for the miracle blood ended, and it was time for the next auction to begin.


    The five boxes of miracle blood were sold at high prices, and were split among the five large martial arts factions from different provinces. This shocked the independent martial artists again.


    This was because with the capabilities of the independent martial artists, most of them were not qualified to compete.


    This way, the temptation to buy the miracle blood was maximized. This was an extremely successful auction, and it aroused the interest of the entire warrior community.


    What they wanted was for the warriors to obediently enter the otherworld and work for the humans.


    Chen Yiming walked out from backstage with a small box in his hand. It was a gift from Hong Yi before he left. It contained 100 tubes of miracle blood.


    However, the miracle blood he received was different from the ones at the auction.


    This was the second time that the ball of flesh in the laboratory of the provincial biological research institute had provided the blood from the finger. The ball of flesh had evolved to a certain extent and produced a small amount of higher-quality miracle blood.


    This batch of miracle blood had marks in a conical shape, and could improve one¡¯s physique to the level of a half-step away from the master realm.


    ¡­


    The next day, the commotion in East Lake City had yet to die down. The miracle blood had become the topic of conversation for countless people. Father Chen and Mother Chen had gone out to join in the fun.


    Chen Yingying was cultivating her internal force at home.


    Chen Yiming, who could materialize his spiritual power, was helping with the training. The principle was to fight with Chen Yingying for control of the internal force in her body.


    Not only did Chen Yingying have to maintain her control over her internal force when there was serious interference, but she also had to gradually train her internal force in various forms.


    This was very difficult. If she was not careful, her internal force would slip out of her control and Chen Yiming would take control of it.


    Of course, the effect of this internal force training was visible to the naked eye. It could be seen from the expression on Chen Yingying¡¯s face.


    ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t you think of this earlier!¡±


    Suddenly, he heard his sister¡¯s voice.


    Chen Yiming turned his gaze to her, then back to the television.


    ¡°Because back then, I never needed to consider the issue of controlling my internal force.¡±


    He split his attention between watching the news and helping Chen Yingying with her internal force training.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Chen Yingying muttered as she compared the difference in effect between ordinary training and this new method of training in her mind.


    In this moment of distraction, the internal force that enveloped her entire arm left her body like it was a piece of clothing.


    When Chen Yingying came back to her senses and tried to regain control, her illusory spiritual power was unable to do anything to the internal force that had completely left her body.


    ¡°Are you distracted?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at his sister and continued, ¡°Hurry up and make use of every minute and second of training while I¡¯m at home.¡±


    With that, he looked away and turned back to the television.


    At this moment, a beautiful announcer announced a piece of good news with a smile. ¡°After a day and night, the New Era experimental ship successfully crossed the Pacific Ocean to reach the South American continent and returned to the Bohai Bay Shipbuilding Base.¡±


    On the screen, the average speed of a traditional ship was displayed, and the average speed of the New Era experimental ship was displayed.


    The difference in speed between the two was no longer that of two or three generations. Instead, it was a qualitative difference.


    This was just like how bicycles and cars, or gliders and aircraft, were products of completely different eras.


    The beautiful announcer continued, ¡°This is a new milestone in the history of human navigation. It was completed by all the members participating in the development of the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s New Era experimental ship.¡±


    The scene changed to a short video.


    Lightning flashed in the gloomy sky, and there were dangers hidden under the turbulent surface of the sea. Huge black shadows swam back and forth, circling the New Era experimental ship.


    This was because they had been targeted by a powerful aquatic mutant beast. The oppressive atmosphere that assaulted them could be felt even through the screen, and it seemed as if the ship was about to be torn apart.


    Unexpectedly, before the black shadow at the bottom of the sea could approach, the New Era experimental ship was the first to attack.


    The fragments of the extraordinary weapons connected in a diamond shape to the metal pole at the bow of the ship flashed once, sending an invisible ripple towards the black shadow at the bottom of the sea. In the blink of an eye, a ball of bright red appeared on the screen.


    The black shadow, which was at least hundreds of meters long, was actually destroyed from a distance of more than 1,000 meters away. During the process, the sea did not hinder or weaken the attack.


    Seeing this, the remaining huge black shadows at the bottom of the sea immediately turned around and fled for their lives.


    The scene changed again.


    ¡°??Alright!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dead!¡±


    The marines shouted one after another. This was really too satisfying.


    After the invasion of the otherworld, other than a few martial arts experts who could cross the sea, the sea had actually become a restricted area for human ships.


    With maritime trade completely cut off, the navigation industry had suffered heavy losses. The exchanges between the countries on both sides of the sea had become rare, and globalization had quickly regressed to the way it was hundreds of years ago.


    ¡°Brother, is this the power of the extraordinary weapons?¡±


    Chen Yingying stared at the television screen and was shocked to see it with her own eyes.


    Chen Yiming coughed and reminded her, ¡°That¡¯s only a fragment of an extraordinary weapon. How can a complete weapon only have so little power?¡±


    ¡°So little?¡±


    Chen Yingying turned around and widened her eyes. ¡°How powerful is a complete extraordinary weapon?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and said, ¡°In reality, at that level, what¡¯s important is the power at a single point. With its range of destructive power, one strike can probably raze Jiangnan province to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Then why did nothing happen when you fought the shadow monster and snatched back three complete extraordinary weapons?¡±


    Chen Yingying looked over curiously.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow and said sternly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you focused on your internal force training? Why are you asking so many questions? That¡¯s not something you should know.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Chen Yingying pouted and replied.


    Then, she continued her internal force training. In order not to let Chen Yingying be distracted, Chen Yiming increased the frequency at which he fought for control of her internal force.


    An hour later, Chen Yingying was dispirited and fell to the ground.


    Even if the internal force was her own, it would still consume a lot of spiritual power to fight for control over it with Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there. I just obtained a new batch of miracle blood of a higher quality. It¡¯s the best time to apply it to your body to improve your physique,¡± Chen Yiming reminded her.


    At the same time, he thought to himself, ¡°She still needs someone to remind her about such a small matter. No one else can get their hands on the miracle blood, let alone this new batch of improved miracle blood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired! Mom isn¡¯t around either. Brother, help me apply some of it first. When I catch my breath, I¡¯ll go back to my room and apply it properly,¡± Chen Yingying said weakly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was speechless.


    Chen Yingying, you¡¯re not a child anymore. You¡¯re a big girl. Even if we¡¯re biological siblings, it¡¯s not appropriate for us to do something so intimate!


    1


    In his heart, he firmly refused. This was a matter of principle. He had to draw the line, and there was no room for negotiation.

 Chapter 347 - : Targeting the Ganges Kingdom

    Chen Yiming chased his sister to her room to apply the ointment herself. He focused his attention and communicated with the figure in his mind.


    The information gathered by the spiritual figure in the past few days indicated that the otherworld had fallen into an all-out war in a short period of time.


    The mutant creature army had the special ability to split themselves and to possess others. As the intensity and range of the battle increased, many mutant creatures fell, but even more remained standing.


    In addition, the spiritual figure found a sea 5,000 kilometers to the east of the human stronghold.


    ¡°Could the source of the mutation be coming from the sea?¡±


    The information from the spiritual figure was that the bottom of the sea was dead silent, and there were no signs of any creatures from the otherworld. On the other hand, there were fights everywhere on the land. This was definitely not normal.


    Chen Yiming wanted to let the spiritual figure go deep into the sea to investigate the situation. However, even though he had killed the mutant creatures that attacked the stronghold that day, there were still mutant creatures that threatened the human stronghold appearing from time to time.


    At this critical moment, he probably could not take care of both the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s territory and the human stronghold at the same time. In the end, he gave up on the idea and continued to clean out the mutant creatures in the area around the human stronghold.


    ¡­


    Actual combat was the best way to test the new fighter jets.


    The top commander of the air force had just returned from the Bohai Bay shipbuilding base when an emergency meeting was held.


    ¡°The navy¡¯s New Era experimental ship almost got into an accident in an oceanic trench!¡±


    An undisclosed piece of information was revealed by the top commander of the air force.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this! I thought the trip would be smooth sailing just like the public announcement.¡±


    Surprise filled the meeting room.


    The reason they were surprised was that the New Era experimental ship was actually a large aircraft carrier. Not only did it carry an army of 10,000 warriors, but it was also equipped with ¡®reforged extraordinary weapons¡¯.


    Logically speaking, it would not have been difficult for the New Era experimental ship to dominate the five oceans, but in reality, something had almost happened.


    ¡°Is it because of the oceanic trench?¡± someone asked directly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are existences in that trench that we can¡¯t do anything about.¡± The top commander of the air force nodded.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the meeting room gasped.


    They had thought that with the ¡®reforged extraordinary weapons¡¯, other than a few things related to the black tide, humans would quickly recover to their former glory before the invasion of the otherworld.


    They did not expect to have cold water thrown on them. The feeling of falling from the clouds was very uncomfortable.


    ¡°What about the first actual combat practice of our futuristic fighter jets?¡±


    A general thought of this problem and brought it up.


    The top commander of the air force nodded and said slowly, ¡°That¡¯s why this emergency meeting was organized. There¡¯s a limit to the number of ¡®reforged extraordinary weapons¡¯ we can make. We can¡¯t afford to lose them.¡±


    That day, Chen Yiming had brought back a small mountain of fragments from the extraordinary weapons. However, most of them had been assigned to the space plan, and not much was allocated to the troops.


    At the moment, there were only three futuristic fighter jets. Losing any one of them would be difficult to bear.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t lose them.¡±


    Almost everyone thought so.


    Soon, at the emergency meeting, the original plan to hold the first combat practice with the futuristic fighter jet was shelved. After some discussion, they came up with a safer plan.


    ¡­


    A private plane took off from Jiangnan Airport.


    Chen Yiming, Ye Jianyuan, Shen Mengwei, and Chen Yingying were each sitting in comfortable chairs. There were only four passengers on the plane.


    Two beautiful air stewardesses were serving the four of them. They had prepared eye masks, pillows, food, and so on.


    The actual combat training for the futuristic fighter jet was to be held in the chaotic South Asian countries. Chen Yiming and Ye Jianyuan had been invited to aid in the mission.


    As the futuristic fighter jets were an important part of the space plan, and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have anything else to do, he agreed to it.


    At the same time, the top commander of the air force agreed to a strategic partnership with the Myriad Phenomena Sect and provided their services with an emergency fighter jet in return.


    Chen Yingying also wanted to go out and broaden her horizons, so Chen Yiming brought her along.


    At some point, while the two girls were chatting about the scenery along the way,


    Ye Jianyuan lowered his voice and said, ¡°Shen Mengwei, this female disciple you brought back to the sect, is not simple¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence,


    Chen Yiming coughed and quickly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to take in a disciple directly. She was recommended by the Mantis Snake Sword School.¡±


    When Ye Jianyuan heard this, he let out a long sigh. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a pity. A few days ago, this girl suddenly cultivated an ability called the Sword of Will. No one in the sect at the same level can withstand a single strike from her.¡±


    ¡°Sword of Will?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Wasn¡¯t this the Heart Sword ability that he had obtained after upgrading to the Level-2 swordsmanship talent?


    Didn¡¯t that mean that Shen Mengwei¡¯s swordsmanship talent was equivalent to his Level-2 swordsmanship talent to a certain extent? That was incredible.


    Ye Jianyuan nodded and said in an even lower voice, ¡°That¡¯s right. The day before yesterday, this girl came to find me. At that time, I didn¡¯t think much of it and almost got destroyed by it along with my sword.¡±


    With that, his face turned red.


    As the previous sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he was actually in such a sorry state because of a little girl who had just joined the sect.


    Although there was a reason for his carelessness, it was still very embarrassing and difficult to say.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled their first encounter.


    Shen Mengwei was indeed talented in swordsmanship. Otherwise, he would not have thought of poaching her and tricking her into joining the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    As for the Sword of Will, there was a high chance that after practicing the crystal meditation technique, which could further temper one¡¯s spiritual power, it could trigger the qualitative transformation of her swordsmanship talent.


    This was similar to his suggestion for Feng Wuji to go to the otherworld to find an opportunity to trigger the qualitative transformation of his crystal shadow talent.


    After some time,


    Chen Yiming said, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about taking in a direct disciple yet, but we can set up the positions for three deputy sect masters after we return. Leave one of them empty for the time being.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan understood and nodded.


    Although Shen Mengwei was very young, her talent in swordsmanship was too shocking.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly remain an inner sect disciple after eventually suppressing everyone in the Myriad Phenomena Sect other than Chen Yiming.


    A true genius could not be kept unless one bent the rules for them.


    ¡­


    At the Southwest Air Force Base,


    a non-military aircraft landed there.


    Chen Yiming, Ye Jianyuan, Shen Mengwei, and Chen Yingying walked down the stairs.


    A strong soldier with a square face quickly walked over and extended his hand. ¡°Welcome to the Southwest Air Force Base. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. I¡¯m Feng Tao.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met before.¡±


    Chen Yiming reached out and shook his hand.


    After Elder Zhang was ambushed by the black light, Chen Yiming went to the sentry post to investigate the incident and brought back 11 soldiers who were still alive.


    Feng Tao was the person in charge of the Southwest Air Force Base. He was also there at that time. They did not really know each other, but they had met once previously.


    This was the first time Shen Mengwei and Chen Yingying had come to the air base.


    The two girls looked around curiously and their gazes finally landed on the two special-looking fighter jets.


    These were the futuristic fighter jets that had been on the news. Their flat and simple design was very eye-catching.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan also stepped forward and shook Feng Tao¡¯s hand.


    Feng Tao smiled and said, ¡°Old Ye, the two of us can be considered comrades who have gone through thick and thin together. Why are you so polite? It¡¯s been a long journey for you guys. Let¡¯s go for a meal first.¡±


    Soon, the group arrived at the canteen.


    Feng Tao brought the four of them to eat the food from the military. Perhaps because he had instructed them in advance, every dish was specially prepared by the cook.


    In short, the taste was not bad, but it did not lose the military¡¯s special style: extremely large quantities.


    ¡­


    After dinner, the group went to the command center.


    A map with red crosses was hung on the wall.


    ¡°Ever since the Ganges Kingdom was ravaged by the sea monsters, it has yet to stabilize. Now, it is filled with mutant humans and mutant creatures.¡±


    Feng Tao pointed at the map on the wall and said, ¡°These locations are where the mutant humans and mutant beasts gather.¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the map in front of him. After observing the locations that were marked out, he realized that the Ganges Kingdom was too unlucky.


    It was originally formed by relatively scattered countries. There were conflicts in various areas, and it was difficult for them to work together to deal with their enemies. Now, they were being attacked twice in a row.


    From the locations on the map, it could be estimated that the region was completely out of control. They did not have the strength to eliminate the mutant humans and mutant creatures and chase them out of the country.


    Feng Tao used a remote control to activate the projector beside him. Soon, a video was projected on the screen on the side wall.


    When the New Era experimental ship passed through the oceanic trench, a huge black shadow surfaced from the bottom of the sea. The ¡®reforged extraordinary weapon¡¯ launched an attack on the black shadow.

 Chapter 348 - Unacceptable Result

    ¡°Why is it different from the news?¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    After the black shadow in the video was attacked, it only paused for a moment and remained unharmed. Then, it followed the New Era experimental ship and only left it alone after the ship exited the oceanic trench.


    The short video recorded this shocking incident.


    Feng Tao felt awkward. How could he answer this naive girl who was also Chen Yiming¡¯s sister?


    After traveling such a long distance from the Bohai Bay to the South American continent and returning, it was normal for there to be some unexpected incidents after the ¡®reforged extraordinary weapons¡¯ proved to not be invincible.


    Furthermore, what was reported on the television news was not fake. It was just that it was not taken from the ship¡¯s journey through the oceanic trench.


    ¡°A fighter jet is more eye-catching when it is flying in the air. We can¡¯t be careless!¡±


    At this moment, Ye Jianyuan sighed and helped his former comrade resolve the awkwardness.


    The Myriad Phenomena Sect had also received some fragments of extraordinary weapons. After making them into suitable weapons, they were all stored in the sect¡¯s secret vault.


    Usually, the 12 inner court heads would take turns guarding it. They would only use it when needed.


    Chen Yiming remained calm on the surface, but he thought to himself, ¡°It seems that staying at home and cultivating hard isn¡¯t a good thing. I have to bring Chen Yingying out more in the future.¡±


    At the same time, he glanced at Shen Mengwei, who was beside his sister.


    From the expression on her face, there was a high chance that she also did not grasp the situation. However, she had been listening quietly, unlike Chen Yingying who had voiced her shock.


    ¡°Could it be that I¡¯ve led Chen Yingying astray?¡±


    Chen Yiming recalled that when his sister was still studying, she would also listen quietly if she didn¡¯t know anything. It was indeed different from how she was now.


    Next, Feng Tao told the air force command about the latest plan. ¡°The two futuristic fighter jets will no longer enter the territory of the Ganges Kingdom. The targets of the bombardment will be changed from the gathering place of the mutant beasts to an area further away along the border.¡±


    The first consideration of the modified plan was the uncertain dangers posed by the mutant creatures.


    After all, they were related to the black tide. No one knew if there was anything that was hiding in the Ganges Kingdom, like the shadow monster in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest.


    Or if they might encounter a situation similar to what happened to the New Era experimental ship in the oceanic trench.


    Another reason was that if the gathering places of the mutant creatures in the Ganges Kingdom were linked in some way, it would be troublesome if two future fighter jets fell into an encirclement.


    The air force command did not want to lose the ¡®reforged extraordinary weapons¡¯ on their first flight.


    Chen Yiming had no objections, and neither did the others.


    He could understand the conservative reasoning of the air force command. Other than him, who did not see much value in the pile of broken fragments, the sea, land, and air forces were all treating them like treasures.


    There were many fragments of the extraordinary weapons being studied in the laboratory, but very few were actually allowed to be used in actual combat.


    The army received a larger share of these. After all, it was not so easy to lose it in the hands of the martial arts experts.


    Due to the possibility of incidents occurring, there was a high chance that the air force and navy would lose some of the fragments, so the share they received would be smaller.


    ¡­


    After leaving the command center, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.


    Feng Tao had basically completed his mission. With this person holding down the fort, what else could happen?


    Therefore, Feng Tao suggested that the juniors have a martial arts exchange. There were a few new recruits with outstanding martial arts talent at the air base.


    In this era, no activity could bring the relationship between the two sides closer than a martial arts exchange.


    It was often beneficial for both sides to have a martial arts exchange with a new opponent. Many times, they would become familiar with each other through such events.


    Chen Yiming turned to Chen Yingying.


    ¡°Alright! Alright!¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded and agreed.


    Cultivating alone was extremely boring. She would not miss such an opportunity.


    Chen Yiming turned to Shen Mengwei.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Shen Mengwei also nodded.


    Ye Jianyuan, who was at the side, wanted to give a warning to his former comrade. ¡°The disciples we brought this time are not ordinary disciples. Not to mention new recruits, even Feng Tao himself might not be a match for them.¡±


    However, even up till the time when Feng Tao arranged for a communications officer to call the new recruits over, there was no suitable opportunity to mention it.


    ¡­


    In a wide area outside the Southwest Air Force Base, due to the restrictions in place, the martial arts exchange this time was a simple one. Ye Jianyuan and Feng Tao acted as the judges to ensure that the competition would stop before anyone was injured.


    ¡°Are our opponents those two little girls?¡±


    a soldier with muscles so strong that it seemed to put an additional layer of armor on his body asked his comrade in a low voice.


    ¡°Remember to act naturally when you go easy on them later. Don¡¯t mess it up,¡± his comrade reminded him again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, how can I get excited when competing with a little girl? It¡¯s just a spar. It¡¯s too easy.¡± The soldier nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you remember. We have 10 people on our side! You have to pay attention to the time even if you go easy on each of them. It¡¯s best if all 10 of us can go on stage.¡± His comrade nodded.


    It was no secret that Chen Yingying¡¯s martial arts talent was mediocre.


    The air force command center had asked Chen Yiming to oversee the situation, so they had naturally done their homework. Everything had already been explained to them.


    As for Shen Mengwei, the Myriad Phenomena Sect had kept their genius disciples a secret. She was still training hard on the mountain, and the outside world only knew that she had outstanding martial arts talent before she went up the mountain.


    However, among the young people who could enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect, all of them had outstanding martial arts talent.


    Therefore, Feng Tao felt that by sending these 10 people to participate in the martial arts exchange, it would not only express their respect, but also achieve the effect of a meaningful exchange.


    Not long after, the martial arts exchange officially started.


    Chen Yingying took the initiative to be the first to fight, while the air base sent out a young female soldier.


    Both of them were warriors who had mastered the transformation of internal force. There was no difference in their martial arts realms, and the only difference was that the female soldier was a few years older.


    However, this did not mean that the female soldier¡¯s martial arts talent was not good. After all, Chen Yingying had relied on a large number of martial arts resources to reach her current level.


    For example, the miracle blood that the large martial arts factions had fought over at the auction. After Chen Yiming had brought it back from the provincial biological research institute, she had applied it diligently without missing a single day.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan asked Chen Yiming in surprise.


    After all, the female soldier was not a martial arts teacher, and the army had a fierce battle style. Even if they wanted to, they might not be able to control their strength.


    ¡°The effect of the new batch of high-quality miracle blood is not bad. She has also undergone additional internal force training. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    ¡°High-quality miracle blood? Internal force training?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan did not know that there were different levels of quality for the miracle blood, and he had never heard of such a training method.


    ¡°It¡¯s just constantly snatching back the control of your internal force,¡±


    Chen Yiming explained casually.


    Hearing this, Ye Jianyuan immediately understood.


    This was a technique that only those above the half-step master realm were qualified to use. Unfortunately, it was a shortcut that very few people could take.


    In the arena.


    ¡°Chen Yingying!¡±


    ¡°Liao Xiaojuan!¡±


    Chen Yingying and the female soldier exchanged names and briefly got to know each other.


    After observing that both sides were ready, the two judges shouted at the same time, ¡°Begin.¡±


    From the start, Chen Yingying relied on her powerful explosive power to jump dozens of meters back, then drew her bow and shot arrows in midair in one go.


    With the help of the wind blades, the three arrows moved at a speed that far exceeded the normal speed, directly sealing off Liao Xiaojuan and preventing her from dodging.


    Although Chen Yingying looked like a thin and weak girl, in reality, she had used the miracle blood to improve her physique after a long period of cultivation. Other than the top geniuses of her generation, her physique was not weaker than anyone else¡¯s.


    ¡°I was almost careless. Fortunately, I arranged for 10 people to compete.¡±


    Feng Tao could tell at a glance that she was not a second-generation martial arts practitioner who was just idling around. His heart tightened.


    Liao Xiaojuan was also shocked. She had wanted to test the waters and find out the situation before going easy on her opponent.


    However, what the chief said was no longer just a little off. It was the complete opposite. Was there still a need to go easy on her? Even if she used her full strength, she might still be at a disadvantage.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    Since Liao Xiaojuan had been careless and lost the upper hand, her opponent seemed to be the stronger one. After dozens of rounds, she was completely forced to retreat by the rain of arrows.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Feng Tao and Ye Jianyuan released their internal forces at the same time, shattering the arrows that were flying over from their blind spots. Both sides stopped at the same time.


    ¡°Chen Yingying won!¡±


    ¡°Liao Xiaojuan lost!¡±


    In less than 10 minutes, the expressions of the soldiers who had been discussing how to go easy on her became solemn.


    If the remaining nine people were as careless as Liao Xiaojuan, they would embarrass Feng Tao completely.


    The next round, it was Shen Mengwei¡¯s turn. This was decided by Feng Tao at the start.


    Because the number of people was two against eight, it was not appropriate for the martial arts exchange to turn into a tag-team battle. It should be focused on the exchange and not on the outcome.


    On the soldiers¡¯ side, the remaining nine people discussed briefly and arranged for the toughest soldier to fight next.


    It was the soldier who was so muscular that it was as if his body was covered in an additional layer of armor.


    ¡°Hong Kai!¡±


    ¡°Shen Mengwei!¡±


    As usual, they got to know each other¡¯s names first.


    Two minutes later.


    Hong Kai¡¯s eyes welled up.


    His comrades were stunned.


    Feng Tao was speechless.


    Ye Jianyuan let out a long sigh.


    The outcome of this competition was really unacceptable.


    Hong Kai cultivated a physique-based cultivation technique. His defense was his pride, and he was comparable to a humanoid mutant beast.


    However, his protective internal force had been easily broken by a single sword move just now. If it was a life-and-death battle, he would have been cut in half.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same, but he was secretly satisfied.


    He was the one who had snatched her away from the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy. In the future, the higher Shen Mengwei¡¯s achievements were, the more the world would be amazed by his outstanding judgment.


    The Sword of Will seemed to have performed better than his Heart Sword. This was because of the crystal meditation technique.


    The inner court heads of the Myriad Phenomena Sect would definitely also have brought their genius disciples into the trial grounds in secret.


    Not long after, the martial arts exchange reached an anti-climatic end.


    Chen Yingying had sparred with several young martial arts geniuses in the military and gained a lot of actual combat experience from fighting them. Now that her opponents were prepared, it gradually became more difficult for her to win.


    As time passed, Chen Yingying¡¯s stamina and internal force were both exhausted, and she lost.


    ¡­


    When the group returned to the command center of the base, the two fighter jets were already prepared. The two pilots with strong martial arts cultivation were ready to board the planes at any time.


    Chen Yiming sized up the new fighter jet. He glossed over the design, which wasn¡¯t the main point.


    The main point was the spikes extending from the tip of the plane and the circular vortex at the tail of the jet. Both of them had been fused with the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.


    One was in charge of attacking, and the other was in charge of providing power. These two aspects had improved greatly, and only then did they dare to term it as ¡°futuristic¡±.


    In essence, the attack and power of these jets were at the level of the power of nature. In theory, after it was further perfected, it could be used as a fighter jet in space.


    At this moment, he saw the excited Chen Yingying from the corner of his eye.


    Chen Yiming flicked the back of his sister¡¯s head and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything rashly. You aren¡¯t here to sightsee. We have many important tasks to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Chen Yingying also knew the seriousness of the matter.


    Of course, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t let his sister board the fighter jets and get close to the Ganges Kingdom.


    Ever since the female spirit revealed the shocking information that the negative emotions needed to reach a certain threshold before the black tide arrived, it made sense why the powerful shadow monster from back then appeared in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest.


    The key was the number of people and mutant beasts. This was because only living creatures would have negative emotions.


    It was said that in some small countries in South Asia, the mutant humans were even changing their masters, and things were going surprisingly smoothly.


    The reason was that the ordinary people in those countries had had enough of being threatened by mutant beasts. They yearned for supernatural power too much and were easily bewitched.


    The group arrived at one of the futuristic fighter jets.


    Chen Yiming suddenly asked Feng Tao, ¡°Did the military arrange for anyone to enter the Ganges Kingdom in advance, or did they investigate the border?¡±


    ¡°The truth is that there are far more mutant creatures there than expected. The military isn¡¯t confident that they can successfully send their people in.¡±


    This was a military secret, but since Chen Yiming asked, Feng Tao didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal it.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°If they¡¯re not confident, it means that they can¡¯t grasp the true situation. We should also complete a special investigation mission during the actual combat practice of the futuristic fighter jets.¡±


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°Is it enough to just bomb the periphery of the border? If it¡¯s not enough, you can consider provoking the mutant humans and mutant beasts gathering at the border.¡±


    Glancing at Feng Tao, who couldn¡¯t make a decision, Chen Yiming added, ¡°If there¡¯s really a hidden danger in the Ganges Kingdom, it¡¯s better to discover it sooner rather than later.¡±


    The intention behind these words were too obvious. If there were any major problems during the bombing, he would take responsibility.


    Feng Tao understood his intentions and immediately took out his communication device to contact the air force headquarters in the capital.

 Chapter 349 - Teli City

    Half an hour later.


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    As the command center spoke to the pilots, the two futuristic fighter jets slid along the runway at the same time.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze landed on the tails of the planes.


    They were made from the bones of powerful creatures fused with the fragments of extraordinary weapons. The power of nature gradually accumulated in it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the power of nature related to wind.¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, a miniature storm spewed out from the tails of the planes.


    The violent wind blades provided a powerful force, and the ground on the runway behind them was instantly destroyed, creating a storm mixed with rubble.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The futuristic fighter jets broke through countless air barriers and soared into the sky in an extremely short period of time.


    Unlike traditional planes that slowly accelerated to a predetermined speed before taking off, the futuristic fighter jets moved from a slow glide to breaking the speed of sound in just an instant.


    ¡°So fast!¡±


    Chen Yingying and Shen Mengwei exclaimed in surprise.


    The others were similarly shocked. They stared at the streams of air in the sky and the black spots that were gradually becoming smaller.


    This was the first time they had seen a fighter jet powered by the power of nature. It was a shocking feeling. After this, if they looked at a traditional plane, they would immediately lose interest.


    Chen Yiming turned to Feng Tao and said, ¡°The power seems to be at the lowest level. Is the material not up to standard?¡±


    Feng Tao smiled awkwardly and explained, ¡°This is already the best material that the air force can provide. The flight time is estimated to take less than half a day.¡±


    Less than half a day of flight meant that the body of the plane could only withstand about 10 hours of flight.


    However, at the speed of sound, even if it was less than 10 hours, it was enough to carry out a bombing mission anywhere on the blue planet.


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Since the power has been replaced by the power of nature, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem even if we were in the otherworld, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Feng Tao broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly said, ¡°Unless they are professional pilots who are half a step away from the master realm, without a ground control center to ensure real-time information exchange, they won¡¯t be able to deal with any sudden situations. If they move, they will be killed.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°I understand. What I mean is that we should only fly at high altitudes. It should be possible to carry out simple reconnaissance missions, right?¡±


    What he had thought of earlier was to get the fighter jets to help investigate the abnormality in the sea of the otherworld.


    Feng Tao still shook his head. ¡°In theory, it¡¯s possible, but the flying creatures from the otherworld are not to be trifled with. The fighter jets cause such a huge commotion, we will not be able to avoid clashing with them.¡±


    Chen Yiming wanted to say, ¡°If I provide the air force with the complete extraordinary weapons, can we modify them into fighter jets that can fly freely in the sky of the otherworld?¡±


    However, on second thought, a complete extraordinary weapon was created by a civilization that was much stronger than humans.


    Even if it was modified into a fighter jet with his help, it would definitely cause a huge structural change. At that time, it would be no different from the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.


    At the moment, it seemed that there were still many flaws in the fighter jets that were pieced together with the fragments of extraordinary weapons.


    Under Feng Tao¡¯s lead, the group quickly headed to the command center. There, they could see various real-time images and data.


    ¡­


    In the command center, as the futuristic fighter jets took off, the hundreds of staff members started to get busy. Each of them was in charge of a certain aspect.


    As soon as they entered, they felt a serious and tense atmosphere.


    This was the first actual combat practice for the futuristic fighter jets. This was a big treasure for the air force, and it represented the glory of the air force. There could not be any accidents.


    In the end, a few additional chairs were brought over. The group came over and sat down.


    There was a huge display hanging on the wall in front of them. The display was split into two down the middle. On the left was the feed from the first fighter jet, and on the right was the feed from the second fighter jet.


    There were also huge monitors hanging on the left and right walls. A large amount of technical data was displayed on them in real time.


    ¡°Is it like this everywhere outside the country?¡± Chen Yingying asked in a low voice with a look of disbelief.


    The huge display in front of him flashed with images of ordinary people, mutant humans, and mutant beasts co-existing in the same area. This was definitely impossible in the Daxia Kingdom.


    It was hard to imagine that humans living on the same planet seemed to be living in two different worlds.


    The reality weighed down her feelings.


    The surroundings fell silent. Other than the staff who were busy, only Shen Mengwei took the initiative to hold Chen Yingying¡¯s hand.


    Ye Jianyuan and Feng Tao glanced at Chen Yiming. ¡°You¡¯re protecting her too much. It¡¯s rare to see someone so innocent in this era.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow and sent a message through his mind. ¡°How can you blame me? For example, who decided to report the good news and not the bad news on the New Era experimental ship?¡±


    These words rendered Feng Tao especially speechless.


    The current thinking of the higher-ups of the Daxia Kingdom was that everything was for the sake of the space plan. Naturally, they would not let negative news that would affect the public opinion be exposed.


    Only those that could not be hidden, such as the shadow monster from last time, had to be reported.


    This episode quickly passed.


    After revising the plan again, the first task was to gather information about the mutant creatures in the Ganges Kingdom.


    The two fighter jets flew openly through the airspace of the various states in the Ganges Kingdom.


    The commotion they caused was so huge that it shocked the mutant creatures and threw them into chaos. From time to time, they would try to attack and shoot down the fighter jets.


    However, this was all within their expectations. Under the remote command of the control center, the fighter jets could always dodge in advance with their superior speed.


    As for the mutant creatures that could fly, for the time being, none of them dared to stop the fighter jets. The terrifying fluctuations of the power of nature were enough to intimidate them on the blue planet.


    Not long after,


    a staff member jogged over and reported to Feng Tao, ¡°The fighter jets have sent out communications signals to every country they fly past, but even the capital of the Ganges Kingdom has not sent out any response.¡±


    Feng Tao nodded and waved his hand.


    The staff member received the order and turned around to jog back to his post.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s the worst case scenario,¡± Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but say.


    The lack of a timely response, the lack of any response at all, and strange responses would all mean that there was something deeper going on. It involved the matter of who was in charge in the Ganges Kingdom.


    Feng Tao¡¯s expression was dark as he clenched his fists tightly. In his heart, he was already cursing the ancestors of the higher-ups of the Ganges Kingdom.


    After a while, he revealed a shocking piece of news. ¡°Not long ago, the higher-ups of the Ganges Kingdom even called, hoping to participate in the space plan.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled. ¡°Oh? I wonder how those people will react when I call them.¡±


    This news was too shocking. Even Chen Yingying, who was at the side, could tell that there was definitely something amiss. There was a high chance that there was a hidden motive.


    After all, the space plan should have consumed a lot of manpower and resources. It should have been completed using the combined strength of the various large countries on the blue planet.


    However, the reason why the Daxia Kingdom insisted on relying solely on the strength of one country was naturally due to various considerations. It was definitely not just a matter of the spaceship not being able to accommodate so many people.


    At this moment, Feng Tao¡¯s communication device rang. It was a call from the air force command center in the capital.


    He picked up the phone and hung up after a short conversation.


    The capital had authorized Feng Tao to do whatever he wanted. He no longer had to prioritize the safe return of the futuristic fighter jets. Instead, he had to try his best to confirm if the Ganges Kingdom had completely fallen.


    This was very important to the Daxia Kingdom. If the Ganges Kingdom was completely overrun by the mutant creatures, the defense at the southwest border would have to be adjusted.


    It had to be known that their country had a population on the same level as the Daxia Kingdom. If the mutants could not be stopped, the entire South Asia would suffer.


    With the resultant chain reaction, the pressure on the Daxia Kingdom would increase exponentially. No one was willing to face a tide of mutant troops. That would be extremely bad.


    ¡­


    Teli City was the capital of the Ganges Kingdom.


    The air was filled with a stench, and flies and mosquitoes were buzzing non-stop. No one knew when the city¡¯s sewage system had stopped being maintained.


    This was especially true of the slums in the suburbs. The sewers in the toilets had long been blocked, and they were no longer usable.


    However, humans had to relieve themselves. Without anyone enforcing rules, they relieved themselves wherever they wanted. This caused the sanitation in the city to worsen.


    ¡°Is that an alien aircraft?¡±


    A head appeared from a trash can, his gaze following the futuristic fighter jets that were flying past in the sky.


    ¡°Damn, why don¡¯t they attack those mutant creatures? They created such a huge commotion. They¡¯re going to cause our deaths.¡±


    A head appeared from another abandoned trash can at the side and cursed in a low voice.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to escape?¡± one of them suggested.


    ¡°Escape? If you want to escape, escape by yourself. It might be even worse outside. At the very least, you can find food from the trash here. Are you going to eat the tree barks outside the city?¡± The other person objected firmly.


    In the entire Teli City, countless pairs of eyes were secretly staring at the futuristic fighter jets that were whizzing past. There were those that were from normal humans, those that were from mutant humans, and those that were from mutant creatures.


    The reason why they did not take any further action was mainly because the goal of the fighter jets was unknown, causing both the normal humans and the mutant creatures to observe the situation first.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The sound came closer and closer, and the ground began to shake.


    In the blink of an eye, the two heads in the trash can retreated into the bucket and did not move any more.


    Before long, a mutant elephant walked down the street with a mutant human sitting on its back.


    On the mutant elephant¡¯s trunk, its white bones were exposed. Purple blood vessels were wrapped around it, and the blood vessels were crawling around like small snakes.


    The skin on the left and right half of the mutant human¡¯s body was of a different color, as if it was half Asian and half black.


    ¡°If you have the guts, fly lower.¡±


    The mutant human pointed at the fighter jets in the sky and cursed, his eyes filled with madness.


    The mutant elephant stopped from time to time, letting out a dull grunt.


    Then, they continued walking along the street. The purple blood vessels extending from the elephant¡¯s trunk licked away all the traces of blood along the way.


    Not long after, the two people in the trash can appeared again after the mutant elephant and the mutant human were far away.


    ¡°That was scary. Fortunately, we weren¡¯t discovered.¡±


    One of them had a look of relief on his face.


    ¡°Look, the city is better. Once you leave the city, there won¡¯t be a trash can for you to hide in,¡± the other person said smugly.


    ¡°How strange. The two of us have hidden ourselves like this nearly 10 times already, right? Those mutant creatures were really distracted by the smell of trash and couldn¡¯t detect the scents of living people.¡±


    The person in front propped himself up with his hand and looked in the direction that the mutant elephant had left in.


    From time to time, screams would ring out from the area beyond his line of sight. He knew that meant the living people hiding there had been found.


    There were fewer such screams than before, but they had long since become numb to it. It was no longer like when they first started living in the trash can, when they would tremble in fear every time.


    ¡°Who cares? This might be the price to pay for the mutation. Their brains must be different from before. Otherwise, why would those mutant humans be tricked so easily?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    The person at the front sat back down in the trash can and sighed before continuing, ¡°If you ask me, it doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal to get used to it. At the very least, it feels more like home to me than a house.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just expressing my feelings. Don¡¯t take it too seriously. But are we going to live in the trash cans forever?¡±


    ¡°Then do you have a better idea? Do you still want to leave the city?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Forget it, I¡¯ll stop thinking about it. My head hurts.¡±

 Chapter 350 - New Idea

    The sky was cloudless.


    The location of every blade of grass on the ground and the real-time distribution of the mutant creatures were all sent back to the air base.


    The hundreds of staff members in the command center quickly analyzed and organized the data, following the protocols in an orderly manner.


    At some point, a signal was transmitted to the fighter jets from thousands of kilometers away.


    Control Center: The target is the location where the mutant creatures gathered outside Delhi City. Begin the bombardment.


    Pilot: Roger that.


    As soon as she finished speaking,


    the two futuristic fighter jets suddenly climbed higher. After reaching the target height, they turned around and swooped down towards the city from both sides.


    The spikes extending from the front of the plane began to activate. On one side was the power of nature related to fire, and on the other was the power of nature related to lightning.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    A thunderous sound rang out in the clear sky, as if two tornadoes were about to descend from the sky.


    At the same time, a red and blue light flashed, and Delhi City was suddenly enveloped by an overwhelming aura.


    This was a phenomenon caused by the power of nature, causing a scene similar to that before a natural disaster occurred. It was quite scary. As an attack, it was equivalent to a weak version of the attacks at the level of the master realm.


    After all, the fragments of the extraordinary weapons were inanimate objects. Not only was the speed at which they could mobilize the power of nature slow, but they also needed to accumulate energy before launching an attack. In reality, it was more like sending out the power of nature in an attack.


    Furthermore, due to restrictions imposed by the materials, the accumulated energy was far from the maximum amount. It was similar to an energy attack that could quickly be recharged and shot out infinitely.


    The strong point was the level of this power. This was an attack that mobilized the power of nature.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Delhi City is about to be attacked. Run!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? There are many of us. If we don¡¯t run this time, when will we have another chance?¡±


    After all, the two people who treated the trash cans as their home were an exception. Most of the humans who were hiding in the dark still wanted to escape from Delhi City.


    However, they lacked a signal, and the pressure imposed by the fighter jets gave the survivors in the city enough confidence to escape all at the same time.


    This was the truth. The mutants on the street could not even take care of themselves. Some were escaping, and some were finding obstacles to hide behind.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, humans rushed into the streets from abandoned wooden houses, underground sewers, and other places.


    Immediately after, after seeing their own kind, everyone became more confident in escaping the city. Amidst the commotion, the crowd scattered and fled.


    Just as Delhi City fell into chaos, the two futuristic fighter jets launched their attacks.


    Huge fireballs and forked lightning bolts appeared one after another, as if a natural disaster had occurred.


    However, unlike what those in the city had expected, the attacks avoided Delhi City and landed outside, bombarding the area in two straight lines along their path.


    Every fireball was equivalent to a high-energy explosion. Every lightning explosion would form a large electric net. The mutant creatures melted away in the face of the power of nature.


    ¡­


    In the command center, the chaos in Delhi City and the scene of the mutant creatures being massacred by the fighter jets¡¯ attacks appeared on the huge display in front of them.


    This proved that the futuristic fighter jets¡¯ first actual combat practice was a success. The atmosphere in the control center also became fired up, and every staff member¡¯s face was filled with pride.


    The futuristic fighter jets represented the Daxia Kingdom and left the country. These were all honors that were worth bragging about in the future. As one of those involved, how could they not be excited?


    Chen Yiming sighed. ¡°It looks like the Ganges Kingdom has completely fallen!¡±


    What he was concerned about was not how powerful the futuristic fighter jets were, or how they had destroyed the mutant creatures one after another, but the reaction in the capital, Delhi City.


    From the moment the survivors rushed out of the city, it was clear that the rulers of the city were the mutant humans and mutant creatures.


    As for whether the higher-ups of the country were dead or had mutated, it did not make much of a difference. Either way, it meant that the Ganges Kingdom had become disunited.


    Without external forces interfering, the power of the mutants would only increase. In the end, the entire Ganges Kingdom would be filled with mutants.


    To the Daxia Kingdom, having such a neighbor was a terrible outcome.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please excuse me.¡±


    At this moment, Feng Tao stood up and spoke solemnly. Then, he quickly left anxiously.


    The Ganges Kingdom had a high chance of completely falling into the enemy¡¯s hands. This was too big a matter, so much so that it overshadowed the joy brought about by the successful attacks from the fighter jets.


    Feng Tao was given full command of the combat mission, but it involved a large country with a large population. It could only be decided by the higher-ups of the country.


    After Feng Tao left, Chen Yingying asked softly, ¡°Brother, are you going to save the Ganges Kingdom?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Save? How?


    If he transformed into a 1,000-meter-tall giant and stomped down, ordinary people, mutant humans, and mutant creatures would all be destroyed along with the city itself. If he tried to save them, he would probably cause even more chaos instead.


    As for the mutants, with their large numbers, could he kill them all?


    As soon as Chen Yingying asked this, she realized that she was too naive.


    No matter how strong a single person was, unless they were stationed on site, they would not be able to reverse the situation. Furthermore, the Daxia Kingdom was still facing the pressure from the black tide, and they needed the space plan to ensure that they had a way out.


    How could Chen Yiming leave the country so easily? If he lost his home, the consequences would be unbearable.


    Time quickly passed by.


    The combat report from the two futuristic fighter jets was still coming in.


    The mutant creatures they encountered along the way were not too powerful. This allowed the fighter jets to be just like two martial masters that were beating up some weaklings.


    Feng Tao had yet to return, and no one knew when he would return.


    Chen Yiming suddenly recalled the news report that a special team of 1,000 people armed with extraordinary weapons had entered the otherworld.


    He was not clear on the situation there, so he asked Ye Jianyuan, ¡°The Myriad Phenomena Sect should have also made a lot of ¡®reforged extraordinary weapons¡¯, right? How is the actual combat performance?¡±


    Ye Jianyuan shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. The user has to be very careful. Even so, it¡¯s very easy to be accidentally injured by the power of nature in battle.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    In his mind, he roughly imagined the scene of warriors fighting with the reforged extraordinary weapons.


    A complete extraordinary weapon had precise control over the power of nature. It could be said to be equivalent to a third arm.


    However, it was not the same for the reforged extraordinary weapons. They could only roughly mobilize the power of nature for their own use.


    For example, if one activated a reforged extraordinary sword and slashed at the enemy, the enemy would melt and a long and deep ravine would appear on the ground behind him.


    However, if he did not leave in time, the power of nature that spread out would not differentiate him from the enemy.


    With the talent of most humans, the protective internal force of warriors would likely shatter at the slightest touch from the power of nature.


    Ye Jianyuan thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Sect Master, do you want us to send some people along with the reforged extraordinary weapons to support the southwestern border?¡±


    He had also seen Delhi City¡¯s reaction and thought of something at a deeper level.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°The reforged extraordinary weapons are not effective in actual combat. The Myriad Phenomena Sect can try to work with the military factory and remake it into something similar to the cannons. It might be more practical.¡±


    This idea was inspired by the futuristic fighter jets. If it was remade into an extraordinary cannon, other than the fragments of the extraordinary weapon that were the core, they could just replace the rest of components like the barrels if they were damaged.


    After the extraordinary cannon was activated by the person controlling it, there was no need to hold it in one¡¯s hand like a weapon. The probability of being accidentally injured would definitely decrease greatly.


    Ye Jianyuan agreed immediately, and said that he would settle this matter once he returned.


    This was something that could be implemented only at Che Yiming¡¯s suggestion. No matter what others said, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed because this involved the principles of the martial artists.


    Giving up on weapons and turning to heavy artillery, most of a warrior¡¯s martial arts power was useless. How could a martial artist accept this so easily?


    ¡­


    At 9 pm that night, the two futuristic fighter jets returned to the Southwest Air Force Base.


    From the time they set off to the time they returned, the flight time was a total of eight hours. In between, the actual combat time was three hours.


    This was not much different from the theoretical maximum flight time of 10 hours.


    In order to settle the matter entrusted to him properly, Ye Jianyuan had specially waited in the landing area in advance and witnessed the actual condition of the fighter jets when they landed.


    The tails and heads of the planes were completely deformed, and half of the surface had dissolved. In other words, after one mission, they had to reforge the fragments of the extraordinary weapon within the planes.


    The two pilots were unharmed, but they were in low spirits. They had used up a lot of energy and had lost a lot of weight.


    In a room that was used for resting,


    Chen Yiming communicated with the figure in his mind.


    He received the news that the situation in the otherworld was still the same. The army of mutant creatures still swept through most of the areas as though they had the intention of destroying the entire otherworld.


    There were not many obstacles to stop them, and the otherworld had yet to organize an effective resistance.


    Based on all the information he had gathered, he felt that the 10,000-meter-long corpse he had dug out should have been the main force in resisting the arrival of the black tide previously. However, there might not be any experts at this level in the otherworld anymore.


    Even if there were, the few experts who had survived and reached this level did not dare to resist at all. Instead, they hid and let the mutant creatures spread fear and chaos in the otherworld.


    When Chen Yiming arrived next to the fighter jets that were parked on the runway, the staff in charge of maintenance were doing a full overhaul of the fighter jets.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Feng Tao greeted him.


    ¡°Have you come to a conclusion?¡±


    ¡°This matter involves another country. It¡¯s not easy to deal with!¡± Feng Tao smiled bitterly.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The space plan was the first priority for the Daxia Kingdom. At this time, how could they be willing to create more trouble for themselves? Furthermore, in reality, the huge population of the Ganges Kingdom was also a burden.


    When the higher-ups thought of this, they would be at a loss.


    If they did not consider the international situation on the blue planet, they could turn a blind eye and pretend that they did not see or notice anything. No one would be able to do anything to the Daxia Kingdom.


    Chen Yingying and Shen Mengwei sat on the lawn by the roadside and chatted softly.


    Seeing Chen Yiming turn his gaze towards her, Chen Yingying sat up and patted the grass off her pants.


    Chen Yiming walked over and took out the three complete extraordinary weapons from his pocket, stuffing them into Chen Yingying¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Brother? Are you giving all of them to me?¡±


    Chen Yingying widened her eyes in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s already a waste for you to take one of them. In reality, it¡¯s not very useful to you.¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes at his sister.


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Pick one! Take it as a gift in advance,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    At this moment, Feng Tao, Ye Jianyuan, and Shen Mengwei followed him over. They saw Chen Yiming take out three toy-sized weapons from his pocket: a small sword, a flail, and a shield.


    ¡°Yingying, that toy shield is so exquisite!¡±


    Shen Mengwei was immediately attracted by the shield.


    ¡°Is that so? I think this flail suits me better,¡± Chen Yingying said.


    She imagined a scene in her mind: When she can use her materialized spiritual power to control this flail, she can use its ability to restrain the enemy. It could complement her archery skills.


    With two types of attacks at once, how could her opponent escape?


    On the other hand, the small sword and the shield, one focused on offense and the other on defense. They did not seem to be compatible with her archery skills.


    ¡°Ah! I think the small sword is much better than the flail,¡± Shen Mengwei said in surprise.


    Feng Tao and Ye Jianyuan glanced at each other and also felt that the small sword and shield were clearly more attractive.


    Of course, the two of them had considered the details of the design. The flail looked ordinary. If it wasn¡¯t Chen Yiming who had taken it out, no one would have given it a second glance.


    ¡°These three are all complete extraordinary weapons. The flail can extend for a long distance to tie up the enemy, which is very compatible with my archery skills,¡± Chen Yingying explained.


    As soon as she finished speaking,


    Feng Tao and Ye Jianyuan were shocked. Their gazes stopped on the three toy weapons and they were stunned.


    ¡°Oh my god, is this a complete extraordinary weapon?¡±


    ¡°Why does it look like a small toy!¡±


    Shen Mengwei nodded and said, ¡°I see. Then you should indeed choose the flail.¡±


    She had heard some information about the extraordinary weapons from her elders. This was not something that one should choose like they were toys.


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy the other two weapons. There¡¯s no turning back after making your choice. Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chen Yingying replied.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the small sword and shield from his sister.


    At this moment, there seemed to be a flash of lightning in the air.


    ¡°You want to destroy the complete extraordinary weapons?¡±


    When Feng Tao and Ye Jianyuan heard this, they were dumbfounded.


    Feng Tao could not understand it at all. These were the complete extraordinary weapons after all. If they could understand how to create them, human technology would definitely improve by leaps and bounds.


    It would not be like now, where they were not even at the level of a mountain village. Although they had reforged the extraordinary weapons, it was actually not much different from using the fragments of the extraordinary weapons directly.


    Ye Jianyuan had a similar opinion. What he thought of was that the sect master¡¯s power could not be stopped. He could destroy the complete extraordinary weapons without any hesitation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    Suddenly, Feng Tao grabbed Chen Yiming¡¯s hand. His voice was pleading, and he almost knelt down.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was speechless.


    A complete extraordinary weapon was of little value to humans at this stage.


    He had already asked the two martial masters, Elder Zhang and Elder Huang. The power of nature they had mastered did not match the small sword or the shield.


    If they used the extraordinary weapons, it would not increase their combat strength qualitatively.


    This way, it was better to destroy them and turn them into heavy artillery to deal with the increasing pressure on the border.

 Chapter 351 - Change on Mount Everest

    The next morning, in order to reach an agreement with the military factory as soon as possible, Ye Jianyuan had already left with Shen Mengwei overnight.


    Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying weren¡¯t in a hurry, so they planned to return on the luxury plane after dawn.


    ¡°You can¡¯t use the complete extraordinary weapon now. After some thought, I¡¯ll help you keep it for the time being to prevent anyone from having designs on it.¡±


    Before boarding the plane, Chen Yiming asked Chen Yingying for the flail.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Chen Yingying took out the flail and handed it over reluctantly.


    The flail had been with her for just one night, but she couldn¡¯t sleep well at all. She even had a nightmare in which someone had taken advantage of the fact that Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t at home to steal the flail.


    ¡°This is also for your safety. There¡¯s no need to create a hidden danger,¡± Chen Yiming muttered as he took the flail.


    ¡°Then can I choose again before you get rid of the small sword and shield?¡± Chen Yingying pouted and asked.


    She felt that the flail was more suitable for her, but she had never used it before in actual combat. It was just what she thought. Now, an opportunity to make a new choice was in front of her.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Chen Yiming agreed immediately.


    How much of the materials in the small sword and shield were suitable for remaking into extraordinary weapons was still unknown. They needed experts with experience to study them.


    Therefore, Feng Tao successfully dissuaded Chen Yiming from destroying the two supernatural weapons.


    Of course, this was just a temporary decision. In Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes, the two extraordinary weapons were useless and he would have to get rid of them sooner or later.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying stepped onto the stairs, Feng Tao¡¯s voice sounded from afar.


    Feng Tao ran over anxiously. There was a hole in the leather shoe on his right foot. It was unknown what he had kicked, but he did not have time to change it.


    ¡°A large number of flying mutant creatures have evolved in the Ganges Kingdom overnight. The futuristic fighter jets are being surrounded.¡±


    Feng Tao ran to the front of the stairs. Before he could catch his breath, he said something surprising.


    Before the air force command set up the plan for the first combat drill, they had considered the situation of the fighter jets being chased by a large number of flying mutant creatures.


    After all, because of the materials used to make the fighter jets, they had high attack but low defense. They could bully the weak, those who could only move on the ground, and those who could fly but were not very agile.


    However, if they encountered those who happened to be able to overcome the weak defense of the fighter jets, it was hard to say what the situation would be like.


    Therefore, the bombing plan was set outside the border of the Ganges Kingdom. There were very few mutant creatures there, so even if something happened, it would not be easy to be trapped by them.


    ¡°Evolved overnight?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. This way, the mutant creatures couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Since they could evolve into a form that could fly, there was a high chance that they could also burrow into the ground. The Ganges Kingdom was really a burden.


    The matter of returning home could only be put aside for the time being. The three of them quickly headed to the command center.


    As soon as he entered, he saw that the front of the first futuristic fighter jet was damaged. The steel spikes that had been fused with the fragments of the extraordinary weapons cracked and fell from the sky.


    The scene of the second fighter jet was beside it. The sky was filled with mutant flying creatures chasing after and intercepting them. There were mutant humans that had grown wings, mutant birds that flapped their wings, and so on.


    ¡°The pilot must have tried to launch an attack with the power of nature in a hurry, but there were issues with his control.¡± Chen Yiming could tell that something was amiss.


    Of course, the materials used to make the extraordinary weapons could withstand the power of nature. It would not be a problem for it to be used roughly.


    However, the reforged extraordinary weapons to which humans had added materials from the blue planet were prone to accidents. While it had terrifying power, it was also a ticking time bomb.


    The first fighter jet had not disintegrated in midair, and the cockpit was still mostly intact. This meant that there were very few flaws in the pilot¡¯s operation of the plane.


    ¡°Where are the fighter jets now?¡±


    Feng Tao¡¯s loud voice echoed throughout the control center. Seeing such a dangerous situation, he only wanted to save the futuristic fighter jets as soon as possible.


    A staff member in charge of tracking their location got up from his desk and ran over to report, ¡°The mutant flying creatures seem to be trying to force the fighter jet towards Mount Everest. The current distance is still more than 100 kilometers away.¡±


    Was there a problem at Mount Everest?


    Hearing this, Feng Tao wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so. Chen Yiming thought so too.


    There were hardly any traces of humans there. If there was really a problem, it would be very difficult for humans to notice it immediately.


    Feng Tao¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his fists were clenched so tightly that they made cracking sounds.


    The futuristic fighter jets were the treasure of the entire Daxia Kingdom¡¯s air force!


    Unexpectedly, they had successfully returned from the actual combat training last night, and this joy had not even lasted for a day before something went wrong on their second reconnaissance mission.


    In his heart, he cursed all the ancestors of the higher-ups of the Ganges Kingdom.


    If not for the fact that the Ganges Kingdom had been invaded by the mutant creatures, there would not have been a need for the fighter jets to immediately set off on a reconnaissance mission once they were repaired. Naturally, they would not have been surrounded by the mutant flying creatures.


    ¡°Use the parachutes!¡±


    At this moment, a voice sounded from the control center. Chen Yiming made a suggestion.


    When the hundreds of staff members in the control center heard this, their hands froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button.


    Parachutes?


    This meant that they would stop fighting and give up on the futuristic fighter jets.


    From the movements of the mutant flying creatures, their target was undoubtedly the fighter jets. There was indeed a small chance that the pilot would survive after the jump. However, they were soldiers, and they had to wait for their orders.


    Now, it all depended on Feng Tao¡¯s decision.


    He was the person in charge of the Southwest Air Force Base and the final decision-maker while the futuristic fighter jets were carrying out their mission. The command center in the capital had already given him full control over the mission.


    ¡°Is there really no chance of rescuing the futuristic fighter jets?¡± Feng Tao snapped out of his daze and asked Chen Yiming in a trembling voice.


    Actually, he had already made a judgment in his heart. With the behavior of the mutant flying creatures and the speed of the futuristic fighter jets, it was already too late to try to cover the distance of 100 kilometers.


    However, he still had a glimmer of hope.


    Chen Yiming shook his head.


    He was good at using his strength in combat, not rescuing others.


    At the same time, if he spoke, it might shock the others. It had to be known that he did not even care about a complete extraordinary weapon, let alone a few fragments of one.


    As time passed, the atmosphere in the control center froze.


    Feng Tao finally made a decision and ordered the two pilots to jump out of the planes.


    If they could not protect the fighter jets, taking a step back, they had to protect the pilots. The experience they had gained from piloting the futuristic fighter jets was also very important.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, an ordinary fighter jet flew past the border of the Ganges Kingdom.


    Feng Tao jumped down from the cabin with a parachute on his back, while Chen Yiming jumped down from the sky. The two of them landed in the forest one after another.


    ¡°Fortunately, nothing happened.¡±


    After landing, Feng Tao unbuckled his parachute and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and turned in the direction of Mount Everest.


    Through the layers of obstacles in the distance, he saw that it was already completely covered by the red fog. However, he could not understand what had happened inside.


    The red fog had appeared when the futuristic fighter jets fell towards Mount Everest. At that time, the cameras on the fighter jets had recorded the scene and sent it back to the command center before the signal was lost.


    After the two pilots jumped out of the planes, just as they had expected, the mutant flying creature ignored them and continued to chase after the futuristic fighter jets.


    Only when the two futuristic fighter jets fell into the red fog did the mutant flying creatures disperse.


    At the same time, the appearance of the red fog forced Feng Tao and Chen Yiming to change their plan.


    Chen Yiming had originally planned to barge into the Ganges Kingdom to save the people. However, they didn¡¯t know anything about the red fog. Since it was related to the mutant creatures, it had to be related to the arrival of the black tide.


    When it came to the arrival of the black tide, he could not be rash.


    Feng Tao took out a map and a compass and checked them. ¡°The landing point of the two pilots is about 50 kilometers west of us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and said.


    Without staying put for long, the two of them quickly moved through the forest one after another. They planned to find the two pilots first.


    At that time, the futuristic fighter jets were flying in the direction of Mount Everest. Perhaps they had seen something.

 Chapter 352 - Giant Eye Under the Red Fog

    In the forest, by a stream.


    From afar, they saw a few military-issued items lying in the mud.


    Feng Tao walked over and squatted down to take a look. ¡°It¡¯s a water bottle, backpack, and flashlight from the Southwest Air Force Base.¡±


    ¡°Were they captured by the mutant creatures?¡± Chen Yiming walked over and asked.


    Feng Tao¡¯s expression was solemn. He stood up and jumped around, searching for clues. ¡°Other than the footprints that were dragged along, I didn¡¯t find anything else. They should have been captured without being able to put up any resistance.¡±


    Since they had already been captured, Chen Yiming could only use his force. After all, he didn¡¯t have much time to waste.


    He extended his terrifying spiritual power and swept it in all directions. In an instant, he confirmed that the footprints were pointing towards Delhi City.


    Delhi City?


    Had the higher-ups been mutated?


    Other than this possibility, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t think of any other reasonable explanation.


    If there was no special reason, the two pilots would have been killed on the spot if they encountered a mutant creature that they could not defeat.


    Once the terrifying spiritual power was retracted, Feng Tao was able to recover from the suffocating feeling. He said in fear, ¡°This is unbelievable.¡±


    At that moment, the air in his vision was distorted. Due to the spiritual pressure, he found it difficult to think.


    It was like he was in a dream. In the dream, he was conscious, but he could not control his own movements.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°The pilots should be imprisoned in a corner of Delhi City. There might be a bit of a commotion later. Take note of the situation and hide. Take care of your own safety.¡±


    As an expert at the peak of the warrior realm, Feng Tao had more than enough strength to protect himself. Chen Yiming¡¯s words were just a warning to him.


    After all, once he made a move, only the heavens knew if Delhi City would still remain standing. Although he would indeed be the one who had destroyed it, he still had to protect his reputation.


    If he accidentally razed the capital of the Ganges Kingdom to the ground, since this land was originally that of another country, Feng Tao would need to communicate with the spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid condemnation from the western powers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of myself. I won¡¯t cause any trouble,¡± Feng Tao nodded and agreed.


    The higher-ups had given him detailed instructions on how to get along with Chen Yiming before inviting him to the Southwest Air Force Base.


    This involved viewing things from different perspectives. At that time, Feng Tao had memorized every single word of the information in a book that was dozens of pages long. Therefore, they had generally gotten along quite well.


    After discussing it, the two of them rushed to Delhi City.


    ¡­


    After entering the outskirts of Delhi City, a stench filled the air.


    Chen Yiming frowned and held his breath in disdain, determined not to let the dirty air enter his body.


    ¡°Can people still live here?¡±


    Feng Tao also held his breath and looked at the city not far away.


    There were collapsed city walls, damaged streets, and desolate buildings. Other than the mutants, there were no other living creatures.


    Furthermore, from the behavior of the mutants, they did not care about the normal operation of the city at all. All the public facilities had stopped working.


    At this moment, in the field, a mutant human with a long tail let out a roar and rushed out when he saw that someone had dared to barge into the territory of Delhi City.


    His appearance was similar to a lizardman. As he ran, his long tail maintained its balance. His fingers were sharp claws that shone with a metallic luster, and there were dark red bloodstains on them.


    ¡°Do you understand the language of the Ganges Kingdom?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to Feng Tao without even sparing a glance for the mutant human.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a dialect, I can understand and speak the official language of the Ganges Kingdom. As for the languages of the various states, I only understand them a little,¡± Feng Tao replied.


    Chen Yiming nodded and turned to look at the mutant human.


    The fierce glint in the mutant human¡¯s eyes had disappeared, and he was in a daze. He naturally lowered his hands as he walked towards the two of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Cartis.¡±


    Feng Tao turned to Chen Yiming and said, ¡°He¡¯s speaking the official language of the Ganges Kingdom. The original human might have been a native of Delhi City.¡±


    As the person in charge of the Southwest Air Force Base, Feng Tao had dealt with the neighboring countries many times over the years, especially the people from the capitals of the various South Asian countries.


    As soon as the other party spoke, he could tell that he had grown up in the capital.


    Soon, Feng Tao obtained a lot of valuable information from the other party.


    Unlike the situation in the Daxia Kingdom where the mutant humans were not organized in any manner, the mutant humans here actually adhered to some level of organization, even though it was only a loose hierarchy.


    This mutant human was equivalent to a city guard and was in charge of patrolling the fields outside Delhi City.


    Not long ago, when he was resting in the fields, he happened to see a group of mutant humans pushing two living people into the city.


    As for where they were imprisoned after entering the city, the mutant human did not know either. He could only provide the location of the dungeon where the ¡®food¡¯ was kept.


    In the eyes of the mutant humans, living people had nothing to do with their own kind. Instead, they were treated as food that provided them with energy.


    ¡°The two pilots were specially captured. They shouldn¡¯t be placed in the dungeon with the ¡®food¡¯.¡± Feng Tao voiced his judgment.


    Chen Yiming nodded. He thought so too.


    The reason why he did not make a decision immediately was because he had thought about the pressure that the Daxia Kingdom was facing from their neighbors.


    When faced with the scene of their companions being captured for ¡®food¡¯, if they were rescued, the seeds of hatred for the mutant humans would be planted in their hearts.


    Although the people from the Ganges Kingdom were known for being lazy, among those in which the seeds of hatred were planted, there would always be someone who would stand up and try to lead the remaining people from the Ganges Kingdom to fight against the mutant humans.


    At that time, the Daxia Kingdom could provide some supplies and keep the conflict between humans and the mutant creatures within the Ganges Kingdom as long as possible to ensure they could develop the space plan in peace.


    ¡­


    The air was distorted by a powerful spiritual power.


    Chen Yiming and Feng Tao entered Delhi City openly through a hole in the city wall.


    Along the way, due to the influence of Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power, the mutant creatures became sluggish wherever they passed. They turned a blind eye to the distorted air.


    ¡°He¡¯s too powerful!¡±


    Feng Tao looked at him in admiration. As an expert at the peak of the warrior realm, the breakthrough to the next stage involved materializing his spiritual power.


    When he thought about how his illusory spiritual power could not even move a stone, and compared it to what he had seen and heard, his confidence was shaken.


    The two of them walked around the city.


    In order not to alert the enemy in advance, Chen Yiming kept the range of his spiritual power within a 100-meter radius. He carefully searched every single one of the secret rooms that might contain the two pilots.


    Not long after, they finally found the secret underground room where the two pilots were held.


    The entrance was a three-story-tall concrete house. The guards were not weak, and a mutant rhinoceros was lying at the door. There were eight mutant humans in the house.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Before Feng Tao could make out how each of the mutant humans looked, they fell to the ground one after another.


    The pupils of the mutant rhinoceros in front of him gradually dilated. Clearly, it had died instantly.


    Immediately after, a huge hole appeared in the ground. The two pilots were lifted up by an invisible force and dropped to the ground by the roadside.


    ¡°Chief!¡±


    ¡°Chief!¡±


    When the two pilots saw Feng Tao, tears welled up in their eyes. They looked like they had encountered a life-and-death situation and barely survived with their lives


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive!¡±


    Feng Tao repeated himself twice and hugged the two of them.


    The two of them were the best pilots under him. On the surface, they were his subordinates, but in private, they were like brothers.


    ¡°Were they that hungry?¡±


    Chen Yiming noticed the wounds on their bodies. Several pieces of flesh had been bitten off their shoulders and thighs, and a thin layer of blood had formed over the gaps.


    If not for the fact that the two of them had a good foundation in martial arts and that their physiques were far stronger than that of ordinary people, they would have either died from their injuries or bled to death. They would not have been able to survive until help arrived.


    Furthermore, hunger was related to food. If the mutant humans were hungry, the underlying reason could not be more obvious.


    This made him unable to place too much hope on the remaining survivors from the Ganges Kingdom. The difference in numbers between the two sides might be much greater than what they had seen.


    ¡­


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Suddenly, an oval-shaped entrance more than 10 meters wide appeared in the east of Delhi City.


    Before the mutants guarding the area could react, the mutant creatures within a few kilometers of the explosion died on the spot and fell to the ground almost at the same time.


    It was as if a death wave had swept through the area.


    At the same time, the dungeons underground suffered a similar attack. The defense was broken in the blink of an eye, and the locks on the dungeons automatically fell off.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    It was unknown who shouted, but the imprisoned ¡®food¡¯ started to get restless. They quickly rushed out of the dungeon and rushed towards the exit.


    The scene was like an escape from hell.


    10 minutes later, the hundreds of thousands of people did not face any resistance and stepped on the corpses of the mutant creatures along the way as they rushed out of Delhi City.


    ¡°This is actually the last batch of survivors in Delhi City!¡±


    Feng Tao said in shock as he stood on a small hill outside the city.


    ¡°When looking for the pilots in the city, we walked through most of the city. Other than a few corners that we missed, I can confirm that most of the living people were imprisoned in the dungeons.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    This was a cruel truth. He had to admit that the situation in the Ganges Kingdom was far more serious than he had expected.


    So what if those who survived had rushed out of the city? How long could they hide from the mutant creatures in the wilderness?


    Perhaps before they could organize an effective counterattack, the survivors would become refugees and flee to the area around the Daxia Kingdom, where the situation was more stable.


    Feng Tao looked away, unable to calm down for a long time.


    It had to be known that in the Ganges Kingdom, Delhi City was equivalent to the capital of the Daxia Kingdom. Now, it had actually been brought down so far by the mutant creatures.


    It was hard to imagine what it would be like when the true black tide descended. Would the Daxia Kingdom still be able to make it in time?


    At this moment, the two pilots cleaned up their wounds and wrapped them up in bandages before standing up.


    Every time they moved, they would still grimace in pain. However, after disinfecting the wounds with alcohol and cutting off the rotten flesh, at least they no longer had to worry about their injuries and could still move on their own.


    Seeing this, Feng Tao thought of something and asked, ¡°Xiao Zhang, Xiao Fan, did the two of you see the red fog spreading out from Mount Everest before you jumped off?¡±


    Xiao Zhang shook his head. He had fallen with his back facing the direction of Mount Everest, so he did not see anything.


    Xiao Fan said in an uncertain tone, ¡°When I was jumping down, I thought I saw a huge eye flash past. I don¡¯t know if my eyes were playing tricks on me.¡±


    A huge eye?


    Chen Yiming frowned.


    Could it be like the shadow monster that was hiding in the no man¡¯s land in the southwest?


    However, this was a little strange. If the huge eye had been hiding on Mount Everest, why didn¡¯t it join forces with the shadow monster back then? Why did it let the shadow monster be devoured by the shadow mouth on the moon?


    Could it be that there was also discord within the members of the black tide? Was there a conflict? Was it to the extent that they would not do anything even if one of them died?


    ¡°After the two of you were captured, did you encounter any mutant humans with a high status?¡± Chen Yiming asked, trying to get more information.


    Xiao Zhang and Xiao Fan both shook their heads and said, ¡°After being brought to the secret underground room, other than being bitten a few times, we just stayed there until we were rescued.¡±


    Seeing this, Feng Tao said, ¡°Could it be that those mutant humans with high status headed to Mount Everest after the fighter jets fell into the red fog? After all, the huge eye¡¯s target should be the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it. This possibility seemed to be very likely.


    It was impossible for there to be no trace of the mutant creatures that ruled the city. In that case, from the beginning to the end, the mutant creatures in the entire city would be in a state of disunity.


    With just one simple move, he had released hundreds of thousands of people from the city.


    The one leading the mutant creatures in the Ganges Kingdom was very likely the huge eye hiding on Mount Everest. Mount Everest was not too far from Delhi City, and it was enough for the huge eye to hide in the darkness and be the mastermind.


    Even if this explanation made sense, there were still some inconsistencies that could not be fully explained.


    Were the fragments of extraordinary weapons that attractive?


    In the past, the shadow monster had carried eight complete extraordinary weapons. Compared to the fragments of the extraordinary weapons on the futuristic fighter jets, it was obvious that they would not be at the same level.

 Chapter 353 - Extraordinary Cannon

    At the military committee, a meeting was underway.


    The threat of mutant creatures was becoming more and more serious. Those in the country were almost cleared out, and now it was time to get rid of those outside the country.


    The content of the discussion was mainly about the defense and reinforcements at the southwest border of the Daxia Kingdom. The participants were from the military leaders.


    Not long after, a communications officer barged in with a phone, his face filled with anxiety.


    Commander Wei Zhengdao¡¯s expression darkened. The communications officer had actually interrupted the meeting. Did he not know what kind of situation they were in?


    ¡°Chief, there¡¯s an urgent call from the southwest air base.¡± The communications officer¡¯s back was drenched in sweat under the gazes of many military leaders.


    Hearing that it was from the Southwest Air Force Base, Wei Zhengdao¡¯s expression changed. He took the phone and placed it to his ear.


    ¡°Commander Wei, I¡¯m Feng Tao.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°In the area around Mount Everest, under the cover of the red fog, we suspect that powerful black tide creatures are hiding there, secretly controlling the changes in the Ganges Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Wei Zhengdao¡¯s eyes widened.


    Perhaps because the shock brought by this news was too great, the phone slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground. Seeing this, the communications officer quickly helped to pick it up.


    This type of special phone was made of high quality materials, and could even be used to smash walnuts. Of course, it would not be a problem if it fell to the ground. There was only a small white mark left on it.


    ¡°Hello? A black tide creature? Is it like the shadow monster from the last time?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure yet. We only know that it¡¯s a huge eye hidden under the red fog.¡±


    Although he had forgotten to turn on the speakerphone, Feng Tao¡¯s words seemed to have been put through a loudspeaker and echoed clearly in the meeting room. The military leaders all had solemn expressions on their faces.


    A few minutes passed.


    After passing on the urgent news, Feng Tao hung up.


    The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy. The military leaders were overwhelmed by the news.


    The incident involving the shadow monster the last time still left a vivid impression in their minds. These black tide creatures were a terrifying threat that could destroy the entire country. If they could not hold them back or their weaknesses were grasped, the Daxia Kingdom would not be able to deal with the consequences.


    They were worried. Why was there a huge eye there? However, it was useless no matter how worried they were.


    In the face of the powerful black tide creatures, nuclear weapons were no longer enough. Even the two martial masters, Elder Zhang and Elder Huang, were helpless. There were also problems that had yet to be resolved with the reforged extraordinary weapons.


    In the end, Chen Yiming was still the last line of defense for the Daxia Kingdom.


    However, if the last line of defense could not withstand it, the Daxia Kingdom would be finished in an instant.


    ¡°The space plan,¡± Commander Wei Zhengdao muttered.


    ¡°The space plan,¡±


    The other military leaders also thought to themselves.


    Unlike the passive invasion from the otherworld, the black tide from outer space was taking the initiative to actively attack.


    After blocking the first wave, there would be a second, third, and fourth wave. There was no hope of defending themselves over a prolonged period.


    For now, escaping seemed to be the best choice.


    ¡­


    After rescuing the two pilots, the group returned to the southwest air base.


    Mount Everest was enveloped by the red fog. Surprisingly, there were no more movements, as if the red fog was more of a warning.


    For this reason, the meeting among the higher ups was held for a day and night. Chen Yiming attended with the help of a long-range communication device.


    In the end, they decided on a relatively conservative solution: They would not provoke or communicate with each other. They would increase the number of patrols at the southwest border.


    Chen Yiming stayed at the base for another two days. After confirming that the huge eye hiding under the red fog had made no move, he boarded the plane with Chen Yingying on the third day and returned to Jiangnan province.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    At the Jiangnan Firearms Factory, on the shooting range, a cannon of average design was quietly parked there.


    The observation tower not far away was filled with staff from the factory. It was very lively inside, and they were all here to watch the first-generation extraordinary cannon being tested.


    Chen Yiming and Ye Jianyuan stood beside the cannon and chatted casually.


    ¡°I heard that the abnormal situation on Mount Everest has been resolved?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. For the time being, there¡¯s no further information. Perhaps the huge eye isn¡¯t a black tide creature at all, but a powerful creature from the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be wrong. If it¡¯s really a black tide creature similar to the shadow monster, why would it be interested in those fragments of extraordinary weapons?¡±


    ¡°If the huge eye is not a black tide creature, how can it control the mutant creatures?¡±


    ¡°The mutant creatures in this area of South Asia were all created by that shadow monster. Isn¡¯t the other party already dead? Perhaps the huge eye is extremely good at creating illusions and tricking the mutant creatures.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, could it be that the huge eye is here to take refuge on the blue planet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t mention this unconfirmed guess at the meeting with the higher ups. He had only casually voiced his guess when he was chatting with Ye Jianyuan.


    The reason was that among all the clues, the only clue that suggested that the huge eye was part of the black tide was that the other party could control the mutant creatures.


    Of course, others did not know the information he had gotten from various sources like the female spirit, the 10,000-meter-long corpse, the shadow monster, and so on.


    Just because it was able to control mutant creatures, they subconsciously thought of the huge eye as a black tide creature.


    Time quickly passed by.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    At some point, a voice sounded from afar, interrupting the two people who were chatting.


    The people who had arrived were the factory head, Xu Jian, and a middle-aged man in a blue uniform. This person¡¯s name was Lu Qiming, and he was an expert in large-caliber artillery.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I came over at the last minute. Sorry to trouble you,¡± Chen Yiming said politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. It¡¯s our honor that you¡¯re willing to hand over the project to the Jiangnan Firearms Factory,¡± the factory head, Xu Jian, said respectfully.


    At the moment, almost all the fragments of the extraordinary weapons had been invested in the space plan. The projects leaned more towards the construction of the spaceship¡¯s hull than the creation of powerful weapons.


    There were not even enough fragments to go around the military factories under the three armies for the direct production of weapons.


    Therefore, the Jiangnan Firearms Factory had been eyeing it for a long time. Now, they finally had a chance to participate.


    Next, the factory head, Xu Jian, introduced Chen Yiming to the artillery expert, Lu Qiming. The cannon project was created by a team led by Lu Qiming who had worked overnight for a week.


    The cannons were made from biological materials with different attributes. The cost was relatively high, but they should be able to launch three attacks using the power of nature before breaking.


    The attack range was estimated to be three to five kilometers, and the attack was in the form of a powerful wind blade.


    The lethality was highest within one kilometer of the center of the attack. It could ensure that the wind blades covered the entire area. Warriors who were three kilometers away had enough space to dodge the four wind blades.


    In the end, because it was a first-generation product that was rushed out, he recommended not to shoot it a third time to prevent the gun from exploding and causing the operator to be accidentally injured.


    ¡°It¡¯s still quite dangerous!¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed after hearing the explanation.


    Lu Qi hurriedly explained, ¡°It takes more than a minute to mobilize the power of nature to fire a shot using the fragment of the extraordinary weapon in this cannon. For a warrior, there¡¯s enough time to run more than a few kilometers away.¡±


    ¡°However, if they happen to be close to it when it¡¯s firing, there¡¯s still a chance that they will be killed by the wind blades,¡± Chen Yiming said.


    Lu Qiming was speechless.


    This was a serious problem.


    The material of the cannon in front of them was clearly incomparable to that of the futuristic fighter jets.


    Moreover, the power of nature of the wind attribute could cut through the barrel of a cannon easily, thus imposing a higher requirement on the firing mechanism.


    Due to such reasons, the cannon barrel could theoretically only be used thrice.


    This alone brought about a huge risk. To the current humans, it was a weapon that was half angel and half demon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try firing a round,¡± Chen Yiming suggested after a long time.


    Lu Qiming looked at the factory head, Xu Jian, and asked for his opinion.


    It had to be known that this shooting range was only designed according to the standards of ordinary firearms. At most, it could be used as a firing point. The real targets were the mountains behind.


    It was foreseeable that the outcome of this first attack would be the destruction of the surrounding environment.


    Xu Jian smiled and said, ¡°Go ahead and fire! I just reported to my superiors, and there are soldiers blocking the entrances to the mountain. No one is allowed to enter the mountain until the test is over.¡±


    Soon, everyone took a step back, leaving a large space around Lu Qiming.


    Lu Qiming took out a small bottle of transparent liquid from his pocket and explained, ¡°This is the catalyst to activate the supernatural cannon. After communicating with the army¡¯s main equipment factory, we experimented with it based on their ideas.¡±


    Chen Yiming extended his spiritual power to examine it.


    This catalyst was obtained by diluting some kind of biological material. As for why it could activate the fragments of supernatural weapons, no one could explain it clearly, but it did not stop humans from using it directly.


    After a simple explanation, Lu Qiming pulled open an opening at the side of the cannon. He poured in a small amount of the translucent liquid and sealed it up.


    Chen Yiming used his spiritual power to study it and sensed the transparent liquid flowing down a thin tube and dripping onto the fragment from the extraordinary weapon that laid at the core of the firing device.

 Chapter 354 - Moon Blockade

    ¡°Buzz buzz buzz¡­¡±


    After the core fragment of the extraordinary cannon was moistened by the transparent liquid, it was as if a switch had been turned on. The power of nature resonated with it.


    Wisps of wind power started to flow visibly and gathered at the core of the cannon. Then, they were guided to the front of the cannon, forming a white ball that kept spinning and expanding.


    ¡°Does the transparent liquid being dried by the wind act as a switch to turn it off?¡±


    Chen Yiming used his spiritual power to examine it. As the core fragment became dry again, the resonance with the power of nature decreased.


    The situation was exactly as he had thought. The moment the fragment that was used as the core completely resonated with the power of nature,


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The huge white ball shot into the sky, and waves of air appeared, causing it to charge towards the distant viewing tower. The crowd started to scream.


    ¡°Compared to weapons, the amount of natural power that can be mobilized is much more.¡±


    Ye Jianyuan stared at the white ball in the sky. Its size seemed not to be restrained, and the power of nature condensed inside was quickly spinning and spreading out.


    On the other hand, if it were a weapon, because of the risk of accidental injuries, the user would definitely not dare to gather such a huge amount of natural power at once.


    ¡°If there are more than 10 such extraordinary cannons, they should be able to build a line of defense 1,000 kilometers long,¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and muttered.


    He imagined the scene of the human defenses spanning 1,000 kilometers, with the extraordinary cannons as the core.


    Humans only needed to defend their positions and ensure that the cannons could fire continuously, and the advantage that the mutant creatures had in terms of numbers would be overcome.


    The factory head, Xu Jian, retracted his gaze and placed a hand on Lu Qiming¡¯s shoulder. He smiled and said, ¡°You did well.¡±


    As long as the mobilized power of nature could be successfully unleashed, it would be considered a success. There was no need to control the rest of it. They could just wait for the power of nature to wreak havoc.


    Not long after, the huge white ball landed in the mountains, and the wind blades completely broke free from their restraints and spread out, destroying all obstacles in their way.


    From the shooting range, the three mountain peaks seemed to have been instantly turned into rubble. The landing point was a scene of devastation. Countless ravines appeared, demonstrating the power of the cannon¡¯s attack.


    ¡°This¡­ With just a few more shots, Jiangnan City would probably be razed to the ground.¡±


    ¡°If a warrior is within the range of the cannons, will he instantly be pulverized?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! With such powerful artillery like the extraordinary cannon, all the beast tides will be wiped out in a few shots!¡±


    ¡°I wonder how many shots from the extraordinary cannon the martial masters can withstand?¡±


    ¡­


    In the observation tower, the employees of the Jiangnan Firearms Factory were discussing the results of the test firing of the cannon.


    Everyone was stunned. With the rise of the overall martial arts level led by Chen Yiming, the power of traditional technological weapons was slowly decreasing.


    Now, it seemed that technology had also caught up. The extraordinary cannon in front of them was the direction for future breakthroughs in technology.


    ¡­


    On Mount Everest, within the red fog that the sunlight could not penetrate, dozens of mutant humans stood up in a daze and returned the way they had come.


    They were all the higher-ups of the Ganges Kingdom who had been affected by the mutation. They had been summoned here by some unknown force and received a reward from the huge eye. The mutation in their bodies had been strengthened.


    For example, those with a mutant arm had both arms mutated. The length that their tongue, which was filled with metal barbs, could extend to was doubled. The strange patterns in their pupils became even more complex.


    When all the mutant humans left the range of the red fog, a huge eye appeared from a hole.


    On the front were patterns of ripples, and the back was covered in long tentacles. The entire thing was floating in midair.


    At this moment, the fragments of the extraordinary weapons from the two futuristic fighter jets were held in its tentacles, and numerous smaller silk-like tubes had been inserted into the fragments.


    ¡°Humans? The space plan?¡±


    A spiritual fluctuation appeared around it, and the eye moved back and forth as if it was deep in thought.


    Not long after, the eye turned to the sky and gazed towards the moon through the red fog.


    ¡°They only established a blockade?¡±


    This was accompanied by a joyful spiritual fluctuation.


    After a while, the eye turned in the direction of the Daxia Kingdom.


    ¡°It just so happens that the human spaceship and the strongest human can hold the attention of the blockade. I can take the opportunity to escape.¡±


    After a while, the eye turned in the direction of the Ganges Kingdom.


    ¡°The black tide is about to descend. I have to put more pressure on the strongest human. I have to escape from this planet before the second blockade appears.¡±


    Plots were hatched one after another, accompanied by terrifying spiritual storms that wreaked havoc in the red fog. However, no abnormalities appeared outside the red fog.


    After an unknown period of time, the spiritual fluctuations suddenly calmed down. The tentacles and the eye gradually retreated into the hole and disappeared. At the same time, the red fog in the outside world began to dissipate.


    ¡­


    10 minutes after the red fog dissipated, a few fighter jets carrying martial arts experts flew past the area from more than 10 kilometers above Mount Everest.


    The images of Mount Everest after the red fog dissipated were captured by high-definition cameras.


    Half an hour later, this information was sent to an emergency meeting of the military committee. There was another discussion on how to deal with it, and many military leaders sighed.


    The Daxia Kingdom only wanted to complete the space plan as soon as possible, but there was no peace in the surroundings.


    ¡­


    That night, the Chen family gathered at the dining table to eat.


    Even though he had been busy for a while, not only was Father Chen not exhausted, but he had also become stronger under the nourishment of the miracle blood.


    At this moment, he had the demeanor of a soldier. He no longer had the air of a restaurant owner. Unless one was an old acquaintance, one would not be able to recognize him.


    On Jiangnan TV Station, a female announcer reported the big news that day.


    The scene changed to the shooting range of the Jiangnan Firearms Factory. A cannon shot out a white ball, and the violent wind blades tore through three mountain peaks.


    The female announcer introduced to the audience that this was the latest technological product of humanity, the ¡°extraordinary artillery¡±. Then, she roughly explained some technical details, especially emphasizing the strength of the ¡°extraordinary artillery¡±.


    ¡°Brother, can you give me an extraordinary pistol too?¡±


    Chen Yingying retracted her gaze and asked Chen Yiming.


    As soon as she finished speaking, these words even attracted the attention of Father Chen and Mother Chen.


    If it was really as the news had said, Chen Yingying would be much safer wherever she went with an extraordinary pistol.


    Actually, Chen Yingying was not weak, but Father Chen and Mother Chen still treated her like a little girl. If she could get better equipment, they would naturally go for it.


    Chen Yiming wanted to scold his sister. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the futuristic fighter jet when it landed? At this stage, the level of reforging weapons on the blue planet is still far from enough. Even the best materials can¡¯t withstand many shots.¡±


    However, on second thought, it might be possible to create a small hole in the extraordinary sword to insert a firing mechanism and turn it into a pistol.


    This way, due to the high quality of the material, there would naturally be no risk of accidents like the explosion of the power of nature.


    It was just that he did not know if the firearms experts could resolve the technical problems involved.


    After thinking about it, he suddenly frowned. Previously, he had planned to correct his way of nurturing his sister. He could not give her whatever she wanted, so he had to set a reasonable condition for her.


    Therefore, Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°How about this? When you complete the internal force fusion, I will give you an extraordinary pistol as a reward.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Chen Yingying exclaimed, unable to react immediately.


    Chen Yiming had always encouraged his sister who had mediocre talent.


    However, people could change. Chen Yingying¡¯s martial arts talent had been increasing because of the use of the miracle blood. He could not view her the same way as before.


    Mastering internal force fusion was no longer something impossible for Chen Yingying to achieve.


    It was precisely because he suddenly thought of this that he made up his mind to correct the wrong path that she had been set on.


    Faced with his sister¡¯s confusion, Chen Yiming returned a serious gaze. He wasn¡¯t joking, and he was actually serious about it. There was no room left for doubt.


    ¡­


    The television stations throughout the Daxia Kingdom broadcasted the news from Jiangnan TV Station later.


    The concept of ¡°extraordinary artillery¡± became popular overnight. Many cities became lively, and many people went on the streets to celebrate.


    The reason was that technological weapons could still be used by people without martial arts cultivation. For most people, this was something that was more accessible.


    This was because once it became commonplace, the status of warriors would definitely decrease greatly again, and the status of ordinary people would increase relatively.


    However, unlike the high spirits of the people, not long after the military committee received the news that the red fog had dissipated, they also received news that there was an uprising among the mutant creatures in the Ganges Kingdom. They were heading towards the southwest border of the Daxia Kingdom.


    The next morning, a 1,000-strong special forces team lined up outside East Lake City.


    Their leader had entered the city to visit someone using the name of the martial master, Elder Zhang.


    ¡°Why did they suddenly call the special forces back here?¡± A muscular soldier stabbed his sword into the ground, his face full of confusion.


    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s afraid that we¡¯ll lose the thing in our hands!¡± the bald soldier at the side said with a smile. After he finished speaking, he imitated the muscular soldier and stabbed his spear into the ground.


    With 1,000 people armed with 1,000 reforged extraordinary weapons, they were the strongest force in the army. In theory, they could fight against a true martial master.


    Many soldiers from the special forces were eager to test it out in the otherworld, but they did not have the chance. The higher-ups would not allow them to take the risk of being wiped out.


    This was the truth. They did not encounter any big risks, but they had taken several small risks.


    Several people had used the core fragments too much during battle. In the end, only one person was lucky enough to survive, and the others died on the spot.

 Chapter 355 - Defense at the Southwest Border

    In the Chen family house, the person who had come to visit together with Elder Zhang was Zheng Yun from the central military region, who was a half-step away from the master realm.


    He had a well-proportioned figure and was dressed neatly in a military uniform. He was about 40 years old and had a serious demeanor.


    ¡°The red fog has dissipated, and the mutant creatures are making a move. The southwest border is about to face an army of hundreds of millions of mutants?¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised to hear this news from Elder Zhang and Zheng Yun.


    He was already quite confident about the origin of the huge eye, and he was certain that it was here to avoid trouble.


    Some time ago, it had only launched an attack on the two futuristic fighter jets before falling silent again. This move was clearly a show of strength in an unfamiliar environment before expressing that it would mind its own business.


    However, after just a week, it suddenly changed its mind and took the initiative to worsen the conflict between the two sides.


    ¡°The most valuable thing about the futuristic fighter jet is the fragments of extraordinary weapons. Could it be that it has its eyes on the complete extraordinary weapons in my hands?¡±


    This was the only reason that could barely explain the other party¡¯s inconsistent actions.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming had snapped out of his thoughts, Zheng Yun said, ¡°The military predicts that the entire southwest border will become a battlefield. They plan to send the 1,000-strong special forces to defend the long battlefront.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and reminded him, ¡°The huge eye has previously attacked the futuristic fighter jets. Sending this 1,000-man special forces team is equivalent to sending a lamb to the tiger¡¯s mouth!¡±


    ¡°The space plan needs the strength of the entire country, and if the southwest provinces become a battlefield, the impact will be far-reaching. We really need a relatively stable environment to support the space plan.¡± At this point, Zheng Yun smiled bitterly.


    The space plan was something that was beyond the ability of the Daxia Kingdom to begin with. Under normal circumstances, they should have gathered the power of the entire blue planet to build a spaceship.


    If half of the country was reduced to a battlefield, with these changes, the citizens would become uneasy, and the plan might be brought to a stop.


    Chen Yiming could understand the military¡¯s intention, so he promised, ¡°No matter what the huge eye¡¯s goal is, no one can work alone. I¡¯ll secretly keep an eye on the huge eye on Mount Everest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Zheng Yun stood up and bowed.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s promise had undoubtedly reassured the military. Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings against kings. As long as it wasn¡¯t a dimensional attack, the war wouldn¡¯t end so easily.


    In fact, as long as Chen Yiming could defend against the huge eye, the military was confident that they could defeat the invading mutant army with their recent improvements in combat.


    ¡­


    On the southwest border, in a forest filled with plants, a sword flashed past, and a row of seven or eight trees fell one after another. A figure landed in the air, waved his sword, and sheathed it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Lu¡¯s sword to still be so sharp after not seeing you for so long. Your movement technique is still so outstanding,¡± a man in a long robe applauded and cheered not far away.


    ¡°Brother He, you flatter me. The mutant creatures are about to reach the border. How long will it take for me to complete the mission alone? We have to hurry,¡± the sword-wielding man urged.


    ¡°Relax. We have to save some strength to prevent ourselves from being ambushed by the mutant creatures,¡± the man said, but his hands did not stop moving.


    ¡°Relax. We have to save some strength to prevent ourselves from being ambushed by the mutant creatures,¡± the man said, but his hands did not stop moving.


    ¡°Got it. Focus on clearing the forest!¡± the man with the sword said in a low voice. He took a deep breath and continued to attack.


    In the dense forest, the intermittent flashes of sword and saber flashed as row after row of trees fell.


    Their mission was to clear the obstacles for the southwest defense line.


    After all, the dense forest in some areas separated the front lines on both sides along the battlefront that was hundreds of kilometers long.


    This would undoubtedly cause endless trouble. It would become a natural hiding place for the mutant creatures, causing the pressure on the entire defense line to increase.


    Therefore, in order to reduce the casualties and preserve as much combat strength as possible, even if it meant destroying the environment, they could not care less about it at this time.


    Just as the two of them were clearing the dense forest, a mutant human was lying on a rock wall in the damp darkness between the cracks in the mountain. Its ears twitched from time to time as it tried to determine the distance from the sound.


    The mutant human¡¯s four limbs had sharp claws on them, and wisps of black aura were being emitted from its entire body. It was almost perfectly camouflaged in the dark environment.


    They were getting close.


    They were getting close.


    They were about to get close enough for him to launch a sneak attack.


    Beep! Beep! Beep!


    Suddenly, a small device carried by the man in the long robe sounded an alert. His body stiffened and he almost lost his grip on the long saber in his hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­¡±


    The sword-wielding man quickly shut his mouth and stood rooted to the ground.


    Mutant humans were also divided into different levels. Those with mutations only in a certain part of their body were equivalent to a human in the disciple realm. This was the weakest level of mutant humans.


    Those with an extremely powerful black aura on their bodies, which was a type of supernatural power, were equivalent to a human warrior.


    This kind of alert device was developed to detect the black aura based on inspiration that the military research institute had obtained from developing and producing new weapons.


    The materials used were the parts of the mutant creatures that had mutated, and the pure water in which a fragment of an extraordinary weapon had soaked in.


    The man in the long robe pressed the button to stop the alarm. The beeping sound immediately disappeared, and the surroundings returned to silence. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze could be heard.


    He and the sword-wielding man looked at each other and instantly exchanged a round of silent communication.


    The two of them were only warrior candidates, so they could still fight ordinary mutant creatures.


    As for this mutant creature that was hiding in some corner nearby, it was not something they could deal with since it caused the device to sound an alarm. If they were not careful, they would die here.


    The two of them carefully retreated step by step, trying their best to reduce the vibrations caused by their footsteps. It was unknown if they were lucky or if the mutant creature just did not care about two small fries like them. In any case, the mutant creature hiding in the dark did not attack them.


    A few minutes later.


    The two people, who had retreated a distance, turned around and ran. They only stopped after running for a few kilometers.


    ¡°Brother Lu, how about we go drinking tonight?¡±


    ¡°No problem. We have to drink until someone falls to the ground.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Although they were drenched in sweat, their relationship had suddenly become much closer. They could be considered to have gone through a disaster together.


    Of course, the two of them did not forget their job. They quickly took out their communication device and contacted the nearby troops to report their encounter in the dense forest.


    A few more minutes passed.


    A martial arts expert from the military flew over and struck out with a dragon-shaped energy beam, killing the mutant human that was still hiding in the dark crack in the mountain.


    ¡­


    Half a day later, armed helicopters crossed the southwest border and patrolled the sky, monitoring the movements of the mutant creatures from a distance.


    If they attacked with an army of hundreds of millions, their gathering point would be too large to conceal.


    In addition, it would take time to move from the various states of the Ganges Kingdom to one gathering point. Their speed was not that fast, and there was enough time for the Daxia Kingdom to build a defense line first.


    In the uninhabited area at the border of the two countries, a small number of mutant creatures appeared in the forest, causing a small conflict with the humans who were carrying out missions there.


    Due to the lack of numbers, they could not effectively stop the Daxia Kingdom from clearing out the dense forest that blocked their line of sight.


    At the same time, a large number of supplies were transported to Chengdu. They were loaded into trucks and sent to the southwest border. On the border, sentry posts were built one after another at a high speed, as well as the foundation for the military camp.


    Soon, an organized army entered the city. These troops were not only from the provinces in the southwest, but also from the central and southern provinces of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Before the army of mutants gathered and pushed against the border, the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s defense line had already taken shape. This was almost completed in a day. All that was left was to make some repairs and integrate the entire defense line.

 Chapter 356 - Desperation of a Cornered Beast

    As the defense line at the southwest border was established, Chen Yiming rushed over.


    He stood at the top of the mountain and looked at the border between the two countries. In the area near the Ganges Kingdom, blood was splattered all over the forest and the river was dyed red. Cries rang out one after another.


    The remaining people from the Ganges Kingdom who were fleeing in the direction of the Daxia Kingdom needed to pass through the dangerous forest.


    However, with their faster speed, the mutant creatures had already been lying in wait for them. These people who were trying to escape to the southwest border of the Daxia Kingdom were being eaten up.


    ¡°When the futuristic fighter jets bombarded the city, at least a million people escaped from the city. Hundreds of thousands of people in the dungeons were also released, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to look at the interior of the Ganges Kingdom in the distance. It looked peaceful there. Those who didn¡¯t know the details would think that the country was prosperous and the people were safe.


    Little did they know that the mutants had forced the remaining people of the Ganges Kingdom to either hide in a corner of the city or live in the wilderness.


    There was another outcome that was even worse. They could have been imprisoned and kept as food for the winter.


    Before they could organize a decent resistance, the entire Ganges Kingdom had fallen.


    This was unimaginable in the Daxia Kingdom. It was as if the land under their feet no longer belonged to the people of the Ganges Kingdom, and it did not matter even if it was occupied by their enemy.


    ¡°Perhaps the people from the Ganges Kingdom have already accepted it!¡± Chen Yiming shook his head.


    It was recorded in the history books that before the invasion of the otherworld, the Ganges Kingdom was once a colony of the Never-ending Day Empire.


    Shockingly, with just a few small armies, such a huge territory could be brought under their control.


    This was very difficult to understand. If it was any other country, they would have secretly planned to overthrow the invaders.


    He turned around and returned to the area near the border between the two countries in the Daxia Kingdom. The small-scale conflict with the mutant creatures there was getting more and more intense.


    Both the humans and the mutant creatures could continuously receive reinforcements from the rear.


    Not long after, the 1,000-strong special forces team joined the battlefield with the reforged extraordinary weapons in their hands, immediately causing heavy casualties among the mutant creatures.


    The mutant creatures were only created a few months ago. On the blue planet, there had yet to be an existence equivalent to the human master realm among them.


    Therefore, when facing mutant creatures, even if they could only mobilize a little of the power of nature, the special forces were invincible.


    A few hours later, the gradually expanding conflict was brought to a stop for the first time. The mutant creatures began to retreat and maintain a distance from the southwest border defense line built by the humans.


    At this moment, a faint sense of being spied on suddenly appeared.


    ¡°Is it the huge eye from Mount Everest?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and became vigilant.


    As expected, it was an existence that specialized in the spiritual aspect. Mount Everest was at least 1,000 kilometers away, and it was already terrifying for it to be able to send its spiritual power over from such a distance. He did not expect that it would be able to accurately locate him.


    Soon, Chen Yiming¡¯s caution seemed to have been taken as a show of his weakness.


    The feeling of being spied on quickly became more obvious, until a spiritual power descended from the sky and seemed to want to size him up openly.


    ¡°F*ck, do you really think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡±


    Chen Yiming cursed at the air and responded with a punch.


    He swung out an ordinary-looking fist, and the spiritual power placed over the battlefield shattered like a mirror.


    Then, a hole dozens of kilometers wide appeared in the clouds.


    The battlefield fell silent. Be it the mutant creatures or the humans from the Daxia Kingdom, they all looked up at the hole in the sky.


    If such power landed on the battlefield, they would all die together.


    Chen Yiming felt indescribably satisfied. The punch earlier had released all the frustration he had accumulated.


    Did it really think that he was easy to bully? If not for the fact that he had to take the overall situation into consideration and prioritize the space plan, if he had encountered them in the otherworld, he would have already let the spiritual figure deal with them.


    Yes, that was right. He would let the spiritual figure attack first. His main body had two talents, so his combat strength was stronger. If the spiritual figure could not defeat it, he would follow up himself.


    The second passed by. Just as Chen Yiming thought that this was the end of the probing and that the situation had returned to normal,


    a spiritual will soared into the sky from the direction of Mount Everest. It was unknown what method it used, but it was projected into the sky above the battlefield.


    A huge eye appeared in the air, and there were patterns on it. It looked down at Chen Yiming, who was at the top of the mountain, as if he was a mortal being being sized up by a god.


    ¡°The humans who killed ?£¤#?£¤*, darkness is about to descend on this planet.¡±


    A thought echoed on the battlefield, and it was automatically translated into a language that each person could understand.


    ¡°What kind of name is that? It should be referring to the shadow monster!¡± Chen Yiming said disdainfully as he looked at the sky provocatively.


    He was already laughing in his heart.


    This huge eye from the otherworld relied on the fact that its clan had once been invaded by the black tide and its assumption that those on the blue planet did not know anything about it to just put on a strong front.


    He had to admit that its act was quite convincing, since the huge eye was controlling the mutant creatures in the Ganges Kingdom.


    ¡°The strongest human, an opportunity to go to the galaxy is right in front of you. As long as you submit to me and listen to my orders.¡±


    The huge eye seemed to have turned a blind eye to the provocation. Another thought echoed on the battlefield, and it did not hide it from everyone.


    ¡°The huge eye also knows that the black tide came from the galaxy, and it even imitated the shadow monster and gave out similar conditions. It seems that the strongest creatures in the otherworld were also invited like this before. I wonder how it ended?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t respond. He wanted to see what else the other party would reveal.


    10 seconds passed.


    Half a minute passed.


    One minute passed.


    The battlefield seemed to have fallen into a strange atmosphere as they competed to see who would be the first to lose their cool.


    ¡°Human, you¡¯ve missed your only chance to join us. Be afraid! Be anxious! The black tide army is about to mutate this planet.¡±


    After the spiritual will projected in the sky finished speaking, a distorted vortex appeared from the ripple pattern, as if it was about to return to Mount Everest.


    ¡°Escaping? Do you think you can escape?¡±


    Chen Yiming was already prepared to make a move. When his opponent¡¯s spiritual will showed signs of returning to Mount Everest, he took a step forward and leaped into the sky.


    At the same time, relying on his powerful recovery ability, he used all his spiritual power to create a spiritual sword.


    In an instant, a spiritual power that was not inferior to the huge eye covered the entire battlefield, and was engraved deeply in the hearts of every human and every mutant creature.


    In the next moment, the spiritual sword stabbed into the huge eye in the distorted vortex, but it was snapped in half by the powerful twisting force.


    He groaned.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s head felt like it was about to explode. He resisted the buzzing in his ears and stared unblinkingly at the huge eye.


    The other party seemed to have suffered a heavy blow as well. The edge of the pattern cracked, and the eye revealed a pained expression. However, in the end, it still disappeared along with the distorted vortex.


    Chen Yiming controlled the power of nature and stood in the air, looking in the direction of Mount Everest.


    The spiritual will projected by the huge eye on the battlefield did not immediately return to Mount Everest.


    Instead, it waited for more than a minute before the spiritual will descended on Mount Everest. He sensed that the other party¡¯s aura was weaker than when it came out.


    Chen Yiming let out a breath.


    After waiting for just over a minute, his severely injured spiritual power was replenished. His head no longer hurt, and he was full of spiritual power.


    ¡°Should I chase after it and kill it while it¡¯s down?¡±


    It was as if a volcano was about to erupt in his body, and a reckless thought appeared in his mind. This was because he was certain that the huge eye had suffered a heavy blow and was currently weak.


    ¡°Wait a minute, the spiritual will projection from more than 1,000 kilometers away broke the spiritual sword I created with all my power.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of this.


    The huge eye was definitely a creature from the otherworld that was on the same level as the 10,000-meter-long corpse when it was alive. With his current double talent and the spiritual figure, he was probably at his limit to deal with it.


    If he really ran in front of it and acted arrogantly, what if he really angered the huge eye and it fought him to the death? He did not know if his Undying Body talent would be able to withstand it!


    However, if he let the huge eye recover just like that, if it came looking for him personally, he would be in trouble next time. He would be facing the huge eye that had recovered to its full strength.


    As for his family, they were all in East Lake City. The Daxia Kingdom was tied to the blue planet, so it was very easy for others to control them. He could not let the tiger return to the mountain.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the spiritual figure.¡±


    Chen Yiming slapped his head. He was so frustrated that his spiritual sword had been broken that his mind had become muddled. He had to use some unexpected moves to attack the enemy. Otherwise, no matter how he struggled, he would be stuck.


    When a dog was anxious, it would jump over the wall. When things were well, they could co-exist peacefully. Chen Yiming could pretend not to see what the huge eye had done to the Ganges Kingdom.


    However, now that he was being forced, he could not be blamed for making a move.


    ¡­


    On Mount Everest, deep underground, countless tentacles seemed to be twitching. The huge eye was shut tightly, and it was rolling back and forth in a small space. Dust and purple blood flew everywhere.


    ¡°Damn it, I was too careless. That human actually went all out right from the start and happened to launch a spiritual attack when I used the distortion vortex.¡±


    An unstable spiritual fluctuation appeared.


    In reality, the main injury on the huge eye was not due to the spiritual sword that Chen Yiming had created, but the backlash from its own ability.


    There was a difference in cultivation level between the two sides. In a pure spiritual collision, if the weaker side wanted to cause damage to the stronger side, they had to fulfill many conditions.


    The huge eye had suffered a heavy blow because of many factors aligning at that moment.


    ¡°Forget it. I can recover from my injuries in at most a month. It¡¯s fine as long as I can force humans to escape from the blue planet as soon as possible.¡±


    The unstable spiritual fluctuations finally fell silent.


    The huge eye had controlled the mutant creatures in the Ganges Kingdom to cause them to attack the Daxia Kingdom. It had also displayed its strength from thousands of kilometers away.


    The reason wasn¡¯t because it really wanted to take over the Daxia Kingdom and kill Chen Yiming, but because it wanted to escape from the moon blockade.


    The huge eye, who had experienced the arrival of the black tide, knew that in the other party¡¯s plan to invade a planet, they would first secretly set up a blockade.


    The world where the huge eye was born was sealed off by three such blockades. After that, it fell to the black tide.


    When they understood this, the strongest creatures would either die or be tempted to join the enemy. Those who hid themselves would no longer have the ability to break through the three blockades and escape.

 Chapter 357 - Ultimate Attack

    It was a dark and windy night.


    In the southwest border defense line, only a few insects and birds were chirping. The mutant creatures hiding in the forest fell silent, and one could only occasionally see their open eyes in the darkness.


    Other than transporting various supplies day and night, most of the activities in the human defense line had also stopped.


    The group of people who had been on standby during the day started to go on duty. The group who had been on duty during the day stayed in the temporary resting house behind the defense line.


    Chen Yiming silently crossed the defense line and climbed to the top of a tree.


    The spiritual figure floated beside him, its eyes cold as it looked straight at the distant Mount Everest.


    Chen Yiming turned around and instructed, ¡°The huge eye was severely injured by my attack. At that time, some cracks appeared at the edge of the pattern on it. Attack that spot directly.¡±


    The spiritual figure said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°I really have to use my trump card this time. If we can¡¯t kill the huge eye, we¡¯ll be the ones to die. I¡¯ll revive you as soon as possible.¡±


    The spiritual figure said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    From the beginning to the end, the spiritual figure did not hesitate at all. It was unknown if it was because it was born with a split consciousness, but the two halves had inherited different properties.


    Chen Yiming thought about it and realized that it was true.


    The spiritual figure had inherited outstanding aspects like perception, tenacity, calmness, and so on, while he had retained his more ordinary side.


    If not for the martial arts talent system, he could only stay at home and control the spiritual figure from afar to gather martial arts resources to cultivate. Furthermore, he would never be able to catch up to the speed at which the spiritual figure broke through.


    Not long after, the spiritual figure turned into a stream of light and streaked across the night sky.


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw a mutant striped snake on the treetop opposite him. Its triangular head was covered in a black aura, and it flicked its tongue continuously.


    ¡°It probably won¡¯t be the first time that we have to try to wear down the huge eye or chase it back to the otherworld.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good either.


    During the day, he did not immediately summon the spiritual figure to deal with the huge eye. He had considered the fact that it was unlikely that he would succeed in one go. If the huge eye took revenge immediately despite its injuries, he would be in trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to create an alibi.¡± Chen Yiming turned to the distant Mount Everest and prepared to make some noise at the southwest defense line.


    This way, what if the huge eye was furious? It could not find out where the spiritual figure had come from, and it still had to continue recuperating on Mount Everest.


    After he revived the spiritual figure, he could let it go to fight the huge eye again.


    He got moving.


    ¡°Giant transformation!¡±


    With a low growl, a 1,000-meter-tall giant appeared in the forest.


    The mutant snake was preparing to launch its finishing move when it saw the human in front of it turn into a giant. Its body stiffened and it fell to the ground.


    At the same time, the mutant creatures within dozens of kilometers were alarmed. Their eyes opened in the darkness, and numerous figures began to flee in panic.


    At the southwest border defense line, a high-powered searchlight lit up, illuminating the forest as if it was daytime. Those who had just laid down in bed got up in shock and went out to see what was going on.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t use any big moves and just walked through the forest.


    During this time, the ground seemed to be continuously struck by heavy attacks. Wherever the giant passed, the mutant creatures that could not dodge in time were crushed by the giant.


    The black aura that the mutant creatures were so proud of was useless against the giant.


    The people at the southwest border watched enviously as the giants chased away the mutant creatures.


    ¡°Is this the path of evolution for a giant bloodline warrior?¡±


    He could only be described as powerful.


    Because of this, countless people¡¯s expectations for the miracle blood rose to another level.


    Some people touched their pockets and muttered in their hearts about how much money they could raise and how they should try to obtain the miracle blood as soon as possible.


    Even the soldiers in the army felt the same way. It was said that there was a special team of giant bloodline warriors that were very powerful and mysterious. They had never appeared in public before.


    ¡­


    Deep underground on Mount Everest, the huge eye that was deep in sleep opened, and a scene formed by spiritual power appeared in front of it. It was the scene of Chen Yiming transforming into a 1,000-meter-tall giant and wreaking havoc on the mutant creatures.


    ¡°You big fool, your bloodline talent is not bad. I can use you to deal with the blockade, while I¡­¡±


    A spiritual fluctuation carrying a trace of laughter echoed underground.


    After a while, the scene disappeared, and the huge eye closed again and fell back into a deep sleep. The spiritual fluctuations disappeared, and its barely discernible breathing echoed in the area.


    In the darkness, specks of starlight from somewhere fused into the injured area of the huge eye. Its eyelid twitched from time to time.


    ¡­


    Around Mount Everest, the spiritual figure floated around silently, and its spiritual power was engraved with countless mysterious symbols that had yet to be activated.


    Perhaps the huge eye had already discovered that there was no threat to its existence on the blue planet, or perhaps it was recovering from the spiritual damage and was forced to let its spiritual power fall into a deep silence.


    In short, the spiritual figure had successfully set up a large array with the mysterious symbols. The function of this large array was to use up one¡¯s own body to unleash an extremely powerful attack.


    Back on Mount Everest, the spiritual figure brazenly released its spiritual power and scanned the area to find its target. It took less than a second to accurately locate the huge eye.


    ¡°Who is it!¡±


    An angry spiritual fluctuation soared into the sky.


    The huge eye deep underground opened and quickly floated up. Countless tentacles danced behind it.


    It had not felt this way for a long time. The last time was when the world it was born in was invaded by the black tide creatures.


    Just as the huge eye was expressing its anger, the mysterious symbols around Mount Everest were activated, and threads of light shot out to connect with the spiritual figure.


    Then, the spiritual figure began to burn up on its own, and a natural phenomenon appeared above its head.


    A cyclone with a radius of 100 kilometers slowly formed. Endless natural power resonated with the spiritual figure, turning into streams of Sword Aura that was summoned to the sky above Mount Everest.


    Usually, it would take a long time to accumulate power to launch an ultimate attack like this. Now, because the spiritual figure had used a special trick, the time needed to accumulate such power was greatly reduced.


    A sword that emitted terrifying fluctuations gradually extended from the center of the cyclone. The spiritual figure soared into the sky and fused into it.


    Instantly, a cold light appeared that shone brightly in the sky. Even from thousands of kilometers away, the light in the sky could be seen with the naked eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Some people standing at a high point had just turned their gazes from the giant to the cold light in the sky, which seemed like a small sun rising in the sky.


    Immediately after, there was a loud bang that was even more oppressive than a nuclear explosion.


    Before they could react, the ground under their feet shook like an earthquake. There were more than 1,000 kilometers between them, so this was only the aftershock.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s 1,000-meter-tall giant form also stopped in his tracks.


    An image was reflected in his spiritual world. The spiritual figure¡¯s ultimate attack had shattered half of the ripple-like pattern on the huge eye.


    ¡­


    Late at night, in a small river deep in the forest, Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on a large rock by the river, not moving at all.


    In his spiritual world, his human-shaped consciousness was also sitting cross-legged. The only difference was that a shadow had appeared behind his consciousness.


    With the enhancement from the Undying Body talent, he was recreating the missing half from the intact half of his human consciousness through an indescribable connection.


    ¡°It will recover by about 1% every hour. It will take a little more than four days for the spiritual figure to be completely reborn.¡±


    After a long time, Chen Yiming opened his eyes. He felt a sense of fatigue weighing heavily on his body that neither the Undying Body talent nor the Giant Talent could get rid of.


    He was certain that this fatigue would only disappear when the spiritual figure was reborn.


    ¡°The body and spirit are secretly connected. It seems that even if the figure in my mind can leave my body in the form of a sword spirit, it will still have an inseparable connection with my real body.¡±


    This time, Chen Yiming had a deeper understanding of the body and spirit. The body was not only a place for one¡¯s spirit to be nurtured, but also involved a deeper secret.


    This secret was not something he could analyze yet, but it did not stop him from taking it seriously. He could not be fooled by others one day and make the decision to abandon his body.


    For example, in legends, some ghost immortals, vengeful spirits, and so on, including the spirits in the otherworld, did not rely on their bodies to survive. However, it was unknown if there were any restrictions.


    ¡°There¡¯s a condition for the revival of the spiritual figure. Once I use my spiritual power, it will cause the spiritual figure to collapse. Even if the progress was at 99%, it will still be reset and I have to start over from zero.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s intuition gave him a piece of headache-inducing information.


    This was information that his body intuitively knew. It was impossible for it to be a trick. This also meant that his movements would be restricted in the next five days.


    If he could not use his spiritual power, it meant that he could not indirectly mobilize the power of nature directly or through the mysterious symbols. He could not even use the most basic spiritual power to investigate the situation.


    He could only use his physical abilities. For example, if he relied on his powerful physique to fight in close combat, his attacks would be greatly limited.


    After figuring out what was involved in the revival of the spiritual figure, Chen Yiming stood up and cursed in the direction of Mount Everest. ¡°Just you wait. Don¡¯t run if you have the guts.¡±


    He had wanted to secretly monitor the movements of the huge eye during the interval when the spiritual figure was being revived, but since he could not use his spiritual power, it was very difficult to do so.


    He could only hope that the huge eye would continue to stay on Mount Everest and give it a hard time a few days later.


    ¡­


    At dawn, Chen Yiming passed through the forest and rushed towards the defense line at the southwest border.


    ¡°Eh? There seem to be more mutant creatures. Are they going to launch an all-out attack on the human defense line?¡±


    Along the way, he observed this scene.


    ¡°Could it be that the huge eye is afraid that I will take the opportunity to come looking for it, so it used this method to stall me?¡±


    From the reaction of the mutant creatures, Chen Yiming deduced the damage that the spiritual figure had caused to the huge eye by destroying half of the ripple pattern was probably more serious than he had expected.


    Thinking of this, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    This time, both sides could be said to have suffered heavy losses. The difference was that the other party would definitely not recover as quickly as him.


    However, even so, his physical condition was not good. His fatigue could not be eliminated, and he was only left with his strong physique.


    What could he do even if he went knocking on its door in this state? He could only give up on the chance to attack it.

 Chapter 358 - The Truth About the Space-travel Passage

    In the command center behind the defense line, a few high-definition photos of Mount Everest were displayed on the huge monitor. They had been taken by fighter jets flying over from a high altitude while risking their lives. It was said that at that time, the pilots¡¯ hands had frozen, almost causing the planes to crash.


    The reason was not only that Mount Everest had disappeared and the surrounding 100 kilometers had been razed to the ground, but also the huge eye that was lying motionless on the ground.


    The extremely unstable spiritual power only occasionally spread to the outside world, but it also greatly affected the fighter jets in the sky.


    At the conference table sat the commander-in-chief of the southwest military region, Huang Baijun, the martial master Elder Zhang, the person in charge of the 1,000-strong special forces, Zheng Yun, and the calm Chen Yiming.


    ¡°The small sun this time is even more terrifying than the one in the graveyard,¡± Huang Baijun thought to himself. His heart had not returned to normal.


    Although electronic devices could not be used in the otherworld, it did not stop the military from relying on manpower to measure the impact. Now, the information was lying in the secret archives.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting old. My era has completely passed.¡± Elder Zhang sighed in his heart. He had felt his way ever since he was severely injured by the black light¡¯s sneak attack, and even now when his injuries had already healed.


    The damage to his will to fight could not be recovered. The enemies that appeared one after another were not something he could deal with.


    This was very different from the situation in the south in the past few decades. It was as if an old martial master like him was a little redundant.


    Against ordinary mutant creatures, there was no need for him to make a move. Against the black light, the shadow monster, the shadow mouth, and the huge eye, he would be courting death if he went forward.


    Zheng Yun was the youngest, so he did not think as much as Huang Baijun and Elder Zhang.


    While leading the 1,000-strong special forces team, he saw the scene on Mount Everest in front of him. He had the intention to fight his way out from the defense line and launch a surprise attack on the mutant creatures near the Ganges Kingdom.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°Can we submit a request to launch a few nuclear bombs? I think the huge eye might not be familiar with nuclear bombs. In addition, it was severely injured by me.¡±


    The ultimate attack was dealt by the spiritual figure, but Chen Yiming shamelessly took the credit for it.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you attacking the mutant creatures back then? Everyone saw you turn into a 1,000-meter-tall giant,¡± Huang Baijun thought to himself, but did not say anything.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same as he continued, ¡°A night has passed. If the huge eye is still in the area around Mount Everest, its vigilance will definitely have decreased.


    At this time, as long as we can successfully launch the nuclear bombs, we might be able to kill it if we are lucky.¡±


    Huang Baijun and Elder Zhang nodded and agreed with him.


    The otherworld was a world that focused on individual cultivation. Using a nuclear weapon for an attack often worked well against them at least for the first time. If the huge eye overlooked the small missiles, it was really possible for them to succeed in one go.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t make a move, do you really think it¡¯s over?¡±


    The matter of launching the nuclear bombs had basically been decided, Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    At the southwest border defense line, the mutant creatures were launching an all-out attack without any fear of death. The humans were using their well-prepared defense line to cause a lot of damage to the enemy.


    Even so, the mutant creatures showed no signs of retreating. Didn¡¯t that mean that the huge eye was deliberately relying on the large number of mutant creatures to hold Chen Yiming back and prevent him from heading to Mount Everest?


    Therefore, Chen Yiming would beat it at its own game. He would cooperate with the fighter jets that were launching nuclear bombs by turning into a giant and dealing with the mutant creatures to attract the attention of the huge eye.


    ¡­


    Near noon, in another space deep underground in the ruins of Mount Everest, the huge eye was tightly shut again, and its entire body was twitching. There were a large number of broken tentacles around it, and purple blood was flowing out of the corners of its eye.


    Even after one night and half a day, the injuries caused by the spiritual figure¡¯s ultimate attack could not be stabilized.


    In addition, two real-time spiritual images were displayed in the air. One image was taken facing the huge lake in the depths of the no man¡¯s land in the southwest of the Daxia Kingdom, and the other image was taken facing the southwest border of the Daxia Kingdom.


    The huge eye was a powerful creature from the otherworld that had survived the invasion of the black tide. Relying on its powerful spiritual talent, it had been secretly monitoring the shadow monster.


    Of course, the huge eye knew the space-travel passages very well.


    This was because the space-travel passages were the escape route that the powerful creatures from the otherworld had worked together to create after being trapped by the blockade when the black tide invaded.


    However, this path of retreat was not truly effective even after the black tide had retreated. The main reason was that the cultivation environment on the blue planet was too poor, and it corresponded to a completely unfamiliar part of the galaxy.


    The group of powerful creatures that remained had finally survived the invasion of the black tide, so their path of retreat was left unused. It was only some time ago that there were signs of the black tide descending again.


    ¡°Damn it! Why is there such a spiritual creature on this planet? Does it mean to fight to the death?¡±


    Anger, panic, fear¡­ All kinds of spiritual fluctuations continued to appear.


    ¡°Why! How could this be!¡±


    At this moment, the huge eye had already been blinded by anger. It had forgotten that it was playing the role of the black tide creature, and could not understand why it had encountered such a situation last night.


    Suddenly, more purple blood flowed out of the huge eye. The images formed by the spiritual power in front of it showed signs of instability.


    In essence, this type of injury was similar to Chen Yiming¡¯s. The best way to recover was to let its spiritual power calm down and slowly recover with time.


    However, most of the huge eye¡¯s ability was in its spiritual power. Without being able to use its spiritual power, it was equivalent to sealing off most of its strength.


    Furthermore, if it did not monitor the human defense line, it might have to risk its life to survive if the strongest human approached it.


    ¡°This is terrible! Should I escape back to the otherworld?¡±


    As its injuries worsened, the huge eye had the intention to escape.


    The main reason why it had been able to hold on until now was because of the existence of the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s space plan. The huge eye did not have the ability to monitor the Daxia Kingdom through the space-travel passage.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go back! The current situation in the otherworld is exactly the same as what had happened before. The black tide will suddenly come at any time.¡±


    The huge eye fell into a dilemma.


    On one hand, it was under the pressure of the arrival of the black tide. It was anxious to urge the human spaceship to set off and be swallowed up by the blockade on the moon along with the strongest human being. It could then take the opportunity to rush out.


    On the other hand, it had lost its ability to suppress the strongest human in a short period of time. The pattern on its eye was the foundation of its power, and most of its abilities were derived from the pattern.


    Now that half of it had been shattered, and its injuries were worsening, it could barely maintain its strength. If it suffered any more serious injuries, the ripple pattern might completely shatter and its cultivation level would fall to the inscription realm.


    After a long time, the huge eye¡¯s spiritual fluctuations were no longer chaotic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go all out. If that strongest human dares to come looking for us, we¡¯ll charge straight into the Daxia Kingdom and threaten the space plan.¡±


    To the huge eye, returning to the otherworld was just sending itself to its death. The other side had long been surrounded by a blockade, and it was definitely a dead end.


    It would only have a chance to escape if it stayed on the blue planet.


    Moreover, it also felt that the most important thing for the humans now was the space plan. If it could hold on, it still had a chance.


    ¡­


    The request to drop more than one nuclear bomb on the old site of Mount Everest was sent across thousands of kilometers to the capital. Soon, the military committee held an emergency meeting.


    Nuclear bombs were too harmful to the environment on the blue planet where humans lived. Furthermore, they would be launched not far from the Daxia Kingdom.


    As for whether the huge eye was still there, no means of detection could detect it at the moment. Even Chen Yiming himself couldn¡¯t confirm it.


    In the end, after more than an hour of intense discussion, the proposal to launch a nuclear bomb was approved with a majority of the votes.


    Of course, the higher-ups of the Daxia Kingdom did not expect the nuclear bombs to kill the huge eye, even if it was severely injured.


    To the Daxia Kingdom, the threat posed by the huge eye was too great. In order to ensure the success of the space plan, they would not let go of any opportunity to worsen the other party¡¯s injuries.


    ¡­


    The military committee had just made the final decision. At a secret base in the northwest, 10 fighter jets carrying nuclear bombs had already completed all the preparations for takeoff.


    ¡°We promise to complete the mission!¡±


    The 10 pilots saluted when they received the order from the head of the base.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave it to you,¡±


    the head of the base said sternly, the corners of his eyes slightly wet.


    The 10 nuclear bombs were not the same nuclear bombs as when nuclear weapons were first invented. Instead, they were the most powerful nuclear bombs in the Daxia Kingdom.


    At the same time, in order to ensure that the altitude was lowered accurately, and with the impact from the explosions, it was almost impossible for the fighter jets to return safely.


    Moreover, once the huge eye attacked, even if the 10 fighter jets had launched nuclear bombs, the pilots inside would not be able to survive.


    It could be said that this was a mission with no chance of survival.


    However, in the face of a national crisis, someone had to make a sacrifice. The 10 people who had been selected to carry out the mission were already mentally prepared and had left behind personal letters for their families. No one had thought of returning alive.


    Soon, the pilots entered the cockpits, and the 10 fighter jets began to slide along in sequence. After reaching their target speed, they soared into the sky and headed towards the huge eye for the third time.


    ¡­


    At the command center at the southwest border,


    Chen Yiming waited patiently with the others for the outcome. His mind returned to his spiritual world.


    ¡°14%.¡±


    The revival of the spiritual figure was more than a tenth completed.


    Feeling the gradually materializing figure, he felt more at ease than ever.


    The black tide was about to descend. Facing an unknown enemy, the spiritual figure was the one he could rely on the most. After all, as long as he did not die, he would eventually be able to fight his way back.


    On the other hand, his main body had two talents that leaned towards enhancing his physique. As long as he did not court death, it would be very difficult for him to die. He had to endure it. If he stayed hidden, he would win.


    At this moment, beep, beep, beep¡­


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Huang Baijun picked up the phone.


    ¡°In half an hour, 10 fighter jets will pass over Mount Everest. They are expected to drop 10 nuclear bombs.¡±


    The latest plan was conveyed over the phone.


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    After Huang Baijun hung up, there was no need to say anything. The people present heard it all clearly.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze. He knew that it was time for him to distract the huge eye, so he stood up and walked out of the command center.


    A few minutes later.


    A 1,000-meter-tall giant appeared on the battlefield and stomped a large group of mutant creatures to death.

 Chapter 359 - City-level Spaceship

    Time quickly passed by.


    The 10 nuclear bombs were the hope of the Daxia Kingdom. They could severely injure the huge eye in one go.


    Chen Yiming, who had transformed into a 1,000-meter-tall giant, suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look in the direction of Mount Everest. His heart was extremely heavy, and he felt inexplicably flustered.


    ¡°Is it a threat from the huge eye?¡±


    He could only think so.


    After all, in terms of cultivation level, the huge eye was an existence one level higher than him.


    Therefore, it was still unknown how much power the huge eye could unleash if it really went all out. Previously, he and the spiritual figure had not been able to force the huge eye to go all out.


    The soldiers on guard at the southwest border also had a similar feeling.


    However, their situation was worse than Chen Yiming¡¯s. When they turned to look in the direction of Mount Everest, it was as if they were looking at a huge mouth.


    They were clearly standing rooted to the ground, but an invisible force was acting on their bodies, pulling them into the mouth of the abyss. The hair on their bodies stood on end, and they froze on the spot, unable to move.


    At a certain moment, a light similar to a small sun erupted.


    It was accompanied by a piercing scream. The people on the defense line fell to the ground in droves, regardless of their cultivation level.


    ¡°Is this the lethality of the huge eye¡¯s spiritual attack?¡±


    The 10 nuclear bombs must have worked. Chen Yiming could feel that the huge eye had suffered another heavy blow from the spiritual scream, and he felt a lingering fear.


    The first time they met, the two of them were more than 1,000 kilometers apart. It was precisely because of this that he dared to go up and give his opponent a ruthless blow.


    The second time, the spiritual figure had used its strongest attack. When the huge eye was severely injured, it had nowhere to vent its anger. It did not know that Chen Yiming had secretly used a trick against it.


    The third time, 10 small objects that looked like inanimate objects to the huge eye suddenly exploded at close range. The main culprits, the fighter jets, flew past from a high altitude.


    Chen Yiming perfectly avoided having to confront the huge eye¡¯s attack directly.


    He muttered, ¡°I wonder if it has reached the level of a fatal blow. The probability is not high, but it¡¯s still possible it we were lucky. However, it doesn¡¯t matter. Its injuries must have worsened. The spiritual figure can give it another surprise after it is revived. This surprise is sure to be beyond the huge eye¡¯s knowledge.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, from the direction of Mount Everest, a terrifying spiritual storm shook the surroundings. Then, it quickly moved north like a storm.


    ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s escaping?¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked.


    If the huge eye fled just like that, it was probably really seriously injured. This was because if one did not defend against the nuclear radiation, it would cause mutations at the cellular level.


    This was the reason why he suggested using the nuclear bombs to deal a third blow to the huge eye instead of letting either of the two martial masters take action.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the spiritual figure is still in the process of being revived,¡± he sighed.


    The huge eye¡¯s ability that leaned towards the spiritual attribute was countered by the spiritual figure¡¯s swordsmanship talent. It was not like the 10,000-meter-long corpse that leaned towards the physical attribute, which was difficult to cut through even if it was dead.


    This was undoubtedly a good opportunity. If the spiritual figure could kill the huge eye, it might be able to level up on the spot.


    ¡­


    At the military committee¡¯s meeting, the entire room was filled with smoke. Cigarettes were scattered all over the ground, and each person had a lit cigarette between their fingers.


    Worry! Worry! Worry!


    It was easy to give the order to launch nuclear bombs at the huge eye, but the consequences were unknown. If the effect was not good and it angered the huge eye, could Chen Yiming block it?


    What if he could not stop it? Would the huge eye control the Daxia Kingdom like it did with the Ganges Kingdom? Or would it direct its anger at the Daxia Kingdom?


    ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for the underground shelters in the cities?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We have been working on expanding the underground shelters all this time and have never slacked off.¡±


    ¡°Once the huge eye shows signs of invading the Daxia Kingdom, the order will be issued to every city guardian. We can immediately organize the entire city to enter a state of self-preservation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good.¡±


    The 10 nuclear bombs had yet to explode, and the leaders were already considering a way out. This could not be helped. As leaders, they had to consider the overall situation.


    The plan for the state of self-preservation had been revised several times. It was a plan created by many experts not long after the invasion from the otherworld.


    Now, with the martial masters and nuclear weapons as the standard, once they encountered a disaster that could destroy the country, the Daxia Kingdom would split up and preserve its strength, waiting for an opportunity to reorganize the country.


    The huge eye was a creature from the otherworld. It was far beyond the standards of the Daxia Kingdom for a disaster that could destroy a country. However, the Daxia Kingdom had also produced a martial arts expert that far exceeded their original standards.


    To put it bluntly, it was a confrontation between two powerful creatures from two different worlds. The martial master realm could no longer interfere, and in theory, nuclear weapons were completely useless.


    At this moment, the door was pushed open.


    Everyone jumped and turned to the person who had arrived.


    The communications officer¡¯s face was red. He was so excited that his lips were twitching as he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s news from the front line that the huge eye has escaped.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°Tell us quickly!¡±


    The leaders were anxious to know the exact situation.


    The communications officer continued, ¡°An intelligence officer from the military happened to take a photo of the huge eye escaping to the north. It bled a lot along the way.


    At the moment, we don¡¯t know how serious the injuries are, but the high-definition photos show that only a small corner is left from the ripple pattern on it.¡±


    When the leaders heard about the situation with the ripple pattern, they could not help but feel delighted.


    It had been a while since they started studying the fragments of the extraordinary weapons. Humans were still at the level of applying the technology, and could not replicate even a single mysterious symbol.


    However, they also knew that the patterns that they could not understand were a manifestation of the black tide creatures¡¯ abilities. Now that the pattern had shattered, it was obvious what it meant.


    Therefore, even though they could not kill the huge eye and it had escaped, at least the Daxia Kingdom would not be threatened by it for the time being. This outcome had already exceeded their expectations.


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly.


    December 31st, the last day of the year.


    In the Daxia Kingdom, which had already experienced an unprecedented drop in temperature, the explosion of the 10 nuclear bombs intensified the change in the climate. The temperature from the south to the north became even lower, and a snowstorm continued to fall.


    All the cities in the south had no choice but to urgently install heating pipes to ensure that every household could obtain sufficient heating.


    The cities in the north were not affected much. Firstly, they had a lot of experience dealing with the cold winter. Secondly, the people here were used to the low temperature in winter.


    In the Chen family house, Chen Yiming was lying on the sofa alone. It was a world of ice and snow outside, and the room was warm.


    Such a comfortable environment could not help but make one feel lazy. Once they lay down, they would not want to move anymore until it was time to eat.


    On the television screen, the announcer was wearing a cotton jacket and black pants. She was holding a microphone and speaking to a man in a white military uniform.


    ¡°General Yuan, how are you feeling now that the first flight of the first city-level spaceship has finally arrived?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, XXX¡­¡±


    He thanked the people involved for nearly 10 minutes. This was a national project, and there were too many people who had important contributions, even if there was only one representative for each aspect.


    Although the first city-level spaceship was still sailing in the solar system and did not have the ability to leave the solar system and set off to a new planet,


    a spaceship that could carry an entire city was undoubtedly a huge milestone for humanity. It was exciting progress and gave the Daxia Kingdom more confidence that they could complete the space plan.


    Therefore, it was scheduled for its first flight on the last day of the year. It had the meaning of drawing the past to a close and putting together a new hope for the future.


    ¡°According to the current progress, it has exceeded expectations. Perhaps in two years, it will have the ability to leave the solar system and sail through the universe.¡±


    The pressure from the arrival of the black tide had greatly stimulated the potential of the researchers participating in the space plan. This was also partly due to the miracle blood.


    Every once in a while, the researchers involved would receive a tube of miracle blood to nourish their bodies. Therefore, they did not consider their health problems and continued to work hard.


    Since the production of the miracle blood could be scaled up during the initial stages of the space plan, the result was that the progress of the space plan was greatly increased


    Chen Yiming¡¯s attention left the television screen.


    ¡°According to the information brought back by the spiritual figure, the increase in the number of mutant creatures in the otherworld is slowing down. It¡¯s predicted that the mutant creatures and the native creatures will enter an all-out war.¡±


    He tried to ask the female spirit about it, but she ignored him. He could only rely on his own information to determine the progress of the black tide.


    One thing was certain. The most efficient way to harvest the negative emotions was definitely not to mutate all the living beings in the world, but to maintain a delicate balance.


    This balance was such that the mutant creatures had the absolute advantage, so that the remaining native creatures could not see any hope. They were constantly tense and worried that they would die in the next moment.


    From the situation in the otherworld, there was a high chance that it would enter the stage of the negative emotions being harvested intensively. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how long this would last.


    Half a year? A year? Two years?


    According to the latest progress in the space plan, humans would have a chance to escape to an unknown planet before the black tide arrived if they still had a year.


    In two years, humans would even have the ability to build a second spaceship and take away more people.


    If they only had half a year, they would be forced to build on the first city-level spaceship and escape in a hurry with great uncertainty.


    The clock on the wall ticked on.


    Chen Yiming suddenly felt a little frustrated. The most uncomfortable thing was the uncertainty. The space plan had just achieved a major breakthrough, but the otherworld had also entered a new stage.


    He turned sideways and looked at the sky through the window. Although it was daytime and the moon was hiding in the thick clouds, its true appearance was still reflected in his pupils.


    Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t forgotten that after defeating the shadow monster, the other party had used a method similar to sacrificing himself to make the huge shadow mouth launch a terrifying invisible wave attack.


    If not for the fact that the spiritual figure also had the Undying Body talent and had used a huge sword formation to dodge it, he would definitely not have been able to withstand it head-on.


    He estimated that the invisible ripple attack from the shadow mouth was a stark contrast to the spiritual storm that erupted from the huge eye before it escaped.

 Chapter 360 - Visitor from the European Union

    They were all spiritual attacks.


    The spiritual storm from the huge eye was more than 1,000 kilometers away from the defense line. The invisible ripples created by the shadow mouth crossed nearly 100,000 kilometers to attack the spiritual figure.


    The two aftershocks gave Chen Yiming a similar feeling. Their lethality was about the same.


    Perhaps because the pattern on the huge eye had completely shattered, even if it unleashed a powerful attack, it was not at its peak, causing the attack range of the spiritual storm to decrease greatly.


    It was also possible that there was a huge difference between the huge eye and the shadow mouth even if they were at the same cultivation level.


    ¡°The shadow mouth is on the moon. If the spaceship wants to leave the blue planet, it will have to face this problem. I wonder if it will be activated automatically or if it needs to be activated manually.¡±


    Chen Yiming knew that it was time to deal with the shadow mouth.


    With a thought, the talent panel appeared.


    He still needed 54,356 Skill Points needed to upgrade his swordsmanship talent.


    After being reborn from his consciousness, the spiritual figure had returned to the otherworld and had not returned since.


    To upgrade his swordsmanship talent from Level-5 to Level-6, he needed 300,000 Skill Points. He had already completed most of the progress.


    He was no longer afraid of the huge eye. The ripple pattern on it had completely shattered, and after it escaped that day, it had fallen completely silent. It had hidden in some corner at the bottom of the sea, never showing its face again.


    Such injuries would undoubtedly affect its foundation, and it would definitely not be able to recover in a short period of time.


    Therefore, as long as it dared to show its face, he would arrange for the spiritual figure to fight the huge eye to death and turn it into Skill Points for upgrading to the Level-6 swordsmanship talent.


    ¡­


    Near noon.


    It had been a long time since Feng Wuji visited.


    ¡°You broke through?¡±


    Feng Wuji¡¯s aura was still unstable, which was usually a sign that one had just broken through.


    In Chen Yiming¡¯s perception, the strength of his aura had increased exponentially compared to before. Without a doubt, he had broken through to the master realm.


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t make it back.¡± Feng Wuji nodded.


    They were all mutant creatures, but the situation on the otherworld was very different from on the blue planet. This was determined by the average cultivation level in the two worlds.


    There were not many things on the blue planet that could threaten Feng Wuji, who was only half a step away from the master realm. The situation in the otherworld was completely different, and he needed to be vigilant at all times.


    To be able to successfully break through to the master realm, not only did he need to use the crystal shadow talent to fight back against the mutant creatures, but he also needed to be lucky.


    With that, he pressed his palms together, and a terrifying wave of natural power spread out. Immediately, the entire East Lake City was enveloped by an invisible cleansing power.


    Miserable cries rang out from the sewers, underground chambers, and abandoned factories.


    Chen Yiming extended his spiritual power. In an abandoned workshop, a mutant human covered in black hair was lying on the ground, rolling around. It looked like it was experiencing the worst pain in the world.


    Soon, the black hair quickly turned gray and turned into powder. The parts of his body that had undergone mutation were completely destroyed by the power of purification.


    What was left behind was only a normal body. However, the mutation did not only invade the body, but also the mind.


    Spiritual power was different from the physical body. Before reaching a certain level, even a small injury might cause one¡¯s spiritual power to collapse uncontrollably.


    Therefore, the mutant human¡¯s spiritual power was purified by the power of purification on the spot, leaving nothing behind. He was only left with a blank expression.


    ¡°Even after many rounds of investigations, there are still so many mutant humans hidden in the city.¡± Chen Yiming frowned and became vigilant.


    Who was keeping an eye on the movements of the Daxia Kingdom?


    Was it a creature from the black tide? Or the huge eye? Or something else?


    These were all possible, but he could not be sure yet.


    ¡°What about the other cities?¡± Chen Yiming asked after some thought.


    ¡°From the base city to Jiangdu City to East Lake City, I cleared out mutant humans from seven or eight cities along the way,¡± Feng Wuji said truthfully.


    ¡°It seems like the movements of the Daxia Kingdom are very important!¡± Chen Yiming muttered to himself.


    Since there were a large number of spies in seven or eight cities, it was obvious that this was also the case for the other cities.


    There might even be mutant beasts outside the city that could disguise themselves as ordinary beasts to provide surveillance and use methods unknown to humans to send the information back.


    ¡°How about we completely wipe out all the mutant creatures in the Daxia Kingdom?¡± Feng Wuji revealed the true purpose of his visit.


    Before breaking through to the master realm, Feng Wuji also had the ability to clear out the mutant humans in a city. However, it would take a long time to clear out the mutant humans from all the cities in the Daxia Kingdom.


    During this time, as long as the mutant creatures were prepared, it would be very difficult to completely eliminate them.


    However, it was different now. The speed at which he could use the power of nature to clear them out was far superior to before.


    In the face of a national crisis, the enemy was actually monitoring the movements of the Daxia Kingdom at all times. How could they not be angry?


    ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s better to take it slow and not reveal yourself to the enemy. Even if you¡¯re a martial master now, once you¡¯re targeted, the risk won¡¯t be small,¡± Chen Yiming instructed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Feng Wuji nodded.


    Soon, Feng Wuji turned around and left.


    Chen Yiming thought about it for a while. Who was so concerned about the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s actions?


    In the end, he decided to do nothing for now. He would wait for the spiritual figure to upgrade to the Level-6 swordsmanship talent, and hide away in preparation for the next time they met. He would ensure that both the huge eye and the black tide creatures would be shocked.


    ¡­


    In the western world, in a huge snow mountain in the nameless mountain range,


    deep underground, a huge cave had been dug out. On the inner wall were extremely strong ice crystals.


    A snow beast that was thousands of meters long was sleeping soundly inside. Its body was covered in hair that looked like ice crystals, and every time it breathed, a gust of cold wind would blow.


    When the cold wind touched the ice crystals on the inner wall, the thickness of the ice crystals increased a little.


    ¡°Our spies are being quickly eliminated.¡±


    The air distorted as the huge eye entered. The ripple pattern had recovered a little, but it was still far from the complete pattern.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A muffled sound echoed through the underground space.


    However, the snow beast did not even turn over, let alone sit up. It responded with a grunt and continued to sleep.


    The huge eye immediately emitted an angry spiritual fluctuation. ¡°We can¡¯t let the Daxia Kingdom escape from our surveillance. We have to teach them a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Another dull sound rang out in response. The snow beast was still sleeping soundly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The huge eye¡¯s spiritual fluctuations became chaotic. The snow beast was clearly unperturbed and ignoring its suggestion.


    After a while, the air distorted and the huge eye left in disappointment.


    The snow beast was the same as the huge eye. They were the few top creatures left after the black tide invaded the otherworld.


    Unlike the huge eye, the snow beast really planned to come to the blue planet to take refuge. It wanted to avoid this disaster that would sweep through the entire world just like the previous black tide invasion.


    This was because the snow beast had a feeling that the dark forest situation did not exist due to a coincidence. Once the black tide had invaded a world, it would definitely not wipe out everything immediately.


    They would leave behind a small portion of the creatures and wait to harvest the negative emotions again in the future.


    It was precisely because it firmly believed this that the snow beast did not agree with the huge eye¡¯s thoughts. How could they escape from the planet that could support life and wander the universe? It might not be able to find a suitable place that could support life even after spending its entire life searching for one.


    Another important reason was that the huge eye was involved in opening the space-travel passages to the otherworld. However, the snow beast was not involved.


    After leaving the snow mountain, the huge eye¡¯s mind continued to fluctuate unsteadily.


    ¡°Now that my injuries have gotten much better and my cultivation level has stabilized, it won¡¯t take much effort to deal with a small fry in the inscription realm.¡±


    At this moment, the huge eye had the thought of beating the strongest person in the Daxia Kingdom to a pulp.


    However, it quickly became vigilant again.


    This was because it recalled the spirit creature that had risked its life to attack it.


    Even after a long time, the huge eye still could not figure out what was going on. This made it extremely vigilant when moving around on the blue planet.


    Other than Feng Wuji, who had returned and discovered that there were a large number of spies secretly monitoring the situation, the special investigation teams of the Daxia Kingdom did not find anything amiss.


    The reason was that under the control of the huge eye, the mutant creatures hid themselves very well. Even if someone discovered them, they would still be lured by the power of the mutant creatures.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk.¡±


    ¡°Trying to get by?¡±


    The huge eye turned around and glanced at the snow mountain before quickly leaving.


    The huge eye, which was good at using all kinds of strange methods on the spiritual level, had many ways to cause conflict between the two sides.


    ¡­


    January 1st, the first day of the new year.


    It was still snowing heavily in the capital. Every household needed to clear the snow regularly to prevent the weight of the snow from crushing the houses.


    In the evening, in a meeting room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the top leader met with the president from the European Union.


    The president had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Daxia Kingdom, but before he could receive a response, he hurriedly boarded the plane and flew straight to the capital¡¯s airport under the escort of a martial arts expert.


    Finally, after going through a strict inspection at the airport, they were arranged to wait in the meeting room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly half a day.


    ¡°The snow monsters suddenly became active in the various European Union countries. From yesterday until this morning, more than 10 cities have been breached, and nearly a million people have died.¡± The president of the European Union revealed what had happened with a sad expression.


    The situation in the European Union had always been barely maintained. It was indeed better than the continent of Africa, South Asia, and so on. However, because the countries within it were not united, all kinds of chaos occurred from time to time.


    In addition, the Daxia Kingdom had no intention of stepping forward to save the blue planet, nor did they accept the request from the Sam Nation and the European Union to join the space plan. After the news that the black tide was about to arrive spread, the people¡¯s hearts became even more unstable.


    Even if the European Union and Sam Nation followed closely behind the Daxia Kingdom and announced that they would build their own spaceships, it would be difficult for them to contain the chaos.


    The civilians were not fools. They had yet to conquer the solar system, but they were already building spaceships to go to an unknown planet?


    This was just like how the ancient people said that the planet under their feet was round and that humans could fly into the sky on tools. It was like the higher-ups were trying to trick them.


    The European Union and the Sam Nation had been negotiating with the Daxia Kingdom, hoping to get some fragments of the extraordinary weapons. For this reason, they were willing to hand over some of their cutting-edge technology.


    However, at that time, they were rejected by the Daxia Kingdom. There was no room for discussion.


    Little did they know that the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s air force was bleeding from the loss of the two futuristic fighter jets. Several carefully selected fragments had been lost just like that.


    From the top to the bottom, no unit that was involved in the space plan was willing to trade their fragments for anything.

 Chapter 361 - Team of 100,000 Experts

    ¡°The Daxia Kingdom had just been attacked by the shadow monster in the southwest, then there was the huge eye controlling an army of billions of mutant creatures to attack. It¡¯s a difficult time for everyone.¡±


    The top leader had a bitter expression on his face, and his tone implied like they were all in the same boat.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere became heavy.


    The president of the European Union did not know how to reply.


    There were many ways to deal with the snow monsters that the European Union had encountered.


    They could use large-scale weapons of mass destruction to kill the snow monsters after gathering them together. They could also send out martial arts experts to defend the places where the snow monsters were wreaking havoc, or move the people from small cities to large cities to focus on defending the large cities.


    As for the enemies that the Daxia Kingdom was facing, there was no clear way of dealing with them. The strongest technology, the nuclear weapons, had lost its effectiveness, and they could only rely on their own strength to withstand it. If they were not careful, their country could be destroyed at any time.


    The top leader continued in an apologetic tone, ¡°Ever since the invasion of the otherworld via the space-travel passages started, the wilderness has divided the countries and even the cities from each other. When one country encounters an emergency situation, it¡¯s not that the other countries don¡¯t want to help, but that they don¡¯t have the strength to do so.


    For example, in the Daxia Kingdom, we need to have strong defenses in every direction. Our important facilities need enough manpower to guard them, and the problem of the mutant humans requires a lot of time and manpower for the investigation¡­¡±


    Once this topic was brought up, it could be said that it would be difficult to explain everything even if they talked through the night.


    However, it was indeed the truth. The larger the territory that a country controlled, the more aspects it needed to take into consideration. Once something happened, it would affect the entire situation. No decision could be made rashly.


    After a long time, the president of the European Union came back to his senses. All the leaders knew about these problems. It was precisely because of the isolation of the countries due to the wilderness in between that it was difficult for the countries to truly form an alliance.


    It was time to discuss the terms. To get something without giving anything in exchange was something that was only possible in dreams. It was not just for the Daxia Kingdom, but for any country to provide unconditional support to another.


    ¡°The full set of the latest nuclear power technology, the latest technology to simulate conditions for supporting human life, the complete formula for the most advanced materials, a team of 100,000 technical experts on spaceship technology.¡±


    The president of the European Union added, ¡°The team of 100,000 technical experts will not be offered unconditionally. After the spaceship from the Daxia Kingdom takes off, you have to return them all to the European Union.


    There¡¯s also something else. You have to share the location of the planet the spaceship will be heading to with the European Union.¡±


    The highest-ranking leader raised an eyebrow and thought to himself, ¡°He used up all his chips right from the start. Is the European Union in such a dire state?¡±


    The European Union¡¯s offer, in sum, was simply to provide the technology that they had accumulated so far that was relevant to space travel, as well as a team of 100,000 technical experts, to support the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s space plan.


    In exchange, they would get a chance to escape before the black tide really arrived.


    ¡°The reason why they requested to know the location of the target planet is because these 100,000 technical experts might board the spaceship that the European Union is currently building, and set off together with the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s spaceship. On the way to the inhabited planet, they can start upgrading their own spaceship.¡±


    The top leader had seen through the intentions of the president of the European Union, or rather, the large number of factions behind him.


    The spaceship that the European Union was building lacked the fragments of extraordinary weapons. Even if they were given another 10 to 20 years, it would still be difficult for them to obtain the ability to go to another planet on their own.


    Therefore, they might as well find a tactful excuse to lower their heads and cozy up to the Daxia Kingdom.


    ¡­


    After the details were discussed, a deal was finally reached at midnight. The president of the European Union left in a hurry that night and returned in the fighter jet he had arrived in.


    In the meeting room, a thick document was placed on the table.


    The top leader let out a long breath and rubbed his swollen temples. This was a deal at the national level, and was not easy to negotiate.


    This deal allowed both sides to obtain what they wanted without the need for the Daxia Kingdom to hand over the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.


    In order to speed up the development of the space plan, they could not care less at this time. The main reason was that the European Union could not compete with them anyway.


    Facing the black tide that could reduce the power of the enemy, the big shots behind the European Union had already made up their minds to escape after seeing the display of the destructive power at Mount Everest.


    Rather than saying that they should cozy up to the Daxia Kingdom, it would be better to say that they should cozy up to Chen Yiming.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming and Elder Huang, who was in charge of guarding the north of the country, pushed open the door and walked in.


    ¡°Feng Wuji had just cleared out all the mutant creatures in the Daxia Kingdom when the conflict between the snow monsters and humans in the western world started to become intense. The European Union also hurriedly sent people over.


    I think there¡¯s a high chance that the one causing trouble behind the scenes is the huge eye from Mount Everest,¡± Chen Yiming said with certainty.


    The more frequent the movements, the more they would be exposed.


    It was impossible for the black tide from the sea of stars to have such an intense reaction to the small movements of the humans. The black tide was specifically targeting the strongest creatures on the planet.


    Moreover, the current actions of the black tide were mainly to harvest the negative emotions in the otherworld. He had confirmed this via the spiritual figure.


    ¡°I think so too. Ever since the huge eye started to hide on Mount Everest, which is not far from the Daxia Kingdom, it has been targeting us both openly and in secret. This time, after we cleared out all the mutant creatures that were acting as its spies, the other party must be anxious to use another sneaky method to monitor the Daxia Kingdom again.


    We can¡¯t be careless with this team of 100,000 technical experts, even if Feng Wuji has personally checked them.¡± Elder Huang also had a similar opinion.


    The reason why he was so vigilant was because Feng Wuji¡¯s ability was indeed able to restrain mutant creatures, but, in essence, there was still a huge difference in cultivation level between him and the huge eye. And the huge eye was a powerful creature that also specialized in spiritual abilities.


    No matter how vigilant he was, it would not be considered too much. The other party might be able to use methods such as possession and switching souls that even Feng Wuji could not detect to infiltrate the team of 100,000 technical experts.


    The top leader nodded.


    Now, they were not discussing whether to make a deal with the European Union. This was because the three of them had discussed it in advance before meeting the president of the European Union.


    What they had to decide now was the series of problems that would be caused by taking in the team of 100,000 technical experts. The seemingly free support was like a ticking time bomb.


    Since they were forced to accept it, they naturally could not let the time bomb explode. Instead, they had to think of a way to eliminate it and deal with the other party¡¯s tricks.


    In the wee hours of the morning, the lights in the meeting room were still on. The surrounding guards were standing guard at their posts.


    They were all members of the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s military who had undergone many rounds of selection. Other than their martial arts cultivation level, their character, perseverance, reasoning, and other qualities were also the best.


    They were temporarily transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to stand guard. Even though they were feeling sleepy, they were still fully alert and observed the surroundings for any signs of trouble.


    This was because every decision made inside concerned the future direction of the Daxia Kingdom.


    The sky turned bright.


    Chen Yiming glanced out of the window and said, ¡°Keep an eye on every member of the 100,000-strong team of technical experts. Don¡¯t come into contact with any fragments of the extraordinary weapons before the Spring Festival. After the Spring Festival, you can let them participate in the core projects.¡±


    ¡°The Spring Festival?¡±


    The top leader and Elder Huang looked puzzled. What was so special about the one and a half months from now till then?


    Chen Yiming nodded and didn¡¯t elaborate.


    The first move of the huge eye was to snatch the fragments of the extraordinary weapons from the two futuristic fighter jets. Then, dealing with the huge eye¡¯s schemes would definitely involve separating the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.


    After the Spring Festival, the spiritual figure would be able to increase its swordsmanship talent. At that time, the difference in strength between the enemy and the spiritual figure would be reversed, and the threat of the huge eye would no longer exist.


    If it dared to show itself, he would kill it with one strike.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The top leader and Elder Huang quickly agreed.


    The highest level of secrecy was to not let anyone else know about it. Chen Yiming naturally had his reasons for not revealing anything.


    It was all for the sake of completing the space plan. At this time, no one would mind it.


    ¡­


    Back home, to Chen Yiming¡¯s surprise, Father Chen and Mother Chen were practicing a set of cultivation techniques in the living room.


    ¡°Old man, your movements are too stiff!¡±


    Mother Chen¡¯s palm landed on Father Chen¡¯s back. Only then did Father Chen react and try to dodge. At this moment, Mother Chen had already pulled back. His movements were not only one beat slower, but two beats slower.


    To be honest, his reaction speed was too poor.


    ¡°I still have to take care of the work at the industrial base every day. I don¡¯t have enough time to cultivate,¡± Father Chen quickly defended himself.


    Mother Chen stopped and said, ¡°The two of us relied on the miracle blood ritual to obtain our cultivation level. We are both warrior candidates, but your actual combat talent is clearly inferior to mine.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Father Chen could not think of a reason to refute her.


    As their bodies were nourished for a long time, coupled with the new batch of high-quality miracle blood, Father Chen and Mother Chen only needed to do some simple daily training to maintain their cultivation level.


    Recently, their accumulated enhancement had suddenly released their hidden potential, and their cultivation level had reached that of a warrior candidate.


    The improvement brought about by one¡¯s hard work was far less than the effect of the miracle blood.


    As for Father Chen, he could not defeat Mother Chen in actual combat. It could only be said that Mother Chen was talented in terms of reaction speed, while Father Chen¡¯s talent in reaction speed was poor.


    The outcome could still be different when using the miracle blood to help with one¡¯s cultivation.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Chen Yingying greeted Chen Yiming excitedly when she saw him enter the house.


    ¡°How did it feel to be on a spaceship?¡± Chen Yiming asked his excited sister.


    ¡°We flew around the Daxia Kingdom. It was just like a real city on the spaceship. We stayed in the spaceship hotel and walked around the residential area. We even went shopping¡­¡±


    Chen Yingying chattered as she shared about her day on the spaceship.


    Finally, she added, ¡°Dad and Mom also asked me to supervise their training in the future. They have to become warriors before the spaceship really takes off.¡±


    Warriors who had the extraordinary power of internal force would undoubtedly increase their resistance to danger in deep space where the danger was unpredictable.


    Although the spaceship did not actually leave the blue planet, but only flew around the Daxia Kingdom, the experience had affected Father Chen and Mother Chen greatly.


    They began to make preparations for boarding the spaceship and setting off to a new planet that can support life.

 Chapter 362 - The Combat Performance of the Extraordinary Cannon

    ¡°At this time next year, if we really have to take the spaceship to go to a new planet, it is unknown how long we¡¯ll be traveling for.


    Your mother and I remember what you said. After reaching the master realm, the lifespan of humans will increase by two to three times. We don¡¯t want to die of old age on the way there.¡±


    Father Chen laughed and explained their current perspective.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    He understood that Father Chen and Mother Chen did not want to be a burden to him. After all, there was a huge difference between escaping to deep space and staying on the blue planet.


    This was the bond shared by a family. As long as they could understand it, there was no need to put it in words.


    ¡­


    In the new year, with the completion of the first flight of the city-level spaceship, the impact on the citizens of the Daxia Kingdom was far-reaching.


    Of course, the people supported the space plan to escape from the blue planet and head to a new planet even without any substantial results.


    It was just that they did not have enough confidence in the plan. After all, the progress was too fast.


    However, it was different now. With one city-level spaceship, there would soon be a second one. With a second one, there would soon be a third one. The pressure put on them by the black tide seemed to have been reduced by more than half.


    Feng Wuji also sent back a message that the number of new mutant humans in the Daxia Kingdom had decreased greatly after the new year.


    This proved that the seed of hope had begun to grow. Most of the people in the Daxia Kingdom were no longer afraid of the black tide.


    In a wide area outside the southwest border defense line.


    In the distant forest, the figures of mutant creatures appeared from time to time. In the distance, a large number of mutant creatures were gathering, and they were moving as a group.


    In the distant forest, the figures of mutant creatures appeared from time to time. In the distance, a large number of mutant creatures were gathering, and they were vaguely moving over.


    Chen Yiming looked at the 10 extraordinary cannons in front of him. These were second-generation products produced in collaboration with the Jiangnan Firearms Factory.


    Compared to the first-generation extraordinary cannon, they had changed a portion of the barrel material, increasing the lifespan of the barrel to 10 shots.


    ¡°We can¡¯t put it back together!¡±


    Ye Jianyuan shouted in his heart with a pained expression.


    A complete extraordinary weapon was destroyed just like that by Chen Yiming.


    Other than the 10 core fragments that could be used to create the extraordinary cannons, none of the fragments were deemed unnecessary, and could be used in other aspects.


    However, this was similar to the difference between loose change and a note. In terms of pure value, the note was undoubtedly many times more valuable. Coupled with the fact that it could not be pieced back together after being destroyed, any normal person would know what to choose.


    ¡°With these 10 extraordinary cannons, the mutant creatures that are constantly threatening the defense line should be brought to a stop.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. He didn¡¯t see the pained expression on Ye Jianyuan¡¯s face.


    To him, it would not be long before the spiritual figure¡¯s swordsmanship talent upgraded again. At that time, even the shadow monster from back then would be considered an easy target for him to kill.


    In the long term, there would definitely be no shortage of extraordinary weapons, unless the black tide creatures no longer descended on the blue planet.


    When the surrounding elite disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect heard this, their hands itched.


    They had been selected and sent to the military for special training for a period of time, and they had mastered professional artillery techniques. These 10 extraordinary cannons would be handed over to these elite disciples to fire later.


    Not long after, there were faint tremors on the horizon. More and more mutant creatures had gathered, and no matter how many obstacles there were in between them, their numbers could no longer be hidden. Yellow dust rose everywhere.


    An overwhelming killing intent surged over. If an ordinary warrior was still here at this moment, it would be like facing a tsunami alone.


    At this moment, another group of elite disciples quickly returned from the forest. With a few leaps, they arrived in front of Chen Yiming¡¯s group. The leader was Deputy Sect Master Shen Mengwei.


    In just a few months, she had become the deputy sect master after just becoming an adult. Not only did no one in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, from the disciples to the court heads, object to this, but they also gave her their warmest applause.


    The swordsmanship talent that Shen Mengwei had displayed was equivalent to Chen Yiming¡¯s Level-2 swordsmanship talent. With the miracle blood, the full set of cultivation techniques, and the guidance of her seniors, her cultivation speed was not much slower than Feng Wuji¡¯s.


    She was improving almost every day, with an obvious transformation happening every week. Just like that, she broke through to the half-step master realm, becoming the second person in the Myriad Phenomena Sect to break through from the warrior realm after Chen Yiming.


    She had a chance to explore the realms above the warrior realm just like Feng Wuji.


    ¡°After traveling for more than 100 kilometers, all of the mutant creatures that reached this area were killed. They have now entered a state of frenzy. The range of the affected mutant creatures is about 200 to 300 kilometers,¡± Shen Mengwei said.


    Although her voice was a little soft, she had the aura of someone that was a half-step away from the master realm. The materialized spiritual power she unintentionally emitted affected her surroundings.


    The group of elite disciples behind her felt it the most clearly. When the girl in front of them faced the mutant creatures, her behavior was not like the soft and cute girl in front of them now.


    Chen Yiming said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s about time. Fire!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the elite disciples who were assigned as gunners rubbed their hands together, and their eyes filled with excitement.


    The cannons in front of them were legendary firearms. They were comparable to the attacks of a martial master. How could they not be excited?


    ¡­


    At a sentry post on the defense line, two soldiers in green military uniforms watched the commotion on the horizon nervously.


    In a small area, there was a scene similar to 10,000 horses galloping. However, it was not horses that were attacking, but ferocious mutant creatures.


    ¡°Zhu Liang, if it wasn¡¯t for the orders from the higher-ups to conduct the actual combat test for the extraordinary cannons today, I would definitely have to lean against the wall to support myself.¡±


    ¡°He Bin, why are you so timid? Looks like you have to go on a few more missions with the captain later to kill a few mutant creatures to build your courage.¡±


    At this moment, Zhu Liang saw from the corner of his eye that He Bin was using half of his butt to lean against the frame of the binoculars. From his posture, a portion of his weight was supported by the frame.


    Zhu Liang raised an eyebrow and thought to himself, ¡°If not for my sharp eyes, I would have been fooled by He Bin¡¯s pretense. This is not just an attack happening on the mountain, but the mutant creatures within a range of 100 kilometers coming up to us to launch a concerted attack. It would be a lie to say that I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    Of course, as his comrade, Zhu Liang was not so petty as to expose him on the spot. He took it that He Bin was just bragging.


    They changed the topic.


    ¡°I heard that with the extraordinary cannons guarding the defense line, at least half of the people will be transferred to other places. Which places did you fill in?¡± Zhu Liang asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it yet, but I¡¯ll definitely fill in the ones closer to home. I wonder how lucky I will be this time,¡± He Bin said as he stared at the commotion on the horizon.


    Zhu Liang nodded. ¡°I also filled in a location close to home.¡±


    Just as the two of them were chatting to ease their nervousness, countless waves of air suddenly spread out from the mountains.


    A dull roar shook the entire forest. Even the sentries far away could feel the tremors.


    ¡°Did they shoot?¡± Zhu Liang asked in surprise.


    He Bin was also shocked.


    He almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, he reacted in time and used one hand to secretly hold on to the binoculars to stabilize his body.


    Many people had a misconception that the soldiers on the battlefield had strong willpower, but in reality, that was impossible.


    Facing the overwhelming attack from the mutant creatures, even though he knew that there would definitely be someone backing him up, his heart still pounded violently, and he was affected by the atmosphere on the battlefield.


    Not long after, huge spinning energy balls lit up on the distant horizon. Lightning, wind blades, flames, and so on wreaked havoc on the entire battlefield.


    ¡°With this round of attacks, how many mutant creatures will be vaporized immediately?¡±


    Zhu Liang¡¯s eyes widened.


    After seeing the power of the extraordinary cannons with his own eyes, it was indeed a powerful weapon on the battlefield. The power of each shot was terrifying.


    The higher-ups really had the confidence to transfer half of the people away, not because they were short on manpower elsewhere.


    At this moment, there was an uproar at the defense line. The first actual combat test of the extraordinary cannons had really refreshed everyone¡¯s understanding of the cannons¡¯ abilities.


    Even though the Daxia Kingdom had made countless breakthroughs in the past half a year, such as the futuristic fighter jets, the New Era experimental ship, and the city-level spaceship, this shock was still able to move them.


    There was once a saying: ¡°The truth is only within the range of cannons.¡±


    This had always been acknowledged by countless people before the invasion of the otherworld and the rise of martial arts. However, with the rise of warriors, the use of ordinary firearms became less and less effective.


    Now that the extraordinary cannons had appeared, it seemed like this saying could be used again.


    On the horizon, the mutant creatures were pressing forward step by step. Their gathered aura was like a tsunami that was directly broken up by the 10 cannons.


    There was a short period of silence on the battlefield. Some of the mutant creatures were watching, while others began to retreat.


    The reason was that the huge eye only controlled a few powerful mutant beasts and mutant humans who had a high enough status to indirectly control other mutant creatures.


    It was not a true black tide creature that could make the mutant creatures fall into a state of madness and fight to the death without taking a single step back.


    This strange atmosphere lasted for two to three minutes. Soon, the 10 cannons were fired for a second time, and the terrifying scene of lightning, flames, and wind blades wreaking havoc appeared on the horizon again.


    At this moment, the aura gathered by the mutant creatures within a range of 200 to 300 kilometers finally collapsed.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll destroy the ¡®small shield¡¯ later and try to build another 10 extraordinary cannons.¡±


    Chen Yiming stood with his hands behind his back and watched the effects of the two rounds of artillery fire.


    Ye Jianyuan¡¯s expression froze when he heard this. He was going to destroy another complete extraordinary weapon.

 Chapter 363 - Possibility of Resurrection?

    As the supernatural cannons were fired to push back the mutant creatures that were putting pressure on the border, injecting a stimulant into the southwest border defense line, the first batch of people and supplies from the European Union were ready to leave.


    At the Berlin airport, 10 large military transport planes were loading up the supplies. Beside them were military vehicles surrounded by armed soldiers.


    The supplies were mainly technical information and some precision equipment.


    Although the information were all copies instead of the originals, its value did not decrease. They were usually locked in a dark safe and hidden in a secret place.


    The precision equipment was a unique technology from part of the European Union. There were more than one or two factories involved, and they were in a hurry, so they had no choice but to manufacture the parts and assemble them on the spot.


    Over a long period of time, they would be brought to the Daxia Kingdom by transport planes.


    In the airport communications room.


    ¡°Hello! Is the weather forecast for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for tomorrow out yet?¡± a middle-aged man in a military uniform asked on the phone.


    ¡°The latest report shows that you can fly, but do you really have to fly such a long distance all at once?


    What I mean is that there are many variables that will change over a long flight. Do you want to consider changing the route slightly and stopping at one or two airports to observe the weather situation before setting off again?¡±


    On the other end of the line, the staff from the meteorological department was filled with confusion.


    There were two routes from the Berlin airport to the Daxia Kingdom. One was to fly over the land in the Middle East, and the other was to fly above the sea the whole way.


    In terms of danger, the sea was undoubtedly more dangerous than land.


    However, if one considered the dangers in the air along the way, the number of flying mutant beasts above the land was much higher than above the sea.


    Therefore, the European Union had chosen to fly over the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.


    The only puzzling thing was that even if they chose the route over the sea, there were still several airports along the way that they could stop at. However, they had chosen to fly straight to the Daxia Kingdom.


    The total distance was nearly 20,000 kilometers. It was often difficult to accurately predict the changes in the weather over the sea. The current report indicated that they were cleared for flight, but that did not mean that it would not be a problem 10 hours later.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the man in the military uniform replied dully and hung up.


    Then, he made another call and explained the weather situation provided by the staff from the meteorological department.


    At the entrance of the transport plane¡¯s cargo compartment, as the supplies were loaded, the team of technical experts prepared to board the plane. They would spend nearly an entire day flying together with the supplies.


    Of course, the comfort level could not be compared to that of a passenger plane. However, there was enough space inside to provide sufficient lighting.


    Other than being unable to see the scenery outside through the window like a passenger plane, and the tension brought about by the enclosed space, there was not much difference.


    ¡°Teacher, how¡¯s the working environment in the Daxia Kingdom?¡± a young man asked.


    The young man was a rising star in the field of astronomy. He was only in his early twenties, but the research he had published had already exceeded the achievements of many other researchers who had worked in the field for their entire lives.


    He was a young talent in the scientific research world and had the ability to lead a project.


    ¡°There have been many changes there. You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    Professor Nelson, who had achievements in both martial arts and scientific research, had gone to the Daxia Kingdom many times as a representative after the announcement of the crystal meditation technique.


    Previously, due to the confidentiality rules, many things could not be said.


    Now that the European Union and the Daxia Kingdom had reached a relationship equivalent to a strategic partnership and were working together to carry out the space plan, the confidentiality rules had been lifted.


    At the same time, as a martial arts expert, Professor Nelson¡¯s eyes were sharp. Of course, he understood the deeper reason for this change.


    In the era of the invasion of the otherworld, a martial master was enough to suppress the fate of a country. That was how the title of the martial masters as guardians of the country came about.


    In the past, the deterrence of a martial master was equivalent to that of a nuclear weapon. If a small country happened to give birth to a martial master, it would be able to stand up to a large country.


    However, the times were changing. In the era where the black tide was about to descend, the martial masters had actually already lost the title of ¡°guardian¡±.


    The problems caused by the snow monsters in the European Union had yet to be effectively resolved. The ordinary people thought that the European Union was not doing anything about it. In reality, the country¡¯s martial master had taken action against them, but he had been severely injured by an unknown enemy.


    The deterrence of a martial master was not as strong as before. If the news of him being severely injured was exposed, the impact would be immeasurable. Therefore, at the moment, only a few people knew about it.


    ¡°Teacher, we secretly learned the crystal meditation technique without anyone¡¯s permission. Do we need to hide this from the Daxia Kingdom this time?¡± a beautiful woman with a mole at the corner of her eye asked weakly.


    Chen Yiming had publicly displayed the crystal meditation technique on the river. He didn¡¯t say that other than those from the Daxia Kingdom, no one else could learn it, nor did he say clearly that it wouldn¡¯t be considered stealing if others learned it.


    Currently, other than Chen Yiming, if those from other countries had secretly learned something,


    as long as they did not make a big deal out of it, it was not such a big matter that they would pursue the matter across the large stretch of wilderness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since he publicly let others study it for three days, he is encouraging people to learn as much as they can. They won¡¯t arrest you.¡±


    Professor Nelson smiled. This female student was already an adult, but she was fully focused on scientific research.


    Her martial arts and scientific research talent were very good, but her horizons were a little narrow. Or rather, her thinking was a little different from others.


    Not long after, the team led by Professor Nelson entered the cargo compartment of the transport plane. The other nine teams entered the cargo compartments at about the same time.


    As the cargo door closed, the engines roared. 10 large military transport planes slid down the runway in an orderly manner and took off one after another.


    Just like that, 10 large military transport planes flew straight to the Jiangnan airport with the first batch of experts and supplies.


    ¡°I hope the first batch of people and supplies can arrive safely!¡±


    In a corner of the airport, the president of the European Union watched quietly as the planes were loaded and took off. His tone was worried, and he did not sound as happy as would be expected.


    Beside him stood a white-haired old man, his long white hair draped over his shoulders.


    The first thing that attracted one¡¯s attention was the empty sleeve on the old man¡¯s left arm. The sleeve fluttered in the wind, and it was obvious that he had lost his left arm.


    ¡°If the enemy hiding in the dark wants to ruin our cooperation with the Daxia Kingdom, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡± The white-haired old man sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s wait and see. If anything happens to the people and supplies on these 10 transport planes, we¡¯ll switch to Plan B. In short, the cooperation has to continue.¡±


    The president of the European Union let out a long sigh and continued, ¡°Each member of the expert team is important, and we won¡¯t be able to replace them in a short period of time. However, time is tight, so we can only do our best. I hope our spaceship won¡¯t be delayed because of this.¡±


    The white-haired old man nodded and made a decision in his heart.


    If the hidden enemy insisted on destroying their cooperation, he, who was already severely injured, would go all out and personally escort the team to the Daxia Kingdom.


    That time, they clearly had the ability to kill him, but they only severely injured him. The enemy hiding in the dark should also have some concerns of his own.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming, who had left the southwest border, didn¡¯t return to East Lake City. Instead, he headed to Jiangnan City.


    The ball of flesh that produced the miracle blood had undergone a transformation and was now fused to the small piece of finger.


    The research institute could not make up their minds about the matter and were worried that a monster would be born from it.


    ¡°What powerful spiritual power!¡±


    When he arrived at the research institute, Chen Yiming saw Wu Susu walking towards him. The air around her was distorted.


    ¡°Is this the talent brought about by the sphere in her spiritual world?¡±


    Other than that, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation for how Wu Susu, who spent most of her time researching, had substantial spiritual power that could alter reality.


    Clearly, Wu Susu did not have enough time or practice to completely control this powerful spiritual power.


    Chen Yiming guessed that Wu Susu lacked actual combat experience, but with her huge amount of spiritual power, she could fight someone that was a half-step away from the master realm.


    In terms of martial arts potential, those with a stronger spiritual power naturally had a higher chance of resonating with the natural power that one had an affinity with.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. That ball of flesh seems to be showing signs of evolving into a living creature.¡± Wu Weiguo¡¯s face was filled with anxiety as he quickly walked over. He went straight to the point.


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    He didn¡¯t believe that the ball of flesh could evolve into a real life form. This was because even though he had reached the inscription realm, Chen Yiming still didn¡¯t know much about the essence of the soul. It wasn¡¯t as simple as just spiritual power.


    His current understanding was that the soul was made up of consciousness and spiritual power, but he still could not understand how it was formed.


    The ball of flesh and the small finger were essentially severed limbs that had lost their souls. If they were combined, would a new soul be born? That was unlikely.


    Soon, Chen Yiming entered the laboratory building where the ball of flesh was stored.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was stunned by the scene before him.


    The finger had completely disappeared, and in its place was an embryo that was as tall as an adult. Inside was a figure with four limbs.


    ¡°From its outline, it looks a little like the 10,000-meter-long corpse that was dug out from the ground of the otherworld. Could it be that it hasn¡¯t died and is using the ball of flesh to resurrect itself?¡±


    He thought of this possibility.

 Chapter 364 - Mysterious Visitor from the Ice Valley

    The powerful creature from the otherworld that looked like a chimpanzee had sealed a black tide creature in its body. It had seemed like they had died together.


    However, it was still one level higher than him, so there was too much that remained unknown about it. It was also possible that it wasn¡¯t completely dead, just that Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t noticed it when he was digging up its corpse.


    It was also possible that it had deliberately buried itself in that mysterious underground space. First, it was discovered by the treants, then Chen Yiming dug out its corpse, ruining its plan to revive itself.


    ¡°The ball of flesh has turned into an embryo. Can the miracle blood still be produced normally?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked Wu Weiguo. Since the spiritual figure had already broken through when he was revived, he could just kill it with one strike.


    Wu Weiguo glanced at Wu Susu.


    Wu Susu nodded and released her spiritual power to probe the embryo. This triggered an unknown switch, and golden blood immediately flowed along the surrounding tubes that were used to collect the miracle blood.


    This miracle blood was of a completely different quality.


    ¡°Can it be controlled by spiritual power?¡±


    Faced with Chen Yiming¡¯s question, Wu Susu explained that she had unexpectedly discovered this. The embryo was like a piece of equipment that was not designed with a lock, and could thus be controlled by any spiritual power.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t design the lock in time, but that small part of the finger is only a very small portion of the 10,000-meter-long corpse,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    Thinking of this, he was basically certain that the embryo was an advanced product made by the ball of flesh.


    If a complete 10,000-meter-long corpse was provided to the ball of flesh for a long time, there might really be a chance for it to be revived. However, just a small piece of its finger was definitely not enough.


    This was his conclusion based on his Level-4 Undying Body talent. He himself had yet to reach the point where he could be revived with just a small piece of his body.


    ¡­


    After leaving the laboratory building, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°With the overall level of technology on the blue planet, each person¡¯s contribution is very small. On the other hand, it¡¯s the opposite for martial arts. Having more people might not be useful. One¡¯s innate talent is more important.¡±


    The swordsmanship talent and the crystal illusion talent might be more eye-catching in the short term, but in the long term, they might reach their limit in the master realm.


    As for Wu Susu, who had a pure spiritual talent, the upper limit of her full potential was much higher than Shen Mengwei and Feng Wuji. She might be able to break through to the inscription realm or even higher like him.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Wu Susu replied, her expression slightly cold.


    Chen Yiming nodded. He couldn¡¯t tell if the other party had really understood or not.


    Besides, everyone had their own ambitions. He could not force her to kill her own interest and embark on the path of martial arts that she was not interested in.


    At this moment, Wang Ronghui came looking for him.


    From his changing expression, Chen Yiming thought that the other party was worried that the supply of miracle blood would be cut off, so he came over to understand the situation.


    ¡°Four blue-haired foreigners held a banquet at the Jiangnan Hotel and openly announced that they want to ruin the cooperation between the Daxia Kingdom and the European Union?¡±


    Chen Yiming was taken aback by Wang Ronghui¡¯s words.


    Where did these people come from? How could they just make such a bold claim? Did they ask his permission before trying to destroy it?


    Chen Yiming subconsciously thought that these foreigners were from the European Union and were people who advocated for building the spaceship on their own.


    This was very normal. It was just that they had different opinions. Not everyone in the Daxia Kingdom supported the construction of a spaceship that was a waste of manpower and money.


    ¡°Feng Wuji tried to test the other party, but he was sealed in ice by the three of them in one move. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s alive or dead, but he¡¯s frozen in the hall,¡± Wang Ronghui told him the truth that even he found hard to believe.


    Feng Wuji was the fourth martial master in the Daxia Kingdom.


    After returning from the otherworld, he had cut off the spies of the enemy and wiped out all the mutant creatures in the Daxia Kingdom.


    The power of purification could almost be said not to be weak against any other special abilities, but he was defeated in one move, with his life and death in the hands of others?


    Chen Yiming realized that something was amiss. Those blue-haired foreigners definitely didn¡¯t represent the local factions on the blue planet, but the minions of some hidden enemy.


    Ice ability? Could they be related to the snow monsters that the European Union could not deal with?


    Tracing back to the source, from the moment the cannons defeated the mutant creatures at the border, to earlier when the European Union and the Daxia Kingdom had reached an agreement to work together on the space plan,


    and even before that, the snow monsters had caused chaos in the European Union. Even further back, Feng Wuji had taken action to wipe out the mutant humans in the entire Daxia Kingdom.


    With countless questions in their minds, Chen Yiming and Wang Ronghui quickly headed to the Jiangnan Hotel.


    ¡­


    At the Jiangnan Hotel, light music surrounded the hall, but the atmosphere was very strange.


    Three blue-haired foreigners took the initiative to talk to the people from the martial arts factions who had come to join in the fun. They promoted their ideals and invited everyone to join them.


    The scene was very awkward. The martial arts experts from the Daxia Kingdom cursed themselves for being nosy, causing them to be unable to either advance or retreat.


    The strength of these blue-haired foreigners was too terrifying. Feng Wuji, who was still standing rooted to the ground, was an example. A newly promoted martial master had been suppressed by them.


    ¡°Lady, your voice has deeply attracted me.¡±


    Faced with the evil-looking man¡¯s words, Han Qiufeng¡¯s face turned pale. She was forced to retreat step by step. The other party was relying on his powerful strength to force her into a toast with him.


    The surrounding people sighed. What was the use of bullying a woman? They wanted to help her, but they were shocked by Feng Wuji¡¯s situation and retracted their steps.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡±


    Han Qiufeng¡¯s mind was in a mess, so she found an excuse to reject him.


    Because she had met Chen Yiming by chance, her career had flourished under the watch of various parties. This time, she had been invited to the banquet held by the four foreigners with unknown identities.


    Han Qiufeng was the first person the boss of the Jiangnan Hotel invited to sing a song for the opening of the banquet.


    However, who knew that these four foreigners would come with ill intentions? After freezing the newly promoted martial master, Feng Wuji, their show of power immediately suppressed everyone else.


    One of the four people, who was tall and thin, was filled with lust and kept making unreasonable requests.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know how to drink. Let¡¯s go to the back room and play Truth or Dare later. You can have a soft drink while I drink wine,¡± the tall and thin blue-haired man said with a laugh.


    His laughter was filled with the tone of someone who had gained power overnight and liked to bully others. It was similar to a second-generation martial arts practitioner.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go with you.¡± Han Qiufeng¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but she still refused sternly.


    From the other party¡¯s tone, she could tell what his motive was. She had met such people before and rejected them countless times.


    The tall and thin blue-haired man was a little angry when he saw that this lady was behaving like a porcupine, repeatedly rejecting him when he tried to get close.


    Therefore, he suddenly extended his free hand to forcefully grab her hand.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    His outstretched hand came into contact with an invisible barrier and could not penetrate through it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The blue-haired man narrowed his eyes and muttered, ¡°Is he here?¡±


    Han Qiufeng was shocked and took a few steps back in her high heels, almost falling to the ground.


    Her combat strength was low, so what if she had some connections? When no one around her could step forward to control the situation, she would be bullied by the hooligans.


    Chen Yiming and Wang Ronghui entered the hotel lobby.


    After stopping the tall and thin blue-haired man from grabbing Han Qiufeng, he turned his gaze to Feng Wuji, who was in the middle of the hall.


    ¡°Ice formed by the mysterious symbols?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and shattered the mysterious symbols on it.


    These mysterious symbols had all been engraved in advance, and it was unknown how they were carried around. Feng Wuji had no experience in this area, so he fell for it immediately.


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    The ice seal on Feng Wuji¡¯s body was lifted, and his face quickly regained its color. He sneezed.


    The power of nature triggered by the mysterious symbols was essentially still the power of nature. Although there was a difference in strength, it was not as obvious as the power of nature compared to the internal force.


    Feng Wuji¡¯s control over his body and his spiritual power were what had been affected by the power of the ice seal.


    The blue-haired foreigners stopped their attempts to strike up conversations and focused their gazes on Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Dear Mr. Chen, my name is Marek. We are from the Ice Valley. It was just a small misunderstanding. I hope you don¡¯t mind. The four of us came to the Daxia Kingdom with great sincerity,¡± an older blue-haired foreigner said as he walked over.


    ¡°Is this your sincerity?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze as he sneered.


    In his eyes, these four people were already dead. Perhaps the existence behind them did not care about their lives if it actually sent them over to threaten him.


    Sealing Feng Wuji in ice was actually a display of strength to inform everyone of the power behind them.


    How long the four of them could live depended on when they finished speaking for the person behind them.


    Marek¡¯s expression froze, but he quickly recovered. He continued in a measured tone, ¡°The 10 transport planes from the European Union flying straight to the Daxia Kingdom are currently above the sea.¡±


    He had revealed the key to the cooperation between the Daxia Kingdom and the European Union. As long as this was cut off, the so-called cooperation would naturally not be able to continue.


    As soon as he finished speaking, his words angered everyone in the hotel lobby.


    As a human, he could choose not to support the construction of a spaceship and the plan to escape from the blue planet before the black tide to leave behind the seeds of humanity.


    However, it was unforgivable that he was working for the unknown existences from the otherworld or the black tide, and turning into their claws to destroy the humans¡¯ plan.


    They were the enemy of all mankind, and the humans had the right to kill him.


    ¡°What does the Ice Valley want? Or what does the existence behind the Ice Valley want?¡±


    Chen Yiming stared at the four of them. If they made any abnormal movements, he would kill them on the spot.


    At the same time, he suddenly thought of something. Could it be that the black tide had arrived recently, so all kinds of demons and ghosts had appeared? All kinds of tricks were appearing in different forms, but their ultimate goal would be the same.


    At the thought of this, his expression darkened, and a sense of urgency weighed down on his heart.


    ¡°There are many talents in the Ice Valley, and we also hope to join the space plan,¡± Marek said calmly with a smile.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t object immediately and decided to question them instead. After all, they had achieved their goal of displaying their strength and were sure that the space plan wouldn¡¯t suffer any setbacks from their actions.


    ¡°Tell me, what can you offer?¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled, giving the impression that there was room for negotiation.


    Everyone in the hotel lobby, including Wang Ronghui, was worried for Chen Yiming. At the same time, they hated the four people from the Ice Valley with every fiber of their being.


    They were taking the opportunity to put a knife to the throat of the space plan. Relying on the powerful martial arts power provided by the unknown existence behind them, they might do something earth-shattering if they did not agree to it.


    The people and supplies on the 10 transport planes were in danger.


    Marek grinned, but didn¡¯t answer.


    A middle-aged blue-haired man beside him took a step forward and said, ¡°My name is Sheffield. If anyone is paying attention to the aerospace industry, they should have heard of my name before.¡±

 Chapter 365 - Ice Crystal-like Hair

    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°Sheffield is the big shot in the industry who published the location of a new planet in a scientific journal!¡±


    As soon as he announced his name, someone immediately recognized him.


    Recently, other than the progress of the construction of the spaceship, the other thing that had attracted the most attention was the target planet that humans had decided on.


    At the moment, there were several identified planets that might be able to support life. One of them was described by Sheffield in a scientific journal.


    However, when it came to Western faces, many Asians were not able to tell them apart. They looked almost the same if one did not look too closely, and it was easy to get confused.


    ¡°Sheffield has always been someone from the academic world. When did he reach such a high cultivation level?¡± someone asked in shock.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just like those mutant humans? Without perseverance, patience, and the desire to cultivate martial arts, one can only fall into the temptation of power and be controlled by an unknown existence.¡±


    The person beside him explained the reason why Sheffield had turned from an ordinary person to a martial arts expert.


    It was no longer the time when mutant creatures first appeared. They were no longer mysterious existences, and most people knew what was going on.


    This was similar to the evil techniques in martial arts. One could quickly progress in their martial arts cultivation, but the consequences of accepting the mutation were even more serious. One¡¯s will would no longer be independent, and they would be controlled by an unknown existence.


    ¡°Blue-haired and white-eyed, these must be the parts of their bodies that have mutated!¡± Someone quickly realized the difference between these four people and ordinary Westerners.


    The whispers around him reached Sheffield¡¯s ears, and a confident smile appeared on his face.


    The reason why he had been invited to join the Ice Valley was because of the reputation and research results he had accumulated in the aerospace industry. That was why he had been chosen by a great existence.


    Now, this identity was the strongest reason he could rely on to get involved in the negotiations. It was already impressive enough for him to be remembered by the young man in front of him.


    The reason was that after the young man rose up, not only did he suppress the other countries on the entire blue planet, but he also crushed the first probe from the black tide creatures, and forced the terrifying huge eye from Mount Everest to escape, and so on.


    This had already exceeded the scope of what a human could do. It was comparable to the level of those mysterious gods.


    When faced with a world-shattering disaster, relying on God to save the world was something that many Westerners agreed with. Therefore, Chen Yiming was very popular in the European Union and was admired by countless people.


    ¡°So it¡¯s an expert with a reputation!¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered. His voice was half-hearted and cold.


    ¡°But since you¡¯re willing to become the claws for some mysterious existence, what¡¯s the use of keeping you alive?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    Sheffield¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously took a step back. ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, his body was no longer under his control. His thoughts and consciousness seemed to have stopped, and he could only hear the horrified shouts from the people around him and his three companions.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Sheffield¡¯s body turned into dust, and only a strand of ice crystal-like hair floated in the air.


    Dead, he was really dead.


    One of the people who had achieved the most breakthroughs in the aerospace industry in recent years, Dr. Sheffield, had died just like that in the lobby of the Jiangnan Hotel.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    As the surrounding people secretly cheered, their gazes stopped on the ice crystal-like hair.


    As the only surviving item from his body, coupled with the faint fluctuations on its surface, it was both mysterious and attractive. Perhaps this was the source of the mutation in the four foreigners.


    Chen Yiming waved his hand lightly in the air, and the ice crystal-like hair was caught in his hand.


    The three other blue-haired foreigners in the hall had uncertain expressions on their faces, as if they could not accept the fact that Dr. Sheffield was already dead.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the plan!¡±


    The three of them were jolted awake.


    Before setting off, they had thought that the plan was foolproof. They would first display the powerful strength of the Ice Valley and use the 10 transport planes from the European Union as a threat.


    Then, Dr. Sheffield would step forward and show what kind of help the Ice Valley could bring to the space plan.


    However, even though they had already grasped the crux of the matter and were basically putting a knife to the throat of the space plan, Chen Yiming actually ignored the overall situation of the humans.


    A mistake! A mistake! A mistake!


    After thinking it through, the remaining three people revealed looks of fear that they could not suppress, especially the tall and thin blue-haired man who had teased Han Qiufeng earlier.


    The tall and thin blue-haired man was different from the other three. While he worked for the Ice Valley, he was also a lustful person.


    After he gained enough power and strength, the first thing he would do was to play around with different women every day. However, he had yet to enjoy such a life that was like that of an emperor, so how could he be willing to die so easily?


    Chen Yiming was studying the ice crystal-like hair in his hand in front of everyone, and the people in the quiet hotel lobby subconsciously held their breaths. Their attention was attracted by the ice crystal-like hair.


    The tall and thin blue-haired man took a step forward. In the blink of an eye, white skin on his right hand changed into an ice claw, and he charged at Wang Ronghui.


    As the big shot in charge of Jiangnan province, Wang Ronghui was the most suitable hostage at the scene. Once he was under their control, they had a chance of escaping.


    Marek and the remaining blue-haired foreigners immediately cooperated and launched an attack. Their right hands, which had also turned into ice claws, aimed at Chen Yiming, who was deep in thought.


    They did not aim to kill him, but to stall him for a moment and create an opportunity for the tall and thin blue-haired man to capture Wang Ronghui.


    Mysterious symbols crawled to the surface of the ice claws like small black tadpoles. A terrifying cold aura instantly appeared in the hotel lobby. It was a change created by the power of nature.


    Outside the Jiangnan Hotel, a world of ice began to spread. It seemed like a terrifying incident was about to happen in the city center.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Everyone who was enveloped by the cold air was scared out of their wits.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance at the Jiangnan Hotel, everyone had the confidence to stay behind. They had secretly cheered for Chen Yiming when he did not fall for the threat.


    However, in the blink of an eye, the remaining three blue-haired foreigners started to attack the people around them.


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me!¡±


    Chen Yiming shouted, and a terrifying spiritual storm erupted. The connection between the mysterious symbols and the power of nature was disturbed, and the cold air stopped spreading out.


    If the owner of the ice crystal-like hair was here, it would not be so easy for him to interfere with the mysterious symbols on the ice claws.


    However, as an external object, its power was nothing to him. As long as he understood the connection between the mysterious symbols and the power of nature, it would be easy for him to break the connection.


    ¡°Thank you for saving us, Mr. Chen!¡±


    The hotel lobby returned to its normal temperature. The faces of the people who had survived another disaster were still pale as they bowed in gratitude. They had thought that they were going to die.


    The three blue-haired foreigners who had ambushed Wang Ronghui and attacked Chen Yiming were rooted to the ground. There was panic in their eyes, and their entire bodies were bound by a terrifying spiritual power.


    Chen Yiming waved his hand again, and an ice crystal-like hair flew out from the three blue-haired men. The mutations in their bodies quickly disappeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s another powerful creature from the otherworld,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he played with the four ice crystal-like hairs in his hand.


    Although there were many restrictions on the level of external objects, the power that could be imbued in them from those at the level of the inscription realm could still be used to bully humans who were below the martial realm.


    However, its main body¡¯s level was undoubtedly the same as the huge eye from Mount Everest. It was stronger than the current Chen Yiming, and he couldn¡¯t do anything about it for the time being.


    At the same time, a thought occurred to him. ¡°First, the huge eye has been secretly monitoring the movements of the Daxia Kingdom. Now, another existence of the same level is trying to interfere with the space plan.


    Learning about human technological civilization? Understanding human history and culture? This was definitely impossible.


    The black tide seemed to have arrived recently. Did the strongest creatures from the otherworld also intend to escape deep into space to avoid trouble like the humans on the blue planet?


    However, it¡¯s also possible that it¡¯s just for the sake of the fragments of the extraordinary weapons. Could the strongest creatures from the otherworld be studying the mysterious symbols on them to find a way to fight back against the arrival of the black tide?¡±


    Chen Yiming had no choice but to make this guess since it involved the space plan.


    On second thought, he felt that the possibility of studying the fragments of extraordinary weapons was relatively low. After all, the quality of the items was not high enough. The black tide was a terrifying existence that could dominate the entire galaxy. It could not be crushed by pure strength.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s only one possibility. They can escape deep into space to avoid trouble like humans.¡± Chen Yiming eliminated the existence of a second possibility.


    Thinking of this, he vaguely grasped the truth. These actions might all be related to the shadow mouth on the moon.


    ¡°Is the shadow mouth a tool for the black tide creatures to stop humans from escaping the blue planet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that must be it. Otherwise, when the shadow monster died, there is no reason why the black tide doesn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry at all. Instead, it¡¯s moving at a leisurely pace. It¡¯s currently harvesting the negative emotions in the otherworld.¡±


    Because the spiritual figure had almost been killed by the shadow mouth, Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t provoked it again. He had originally planned to probe it just before the spaceship¡¯s completion.


    Now, he understood that it was not enough for humans to create a spaceship that could escape from the blue planet. They still had to deal with the shadow mouth on the moon.


    ¡°The purpose of the hidden existence infiltrating the space plan is basically to grasp the exact progress of the human spaceship and its launch.


    Perhaps they are trying to use humans as cannon fodder to hold back the shadow mouth so that they can quickly escape into the galaxy.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t too worried since he had roughly guessed the intentions of the mysterious existences. However, his vigilance towards the shadow mouth increased to another level.


    Previously, he had determined that the shadow mouth was at the same level as the strongest creatures in the otherworld. However, because it came from the black tide in the galaxy, there was a huge difference in strength between the two sides.


    On the other hand, he had upgraded the spiritual figure to a Level-6 swordsmanship talent. With the martial arts talent system, the talents he obtained would definitely allow him to crush those at the same level. It should not be a problem for him to protect the human spaceship as it left the blue planet.


    From the looks of it, his evaluation of the shadow mouth was wrong. The existence behind the ice crystal-like hair did not dare to escape from the blue planet directly.

 Chapter 366 - Barrier Over the Oceanic Trench

    In the hotel lobby, of the three foreigners who had lost their blue hair and white eyes that indicated their mutant status, only one had still a high level of martial arts cultivation. The other two were only slightly stronger than ordinary people.


    The three of them were lying on the ground with ashen faces. After their ice crystal-like hair had been removed, they looked like those who had fallen seriously ill and became extremely weak.


    Wang Ronghui had arranged for the military¡¯s martial arts experts to capture the three of them. It was not a problem that one of them died, and the remaining three would be subjected to the top interrogation techniques in the Daxia Kingdom.


    After dealing with the aftermath, all the unrelated people in the hotel lobby were cleared out. Wang Ronghui asked, ¡°What about the 10 transport planes flying straight to the Daxia Kingdom from the European Union?¡±


    Chen Yiming pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°Since those mysterious existences want to hide in the dark and not be exposed, even if they attack the transport plane, they will probably use the powerful creatures from the bottom of the sea to do so.


    Let¡¯s go to the seaside to check out the situation first. We can also ask the people in charge of the New Era experimental ship to come with us. It¡¯s very likely that the attack will be launched from the deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet.¡±


    ¡°The deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet.¡± Wang Ronghui¡¯s expression was solemn.


    Unlike Chen Yiming, who had only heard a little about it and didn¡¯t know the details, Wang Ronghui knew that there was a hidden danger in that location. It wasn¡¯t just that reforging the extraordinary weapons didn¡¯t work well.


    However, the space plan was the top priority for the Daxia Kingdom. The oceanic trench was quite far from the Daxia Kingdom, so if anything happened, the Daxia Kingdom would not be the first to be affected.


    Therefore, the incident with the New Era experimental ship was sealed away and did not cause much of a commotion.


    ¡­


    Cloud Port City, Bay nuclear power plant.


    The nuclear power plant that had previously been completely demolished was now operating normally again.


    There were soldiers patrolling the area 24 hours a day. From time to time, speedboats could be seen patrolling the surface of the sea. They were using professional equipment to gather information to prevent powerful creatures from swimming near the nuclear power plant.


    ¡°This involves the cooperation of two of the largest countries. Time is tight, so I¡¯ll let her off first.¡±


    Chen Yiming arrived at the beach and turned to look at the brightly lit Cloud Port City. Memories of the past surged into his mind.


    He was not the type that liked new things and easily got bored of the old ones. It was not that he had gotten a new lover, and had gradually forgotten about the old one. Instead, as he grew stronger, the more his responsibilities increased. How could he find time to spend on a woman?


    ¡°Besides, there are countless gazes watching her. She definitely won¡¯t dare to cheat on me. There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s deal with the matter in front of us first.¡± Chen Yiming suppressed his urge to treat her like his wife.


    It would take some time for the other people to reach the nuclear power plant from the Bohai Bay Shipbuilding Base. Chen Yiming and Wang Ronghui chatted casually as they waited.


    ¡°What happened to the problem with the space-travel passage in Western Australia?¡±


    Seeing the reactivated nuclear power plant, Chen Yiming recalled the otherworld creatures that mutated due to the nuclear radiation from back then. Because he had been busy setting up the base in the otherworld after that, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it.


    Wang Ronghui sighed and said, ¡°Most of the people who had entered the space-travel passage to provide support were killed or injured and were forced to retreat. In the end, the matter was left unsettled.¡±


    ¡°It seems like we¡¯re rather lucky.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    ¡°Yes, other than the stone golem that ran to Japan and fell into a deep sleep, the giant snake that had transformed into a dragon due to the nuclear radiation was also found and killed by the martial master from the European Union.


    After that, humans no longer entered and exited the space-travel passage. The stone golems seemed to form the majority of otherworld creatures in the area. The two sides have been coexisting peacefully since then,¡± Wang Ronghui explained.


    Time quickly passed by.


    After a long time, a fighter jet streaked across the night sky. A figure jumped out of it and landed on the sandy beach around the nuclear power plant.


    The person who had arrived was the captain of the New Era experimental ship, Lieutenant General Lin Hai.


    He had a burly figure, a square face, sharp eyes, and a resolute aura. He was nearly two meters tall and walked with a majestic air.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Chen Yiming.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lin Hai.¡±


    After shaking hands and exchanging their names, they went straight to the point.


    ¡°The detectors can¡¯t receive a return signal? Do they suspect that the bottom of the trench is being blocked off by some special method?¡±


    After hearing Lin Hai¡¯s words, Chen Yiming understood a small part of the situation. Other than the fact that there were sea creatures that weren¡¯t afraid of the reforged extraordinary weapons, they had also made another discovery on the New Era experimental ship.


    Due to the fact that there was too little information available, it was hard to say who had made such an arrangement in the deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet.


    The huge eye was his first suspect. The other party was good at spiritual control, so it was very easy for him to control the powerful creatures at the bottom of the sea.


    It was also possible that it was the owner of the ice crystal-like hair, which had suddenly sent people out from the Ice Valley to openly declare that they were against the cooperation between the Daxia Kingdom and the European Union.


    It was even possible that it was a creature from the black tide, because the spiritual figure had previously discovered that something strange was happening in the sea in the otherworld.


    Back then, since the shadow monster could create the shadow of a huge mouth on the moon, it was not impossible for it to have left another trump card in the deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet.


    Wang Ronghui called the air force command from time to time to find out about the situation with the transport planes.


    ¡°The command center couldn¡¯t contact them ever since the transport planes entered the sky above the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps some hidden signal that had been set up on the planes in advance had been triggered, so it can¡¯t send out or receive our communication.


    They¡¯ve already arranged for a fighter jet to explore the area, but there¡¯s no concrete news yet.¡±


    After putting down the phone, Wang Ronghui passed on the news. The situation was worse than expected. The command center could no longer contact the transport planes.


    ¡°The situation that the New Era experimental ship encountered was that it could not receive a return signal after sending out a probe. Now, the transport plane seems to have been blocked off while it was flying at high altitude.¡±


    Chen Yiming had a feeling that there was something amiss, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact reason.


    It had to be known that the president of the European Union had just flown straight to the Daxia Kingdom on the same route. Nothing had happened then.


    ¡°Or did someone deliberately activate some special barrier at the bottom of the oceanic trench?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it and realized that other than the fact that the plane had been tampered with, another possibility was that a large barrier had been set up in the sea. However, the barrier also reached the high altitude that the planes were flying at.


    Since the transport planes could not send out any signals, it would be difficult to even determine the direction it was going in. What was the point of sending the four people from the Ice Valley over?


    Every second that passed increased the chances of something happening to the transport planes. The fighter jets that were investigating the situation had already set off, so they could only wait patiently.


    Wang Ronghui and Lin Hai paced back and forth anxiously, but there was nothing they could do.


    At the moment, the sea was not something that could be easily stepped into. The deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet was an even more forbidden area, since they had previously tested the reforged extraordinary weapons there, but with no effect.


    However, there was someone more suitable to check the situation than the fighter jets. This person was right beside them, but Wang Ronghui and Lin Hai were thinking from the perspective of the Daxia Kingdom.


    It would be best if Chen Yiming didn¡¯t leave the territory of the Daxia Kingdom, especially if he was going to enter an unknown area. It would be troublesome if he fell into the enemy¡¯s trap.


    Time passed by while they waited anxiously.


    Beep! Beep! Beep!


    Hearing the phone ring, Wang Ronghui quickly picked up the call.


    ¡°We lost contact with the fighter jet investigating the situation about 1,000 kilometers away from the oceanic trench. The pilot of the fighter jet turned around and did not dare to go any closer.¡±


    Chen Yiming heard the news from the command center.


    As he had expected, something must have happened in the oceanic trench, causing a large area of the sea to be sealed off.


    He just did not know what the range of the barrier was.


    However, before Chen Yiming could make a decision, Wang Ronghui persuaded him, ¡°Let¡¯s contact the European Union first. The remaining people from the Ice Valley are being interrogated. Don¡¯t take the risk.¡±


    Chen Yiming communicated with the spiritual figure and found out that he had already exited the space-travel passage. He could take care of the Daxia Kingdom for him.


    He decided to go there together with the spiritual figure. The huge eye thought that the spiritual figure was already dead, so no matter who was secretly plotting something, he could just pretend to enter the barrier.


    At that time, if the other party appeared, the spiritual figure would be in charge of dealing with him. He could act like he was just like the fighter jet that went there to investigate and decide when to leave the area based on the real-time communication with the spiritual figure.


    Furthermore, at a closer distance, he could also investigate the situation in the depths of the oceanic trench and complete two tasks at once, just like killing two birds with one stone.


    After coming up with a plan, Chen Yiming said, ¡°I have the special ability of creating an image of a clone of myself. When I reach the barrier, I¡¯ll arrange for one of my clones to enter. With my speed, wouldn¡¯t it be just a short time before I return?¡±


    This was a technique that the female spirit had once mentioned. By using the mysterious symbols as a medium, one could temporarily fuse with the power of nature. Then, one could choose from a spot within the range of their spiritual power and achieve an effect similar to teleportation.


    Now that he had relied on his powerful Giant Talent to try and master it, it was not a bluff to say that he could rush there and back in just minutes.


    Therefore, he felt that he had to enter the range of the barrier even more. Otherwise, since those hidden existences were unwilling to reveal their location, they would definitely not reveal themselves unless he disappeared.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Lin Hai and Wang Ronghui were dumbfounded.


    Cloning ability? Haven¡¯t you always been fighting as a giant?


    Logically speaking, this kind of technique-based ability should not have appeared on a giant. No matter how one looked at it, it felt strange.


    It had to be known that in the special forces, the giant bloodline warriors were all biased towards brute force. They liked to rely on their strong bodies and fight with their fists.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming said, ¡°For some reason, when those four people from the Ice Valley said that they wanted to interfere in the space plan, I had a bad feeling. It might be related to the black tide.¡±


    At this point, he stopped talking and left it to Wang Ronghui to discuss it with the higher ups.


    The main reason was that it involved too many things. There was information from the otherworld obtained by the spiritual figure, and bits and pieces he learned from the female spirit.


    There were unexpected discoveries from the conflict with the huge eye on Mount Everest, and the people from the Ice Valley, and the expanding barrier over the oceanic trench, and so on¡­


    As soon as he finished speaking, ¡°Is the black tide about to descend?¡± Lin Hai and Wang Ronghui exclaimed in unison.


    It was as if a lightning bolt had struck them from the blue, causing them to be unable to think straight. When they heard this news, they felt dizzy and their ears buzzed.


    ¡°How can I know the exact time? It¡¯s just a feeling.¡±


    Chen Yiming shrugged helplessly, even though he wanted to say that there was a high chance that this was the case.


    As for the fact that the human spaceships could not be built in time, it was not unexpected. At the moment, everything still fell within the plans of the black tide creatures. It had to be known that the negative emotions of the otherworld were currently being harvested.


    As for how to make the humans on the blue planet more afraid of the black tide and create more negative emotions, it was undoubtedly better to give them hope first before crushing it.


    Chen Yiming had a feeling that at the beginning of the black tide¡¯s arrival, they would at most interfere with the space plan but not deliberately destroy the human spaceships.

 Chapter 367 - A Situation That Can No Longer Be Delayed

    After bidding farewell to Wang Ronghui and Lin Hai, Chen Yiming stepped into the sea.


    The distance of 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers on the sea wasn¡¯t far for Chen Yiming. However, in order to prevent himself from being misled and falling into a trap, he used his spiritual power to distort his figure as he moved forward, trying his best to minimize the commotion he caused.


    After all, it was still unknown who had created the oceanic trench on the blue planet.


    If it was something similar to the shadow of the giant mouth on the moon, the 10 transport planes might be bait to lure him there and rescue them.


    ¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡±


    Similar to the fighter jets sent out by the command center, Chen Yiming was forced to stop about 1,000 kilometers away from the trench.


    A transparent barrier rose up from the bottom of the sea. It was so tall that it pierced through the clouds, and ripples appeared on its surface from time to time.


    In addition, the sky outside the barrier was cloudless, but lightning flashed and thunder rumbled inside the barrier. Countless forked lightning bolts descended, forming a terrifying lightning domain.


    The scene inside the barrier was something that the fighter jets had not mentioned. At this moment, the density of lightning was still increasing, as if something had been triggered.


    ¡°The hidden existence timed it such that I would be lured over to observe these changes?¡± Chen Yiming was suddenly confused.


    If it wanted him to accidentally barge into the trench and cause a conflict, it should have waited for him to enter before secretly tampering with it. It should not have triggered it in advance.


    The loss of manpower and supplies carried by the 10 transport planes would indeed affect their cooperation, but it was not to the extent that their cooperation would be broken off.


    ¡°Why do I feel that an invisible hand is pushing for some change in the situation? Are they trying to force me into action? Or are they trying to scare me off?¡±


    It was no wonder that Chen Yiming had such thoughts. The huge eye clearly had the advantage in terms of cultivation level, but it had been severely injured by him and then hidden away, never to be seen again.


    The existence behind the Ice Valley also had the advantage of being at a higher cultivation level, but it did not dare to negotiate with him openly. Instead, it controlled a few humans to negotiate with him.


    They were stronger than him, but their actions were puzzling.


    ¡°If their true intention is to scare me, then it only means that the time for the black tide to descend is really approaching. They want to escape and are urging the human spaceship to take off.¡±


    When the spaceship left the atmosphere, there was a high chance that it would be attacked by the shadow mouth. Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing if that happened.


    This way, he would be helping them to hold back the mouth shadow.


    ¡°Their methods are too lousy,¡± Chen Yiming muttered.


    Of course, it was also because the black tide was about to descend that they did not have enough time to set up a trap. They could only use brute force to scare him, causing him to see through them with just a glance.


    The strength of the lightning domain inside the barrier was still increasing. The 10 transport planes were affected by the barrier and the harsh environment, and it was unknown if the people inside were dead or alive.


    At this moment, the spiritual figure sent a message. A large number of snow monsters had suddenly appeared in the north of the Daxia Kingdom, and a terrifying ice storm was brewing.


    After Chen Yiming arranged for the spiritual figure to deal with it, he was even more certain that some people were trying to scare him.


    No matter how many snow monsters there were, as long as the existence behind the ice crystal-like hair did not appear, they would not be enough to kill the spiritual figure.


    The other party had only calculated that he would be lured away from the Daxia Kingdom and wanted to use the snow monsters to stir up the situation in the Daxia Kingdom and create a huge change in the situation.


    If not for the fact that Chen Yiming had the spiritual figure, after weighing the pros and cons, the Daxia Kingdom might have really been forced to hold back the shadow mouth for them.


    What happened next seemed to confirm Chen Yiming¡¯s guesses.


    In the north of the Daxia Kingdom, after a large number of snow monsters appeared, a new situation appeared in the oceanic trench. A terrifying aura came from the bottom of the sea.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression froze. Even though he hadn¡¯t used his spiritual power or entered the barrier, he could still feel the overwhelming difference.


    He was clearly very strong now, but it would still be easy for the thing in the depths of the trench to kill him. It was on a completely different level from the huge eye he had encountered before.


    ¡°A tentacle?¡±


    As the changes in the trench became more obvious, Chen Yiming vaguely saw a black shadow extend out and cover a distance of more than 100 kilometers.


    Then, the lightning in the sky seemed to have been triggered and fell from the sky, exploding on the surface of the sea. The terrifying lightning spread through the sea and killed most of the sea creatures on the spot.


    However, all these changes were only limited to the interior of the barrier. Not only could no one hear any movements outside the barrier, but they could not see the situation inside the barrier clearly from afar.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s an obvious plan, we have no choice but to go along with it!¡± Chen Yiming sighed.


    It was obvious how shocked the Daxia Kingdom would be if such a scene was reported to them. The situation would develop in a terrible direction.


    The changes below were still ongoing.


    The deaths of countless creatures in the sea dyed a large area red. This range was not just dozens of kilometers, but thousands of kilometers.


    A vortex appeared, and all the red light began to move towards the trench, as if it was being sucked in.


    ¡°Dong! Dong! Dong!¡±


    As the red color from the blood disappeared, the bottom of the sea turned black again. Chen Yiming heard a sound similar to a heartbeat.


    ¡°Uh¡­ is a terrifying monster being born?¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly thought that the black tide creatures were about to make a move. However, the situation was actually the opposite.


    The barrier that reached into the sky began to dissipate, and the lightning environment gradually faded away. The dark clouds in the sky gradually cleared up.


    At this moment, 10 transport planes streaked across the sky, as if the lightning environment had not reached the clouds.


    ¡°Or it¡¯s really trying to scare me.¡±


    ¡°However, I was really frightened. If that tentacle was aimed at me, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.¡±


    Chen Yiming was still panicking after he saw the changes in the trench.


    In order to spread the feelings of despair, it was not impossible for them to make the first move on him, the strongest person on the blue planet, the day the black tide truly descended.


    It was also a problem for him to escape now. The spiritual figure still needed some time to break through. He had to face the terrifying shadow mouth that he could not defeat.


    It was also a problem not to run away. Once the terrifying existence in the trench appeared, who could stop it? Even the spiritual figure that had broken through would probably not be able to do so.


    He had no choice but to see what the female spirit had to say.


    Chen Yiming sent a thought into the ring in his hand, requesting to talk.


    One minute passed.


    Two minutes passed.


    A thought came back to him. ¡°Escape as soon as possible before the second blockade is formed.¡±


    A blockade?


    What was that?


    Could it be referring to the shadow mouth on the moon?


    Chen Yiming sent another thought. ¡°How should we deal with the shadow mouth on the moon? We can¡¯t defeat it.¡±


    This time, the female spirit replied quickly, ¡°I can hold it back for a moment.¡±


    Did the female spirit have the ability to stop the shadow mouth when it was sealed by the ring?


    Chen Yiming shuddered, and his back was drenched in cold sweat.


    In the past, he had repeatedly jumped around in front of the other party, thinking that the female spirit was sealed by the ring and could not do anything to him. From the looks of it, he was really courting death.


    Fortunately, the female spirit was also afraid of the black tide, so the two sides still had a basis for cooperation.


    Soon, Chen Yiming shook off his complicated thoughts and turned to rush back to the Daxia Kingdom. It was time to consider how to take off while the spaceship was still incomplete.


    ¡­


    In Ice City, to the north of the Daxia Kingdom, a blue-haired, white-eyed foreigner who claimed to be from the Ice Valley walked on the air and floated above the city in front of everyone.


    He looked extremely arrogant.


    ¡°The four snow monsters and their minions are about to freeze the entire north.¡±


    His voice echoed throughout the entire Ice City. Countless people walked out of their houses and looked at the smiling man in the sky. They were panicking in their hearts.


    Unlike the cities in the south-central part of the Daxia Kingdom, the people from Ice City near the Bear Kingdom were very concerned about the snow monsters. They were afraid that the snow monsters would attack the city one day.


    The lethality of low temperatures was very terrifying. The snow monsters only needed to accumulate their strength along the way to create a terrifying ice storm. They could often easily break through the defense of a city.


    There was a precedent for this. The snow monsters were enough to threaten any human city.

 Chapter 368 - Crisis In The North

    ¡°Freeze the entire northern region of the Daxia Kingdom? Is that possible? Could it be that Chen Yiming is being held back?¡± someone said in surprise.


    This was the only possibility. As long as Chen Yiming was around, the Daxia Kingdom had never been breached. It was the only country on the blue planet that had a stable situation.


    ¡°I heard from my friends in Jiangnan City that some foreigners with blue hair and white eyes threatened to interfere with the space plan. Chen Yiming killed one of them and captured three of them for interrogation,¡± a middle-aged man said loudly.


    ¡°So it¡¯s just a bluff.¡±


    In the city, a martial arts expert who was watching immediately sneered.


    This faction that called itself the Ice Valley had already had four of their members dealt with. Were they taking advantage of the lag time for news to spread to the north?


    What a joke! They were not even at the level of warriors. If it was really that simple, the Daxia Kingdom would have long been engulfed in the flames of war. How could they continue with the space plan?


    Besides, how could the snow monsters be as strong as the huge eye from Mount Everest? That was a terrifying existence that could control the large population from an entire country. But wasn¡¯t it still forced into hiding?


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk!¡±


    When the blue-haired and white-eyed man heard the discussions of the martial arts experts in the city, he could not help but laugh. His evil laughter seemed to be mocking the discussions below.


    The people in the Ice Valley had already received the news that Chen Yiming had been lured away.


    As for the negotiations with Jiangnan City, it was not a problem at all. The plan had automatically entered the next stage.


    Although the blue-haired and white-eyed man only knew that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back in time and didn¡¯t know the exact reason, it didn¡¯t stop him from looking down on the entire Ice City arrogantly.


    In fact, as long as he wanted to, he could freeze those who were just there to watch the show.


    As the sound of his laughter spread, the atmosphere in the Ice City inexplicably froze. The blue-haired and white-eyed man had been behaving arrogantly in the city for quite a while.


    In an underground base in the city, as if confirming the blue-haired and white-eyed man¡¯s arrogance, a discussion about how to stall for time was underway. The participants were all the higher-ups of Ice City.


    ¡°Damn it! If not for the fact that Elder Huang wants to defend against the snow monsters, would this person have the chance to show off in Ice City?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your emotions affect your decisions. The higher-ups have just issued an order to stall for time, so it¡¯s naturally not unreasonable. Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s a matter of whether the Ice City can withstand the attacks from the blue-haired and white-eyed man. Based on the performance of his companions in Jiangnan City, it¡¯s very difficult for us to deal with him.¡±


    ¡°How dare he¡­¡±


    Towards the end, his tone weakened.


    It was true that they could not be sure whether the blue-haired and white-eyed man would dare to do anything out of line. After all, it was still unknown where the Ice Valley was, and the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s overall thinking was focused on the space plan.


    Chen Yiming was the only one who could resolve the situation with the Ice Valley. Once he was lured away, the consequences would be unbearable if anything happened to the Daxia Kingdom.


    All the leaders had bitter expressions on their faces. They were really being threatened by the blue-haired and white-eyed man.


    Time quickly passed by.


    The blue-haired and white-eyed man from the Ice Valley looked towards the battlefield. There were four powerful snow monsters attacking the two martial masters, Elder Huang and Feng Wuji.


    Although his line of sight was blocked by obstacles, the raging ice storm in the air could not be stopped. The terrifyingly low temperature turned the battlefield into a forbidden area. Other than the two sides that were fighting, no one else dared to approach.


    The truly powerful snow monsters were mutated from the creatures from the otherworld. Each of them had fused with different amounts of ice crystal-like hair, and their strength varied.


    As for ordinary snow monsters, they were formed by a special ritual that dispersed the power of the ice crystal-like hair. They did not have the ability to borrow the power of nature.


    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡±


    the blue-haired and white-eyed man shouted with a grunt.


    He pressed his palms together. The power of the ice crystal-like hair in his body was triggered, and an invisible ripple spread out in the physical realm. Wherever it passed, buildings, people, and so on began to be covered in ice.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°How dare he!¡±


    When the martial arts experts in the city saw this, they were so frightened that their souls almost left their bodies. Before the blue-haired and white-eyed man made his move, no one could determine his strength.


    After all, the higher-ups were still in an emergency discussion about whether the ice crystal-like hair could be regenerated indefinitely and whether the man was equivalent to a martial master.


    If he was like his other four companions, the strength of the Ice Valley would be too terrifying. However, the situation did not seem to be too good.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Just as the Ice City was about to become frozen over, a clear voice echoed in the air.


    A spiritual storm spread out from the center of the Ice City. Immediately after, the power of ice that was spreading out suddenly came to a stop, and was completely interrupted.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    At this moment, the blue-haired and white-eyed man was dumbfounded. He had never expected anyone to be able to suppress the power bestowed by the mysterious existence.


    There was nothing wrong with the ice crystal-like hair in his body. However, once the mysterious symbols inside were activated, an invisible spiritual power would interfere with it.


    ¡°As expected, suppressing the power from objects is too easy.¡±


    A woman with a cold expression walked out wearing a white coat.


    It was Wu Susu. Chen Yiming had talked to her about some of his cultivation experiences using the power of nature. At that time, the four blue-haired and white-eyed foreigners had caused a huge commotion in Jiangnan City.


    The aftershock of the sneak attack on Wang Ronghui happened to be encountered by Wu Susu, who had also rushed over. She immediately tried to interrupt the spread of the frost.


    Perhaps because her spiritual talent was too terrifying, she immediately found the special connection between the ice crystal-like hair and the power of nature.


    This connection could only be understood and could not be described with words. It was similar to the resonance of spiritual power and the power of nature, and could not be told to others with words.


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re saved!¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    The people who had escaped from the city heaved a sigh of relief and asked the surrounding people about the woman¡¯s identity.


    Among the famous experts in the north of the Daxia Kingdom, be it the civilians or the military, there were no such young female experts.


    This was the truth. Even the leaders of the Ice City did not know the identity of this woman who had suddenly appeared.


    After all, Wu Susu was just a low-profile researcher, and the head of the Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute was Wu Weiguo. The attention of all parties would not be focused on a mere researcher just because she was the daughter of the head.


    ¡°Come down!¡±


    Hearing Wu Susu¡¯s cold voice, the blue-haired and white-eyed man came back to his senses. When he tried to escape, he realized that the ice crystal-like hair in his body had completely lost its connection with him.


    Wu Susu had already used her spiritual power to seal away the ice crystal-like hair in his body, isolating it from the outside world.


    ¡°Ah! Help!¡±


    The blue-haired and white-eyed man, who had lost his strength, was originally only in the disciple realm. He immediately fell from the sky.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    He was not very lucky. His head hit the ice and a pool of blood flowed out. It was quickly frozen by the low temperature.


    ¡°Is he pretending? Or did he commit suicide?¡±


    Wu Susu could not react for a moment. She did not expect the blue-haired and white-eyed man¡¯s true cultivation level to be so low that he fell to his death.


    In reality, powerful warriors could indeed rely on the temporary eruption of their internal force to float in the air or glide for a short period of time. However, those in the disciple realm could not do this by relying on their physical strength alone.


    At this moment, even the leaders of the Ice City who had rushed over froze.


    The arrogant appearance of the blue-haired and white-eyed man was still reflected in their minds, but the scene of his head hitting the ground and him falling to his death was still shocking.


    They really did not expect that after so many twists and turns, this person would die in such an aggrieved manner.


    ¡­


    On a battlefield covered in snow, Elder Huang and Feng Wuji were forced to fight one against two, each facing two powerful snow monsters at the same time.


    Elder Huang could control a type of transparent flame. At first glance, the temperature did not seem to be very high, but from time to time, the flames would burn the snow monsters so badly that they would roar in pain.


    This was because he had found the snow monsters¡¯ weakness. They were not as strong as they appeared to be, and most of their strength came from the ice crystal-like hairs in their bodies.


    Since their true level was inferior to the two of them, it naturally reflected in the strength of their spiritual power.


    The transparent flames happened to have the ability to burn through one¡¯s spiritual power. Every time there was a gap between attacks, Elder Huang would find a chance to make the snow monsters suffer.


    Feng Wuji, on the other hand, could only barely hold on. After his previous experience of being sealed in ice, he no longer let the two snow monsters get close to him easily.


    This way, the ice crystal-like hair could provide the snow monsters with the ability to use the power of nature.


    The power of nature at the same level collided with each other, and there was no obvious advantage of one over the other. Even if it was two against one, it would be difficult to take the opponent down even after a while.


    Feng Wuji suddenly shouted, ¡°What should we do? The two of us are being held back. There are fluctuations of the power of nature coming from the direction of the Ice City.¡±


    Elder Huang gritted his teeth and unleashed a transparent flame attack, burning the two snow monsters until they covered their heads and wailed. He took the opportunity to widen the distance between them. ¡°This can¡¯t go on. If we rely on the two of us alone, the entire north will be finished.¡±

 Chapter 369 - An Outdated Report

    At this moment, just as Elder Huang had said, the entire north was shrouded in the shadow of the snow monsters.


    The number of warriors in the Daxia Kingdom had increased exponentially one after another. Their strength was no longer the same as before, and the defense power in the north could be said to be strong.


    However, when faced with an external enhancement like the ice crystal-like hair, the number of warriors alone was no longer enough to deal with the current situation. No matter how many warriors there were, they would only be frozen even if they attacked together.


    This was a difference in strength that could not be made up for by numbers.


    The threats from the blue-haired and white-eyed people from the Ice Valley were only the beginning. Snow monsters of all sizes were moving through the forest, and every step they took added some pressure to the cities they passed by.


    ¡°Is it the time to make a choice?¡±


    Feng Wuji¡¯s expression changed constantly. A disaster that could destroy a country had instantly erupted, but he was not prepared to fight to the death for the time being.


    After all, he was originally a person who had been cultivating in the mountains and had just broken through to the master realm not long ago. The title of the guardian represented the level of his strength, not the deeper meaning behind it.


    However, when the entire north was facing the danger of falling, the seed in Feng Wuji¡¯s heart had sprouted. In the face of a national crisis, there had to be someone at the top. Why couldn¡¯t it be him?


    However, he felt a little regretful that his crystal shadow talent, which had undergone a further transformation, seemed to be about to disappear with him before it could play a greater role.


    Elder Huang could tell what was going on with just a glance and immediately shouted at Feng Wuji, ¡°The fluctuation of the power of nature in the direction of the Ice City has appeared only for a while and then suddenly stopped. This means that we are not being completely overwhelmed.


    Moreover, if we really have to send someone to support the major cities in the north, it would be you. I¡¯ve already done more than 100 years of hard work. If we really needed to make a choice, I should be the one to hold back the four snow monsters.


    This is a rule that the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s martial masters have tacitly followed. However, the current martial masters can no longer turn the tide, so Elder Zhang and I were too embarrassed to mention it to you.¡±


    When Feng Wuji heard this, he immediately felt the weight of history.


    Since the invasion of the otherworld, why were there not many martial masters from the various large countries on the blue planet? In the end, very few people had died in internal strife.


    The reason was that every 10 to 20 years, or even once in many decades, there would always be some national crisis that required the martial masters to risk their lives.


    Every time this happened, the oldest martial master had to sacrifice himself for the future of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Behind them were the safety and future of more than a billion people. This was an invisible driving force. Unless one was extremely selfish, almost everyone would make such a decision.


    The short exchange between the two of them was completed in an instant. The transparent flames that Elder Huang had unleashed burned the snow monster, and a change suddenly occurred after it let out a cry of pain.


    The snow monsters stopped their pursuit of the two of them. With the largest one as the core, the snow monsters fused together.


    A large snow beast that was nearly 1,000 meters tall appeared.


    Its entire body was covered by long white fur, and two black holes were visible on its face. These were the eyes of the snow monster, and it was staring at the two of them with hatred, preparing to take revenge for the pain it had suffered from the burns earlier.


    ¡°I¡­ F*ck,¡± Feng Wuji cursed under his breath.


    The enhancement from the ice crystal-like hair was so good that they were almost cheating. It actually had a similar effect as the mutant creatures.


    In terms of strength, they had directly increased to the point where they could use the power of nature. The snow monsters and the blue-haired foreigners were even stronger than the mutant creatures.


    Because the mutant creatures had only been born for a short period of time, there had never been an existence beyond the level of warriors.


    ¡°This is troublesome. It¡¯s been so long, but Chen Yiming is still nowhere to be seen.¡± Seeing this, Elder Huang¡¯s expression froze. From the terrifying aura emitted by the new snow monster, it was difficult for the two of them to withstand it.


    Once the two martial masters died on the battlefield and Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t return in time, the north would be instantly destroyed by the ice storm caused by the snow beast.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The newly fused snow beast did not care what the two of them thought. It let out a loud roar. At the same time, a huge ice ball condensed in front of the sharp teeth in its large mouth.


    In the next moment, the ice ball seemed to have been spat out and spun towards Feng Wuji and Elder Huang. The power of nature around it turned into ice cones that shot at them.


    The terrifying cold air caused the surrounding environment to freeze further, and it was about to turn into a frozen world.


    Facing such a terrifying attack, Feng Wuji and Elder Huang had nowhere to dodge. They could only fight it head-on and were forced to counterattack with the power of purification and the transparent flames.


    This way, they fell right into the snow beast¡¯s trap.


    ¡­


    In the East Sea, the waves rose and fell continuously, spreading the power of the sea to the land.


    Chen Yiming, who was rushing towards the Daxia Kingdom, was suddenly stopped by a one-eyed bird. The spiritual fluctuations it emitted were the same as the huge eye.


    ¡°Are you that huge eye from Mount Everest?¡±


    Chen Yiming used his experience communicating with the female spirit to express what he wanted to say.


    The one-eyed bird folded its wings and landed on the surface of the sea. ¡°The strongest human, I¡¯m sure you saw the tentacle in the trench. It¡¯s a weapon of war from the black tide. Escape into space immediately.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you deliberately trigger that tentacle?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced in the direction of the oceanic trench from the corner of his eye and smiled faintly.


    At this moment, how could he not be sure that it was secretly forcing the humans to hold back the shadow mouth on the moon?


    In fact, if the humans immediately launched a semi-finished spaceship, the huge eye could use a similar method to target the oceanic trench to trigger the shadow mouth in advance.


    This way, there was almost no chance that the human spaceship and Chen Yiming would be able to escape from the blockade. In turn, this would help the huge eye to escape from the blockade.


    The one-eyed bird emitted spiritual fluctuations. ¡°The strongest human, the black tide¡¯s invasion of this world is inevitable.


    It¡¯s not just you humans. Our world is the same. We all need to escape from the blockade before the black tide truly descends. Otherwise, we will only die.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all. He even smiled playfully. ¡°Die? Then how did you survive the black tide that invaded your world?¡±


    The one-eyed bird¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you the situation. As for you not listening and choosing to give up the only way for humans to survive, that¡¯s your business.¡±


    After this spiritual fluctuation appeared, the one-eyed bird flapped its wings and flew away. A distorted vortex appeared around its body, and its figure was about to disappear into thin air.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not the main body, I can still shorten the accumulation phase by a few days.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze never left the one-eyed bird as he maintained the smile on his face. In his eyes, the other party was just Skill Points that he could use to upgrade his talents.


    Seeing this, the one-eyed bird paused for some reason. In the next moment, a sword streaked across the sky. It was formed by the spiritual figure. Chen Yiming had secretly communicated with the spiritual figure when it appeared.


    Immediately after, under the one-eyed bird¡¯s incredulous gaze, the sword stabbed into the distorted vortex and slashed it into nothingness along with the one-eyed bird.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It should only be a part of its consciousness, but the quality is pretty good.¡±


    The talent panel appeared. Chen Yiming was satisfied with the result that the accumulation phase was reduced by a week.


    He did not know if the huge eye¡¯s main body could see the scene before it died. If it could, its expression at that time would be very interesting.


    The spiritual figure, which had clearly undergone an extreme transformation and unleashed a powerful attack in exchange for sacrificing its body, was thought to have died, but it had revived.


    This would definitely be news to the huge eye.


    ¡°There will be an even bigger surprise in the future,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he looked at the spot where the one-eyed bird had been killed.


    With that, he rushed back to the Daxia Kingdom without looking back.


    ¡­


    On the battlefield around the Ice City, just as Feng Wuji and Elder Huang were about to collapse, a sword flashed across the sky, and the frozen world created by the snow beast immediately collapsed.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    The two of them had just noticed the sword flash when a sword arrived in front of the snow beast.


    From the reaction of the two black pupils of the snow beast, it was obvious that it was frightened. Even its movements froze for a moment.


    However, the truth was that no matter how the snow beast reacted, the outcome would be the same.


    Feng Wuji and Elder Huang witnessed with their own eyes how the snow beast that had forced them into a corner was cut into pieces by a sword. Its body shattered like it was a piece of ice.


    During this process, the snow beast did not have any ability to resist at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ve already made arrangements.¡±


    Before Feng Wuji and Elder Huang could react, a figure followed closely behind the sword and landed on the battlefield. It was Chen Yiming.


    Even though the northern land seemed to be in danger of being frozen, with the spiritual figure to take care of things, the snow monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to do much, unless the existence behind the ice crystal-like hair appeared.


    Of course, this was because the huge eye had miscalculated. It did not expect the spiritual figure to be able to revive.


    The snow monsters might not be able to freeze the entire north, but they could still deal the north a painful blow.


    If everything went according to the plan, it could use the black tide¡¯s war weapons to intimidate Chen Yiming and the snow monsters to intimidate the Daxia Kingdom. In the end, it would be able to force the humans to escape into space.


    Unfortunately, these plans were all destroyed since the spiritual figure had revived.


    ¡°A legendary sword technique!¡±


    After a long time, Elder Huang let out a long sigh.


    After killing the snow monsters, the sword disappeared in a flash and started to chase after and kill the remaining snow monsters and blue-haired people.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance confirmed all of this.


    Only he could destroy such a terrifying army of snow monsters with just a wave of his hand.


    Feng Wuji, on the other hand, felt extremely tired. He had used up a lot of energy.


    This was because when he was fighting the snow monsters alongside Elder Huang, when the snow monsters fused to gain the absolute upper hand, he was already prepared to fight to the death.


    This feeling of ups and downs was something that even a martial master would be exhausted by. Elder Huang had experienced this before, so he was much calmer than Feng Wuji.


    Time quickly passed by.


    The snow gradually stopped falling, and the entire northern battlefield gradually fell silent.


    ¡°How are the 10 transport planes from the European Union?¡± Elder Huang, who had a close relationship with the capital, asked Chen Yiming.


    ¡°They were probably just shocked. All the transport planes flew over the lightning domain and safely flew out after losing their signal,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    The people and supplies from the European Union were lucky. If they had crossed the trench by ship, they would definitely have died. Although the sky was within the range of the barrier, they were not affected by the terrifying lightning storm.


    Furthermore, the tentacle that extended from the trench was not under the control of the huge eye. Otherwise, not to mention 10 transport planes, even a million of them would not be enough to deal with the tentacle.


    ¡°I see.¡± Elder Huang nodded and heaved a sigh of relief.


    He knew very well that it was very important to have a good start to a cooperation, especially one between two superpowers that involved the entire country¡¯s strength.


    After all, there would be a lot of manpower and resources involved as things progressed. If things did not go well right from the start, there might start to be countless objections.


    However, just as he heaved a sigh of relief, he heard Chen Yiming say something shocking.


    ¡°A weapon from the black tide is hidden in the deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet?¡± Elder Huang almost fainted when he heard this.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know how it was triggered by that huge eye from Mount Everest, but a tentacle that was 100 kilometers long extended out of the trench,¡± Chen Yiming continued.


    ¡°A hundred kilometers?¡± Elder Huang clutched his chest, his face turning pale.


    Although he had not seen it with his own eyes, it was definitely not an existence that humans could stop. For some reason, he had the intention to give the spaceship a shot even if it was only half-finished.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming sucked in a breach and swallowed his words about


    the shadow mouth on the moon being the blockade that the black tide had set up around the blue planet, as well as the trap that the huge eye had set up for humans to hold back the shadow mouth.


    If he told Elder Huang all this, he would probably faint on the spot.


    Therefore, the humans¡¯ space plan was very risky. They were still being watched by various existences in secret. No matter how one looked at it, the probability of successfully passing through the moon¡¯s blockade and escaping into space was very low.


    ¡­


    The snow monster incident had ended, and the transport planes from the European Union had successfully arrived in the Daxia Kingdom.


    In the blink of an eye, a day had passed. The people and supplies had settled down. The first batch of people were brought to the second industrial base in East Lake City.


    The mastermind behind the snow monster incident was the huge eye. When Elder Huang heard about it from Chen Yiming and the news spread back to the military committee of the Daxia Kingdom, it caused a commotion.


    As for the arrangements for the experts, they would undoubtedly choose East Lake City. At the very least, they would be able to relax under Chen Yiming¡¯s watch.


    At the entrance of the special dormitory for the European Union¡¯s experts,


    Professor Nelson was holding a newspaper. The date was a few days earlier.


    There were a few pictures on the front page. One was of 10 extraordinary cannons firing, and the other was of mutant creatures at the border being flattened.


    There was a description at the side. ¡°The new generation of extraordinary cannons in the Daxia Kingdom have officially been put into use. 10 cannons were fired at the same time, destroying the army of mutant creatures coming from the southwest border¡­¡±


    ¡°Teacher, are you reading the report on the extraordinary cannons?¡±


    Behind him, a young man walked out of a dormitory and asked.


    The young man had two thick black circles under his eyes and looked extremely tired, as if he had not rested well for a long time.


    There were many reasons for this. There was the fact that he had encountered a life-and-death situation during his flight to the Daxia Kingdom and could not calm down. There was also the instinctive discomfort of his body when he first arrived in a foreign country, and the fact that he was shocked by the concept of extraordinary weapons reported in the newspaper.


    The source of the reforged extraordinary weapons was the fragments of the extraordinary weapons that Chen Yiming had destroyed. This was something that didn¡¯t exist in the European Union. It was like a material from the legends.


    Using modern science to explain it, this was the result of technology from outer space. It contained a secret that was much more advanced than human technology.


    ¡°The high level of martial arts cultivation might be the essence of the principles underlying it, and the development of technology to the extent of crossing the galaxy is probably involved as well.¡±


    Professor Nelson put down the newspaper in his hand. Coupled with his experience in martial arts and scientific research, he had an idea.


    ¡°Teacher, are you saying that martial arts cultivation and technological development will eventually culminate in the same path?¡± the young man asked in shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The cannons and the spaceship that are being built are actually borrowing fragments of the extraordinary weapons, and those fragments involve some ¡®mysterious symbols,''¡± Professor Nelson explained.


    Different mysterious symbols could be connected to the corresponding power of nature, although Professor Nelson could only guess at it from the scattered information.


    However, this did not stop him from comparing the mysterious symbols to a theorem and the power of nature to a scene visible to the naked eye in a living environment. For example, rain, thunder, wind, and so on.


    Coupled with the public information about the black tide, which was that it came from outer space and could move freely through the galaxies, it was certain that the stars like the sun could not stop the black tide.


    Finally, when combined with the development of martial arts cultivation and technology, only by coming into contact with the core principles would one not be afraid of the terrifying high temperature on the sun, the terrifying pressure, and so on, becoming like the black tide that swept through space.


    The young man sobered up and asked excitedly, ¡°Teacher, then can¡¯t we just study the fragments of the extraordinary weapons and crack the code of the black tide civilization?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had made a stupid mistake.


    For example, if he gave a mathematics textbook to a primitive man, the primitive man would definitely not be able to understand it no matter how he studied it. This was because the basic knowledge he had accumulated was far from the threshold to learn mathematics.


    It was the same for the young man. The mysterious symbols were only a concept, but he was already trying to study the fragments of supernatural weapons with the mysterious symbols.


    The difference was even greater than the amount of knowledge a primitive person lacked to study mathematics.


    Professor Nelson sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s difficult! Difficult! Difficult! There are too few people who are really qualified to study the fragments of the extraordinary weapons.¡±


    This was easy to guess. In reality, there were only two humans on the blue planet who were qualified to do so.


    One was Chen Yiming, who had no interest in research, and the other was Wu Susu, who had a talent for spiritual power that far exceeded one¡¯s imagination.


    However, Wu Susu did not recognize her own potential and talent. She was still researching the application of the miracle blood at the provincial biological research institute.


    The young man felt a sense of helplessness from his teacher¡¯s words.


    This was the greatest regret for a person who truly loved scientific research.


    The fragment of the extraordinary weapon was like the scene of tall mountains in front of the fog on the path of human technology. There were two very clear choices to open up the way to that scene.


    One of the choices was to accumulate experience over a long period of time. Coupled with the stable development of the environment, and the strength of the group, they could slowly overcome it.


    This was similar to the development of humans from ancient times to modern times. Some examples such as electricity, oil, gunpowder, and so on were born, causing the technology to advance.


    Of course, in terms of time, it would take much longer to develop to a higher level.


    The other option was for a terrifying genius to be born among humans. He would have the martial arts cultivation to reach the threshold of research and would be able to clear the path to the next level by himself.


    The remaining people would be doing the expansion work on this path and gradually converting the results into various tools for application.

 Chapter 370 - Emergency Escape Pod

    Just as the experts from the European Union were settled down, the Chen family arrived at the industrial base in the suburbs of Jiangnan City.


    A long line had formed in front of the place where the soldiers were verifying their identities. It was very lively.


    The Daxia Kingdom was in a hurry to train their own team of experts. With these people as the core, they would teach more people the necessary information about the spaceship.


    ¡°Brother, is the departure time of the spaceship going to be brought forward?¡± Chen Yingying looked at the long line of warriors. She could recognize many famous warriors and professors from the top universities.


    What was unbelievable was that these people had all come to be trained for life on board the spaceship. There was still nearly a year till the completion of the space plan.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief as his gaze landed on the city-level spaceship.


    The reason why they suddenly brought out the smaller spaceships for training was because of the many signs that the black tide was about to arrive. The pressure it brought was too great.


    As a spaceship, the city-level spaceship was indeed considered to be small. A single city-level spaceship could only accommodate the population of one city.


    With a capacity of hundreds of thousands of people, compared to the billions of people on the blue planet, the difference was more than 10,000 times. It was far from enough to meet the minimum number of people needed to leave behind the seeds of humanity.


    This was because on the way to the target planet, who knew how many accidents would happen? The fewer people there were, the less ability they had to withstand the risks.


    Moreover, if humans were really lucky enough to successfully reach a planet that could support life, the size of the initial population would determine the speed at which humans could rebuild their civilization.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you confirm it? Dad said last night that he won¡¯t be able to spend much time at home in the future. Most of his time will be spent at the industrial base for the second city-level spaceship,¡± Chen Yingying asked doubtfully.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen, who were following behind the two siblings, also retracted their attention from the first city-level spaceship.


    They also wanted to hear what Chen Yiming had to say. After all, Father Chen was currently working at the industrial base for the second city-level spaceship. They wanted to do their best during this national crisis.


    ¡°It has only been slightly more than half a year since the establishment of the space plan. Even with the experts from the European Union joining in, it will still take some time or them to get settled in.


    It¡¯s already a miracle that they could bring forward the deadline by three months. Don¡¯t have unrealistic fantasies,¡± Chen Yiming whispered as he glanced at his sister.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming continued, ¡°With just a city-level spaceship of this level, it won¡¯t be a problem to move around the solar system or the area around the solar system.


    However, it¡¯s too unrealistic to go to an unknown planet that could support life. Without reaching such a planet, there¡¯s no future for those in the spaceship. Sooner or later, the human civilization will disappear due to various accidents.¡±


    ¡°Brother, are you saying that it¡¯s impossible for us to launch a spaceship before the black tide arrives?¡± Chen Yingying said as her eyes widened.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    In the deepest oceanic trench on the blue planet, there was the mysterious war weapon. On the moon, there was the shadow mouth. Both were used to seal off the escape of the humans.


    After thinking about it carefully, since the black tide from outer space could successfully invade one world after another, it would not fail so easily when it came to the humans on the blue planet.


    There was a high chance that every move the humans made, such as building spaceships, was being monitored by the black tide.


    The reason why they did not stop them at all was because the outcome would be extremely bad for the humans. The space plan had almost no chance of success.


    This was reality. Even if the female spirit urged Chen Yiming to escape, she would only help him to escape alone, not with a spaceship full of humans.


    Chen Yingying had a shocked expression on her face when she heard this. Previously, she had been exposed to the news of the humans¡¯ groundbreaking progress one after another. She had not expected such an outcome.


    Their achievements in the past year had exceeded the technological advancement of the past 100 years. However, before the black tide arrived, they could not even escape.


    Father Chen¡¯s expression was solemn. As the head of the industrial base, he felt that he had an additional burden on his shoulders. When he heard his son¡¯s words, he was confused.


    The motivation for all the people in the base came from the space plan. If the launch of the human spaceship failed and was made public, their morale, confidence, determination, and so on would all be affected.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze. He couldn¡¯t tell anyone about the martial arts talent system.


    In his heart, it did not matter if the space plan failed. As long as they figured out all the technology needed to build a spaceship, he would consider it a success.


    The reason was that the black tide¡¯s invasion of the world was tied to the harvesting of negative emotions.


    It was also because of this that the black tide wouldn¡¯t destroy human civilization immediately. Chen Yiming was confident that they could find a way to survive while fighting back against the black tide.


    When his and the spiritual figure¡¯s talents were upgraded to the level where they could fight against the black tide, they would be able to chase it away. It was just like how the Daxia Kingdom had almost wiped out all the mutant beasts in its territory.


    They could also rely on the advancements in the spaceship technology to quickly complete the second-generation space plan and head to an unknown planet to avoid the possibility of an even more terrifying attack from the black tide.


    At that time, Chen Yiming¡¯s strength would be far greater than it was now. The chances of a human spaceship successfully reaching a new planet would also increase greatly.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the Chen family took a special route and entered the interior of the city-level spaceship.


    Chen Yingying, Father Chen, and Mother Chen had already been here once. A familiar feeling welled up in their hearts, but they did not appear too excited.


    The person in charge of receiving the Chen family was a female expert from the military. She had black hair and tanned skin. She was not wearing a traditional green military uniform, but a set of high-tech armor.


    ¡°The war goddess of the north, Wu Di!¡±


    When she saw who it was, Chen Yingying¡¯s mouth fell open as she recognized the other party.


    Invincible?


    When did the military have such a strong female expert?


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t recognize this woman and thought that his sister was calling the other party an invincible expert. He glanced at his sister, indicating for her not to make a fuss.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Wu Di, a giant bloodline warrior. I¡¯m so happy to see you in person.¡±


    Wu Di smiled at Chen Yingying and took the initiative to shake Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    So this woman was one of his admirers, and a giant bloodline warrior at that. Chen Yiming reached out and shook her hand.


    ¡°It feels alright.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as rough as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, her skin is not that pale.¡±


    This was what he felt about the short contact, based on a man¡¯s instinct.


    Of course, Chen Yiming was already experienced. He looked like he was just shaking hands, and his face remained serious.


    Father Chen and Mother Chen¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise. They were attracted by Wu Di¡¯s extraordinarily wide hips and perky butt.


    The reason for this was mainly because Chen Yiming had slept with many women, but he had yet to leave behind a child to carry on the bloodline of the Chen family.


    How could Father Chen and Mother Chen not be anxious? They usually did not show it because humans were in a crisis where the entire civilization might be destroyed.


    There was another important reason. A population expert had published a statistic. The probability of a warrior and an ordinary person having a child was different from normal, and it was much lower than the probability of an ordinary person and another ordinary person having a child.


    As for the combination of a warrior and another warrior, although it did not return to the normal fertility rate, it was barely within the acceptable range. It was not as low as the combination of a warrior and an ordinary person.


    This involved a common rule in the natural world. The stronger the individual, the more difficult it was for them to procreate.


    Therefore, this result was naturally accepted by most people and did not cause much of a stir.


    Generally, powerful male warriors did not only have one wife, but also countless lovers. It was also very normal for powerful female warriors to have a few male companions in private.


    ¡°Wu Di, right? Hello, I¡¯m Chen Yiming¡¯s mother.¡±


    Mother Chen and Father Chen looked at each other. After the two of them shook hands with her, Mother Chen immediately went forward and latched onto her arm, trying to get close to her.


    ¡°Hello, Mother Chen,¡± Wu Di replied politely.


    Mother Chen nodded and asked shamelessly, ¡°Wu Di, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°I like women who have fair skin, good looks, long legs, and are delicate and gentle,¡± Chen Yiming retorted in his heart when he saw Mother Chen¡¯s actions. He kept trying to signal to her with his gaze.


    Mother Chen ignored her son¡¯s hints and waited expectantly for Wu Di to reply.


    What did Mother Chen mean? Was she trying to get her into the Chen family?


    This was bad. How could she reject her? The war was right in front of their eyes. How could she spend her time and energy on getting married and having children?


    This was the first time she had been asked such a question. As a female expert who had made a name for herself on the battlefield recently, she did not show any mercy when killing mutant creatures, and was given the nickname of the ¡®War Goddess¡¯.


    However, she was completely unable to deal with such an awkward situation due to her lack of experience.


    Wu Di looked a little embarrassed. After a pause, she said, ¡°I¡¯m 23 this year.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s 23 years old. She¡¯s a war goddess from the giant bloodline warriors. It¡¯s very difficult to find a more suitable candidate in terms of her cultivation level. She has a pair of wide hips that are good for bearing children. Her fighting style is also similar to our son¡¯s.¡±


    Mother Chen was very satisfied with her response and smiled kindly at her.


    It was said that the giant bloodline warriors were bloodline warriors modeled after Chen Yiming. Was there any better candidate?


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You young people should interact more.¡±


    Father Chen also smiled, very satisfied with Wu Di¡¯s background.


    Chen Yingying was still a naive little girl. She could not understand what was going on. She looked curiously at the embarrassed Wu Di and the enthusiastic Father Chen and Mother Chen.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°Bring us around the spaceship to learn about the rules we need to follow when living on board the spaceship.¡±


    These words forced Father Chen and Mother Chen to stop their conversation.


    Wu Di exited her embarrassed state, remembering that she still had an important job to do. At the same time, she heaved a sigh of relief and quickly led the way.


    ¡­


    Inside the ship, beside an emergency escape pod.


    The escape pod in front of them was essentially a simplified fighter plane adapted for space.


    Its design was like a pill, and had a sci-fi feel to it. The power system made from fragments of extraordinary weapons fused with the engines developed by humans.


    Coupled with the artificial environment that could support life inside of it, in theory, as long as there were still humans around on the spaceships, they could still be kept alive while waiting for rescue even after they left the spaceship.


    ¡°This is an emergency escape pod. During a long space voyage, it¡¯s impossible to guarantee that we will never encounter any accidents along the way. It can bring people away from the scene of an accident for the time being.


    If the people in the escape pods are warriors, the high-energy compressed food they are stocked with can ensure their survival for a month,¡± Wu Di explained.


    ¡°This is a little small. It¡¯s alright for two people, but if a family is squeezed into it, there¡¯s almost no room for them to move around.¡±


    As Mother Chen spoke, she sized up her son and Wu Di with a strange gaze.


    Chen Yiming and Wu Di weren¡¯t ordinary people. With their size, their situation would be like that of a family squeezed into an escape pod. Every time they moved, they would bump into the person beside them.


    ¡°Father Chen, should Mother Chen give it a try and familiarize herself with how to operate the escape pod?¡± Wu Di suggested.


    This was also something that the higher-ups had specially instructed them to do. It was far from possible for the current escape pods to be allocated to everyone, so they could only be allocated to a select few people.


    Chen Yingying, Father Chen, and Mother Chen were among the candidates.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Chen Yingying was about to speak. She also wanted to go in and experience it together, but she was stopped by Mother Chen, who had expected this.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many escape pods in total. What if you break them? Let your brother learn how to use it and teach you,¡± Mother Chen said in a reprimanding tone.


    At this moment, Father Chen also echoed, ¡°It¡¯s better to let your brother test-drive for us. This way, it won¡¯t be too crowded since it¡¯s just him and Wu Di. The space inside is indeed too small for an entire family.¡±


    ¡°What are they trying to do? Wu Di isn¡¯t my type. One look and I can tell that the giant bloodline warriors aren¡¯t gentle. They might even be violent.¡± Chen Yiming was speechless.


    If it had not been Father Chen and Mother Chen¡¯s request, he would have rejected it long ago.


    Wu Di nodded, not thinking too much about it.


    This kind of emergency escape pod was originally designed for two people. However, the current level of human technology was severely lacking, so it was impossible to build a large number of such escape pods.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Mother Chen threw a glance at the escape pod and grabbed Chen Yiming¡¯s arm, not giving him any chance to refute her.


    Chen Yiming wanted to reject her, but he couldn¡¯t embarrass his parents in public. In the end, he could only endure the discomfort and enter the escape pod.


    In the escape pod, other than a control panel and some space for one¡¯s legs, the rest of the space was filled with survival supplies.


    The design made full use of almost all the available space. It was very practical, perfectly conforming to the concept of ¡°emergency use¡±.


    The design considered the agility, size, and speed, not comfort, needed for supporting one¡¯s survival. They wanted the escape pod to be overlooked by any enemies as much as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    When Wu Di jumped through the entrance and landed on the ground, her chest bumped into Chen Yiming¡¯s shoulder. The two of them immediately apologized to each other.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly felt much less uncomfortable. After thinking about it again, coupled with the narrow space they were in, he felt like he was getting aroused.


    He quickly shook off these thoughts. His parents and sister were still outside, and he would be embarrassed if they saw him in this state.


    ¡°It seems like the space is really too small.¡±


    Wu Di looked around and realized that unless the two of them deliberately leaned against the cabin wall, they were either back to back, or their arms would be in constant contact with each other, or¡­


    The reason was that both of them had large physiques. The two of them occupied the space equivalent to that of an entire family, so they could only squeeze a little.


    She could only comfort herself with the design concept of the escape pod. When they needed to use the escape pod, no one cared about whether it was too crowded or not. The most important thing was to escape with their lives.


    Soon, Wu Di came back to her senses and explained to Chen Yiming, ¡°This is the joystick that controls the escape pod. Those are¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded repeatedly.


    At this moment, the escape pod program that had started to activate detected that the button to open the cabin door had not been pressed. After another 10 seconds, the cabin door automatically closed.


    ¡°It feels a little hot.¡± Not only Chen Yiming, but even Wu Di felt it.


    For those with strong physiques, unless they deliberately controlled it, the blood essence power that seeped out of their body would quickly increase the temperature in a sealed space.


    ¡°This is a temperature control device.¡±


    Wu Di turned around and reached out to press a button.


    ¡°What!¡±


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming gasped.


    Many words had to be omitted.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later.


    The emergency escape pod circled the sky a few times before returning to the base.


    Chen Yiming exited the cabin in high spirits. The escape pod was completely enclosed, so no one could see what was going on inside.


    Two to three seconds later,


    Wu Di also came out of the cabin door. The blush on her face had completely disappeared. She landed easily on the ground from a height of more than three meters, and her movements were natural and smooth.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what Mother Chen was asking about, but she glanced at Wu Di inadvertently. She didn¡¯t see anything that was amiss, so she turned to ask Chen Yiming.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. You just need to control one joystick. The other equipment are also nearby. If you just need to activate the escape pod, you can learn it on the spot.¡±


    Chen Yiming took the initiative to say a lot.


    Wu Di, on the other hand, stood quietly. Chen Yiming was the one who answered Mother Chen¡¯s question. She was like a completely different person from before.


    It was a little strange, but it didn¡¯t mean anything. After all, Mother Chen was asking Chen Yiming.


    Father Chen said in relief, ¡°Then your mother and I can relax. After all, we old people can¡¯t keep up with the times when it comes to learning new things. The simpler, the better.¡±


    At this moment, Chen Yingying had an excited expression on her face as she suggested again, ¡°Brother, you already said that it¡¯s very simple. It¡¯s time for us to try to operate the escape pod and fly in the sky.¡±


    Mother Chen still wanted to probe her son and Wu Di to see if their relationship had developed further under such a good opportunity.


    But Chen Yingying had changed the topic, and Mother Chen could not say anything else.


    Soon, Chen Yingying, Father Chen, and Mother Chen jumped into the escape pod. Just like Chen Yiming and Wu Di, they controlled the escape pod and flew around the base.


    Chen Yiming and Wu Di were left behind.


    Chen Yiming looked at the escape pod in the sky and heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t leave any suspicious traces behind.


    Chen Yiming turned to Wu Di and said, ¡°By the way, the blood essence used by the giant bloodline warriors shouldn¡¯t have the potential to reach the master realm, right?¡±


    Wu Di nodded. ¡°Unless there is a transformation in the bloodline, there is no precedent for a bloodline warrior nurtured by the blood essence and the miracle blood to reach the same level as the original creature.¡±


    In other words, even if one used blood essence from a giant equivalent to the human master realm, the upper limit of the corresponding giant bloodline warrior would be the peak of the warrior realm.


    For example, with his body¡¯s spiritual talent, he could at most cultivate to the half-step master realm.


    If he wanted to break through to the master realm, he had to rely on the bloodline talent he had inherited from the giant. He had to undergo a transformation like Feng Wuji.


    However, the transformation of one¡¯s talent was not that simple. Feng Wuji¡¯s talent was completely his own. The talent of a giant bloodline warrior came from an external source, and its compatibility with his body was far from perfect.


    Therefore, breaking through to the master realm was only possible with the blood essence from giants in the inscription realm from the otherworld.


    Chen Yiming nodded. While bloodline warriors had the chance to change their talent, their potential was restricted by the level of the creature they had obtained the blood essence from.


    At the moment, other than searching for blood essence that corresponded to a higher cultivation level, there seemed to be no other way to increase the potential of one¡¯s bloodline talent. The transformation of one¡¯s talent was an extreme case, and it was impossible to generalize it.


    At this moment, Wu Di¡¯s face suddenly turned red again.


    She looked around. The soldiers in charge of guarding the spaceship in the distance were all focused on monitoring the way out. No one dared to neglect their duty.


    ¡°I feel that the cells in my body have become much more active. This is something that has never happened before. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the transformation of my talent as stated in the records.¡±


    With that, she lowered her head.

 Chapter 371 - Unexpected Guest from the Otherworld

    The Chen family rushed back to East Lake City after learning about the things to take note of when living on a spaceship.


    At the same time, the news about the Ice Valley, the snow monsters, the blue-haired and white-eyed people, and the cooperation involving the entire country had spread in just one day. Both the large and small countries were in an uproar.


    In a villa on the west coast of the Sam Nation.


    This was the base of the Morgan clan, one of the top 10 financial corporations. An order issued from the ordinary looking villa was enough to mobilize enough forces to destroy a small city.


    Compared to the large sects in the Daxia Kingdom, the Morgan clan had much more freedom in their actions. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were a small kingdom in a large country.


    ¡°The first batch of experts and supplies have actually arrived successfully.¡±


    An old man frowned as he looked at the information in his hands. It reported the moment the transport planes entered the Pacific Ocean to the moment contact with them was lost and they disappeared, up till they successfully landed at Jiangnan International Airport.


    A day ago, the large financial corporations did not think highly of this international cooperation. Some of them were even waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.


    This was because there were too many obstacles and problems facing them across the sea separating them over a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers. Any twists and turns along the way would cause the opposition to become even louder, and they would gradually cause trouble for the cooperation.


    The composition of the financial corporations involved martial arts power, economics, industries, power, and other aspects.


    For example, in the Morgan clan, other than the strongest faction, the Morgan faction, there were also many factions that had joined them over the course of its long history. It could be said that each faction had their own thoughts and were not united.


    This way, unless the black tide really descended and they experienced true despair, even the leaders of the corporations with outstanding judgment and ability would find it difficult to suppress the objections from those below.


    If they insisted on pushing for such a cooperation, there was a high chance that the corporations would get rid of their leader before they could reach an agreement.


    Other than the only martial master left in the Sam Nation, the leaders of the other financial corporations that were half a step away from the master realm did not have the absolute strength to suppress all the experts at the peak of the warrior realm.


    ¡°The Ice Valley has just appeared in a high-profile manner, but after one failure, it immediately fell silent. That shouldn¡¯t be the case, right?¡±


    the old man muttered to himself as he sprinkled water on the flowerbed and trimmed the leaves with a pair of scissors.


    The number of snow monsters hiding outside the northern part of the Daxia Kingdom was much more than those in the European Union. The numbers were on completely different levels.


    The information he had revealed that the terrifying ice storm that had been ravaging the area from north to south was enough to destroy any country on the blue planet.


    Furthermore, there were also the blue-haired and white-eyed people with strength comparable to a martial master causing trouble. These humans who had accepted the mutation from the mysterious existence were so strong that it made one despair.


    However, such a mysterious and powerful faction had actually disappeared without a trace. After that, no more blue-haired and white-eyed people appeared, and even the snow monsters that were causing trouble in the European Union had disappeared.


    The villa was quiet, and there was only the old man tending to the flowerbeds. The sunlight shone on the villa, and it seemed to have chased away a lot of the chill. The plants seemed to have become stronger.


    ¡°It might be time for the financial corporations to make a decision.¡±


    After a long time, the old man snapped out of his thoughts with a deep grunt. The light in his eyes was not like what someone his age should have, and he suddenly changed from someone ordinary to a wise old man.


    The space plan was not only being carried out by the Daxia Kingdom, but also by other capable countries. They were all building their own spaceships.


    Now, the Daxia Kingdom had displayed enough strength as a deterrence to ensure that the space plan would go through smoothly and proceed all the way till the spaceship was completed.


    ¡­


    In a bamboo forest in Japan, two old men were sitting opposite each other at a stone table. The stone table was used as a Go board. The old man on the left held white pieces in his hand, and the old man on the right held black pieces.


    An ordinary game of Go was underway between the two of them who had extraordinary statuses. They were both important figures in Japan.


    ¡°Muramasa, you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Not long after, a white piece was placed on the board, and a large number of black pieces completely lost the possibility of breaking out of the encirclement. At this point, the outcome of the game was already decided.


    ¡°I lost. We haven¡¯t met for a long time, Shinda, but your chess skills have improved.¡±


    The old man on the right smiled. He was the number one swordsman in Japan and the leader of the Sword Alliance. He had the title of ¡°Sword Saint¡±.


    The Sword Saint was a symbol in Japan, representing the traditional martial arts factions. He was usually elusive, and he rarely interacted with the mainstream clans that followed the sacrificial path.


    ¡°Muramasa, what do you think about what happened in the north of the Daxia Kingdom?¡±


    After the old man on the left put down the white piece, he changed the topic and went straight to the point, indicating his true intentions for this visit.


    This old man was the most famous spirit master in Japan. He came from the emperor¡¯s family and had a huge amount of spiritual power, so he could easily control the sacrificial spirits.


    Japan¡¯s strongest trump card, a terrifying spirit that could control the power of nature, was controlled by this spirit master.


    This trump card was not only used to make a name for themselves internationally, but also to control the fate of the country and ensure the overall stability of Japan.


    ¡°Chen Yiming from the Daxia Kingdom once crossed the sea and killed his way through the shrines, killing the spirits of one clan after another. Even when he provoked a powerful barbarian sorcerer, he could fight him head-on and remained undefeated, causing no one in Japan to dare to say a word.


    Now, the blue-haired and white-eyed people from the Ice Valley might not be someone we can deal with. It¡¯s even more uncertain what kind of terrifying existence will appear in the oceanic trench not far from us one day. This way, what else is there to talk about?


    Reality is harsh and cruel. The crisis facing the blue planet has long exceeded the level that we can control. We can either try to survive by dealing with things as they happen or risk it all like the European Union.¡±


    The old man had many thoughts, and said them all in one breath.


    Before this game of Go, he had already guessed Shinda¡¯s intentions, so he did not hide his true thoughts.


    In the past year, what had happened on the blue planet had exceeded the limits of what humans could handle.


    It could even be said that if not for Chen Yiming standing at the center of the storm alone, none of the large countries on the blue planet would have been able to escape their fate.


    This was also the case for the Ice Valley that had suddenly appeared. There was naturally a reason why it had disappeared without a trace, but they could not understand it at this level.


    ¡°I would like to trouble you, Muramasa, to lead the younger generation of talented Japanese swordsmen to Jiangnan City for a martial arts exchange.


    At the same time, you will be in charge of the negotiations for Japan to join the space plan like the European Union. How about that?¡± the old man on the other end sighed and asked.


    ¡°Shinda, you are the true strongest person in Japan. It should be more suitable for you to be in charge of the negotiations for joining the space plan, right?¡± the old man asked in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not appropriate for me to go since I follow the sacrificial path.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Muramasa nodded in understanding. He was leaving a backup plan for the country. After all, after Chen Yiming came to Japan, his goal had always been the sacrificial spirits.


    If anything happened to Muramasa, the spirit master, Japan¡¯s strongest trump card would no longer be its trump card, but a time bomb that no one could control.


    ¡­


    Ever since the Ice Valley disappeared, the international situation on the blue planet had changed again in just a day.


    The Daxia Kingdom received news that many countries were interested in joining the space plan.


    The conditions offered were the same as those from the European Union back then. They had to transport a team of experts and resources to the Daxia Kingdom and simultaneously build the corresponding spaceships there.


    In an ordinary three-star hotel in the capital, Chen Yiming wore large sunglasses and walked out of the hotel with Wu Di. The receptionist treated him like an ordinary customer and even smiled as she asked if he wanted a room.


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any accidents even after so many times. Could it be that something went wrong this time?¡± Chen Yiming sighed to himself as he watched the pedestrians passing by.


    However, when he recalled the battle from 10 minutes ago, he felt that he had not had enough.


    Wu Di felt more special than any of his previous temporary flings. Perhaps it was because of her giant bloodline that her figure was further accentuated. Not only was she not fat, but she also had unusually wide hips.


    Just as Chen Yiming was thinking of various things, Wu Di whispered worriedly, ¡°Is it because the bloodline talent is transforming, or am I pregnant?


    I¡¯ve just replenished my vitality, but I already feel like it¡¯s being rapidly depleted. I still have to return to the special forces to carry out my mission. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been less than two days. I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on at all. Perhaps it¡¯s really a transformation of the bloodline talent.¡±


    After hearing Wu Di¡¯s worries, Chen Yiming thought for a moment and said, ¡°Tell your superiors that I¡¯ve discovered a special training method for giant bloodline warriors. Stay in East Lake City for this special training for the time being.¡±


    In order not to mistake the transformation of the bloodline talent for being pregnant, or the other way round, he decided to hide it for the time being and wait for it to be confirmed.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Alright.¡±


    Wu Di also felt that it was better to hide it for the time being. It was just that what had happened to her body was too strange. Announcing it before figuring out what had happened, would inevitably cause someone to be disappointed.


    For example, now that she thought about it, she understood why Father Chen and Mother Chen had looked at her like that. They had hoped that she, who had the talent of the giant bloodline, could successfully help the Chen family give birth to the next generation.


    After deciding to hide it for the time being, the two of them walked along the streets of the capital.


    This was the coldest month of the year. The roads needed people to clear them regularly before they could be used normally, but the liveliness of the streets was not affected at all.


    After the Daxia Kingdom gradually cleared out the mutant beasts from the entire country, various industries boomed. However, the trend of people moving to the capital and Jiangnan province remained unchanged.


    Humans tended to seek stability. Even if a huge change was about to happen on the blue planet, the capital and Jiangnan province would definitely be the last two safe places.


    This was something that did not matter even if there were experts on the news who spoke up about it. It was completely not recognized by the mainstream media and was instead criticized by many people.


    This was especially true for Jiangnan province, which was known as the ¡°elite district¡±. That was where the new generation of geniuses gathered. Their average martial arts level far exceeded that of other regions.


    ¡­


    In a certain area in the middle of the Antarctic.


    The thick layers of ice, the perennial snowstorm, and the occasional mutant beasts passing by formed the current situation on the Antarctic Continent.


    It was not much different from before the invasion of the otherworld. The low temperature was also not favored by most of the weak mutant beasts. Therefore, it was difficult for powerful mutant beasts to live here.


    On this day, a terrifying uninvited guest arrived on this deserted land.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    There was a loud bang.


    The thick layer of ice exploded, revealing a huge head made of white bones. Two pale flames burned in its eyes.


    At the same time, its terrifying spiritual power spread out to check the situation in this unfamiliar area.


    After a while, it confirmed that there were no problems. Its huge body began to float up.


    First, came its long back and tail, which were formed by white bones, then a pair of relatively small sharp claws, and finally, two thick white bones that formed its legs and sharp toes.


    With its entire appearance revealed, it was actually a giant dinosaur-like beast formed from white bones.


    The terrifying beast formed by the bones did not take any further action. Instead, with the help of its spiritual power, it observed the unknown environment more carefully.


    About 10 minutes later, another huge creature broke out of the water and leaped to the surface of the ice.


    This was a conjoined creature. The top half was a giant wearing a black helmet, which was riding a huge beast that looked a little like a horse.


    This was not an ordinary mount. Instead, their bodies were seamlessly connected. The giant¡¯s back and the top half of its body was revealed, and it was unknown if its lower body still existed.


    ¡°Nightmare, the situation is a little different from the last time the black tide invaded the dark forest world. We can only find another way out,¡± the giant said.


    The huge beast below let out a cry in response to the giant in the black helmet.


    This cry frightened the mutant beasts in the middle of the Antarctic so much that they crawled around on the ground. Not long ago, they were trembling due to the terrifying spiritual power. As soon as they recovered, they were shocked by this cry.


    They had never felt such an oppressive aura before. Just by sensing it, their bodies stiffened and they instinctively wanted to escape from it.


    This was an almost infallible intuition. It was a natural fear that the creatures at the bottom of the food chain felt when facing the creatures at the top of the food chain.


    ¡°Only you and I are left? Are all the other guys who were hiding underground already dead?¡± the bone beast turned around and asked in a language that humans did not speak.


    The two pale flames in its eyes emitted a terrifying aura with every beat, giving him a terrifying spiritual pressure.


    ¡°How would I know? Perhaps some of them hope to avoid the black tide again by faking their deaths.¡± The giant riding on the beast shrugged.


    With that, his gaze stopped on the ball hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. It was the place that humans called the moon.


    Seeing this, the bone beast also turned its head to observe the moon. In the image reflected by the two white flames in its eyes, there was an invisible barrier on the moon, which showed a fake image of what was within it.


    With its experience from the previous time when the black tide invaded the dark forest world, the bone beast vaguely made out a large mouth trapped in chains through the ripples on the barrier.


    ¡°Strange. Why does it seem like this first blockade is the same as the second blockade in the dark forest world?¡± After a long time, the bone beast came to a bad conclusion.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°A huge mouth trapped in chains.¡±


    The giant in the black helmet immediately stared at the moon. Black flames burned faintly on its body, and a raging aura was brewing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rash.¡±


    When the bone beast saw that the giant in the black helmet was showing signs of losing control, it roared softly.


    The reason why the giant in the black helmet looked like this was all thanks to the huge mouth in the blockade. In the previous battle, its lower body had been bitten off and swallowed by the huge mouth.


    As for how the black-helmeted giant had fused with the huge beast he was riding, the bone beast did not know, and the black-helmeted giant would not take the initiative to tell him.


    Just as the two huge creatures retracted their gazes and were about to leave and find a suitable place to settle down, the air distorted and a huge eye appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Giant Eye, you¡­¡±


    When the bone beast saw that there was only a circle of ripples left on the huge eye, it subconsciously opened its mouth,revealing its dense white bone fangs. It instinctively wanted to devour the other party.


    ¡°Giant Eye, were you also partially devoured by the huge mouth like me?¡±


    The black-helmeted giant thought that the huge eye had clashed with the blockade on the moon without knowing the true situation, causing it to be severely injured.


    ¡°Unlike the transformation you two underwent through your bloodline talent, I relied on my innate spiritual power talent to figure things out. The pattern can still be restored even if it¡¯s broken,¡± the huge eye said slowly.


    At the same time, a spiritual fluctuation spread out, indicating that it was not at a level where it could be easily bullied. In reality, it was only pretending to be calm. It was really frightened by the bone beast.


    The dark forest world was a cruel world where the strong preyed on the weak. Before the black tide invaded, conflicts broke out all year round.


    Almost all of the top creatures had fought in close combat, and those who had completed the transformation of their bloodline talent stood out. There was only one example of someone like the huge eye who did not rely on their bloodline talent to break through.


    The bone beast sensed the strength of the spiritual fluctuation and suppressed its thoughts of taking advantage of the huge eye.


    Both it and the black-helmeted giant had been invited by the huge eye to the blue planet to plan their escape. They should not have had any ill intentions towards each other before they escaped from the blockade.


    ¡°Hurry up and tell us what you know about the huge mouth in the blockade and the huge mouth that used to be in our dark forest world,¡± the black-helmeted giant quickly urged when he saw the huge eye dawdling.


    The huge eye was not really reduced to its current state by the huge mouth. In a moment of desperation, it could only trick the black-helmeted giant.


    ¡°The unknown part of the universe where the blue planet is located is being given more attention by the black tide. It¡¯s even more terrifying than the blockade of the dark forest world.¡±


    The truth was that the huge eye had come to the blue planet when it noticed that the eight-armed shadow creature was acting strangely.


    By that time, the eight-armed shadow creature was already gone. The huge eye could only piece together the entire situation from the humans it was controlling. It roughly knew that it had been forced by the strongest human to sacrifice itself in order to try to take his life.


    The huge mouth in the blockade could not leave its spot. Although the shadow creature belonged to the black tide, there was still a price to pay for borrowing the power of the blockade. Different prices had to be paid in exchange for different levels of attacks.


    No more information could be obtained, because other than the strongest human, the rest of the humans¡¯ cultivation levels were too low to understand the battle.

 Chapter 372 - Integrating the Technological Power of the Blue Planet

    Just as the huge eye was meeting the bone beast and the black-helmeted giant, the commotion in the middle of the Antarctic attracted the attention of the man-made satellite.


    Because the satellite was much closer to the ground compared to the moon, it was not targeted by the moon¡¯s blockade.


    Therefore, although the camera could not see the scene behind the moon¡¯s barrier clearly, it could still detect movements on the blue planet that were large enough.


    ¡°Are we being watched?¡±


    The huge eye¡¯s intuition made it turn to look in the direction of the satellite.


    In the next moment, a spiritual spear shot out from its pupil, covering a distance of hundreds of kilometers in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A huge explosion occurred in space.


    The satellite could only fly in a fixed trajectory and focus on reconnaissance. It could not dodge any targeted attacks.


    ¡°So be it. Giant Eye, why are you so nervous? Could it be¡­¡±


    In the bone beast¡¯s eyes, the pale flames trembled as it stared at the huge eye, revealing a hint of desire again.


    After opening up a space-travel passage to the blue planet, the top creatures from the dark forest world knew about the situation here. This was a cultivation desert where only weak creatures existed.


    In the understanding of the bone beast, the blue planet had benefited from the appearance of the space-travel passage, and had become suitable for cultivation due to the influence of the dark forest world.


    However, since the change in the cultivation environment came from the dark forest world, no matter what, it was impossible for an existence at their level to be born within a short period of time.


    This short period of time referred to a short period in history. The standard reference was the overall level of cultivation.


    ¡°Giant Eye, I originally wanted to sacrifice all the living beings in this world to help the ¡®nightmare¡¯ break through the blockade and rush out together,¡± the black-helmeted giant suddenly said with a strange expression on its face.


    Just like the bone beast, the black-helmeted giant also felt uncomfortable with the huge eye¡¯s cautious behavior.


    This feeling was as though the huge eye had fallen by a level compared to them. It had gone from a partner on the same level to a prey that they could bully.


    The huge eye thought to itself that things were bad.


    The reason why it had become so cautious was mainly because of Chen Yiming, the strongest human.


    From the moment it started controlling the mutant creatures from the Ganges Kingdom, it had failed repeatedly. A small portion of the one-eyed birds that were possessed by its spiritual will were killed by the spirit that had already sacrificed itself for its ultimate attack.


    This was completely beyond the huge eye¡¯s expectations. The creatures on the blue planet seemed weak and easy to bully, but it was just an illusion. Once its location was tracked, it was worried that it would be chased by the spirit that could be revived.


    Therefore, the huge eye even let the Ice Valley fall silent.


    ¡°The creatures on the blue planet are the targets of the black tide to harvest their negative emotions. Personal grudges are your own business, don¡¯t mess around.¡± After a pause, the huge eye found an excuse to change the topic.


    The black-helmeted giant grinned and did not say anything else.


    For creatures of this level, there was not much difference between those who were used to being high and mighty and those who were worshiping gods. No one knew what they were thinking.


    When it came to dealing with weak and ordinary creatures, one would often do whatever they wanted. The power they controlled was enough to suppress any resistance.


    The bone beast also suppressed its desire to devour the other party and turned its head back in the direction of the moon. It seemed to be prioritizing escaping from the blockade and telling the huge eye to relax.


    At this moment, seeds of doubt were starting to grow in the three top creatures from the dark forest world due to the imbalance in their strength.


    This was especially true for the huge eye. With the difference in strength and the behavior of the bone beast and the black-helmeted giant, it began to have the intention to plot against the two of them.


    ¡­


    In the capital.


    This was the fastest international cooperation to be achieved in human history. The signing ceremony was about to begin, and there were nearly 100 countries participating in it.


    From expressing their intention to participate in the space plan to dealing with all the internal objections, these had actually all been completed in just one day.


    In reality, the appearance and subsequent retreat of the Ice Valley had crushed all the objections and wiped out all kinds of obstacles. The strength of the blue-haired and white-eyed people was visible to the various financial corporations.


    In reality, once Chen Yiming and the people from the Daxia Kingdom left in a spaceship, no one would be able to stop the blue-haired and white-eyed people.


    The financial corporations in the western world were not fools. If they did not escape, would they just stay and become puppets for the blue-haired and white-eyed people?


    Although space travel was dangerous, it was better than becoming a prisoner and being controlled by others. Furthermore, the spirit of adventure was alive deep inside all the Westerners.


    In the past, the opening of new sea routes had been initiated by western voyagers. The power of the western countries had once covered the entire blue planet.


    This was especially true for the Never-ending Day Empire. To this day, there were still countless people who were immersed in the glory of the past. That was the period that was most memorable to them.


    At this moment, there was still some time before the signing ceremony began. Representatives from various countries had gathered in the hall, and teams of soldiers were guarding the surroundings.


    Outside, it was completely filled with people. Countless people rushed to the streets to watch the signing ceremony, completely blocking off the traffic in the capital.


    Looking down from the sky, one could only see buildings and heads. Many people from other provinces had come to the capital to personally witness what was publicized on the news as the ¡®turning point in human history¡¯.


    ¡°No one with abnormal spiritual fluctuations has sneaked in, right?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked as he walked around with Feng Wuji.


    The power of purification was extremely sensitive to abnormal spiritual fluctuations. Feng Wuji could use the corresponding information to capture those who were suspicious.


    Feng Wuji nodded and replied, ¡°I checked everyone here, but I didn¡¯t find anything like what you said.¡±


    If the European Union was involved, the space plan could be completed three months earlier. If most of the countries on the blue planet were involved, it could be completed at least half a year earlier.


    It was still impossible for all of them to escape on a spaceship, and the black tide would definitely not let them do so. However, a portion of the humans could escape from the blockade to serve as the seed for humanity. They originally only had a faint hope of success, but now, it seemed like they had reached a turning point.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze swept across the representatives of the various countries.


    The latest version of the space plan had already been greatly modified. The main spaceship from the Daxia Kingdom, along with Chen Yiming, would be responsible for the safety of the space fleet.


    The spaceships built by other countries only needed to have a stable artificial environment mimicking that on the blue planet and follow the main spaceship to travel in space.


    All the top scientific research results humanity had achieved so far, along with the technological power of nearly 100 countries, were all focused on the main spaceship from the Daxia Kingdom.


    Not only did the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s spaceship have to bear the responsibility of attacking and defending the space fleet when an accident happened, but it also had to bear the responsibility of gathering supplies along the way. There could be no mistakes.


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and said to Feng Wuji, ¡°Before the abnormal spiritual fluctuation is activated, it might not be detected. You can¡¯t relax until the end of the ceremony.¡±


    Feng Wuji nodded. He also understood the heavy responsibility he had, so he went back to his work.


    After Feng Wuji left, Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and communicated with the figure in his mind.


    The figure in his mind: The surface of the otherworld has been occupied by mutant creatures. The human stronghold is at risk of being attacked at any time.


    Chen Yiming: Is the harvesting of negative emotions completed?


    The figure in his mind: I can¡¯t be sure yet, but almost all the surviving native creatures have hidden underground. A mysterious altar appeared at the entrance of the sea.


    Chen Yiming: Mysterious altar?


    The figure in his mind: An altar with a seven-colored base, which is guarded by mutant creatures at the level of the inscription realm.


    Not long after, he finished communicating with the figure in his mind. Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn. The sudden appearance of the seven-colored altar was definitely a sign.


    However, it was hard to say if the black tide was at the end of the operation to harvest the negative emotions from the dark forest world. However, it was definitely not a good thing for the human stronghold.


    ¡°In the end, the dark forest world is just a place to plunder resources, not a home for humans. Perhaps the development of the otherworld has also arrived at the time to put it all to an end.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed. After all, he had personally started the counterattack of the humans against the otherworld. However, it had gone from prosperity to decline in just a year. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little regretful.


    If not for the sudden arrival of the black tide, the spiritual figure should have the strength to suppress the entire dark forest world.


    After annexing and taking over the otherworld, humans would be able to accumulate enough resources to go to a new planet that could support life.


    ¡­


    In the hall, the signing ceremony finally started. The stage was temporarily widened and lengthened, so that it could accommodate nearly 100 tables for the signing to occur all at the same time.


    The top leader represented the Daxia Kingdom and signed two thick stacks of agreements with nearly 100 countries to join the space plan.


    Below the stage, the reporters from the various countries held their cameras and recorded this moment. The scene was filled with camera flashes.


    Everything was difficult at the start. After a day, the second and third batches of experts and supplies from the European Union had arrived in the Daxia Kingdom. There was no more loss of contact with the planes.


    This gave the countries that newly joined the space plan an endless amount of confidence. During the signing ceremony, no one raised any objections.


    Without hesitation, the representatives from the various countries signed the agreement, and the contract representing their cooperation was finalized.


    Next was the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The interior of the hall was quickly filled with applause. From the representatives of the various countries to the accompanying reporters and other staff, all of them had smiles on their faces.


    At some point,


    Chen Yiming frowned and suddenly turned to look south.


    His intuition told him that something huge must have happened in a certain area across the sea. It was serious enough to threaten him.


    ¡°Is it a top creature like the huge eye from the dark forest world?¡±


    Before the black tide started, this was the only possibility that could be a threat to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°From the huge eye to the existence behind the ice crystal-like hair, more powerful creatures of the same level have arrived. It¡¯s getting more and more chaotic.¡±


    Chen Yiming fell into deep thought. A chaotic situation might not be a bad thing for humanity.


    The black tide had invaded the dark forest world for the second time, forcing the remaining powerful creatures at the level of the huge eye to gradually retreat to the blue planet. It was not strange for a large number of creatures in the inscription realm to also retreat to the blue planet.


    This way, there was a high chance that humans were no longer the only target in the eyes of the black tide. This was undoubtedly a good thing for the spaceship to break through the blockade and find a way out amidst the chaos.


    ¡°It might not be a good thing for the countries on the blue planet.¡± Chen Yiming thought about the disadvantages of the space plan.


    Chen Yiming and the spiritual figure could only be considered as two forces at most. If the various countries on the blue planet were invaded by the creatures from the inscription realm one after another and quickly fell into their control, how could he save them?


    However, there was another possibility. The target of the black tide¡¯s harvesting of negative emotions was definitely the billions of humans. The powerful creatures from the otherworld might not dare to kill them at will.


    Creating a massacre at will was equivalent to snatching food from the black tide. It was hard to predict what kind of changes would occur.


    Not long after,


    Chen Yiming was woken up from his daze by a terrifying spiritual fluctuation. He looked up and saw a spiritual spear rush out of the atmosphere and destroy a human satellite.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spiritual fluctuation from the huge eye.¡±


    After interacting with the huge eye many times, Chen Yiming accurately identified the source of the spiritual fluctuation.


    ¡°The huge eye is meeting with the creatures that just arrived?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked south again. From the trajectory of the spiritual spear, he could roughly confirm that it was in the Antarctic continent.


    After some thought, he finally gave up on the idea of sending the spiritual figure.


    He could not defeat those guys now. After hiding for a while longer, he would test his sword on the guy who was the most active.


    ¡­


    In the satellite launch center of Jiuquan Space City.


    The satellite that the huge eye had destroyed happened to belong to the Daxia Kingdom. The scene recorded before it was destroyed was sent back to the ground control center in real time.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    A huge eye?


    ¡°A giant knight!¡±


    ¡°White bone dinosaur!¡±


    The control center was filled with exclamations. Everyone was shocked by the last scene. It was an attack in the shape of a spear.


    They could only roughly make out its shape, and the surrounding space was extremely distorted.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and report the news to the higher ups.¡±


    The supervisor was stunned for a moment before he quickly came back to his senses and scolded all the staff.


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    The staff in the control center made a report and sent it to the higher-ups in a panic.


    Next, the report was sent up higher and higher, causing a huge commotion every time.


    Before long, the signing ceremony was coming to an end. The news of the incident in the middle of the Antarctic reached the capital. A communications officer barged into the hall and reported it to the top leader alone.


    At the same time,


    Chen Yiming found a secret special forces team waiting for orders near the auditorium.


    This team was formed by 13 people. Their mission was to stop anyone who tried to disrupt the signing ceremony.


    Each of them was an elite among the bloodline warriors, and their strength had reached the level of a half-step away from the master realm.


    ¡°Did you manage to apply for leave from your captain?¡±


    The matter was urgent. Chen Yiming grabbed Wu Di¡¯s hand in front of the other 12 members of the team and dragged her along to walk down another street, leaving the group dumbfounded.


    ¡°After completing this mission, I can leave after returning to the base to settle the handover procedures.¡± Wu Di told him the outcome of her discussion with the captain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with the handover procedures. After the signing ceremony ends, follow me back to East Lake City. I¡¯ll call your captain then,¡± Chen Yiming said as he glanced at Wu Di¡¯s stomach.


    The moment the communications officer barged into the hall to look for the top leader, he knew that a storm was about to sweep through the entire blue planet.


    No one else knew about the matter between him and Wu Di. If the captain urgently assigned more missions to her, Chen Yiming would be unable to do anything.


    What if she was pregnant with his child and something happened to her on the battlefield?


    Moreover, the current situation facing the blue planet was such that those in the master realm could not even do anything. Even he had to hide away and wait for the spiritual figure to break through.


    Wu Di was only a little famous in the north of the Daxia Kingdom. If she really faced the powerful creatures from the dark forest world who had retreated to the blue planet, she would be instantly killed if the other party made a move.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Wu Di was a little hesitant. After all, it wouldn¡¯t take long to return to the base.


    Chen Yiming patted her butt and said sternly, ¡°Listen to me. Did you see the communications officer looking for the top leader to speak in private? Something big has happened in the Antarctic.¡±


    If it came from Chen Yiming¡¯s mouth, then the problem wasn¡¯t an ordinary one. Wu Di understood the seriousness of the matter and nodded in agreement.


    Chen Yiming left after making the arrangements.


    ¡­


    That night, the lights of the military committee were still on.


    Before they could celebrate the fact that they were about to gather the forces of nearly 100 countries to complete the space plan, they were holding a meeting overnight to discuss how to deal with the new terrifying creatures from the otherworld.


    With the threat of the blue-haired and white-eyed people and the ice storm caused by the snow monsters sweeping through the north, no one dared to relax at all.


    In the snowy mountain range, after the huge eye left the Antarctic Continent, it did not take long for it to reach the snow mountain where the snow beast was sleeping.


    The snow beast rolled over and sat up. Its head almost hit the top of the cavern, and the ice crystal-like hair all over its body stood up.


    White smoke spread out, and the cavern became even colder. The ice crystals on the inner wall also became larger.


    ¡°Of those two guys, one wants to sacrifice all the humans on the blue planet to break out of the blockade, and the other wants to devour the souls of all the living creatures on the blue planet?¡±


    The snow beast could no longer pretend to be asleep because of the news brought by the huge eye.


    The ice crystal-like hair that it had shed in the snow mountain was used by the huge eye to create the blue-haired and white-eyed people and the snow monsters. The snow beast knew this very well.


    Because it could sense the situation in the outside world through its ice crystal-like fur, the snow beast was naturally happy with this arrangement. While sleeping, it could also understand the changes in the situation on the blue planet.


    The huge eye emitted a spiritual fluctuation. ¡°They think that the first blockade has become a more powerful huge mouth. The black tide¡¯s target is definitely not just this planet, but the galaxy where this planet is located.¡±


    The galaxy?


    The snow beast rolled its large eyes. At this moment, it no longer looked sleepy.


    If that was the case, it meant that more living planets had been detected by the black tide in the galaxy where the blue planet was. The invasion would be even more terrifying than the one back in the dark forest world.


    ¡°I wanted to hide, but it seems like it won¡¯t work this time.¡±


    The snow beast immediately thought of the planet under its feet. After the black tide descended, it would become the base for the invasion of this galaxy.


    The huge eye emitted another fluctuation. ¡°How about we join forces? Otherwise, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that those two guys won¡¯t trick you. What if they work together to stop you at the moment when you try to escape the blockade?¡±


    The snow beast fell silent. That was indeed a possibility.


    This was because the black-helmeted giant had been tricked like this before. The top creatures in the dark forest world had all grown up in an environment filled with senseless killing. None of them were good people.


    Although the huge eye could not be trusted, if they could work together on the surface and fight two against two, the two sides would return to a balance.


    Next, the two terrifying creatures communicated for a while.


    The snow beast¡¯s body trembled, and a large amount of ice crystal-like hair fell to the ground. This was one of the reasons why it and the huge eye had joined forces. They could create a large number of mutant creatures to gather information.


    This information was not only focused on the black-helmeted giant and the bone beast, but also on the humans on the blue planet and the progress of the black tide.


    Everything was for them to break through the blockade at the right time.

 Chapter 373 - Probing Step by Step

    Ever since the satellite captured the scene in the middle of the Antarctic that day, showing a giant in black helmet riding a warhorse, a huge beast made of bones, and the huge eye that had once occupied Mount Everest.


    After confirming that the information was accurate, the Daxia Kingdom held a video conference with the heads of all the countries in the world.


    Before the black tide truly descended, the blue planet was already being watched by many terrifying creatures from the otherworld. It would be a lie to say that they were not panicking.


    This was the truth. During the global video conference, some of the countries¡¯ satellites happened to capture the scenes of the terrifying creatures that had walked out of space-travel passages from all over the world.


    Although these terrifying creatures that came out one after another were not as powerful as the two creatures in the Antarctic Continent, they were existences that countries other than the Daxia Kingdom could not deal with.


    Faced with the rapidly changing situation, the conclusion from the global video conference was to speed up the space plan. At the same time, after the meeting ended, the big shots from the various countries hurriedly set off for the Daxia Kingdom.


    In the future, when the space plan was completed, the Daxia Kingdom would be the central command center for the transportation of personnel and supplies from the other countries.


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. The entire world had fallen into a strange atmosphere.


    Near East Lake City, Chen Yiming stood at the top of a mountain with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the sea to the east.


    ¡°The terrifying creatures that walked out of the space-travel passage one after another did not start a conflict with the humans. Instead, they hid themselves. Could it be that they are worried about the mysterious tentacles in the oceanic trench?¡±


    Back then, the huge eye had threatened him with the war weapon from the black tide hidden in the oceanic trench. From the looks of it, its credibility had increased to 90%. For the remaining 10%, Chen Yiming guessed that it might not be as simple as a war weapon.


    ¡°The purpose of the black tide invading the world is to harvest the negative emotions, and humans, as the most intelligent creatures on the blue planet, are undoubtedly the targets to be cornered and harvested.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn. From the actions of the terrifying creatures that had escaped, this was bad news for the human civilization.


    The black tide would definitely not allow too many humans to escape from the blockade, or even if they did, they would still be pursued endlessly.


    To chase after the spaceship with the humans was something that could definitely be achieved by the black tide that could sweep through the universe. There was no need to hold on to a false hope.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s palms were drenched in sweat.


    What he lacked the most was time.


    Now that the humans were being forced into a corner, no one could predict how long these terrifying creatures could hold themselves back.


    Just as Chen Yiming was deep in thought, the clouds in the sky suddenly looked like they were burning up in flames. A terrifying and oppressive aura spread out, coming from the sea to the east.


    ¡°Has it started to test the waters?¡±


    The incident happened right between the Daxia Kingdom and the oceanic trench.


    Chen Yiming summoned the spiritual figure from the otherworld and quickly set off to prevent Jiangnan province from being affected.


    ¡­


    In the sea more than 100 kilometers away from the coast,


    Chen Yiming stood on the surface of the sea and felt the waves of heat rolling over. He could vaguely make out a flaming firebird flying through the clouds.


    At some point, a silver light shot out from the bottom of the sea and attacked the figure on the surface of the water.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The silver light broke through the surface of the water, and its speed was so fast that it was as if it had teleported. The figure on the surface of the sea had its attention focused on the firebird and was immediately hit. Sharp spikes erupted from its body, creating countless holes in the figure.


    At the same time, a terrifying collision caused a huge wave to explode in a radius of dozens of kilometers. The huge wave soared into the sky and crashed down heavily, leaving behind a terrifying hole in the seawater.


    ¡°The strongest human?¡±


    A terrifying giant snake appeared on the surface of the sea. Its entire body was covered in red and green scales, and its huge mouth was filled with metallic fangs.


    As it stood up, one could see that every scale was engraved with unknown mysterious symbols that emitted black ripples.


    ¡°As expected, this cultivation desert is not good enough. Compared to those of us who have grown up in the environment of the dark forest world, those of the same level here are instantly defeated.¡±


    As soon as it finished speaking, an illusion appeared on the surface of the sea.


    Then, a humanoid figure appeared. It had three eyes on its face, and its silver hair was flowing freely. On its lower body, there were a large number of strips that looked like blue seaweed.


    ¡°I wanted to beat the strongest human being half to death first to test the progress of the production of war weapons, but you destroyed him in an instant,¡± the terrifying snake said.


    ¡°Too weak! That person couldn¡¯t react effectively to my sneak attack at all.¡± The three-eyed sea demon shook its head.


    The silver light was shot out from the sea demon¡¯s three eyes. When it exploded, every spike delivered a powerful and lethal attack, and was formed by the mysterious symbols that controlled the power of nature.


    Even in the dark forest world, very few creatures of the same level dared to provoke such an attack. Once it successfully landed on their bodies, most of them would lose their lives instantly.


    ¡°The development of the war weapon?¡±


    A spiritual fluctuation suddenly appeared from behind the giant snake and the sea demon, reflecting an unknown language.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The three-eyed sea demon was shocked. Its body suddenly turned around, and a silver sword extended from each of its hands. With a flash, it closed the distance between them.


    The terrifying snake followed closely behind. It turned around and opened its terrifying mouth, spitting out black ripples at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his hand, and his forearm blocked the incoming silver sword. A wave that soared into the sky exploded behind him, but there wasn¡¯t even a trace of blood on his forearm.


    Immediately after, the black ripples hit Chen Yiming head-on, and a human-shaped hole appeared in the middle. The sea behind him could be seen to have turned into a black water domain dozens of kilometers wide.


    The three eyes on the sea demon¡¯s face narrowed. No matter how it activated the power on the silver sword, it was like pouring water into the sea, and was unable to cause any ripples.


    ¡°With just two creatures at the level of the inscription realm from the dark forest world, you dare to attack me? It seems that it¡¯s difficult for the people from your world to work together.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze met the sea demon¡¯s. At such a close distance, he wasn¡¯t afraid of the silver light at all. This was the confidence that came from having the enhancement from his two talents.


    Although the two terrifying creatures were extremely powerful, and each of them had the strength to destroy an entire continent, it was a pity that they had chosen the wrong target to test their strength on.


    In addition, the two of them didn¡¯t seem to be on the same team as the huge eye. Otherwise, if they knew something about the situation, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to provoke Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming twisted his wrist and grabbed the silver sword. He pulled the three-eyed sea demon towards him and threw a punch at its chest.


    The mysterious symbols on the surface of the sea demon¡¯s powerful armor were completely activated, as if they had come alive. It was as if a mysterious note was played in the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s the goal of the one you are working for?¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Blue blood splattered everywhere, and a shadow fist broke out from the sea demon¡¯s back, the impact causing the clouds in the sky to disperse.


    A second ago, the sea demon was still smiling. In the next second, its face was distorted and it spat out a large mouthful of blue blood. Two lumps of flesh had been pulverized by Chen Yiming¡¯s punches, and a large hole appeared in its chest.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The sea demon lying weakly on Chen Yiming¡¯s arm looked up and sneered. At some point, the seaweed-like things on its lower body had crawled all over Chen Yiming.


    Mysterious symbols flickered as an invisible sealing power trapped Chen Yiming, leaving only his two eyes free to move.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    His eyes were as calm as an ancient well, causing the sea demon to be extremely shocked. However, it did not care about what that meant and immediately abandoned all the seaweed-like things to make its retreat.


    The terrifying snake hissed.


    It soared into the sky from its coiled state. Every scale stretched out, and the red and green colors seemed to have the ability to cause one to hallucinate.


    Its huge mouth opened up in the sky, revealing a huge black hole. Then, it descended from the sky and swallowed the human figure together with all the seaweed-like things as it charged back into the deep sea.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s vision darkened. He hadn¡¯t expected the giant snake to dare to devour him. Wasn¡¯t it afraid that it would stuff itself to death?


    If this move was used on other humans, it might be effective. As long as they could not break through the giant snake¡¯s body, the terrifying underwater pressure and the special environment inside the snake¡¯s body might really suffocate them to death.


    However, just like at the start, the giant snake and the sea demon did not choose the right target to test their strength on.


    ¡°Giant transformation!¡±


    A low growl came from the bottom of the sea.


    First, the sea shook slightly. Then, the surface of the sea began to rise, as if a tectonic plate was moving at the bottom of the sea.


    The seaweed-like things on Chen Yiming¡¯s body exploded, and his entire body expanded to become a 1,000-meter-tall giant. The terrifying snake was stuffed at first, but in the next moment, it exploded into countless pieces.


    The bottom of the sea, where only a little light could reach, turned a bright red as the loud bang sounded.


    In an instant, two terrifying creatures from the dark forest world, the three-eyed sea demon and the terrifying giant snake, were severely injured and killed by a single human. This was enough to shock all the creatures from their world.


    ¡°Tell me! Who are you three creatures at the level of the inscription realm working for?¡±


    Chen Yiming returned to his normal size and leaped out of the sea. He stood in front of the sea demon and glanced at the firebird that had flown far away.


    The three-eyed sea demon had lost more than half of its body and knew that it could not escape by itself. If it fought back now, it would only be courting death. Therefore, it only gave a strange laugh.


    ¡°The strongest human, if you dare to kill us, just wait for the lord to turn your body into medicine!¡±


    Its words were filled with a strong threat, as if it believed that it still had some worth.


    ¡°Medicine? Forget it. It doesn¡¯t matter who is behind it. I¡¯ll just kill them all when the time comes.¡± Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath.


    Using his hand as a sword, he slashed down from midair, immediately reducing the body of the three-eyed sea demon to dust.


    Among those at the same level, his body could be said to be invincible. Be it the three-eyed sea demon or the terrifying giant snake, they were not a match for him.


    They used mysterious symbols to transform into indestructible weapons, but they shattered easily when faced with Chen Yiming. When they slashed at his body it felt like he was just scratching an itch.


    ¡­


    In the uninhabited desert on the African continent.


    The firebird landed at the entrance of an underground palace. Its arrival made the surrounding environment even drier, and the air seemed to be burning up.


    The eyes of the two stone statues at the entrance of the underground palace suddenly lit up with a red light. The red light swept across the firebird, as if to confirm its identity.


    Beep! Beep! Beep!


    After passing the verification, the statues fell silent again and returned to their lifeless state. At the same time, a stone door was raised, revealing a dark and silent staircase.


    The firebird shrank to less than two meters and walked down the steps into the depths of the passage. The stone door fell shut and sealed the entrance to the underground palace again.


    After passing through a long flight of steps, it arrived at a wide space. There were chains connecting various stone jars all around. On a closer look, they seemed to be arranged in a certain pattern.


    In the middle of the space was a stone slab that was lying diagonally. It was surrounded by pillars, and the pillars were also connected to the stone jars by chains. In addition, there were red veins extending from the bottom of the stone slab.


    ¡°How¡¯s the matter going?¡±


    As the firebird approached the stone slab, the image on it shook, and an incomplete pupil appeared. The terrifying aura made the firebird lower its head and not dare to look straight at it.


    ¡°The giant snake and the sea demon both died at the hands of that human.¡±


    As the firebird gave its report, its entire body trembled uncontrollably. Sparks flew from its feathers, causing it to become even more nervous.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s done. This is your reward.¡±


    A faint voice echoed in the underground palace.


    The stone slab emitted a red light that landed on the firebird¡¯s body. Immediately, its body stopped trembling. A raging flame burned, illuminating the underground palace.


    At the same time, a pattern representing flames appeared on the firebird¡¯s forehead. This was a sign of a breakthrough. Everything had happened too suddenly.


    When the firebird subconsciously looked up, it realized that the pupil on the stone slab had already disappeared. Even the red veins at the bottom of the surrounding stone pillars had turned gray, making them look like stone pipes.


    The entire underground palace was silent. There were only stone items and black chains there, and nothing else.


    Not long after, the stone door at the entrance of the underground palace opened, and the firebird came out.


    ¡°No wonder the dark forest world was sealed off bit by bit. At that time, the top creatures were at odds with each other and did not realize that a threat that could cause the end of their world had already arrived.¡±


    The firebird had long been planted with a special control method and became a spy left behind in the dark forest world by the black tide. Its life and death were no longer in its control, and it was only following orders.


    Then, the firebird flapped its wings and flew away. It still had to report the results of the battle to another powerful creature.


    ¡­


    The spiritual figure that Chen Yiming had summoned in advance was guarding the Daxia Kingdom, so he decided to head to the oceanic trench to take a look.


    Running along the surface of the sea, he took some time to reach the spot where he had stopped previously. The barrier that reached into the clouds had already disappeared, and Chen Yiming boldly continued towards the trench.


    When he arrived at the surface of the sea directly above the oceanic trench, he discovered that a group of blue-haired and white-eyed people had also stopped there.


    ¡°Did the huge eye arrange for you all to monitor the war weapon here?¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled at them, but no matter how one looked at it, his smile was filled with ill intentions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash.¡±


    The group of blue-haired and white-eyed people were frightened by the person who had arrived. They were afraid that the other party would make a move, since there might be a huge problem if they made a move here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause too much of a commotion.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, his figure moved, leaving behind only a shadow on the spot. Then, he tapped a blue-haired and white-eyed man, who died on the spot.


    Next, this group of blue-haired and white-eyed people died one after another. None of them could dodge it.


    When there was only one left, the person¡¯s pupils were suddenly filled with a ripple pattern, and a powerful aura appeared.


    ¡°The huge eye?¡±


    Chen Yiming immediately thought that it had used some strange method to possess the blue-haired and white-eyed man from a distance.


    ¡°Stop. It was a subordinate of the bone beast who was testing you. It has nothing to do with me,¡± the blue-haired and white-eyed man said.


    ¡°The one that appeared in the Antarctic?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    Chen Yiming took a step forward and arrived in front of the blue-haired and white-eyed man, smashing him to pieces with a single punch. His eyes, which had a ripple pattern on them before he died, clearly revealed a shocked expression.


    After destroying the trace of the huge eye¡¯s spiritual will, Chen Yiming muttered, ¡°So what if I know who it is? I don¡¯t have the ability to attack them for the time being.¡±


    Chen Yiming walked around the oceanic trench.


    Because he did not dare to use his spiritual power to openly investigate the situation at the bottom of the sea, other than knowing that the situation was normal in the oceanic trench, he did not discover anything else.


    Before long, he left in disappointment.


    ¡­


    ¡°Brother, is it true that the human stronghold is about to close and all the people are being evacuated?¡±


    Chen Yiming was communicating with the figure in his mind when Chen Yingying stood up from the sofa and asked him a question.


    ¡°What do you think? The creatures from the otherworld have already taken the initiative to come to the blue planet. Why bother hunting in their territory?¡±


    Chen Yiming explained to his sister after arranging for the spiritual figure to return to the otherworld.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say last time that the creatures from the otherworld had been chased underground? Were all the creatures left on the surface mutant creatures?¡± Chen Yingying asked in confusion.


    Chen Yiming coughed and continued, ¡°There will always be something overlooked. I was just judging from the overall situation. You misunderstood it.¡±


    The truth was that many of the powerful creatures that had escaped from the dark forest world had brought a large number of their subordinates with them.


    As for the powerful creatures whose images were captured by the satellite, because they had no intention of starting a conflict with humans, the information had yet to be made public to ensure the peace and stability in the people¡¯s hearts so that the industries could continue operating normally.


    With that, he added, ¡°Actually, it should have been closed a long time ago. The mutant creatures over there move with a unified will. The human warrior teams can¡¯t deal with them at all. It¡¯s very easy for the entire team to be surrounded and killed.¡±


    Chen Yingying nodded and sat back on the sofa to watch the news.


    At this moment, the news station finished reporting on the evacuation of the human stronghold and switched to the next piece of news. A beautiful announcer was holding a microphone and talking to a young man who looked to be less than 30 years old.


    Behind the two of them was a laboratory. The sign on the door read, ¡°Water Wood University¡¯s Astronomy Department Laboratory.¡±


    ¡°They are long and thin. Isn¡¯t she cold?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze landed on the beautiful announcer¡¯s legs. She was wearing a pair of stockings made of a reflective material, so it was difficult not to notice them.


    However, the weather was getting even colder. The laboratory building shown on television was surrounded by a thick layer of snow. Every time the two of them spoke, they would exhale a long puff of white mist.


    The beautiful announcer smiled and said, ¡°Professor Lu Zhou, have you ever thought that after dozens of teams accepted the mission at the same time, you would be the one to overcome this huge challenge¡­¡±


    Lu Zhou said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much about it. I just did some normal experiments. The main thing is that the search for a new planet that could support life did not start only recently. Instead, a lot of basic research was already done many years ago. I was just lucky to have a flash of inspiration.¡±


    The beautiful announcer paused for a moment. Chen Yiming¡¯s sharp eyes saw a small crack on her red lips. It was probably because the weather in the north was both dry and cold.


    ¡­

 Chapter 374 - Black Obelisk

    Chen Yiming watched the news with his sister in the living room. There wasn¡¯t much new information that caught his attention.


    The evacuation of the human stronghold had already been underway when the otherworld was gradually controlled by the mutant creatures. Now, it was just a full retreat.


    In reality, it had already been pushed back. If not for the fact that the spiritual figure had secretly cleared a large empty area, the stronghold would have long been destroyed by the waves of mutant creatures.


    As for the new planet that could support life, they must have finally decided on the first target destination.


    With a distance on the scale of light years and the current level of human technology, it was not 100% certain if an unknown planet could really be suitable for human survival.


    They could only settle for the best option. They had to first select a planet that was most suitable for humans to go to.


    After the news ended, Chen Yiming returned to his room and turned on his computer. He planned to talk to the military committee about the matter of the terrifying creatures from the otherworld starting to make a move.


    ¡­


    ¡°There are creatures at the level of the inscription realm testing the status of the war weapon!¡±


    After the information was delivered by Chen Yiming, the meeting room exploded.


    It was said that hidden in the oceanic trench was a war weapon from the black tide. Ever since the disappearance of the 10 transport planes from the European Union, it had become like the sword of Damocles that was hanging over the entire blue planet.


    ¡°If the war weapon is mobilized, doesn¡¯t that mean that the black tide¡¯s arrival has begun?¡±


    A war general thought of the link between the arrival of the black tide and the weapons of war. Now, combined with the actions of the terrifying creatures, it seemed to confirm this point.


    ¡°Perhaps those terrifying creatures are testing the waters before breaking out of the encirclement,¡± the chief of staff suddenly slapped the table and stood up.


    Break out of the encirclement?


    The higher-ups immediately understood what the chief of staff meant, and their expressions turned solemn.


    From the probing actions of the terrifying creatures, the war weapon was definitely an existence that they could not deal with. That was why they had to determine the status of the war weapon before attempting to break out of the encirclement.


    If the terrifying creatures started to break out of the encirclement, what would happen to the humans? The space plan was far from complete.


    Should they arrange for the city-level spaceships to follow those who tried to break out of the encirclement and wait for the rest of the spaceships outside the solar system?


    The meeting room was in chaos. Everyone expressed their opinions and integrated all the information they knew to try to determine the true intentions of the terrifying creatures.


    As he listened to their opinions, Chen Yiming thought the matter over.


    Back then, the huge eye had been deliberately forcing humans to escape from the blue planet. It was unlikely that it was purely out of boredom. Instead, it was confident that with someone holding the fort, it could escape from the moon¡¯s blockade.


    Now, there was no longer a need for humans to be the ones in charge of holding it back. The two big guys in the Antarctic could do it themselves.


    Perhaps this was also the reason why the blue-haired and white-eyed people had stopped targeting the human countries.


    ¡°If the top creatures from the dark forest world really break out of the encirclement immediately, it¡¯s not a bad choice to let the first city-level spaceship pave the way for the spaceships that would follow behind.¡±


    With this thought, the situation seemed to have improved for the humans. A possible way out had appeared from the cracks, which was very much in line with the timeline for the space plan.


    Of course, the possibility of this idea being realized was all pinned on the humans being the targets of the black tide. Those terrifying creatures were worried that they would cause the black tide to descend in advance, so they did not dare to kill the humans on the blue planet wantonly.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be great if they try to break out of the encirclement just before the Spring Festival. I have confidence that at that time, the spiritual figure would be able to protect the first city-level ship and allow it to break out of the blockade amidst the chaos.¡±


    After a long time, the video conference ended.


    Everyone agreed that the first city-level ship had to break out of the encirclement.


    Once they successfully broke out of the encirclement, it meant that at least one small spark from the human civilization had escaped. Even if this small spark did not have the ability to go to a new planet that could support life, it was still better than staying on the blue planet.


    On the other hand, if they failed to break out of the encirclement, it would also provide experience for the later spaceships to escape from the blue planet in the future, giving humans a chance to adjust their strategy for the space plan.


    ¡­


    That evening, while the first city-level spaceship was making the best use of time to prepare for takeoff, a piece of news suddenly caused a commotion in the Daxia Kingdom.


    It was not that the terrifying creature had made a move again, nor was it that the black tide had suddenly appeared. Instead, it was that Wu Susu, the daughter of the head of the Jiangnan province¡¯s biological research institute, Wu Weiguo, had broken through several realms to reach the level of the inscription realm.


    The manifestation of the mysterious symbols could simply be described as having a deeper understanding of the power of nature. Compared to the master realm that could resonate with the power of nature blindly, it was a true manifestation of the power of nature.


    The martial masters of the Daxia Kingdom, Elder Zhang and Elder Huang, had received guidance from Chen Yiming, who was a pioneer along this martial arts path. However, they were still confused about how to further explore the power of nature.


    Even Feng Wuji, who had broken through before Wu Susu, did not have the potential to achieve another breakthrough in a short period of time.


    In the future, if he was like Elder Zhang and Elder Huang and had insufficient potential, his cultivation level would forever be stuck at the master realm.


    When he arrived at the provincial biological research institute, the streets outside had already been cleared and surrounded by soldiers. Elder Zhang, Elder Huang, Feng Wuji, and the military big shots surrounded Wu Weiguo and were chatting and laughing.


    ¡°Xiao Wu, not bad! Not bad!¡±


    ¡°Xiao Wu, your contributions over half your life are far inferior to having such a talented daughter!¡±


    Elder Zhang and Elder Huang patted Wu Weiguo on the shoulder.


    In terms of age, Wu Weiguo was much younger and was a junior to the two of them. In terms of status, the head of the small research institute was far inferior to the martial masters.


    The surrounding military big shots were also laughing.


    At this critical moment, the appearance of a second human at the level of the inscription realm greatly boosted their morale. Once the news was made public, the impact would be visible instantly.


    It was not only that the humans had gained the combat strength of another expert at the inscription realm, but the new generation of warriors would have even more confidence. This was especially true after the trial grounds and the human stronghold were established.


    Chen Yiming was no longer the only one who had broken through to the inscription realm that lay beyond the master realm. With a second human breaking through, there would naturally be a third human breaking through in the future.


    People would wonder if those who could break through to such a realm were really that much more special than themselves. This expressed the desire hidden deep in their hearts.


    ¡°How¡¯s Wu Susu?¡±


    Chen Yiming walked over and asked.


    ¡°According to her, she has successfully broken through, but she doesn¡¯t have the confidence to stabilize her control over the new power for the time being. She can only continue to practice alone in the laboratory,¡± Wu Weiguo explained.


    ¡°Can¡¯t control the new power?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to look at the laboratory building not far away. A terrifying spiritual power was emanating from it, sealing it off from everything else.


    Unless he forcefully broke through this layer of spiritual power, he would not be able to find out about Wu Susu¡¯s situation.


    The military big shots heaved a sigh of relief when they saw Chen Yiming.


    They had rushed to the scene immediately with Elder Zhang, Elder Huang, and Feng Wuji. This was not just to prevent Wu Susu from being affected by her breakthrough.


    As someone who had broken through several realms in a row, Wu Susu had too many unpredictable factors. For example, at this moment, she did not have the confidence to completely control her newly obtained power.


    Once anything happened, the power of nature or terrifying spiritual power would spread out, and Jiangnan City would not be able to withstand it.


    Not long after, the group arrived at the laboratory building and communicated with Wu Susu by shouting. The spiritual power that she had spread out was quickly retracted.


    A woman in a white coat with an even colder expression than usual walked out of the door.


    Chen Yiming exchanged glances with her. He was still thinking about how to help her resolve the problem of controlling her new power in a short period of time when his consciousness entered her mind.


    At this moment, Wu Susu¡¯s human consciousness was similar to that of her appearance in the outside world. Her spiritual power turned into a white coat that draped over her body, causing him to immediately recall the figure he had accidentally seen before.


    Her figure was curvy and perfectly matched the golden ratio. If not for her cold personality and how she was completely focused on scientific research, she would have met his standards.


    ¡°Do you want to see it again?¡± Wu Susu suddenly asked.


    Chen Yiming came back to his senses. He wanted to agree. After all, the other party had taken the initiative to make the offer.


    He laughed and pretended that nothing had happened. He continued, ¡°The sphere in your spiritual world seems to have disappeared?¡±


    Seeing this, Wu Susu was secretly furious. However, without any evidence, she could only let it go for the time being.


    Without any further digressions, she nodded and replied.


    The sphere floating in her spiritual world was the food that could help Wu Susu¡¯s spiritual power grow.


    Thanks to the previous research on the ice crystal-like hair in the blue-haired man¡¯s body, the full potential of the sphere¡¯s spiritual talent was unleashed, and she broke through several realms to the inscription realm.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a spiritual battle?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it. Other than through actual combat, he didn¡¯t know how else to teach others. Coincidentally, the spiritual world was suitable for actual combat.


    In a spiritual battle, time would pass very quickly. Usually, it would only last for a short moment in the outside world.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Wu Susu agreed.


    She maintained her cold expression. Only she knew what she was thinking. Both of them were at the level of the inscription realm, so she could consider taking the opportunity to beat Chen Yiming up to vent her anger.


    Not long after,


    their consciousness stood facing each other in their human forms. Chen Yiming let her make the first move.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    A spiritual confrontation was very dangerous, and Wu Susu naturally knew this very well, so she reminded him before she made her move.


    A loud scream rang out in the air.


    The sharp sound caused the space around it to distort slightly. It was an unimaginable scene.


    Chen Yiming glanced at it from the corner of his eye and accurately caught sight of an object formed from spiritual power charging towards him at an unprecedented speed.


    The object formed by her spiritual power was a spinning double-edged flying knife. Its speed was much faster than the speed of sound, and it seemed to almost teleport in the spiritual world.


    If not for the fact that Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power was also enhanced by the Undying Body talent, he would have had to predict its path and dodge in advance.


    Even at a higher level, spiritual damage could not be ignored. The huge eye¡¯s situation was a painful example.


    Because of its carelessness, it had fallen into Chen Yiming¡¯s trap every step of the way, causing it to be unable to recover to its peak. Facing the bone beast, it had almost been devoured by it because its strength had decreased.


    In fact, if not for special reasons, the snow beast would not have bothered with the suggestion of the huge eye to join forces, and would have continued to hibernate instead.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness reached out and grabbed the double-edged flying knife.


    The terrifyingly sharp cutting power on it had created countless small holes in his palm. Each wound represented damage to his spiritual power via his consciousness. This was a spiritual attack.


    ¡°You¡­ Why aren¡¯t you dodging!¡± Wu Susu was dumbfounded.


    She instantly thought that perhaps the other party was doing this in apology. After all, he probably did not do it on purpose back then. However, she had suddenly mentioned it again after all this time.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    After being in a stalemate for a while, the double-edged flying knife gradually lost its strength and was finally crushed by his consciousness.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm as he waved his injured hand around. The holes in it were visibly filled, as if he had completely recovered from his injuries.


    Wu Susu was in disbelief, but judging from the aura of the other party¡¯s consciousness, it did not show any signs of weakening. However, the double-edged flying knife had clearly caused spiritual damage.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s my turn next. Be careful.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness appeared on Wu Susu¡¯s right and threw a punch at her.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Wu Susu raised her hand to meet the attack.


    Her spiritual talent leaned towards perception. The reason why she could quickly figure out the secret of the mysterious symbols was because of her extremely detailed perception.


    Her perception was sharp, so her consciousness was naturally even sharper. The hand she extended seemed to be moving slowly, but it actually reached its position before the fist. It deflected the force at an unbelievable angle to provide the most suitable block.


    The moment they made contact,


    the pair of slender fingers wrapped around the incoming fist, and seemed to be trying to resolve it with force. However, in the next moment, the body of Wu Susu¡¯s consciousness was sent flying into the distance.


    As she flew back, the first thing that she started to lose control of was the white coat she had formed with her spiritual power, causing her naked figure to be revealed.


    In a flash, Chen Yiming caught Wu Susu, who was flying back, near the barrier of the spiritual world.


    ¡°I only used a little strength. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    Although they were both in the inscription realm, the difference in the strength of their consciousness was too great. He was a little embarrassed that he had not achieved the effect of helping the other party practice.


    Hearing this, Wu Susu almost fainted.


    ¡°Her forte is still in research. As expected, she can never be suited for such a head-on battle.¡±


    The moment her consciousness collided with his, she felt like her entire body was about to explode. It felt like the other party only needed to use a little more strength to shatter her entire consciousness.


    She let out a long breath, and the white coat returned to its normal state.


    ¡°This time, I roughly understand the strength you can withstand. Let¡¯s try it again.¡±


    Chen Yiming suggested that they continue. If they stopped, what if she brought up the past? After all, he had unintentionally seen her body again earlier.


    This time, it was not like back when she had yet to start cultivating in earnest. How could he hide his eye movements from her?


    Although Wu Susu was a little angry, she still agreed.


    Other than Chen Yiming, she couldn¡¯t find another suitable opponent to help her adapt to her new strength. Business was more important.


    In the outside world,


    Chen Yiming and the others walked towards Wu Susu. When they were face to face, the battle in their spiritual world had already ended.


    Both of them had already returned to the real world.


    Elder Zhang, Elder Huang, and Feng Wuji vaguely felt that something had changed.


    Wu Susu¡¯s condition had changed drastically. Previously, because she had to forcefully restrain her spiritual power within her spiritual world, she had given off a sense of nervousness from all over her body.


    However, she now seemed to be more relaxed than ever. She was no longer worried that she would not be able to control her power or that it would leak out and destroy the surrounding laboratory buildings.


    ¡­


    At midnight, while countless people were still sleeping.


    In the former gathering place for mutant beasts in the wilderness of the Daxia Kingdom, a black obelisk was erected there almost at the same time as in the wilderness in the other countries.


    At the same time, with the appearance of the black obelisks, a black smokescreen appeared that completely covered the surroundings. Light could not penetrate the smokescreen to reveal what was going on inside.


    ¡°Get up quickly!¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s happening!¡±


    a hunter in charge of guarding the periphery of a certain mutant beast gathering place shouted.


    The sound woke up his companions who were resting in the tent. They turned on the high-powered searchlights and hunters came out of the tents one after another, looking around warily.


    At this moment, they pointed the high-powered searchlights at the black smokescreen. Only then did the hunter team realize that the source of the abnormality was the black obelisk that only had a small part visible through the smokescreen.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Everyone gasped and fell silent, not daring to make a sound.


    The gathering place of the mutant beasts, which had not changed much for many years, suddenly experienced a tremendous change. The scene in front of them gave off a sinister aura.


    ¡°That¡¯s a gathering place for mutant beasts. Why isn¡¯t there any sound?¡±


    As soon as he said this, the hunters at the side felt even colder and their bodies trembled for no reason. The black smoke gave off a terrifying feeling, and it directly swallowed up the entire mutant beast gathering place.


    Not long after, the hunter team did not even dare to take the equipment they had brought with them, and just slowly retreated step by step. When they were far enough, they turned around and ran towards the city, not daring to look back.


    ¡­


    Jiangnan City, the provincial biological research institute.


    The laboratory building was brightly lit, but Elder Zhang, Elder Huang, Feng Wuji, and the big shots from the military had already left one after another. Even Wu Weiguo had left the research institute to go home and rest.


    In the open space in front of the laboratory building, two figures were moving around under the moonlight. Chen Yiming was trying his best to teach Wu Susu about actual combat using the power of nature as a weapon.


    Wu Susu¡¯s martial arts foundation was very weak, and her speed of breakthrough was even slower than Chen Yiming¡¯s. In addition, she had spent most of her time and energy on scientific research.


    As a result, her actual combat ability was completely unable to match up to others in the inscription realm, and she did not have the time to focus on the basics.


    The two of them had weapons formed by mysterious symbols in their hands. Chen Yiming held a sword, and Wu Susu held five throwing knives in each hand.


    Flying knives were an attack tool and method she had specially chosen based on her talent that leaned towards spiritual perception.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The impact from all the attacks were focused on one point. Every time Wu Susu made a mistake, Chen Yiming would help her suppress the fluctuations of her spiritual power.


    Therefore, on the surface, the two of them looked like they were martial arts disciples, and did not reveal any fluctuations in their power.


    Suddenly, the two of them stopped at the same time and turned to look at the source of the abnormality that had appeared in the night.


    ¡°A black obelisk?¡±


    ¡°In the graveyard that has already been destroyed by the spiritual figure, the black pillar there looked similar to the one that just appeared now. The only difference is that there was no black smoke.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze passed through the countless obstacles and saw the black obelisk that had risen from the ground. At the same time, he saw the black smoke that was released and gradually engulfed the entire area.

 Chapter 375 - Humanity Suddenly Panicking

    ¡°The black obelisk is creating undead creatures?¡±


    With Wu Susu¡¯s perception, she sensed that the flesh and blood of the mutant beasts in the area were disappearing, leaving only their bones behind with flames dancing in their eyes.


    In addition, the bones buried deep underground broke out of the ground and combined to form various bone creatures, but it was impossible to tell what species they were from.


    ¡°Can you see what¡¯s happening behind the smokescreen?¡± Chen Yiming turned around and asked. Unless he used his spiritual power to forcefully break through the smokescreen, he could only hear the faint sound of bones colliding.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wu Susu nodded and said, ¡°The mutant beasts lost their flesh and blood, just like the undead creatures from the otherworld in the records.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming immediately thought of the bone beast that the huge eye had mentioned. He had just killed two of its powerful subordinates, the giant snake and the sea demon.


    ¡°Other than the huge eye that first appeared, the top creatures in the dark forest world still seem to be very wary of personally making a move. Are they avoiding the war weapons? Or are they saving their strength to break out of the encirclement?¡±


    ¡°Besides, the cultivation level of the mutant beasts on the blue planet is limited. Even if they are all transformed into undead creatures, they will only obtain a huge army of undead at the bottom tier. Could it be that they are targeting the blockade on the moon?¡±


    A human at the master realm could indeed be killed by the undead army.


    However, for a human in the inscription realm, their body was connected to the power of nature through the mysterious symbols, and they could transfer away any damage that did not exceed their limit.


    Therefore, even if they stood rooted to the ground and let the large number of undead creatures attack them, the undead creatures could not break through their defense at all. Their numbers were no longer a threat to existences of this level.


    On the other hand, even if the large number of undead creatures could not do much damage to them, they could still hold them back.


    ¡°Perhaps on the blue planet monitored by the black tide, as long as the conflict is not above a certain level, the war weapons will not be triggered in advance?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought of this possibility. The dark forest world had experienced two invasions of the black tide, so it was very likely that they knew more about the situation with the war weapons.


    For example, they had first sent a few subordinates to deliberately fight with him to test the status of the war weapons. They should have obtained some relevant information that way.


    ¡­


    Time quickly passed by.


    All the cities around the world fell silent. The martial arts and technological power of humans had completely withdrawn into the cities which were in a defensive state, ready to fight back at any moment.


    ¡°The space plan is the most important. If the enemy doesn¡¯t make a move, we won¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°Get everything ready for the first city-level spaceship to take off.¡±


    At midnight, another international video conference was held urgently. They guessed that the terrifying creatures were about to break out of the encirclement, so they decided to wait and observe the situation.


    At the same time, the ground control centers in the various countries started to share the surveillance footage from various places to help in choosing a time for the first city-level spaceship to take off.


    ¡­


    ¡°A giant riding a mount is charging towards the east coast of the Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    After falling into a strangely peaceful atmosphere, Chen Yiming suddenly received an emergency call from the control center. The content of the emergency report this time was too unexpected.


    The giant on the mount had appeared in the Antarctic along with the bone beast. It was not something that the giant snake and the sea demon could be compared to.


    ¡°Is it here to intimidate me and ensure the safety of the black obelisk? Or for something else?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression changed multiple times. It had been hiding in the dark all this time, but now it suddenly wanted to make a move personally. What was it thinking?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    At this moment, Wu Susu suddenly spoke.


    ¡°You should stay here.¡± Chen Yiming shook his head in refusal.


    He had the enhancement from two talents from the martial arts talent system, which was why he could fight someone of a higher level. Furthermore, he did not have absolute confidence that he could win, and it was even worse for others.


    Wu Susu¡¯s powerful perception, in the face of the absolute difference in strength, was as good as nothing. She might even become a hostage for the enemy.


    Of course, he was not completely afraid of it.


    With his powerful recovery ability, Chen Yiming was confident that he could at least deal with it for a short period of time. If they really fought, it was hard to say what would happen in the oceanic trench.


    He believed that the top creatures in the forest world would not let their emotions affect their decisions. Their common goal was to escape from the moon¡¯s blockade.


    ¡­


    Ò»ÑÛ¿´²»µ½±ß¼ÊµÄ´óº£ÉÏ.


    a black-helmeted giant was riding a huge warhorse that was galloping across the surface.


    Every time the horses¡¯ hooves that were burning with black flames landed, the water from a large area would evaporate from the surface of the sea. After that, the scattered black flames in this area would leave large indentations behind.


    The huge amount of seawater could not neutralize the scattered black flames. The large indentations were not filled in, leaving behind a path of black flames across the sea.


    ¡°The strongest human,¡±


    the black-helmeted giant said as his warhorse stopped in front of a small figure.


    As soon as he finished speaking, black flames lit up an area in a radius of 100 kilometers, completely sealing off the area. Anything that came into contact with the black flames would be burned to ashes on the spot.


    This was a move similar to creating a domain or array formation.


    ¡°Is it trying to trap me?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn as he turned to look in the direction of the oceanic trench. Nothing was happening there.


    ¡°Hahaha, as long as the power of the conflict doesn¡¯t reach the level of the fusion realm, it won¡¯t trigger the war weapon,¡± the black-helmeted giant said with a laugh.


    No matter how one looked at it, Chen Yiming had taken the initiative to jump into the trap and fallen right into the enemy¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Fusion realm?¡±


    ¡°So after breaking through to the inscription realm, the next realm is the fusion realm.¡±


    He had relied on upgrading his talents to break through to the next level. No matter how much information a name contained, it would not be of much use. Of course, he did not panic even if he was trapped. The spiritual figure could help him out at any time.


    After some thought, Chen Yiming probed, ¡°Are you guys afraid that I¡¯ll destroy the black obelisks?¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    The black-helmeted giant laughed again. After laughing, he said, ¡°Cherish your last moments. In any case, you don¡¯t have long to live!¡±


    ¡°It seems that the black-helmeted giant will make a move before trying to break out of the encirclement.¡±


    Although the other party didn¡¯t specify its next move, it was undoubtedly treating Chen Yiming as though he was a turtle in a jar and was confident that he could end the battle quickly.


    Under normal circumstances, those at the fusion realm, which was a level higher, indeed had the combat strength to crush those at the inscription realm.


    However, the black-helmeted giant, who was working with the bone beast, didn¡¯t know the truth about his situation and didn¡¯t take Chen Yiming seriously.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming was trapped by the black flames, something strange happened around all the human cities. First, mysterious symbols appeared on the ground. These symbols circled the cities, as if a ritual was about to be held.


    Immediately after, a triangle formed by mysterious symbols appeared from the center of each city. The three corners were connected to the large circle of unknown symbols that surrounded each city.


    When the large circle and triangle were completed, other than those above the warrior realm, all the ordinary people collapsed.


    Some warriors tried to rush out of the city, but when they crossed the line of the circle, they were burned to ashes on the spot by an invisible force. They could not even make a sound before they fell.


    ¡°All the cities are surrounded through an unknown ritual!¡±


    At the international video conference, after confirming the situation of the other countries, they panicked. The appearance of the unknown ritual meant that the enemy dared to make a move to attack the humans.


    This kind of indiscriminate action against all the human cities was too unbelievable and beyond everyone¡¯s expectations.


    Chen Yiming, who represented the strongest martial arts power among humans, was facing the black-helmeted giant. There was no news from him, and it seemed like he couldn¡¯t provide any support.


    Then, in the middle of each triangle, a black line formed by mysterious symbols extended out, pointing straight at the black obelisk that was closest to each city.


    ¡­


    On the snowy mountain,


    half of the mountain that was formed by ice crystals shattered, revealing a door-like hole. The snow beast inside looked up at the starry sky. The huge eye shone with a flickering light.


    ¡°Those two guys are too bold!¡±


    The snow beast¡¯s deep black eyes did not move at all. A dull sound echoed through the snow mountain and spread out from the gap.


    ¡°Those two guys were too optimistic. They wanted to take advantage of the fact that the war weapon had yet to be completely formed to suddenly use the Yin and Yang formations to use up the life force of the people on the entire planet to hold back the blockade.


    However, humans aren¡¯t easy to deal with. Other than Chen Yiming, there are also people hiding in the dark who can break the connection between the Yin and Yang formations.¡±


    The huge eye immediately recalled the spiritual creature that had been revived.


    Drawing a single Yin formation and a single Yang formation could be completed very quickly, but it would take a long time for the Yin and Yang formations on the entire planet to be connected.


    If a large number of Yin and Yang formations were destroyed during this period, there would be problems with the sacrificial ritual, and it might even result in a failure.


    After all, it was easy to destroy them, but it was very difficult to protect all the Yin and Yang formations at once, even if the bone beast controlled them with all its might.


    ¡°However, although we can buy some time by forcefully cutting off the conditions for the black tide to descend, we might have to face an endless pursuit after escaping the blockade,¡± the snow beast said with a sigh.


    The snow beast knew that even with the combined strength of the entire dark forest world, they could not withstand the terrifying power of the black tide. Therefore, it did not dare to fight it head-on and had always focused on survival.


    As for the bone beast and the black-helmeted giant, they seemed to be courting death and actually took the initiative to anger the black tide.


    ¡­


    Within the domain formed by the black flames, after receiving the news from the spiritual figure, Chen Yiming immediately made arrangements to destroy the mysterious symbols in the cities and the black obelisks as soon as possible.


    When he came back to his senses, he was furious. How could it be a good thing to make a move on all the human cities at once?


    ¡°Giant transformation!¡±


    With a low grunt, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure expanded gradually, turning into a 1,000-meter-tall giant on the spot.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    The black-helmeted giant opposite him laughed again, as if it was mocking him since it was too late to do anything about the situation. Furthermore, he had taken the initiative to step into the trap it had set up.


    How could a mere human at the inscription realm fight against it, who was at the fusion realm?


    If they stayed in the human cities, it would be difficult for them to make a move. This was because they had only one chance to launch a large-scale attack on the creatures that the black tide had targeted.


    It had to deal a heavy blow to the moon¡¯s blockade and quickly escape from it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The battle between the giants quickly started. There were not many fancy moves, only the collision of their bodies that were strengthened by the mysterious symbols.


    In the first round, the black-helmeted giant and its mount took a few steps back. As for Chen Yiming, he was sent flying and crashed into the black flames. His huge body was burned by the black flames.


    ¡°An attack that combined one¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit actually didn¡¯t destroy him?¡±


    The black-helmeted giant was a little surprised. Compared to the inscription realm, the power of the fusion realm was a huge improvement. It should have been a crushing defeat.


    In the fusion realm, essence represented the body¡¯s strength, energy represented the power of nature, and spirit represented the power of the mind. The three were fused together with the mysterious symbols as a medium, causing a terrifying qualitative change in the level of strength.


    In the history of the dark forest world, it was always ruled by creatures at the fusion realm. The main reason was that when those at the inscription realm faced those at the fusion realm, they would be defeated based solely on the difference in their strength.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming gritted his teeth and stood up.


    ¡°It hurts!¡±


    The moment he was hit by the other party¡¯s attack, his entire body felt like it was about to split open. This was something that had never happened when he was facing the huge eye. Perhaps this was the true strength of the fusion realm.


    In the previous conflict with the huge eye, the other party had not had the chance to display its true strength.


    Fortunately, he had the enhancement from two talents, and his physique was stronger than one could imagine. As long as he was not completely unable to withstand it, he would be able to recover quickly.


    On the other hand, the black flames were just tickling him. Even though he was burning up, the damage caused to his body was actually not as fast as his recovery speed.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°He recovered!¡±


    The black-helmeted giant¡¯s pupils constricted. He had thought that this human would either die or lose his ability to fight, but he seemed to have recovered completely.


    The expression on its big face went from slightly surprised to truly surprised.


    It had never seen such a terrifying physique. If it was at the same level, it would not have dared to imagine it. Perhaps the outcome would be completely the opposite, and it would be crushed by this human.


    The black-helmeted giant suddenly looked at the distant land and seemed to be puzzled.


    According to their plan, the ritual should have already started by this time. After it unleashed an attack at the fusion realm and killed the strongest human, they would enter the stage of escaping the blockade.


    This was because be it sacrificing the living creatures on the entire planet or unleashing attacks at the level of the fusion realm, their actions would be detected by the war weapons.


    It could be said that there was no way out. They would be chased down by the war weapons.


    Chen Yiming smiled.


    On the talent panel, because the spiritual figure was quickly destroying the black obelisks everywhere and destroying the traces of spiritual will contained in each mysterious symbol, he was getting closer and closer to his Level-6 swordsmanship talent.


    There was another piece of good news. The one who was secretly controlling all of this was forced to use the mysterious symbols to resist the destruction caused by the spiritual figure from a distance.


    In terms of spiritual confrontation, his swordsmanship talent had always been very effective against spiritual power. At the moment, the ritual had stopped, and the speed of destruction far exceeded the speed of recovery.


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 4, Giant ¡ª Level 3


    Level: Inscription Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 6


    Level: Fusion Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill Points: 2312


    The spiritual figure that had broken through to the fusion realm turned into a divine sword on the spot. A sword-shaped mark appeared in the middle of the hilt. This was the ultimate secret of the fusion realm.

 Chapter 376 - Undying Characteristics

    The surface of the sea rose and fell, and waves were created from time to time. The clouds had long been dispersed by the aftershock of the collision, and a crescent moon could clearly be seen.


    Two giants of the same size stood facing each other, separated by a few kilometers. The black-helmeted giant riding on a huge warhorse had a dark expression on his face.


    ¡°What is the bone beast doing?¡±


    Working together to escape from the blockade did not mean that the two sides had a good relationship. This was because there were also other creatures from the dark forest world at the fusion realm on the blue planet.


    Now that there was a problem with the sacrificial ritual, the black-helmeted giant¡¯s first reaction was to suspect that the bone beast had somehow tricked it.


    The black-helmeted giant turned its head slightly. Most of its attention was no longer on Chen Yiming, but on the bottomless black trench.


    When Chen Yiming saw the change in the black-helmeted giant, he knew that it was panicking.


    He was not in a hurry. The spiritual figure that had broken through to the fusion realm was quickly destroying most of the connections between the Yin and Yang formations.


    The bone beast was using the mysterious symbols to control the Yin and Yang formations across the entire planet. Its power was too scattered.


    Before the spiritual figure broke through, it could already cause a huge amount of interference to their plan, let alone after breaking through to the fusion realm.


    Now, the balance of their combat strength had changed, and the bone beast that originally had the absolute advantage from the absolute advantage was now inferior to the spiritual figure. The other party still did not know about this sudden change.


    Just as the two giants fell silent, the surface of the sea suddenly rose more than 10 meters before falling back to its original position.


    The black-helmeted giant was completely attracted by the change at the bottom of the sea. It turned around and showed its back to its opponent.


    ¡°Is the war weapon about to be activated? I wonder how it¡¯s different from what the huge eye did?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    The only regret was that the plan to send the first city-level spaceship out of the blockade had failed because of the actions of the bone beast and the black-helmeted giant.


    This was a rare opportunity for Chen Yiming to let the creatures at the level of the fusion realm from the dark forest world lead the charge. He could hide at the back and understand the true level of the blockade.


    After a special barrier appeared around the trench, he knew that the scene he had seen was what the blockade wanted him to see. The real situation within it was definitely not just that.


    Suddenly, countless splashes appeared on the distant sea.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Black tentacles suddenly broke through the surface of the water and shot into the sky. There were a few dozen of them, and they were each extremely thick.


    At the same time, a terrifying aura spread out. It could be clearly felt even from thousands of kilometers away.


    The war weapon had been activated in advance due to the black-helmeted giant¡¯s attack that had combined its essence, energy, and spirit.


    ¡°Trying to escape?¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and stopped the black-helmeted giant.


    After confirming that the war weapon had been activated, the other party had immediately made the decision to hide its aura and move to another location. The reason why it was easily stopped by Chen Yiming was because the black-helmeted giant didn¡¯t even dare to use half of its strength.


    The spiritual figure had already broken through to the fusion realm and could be summoned at any time.


    In any case, the blockade this time would definitely have a strong start but a weak finish. If he did not intimidate them, the existences at the level of the fusion realm from the dark forest world might target the humans again when they tried to break out of the encirclement.


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    The black-helmeted giant glared angrily at him, and the huge warhorse he was riding also revealed an anxious expression.


    A complete war weapon had once dominated the dark forest world and killed countless creatures at the fusion realm. It was an existence that the power of the entire dark forest world could not stop.


    It was also because of this that when humans extended their hands into the otherworld from their stronghold, they had never encountered the collective hostility of the otherworld creatures. This was because after the black tide¡¯s first invasion of the dark forest world, the powerful creatures had all gone into hiding.


    Now, even if the war weapon was incomplete, it was not something that a single creature at the fusion realm could fight against.


    ¡°Since the war weapon reacts to the power fluctuations at the fusion realm, the target will definitely not be me.¡± Chen Yiming smiled again.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the huge warhorse took a step forward and arrived right in front of Chen Yiming. A halberd appeared in the black-helmeted giant¡¯s hand. The halberd was a weapon formed from mysterious symbols, and it was extremely durable. As it was waved around, the sky changed color.


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re at the fusion realm? With an attack at a lower level, do you think I¡¯ll be afraid of you?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t take a step back or try to dodge. He used his body to meet the attack head-on, and his fist struck the crescent-shaped blade of the halberd.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang, an explosion engulfed the two giant figures.


    In the next moment, the shock wave caused by the collision dispersed the waves, turning into an invisible shock wave that created a tsunami that rushed towards the coast.


    At this moment, the figures of the two giants reappeared. Chen Yiming was fighting one against two, and had blocked the opponent¡¯s halberd attack head-on.


    It had to be known that other than the power from the fusion realm, the black-helmeted giant¡¯s strength also included that of its warhorse.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Looking at the smiling face in front of it, the black-helmeted giant had never felt so aggrieved. If not for the fact that it did not dare to use the power of the fusion realm, it would have long used the combination of its essence, energy, and spirit to completely defeat its opponent.


    This humiliation was second only to the time when its lower body had been devoured.


    ¡°You¡¯re at the fusion realm. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so weak.¡± Chen Yiming provoked his opponent further, refusing to let the black-helmeted giant escape.


    Thousands of kilometers away, the tentacles of the war weapon seemed to be piercing straight through the clouds. No one knew when they would make a move.


    The two huge figures quickly clashed again and again.


    The black-helmeted giant¡¯s abilities leaned towards strength, destructive power, and a strong physique. Without being able to use its power at the level of the fusion realm, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of his opponent at all.


    Once, twice, dozens of times, hundreds of times.


    The commotion from the battle on the surface of the sea had already been captured by a large number of satellites from various angles. However, because the speed was too fast, the images either contained many after-images or looked like they were not moving.


    The only thing that could be confirmed was that Chen Yiming was safe and sound and had even held back the enemy.


    ¡­


    At the international video conference,


    the atmosphere that had fallen into despair eased up a little after the unknown ritual was interrupted. When the satellite images from the sea appeared, their confidence in the space plan was finally reignited.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the giant riding the mount is invincible!¡±


    The leader of a small country could tell from the expressions on their faces that the one who was trying to escape was the black-helmeted giant. The balance of strength among the two sides was obvious.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It would be even better if we could kill the giant knight. Otherwise, it will continue to spy on us,¡± another leader of a small country said.


    The leaders of the European Union, Sam Nation, and Russia also heaved a sigh of relief.


    The world had changed too quickly. They had thought that with the combined strength of most of the countries on the blue planet, the space plan should be able to be completed quickly. Who knew that things would not be so simple in reality?


    Among the creatures from the dark forest world that had come to the blue planet, there was a terrifying existence that could easily destroy their entire world. The black obelisks and the unknown ritual that surrounded all the human cities proved this.


    If not for the fact that the ritual had been interrupted and Chen Yiming had stopped the black-helmeted giant, it would be difficult to say if the humans would still be alive.


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom still had a serious expression on his face.


    Unlike the other heads of countries, he knew much more about the inside information, including the weapon of war, the huge eye that was secretly making moves, and the existence behind the ice crystal-like hair.


    The arrival of the black tide had long been determined to be unstoppable. Then, as long as the human spaceships could not successfully break through the blockade, everything would just be a futile struggle.


    They had overcome this hurdle for the time being. The next hurdle might appear soon. Would they be able to overcome it then?


    ¡­


    On the snowy mountain.


    ¡°As expected, it failed.¡±


    The flickering light in the huge eye was retracted, and its pupil returned to its usual state.


    Because it was still recovering, it did not use its spiritual power if it could avoid it. This was so that it could prepare for its next move after escaping the blockade.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I thought we were about to break through the blockade.¡±


    When the snow beast saw that the ritual had failed, it immediately felt sleepy. It exhaled a long stream of white fog that turned into hard ice crystals that sealed off the entrance to the cavern.


    Then, it lay down and immediately fell into a deep sleep.


    The huge eye and the snow beast, one was for it, and the other was against it. However, no matter what, they would have to follow the situation. The alliance between the two sides was just to prevent them from being targeted by the bone beast and the black-helmeted giant. Their main goal was to protect themselves.


    ¡­


    Along the equator, in an uninhabited area, there was a long corridor made of white bones. Along the way, there were white bones on both sides that carried the head of a huge beast.


    At this moment, as if an unknown force had swept through the area, the heads of these giant beasts exploded and turned into dust.


    At the end of the corridor, there was a throne made of white bones. The bone beast lying on it let out a furious roar that shook the surroundings.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The bone beast had lost control of the Yin and Yang formations scattered around the world. They were destroyed by someone with power at the level of the fusion realm.


    The two pale flames in its pupils were dancing crazily, indicating its anger.


    It had never suspected that the target was a human. The first possibility it had thought of was the huge eye. After all, it had once thought of devouring the huge eye. Perhaps it had planted a seed of conflict back then.


    However, on second thought, since they had yet to escape the blockade, there was no reason for the huge eye to ruin their plan.


    ¡°Could it be that a black tide creature is willing to pay the price and descend on this planet in advance?¡±


    After thinking about it, this seemed to be the only possibility. The strongest human had already been trapped, and the huge eye shared their common goal of escaping the blockade.


    Only the black tide that treated this planet as its own possession would make a move to stop their plan.


    During the second invasion of the small forest world, the black tide had only remotely launched the war weapons left in the sea. No new black tide creatures had invaded the world.


    After a while, the bone beast turned to look in the direction of the oceanic trench. The war weapon there had been activated in advance.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s gather first. It¡¯s just an incomplete war weapon. There¡¯s still a way to break out of the encirclement.¡±


    There was a qualitative difference between a complete war weapon and the power of someone at the level of the fusion realm. It could still hide or dodge an incomplete war weapon from a distance.


    ¡­


    On the surface of the sea.


    ¡°The black-helmeted giant¡¯s companion is here.¡±


    The spiritual figure had already hidden in the surroundings and communicated with Chen Yiming immediately.


    The bone beast didn¡¯t hide itself. Instead, it headed over as quickly as possible. The commotion caused by the black-helmeted giant¡¯s attack at the place where Chen Yiming was trapped was like a light in the night sky.


    This was the power that a creature at the fusion realm should have. The bone beast had never felt that there was anything on this planet that could threaten its existence other than the black tide.


    That way, it only needed to circle around and stay away from the war weapon that had been triggered in advance.


    ¡°I intended to let you off earlier, but let¡¯s see how you escape now.¡±


    The black-helmeted giant sensed that the bone beast was heading its way, so it let out a furious roar, as if it was venting the frustration it had accumulated from the battle.


    It was actually being held back by a human who was an entire realm lower than it, and it could not defeat him with only its power at the level of the inscription realm.


    In reality, it was possible to retreat in such a sorry state, but unless it was in a life-and-death situation, it would never do that. This was because the opponent was only at the level of the inscription realm.


    ¡°Sword, come!¡±


    Chen Yiming leaped up, and a flash of light appeared in the sky. In the next moment, a divine sword flew into his hand and he slashed down from above.


    ¡°You won¡¯t escape even if it¡¯s one against two?¡±


    The black-helmeted giant was furious again. Why was the situation always different from what it imagined?


    Of course, it could not retreat. This was its dignity when facing a creature of a lower level. Therefore, it used the power of its warhorse and its strength, brandishing its halberd to meet the attack.


    At the last moment, when the two sides came into contact, the sword-shaped mark on the divine sword flashed and activated the power of the fusion of essence, energy, and spirit.


    Chen Yiming thought that since his cultivation level was low and he wasn¡¯t a target for the war weapon, he could just escape.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Under the dumbfounded gaze of the black-helmeted giant, the halberd was first broken into two pieces, then the black helmet exploded. Finally, even the black giant and its warhorse were split into two.


    The terrifying blood aura and black flames immediately spread out, and the surface of the sea within a range of more than 100 kilometers was filled with black and red. The view of the sky also became blurry due to the waves of heat emanating from the surface of the sea.


    Such a terrifying scene seemed to be broadcasting the death of a creature at the level of the fusion realm.


    ¡°It died just like that?¡±


    Chen Yiming quickly communicated with the spiritual figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that its body was destroyed. The explosion of essence, energy, and spirit earlier failed to hit the Undying Mark in its body,¡± the spiritual figure explained.


    The Undying Mark was a product of the fusion of the physical body, spiritual power, and mysterious symbols. An example was the sword-shaped mark on the divine sword formed by the spiritual figure.


    It could be said that creatures at the fusion realm could no longer be described as supernatural creatures. Their bodies and minds were strongly tied to the mysterious symbols, and they had laid the groundwork for the Undying characteristics.


    As long as the Undying Mark in its body was not destroyed, all the damage caused by the attacks could be quickly transferred elsewhere. Its injuries could also be healed in a way similar to memory processes.


    What he saw was just an illusion. As long as the black-helmeted giant wanted to, he could recover on the spot without having sustained any injuries.


    ¡°Are you deliberately pretending to be weak to lure me over to check things out?¡± Chen Yiming communicated with the spiritual figure again.


    ¡°The Undying Mark and the fusion attack using one¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit are both from the fusion realm. It should be the result of the other party deliberately suppressing its strength earlier,¡± the spiritual figure explained.

 Chapter 377 - Shadow That Cannot Be Seen

    In order to avoid being detected by the war weapon, the black-helmeted giant suppressed his own aura and combat power.


    It had not expected the divine sword formed by Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual figure to be at the level of the fusion realm. It was caught off guard and split into two.


    Facing an existence at the same level, it was extremely dangerous to be unguarded. Once a combined attack from the opponent¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit hit the Undying Mark, there was a high chance that it would die aggrievedly.


    At this moment, the bone beast arrived and landed beside the two halves of its body.


    ¡°You were almost killed!¡±


    Two pale flames were flickering in its eyes. Its mouth, which was filled with dense fangs, opened and closed, and its expression seemed to be teasing it.


    As soon as it finished speaking, the sound of a heartbeat rang out, echoing heavily across the surface of the sea. It was like the sound of thunder before a storm, or the sound of a volcano accumulating its strength before it erupted.


    The strange whispers caused by the loss of control of his spiritual power suddenly disappeared. All the scattered blood essence and limbs returned along the path they had dispersed along under an invisible suction force.


    In the end, the giant, who had lost its black helmet, stood up together with its huge warhorse. The black helmet was a defense item and had been completely destroyed.


    There was a terrifying scar on its face, from its forehead to its lower jaw. For some reason, it had not healed completely and was left on its face.


    ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on on your side? Why didn¡¯t the ritual go according to plan?¡± the giant on the warhorse said through gritted teeth, its expression changing constantly.


    If the sacrificial ritual had been successful, it would not have been stopped by a human at the level of the inscription realm, and even been cut in half by him.


    They would already have unleashed the terrifying power of the fusion realm and would be unleashing attacks while attempting to break through the blockade.


    This planet was on the verge of the first invasion of the black tide. The power of the blockade on it was not like that of the dark forest world, where it was no longer possible to escape. However, it was located in an unknown galaxy.


    If not for the fact that they had no other option, it would be a huge risk to rashly leave a planet that supported life and move through the desolate outer space.


    In fact, after leaving the planet, without a destination in mind, there was a high chance that one would completely lose their way and eventually die in some corner of the universe.


    ¡°It should be because of that sword.¡± The bone beast stared at the sword-shaped mark on the hilt of the sword in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    The reason why beings at the fusion realm were equipped with the undying ability was because of the Undying Mark. This was a sign that these beings had surpassed the level of the supernatural and were moving towards an even higher level.


    Their body and mind had completely fused with the mysterious symbols. Most of the accidents they encountered while traveling through outer space would no longer pose any risk to them and could be easily avoided.


    ¡°This planet is a cultivation desert. It shouldn¡¯t be able to give rise to beings at the fusion realm without a long period of accumulation. Is there a traitor among us?¡±


    The giant riding the warhorse also stared at the sword-shaped mark. The sword body, blade, hilt, and so on were not important. It was the Undying Mark that was the symbol of the fusion realm. As long as it was there, it would have a deterrent effect.


    ¡°It appeared in the dark forest world, but it was still in the inscription realm at that time. I didn¡¯t expect it to join forces with humans and destroy all the Yin and Yang formations.¡±


    The bone beast still thought that the spiritual figure that had transformed into the divine sword had come from the dark forest world, and many coincidences had led to their current situation.


    After benefiting from the appearance of the space-travel passages linked to the dark forest world, the blue planet had a cultivation environment that was only one or two levels lower.


    It was impossible for any creature to break through to the same level as them without a long period of accumulation.


    Just as Chen Yiming was confronting the bone beast and the giant on a warhorse, the war weapon finally started to move.


    The war weapon had the shape of a jellyfish, but the true appearance of its core was still hidden behind a barrier, and only its tentacles were revealed.


    The sky suddenly darkened, and an aura of death began to appear. Countless black threads inexplicably appeared in the air. This was its special perception ability.


    ¡°Stay hidden!¡±


    Chen Yiming received a warning from the figure in his mind, and quickly returned to his normal size. The following battle wouldn¡¯t have much to do with him.


    The war weapon¡¯s targets were the spiritual figure, the bone beast, and the giant on the warhorse. He only needed to dodge the aftershock of the battle in time.


    Chen Yiming had absolute confidence that he could withstand the fusion attack of essence, energy, and spirit.


    It was also because of this that he dared to let the spiritual figure unleash its true power at the level of the fusion realm to attack the giant together with its mount.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Before the war weapon surfaced, the sea under their feet exploded, and black tentacles attacked the three targets at the same time.


    The moment Chen Yiming saw the black tentacles, he felt like he had been pulled into an unknown space. There was a huge creature in this space with thousands of tentacles floating around.


    Most of the surrounding area was dark. A few areas inexplicably provided light for one to see clearly, but there was nothing good that was revealed.


    There was a pool of blood, a cliff with rotting corpses, a cave with countless glowing pupils, and so on.


    Terrifying whispers came from all over the place, as if countless demons and ghosts surrounded the area.


    This gave one the feeling that they were in hell. There was no way out, and they still had to face the pressure from the huge creature with thousands of tentacles that was an unknown distance away.


    In the next moment, these scenes were all shattered.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s vision returned to normal, and he realized that he was flying backward. He was dozens of kilometers away from his original position, and the divine sword formed by the spiritual figure in his hand had disappeared.


    ¡°Was it because my spiritual power failed to fuse with the mysterious symbols that my five senses were easily affected?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    When he was fighting the black-helmeted giant, both of them specialized in strength. With his double talent, Chen Yiming¡¯s physique had long since exceeded the limits of the inscription realm.


    If not for the fact that the spiritual figure had sent him far away, Chen Yiming would have remained rooted on the spot and gotten stabbed by the tentacles.


    The outcome of that was obvious. It would definitely not be anything good.


    When his body landed back on the surface of the sea, the black threads could no longer be seen in the air. He was no longer within the range of the war weapon.


    Chen Yiming looked up and saw that a battle had broken out on the surface of the sea.


    A fan-shaped ripple shot out from the mouth of the bone beast, destroying all the black threads in its path. Then, a pair of bone wings spread out from its back, and in the blink of an eye, it flew into the sky and dodged the attacks from the tentacles.


    The warhorse under the giant spat out three streams of black flames from its nostrils and mouth at the tentacles coming at it. The black flames could burn anything, and immediately burned the black threads in the air to ashes.


    It no longer dared to suppress its cultivation level. The warhorse unleashed its full speed and escaped from the range of the black threads in just a few steps.


    The spiritual figure did not have any experience fighting war weapons, so it followed suit and unleashed the Sword Aura. The Sword Aura completely countered the spiritual attacks, and the black threads disappeared upon making contact, creating a large empty space.


    After doing this, the spiritual figure soared into the sky and easily dodged the tentacles that were trying to surround it.


    ¡°It¡¯s an incomplete war weapon. Since the bone beast dared to appear and join up with its companion, it seems that it really can¡¯t do anything about the creatures at the fusion realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming observed the attacks from the tentacles of the war weapon. If this was all it could do, it wouldn¡¯t be able to capture any of the three targets.


    As soon as this thought appeared, a twist immediately happened in the situation on the battlefield.


    The bone beast that had flown into the sky released its spiritual power with a serious expression, as if it was trying to investigate something.


    However, its back suddenly suffered a heavy blow. Layers of white bone broke apart, and a huge hole appeared in his body. The impact created a terrifying shock wave that was like a nuclear bomb. It could even be seen from the coastline of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Finally, it slammed into the surface of the sea from the sky. The bone beast let out a painful roar. Not only was its body injured, but many bones had also fallen out from its body.


    The warhorse, which was running so fast that it seemed to have teleported, encountered a similar attack almost at the same time. The horse¡¯s abdomen was hit by an unknown attack, and a large amount of its flesh and blood exploded. It was almost cut in half.


    The giant riding on it seemed to have been prepared for this. It grabbed at the hole in the horse¡¯s abdomen with one hand and flung something away.


    The surface of the sea was hit by waves that soared into the sky. Along the way, the seawater was dyed red with blood, and the screams of the warhorse echoed in the space between the sky and the earth.


    ¡°An attack that can¡¯t be sensed by spiritual power!¡±


    The bone beast and the giant on the warhorse should have made some preparations. Chen Yiming saw this and instantly communicated with the figure in his mind.


    The way to deal with this was to use their bodies to face the attack. They would suffer heavy damage, but they had to avoid the attack from reaching the Undying Mark.


    At the same time, the spiritual figure also faced a sudden attack from above.


    The moment it received the news from Chen Yiming, it immediately transformed into a spinning sword that clashed with the incoming attack.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Unexpectedly, the spinning divine sword did not break apart. Instead, it forcefully broke through a flickering shadow and continued to charge into the sky.


    ¡°The system¡¯s products are definitely top-notch!¡±


    Chen Yiming was overjoyed. The performance brought about by his Level-6 swordsmanship talent had completely met his expectations.


    Since the actions of the bone beast indicated that there was no absolute difference between an incomplete war weapon and the fusion realm, it was naturally not a problem to rely on the top-notch talent provided by the system.


    This was also evidenced by the fact that the spiritual figure had directly turned into a divine sword and won the head-on battle.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Their injuries were visibly recovering, and the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse also noticed the situation in the sky.


    ¡°It actually broke through the shadow!¡±


    The flickering shadow was reflected in the pale flames in the eyes of the bone beast. When it shattered, it revealed a human-like appearance.


    This was a special ability of the war weapons. Shadows could come and go without a trace. The creatures at the fusion realm in the dark forest world believed that war weapons had the special ability to create a temporary space.


    Therefore, their spiritual power could not detect these shadows. They needed to focus on protecting the Undying Mark in their body the moment the attack appeared.


    ¡°I might not be able to defeat that spiritual figure!¡±


    The giant on the warhorse focused on a different point compared to its companion and felt its heart tighten. It started to worry about the problems after it escaped. There was a difference between living creatures and non-living things like the war weapon.


    Earlier, it had wanted to have a chance to get back at him later, but now, it seemed that if they met again, it had to escape immediately. Otherwise, it might be killed.


    It suddenly thought of the tragic situation of the huge eye. There was only one circle left of the ripple pattern, which meant that most of its Undying Mark had been destroyed.


    ¡°Could it be?¡±


    Logically speaking, the huge eye had arrived on the blue planet before a war weapon was produced. It should not have suffered such damage before trying to break out of the encirclement.


    For creatures at the fusion realm, the damage to their body and mind could be healed by the Undying Mark. Therefore, direct physical and spiritual damage was not considered as injuries.


    Of course, the number of times the Undying Mark could be used in a short period of time was limited. This limit was related to the degree of affinity with the power of nature. The lower limit was dozens of times, and the highest was 99 times.


    In other words, even if one could not destroy the Undying Mark immediately, they could still kill creatures at the fusion realm by destroying them at most 99 times.


    The divine sword formed by the spiritual figure unexpectedly broke through the shadow and rushed out of the range of the black threads.


    Not long after, it turned into a stream of light and flew towards Chen Yiming. Soon, it was in his hand again. The war weapon didn¡¯t use the same unknown attacks to stop it.


    On the battlefield on the sea, just as the bone beast and the giant on the warhorses recovered from their injuries, the war weapon had already arrived near them.


    More tentacles appeared from the surface of the sea and sealed off the surroundings. This encirclement was incomparable to what it was at the start, and they faced attacks from the tentacles in almost every direction.


    ¡°How will those two escape?¡±


    Chen Yiming watched intently. The spiritual figure breaking through to the fusion realm had only increased its combat strength. This was a rare opportunity to watch the fusion realm in battle.


    Under the pressure of the war weapon, the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse might be forced to reveal some of their trump cards.


    In the future, when they tried to break through the blockade, the chances of them being able to trick Chen Yiming would decrease a little. He would also be more confident in safely sending off the spaceship carrying the spark of humanity.


    ¡­


    In an underground palace in the uninhabited desert on the African continent.


    A firebird was reflected in the pupils on the stone slab. The firebird¡¯s eyes reflected the scene on the sea. An unknown existence related to the black tide was secretly observing everything.


    ¡°The conflict has indeed been successfully sowed, but there seems to be something unexpected.¡±


    The unexpected thing referred to the spiritual figure. Even the existence the pupils on the stone slab belonged to did not expect that the difference in strength would be completely reversed.


    After the spiritual figure broke through, the combat strength it displayed was extraordinary.


    The dark forest world had been invaded by the black tide twice, but the remaining creatures at the fusion realm did not know that before the requirements were met for the black tide to descend, it was the same no matter which side caused negative emotions on the blue planet.


    Furthermore, if it went smoothly as expected, it would unknowingly speed up the descent of the black tide and shorten the time needed to form the blockade.

 Chapter 378 - Mistaken Understanding

    The pupils on the stone slab slowly closed. The surrounding pillars, chains, and stone jars did not move at all. Darkness, coldness, and silence filled the entire underground palace.


    ¡°It seems that those ants can no longer bring fear to this planet. I have to return to my original plan and do it myself.¡±


    After a long time, the pupils reopened.


    As invisible ripples spread out, the surrounding pillars and stone jars began to shake. The silence in the underground palace was broken.


    The firebird that was reflected in the pupils was suddenly infiltrated by the black aura, which then automatically left its body.


    At this moment, the firebird let out a tragic scream. Bright red blood dripped from its eyes, turning into endless flames that burned on the surface of the sea.


    However, everyone¡¯s gazes were still focused on the war weapon. The commotion caused by an inscription realm creature hundreds of kilometers away seemed to be extremely small compared to the battlefield on the surface of the sea. They did not even catch the attention of man-made satellites.


    The firebird was once one of the terrifying creatures, but it was completely ignored now.


    ¡­


    On the battlefield on the surface of the sea, an endless shadow was besieging the remaining two targets.


    A large number of shock waves were formed by the collisions, as though nuclear bombs had been detonated one after another. Blinding flashes of light appeared and disappeared one after another.


    Of course, nuclear bombs could only produce a similar effect in terms of momentum. Their actual lethality was no longer comparable to creatures at the fusion realm.


    Every attack from the shadow could shatter a small portion of its target¡¯s body. Although the attribute was purely physical damage, it was still extremely terrifying. It indicated that one had reached the limit in a certain attribute.


    The bone beast and the giant on the warhorse were forced to use their Undying Marks to recover time and time again, while looking for a gap to escape out of the range of the black threads.


    If it wasn¡¯t the spiritual figure, but Chen Yiming who was on the battlefield,


    he could withstand it once or twice, but he could not withstand it countless times. Without the Undying Mark from the fusion realm, he could be completely destroyed by the shadow in just a few moves.


    At this moment, under the surface of the sea, an eyeball emitting a black aura floated towards the war weapon at a moderate speed. When it got close, it fused with the invisible barrier and disappeared.


    Immediately after, the war weapon suddenly let out a sharp cry. An extremely suppressed aura spread out, causing one¡¯s hair to stand on end.


    ¡°Uh¡­ could it be that I made a mistake in my judgment?¡± Chen Yiming was surprised and suspicious.


    Logically speaking, the reason why the bone beast dared to appear and join up with its companion was naturally because it was confident that it could escape from a war weapon that had yet to be completely formed.


    Now, the spiritual figure had already escaped for a while, but the other party was still being beaten up by the shadow. What surprised him the most was that the tentacles extended by the war weapon suddenly started to change forms.


    A moment ago, there were still dozens of tentacles surrounding them. The gap was still relatively large, but now, the tentacles had inexplicably disappeared and were replaced by a cylindrical black barrier.


    Other than the sound of the shadow beating them up, nothing that was inside the barrier could be seen. It completely blocked out one¡¯s vision and spiritual power.


    Inside the black barrier.


    ¡°Damn it, this is the black barrier that only completed war weapons use. The defense of the barrier is comparable to the strength of the shadow.¡±


    The bone beast was looking for a suitable opportunity to escape. According to its intuition, three shadows were watching it at that moment. However, the moment it saw the tentacles transform, the pale flames in its eyes flickered.


    This was different from the behavior of the incomplete war weapons when the dark forest world was invaded by the black tide.


    The endless shadows combined with the tentacles were indeed powerful, but with the price of being destroyed many times and then recovering each time, one could usually still find a gap to escape.


    For those at the level of the fusion realm, they could not afford to offend it, but they could hide from it. They would treat it as if they were being chased down.


    However, the black barrier had completely sealed them in a fixed space. As long as they could not break through the seal and escape, the Undying Mark would eventually run out of its recovery ability.


    There were also three shadows watching the giant on the warhorse.


    ¡°After losing to it once, I accidentally obtained a special trump card, which is equivalent to a second life.¡± When the giant saw the black barrier, it recalled the incident in the past.


    The reason why the lower half of its body had disappeared was because it had encountered a situation similar to the one it was facing at this moment.


    However, at that time, there was not just the bone beast that was on their side. The black barrier had covered a larger area, and the shadows were stronger.


    As time passed, a tragic battle that had lasted for a long time erupted within the black barrier.


    The number of shadows had decreased from three to one, but they still had the ability to defeat their targets. Chen Yiming could feel the aura of death spreading out from far away.


    At the same time, he noticed something special about the black barrier that the tentacles had transformed into. It was as if the darkness of the color represented the strength of the defense.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be broken!¡±


    The blockade of the black barrier was impregnable. From time to time, a certain spot would clearly darken, and the color at the furthest corner would fade.


    The bone beast and the giant on the warhorse could at most make the barrier shake a little when they attacked together. They were still far from breaking it.


    Just like that, the battle on the surface of the sea lasted until the afternoon of the next day before it finally calmed down. The first time the war weapon was activated, it killed two existences at the level of the fusion realm.


    At the same time, the blue planet trembled. The rumored black tide had really arrived this time, in a way that made one feel despair.


    ¡­


    At the second industrial base in the galaxy, a simple-looking laboratory building had been specially built for the European Union¡¯s experts. Only the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s construction speed could allow them to build it so quickly.


    When he walked into the laboratory building, the corridor was still filled with the smell of new renovations. However, all the laboratories had already had teams stationed there, and they were working almost 24 hours a day.


    In one of the laboratories, Professor Nelson and his team had been up all night and had yet to sleep. They had been temporarily assigned to the analysis of the battlefield on the surface of the sea.


    ¡°This is too terrifying. Too terrifying.¡±


    From the current technological equipment and the photos taken by the satellites, although the final analysis had yet to be done, the golden-haired and blue-eyed laboratory technicians were already so shocked that their understanding of the situation was overturned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect nuclear explosions to be so weak compared to the energy fluctuations in the sea battlefield this time. The difference in quantity is completely different. If I want a more detailed and accurate result, I need to build a new model.¡±


    The young researcher¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he only had eyes for the data sheets on the table.


    Through his powerful mental arithmetic ability, he could roughly estimate the range of the result at a speed faster than a machine. This range was still a distance away from the accurate figure, but he could still tell that there was a difference of several levels.


    Other than the results from the data, the feeling of being on the battlefield even though they were separated over a large distance was too strong.


    The divine sword that pierced through the shadows, the bone east that fell from an unknown attack, and the warhorse and the giant that were suddenly sent flying with serious injuries. These were all scenes that had not been seen before.


    At that time, the young researcher was standing on the rooftop of the laboratory building and had personally witnessed the destructive scene. He saw the aftershock sweep past a small island near the sea, and the island shattered into dust on the spot.


    At that time, he had deduced that if the battlefield had happened on land, even the largest country on the blue planet would probably not be able to withstand even a few blows, and the shape of the continent would change drastically.


    In other words, once a battle of this level was not contained, the blue planet would definitely become unrecognizable. The former continents would sink to the bottom of the sea, and new land would appear in some areas at the bottom of the sea.


    ¡°Tap tap tap!¡±


    The sound of footsteps rang out.


    A blond, curly-haired laboratory technician in high heels and black-rimmed glasses rushed into the laboratory with a report.


    ¡°Professor, the report is finally out. We mobilized the supercomputers from all the countries in the world to analyze it. Every time those at that level clashed, the instantaneous energy fluctuation was equivalent to hundreds of nuclear bombs exploding at the same time. Furthermore, it was a conservative estimate. We didn¡¯t include the interference from the tentacles all over the battlefield.¡±


    Hearing this news, the laboratory fell silent. Professor Nelson and the other laboratory technicians seemed to be in a daze as their thoughts raced their minds.


    How many attacks could a spaceship built by humans withstand?


    If Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t able to protect the spaceship from all sides, would all the humans in the spaceship die in the void of the universe?


    If the war weapon was so terrifying, would the blockade on the moon be even stronger?


    Although Chen Yiming was the strongest human who represented humanity, and seemed to be handling the battle with ease, everyone¡¯s worry about the space plan deepened.


    Warriors had extraordinary strength and could easily demolish buildings with their bare hands and dive into the deep sea without any tools. This superhuman ability was now as insignificant as an ant.


    ¡°I think it seems like we should split up first and regroup after leaving the solar system. Isn¡¯t that better?¡±


    After a long time, Professor Nelson muttered to himself.


    By splitting it into parts, it could give the humans who were the spark of humanity a greater ability to withstand mistakes. However, they did not know if they could make it in time due to the technical difficulties.


    ¡­


    At the military committee¡¯s meeting, the top leader who had just ended the international video conference rushed back to the meeting room.


    The meeting room was already full. No one had left since last night. At most, if they could not hold it in any longer. they would quickly go to the toilet on the same floor to settle it before returning.


    ¡°Chen Yiming broke through the encirclement of the tentacles, but the bone beast and the giant riding the warhorse couldn¡¯t do it. What do you think?¡± the top leader sat down and asked.


    From the moment the humans were almost wiped out to the moment the war weapon from the black tide was activated, the humans felt as insignificant as ants.


    The only good news was that Chen Yiming had broken through the encirclement set up by the war weapon with his divine sword. This gave them some hope amidst their despair.


    Without this hope, the leaders of the various countries who were watching the battle on the surface of the sea live would have fainted on the spot.


    Then, from the higher ranks to the lower levels, the confidence of the humans would quickly be destroyed, causing chaos globally. There would be problems in the operation of the society, and the space plan would have to be put on hold¡­


    ¡°This is no longer a problem that can be resolved by the cooperation between the countries. We have to be prepared to take on a slim chance of survival and try to break through the blockade.¡±


    A general sighed and raised his hand to speak. His tone revealed his helplessness.


    ¡°The black tide has already arrived. We can¡¯t consider launching the spaceship only when we have full confidence. If we can break out of the blockade, we can still gradually improve the technology of the spaceship while traveling in space,¡± the chief of staff added.


    The chief of staff was a person with an outstanding strategic vision. He could see a scene in his mind as he traveled through time to see things as they happened in the future. On the way to a new planet that could support life, the human spaceships would gradually undergo changes.


    At first, it was extremely simple and could barely be considered a spaceship. Then, one technological breakthrough after another was achieved, and they gradually became fully armed and had the ability to approach unfamiliar planets and gather resources to replenish their resources.


    Then, everyone expressed their own opinions and shared what they could add on.


    The top leader nodded as he listened.


    The moment the war weapon from the black tide started to make a move, the space plan was forced to enter the next stage. No matter how far along they were in the previous stage, they had to try to break through the blockade as soon as possible.


    Furthermore, since they were perfecting the technology of the spaceship while escaping, the foundation was the population. Only with a sufficient population could there be enough researchers.


    ¡°Take away all of humanity, or most of the humans.¡±


    Of course, the top leader knew that this was too difficult. The main target of the black tide was intelligent creatures like humans. How could it let them go so easily?


    However, he had thought of a solution. He could not just let things be.


    ¡­


    On the snowy mountain.


    The hole that had been sealed with ice melted again, revealing the snow beast and the huge eye.


    The two creatures at the fusion realm from the dark forest world looked quietly towards the distant east. They each had their own means of watching the battle on the surface of the sea.


    ¡°Are they dead?¡±


    After a long time, the muffled voice of the snow beast echoed through the snow mountain, and its breathing was a little irregular.


    In the end, the bone beast and the giant on a warhorse could not break through the black barrier. The war weapon retracted its tentacles and disappeared beneath the surface of the sea.


    ¡°Our understanding of the war weapons is wrong.¡±


    The huge eye emitted a spiritual fluctuation, and the tentacles behind it were trembling. It was clear that it could not calm down at all.


    Having accidentally lost two fighters at the level of the fusion realm had instantly cast a shadow over the plan to break through the blockade. It had to be known that the dark forest world had only been sealed off after they tried to break through the third blockade.


    However, things were different now. Less than 10% of this batch of creatures at the top of the fusion realm were still alive, and every bit of combat power was precious.


    Otherwise, the huge eye would not have dared to appear in the Antarctic. This was also the main reason why the bone beast gave up on the idea of devouring it.


    ¡°Is it possible to work with that human?¡± The snow beast suddenly thought of this question.


    From the battle on the surface of the sea, the divine sword in the hand of the strongest human was extremely strong. It had pierced through the shadow with just one strike.


    It had to be known that the special ability of the shadows of war weapons had always been unstoppable in the dark forest world. The physical body could not withstand such a pure physical attack.


    However, on second thought, the difference in strength between the two sides had already been reversed. It was not impossible for their relationship to suddenly become that of a master and servant halfway through their cooperation. The snow beast could only suppress its thoughts.

 Chapter 379 - Taking the Initiative to Cooperate

    Just as the war weapon from the black tide trapped and killed the two creatures at the fusion realm, shocking the blue planet, Chen Yiming returned home to East Lake City.


    Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying were all waiting in the living room, their faces filled with worry.


    Although they knew that Chen Yiming had escaped from the encirclement set up by the war weapon, they were still worried that he had been severely injured.


    After all, the enemies that he had fought to a draw earlier had been trapped and killed by the black barrier. Therefore, it was impossible for them not to be worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a big problem. The breakthrough I achieved recently gave me the confidence to deal with the war weapon.¡±


    Chen Yiming shrugged and revealed a relaxed manner.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Father Chen and Mother Chen heaved a sigh of relief.


    Chen Yiming was their only son. As parents, how could they not want their son to be safe and sound, and extend their bloodline to the next generation?


    This was especially true for Father Chen. Although he did not say it out loud, he had been thinking about how to get his son to have more children.


    Back then, their family was running a restaurant in a village in the city. Their two children were already under a lot of pressure. At that time, they did not have the means to survive. However, the situation for their next generation would already be very different.


    Chen Yingying looked at Chen Yiming in admiration.


    Actually, she rarely had the chance to see Chen Yiming make a move with her own eyes. She had only heard about it from the news and rumors.


    The battle on the surface of the sea this time had shocked the entire blue planet. Even from thousands of kilometers away, one could see the huge fireworks exploding in the air, and the sound echoed for thousands of kilometers.


    Jiangnan province was the best place to watch the battle. Anyone could stand on the rooftop of a building and watch the entire battle that was on a scale that could destroy the world.


    ¡°Is he still human? Even a god may only be able to do so much!¡±


    At that time, every time a large explosion occurred, the shock waves formed were much more terrifying than a nuclear explosion. Seeing such a devastating battle, the people all over the world had similar thoughts and were filled with shock.


    The times had changed too quickly. In the past, the martial masters born from small countries were referred to as gods. However, compared to the situation now, the martial masters were actually not much different from ants.


    If they were really on the battlefield on the surface of the sea, they would instantly be reduced to ashes. It was impossible for them to put up any resistance.


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming returned to his room and closed the door.


    The spiritual figure had upgraded to the Level-6 swordsmanship talent and broke through to the fusion realm, helping him turn the situation around. However, he had yet to study it carefully or familiarize himself with the new power at the fusion realm.


    ¡°In this battle, the large array set up by the bone beast around the world helped the spiritual figure complete its final accumulation and break through to the fusion realm in one go.¡±


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on the bed with the divine sword formed by the spiritual figure in front of him.


    The black obelisks and the formation that surrounded the human city were special products created by combining spiritual power with the mysterious symbols.


    They were similar to spiritual beings, and when they were destroyed by the spiritual figure, they were converted into the Skill Points he needed to upgrade his talents.


    ¡°The reason why the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse couldn¡¯t break through the tentacles¡¯ encirclement was because they couldn¡¯t fight against the endless shadows. Therefore, even though they had the Undying Mark to allow them to constantly recover, they were still chased down and beaten up.¡±


    Chen Yiming sneered. He didn¡¯t have a good impression of the two creatures that had tried to sacrifice all the humans to block the moon¡¯s blockade so that they could break out of it.


    He did not think of helping them from outside the black barrier when they were in a desperate situation to keep the two powerful combatants alive since they could help to break out of the encirclement in the future.


    In theory, because the creatures from the blue planet and the dark forest world had a common enemy, the black tide, they should have worked together to break out of the encirclement.


    ¡°Those who are not of the same race will definitely have different intentions, especially in the dark forest world, which is completely ruled by the law of the jungle. The huge eye did not appear from the beginning to the end. Clearly, there are many conflicts among them and they don¡¯t trust each other.¡±


    Chen Yiming shook his head.


    Even if he wanted to save them, he should not be the one to do so. Had all the creatures at the fusion realm who had come from the dark forest world to take refuge here and try to break through the blockade revealed themselves?


    There were definitely others who were secretly watching, such as the existence behind the ice crystal-like hair. It was impossible to predict how many of them were in hiding. They might be waiting for the others to attack first.


    ¡°The spiritual figure is completely capable of resisting the attacks from the shadows. At the same time, it has the ability to revive and is not afraid of being trapped and killed.


    The tentacles of the war weapon transformed into a different form. After trapping and killing the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse, there must be a reason why they did not continue to cause trouble for the spiritual figure.


    This way, I shouldn¡¯t be the one feeling anxious. Before the war weapon is fully developed, humans will have the advantage.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled.


    On the blue planet, the humans were under the threat of the black tide on the surface, but there were also creatures at the level of the fusion realm that were secretly eyeing them.


    It could be said that they were caught in the middle and could be wiped out at any moment. Chen Yiming could at most protect himself, but he couldn¡¯t protect all of humanity.


    He originally needed to wait until around the Spring Festival, but now that the bone beast had taken the initiative to attack him, the spiritual figure had taken the chance to break through to the fusion realm.


    The power of the system¡¯s enhancement was fully displayed at this moment. He was not afraid of any enemy at the same level, and the shadows that defeated the bone beast were also defeated by the spiritual figure with one strike.


    In this situation where the black tide had descended to harvest the negative emotions of the creatures on the blue planet, the humans had suddenly become one of the factions that wanted to break out of the encirclement. The side that was more powerful would have the upper hand.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze became firm.


    ¡°In the long term, we definitely won¡¯t be able to stay on the blue planet any longer. Humans will definitely embark on the path to find a suitable new home. However, in the process of breaking through the blockade, whoever has the most power will be able to control their own fate better. The spiritual figure has already taken the lead.¡±


    His combat strength was affected by his two talents, which were the second and third talents he had added. Leveling them up required more Skill Points than for the spiritual figure.


    With the help of the spiritual figure, could Chen Yiming¡¯s main body survive until he broke through to the fusion realm? It was hard to say.


    Since the main goal of the black tide was to harvest the negative emotions of the creatures on the blue planet, not to kill all of them at once, he had a chance of survival.


    Chen Yiming turned to look out the window. His gaze seemed to have passed through the space-travel passage and landed on the otherworld.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for the war weapon to reach its complete stage. Before I break out of the encirclement, I¡¯ll let the spiritual figure make a big move. The black tide can harvest the dark forest world, and I can also squeeze out all the value from the dark forest world.¡±


    He had not forgotten the 10,000-meter-long corpse dug out from the mysterious underground space. It was still unknown if it had been buried for too long, or perhaps there was some secret deep underground that no one knew about.


    Anyway, the spiritual energy released by the 10,000-meter-long corpse had greatly improved the cultivation environment in Jiangnan province. This was the main reason for its title of the ¡°elite district¡±.


    At this thought, the figure of the huge eye appeared in Chen Yiming¡¯s mind.


    ¡°With just me and the spiritual figure, there¡¯s definitely not enough time. I have to find someone who is familiar with the area to lead the way, preferably someone who is rebellious.¡±


    At the level of the fusion realm, the spiritual figure was undoubtedly standing at a position that exceeded the limits of the realm. Then, as long as he captured someone like the huge eye, these problems would be mostly resolved.


    He had more power, and the other party would have to cooperate even if they were unwilling, unless they wanted to die.


    If they really did not want to live anymore, he could kill them with one strike and find another target. After all, the blue planet was only so big. It was impossible for them to hide forever.


    ¡­


    On the day the battle on the surface of the sea ended, the blue planet fell into a strange silence. It was as if there was no sound at all. However, there was a clear change among the creatures from the dark forest world.


    Chen Yiming quickly arranged for the spiritual figure to secretly investigate the hiding place of the huge eye and the others.


    ¡°There¡¯s hope for the space plan. We can definitely survive!¡±


    ¡°Chen Yiming sliced through the giant on the warhorse, and is not afraid of facing the war weapon of the black tide. We humans will never give up. We can control our own fate.¡±


    The rumors started to spread quickly, and countless people were singing praises about the outcome of the battle.


    Most people didn¡¯t know the true face behind the name ¡°Chen Yiming¡±, but it had long since become a symbol. It represented the strongest human, the path of martial arts, and the turning point of the new era.


    In a short period of time, he had cultivated to the point where he could withstand the black tide from outer space and kill the strongest creatures from the otherworld on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    How terrifying was this? If not for the fact that the truth was right in front of them, the world would definitely think that this was all a work of fiction.


    On the snow mountain, the snow beast fell into a deep sleep again. It was as if the matter of breaking through the blockade no longer had anything to do with it and it had the thought of trying to avoid this disaster altogether.


    In the dark forest world, there was a lake of blood with bubbles rising from it.


    The blood lake covered an area about 10 kilometers wide. No creature dared to approach it, not even the mutant creatures. This was because this was a strange place that was equivalent to a forbidden area.


    Once one got too close, their mind would be affected by the killing intent. At best, they would attack their companions crazily. At worst, they would commit suicide and let their blood fuse into the blood lake.


    It could be said to be a dangerous place. Without reaching a certain level, one would not dare to investigate the reason behind its appearance.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    At this moment, a scream of extreme pain echoed above the blood lake and spread far and wide.


    The mutant creatures passing by in the distance immediately stopped in their tracks although they were not in full control of their own will. This was the result of the control of the mysterious existence behind them.


    But usually, the mutant creatures still had some of their own will, so they naturally knew how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.


    Not long after, the screams gradually stopped. The blood lake quickly shrank in the blink of an eye and turned into a giant riding a warhorse.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so bad this time. The bone beast¡¯s Undying Mark was completely destroyed. Fortunately, my trump card has not been exposed.¡±


    The giant on the warhorse let out a long sigh in his heart.


    When it tried to break through the blockade previously, it had been ambushed by the huge mouth on the blockade, which had bitten off half of its body, and its Undying Mark had been broken in half.


    Half of it entered the mouth along with half of its body and was completely devoured.


    Then, by chance, he encountered the warhorse, which was called ¡°Nightmare¡±. Its essence, energy, and spirit were highly compatible with the warhorse.


    Unexpectedly, the remaining half of the Undying Mark had actually helped the warhorse break through to the fusion realm. At the same time, the Undying Mark inexplicably repaired itself as it broke through.


    This was a situation that had never occurred before. Most of the creatures at the fusion realm in the dark forest world relied on their own talent to break through from the inscription realm.


    Therefore, it was very difficult for the main body to completely comprehend the Undying Mark that it had obtained after successfully breaking through. The abilities brought by one¡¯s talents could only be used by themselves and could not be taught to others.


    Those who relied on their talent to transform would not be able to recover from the loss of half of the Undying Mark.


    This was the special thing about the giant on the warhorse. It had taken the initiative to split the Undying Mark into two again, and also split the warhorse¡¯s Undying Mark into two.


    As expected, the two halves were able to fuse into one and be controlled by one will. Having two Undying Marks was equivalent to splitting one¡¯s mind into two, but there were no problems so far.


    Usually, one of the Undying Marks would manifest as a lake of blood that was kept hidden all the time. The terrifying lake of blood had always been known as a dangerous forbidden area.


    The other Undying Mark was active in the outside world. When the giant on the warhorse returned, it caused a huge shock in a large area around the blood lake.


    The giant rode the warhorse back to the Antarctic Continent. It quickly contacted the firebird and asked it to come over.


    ¡°The war weapon had retreated back into the oceanic trench and is no longer active.¡±


    The firebird suppressed the flames on its body and lowered its head. Its missing eyeball was intact again as it reported the situation to the giant.


    On the surface, the firebird was controlled by the bone beast. Now that the bone beast was dead, the giant felt that since the firebird was one of their subordinates, it should still listen to its orders.


    ¡°It seems that forcefully using the black barrier ability will definitely affect the progress of the war weapon¡¯s completion. There will be more time for us to break through the blockade.¡±


    The warhorse neighed at the firebird, as if to intimidate it into telling the truth. When the giant heard this, it visibly relaxed.


    The firebird was shocked and almost thought that it had exposed itself.


    ¡°The bone beast¡¯s collection was also brought to this planet. It¡¯s now safely buried in a hidden place. I¡¯ll bring you there to get it now.¡±


    ¡°Collection?¡±


    At the mention of the bone beast¡¯s collection, the warhorse stopped neighing. The giant thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°The bone beast¡¯s collection is temporarily sealed away. Other than you, does anyone else know the location?¡±


    ¡°The three-eyed sea demon also knew about it, but it was already killed by the strongest human,¡± the firebird replied fearfully, afraid that the warhorse would devour it.


    They both had talents related to flames, and the warhorse was a creature at the fusion realm. The firebird temporarily did not have the ability to fight it, so it could not provoke the other party.


    ¡°The strongest human.¡±


    The giant frowned, as if recalling an unwanted memory.


    With its strength restricted to the same level, it could not defeat the strongest human in the inscription realm. It was even cut in half by the other party¡¯s divine sword.


    Although it was not killed by that strike in the end, and the Undying Mark was also destroyed by the war weapon, it was still an unspeakable stain, a mental scar, and a failure.


    However, even if it wanted to get back at him, with the giant and the warhorse fighting two against one, it did not have much confidence. The divine sword in the other party¡¯s hand could break through the shadow barrier with a single strike.


    This was something that it, its warhorse, and the bone beast could not do. Otherwise, they would not have been completely trapped and killed. In the end, they were destroyed dozens of times, exhausting the recovery ability of the Undying Mark.


    ¡°Go and monitor the movements of the human cities. Be careful and report to me if there are any changes.¡±


    After a long time, the giant gave the firebird its next mission. The matter of getting back at the strongest human was temporarily put aside.


    ¡°Understood,¡±


    The firebird flapped its wings and flew away from the Antarctic.


    Along the way, a large amount of ice melted and fell into the sea. The remaining mutant beasts on this continent were frightened and hid away in fear.


    ¡­


    The sun rose and set, and another day passed.


    Chen Yiming had reflected on the experience he had gained from this battle. A guest came to visit and claimed to be under the orders of the huge eye.


    The person who had arrived was a middle-aged man in black. He was wearing a bamboo hat, and a net had fallen from it, making it impossible to see his face clearly.


    He removed his bamboo hat. There were ripples in his eyes, and spiritual fluctuations that were similar to the huge eye proved his identity.


    ¡°Dear strongest human, the army of mutant creatures has already gathered at the entrances of the various space-travel passages. They can attack this planet at any moment,¡±


    the middle-aged man bowed slightly as he said respectfully.


    From the battle on the surface of the sea, the huge eye knew that Chen Yiming was already the strongest individual after the black tide.


    It was not even an exaggeration to say that even though they were all at the same level, it was not strange for this human to be able to fight multiple enemies at once. This was a form of respect and fear brought about by his strength.


    ¡°If only we could work together with the strongest human and break through the blockade.¡± In a dark and damp place, the huge eye emitted a flickering light.


    The scene of the middle-aged man meeting Chen Yiming was vaguely displayed in front of it. It didn¡¯t arrange for a blue-haired and white-eyed man to go. The huge eye also had its own concerns.


    Although the snow beast had not been very interested in breaking through the blockade, it had been forced to choose a partner when it heard that the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse had joined forces.


    It was hard for the huge eye to tell what it was really thinking. A large number of creatures from the dark forest world had once joined forces to break through the blockade, but something strange happened along the way.


    The root of these changes was the lack of trust between them. Naturally, there would be no good outcome in the end.


    However, the caution against each other was the result of the law of the jungle that was the rule in the dark forest world for countless years. It was definitely not something that could be let go of easily.


    ¡°Is there an existence beyond the fusion realm among the mutant creatures?¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly, as if he had everything planned out and was not concerned at all.


    At these higher cultivation realms, the improvement brought about by each level was much greater than all the previous levels combined.


    Therefore, the advantage of numbers was gradually lost. The small fries at the lower levels were mostly just used for creating chaos and occupying territory. The outcome depended on the competition between the strongest individuals on the two sides.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but there¡¯s a complete war weapon in the depths of the sea over there.¡±


    The middle-aged man lowered his head and replied according to the huge eye¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Deep in the sea?¡±


    ¡°A complete war weapon?¡±


    Chen Yiming immediately recalled the abnormal situation in the sea in the otherworld. It turned out that the situation was similar to that on the blue planet. The war weapon used by the black tide when it invaded the world would be placed deep in the sea.


    At the same time, he communicated with the spiritual figure and tried to use the huge eye¡¯s ability to control one¡¯s will from a distance to determine its exact location.


    ¡°A complete war weapon has the ability to easily trap and kill creatures at the fusion realm. Therefore, ever since the last black tide invaded the dark forest world, everyone has been in hiding,¡± the middle-aged man continued.


    Chen Yiming snorted and said with a smile, ¡°The range of activity of that war weapon should be limited to the dark forest world, right? Otherwise, how could you guys have held back? How could you guys even scheme against each other?¡±


    This sentence revealed the fact that the huge eye had left its companions in the lurch and only cared about hiding itself, causing it to lose the combat strength of two creatures at the fusion realm.


    The middle-aged man shivered. The pressure from the person in front of him was too great. With this snort, his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.


    He quickly asked in his heart how he should answer this question. This was not part of what the huge eye had briefed him about in advance.


    After a while, a voice sounded in the spiritual world. The middle-aged man in the outside world hurriedly said, ¡°It was indeed like this in the past, but it¡¯s just like how the war weapon suddenly used the ability of darkness yesterday. When it is necessary, there can be unexpected changes at any time.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. If not for the fact that the spiritual figure was still trying to locate the huge eye, he would already have killed the human in front of him.


    The middle-aged man brought the topic back to what he had prepared in advance and said, ¡°The dark forest world had once set up a formation covering their entire world under the guidance of the goddess. It used the power of the entire world to destroy the war weapon and break the blockade set up by the black tide.


    Although it failed in the end and we were forced to open a space-travel passage, the foundation of the world-level still remains buried deep underground.


    The power of the blockade on this planet is far inferior to that on the dark forest world. There¡¯s only one blockade, while there are three in the small forest world. Therefore, as long as we find the foundations of the formation, we have absolute confidence in breaking through the blockade.¡±


    ¡°Goddess?¡±


    For some reason, Chen Yiming subconsciously thought of the female spirit in the ring.


    Only one space-travel passage connecting the blue planet and the dark forest world had been opened. The other space-travel passages must have appeared along with this first space-travel passage.


    Just like the chain reaction caused when part of a mirror shattered, the space where the blue planet was connected to the dark forest world was filled with many holes.


    To be honest, when he heard that the foundation of the world-level formation was buried deep underground, Chen Yiming was indeed a little tempted. However, he wasn¡¯t concerned about the foundation, but the mysterious underground space in the dark forest world.


    If he could upgrade his talents and break through to the fusion realm before the war weapon was completed, with his physique that far exceeded the realm he was in, not only would he increase his chances of breaking out of the encirclement, but his own safety would also be more guaranteed.


    At that time, he might be able to break through the blockade with just his strength.


    The middle-aged man allowed Chen Yiming to think for a moment before continuing, ¡°Back then, we participated in the setting up of the world-level formation and had special methods to avoid detection by the war weapon. I believe that with our cooperation, we will definitely be able to set up the world-level formation on this planet again. When that time comes¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the ripples in the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes disappeared. He fell to the ground as if he had lost his soul.


    ¡°Is he taking the initiative to cut off the control over his will?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t choose to communicate immediately. Instead, he waited quietly for the spiritual figure to send back a message.


    Not long after.


    The figure in his mind: The huge eye escaped after being alerted in advance. It is located in a forest in the Middle East, and there are many human factions around it.

 Chapter 380 - The Fire Bird That Was Beaten to Death

    ¡°It escaped?¡±


    Chen Yiming snorted. After some thought, he gave up on the idea of searching the area.


    The huge eye had suffered defeat here again and again. Now that it had seen how powerful the divine sword formed by the spiritual figure was during the battle on the surface of the sea, and it still dared to control someone¡¯s will and send them over, it was normal for it to have some methods to prevent being tracked.


    Moreover, the huge eye had the ability to distort space. If it really wanted to play hide and seek with Chen Yiming, it would be very difficult to capture it. There was no need to target the huge eye specifically.


    From the conversation with the middle-aged man, he had already formed a plan for how to make good use of the dark forest world. This was the advantage that came with becoming the stronger party.


    ¡­


    At the capital¡¯s international airport, ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­¡±


    With the dull roar of engines, a large number of transport planes in the sky landed in an orderly manner under the command of the ground control center.


    These transport planes came from the countries that were working cooperatively for the space plan. They brought along various teams of experts and supplies to further increase the chances of the humans succeeding in the space plan.


    If it was only one country, the airport would be able to complete the transfer just by making some small adjustments. However, there were dozens of countries involved, and the airport could not complete the transfer in a timely manner.


    The reality was that the entire airport had become a temporary warehouse. A large number of supplies were placed in the open, and a large number of expert teams were waiting to be sent off to their destination.


    On the streets outside the airport, there were endless streams of large trucks going in and out to take away the supplies and buses to pick up the relevant personnel.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming and Elder Huang boarded a military vehicle and headed to the military committee.


    ¡°It seems that the bone beast has done us a huge favor.¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised that the mobilization of supplies across countries was so fast and frequent.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. According to the news from the various countries, the appearance of the black obelisks has almost wiped out most of the mutant beast factions. Although it¡¯s still incomparable to the environment of the Daxia Kingdom, the danger in the wilderness has already decreased to an all-time low.¡±


    Elder Huang let out a long sigh, having many mixed emotions. The world was unpredictable. He did not expect that the problem of mutant beasts that had troubled humans for many years would be resolved so quickly.


    Furthermore, it was not resolved by relying on the strength of humans themselves. Instead, it was resolved by the bone beast, which was an enemy of humans.


    This way, the pressure on the cities around the world would be greatly reduced. The amount of manpower and resources they could mobilize would be on a larger scale than they had initially expected when they formed the cooperation for the space plan.


    If not for the fact that the Daxia Kingdom could not accommodate the huge population across the entire world, everyone would have wanted to move here. When the time came, they would all be transported away in the spaceships.


    Half an hour later, Chen Yiming entered the meeting room accompanied by Elder Huang. The top leader, the chief of staff, and the generals of the various military regiments had already arrived.


    A decision passed by the people in this meeting room could change the direction of the Daxia Kingdom and affect the evacuation plan involving all the man-made spaceships.


    ¡°The war weapon used abilities that it shouldn¡¯t have used yet, causing it to fall silent after returning to the oceanic trench. Now, armies of mutant creatures from the dark forest world are gathering at the entrances of the various space-travel passages.¡±


    After sitting down, Chen Yiming threw out a piece of important news.


    The black tide had already begun to arrive, but without the most powerful war weapon, the first to make a move were the mutant creatures.


    ¡°Tsk! They used an ability that they shouldn¡¯t have used yet. Doesn¡¯t that mean that the humans won an additional period of time to break through the blockade?¡± a general said in shock. To humans, they had just resolved the problem of the mutant beasts that had plagued them for a long time, but there was another piece of good news.


    ¡°This is great. The various countries have already sped up the transfer of manpower and resources. In three months, we are confident we can complete a fleet of spaceships. In five months, we are confident we can achieve the results of the original space plan. If time is really tight, they can still take off in a month and a half,¡± the chief of staff placed his hands on the table and said excitedly.


    Although they did not know how much time the humans had bought, it undoubtedly gave the space plan more breathing space.


    It had to be known that when the battle on the surface of the sea broke out, the humans thought that they could only use the first city-level spacecraft to try to break out of the encirclement.


    On the other hand, even if the city-level spaceship successfully broke through the encirclement, the chances of it successfully reaching a new planet were very slim.


    This was determined by the foundation of a spaceship. If one wanted to change and improve it along the way, they needed a miracle to do so.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Not long ago, the huge eye arranged for a human under its control to look for me and try to form a cooperative relationship with the humans to break through the blockade.


    We don¡¯t have to be anxious at all. We can decide on the time to break out of the encirclement based on the movements of the creatures at the level of the fusion realm from the dark forest world,¡± Chen Yiming said with a nod.


    The situation had already taken a turn for the better. Previously, Chen Yiming, the strongest human, didn¡¯t have enough strength to back him up, unlike the bone beast that could easily affect all the humans in the world in one go.


    At that time, no matter what decision the humans made, they were on the passive side and would have to follow their orders. It was equivalent to slipping through the cracks to survive.


    Now that the spiritual figure had broken through, on the chessboard where the black tide had invaded, humans had already become much stronger. They were no longer targets that either side could control at will, and they could decide their own fate to a certain extent.


    ¡°Indeed, other than the black tide, we are the ones with stronger combat strength. We should let those terrifying creatures from the otherworld break out of the encirclement first and try our best to protect the spaceship.¡±


    The top leader nodded. This was an overt plan, and the most rational choice. Considering things from the long-term perspective after humans escaped from the blue planet, they had to be cold-blooded and merciless.


    Just like that, the time for the humans to break through the blockade was temporarily delayed, and a general direction was set for them to deal with any changes along the way.


    ¡­


    In the desert in the otherworld, countless stone statues stood in the yellow sand. They surrounded a building that seemed to have been created by the gods. It was an altar in the shape of a pyramid.


    The pyramid-shaped altar reached into the clouds. It was built from huge rocks, and at the top was a wide area. In the middle was a brazier lit with a blue and white flame.


    A huge humanoid creature was kneeling on the altar. It was wearing a beast skin cloak, and there was a huge wooden rod in front of it. At the tip of the rod was an item that looked like a gemstone.


    The priest was very frustrated.


    The barbarians had taken the initiative to surrender during the second invasion of the black tide. As an existence at the fusion realm, it was also forced to open its mind and let itself be controlled by something strange.


    He had thought that the barbarians would be able to somehow survive this way. After all, even the dark forest world at its peak could not withstand the invasion of the black tide. The barbarians were not the only race that had made this choice.


    However, in the world on the other side of the space-travel passage, there was some bad news for the barbarians. The war weapon had returned to an incomplete state.


    In addition, the world over there had given rise to an existence that could suppress creatures at the fusion realm. The barbarians had been arranged to be the vanguard for the invasion of that world.


    At some point, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky.


    A black dot suddenly appeared in front of the altar. The black dot was spinning, and the air was distorted violently. Then, an image gradually formed.


    This was a long-range communication method in the dark forest world. Only living beings who had walked a long way on the spiritual path could master it.


    ¡°Archangel, how¡¯s the preparation going for your clan? The higher-ups have given the unconditional order to gather at the entrance of the space-travel passages.¡±


    The priest looked at the image in front of it. In it was a six-winged angel surrounded by a black aura. It could also be described as a birdman.


    The angels were the same as the barbarians. They had been arranged to be the vanguard for the invasion. Naturally, they were not here because they had nothing better to do.


    ¡°The will of the black tide cannot be disobeyed. Since we have chosen this dark path to become one of them, we naturally have to contribute our strength, unless you have the intention to escape from the darkness and the ability to do so,¡± the archangel said calmly. His voice traveled through the distance, and his tone seemed to be telling the truth, warning the priest not to make any mistakes.


    ¡°In that case, why aren¡¯t the angels taking action quickly? It¡¯s best if they are the first to charge into the other world and lead us to flatten that race called the humans.¡± The barbarian priest sneered.


    The news that the divine sword had pierced through the shadow¡¯s blockade not only shocked those who had come to the blue planet, but also the powerful races that had surrendered to the black tide.


    Even if it was an incomplete war weapon, it had once caused a lot of trouble in the dark forest world. Other than using the world-level formation to shatter the war weapon, they could only choose to escape and not fight it head-on.


    ¡°The angels naturally won¡¯t retreat. A large unknown galaxy with a living planet is waiting for us to conquer it. Don¡¯t you want to break through and become an immortal?¡±


    The archangel continued with a cold expression.


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Do you think I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here? Just tell me what you want to do. Will you try to avoid the strongest human, or will you join forces to deal with the strongest human?¡±


    The priest shook his head.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the archangel¡¯s eyebrows twitched, as if he was a little angry that the priest had seen through his thoughts.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t even conquer a small planet, how can we conquer a galaxy? Of course, we have to join forces to kill the strongest human.¡±


    Without much hesitation, the archangel expressed its stance.


    ¡°Two against one is definitely not enough.¡±


    The priest¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke with certainty.


    The fact that the divine sword could pierce through the shadows meant that its offensive power had already exceeded the limit of the fusion realm.


    This way, without the support of other allies, it was almost as if it could kill them with one strike, just like how the shadows were destroyed with one strike.


    The shadows could not be too far away from the war weapon and the war weapon did not specialize in speed. Once they were defeated and tried to flee, the divine sword could chase them to their deaths.


    Having the Undying Mark did not mean that they could not be killed.


    ¡°Of course it can¡¯t just be the two of us. Wouldn¡¯t that be like sending ourselves to our deaths?¡± The archangel smiled.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know that before he arrived in the otherworld, he had already caused a commotion there.


    Jiangnan province, the former site of the strange mountain village.


    A firebird was forced to this place by the spiritual figure. Bright red blood flowed out of its wings and it landed on the ground, burning the area to a crisp.


    In the dark forest world, this firebird was once known as the embodiment of flames. It could burn the sky and boil the sea, leaving behind a reputation that many races feared.


    Of course, all of these achievements were based on the premise that creatures at the fusion realm would hide themselves away, coupled with the fact that it had already become a spy for the black tide and could make use of the terrifying reputation of the bone beast.


    ¡°Were you the one who released the burning cloud phenomenon to attract my attention back then?¡±


    Chen Yiming sized up the firebird. It had been captured by the spiritual figure that was secretly investigating the situation on the blue planet, and there were still terrifying sword wounds on its body. The wounds couldn¡¯t heal due to the interference from an unknown type of energy.


    ¡°Spare me, spare me. I¡¯m a subordinate of the bone beast. I know the location of its treasure.¡±


    The firebird immediately shouted in the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s language. Other than some strange races, those who could cultivate to the inscription realm were all quite intelligent.


    ¡°Treasure?¡± Chen Yiming said casually when he heard this.


    In reality, he was not very interested in the bone beast¡¯s treasure. The other party was a spiritual creature like the huge eye, and was suitable to be killed by the spiritual figure.


    It was a completely different path from himself, who was cultivating a strong physique.


    Therefore, the useful items among the treasures could be counted on one hand for Chen Yiming. It would be a waste of his energy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The bone beast brought all its treasures to this planet. Now that it has died, many terrifying existences are searching for this treasure, including the giant on the warhorse that has revived.¡±


    In its hurry, the firebird revealed many secrets. It seemed like in order to survive, it did not have any conditions and did not care about anything else.


    ¡°The giant on the warhorse has revived?¡±


    This news was indeed a little unexpected, but if it dared to show its face in front of Chen Yiming, he could just kill it again. Back then, the fusion attack of essence, energy, and spirit had hurt him so much that he had almost been split apart.


    Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t forgotten about this grudge.


    Other than the huge eye, there was another suitable target that he had noted down.


    When the firebird saw that the human in front of it was being led step by step into the trap it had set, it could not help but feel a little smug.


    The existence behind the stone slab was never stingy with its rewards after it completed its missions.


    Its extremely active cells and abnormally active spiritual power indicated that it only needed to make one or two more contributions to successfully break through to the fusion realm.


    This way, as long as it completed its mission, it could clearly feel that it had improved in its cultivation. This made the firebird feel even more intoxicated.


    This time, it deliberately wandered around the sea to further complete the mission of sowing discord and tried to break through to the fusion realm before the war weapon was completed.


    In its opinion, the moment the war weapon was completed, it meant the end of the war on this planet.


    Once it was over, there was naturally nothing else for it to do. Therefore, it had to quickly break through to the next stage so that it could contribute more to the conquest of this galaxy.


    If one wanted to be a good spy, without sufficient strength, their value would naturally decrease greatly, and the chances of completing the missions would also decrease.


    ¡°What else?¡± Chen Yiming said calmly after some thought.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°I can help you obtain the bone beast¡¯s treasure first, as well as provide you with a list of creatures at the fusion realm that have come to this planet to take refuge.¡±


    The firebird lowered its head like an obedient servant.


    Was that all?


    It seemed that those at the level of the inscription realm knew too little.


    Chen Yiming, who had completely lost interest, turned to the spiritual figure and said, ¡°Next time you encounter such small fries, just kill them.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming threw out a punch. A terrifying tearing force swept across the firebird¡¯s entire body.


    The creatures in the inscription realm had comprehended the power of the mysterious symbols and could transfer a portion of the damage to their surroundings. However, Chen Yiming¡¯s body was too terrifying, and the firebird couldn¡¯t transfer away enough damage to keep itself alive.


    In an instant, a circle of terrifying flames erupted in the air, burning the surrounding area to ashes and forming a sea of flames. This was the aftershock from the transfer of damage.


    Chen Yiming and the spiritual figure walked out of the sea of flames unscathed.


    He looked at the space-travel passage in the sea of flames. The mysterious power of space was indeed not something that ordinary natural power could affect. From the beginning to the end, it did not cause a single ripple.


    ¡°Even though the war weapon cannot be used, they still dare to gather an army of mutant creatures? What¡¯s the point of letting a few groups die just to test the waters?¡± Chen Yiming returned to his original goal.


    The spiritual figure had captured the firebird, which had delayed him for a while. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t let the spiritual figure go too deep into the otherworld, and only got it to kill those who had gathered at the entrance of the space-travel passages.

 Chapter 381 - A Storm Is Coming

    In the underground palace on the African continent, ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The stone slab lit up with a flickering light. The entire underground space flickered, and an invisible force spread out. The chains swayed crazily from side to side.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t such a thing happen earlier or later? Why did it have to be beaten to death at this time?¡±


    The pupils on the stone slab emitted a terrifying killing intent. The scene froze at the moment when the firebird was killed by Chen Yiming with a single punch.


    The firebird was a relatively important chess piece to carry out the will of the existence behind the pupils to invade the world.


    Although it could be replaced, it would take some time. It was impossible for the invasion of the blue planet to stop because of such a small setback.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s the same even if I get the chess pieces from the dark forest world to surround and try to kill that human.¡±


    The space in the underground palace gradually calmed down. In the end, the existence behind the pupils gave up on the idea of forcefully using the war weapon again.


    The war weapon and the blockade were the greatest support for the black tide¡¯s invasion of the world. However, every time it was interrupted while in its incomplete state, the completion of the war weapon would be delayed.


    Under normal circumstances, humans, who had yet to step out of their native planet, were so insignificant that they could be ignored. The existence behind the pupils was just frustrated that one of its chess pieces was killed at this time.


    It had never thought that a single human could really fight back against the dark forest world that was completely under the control of the black tide.


    Such a small incident would soon pass. The forces of the black tide were about to conquer this unknown galaxy with the blue planet as its starting point.


    ¡­


    January 10th was an entire month away from the Spring Festival.


    In the dark forest world, the armies of mutant creatures were taking severe damage. A divine sword was entering and exiting the space-travel passages all over the blue planet.


    The space between the sky and the earth seemed to have turned into a world of swords. It killed everything it encountered until there was no sound left, until the world changed color and the blood turned into a sea, until there was only silence left on the battlefield.


    Some bold humans took the risk to enter the space-travel passages to check on the situation.


    It was said that when they returned, they were so excited that their minds became exceptionally active. When they closed their eyes, they saw mountains of corpses and a sea of blood.


    The various countries had also sent out special teams to enter the space-travel passages to investigate the situation. If the situation changed, they would have to build a crude spaceship and set off no matter what.


    After all, the Daxia Kingdom already had a blueprint for building a city-level spaceship. If there was not enough time, they could just use it and make some simple modifications.


    ¡°The dark forest world is probably more than 100 times the size of the blue planet. After fighting for most of the day, we finally beat back the army of mutant creatures that were gathering.¡±


    Chen Yiming stayed in the former location of the strange village and constantly received updates from the spiritual figure. At the same time, he waited for the opportunity to investigate the mysterious underground space again.


    He had a feeling that the mysterious underground space was very special. This was because the 10,000-meter-long corpse that he dug out carried an endless amount of essence energy, and it had changed the cultivation environment in Jiangnan province.


    This was very likely related to the world-level formation that the huge eye had mentioned. It was the opportunity he had been looking for to upgrade his double talents.


    ¡°There has been no movement on the surface of the sea in the direction of the oceanic trench. It seems that the war weapon has really fallen silent for the time being.¡±


    As the sky gradually turned dark, Chen Yiming¡¯s goal was achieved.


    The arrival of the black tide had been triggered in advance. From the beginning of the official invasion of the blue planet, due to certain reasons, the war weapon and the mutant creatures could not make their moves at the same time. This allowed the humans to catch their breath.


    The war weapon had forcefully trapped and killed the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse. This action seemed to be instilling the fear that the black tide¡¯s arrival had brought to the blue planet.


    However, the spiritual figure with abnormally strong combat strength had introduced an uncertain factor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. It¡¯s unlikely that they will let me defeat the forces invading the blue planet. The black tide from outer space is not that simple.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and temporarily suppressed the thought of investigating the mysterious underground space.


    Whether it was him or the spiritual figure, it was not suitable for them to disappear for too long at this time. He would think about it after he completely resolved the problem at hand.


    ¡­


    On the Antarctic Continent, in the snow,


    a warhorse more than two meters tall walked out of the ice cave. On it was a humanoid creature.


    After being killed once, the giant on the warhorse no longer dared to act in a high-profile manner. It was forced to shrink to a very small size, afraid that it would be targeted.


    ¡°Fortunately, I didn¡¯t impulsively take the bone beast¡¯s treasure.¡±


    Even if creatures at the level of the fusion realm were not good at spiritual control, they could still implant a portion of their consciousness in other creatures to create spies.


    After the giant on the warhorse revived, other than contacting the firebird, the first thing it did was to create its own network of spies in the Daxia Kingdom and pay attention to the movements of the strongest human, Chen Yiming.


    The firebird was captured on the sea and died in Jiangnan province not long after. This really frightened the giant on the warhorse.


    If it continued to act in such a high-profile manner, it would be caught sooner or later. The fate of the firebird today might become its fate tomorrow.


    ¡°What should I do¡­¡±


    Thinking of this, the giant on the warhorse was no longer in high spirits.


    It had to be known that when it joined forces with the bone beast, it was filled with confidence. It had even planned its next step after escaping from this planet.


    It had never expected this result to occur. At the moment, it was difficult to break through the blockade, and it had even formed a grudge with an existence that could suppress it. It was forced to hide away in frustration.


    ¡°Perhaps I can only find another partner to work with. Giant Eye, Snow Beast, Dire Wolf¡­¡±


    One target after another flashed across its mind. The giant on the warhorse realized that the enemy was stronger than it was. It had to join forces with more creatures at the fusion realm to protect itself.


    It was the same for the blockade. Without sufficient strength to protect themselves, if they were forced into a corner like the firebird, there was a high chance that they would die during their escape.


    ¡­


    On the snowy mountain.


    It was snowing heavily in the mountain range, and the entrance had been sealed up by ice crystals.


    In the cavern within the mountains, the snow beast was no longer sleeping. Instead, it sat up. The air in front of it distorted, and the figure of the huge eye gradually appeared.


    ¡°Did it fail?¡±


    In the face of the snow beast¡¯s question, which seemed to have predicted this outcome, the huge eye¡¯s face twitched. If not for the fact that it had been on high alert after suffering several losses, it might have been completely defeated this time.


    ¡°The divine sword has temporarily beaten back the mutant creature army, but the war weapon has not made any movements. That strongest human might face an unprecedented siege,¡± the snow beast continued.


    As one of the strongest creatures from the dark forest world, the snow beast knew that not only had the surviving creatures at the fusion realm surrendered to the black tide, but a portion of the creatures at the fusion realm who had died in battle had also been revived as puppets.


    It was precisely because these two forces had worked together with the war weapon that the dark forest world was unable to put up much of a resistance when the black tide invaded it for the second time. In a short period of time, their entire world had completely fallen.


    In the eyes of the snow beast, if the strongest human could not obtain their help, when faced with the counterattack of the power of their entire world, he would only be faced with death sooner or later.


    Of course, the snow beast did not want the strongest human, who had the most outstanding individual combat strength, to die before they could break through the blockade.


    Before successfully breaking out of the encirclement, regardless of whether they had reached an agreement openly or secretly, they would be invisible allies in the face of the threat of the black tide.


    ¡°See for yourself!¡±


    With that, the huge eye presented the scene of the human it had controlled trying to present the plan to work together.


    The goddess and the world-level formation were the ultimate secrets of the dark forest world. However, even these could not move the strongest human. He did not seem to be very interested.


    ¡°Most of the foundation of the formation is under the control of the black tide. They might even have been used as bait by the black tide long ago. It¡¯s normal for the strongest human to not be interested.¡±


    The snow beast could tell at a glance what the problem was.


    Of course, by replicating the world-level formation on this planet, they could undoubtedly break through the moon¡¯s blockade and escape successfully.


    However, this hope was too slim. The strongest human knew about this. No wonder they were investigating the location of the huge eye.


    If their identities had been switched, the snow beast would have done the same thing. They would have wanted to cut the huge eye into pieces.


    It was simply treating the other party as a fool. It was trying to trick the strongest human to go alone deep into the dark forest world that had already completely fallen into the hands of the black tide.


    ¡°With the divine sword in the hands of the strongest human being, along with our help, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to avoid the war weapon and snatch back a portion of the formation.¡±


    The huge eye expressed its intention to seek cooperation.


    The arrival of the black tide had only just begun, and only one blockade had been set up. There was no need for a complete world-level formation to have absolute confidence of breaking through the blockade.


    However, before the divine sword almost killed the giant on the warhorse, none of the creatures at the fusion realm took the humans seriously.


    Be it the bone beast, the snow beast, or the huge eye, they all had the thought of sacrificing humans. Not only did they not have a good relationship, but they also had a huge grudge against each other.


    This life-and-death grudge could not be resolved once the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse set up the sacrificial array.


    ¡°The strongest human won¡¯t be able to live for long. We have to quickly prepare to break through the blockade. At this time, we can forget about escaping without any casualties, and we can forget about something as unrealistic as the world-level formation,¡±


    the snow beast said firmly. The black tide had already begun its invasion, and there was no time for any delay. They could be surrounded and killed at any moment.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact more guys at the fusion realm. At the very least, we can make a move before the strongest human is killed.¡±


    The huge eye faced the void, as if it had traveled through time and seen a scene of darkness covering the entire planet.


    In the end, the strongest human and the divine sword in his hand would be killed in a tag-team battle. Therefore, it completely abandoned the idea of recreating the world-level formation and decided to break out of the encirclement with the snow beast.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming cleared out the mutant creatures that had gathered, the sky in the dark forest world suddenly darkened. The air seemed to have become as thick and oppressive as a swamp.


    In the sky, many black shadows fell from the three glowing balls. These black shadows were surrounded by a black aura. It was unknown what they were, but they gave off the feeling that an apocalypse was about to arrive.


    The dark forest world,


    which had been invaded by the black tide twice and fallen to the enemy both times, was very mysterious to humans.


    For example, the three glowing balls in the sky, the substances in the world that could help people cultivate, and the overall cultivation level that was much higher than that of humans, and the fact that the law of the jungle did not lead to a unified civilization.


    There were too many mysteries. Originally, humans had established a stable, long-term stronghold, and their influence had begun to spread. There was a chance to unravel these mysteries.


    However, with the arrival of the black tide, the human factions had completely retreated. Many of their guesses could only be sealed in the history museum and could not be verified.


    Now, this world seemed to have suddenly come alive. It was like a sleeping beast had opened its mouth, revealing its sharp fangs and its true appearance.


    Chen Yiming was the strongest human in history since the invasion of the otherworld.


    His individual combat strength had long surpassed that of nuclear bombs, hydrogen bombs, laser weapons, and so on. He was the top in terms of cultivation talent and combat strength, even when compared with the technological weapons.


    Ever since he rose to prominence, he had defeated all kinds of enemies, both on the blue planet and in the otherworld. His name made many creatures at the fusion realm retreat.


    Now that the black tide had officially started, he was about to face all the pressure alone.


    The abnormal commotion in the dark forest world was like a magnitude-12 earthquake that instantly spread to all the human countries.


    This shocking news was like a butterfly flapping its wings, creating a hurricane that rushed out of the space-travel passages. From south to north, from east to west, it swept through all the human countries on the blue planet.


    In just a few minutes, the countries could no longer forcefully suppress the news. Almost everyone in the world knew about it.


    ¡°I heard that the otherworld, which has already fallen into the black tide, is about to be controlled to invade the blue planet.¡±


    ¡°This is the power of an entire world. Do we still have time to finish building our spaceships?¡±


    ¡°I really want to see the scene on the battlefield with my own eyes. It¡¯s said that the first batch of mutant creatures has already been scattered. Now, it¡¯s one person against an entire world.¡±


    Among the people, from the martial arts experts to the ordinary people, countless people were discussing the upcoming battle.


    The scene of the battle on the surface of the sea not long ago was still lingering in the minds of countless people. They did not dare to imagine the scene of destruction if it affected the human countries.


    Now, Chen Yiming had won the first battle on behalf of human civilization. Although they were worried, they also felt inexplicably excited.


    What if he won?


    The news reports had long been discussed by experts. After cultivating to a high level, there was a difference from those at the warrior realm. Quantity was no longer the key to victory.


    For example, there were billions of people in the world. All the ordinary people and accomplished martial arts practitioners together were far from enough to deal with Chen Yiming.


    No one knew if there was anyone stronger than Chen Yiming in the mysterious otherworld. However, at the very least, those who had come to the blue planet to take refuge were all hiding well.


    If they needed to hide, wouldn¡¯t that prove that Chen Yiming was invincible and had the ability to suppress his opponents?


    In fact, some people even credited Chen Yiming for the disappearance of the war weapon. They felt that there was no need to worry anymore.


    It was just an inanimate object. How could it compare to a living person who could continuously become stronger?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Daxia Kingdom, near the space-travel passages. In any case, if something goes wrong in a battle that involves the entire world, no place on the planet will be spared.¡±


    Countless martial arts experts from all over the world could no longer sit still.


    In any case, their lives were not in their control. They had already missed the previous battle on the sea. No one wanted to miss the unprecedented upcoming battle.


    In other words, if the humans lost in the end, as a cultivator who had embarked on the path of martial arts, he would die without regrets after witnessing the battle with his own eyes.

 Chapter 382 - The Battle Is About to Begin

    Jiangnan province, first industrial base.


    Three city-level spaceships were quietly docked and readied for takeoff.


    In order to reorganize the spacecraft into true spaceships after escaping from the blue planet, it had undergone modular modifications.


    Now, these three spaceships were each equivalent to a part of the final spaceship. As the first fleet to carry out the space plan, they were ready to take off at any moment.


    Two old men stood with their hands behind their backs, their backs as straight as rods. Their gazes were fixed on the three captains in the cockpits.


    The three captains had not left the ship for a period of time, including for baths, toilet breaks, meals, and so on.


    The other personnel on the ship were in a similar situation. The ships were operating at half capacity and were ready to take off at any moment from the ground control center.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard on Qiu Wenzhuo, Liu Qing, and Shi Wei.¡±


    The top leader¡¯s eyes were shining like torches. After receiving news about the abnormal commotion in the otherworld, he had immediately come here personally. He had a feeling that the terrifying creatures would break through the blockade just as Chen Yiming began his battle.


    ¡°Xiao Qiu, Xiao Liu, and Xiao Shi are all the most outstanding captains. They will definitely be able to complete the space plan¡¯s mission perfectly,¡± an old general said. He was the person in charge of the temporary control center built by the base.


    No one in the Daxia Kingdom could compare to this general in terms of his experience with spaceflight. He had been in charge of sending people to the moon and to Mars this whole time and had plenty of experience.


    This time, the ship was following behind the terrifying creatures to break through the blockade. It was hard to predict what they would encounter during the process, so the old general took the initiative to take on the responsibility.


    The base was very busy at this moment. All the staff more or less had a premonition of what would happen next and entered an abnormally busy state.


    Under such pressure, everyone became extremely focused and did not miss any detail about the work they were responsible for.


    ¡°Those terrifying creatures that escaped to take refuge here come from a different world from humans after all. They have also formed an irreconcilable grudge against each other. It¡¯s impossible for either side to let their guard down even if they want to work together.¡±


    The top leader turned around worriedly.


    At the moment, the terrifying creatures represented by the huge eye were essentially on the same side as the humans. However, they could not guarantee that they would not deliberately set up a trap for the human spaceships when they broke through the blockade.


    After all, Chen Yiming might not have the ability to stop them. He would still have to face the counterattack from the dark forest world.


    ¡°We originally thought that we had the absolute advantage, but those terrifying creatures chose to break out of the encirclement at this time and snatched back their advantage.¡±


    The old general¡¯s expression was solemn as he quickly thought about how to break out of the situation.


    After Chen Yiming displayed his combat strength to suppress the creatures at the fusion realm, it seemed like the humans¡¯ spaceships could break through the blockade easily.


    However, it seemed like those terrifying creatures wanted to stall for time. They would only take the lead to break through the blockade when Chen Yiming dealt with the dark forest world¡¯s counterattack.


    This was a plan that left no room for retreat. Once they failed to break out of the encirclement, there would be a blockade in front of them, an army of mutant creatures invading the blue planet behind them, and the war weapon that would attack at any moment.


    It could be said that this method did not leave any room for negotiation. One could either live or die. There was no third possibility.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use our way of thinking to guess what the terrifying creatures are thinking. After all, the dark forest world is a world that functions solely based on the law of the jungle.


    Just like the time on the sea battlefield, Chen Yiming told me in private that if an external force interfered and stopped them for a moment, the chances of the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse surviving were very high.¡±


    The top leader¡¯s worry was not unreasonable. The terrifying creatures in the same camp were already at odds with each other, let alone with humans.


    As long as they were sure that Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t make a move, so what if they destroyed the entire human fleet? After they escaped deep into space, the humans would only be forced to take the loss.


    ¡­


    As time passed, more and more gazes gathered on the Daxia Kingdom. In secret, the terrifying creatures from the dark forest world were waiting for an opportunity.


    On the surface, countless martial arts experts had come to witness this unprecedented war.


    At the ruins of the strange mountain village, Chen Yiming was also waiting, but Wu Susu arrived first.


    Wu Susu had a mysterious sphere in her spiritual world. After the sphere shattered, she obtained a spiritual talent that far exceeded that of other humans.


    It was almost easy for her to break through to the inscription realm.


    ¡°Are you no longer doing your research?¡±


    Chen Yiming was a little surprised by Wu Susu¡¯s arrival. This woman had a cold personality, and her greatest interest was to stay in the laboratory and conduct scientific research.


    The situation had changed so quickly that there wasn¡¯t enough time for her to accumulate actual combat experience. Chen Yiming had been Wu Susu¡¯s sparring partner before, but it wasn¡¯t a life-and-death battle.


    Therefore, at such a critical moment, unless Wu Susu could break through to the fusion realm, an inscription realm expert who was weak in actual combat would not be of much use.


    As for the fusion realm, the key was to fuse the body, spirit, natural power, and mysterious symbols into one, forming the Undying Mark. This would bring about a qualitative change in many aspects.


    Wu Susu only had outstanding spiritual talent, but her physical talent was actually not just a little lower than that. The difference was very huge.


    Without a miracle, her journey on the path of martial arts could be considered to have reached its end.


    ¡°I want to break through the blockade with the city-level spaceships.¡±


    Wu Susu had a calm expression on her face as she went straight to the point.


    As the second strongest human, she had already thought it through before she came. She would risk her life to escort the spaceships that represented the hope of humanity to break out of the encirclement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble. Can¡¯t you see that even I have to hide in the Daxia Kingdom? In the face of a fusion attack from someone at the fusion realm, what¡¯s the difference between your presence and absence?¡± Chen Yiming yawned and said casually.


    This was the truth. Wu Susu¡¯s spiritual talent for perception was definitely inferior to the firebird¡¯s combat strength, and the firebird had been easily killed by Chen Yiming with a single punch.


    Compared to the battle on the surface of the sea, Chen Yiming¡¯s body had almost exploded from the combined attack of the giant¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit. If it was Wu Susu, not even a trace of her would be left behind.


    ¡°How will we know if we don¡¯t try? If we fail, it will be even harder to break out of the encirclement again. Furthermore, it¡¯s hard to say if we will even have a second chance.¡±


    Wu Susu couldn¡¯t maintain her cold expression anymore. She directly expressed that she didn¡¯t think highly of Chen Yiming and was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive and would die in the upcoming battle.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have my own decisions and confidence.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it and smiled.


    Whether it was the terrifying creatures from the dark forest world or the black tide that had arrived on the blue planet, they had all underestimated him.


    Little did they know that he was essentially one with the spiritual figure. The spiritual figure¡¯s ability to fight a prolonged battle must have exceeded the enemy¡¯s expectations.


    Unless an existence that had truly surpassed the fusion realm made a move, such as the war weapon in the otherworld, Chen Yiming could fight them calmly.


    ¡°Hmph! I just want to go. How can you stop me?¡±


    When Wu Susu heard this, she almost lost her temper. She stomped her feet angrily and was about to turn around and leave.


    ¡°Wait, how about this? Do me a favor¡­¡±


    Seeing that the other party was about to turn around and leave, Chen Yiming had a thought. He wanted Wu Susu to help him with something, so he quickly grabbed her hand and held her back.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Time was tight, and he directly grabbed her hand.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming told Wu Susu about a plan and asked her to secretly investigate the mysterious underground space where the 10,000-meter-long corpse used to be.


    With her powerful spiritual talent, she could try to see if she could find the foundation of the formation around it or deeper inside.


    Chen Yiming suspected that the terrifying essence energy in the 10,000-meter-long corpse was created by the world-level formation. In fact, the 10,000-meter-long corpse might have been guarding the formation when it was alive.


    It was very likely that in order to protect the foundation of the formation, it had chosen to seal away the enemy.


    Therefore, as long as he found the foundation of the formation and allowed his main body to break through to the fusion realm, coupled with the spiritual figure, it would be easy for him to break through the blockade.


    ¡­


    On the blue planet, inside an active volcano, on the surface of the boiling lava, waves of heat rose continuously, turning into streams of white smoke that rose from the volcano.


    Surprisingly, the lava lake was not completely devoid of life. Small light spots wandered in the lake one after another, or broke through the surface of the lake and danced in the space inside the volcano.


    From time to time, the sound of conversation could be heard. The meaning behind it was unknown, and it was a language only known to certain species.


    Suddenly, the air distorted, and the distortion spread almost throughout the entire volcano, causing countless light spots to descend in panic.


    ¡°Splash, splash¡­¡±


    Small waves appeared on the surface of the lava lake, and the small lights hid under the surface of the lava.


    ¡°This environment is too uncomfortable. Not only do I have to shrink my body, but I¡¯m also feeling hot and itchy all over.¡±


    After the distortion disappeared, the snow beast¡¯s voice echoed through the volcano like thunder, causing the mountain to shake.


    Then, eight figures appeared in the air one after another. They were the snow beast covered in ice crystal-like hair, the huge eye with the ripple pattern, the giant on the warhorse,


    a dire wolf whose fur was glowing with a metallic luster, a large turtle carrying a small island on its back, a three-legged golden toad,


    a fox with three heads, and a huge crawling beast with a horn on its head.


    ¡°You guys are here.¡±


    At this moment, a voice sounded from under the lava lake. Then, a flame broke through the surface of the lake and rose into the air. It was a fire spirit.


    There were a total of nine creatures at the fusion realm that came from the dark forest world. They had all been pressured by Chen Yiming¡¯s divine sword and had reached an agreement to join forces to break through the blockade under the influence of the huge eye.


    ¡°Fire Spirit, are you ready?¡±


    The tentacles behind the huge eye danced in the air and floated towards the fire spirit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already fused the foundation base into the core of this planet, but is one foundation base really enough? That huge mouth trapped by the chains is equivalent to a second blockade.¡±


    The fire spirit still had doubts about the huge eye¡¯s escape plan.


    A complete world-level formation had five foundation bases. By placing them in specific locations, they could mobilize the power of the entire world.


    The fire spirit had once been the guardian of a certain foundation base. It knew very well that for every additional foundation base, the power would not simply increase. Instead, with every additional foundation base, there would be a qualitative change.


    In its heart, to mobilize the power of all the cores on the planet to attack the mouth on the blockade required at least three foundation bases.


    This way, the mouths on the blockade would definitely be caught off guard and be forced to devour this huge force. They would then be able to take the opportunity to escape from the planet.


    ¡°The number three is very important in the world-level formation passed down by the goddess. The power of the formation created by three foundation bases is second only to the qualitative change introduced by all five foundation bases.


    However, it is already too late. Other than the current position of the strongest human and the foundation base buried on the other side of the space-travel passage, we can only snatch back the territory of the creatures who had surrendered to the black tide.


    As for the black tide, how could it not know the power of the three foundation bases? It has already occupied three of them as bait and is waiting for us to take the bait,¡±


    the huge eye explained. Not only was it once one of the participants in the creation of the world-level formation, but it had also used the power of distortion to secretly investigate many secrets over the years.


    Therefore, it was very clear that there was only one formation base that could be used.


    ¡°The power of two foundation bases working together is much stronger than one. Why don¡¯t we discuss it with the strongest human? At most, we can allow the human spaceships to break out of the encirclement with us.¡±


    The fire spirit was similar to the snow beast. At first, it intended to hide away. Not only could it fuse with the lava, but it could also hide deep in the planet¡¯s core.


    If the huge eye hadn¡¯t come to tell him how much the black tide valued this planet, it wouldn¡¯t have cared about the extent of the fighting outside. Naturally, it did not know Chen Yiming very well.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As soon as it finished speaking, other than the fire spirit, none of the other eight figures made a sound.


    The remaining foundation base that they had a chance of obtaining could either be obtained from Chen Yiming¡¯s current location or back in the dark forest world a long distance away.


    The huge eye naturally did not dare to go. The last time it had controlled a human for negotiations, it had almost been discovered. Fortunately, it was vigilant enough not to be found.


    Just like the huge eye, the snow beast used its ice crystal-like hair to create mutant creatures. The snow beast could also see the corresponding scene through these mutant creatures.


    With the style of the strongest human, the snow beast did not want to suffer the same fate as the firebird and get killed by him.


    Of course, it was impossible for the snow beast to be killed with a single punch, but it could be chased down to its death. There was a limit to the number of times the Undying Mark could be used for recovery. This was not much different from being killed with a single punch. The outcome was still its death.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    Not long after, their gazes stopped on the dire wolf.


    The flesh, bones, and hair on the dire wolf¡¯s body were all made of a metal-like substance.


    Before the black tide invaded the dark forest world, it had relied on its ferocity, lethality, cold-bloodedness, and battle achievements to obtain the nickname of ¡°war weapon¡±.


    Of the nine creatures present, it was the strongest in terms of individual combat strength. The dire wolf trembled under their gazes and cursed in its heart, ¡°Whoever goes is a fool.¡±


    At the same time, some memories from a long time ago resurfaced.


    The dark forest world had once been like the planet under their feet. The war weapon had been mobilized before it was completed, and the dire wolf had participated in that battle.


    However, the dire wolf, which was once proud of its fighting style, was completely defeated by the shadows.


    Its metal-like flesh, bones, and sharp claws had always been indestructible, but at that time, they had been destroyed repeatedly. Its Undying Mark had almost been hit because of its carelessness.


    Compared to the combat results of the strongest human, the difference was visible to the naked eye and could not be refuted. The divine sword had pierced through the shadow.


    Although the dire wolf did not think the strongest human could block the counterattack of the entire forest world by himself, it did not mean that the other party was not strong.


    After being stunned for a moment, the dire wolf rejected this suggestion.


    The fire spirit was quite disappointed, but no one was willing to go. Clearly, there was a deeper reason.


    Finally, the suggestion to take another foundation base was dropped.

 Chapter 383 - Special Sealed Item

    In the sky, there was a sudden thunderclap.


    Countless gazes were immediately attracted to it. In the clear sky, countless bolts of lightning flashed a few times, leaving behind thin lines that seemed to be carved into the air.


    Furthermore, it covered the entire blue planet. The scene was reflected in countless eyes.


    ¡°This, this is?¡±


    It was not only the humans from all over the world who were shocked by the huge commotion caused by the enemy¡¯s attack. It was like the end of the world, and it was as if they wanted to devour the entire planet.


    The terrifying creatures hiding in the mouth of the volcano were also feeling a little uneasy. The strongest human was only a being at the inscription realm, and he was relying on the power of the divine sword in his hands.


    It seemed that the fellows who had surrendered treated this siege more seriously than they had imagined.


    The larger the number of combatants at the level of the fusion realm, the more it would affect the plan to break through the blockade. It was unlikely for those at the level of the fusion realm to be able to completely block off those at the same level, but they could often stop them for a moment.


    To these terrifying creatures, it was not realistic to destroy the blockade with just the foundation of the formation. They had to consider the threat of the huge mouth.


    It would be terrible if anyone was stopped and the huge mouth targeted them.


    At the first industrial base,


    the doors of the three spaceships had already closed. The roar of their engines could be heard as the relevant personnel took their positions and quietly waited for orders from the ground control center.


    ¡°Is this the result of the difference in the levels of our civilizations?¡±


    The top leader¡¯s shoulders felt so heavy that he could not move. From now on, every decision he made was more important than all the previous decisions combined.


    Whether the first batch of three city-level spaceships could kick off a good start for the humans¡¯ space plan would depend on the situation.


    ¡°Can our spaceships really break through the encirclement during a natural phenomenon of this level? It¡¯s like a small wooden ship sailing through a sea of lightning.¡±


    On the three spaceships, the three captains had solemn gazes and their hands were already on the controls.


    The lightning in the sky turned into an image that was engraved in their minds. At some point, their backs were completely drenched. The thin lines left behind by the lightning might imply that the captains operating the spaceships could not afford to make any mistakes.


    At the same time, the warriors from all over the world had a deep unwillingness in their eyes when faced with a natural disaster that could destroy their civilization.


    ¡°Is this the power of the black tide? I¡¯m too weak. I can only watch helplessly and can¡¯t provide any help.¡±


    ¡­


    Just as all the gazes were focused on the flashes of lightning above their heads, an extremely long crack suddenly appeared in the old location of the strange mountain village. Under the influence of an invisible force, Chen Yiming and the spiritual figure fell into the crack.


    ¡°Who obtained this special item from the war weapon?¡±


    In the volcano, a real-time image appeared. The nine figures had ugly expressions on their faces. They did not seem to have expected this to happen right from the start.


    This special item had three special spaces that it could constantly switch between: gravity, corrosion, and illusion. There was once a creature at the fusion realm who had surrendered to the black tide and used it to deal with those who were unwilling to join them.


    The gravity space targeted creatures that did not specialize in their physique. The corrosive space affected the control over the power of nature, and the illusion space targeted those with low spiritual talent.


    After falling under the control of this special item, there had never been a case of a creature at the fusion realm escaping alive.


    ¡°How could this be!¡±


    In the first industrial base, the top leader saw Chen Yiming fall into the crack through the screen. The crack immediately closed up, as if it had a life of its own.


    It wasn¡¯t what he had expected at all. If several powerful enemies charged out of the space-travel passage, Chen Yiming would at least be able to fight them on his home ground.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming landed on the ground, still holding on to his divine sword.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a place deep underground?¡±


    He spread out his spiritual power to investigate his surroundings. It was filled with an endless amount of fog, which caused a huge disturbance to his spiritual power. He could not see the entire situation.


    His feet were not stepping on soil, but on solid ground made of some unknown material. It was a little sticky and had a suction force. When his feet stepped on it, a small hole immediately appeared.


    ¡°Is it alive? Did the information about my exact location get sent out?¡±


    After Chen Yiming created a small hole with his step, he felt a sense of satisfaction in response.


    ¡°This is not the depths of the blue planet at all. Instead, I am locked up in an alternate space by the enemy.¡±


    He immediately understood his situation. The unknown enemy had clearly come prepared. From the start, they did not give him a chance to react and directly dragged him into their territory.


    It could be said that the situation was greatly disadvantageous to him.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze narrowed. The divine sword in his hand turned into a stream of light and returned to his spiritual world. The two human-shaped consciousnesses instantly fused together.


    His main body¡¯s consciousness and the spiritual figure had essentially fused into one. This was the strongest power he could use on the spiritual level. At the moment, it was a trump card that he had never revealed before.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Immediately after, a terrifying spiritual storm spread out with Chen Yiming as the center. It was as if a nuclear explosion had occurred, intending to evaporate all the fog and expose the enemy hiding in the dark.


    The spiritual storm unleashed by the complete consciousness not only carried the concept of the Sword Aura destroying everything, but also had the full enhancement from the Undying Body talent and the attributes brought about by the giant bloodline.


    This made every trace of spiritual power extremely tough and difficult to destroy by those at the same level or even at a higher level. Even if it was against dozens or hundreds of people, he would not be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A violent collision seemed to occur in the air.


    This fog was the key to this otherworld, so it was naturally not something that would dissipate at the slightest touch.


    A boundary between the spiritual storm and the dense fog appeared on the spherical barrier. Immediately after, the range of the barrier expanded.


    As for the dense fog, it was forced to continuously gather. However, as the density increased, it gradually retreated.


    ¡°Such terrifying spiritual power!¡±


    Before the fog was completely dispersed, a surprised voice echoed in the air.


    In the next moment, three figures were revealed. The one in the middle looked slightly old, and his eyes were turbid, but there was a glint hidden in them. He was wearing tattered beast skin and holding a staff. He was the barbarian priest.


    On the left was a birdman with six wings. Every feather was shining with a dazzling light, and there was a layer of cloth covering its face. Its eyes were filled with indifference, and two light swords gradually extended from its hands.


    On the right was a six-legged rhinoceros. It had a long horn that kept flashing with electric sparks, and its entire body was protected by scales. Its eyes were filled with endless fighting spirit.


    This was an illusion space. According to the information, it was the most suitable place to deal with Chen Yiming. Such a terrifying spiritual storm was completely unexpected.


    ¡°One, two, three. Are there only three of you?¡±


    After the spiritual storm spread to the walls of the space, Chen Yiming stopped. The spiritual figure turned back into the divine sword and appeared in his hand.


    Fortunately, he could make his move freely in the otherworld. If it was in the outside world, with the spread of the spiritual storm, an entire country would become a land of death.


    After confirming that he had been pulled into the otherworld, he did not have to worry about anything. From the looks of it, it was not certain whether the situation was good or bad.


    ¡°The strongest human, your spiritual power is indeed not bad. It¡¯s enough to overwhelm most creatures in the dark forest world. However, how many times can you use such power?¡±


    the barbarian priest said calmly and shamelessly.


    Compared to other powers, such as the strength of one¡¯s body and the power of nature, the recovery speed of spiritual power was often far inferior. This was not related to one¡¯s cultivation level.


    Furthermore, spiritual power was also closely related to the Undying Mark. A large amount of unrestrained consumption would affect the number of times the Undying Mark could be used.


    The special sealed item they carried could continuously switch between three spaces. Therefore, the more the strongest human used such a large-scale technique, the happier they were.


    ¡°Could he be trying to stall for time?¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t understand the intention behind the evaluation of his spiritual power, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. After all, the barbarian priest could say whatever he wanted.


    He took a step forward, and the otherworld shook. The divine sword in his hand stabbed at the ground, erupting with a powerful attack that combined his essence, energy, and spirit.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A huge hole suddenly appeared in the ground. However, the sticky substance at the edge seemed to be extremely tough and connected with each other to form a net.


    ¡°It was transferred?¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised to see that the attack that had combined his essence, energy, and spirit was quickly transferred away to another place when it hit the barrier in the otherworld.


    In the end, the hole gradually returned to its original state under the influence of the sticky substance even though it had been distorted beyond recognition.


    ¡°Hahaha, you want to break through the cage by yourself?¡±


    Seeing this, the archangel could not help but laugh.


    The native of the cultivation desert had his own way of thinking. It had to be known that this was a special sealed item obtained from the war weapon.


    Even if it was not as powerful as the war weapon, it was not something that creatures at the fusion realm could break easily.


    The three spaces here could switch between each other. If any one of the spaces was attacked, the attack could be split equally and transferred to the other two spaces. It was equivalent to the attack being split into three and being greatly weakened.


    As soon as it finished speaking,


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill you before breaking this cage.¡±


    A voice suddenly sounded from behind the archangel.


    In the next moment, the archangel was shocked. Its six wings trembled as it turned around and slashed at Chen Yiming with its light sword.


    ¡°Can a super fast reaction speed work against an attack that exceeds the fusion realm?¡±


    As the barbarian priest retreated into the distance, his gaze was fixed on Chen Yiming and the archangel.


    Bird-type creatures usually had an outstanding reaction speed. After cultivating to a high level, this advantage was further enhanced.


    The archangel was one of the best among them. In terms of reaction speed, it dared to call itself the best in the dark forest world. Therefore, it was extremely confident that its Undying Mark would be fine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too arrogant.¡±


    The six-legged rhinoceros roared, and violent lightning danced on its horns. In a flash, it lit up the entire interior space. At the same time, its six legs accumulated power to provide a physical strength that far exceeded those of the same level.


    This gave the combined attack from the essence, energy and spirit gathered on the horn a terrifying lethality. It had easily destroyed the bodies of many creatures at the fusion realm.


    When Chen Yiming slashed at the archangel with the divine sword, the six-legged rhinoceros¡¯s horn was also pointed at Chen Yiming. If he insisted on using the divine sword to slash at it, he would also be attacked by the horn.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With a loud bang, the light sword broke apart. Feathers and flesh exploded, creating a rain of blood in the illusion space. Chen Yiming ignored the six-legged rhinoceros and forcefully killed the archangel.


    At the same time, the fusion attack from the six-legged rhinoceros exploded on Chen Yiming¡¯s chest.


    With his powerful physique, his body was not completely destroyed, but there was a huge hole in it. His chest and abdomen had completely disappeared.


    ¡°This is not the first time!¡±


    Chen Yiming gritted his teeth and slashed at the six-legged rhinoceros beside him.


    The spiritual figure unleashed another attack that combined its essence, energy, and spirit. The void seemed to be unable to withstand two consecutive attacks, and the illusion space shook.


    The six-legged rhinoceros exploded on the spot like the archangel, causing a rain of blood to fall from the sky.


    The power of each strike had consecutively killed creatures at the fusion realm.


    This shocked the barbarian priest. Seeing such a terrifying attack with his own eyes, the impact was something that the information he had gathered could not provide.


    If they were trapped in this cage formed by the special sealed item, it would probably not take long for them to be killed until the recovery ability of the Undying Mark was used up.


    In a corner, a light flashed, and all the feathers and flesh were collected together. The archangel had completely recovered. In another corner, the six-legged rhinoceros had recovered in the same way.


    ¡°We can¡¯t withstand the attack from the divine sword in the hands of the strongest human at all. His physique is even stronger than ours. Is he really only at the level of the inscription realm?¡±


    The archangel¡¯s gaze landed on Chen Yiming. The flesh on his chest and abdomen, which had disappeared, was growing back at an extremely fast speed. In the blink of an eye, he had almost completely recovered.


    Unlike the Undying Mark, which had a limit on the number of times it could be used to recover, the pure physical recovery ability was a huge headache for them.


    This meant that it was very difficult for them to kill the strongest human, even if the other party was only at the inscription realm.


    ¡°High Priest.¡±


    The six-legged rhinoceros had lost its fighting spirit. When it recovered, its expression was solemn as it deliberately reminded the barbarian priest who had complete control over the illusion space.


    According to the plan they had discussed at the start, they could not use their Undying Marks more than 10 times. They would have to transfer Chen Yiming to the gravity space or corrosion space.


    Using this method of taking turns to fight could reduce their consumption to the greatest extent. After killing the strongest human, they could not be too weak to prevent themselves from being attacked by each other.


    As soon as it finished speaking, ¡°¡­¡±


    The barbarian priest raised his staff and summoned a green creature. It immediately followed in the footsteps of the archangel and the six-legged rhinoceros, and its body exploded on the spot.


    It was too shameless to attack in a sealed space with the combined attack of the essence, energy, and spirit from the fusion realm.


    As for the dense aura in the illusion space, because the target¡¯s spiritual power was too terrifying, it was useless, causing them to be unable to dodge it.


    ¡°The barbarian priest is the key?¡±


    After killing his opponents, Chen Yiming immediately released his spiritual power, not letting go of any details in the rain of blood. He wanted to find the item that could control this space.


    A light flashed somewhere, and the barbarian priest¡¯s Undying Mark was activated in the shortest time possible, allowing him to recover on the spot.


    In the next moment, the priest¡¯s body exploded into a rain of blood.


    Twice.


    Three times.


    Four times.


    Seemingly due to the six-legged rhinoceros¡¯s deliberate reminder, Chen Yiming had specifically targeted the barbarian priest.


    This made the barbarian priest furious. Other than the combination of his essence, energy, and spirit, which was the strongest single-target attack at the fusion realm, he had also mastered many strange attacks, such as poison, acid, spiritual secret techniques, and so on.


    However, there was no chance of using them at all. He also knew that it would not be of much use even if he used them. The other party¡¯s body and mind had almost no weaknesses that could be broken through, and was even harder to kill than them, who had the Undying Mark.


    After the seventh explosion, the priest immediately switched to another space, together with the archangel and the six-legged rhinoceros.


    Chen Yiming remained where he was, but the space around him had changed to another one.

 Chapter 384 - Existences Beyond the Fusion Realm

    In the gravity space, Chen Yiming watched as the figures of the barbarian priest, the archangel, and the six-legged rhinoceros disappeared. At the same time, he suddenly felt like his body was being shackled.


    Compared to before, the gravity his body was enduring was at least 100 times stronger. Every move he made was more strenuous than before, as if he was at the bottom of the sea.


    ¡°They, who have yet to completely transform into dark creatures, actually used the ability to switch spaces so quickly. What complete trash.¡±


    At this moment, a disdainful gaze swept over. Its scarlet eyes were filled with killing intent, and liquid flowed out of its ferocious mouth, as if it was looking at delicious food.


    Dark creatures would obtain a talent called the ¡°Body of Darkness¡± after successfully undergoing the transformation ritual.


    The body of darkness was equivalent to elevating a living creature in all aspects. The limits on its potential would be completely broken, and it would become a true member of the black tide.


    During the process of evolving and becoming stronger, he would constantly collect negative emotions and evolve the level of his body of darkness. His strength would become stronger as the level of his body of darkness increased.


    ¡°Is this the strongest human? The three of us are not like those failures. I hope you can let us have some fun.¡±


    Another indifferent voice sounded. The failures it was referring to were the priest, the archangel, and the six-legged rhinoceros.


    The creatures who had surrendered to the black tide were divided into official and unofficial members based on their talent for the body of darkness.


    Unofficial members lacked the talent for the body of darkness and could not increase their strength by gathering negative emotions. Therefore, they were referred to as failures.


    ¡°Dark creatures?¡±


    Chen Yiming had no expression on his face. He looked straight at the three figures waiting for him in the gravity space. They were a dark werewolf, a dark iron corpse, and a dark mutant insect.


    Their appearance was similar to the eight-armed shadow monster from back then. Other than their ferocious appearance, their bodies emitted a black aura that contained endless negative emotions. Few people would dare to let the black aura touch their bodies.


    The black aura was the terrifying ability of the dark creatures from the black tide. At this moment, it was gradually filling the entire gravity space, and his senses were gradually being blinded as their figures slowly disappeared.


    ¡°There are a total of three spaces here, and they can be switched at any time. You have more than one group of opponents, and we are not affected by the gravity space. Are you shocked? Are you afraid and in despair?¡±


    The dark iron corpse suddenly opened its mouth, and an additional aura of death appeared in the gravity space.


    The death aura contained the will to falter. If one¡¯s spiritual power was contaminated by it, the consequences would be very serious. At best, one¡¯s fighting spirit would decrease, and at worst, one would suffer a mental breakdown.


    ¡°Kill him,¡± the dark werewolf said. The black aura, death aura, and gravity were all in place.


    As soon as it finished speaking, the dark mutant insect seemed to have teleported in front of Chen Yiming.


    With his perception severely disrupted and his movements restricted, the speed was so fast that Chen Yiming almost couldn¡¯t react in time. He could only see the shell covered in complicated patterns appear like an illusion.


    The patterns were blood red and were crawling slightly, as if they were alive.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    The divine light in Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes intensified. He resisted the invisible shackles imposed by the gravity space and slashed at the dark mutant insect.


    The divine sword carried a destructive white light as it slashed at the bug¡¯s head. With a bang, black blood exploded in the air.


    Immediately after, he struck out more than 100 times. The sword shadows shot out wantonly in the gravity space. Every strike almost tore through the space, causing countless distorted holes to appear in the air.


    He was trying his luck to see if he could accidentally shatter the other party¡¯s Undying Mark.


    Suddenly, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened.


    Not far away, the dark werewolf and the dark iron corpse smiled, as if Chen Yiming had fallen into their trap.


    The divine sword had the ability to attack those at the fusion realm. They had discussed this before the attack. Although the dark creatures were conceited, it did not mean that they were stupid.


    Moreover, the body of darkness had only allowed the dark creatures to transform their physique, giving them the possibility of continuing to evolve to become stronger. It was not something that could be used to deal with attacks from those at the same realm.


    ¡°So it¡¯s another splitting ability.¡±


    Chen Yiming lowered his head and saw that there was a hole in his chest. He had only cut off a portion of the mutant insect, and the rest of the mutant insect was hiding in the black aura. It had taken advantage of the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on him from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s only this much. No matter how strong the divine sword is, it¡¯s still an external object. However, when your main body is attacked by the black aura, what can you do next? I¡¯ll tell you first that it is extremely uncomfortable to be surrounded by the black aura.¡±


    10 sharp claws suddenly extended from the dark werewolf¡¯s palms. It sneered, and its eyes were filled with mockery.


    Just as it had said, the wound on Chen Yiming¡¯s chest was visibly expanding under the attack of the black aura. All kinds of negative emotions seemed to be alive in the black aura. Not only were they invading every cell of his body, but they were also invading his spiritual world.


    Chen Yiming frowned slightly. He could feel the cells with the Undying Body talent starting to get angry and try their best to expel the black aura. However, since his body didn¡¯t have the Undying Mark, he couldn¡¯t recover instantly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t completely underestimate the black aura. At the very least, it will slow down my recovery speed. There¡¯s a delay because I need to get rid of the black aura before I can recover.¡±


    The black aura caused a sizzling sound to appear from the wound. Chen Yiming focused his gaze on the three dark creatures again and gripped his sword tightly.


    ¡°Is that all you prepared? Then it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    With that, Chen Yiming charged forward with his sword and leaped into the air to appear in front of the dark werewolf and the dark iron corpse.


    The divine sword in his hand appeared out of thin air, and hundreds of sword shadows instantly appeared. Each sword shadow was an attack formed by the combination of essence, energy, and spirit.


    This immediately announced that the bodies of the dark werewolf and the dark iron corpse were about to explode into pieces. Furthermore, as long as a sword shadow hit their Undying Marks, they would truly die.


    ¡°It¡¯s a physical sword shadow formed from the combination of essence, energy, and spirit! How is this possible?¡±


    The dark werewolf and the dark iron corpse had never heard of this before. It had to be known that the ability to combine one¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit consumed a lot of energy even when it was used as a single-target attack at the fusion realm.


    What they did not know was that if the spiritual figure was far away from the main body, it would not be able to withstand such a huge expenditure.


    However, because he was holding it in his hand, it was equivalent to returning to his main body. His Undying Body talent was like an eternal furnace, replenishing all his energy at high speeds.


    If 100 strikes were not enough, 100 more strikes would not be a problem.


    ¡°Swish, swish, swish!¡±


    As Chen Yiming swung his sword, hundreds of sword shadows shot out at the same time. They were like a sword formation that tore through the air and charged over.


    The dark werewolf, the dark iron corpse, and the dark mutant insect hiding in the black aura were all covered by the sword formation formed by the sword shadows.


    The surging destructive power temporarily rendered the black aura, death aura, and gravity ineffective.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    The expressions of the three dark creatures changed drastically. They did not expect the injuries caused by the black aura to only be superficial.


    At this moment, in the sealed space, their physical bodies were targets that were too big to completely avoid the large-scale attack. They could only control their Undying Marks to avoid the sword shadows as much as possible.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    The three dark creatures exploded at the same time, and the black blood splashed in different directions. The three Undying Marks were hidden in three drops of black blood.


    However, the sword formation formed by the sword shadows was too dense, especially for the dark werewolf and the dark iron corpse. The two of them were almost facing the sword formation head-on.


    At the first sign of movement, the sword formation spun and pierced straight through it.


    The second time, there was a faint cracking sound in the air. Something had been in a stalemate with the sword shadows for a moment before it exploded.


    The third time, when he heard another crack, the space around him changed. The invisible shackles brought about by the gravity space disappeared, and Chen Yiming found himself on a green lake.


    It was the corrosive space.


    ¡°Were the Undying Marks completely destroyed?¡±


    This thought appeared in his mind, but Chen Yiming had no way of knowing the outcome in the other space. He could only wait for the next switching of the spaces to confirm it.


    His gaze turned and stopped on a figure with his back facing him.


    It was a human like him. Unlike the dark creatures, who were covered in a black aura, he was only wearing a black robe. His figure was as straight as a sword, and his silver hair fluttered in the wind.


    ¡°Human.¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised. He didn¡¯t expect a pure human to be waiting for him in the corrosive space.


    If it was not an alien, then it must have been an important chess piece left behind by the black tide in human society. Only now did it truly start to move.


    Furthermore, in the previous illusion space and the gravity space, there were three creatures at the fusion realm, while the last corrosive space only had one human.


    In terms of numbers, the corrosive space was undoubtedly the most special.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time, hehehe.¡±


    The man opposite him suddenly turned around, his face filled with hatred.


    ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    Chen Yiming was confused. He didn¡¯t remember seeing this person before. Why did it seem like they had formed an irreconcilable grudge?


    ¡°My name is Zhang Cheng.¡±


    The man gritted his teeth and said word by word, his voice filled with anger.


    ¡°Zhang Cheng? Who¡¯s Zhang Cheng?¡±


    Chen Yiming quickly recalled his memories and confirmed that there was no such person in his memory. Even the name Zhang Cheng had never appeared.


    ¡°A year ago, you snatched away a student I had my eyes on in Jiangdu City.¡±


    Zhang Cheng¡¯s eyes seemed to be burning with flames as a terrifying spiritual power burst out. At the same time, the acid lake below started to boil crazily, and a large amount of corrosive gas gradually filled the air.


    ¡°So the other party was a teacher at the former Shanghai Martial Arts Academy.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming instantly understood the source of the hatred. So it was Shen Mengwei. However, it was a little too much to say that he had snatched the other party¡¯s student. At most, they had been competing fairly for her, and he had the better judgment.


    ¡°Shen Mengwei¡¯s friend said back then that he only gave her an opportunity to enter the Shanghai Martial Arts Academy¡¯s interviews. This doesn¡¯t mean that she will definitely become a student and there¡¯s still a chance that she might be rejected.¡±


    This was equivalent to the sect¡¯s entrance assessment. Could it be said that one who had yet to participate in the assessment had already become a disciple of the sect?


    Shen Mengwei¡¯s rise to fame would probably be dazzling enough to support a large faction, causing the teacher in charge of recruiting students to¡­


    However, no matter what, it should not be the reason for him to become a lackey of the black tide and betray humanity.


    ¡°Tsk, so it was because of our bad blood that the black tide paid attention to you,¡±


    Chen Yiming said disdainfully.


    These words made Zhang Cheng¡¯s face twist completely. He extended his arm and a black fruit appeared in his palm. Then, he stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed it.


    ¡°Bang bang!¡±


    The sound of drums echoed through the corrosive space.


    ¡°This is a dark fruit, a product of the invasion of this world. It contains a supreme will. I want to see you die here with my own eyes, hehehe.¡±


    With a wild laugh, a purple lotus mark appeared on Zhang Cheng¡¯s forehead. His gaze also changed, becoming as calm as an ancient well, as though he was ruling over all living beings. His gaze became cold and dead.


    After laughing wildly and eating the fruit, he seemed to have become a completely different person.


    At the same time, Zhang Cheng¡¯s silver hair turned as black as ink, and the glint in his eyes increased exponentially.


    An extremely active spiritual power surged over like a tsunami and collided with the spiritual power surrounding Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression changed. In a head-on clash, he was forced to retreat.


    Of course, he did not rely most on his spiritual power, so he did not panic even if he was defeated in a spiritual fight. As long as it was not an existence that could instantly kill him, he was still confident.


    ¡°Melt.¡±


    Zhang Cheng took a step forward expressionlessly, his hands supporting the air as if he was holding back the entire world.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    The entire acid lake below was stirred up, and a spinning tornado exploded. It contained a terrifying corrosive power, and the tornado gradually shrank to the size of a palm.


    ¡°Did the tornado shrink, or was the space compressed?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was solemn. Clearly, the human in front of him only had his body left. This body belonged to Zhang Cheng, but it was completely controlled by the supreme will contained in the black fruit that Zhang Cheng had mentioned.


    The tornado in his vision spun around and around. Gradually, Chen Yiming realized that something was amiss. He felt as though he was facing a pressure that came from the entire world.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be careless. After swallowing the dark fruit, Zhang Cheng seems to have temporarily reached a higher level than the fusion realm.¡±


    He reminded himself not to be rash before he figured it out and tried his best to avoid the attack.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Two tornadoes were thrown out by Zhang Cheng expressionlessly. The moment they left his hands, they instantly turned into the size of the lake.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Two tornadoes, one on the left and one on the right, occupied more than half of the corrosive space. They seemed to carry the power of heaven and earth as they charged at Chen Yiming.


    Although they carefully avoided the space-travel barrier, the powerful aftershock still made the space-travel barrier seem as fragile as paper. As it swayed, it vaguely revealed the scene in the outside world.


    The scene was a pitch-black underground space that was surrounded by black soil.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming glanced at Zhang Cheng. His eyes were as calm as if he had determined the outcome right after throwing out the tornadoes.


    The spiritual figure communicated with Chen Yiming instantly. The divine sword left his body and slashed at one of the tornadoes. At the same time, he moved towards the only direction he could dodge in.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The divine sword, which had always been successful after breaking through to the fusion realm, shattered the moment it came into contact with the tornado. Then, the Undying Mark was activated, and it turned into a stream of light that returned to Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Using an ordinary sword to fight against the heavens.¡±


    Chen Yiming received this response from the spiritual figure. This was what he felt the moment the divine sword came into contact with the tornado.


    Clearly, the tornado that had been modified by Zhang Cheng¡¯s special technique was no longer at the level of the fusion realm. There was a difference in cultivation level.


    On the other hand, the spiritual figure¡¯s attack was only at the level of the fusion realm, so it was completely crushed.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was facing the tornadoes that were closing in on him. Suddenly, he was in a desperate situation. The enemy had mobilized a force that was one level higher than the fusion realm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it my all!¡±


    Chen Yiming deduced from the tornado attack that Zhang Cheng didn¡¯t want to break the corrosive space, which was why he had been able to dodge earlier.


    He used the sword formation that he had used in the gravity space, ignoring the exhaustion of his body and mind. He unleashed more than 100 sword shadows at once.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The sword formation formed by the sword shadows collided with the two tornadoes, creating a reaction that caused space to shatter and distort.


    The sword shadows were dispersed without any hesitation. As more and more spatial cracks appeared that revealed the outside world, the acid lake below also exploded.


    The water in the acid lake had not been specially modified by Zhang Cheng, so it did not have the power to surpass the fusion realm.


    ¡°If one round isn¡¯t enough, let¡¯s go for a second round.¡±


    As soon as the hundreds of sword shadows formed by the combination of essence, energy, and divine erupted, the second sword formation was already accumulating power.


    At this moment, all the cells in Chen Yiming¡¯s body seemed to have been activated by the power of the Undying Body talent. They were constantly absorbing energy from the unknown void to quickly replenish his body and mind.


    The spiritual figure was at the fusion realm, and his main body was at the inscription realm. When combined, he could truly unleash his true combat strength. Any large-scale attack could be thrown out as if it did not consume any energy.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The second sword formation was still easily dispersed by the tornado, and the shattered sword shadows shot towards the surrounding space barrier. From this, it could be seen that the difference in quality of the attacks was too great. It was definitely at a higher level than the fusion realm.


    The only good news was that under the continuous eruption of the sword shadows, the power of the corrosion space seemed to have gradually reached its limit and was showing signs of further collapse.


    ¡°A third round.¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming retreated and dodged. Another sword formation formed by hundreds of sword shadows erupted.


    Each of the sword shadows was a sword spirit. It was a terrifying attack that combined his essence, energy, and spirit. Although the special sealing item he was trapped by had created three spaces that could spread out the damage, and could split into three to maintain its stability, the total damage the three spaces could withstand was still limited. At this moment, the sword shadows that combined his essence, energy, and spirit were constantly wreaking havoc in the gravity space and the illusion space as well.


    In the illusion space.


    ¡°High Priest, do you know what the situation is within the corrosive space?¡±


    The archangel had just recovered from the explosion and immediately questioned the barbarian priest.


    After the switching of the space, they had immediately focused on recovering their physical and spiritual strength. They wanted to try their best to recover as many uses of the Undying Mark as possible before Chen Yiming was transferred back to this space.


    They were being cautious, even though they felt that Chen Yiming, the strongest human, wouldn¡¯t be able to pass through the third space.


    After all, the corrosive space had something that was left behind by existences that were not from this world.


    ¡°No, actually, I only have the ability to switch the spaces. I can¡¯t do anything else.¡±


    The barbarian priest¡¯s gaze was solemn. His spiritual power spread throughout the entire space, and he could dodge the sword shadows that suddenly appeared at any moment.


    ¡°Think of a way! We don¡¯t know when these terrifying sword shadows will stop.¡±


    As soon as the six-legged rhinoceros finished speaking, the sword shadows disappeared, and Chen Yiming appeared.


    ¡°The space has been switched again.¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    The situation was very awkward. The barbarian priest, the archangel, and the six-legged rhinoceros were in a sorry state, and Chen Yiming was in a similar situation.


    Half of his body was gone, and the glow of the sword-shaped mark in the hilt of the divine sword in his hand that represented the Undying Mark had dimmed significantly.


    The reason why the space had changed for the third time was because Zhang Cheng had taken the initiative to retract the tornado. This was not because the specially modified tornado had been destroyed.


    But Chen Yiming had unleashed more than 10 terrifying sword formations in a row. If this continued, the barrier wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. If the barrier was broken, Chen Yiming would no longer be restrained by the cage and could just escape.


    At the same time, the terrifying creatures that had come to the blue planet to take refuge began to take action.

 Chapter 385 - Operation to Break Through the Blockade

    ¡°Darkness is about to envelop this world. First of all, we have to thank you, the strongest human, for standing at the front. Therefore, we promise that the human spaceships can break through the blockade with us without any worries.¡±


    A low and powerful voice sounded, as if it was playing in the sky above the cities all over the world. Then, under the shocked gazes of countless people, in the distant sky, eight huge figures suddenly appeared.


    As soon as these eight figures appeared, they turned the surrounding environment into a world of ice. There was the snow beast with ice crystal-like fur, the huge eye that humans were most familiar with, and the giant on the warhorse that humans thought were dead.


    Other than that, the other five figures were completely unfamiliar to humans and had never revealed themselves before on the blue planet.


    However, to be able to stand together with the huge eye, the snow beast, and the giant on the warhorse, with an aura like that of the vast sea, meant that these five figures were also creatures at the fusion realm.


    ¡°One, two, three¡­ six, seven, eight.¡±


    ¡°A terrifying wolf beast made of metal, a divine turtle carrying an island, a golden three-legged golden toad, a spirit fox with three heads, and a huge crawling beast with a single horn.¡±


    The humans all over the world were shocked. It turned out that there were already so many terrifying creatures hiding on this planet.


    At the ground control center of the first industrial base, the top leader and the old general¡¯s gazes were fixed on the image that was being transmitted back. Their previous guesses had become reality. As expected, there were more terrifying creatures than the ones that had been active on the surface.


    ¡°Are the terrifying creatures truly expressing their sincerity to the humans for some reason, or are they deliberately trying to get us to let our guard down?¡± the top leader said softly. His thoughts quickly ran through various possibilities.


    First, he eliminated the possibility that they were specifically targeting the man-made spaceships. After all, the spaceships were just toys that could be easily destroyed by the terrifying creatures. They were not a threat to them, and destroying the spaceships would not benefit them.


    ¡°After escaping from the blue planet, there¡¯s a high chance that our destinations will be different. It¡¯s also unlikely for them to rope in humans to form an alliance and travel together in space.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the top leader checked the surveillance footage from before. A large number of spikes had suddenly exploded under the ruins of the strange mountain village.


    The spikes were surrounded by an extremely elastic substance, although it didn¡¯t break completely in the end, it trapped Chen Yiming.


    However, the small number of blurry images captured by the camera, such as sword shadows flying through the air and tornadoes wreaking havoc, still gave one a psychological shock.


    It had to be known that it was something that came from the black tide. Now, it was actually starting to show signs of breaking.


    ¡°Could it be that even though Chen Yiming is in a cage, he can still intimidate those terrifying creatures?¡±


    The top leader could only come up with an explanation that did not seem realistic.


    After breaking through the blockade, could Chen Yiming and the human spaceships really find and kill the terrifying creatures in the endless universe?


    However, other than Chen Yiming, who represented the strongest human, there was no other human who could match up to the terrifying creatures.


    The old general beside him had a serious expression and did not say a word.


    Back then, the bone beast had tried to sacrifice the entire human civilization, creating an irreconcilable grudge between the two sides.


    Now, were they going to believe the other party¡¯s words so easily just because of a promise they made without any guarantee?


    The sudden change in attitude of the terrifying creatures could be said to have created another huge problem for the humans.


    If they trusted them, there would undoubtedly be many more escape routes for the man-made spaceships. If they did not trust them, they would have to consider avoiding the terrifying creatures and dealing with the unexpected situations that they would encounter during the escape.


    After a long time, the top leader decided to believe in Chen Yiming. The situation underground must have changed the attitude of the terrifying creatures.


    ¡°Inform the captains of the three spaceships that there is an additional change to the plan to break out of the encirclement. We will no longer have to avoid the terrifying creatures.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Arctic Sea, the eight terrifying creatures that gave their promise to the humans turned to look in the direction of the Pacific Ocean. To be precise, they looked towards the war weapon hidden in the oceanic trench.


    As they were about to break out of the encirclement, not only did they have to consider the current situation, but they also had to think about the future.


    ¡°There are no signs of the war weapon moving at all. Those who surrendered from the dark forest world are also being held back by the strongest human.


    There¡¯s probably no better time for us to break out of the encirclement. We just need to deal with the huge mouth on the moon¡¯s blockade,¡±


    the huge eye said calmly. The ripple pattern forming its Undying Mark had actually returned to its original state. It seemed like it had been pretending to be weak and hiding it for a long time.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Compared to the time when you broke out of the encirclement, the situation seems to be much better. However, the risk of dragging it out is not small. We can¡¯t drag it out forever.¡±


    The divine turtle carrying an island on its back opened its rock-like mouth.


    It had lived the longest among all the creatures present and was also the largest in size. If it retracted its limbs and head, it would truly be like an island.


    Moreover, the divine turtle did not participate in the escape back then. It had been awake for a shorter time than the snow beast, and had been sleeping almost all the time. There seemed to be no end to its lifespan.


    If not for the fact that the black tide had invaded the dark forest world for the second time and completely destroyed all chances of survival, the divine turtle would not have escaped to this planet and tried to break through the blockade.


    ¡°Old turtle, can you teach us the technique of long hibernation? I wonder how long it will take for us to reach a suitable planet after escaping into deep space.¡±


    The fox with three heads had a different personality corresponding to each head. One of the heads smiled.


    When one saw that smiling face, ordinary living beings would be subconsciously affected and inexplicably reply with their true thoughts.


    However, this strange illusion technique seemed to have completely failed on the divine turtle.


    ¡°Fox, you have three consciousnesses. You can try to force two of them into a sleeping state. This way, not only will the consumption of your life force be reduced, but you can also observe the situation ahead for us.¡±


    The long life of the divine turtle gave rise to its personality. It was not willing or used to beating around the bush.


    Another head of the three-headed fox quickly said, ¡°Old turtle, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a little difficult. If you let my older sister be in charge of observing the road ahead, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to take it in half a day. In the end, she will definitely wake us two.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then we can let one of you two take charge,¡± the turtle replied bluntly.


    However, what greeted him was three chuckles. Clearly, the three-headed fox was teasing the serious turtle.


    At this moment, the one-horned crawling beast released a long stream of air from its nostrils, scattering the clouds between them and the moon.


    This action interrupted the smiling three-headed fox. It thought that the escape plan was about to begin, but when it looked in the direction of the volcano, it realized that there was no movement at all. Clearly, the foundation base had not been completely prepared.


    ¡°Big bug, what are you doing? You scared my sister,¡± one of the fox heads asked in an unfriendly tone. The other two heads also narrowed their eyes, clearly in a bad mood.


    The one-horned crawling beast couldn¡¯t be bothered with the three-headed fox and asked the giant on the warhorse, ¡°Are you certain about the planet that can support life detected by the bone beast? Are you hiding anything?¡±


    It had always felt uneasy because the bone beast had never been an honest person. Now that it was dead, who could guarantee that what it had said before was the truth?


    Moreover, the only one who knew about the treasure, the giant on the warhorse, did not dare to claim it. It even used various excuses to brush it off. If it tricked everyone¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of asking me? I¡¯m not good at this. Previously, it was only the bone beast who was investigating. The bone beast was sure that it detected signs of life from the planet.¡± The giant on the warhorse was a little angry, but its aura was not very strong.


    Now that it was still in the recovery period, it did not have two lives like before. Coupled with the fact that it had fought the war weapon not long ago, it was even more unwilling to cause trouble.


    ¡°We¡¯re different from the bone beast. We don¡¯t want to spend all this time just to find a dead planet.¡±


    The one-horned crawling beast was worried about this. What it needed to replenish its body¡¯s energy was blood essence, not dead corpses.


    Unable to get an answer from the giant on the warhorse, the one-horned crawling beast turned around and looked for the huge eye again.


    The huge eye had comprehended the secret of the fusion realm on its own without relying on its talent to transform. Its ability was also good for the spiritual aspect, so it was the most suitable choice other than the dead bone beast.


    Although the three-headed fox¡¯s ability was also inclined towards the spiritual aspect, it was cunning and full of lies. The people present were afraid that the fox would act rashly at the critical moment, so how could they dare to hand over such a serious matter to it?


    Next, it came to the most important matter after breaking out of the encirclement. Almost all the terrifying creatures had joined in the conversation about the direction they should go in before the formation was completed.


    The dire wolf¡¯s metallic eyes narrowed, and its four metallic paws froze in the air.


    Unlike the other terrifying creatures who were enthusiastically discussing where to go, its gaze drifted to a certain direction from time to time. The commotion coming from underground was getting louder and louder.


    ¡°Is the fire spirit really out of its mind, or is it pretending to be stupid? Previously, it actually suggested skirting past the strongest human and taking another foundation base. If not for my refusal, we would have been screwed over.¡±


    The terrifying creatures that had surrendered had brought the special sealed item. However, a period of time had passed, and the commotion from underground had not stopped. Clearly, the battle was still ongoing and even they could not stop the strongest human.


    ¡°It looks like that sealed item will be destroyed sooner or later. If that¡¯s the case, will there be a better future for me if I work with the huge eye or the humans?¡±


    As it thought about things, the dire wolf somehow had this thought. It had to be known that in the dark forest world, it was an existence that represented a killing machine.


    However, the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse had a grudge against the humans. The huge eye and the snow beast also had a lot of conflict with the humans.


    It had not made any moves since it arrived on this planet. It did nothing and had just been hiding in the dark.


    However, if it lowered its head to the strongest human, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as those weak creatures in the human world who were called ¡°Man¡¯s best friends¡±?


    This made it difficult for the dire wolf, who was used to having the attitude of a king, to accept this. In its heart, it was more inclined to form an alliance with the humans. However, from the way the strongest human was getting stronger and stronger, he might not be interested in it.


    ¡°The huge eye once used its will to control a human to go and seek cooperation with him, and was almost chased down. If I rashly come into contact with the strongest human, what if I am forced to submit to him?¡±


    Thinking of this, the dire wolf was suddenly a little confused.


    The more the dire wolf thought about it, the more it felt that it should leave the huge eye and join the humans.


    In its heart, it admitted that the strongest human was too terrifying. It was as if his potential was limitless, and he could always become stronger at critical moments. It was more optimistic about his future after breaking out of the encirclement.


    Its only concern at the moment was that it was from the dark forest world, just like the bone beast. Although the bone beast was already dead, it had formed a huge grudge with humans.


    The dire wolf was afraid that it would take the blame for the bone beast and be beaten to death on its behalf.


    ¡­


    Time quickly passed by.


    Suddenly, the entire planet shook slightly.


    ¡°The formation is ready.¡±


    The topic of what came after the escape was immediately interrupted. The dire wolf also came back to its senses and temporarily suppressed the thought of betraying the others.


    After the strongest human was sealed by the special sealed item, the terrifying spiritual soldiers split into two paths. The fire spirit was in charge of entering the core of the planet and activating the formation.


    However, it was only one foundation base of the formation. It would take a long time to fully mobilize the power of the core to attack the huge mouth on the moon¡¯s blockade. Now, it was finally ready.


    According to the plan, the terrifying creatures present needed to fake an attack on the moon¡¯s blockade. The fire spirit would continue to secretly find a suitable opportunity.


    When the power of the core triggered by the formation hit the huge mouth, it would be the time for them to escape from the planet.


    ¡°According to the plan, you will be the first to attack, snow beast. Try your best to slow down the movements of the huge mouth on the moon¡¯s blockade,¡± the huge eye reminded it.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that, the snow beast leaped into the air and charged into outer space. Its huge body did not seem to be affected by the gravity of the planet at all. Then, it took a deep breath and instantly swallowed up the clouds within a radius of 100 kilometers.


    ¡°Ice Seal on Heaven and Earth.¡±


    A mouthful of hailstones was spat out by the snow beast, heading straight for the moon 10,000 kilometers away.


    The moment the hail appeared, if the humans looked up, they would see that about a tenth of the area around the blue planet was freezing over.


    If such a terrifying power of ice erupted in any country, the entire country would probably turn into a silent world of ice and snow.


    Facing the sudden attack from someone at the level of the fusion realm, the moon moved. It was no longer floating quietly like a dead star.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Accompanied by a roar that was similar to that of a beast, the air rippled, and the barrier disappeared. The chains on the surface of the moon broke one after another, and a huge mouth opened.


    The huge mouth seemed to be rooted to the moon, with the moon as its main body. It emitted the terrifying aura of an abyss.


    If Chen Yiming had seen this scene, he would have been shocked. Compared to it, the shadow mouth was like an infant.


    In reality, the huge mouth was not completely controlled by the black tide. The terrifying creatures in the dark forest world had gotten this information from the goddess.


    Therefore, a special type of chain was used to suppress most of the power of the huge mouth, which caused it to be in what was equivalent to a half-sealed state. In this state, the huge mouth could only project the shadow mouth to move around.


    On the other hand, removing the chains required high-level orders. Clearly, the controller of the huge mouth had already seen through their intentions. If they had known that the terrifying creatures were going to break out of the encirclement, they would have removed all the restrictions on the huge mouth from the start.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not the most advantageous situation, and the huge mouth at the blockade has already been unsealed, our goal is only to break out of the encirclement.¡±


    The huge eye was temporarily forced by the terrifying creatures to be the decision-maker for the team.


    When it saw this situation, it did not panic. This was because the power of the core of the planet below was enough to fill the huge mouth until it could not move even if all the chains were unsealed.


    In the blink of an eye, the hail exploded as it approached the moon. The terrifying power of the ice seal was like a wave larger than the diameter of the moon that wrapped around its target.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡±


    The three-legged golden toad followed the plan and leaped into outer space like the snow beast.


    At the same time, its golden belly began to bulge, growing larger and larger.


    When it rushed into space, its head and limbs had already completely sunken into its stomach. On the surface, it looked like a golden ball, just like a small sun.


    Immediately after, its stomach began to shrink rapidly, and the three-legged golden toad spat out a golden ball.


    The expressions of the creatures in the dark forest world changed when they saw the golden ball. Its hardness was unparalleled in their world, and it could easily destroy a continent with a single collision.


    In history, there had been one such huge battle. One continent after another had been sunk to the bottom of the sea by the three-legged golden toad, and the terrain had changed drastically.


    According to the plan, after the huge mouth swallowed the snow beast¡¯s freezing power, the golden ball would give it a huge impact and knock it out temporarily.


    ¡°That is?¡±


    The gazes of the entire world were attracted to the scene, and there was an uproar everywhere.


    First, there was the terrifying power of ice, then there was a golden ball. The terrifying creatures had really started to break out of the encirclement, but what about the spaceships?


    Countless gazes began to search for the city-level spacecraft that represented the first batch of the seeds of humanity.


    In reality, after the three captains received the order to take off, they immediately pulled the joysticks to let the spaceships take off.


    However, compared to the speed at which the terrifying creatures moved, it was as if the frames had been skipped. At this moment, they had just left the ground, the cities near the Daxia Kingdom could see the spaceships rising into the sky.


    The snow beast took the lead, and the three-legged golden toad followed up with its attack. Finally, it was the divine turtle¡¯s turn to finish things up.


    The divine turtle with an island on its back moved its four legs, as if it could swim in the air and traveled straight into space. Then, it opened its rock-like mouth.


    A huge amount of water spewed out of the turtle¡¯s mouth. Of course, this water was not ordinary water. The turtle had the unique ability to refine the heavy water stored in its body.


    Compared to an ordinary drop of water, the weight difference was thousands of times greater.


    The heavy water attack was used as a form of insurance. Once the golden ball spat out by the three-legged golden toad did not have the desired effect, the heavy water attack would rely on its weight to delay the counterattack from the huge mouth.


    After all, the huge mouth, which had been unsealed, was one level higher than the fusion realm. It was not something that the terrifying creatures could deal with for a long time.


    Everything was going smoothly up to this point.


    Just as all the chains were unsealed, the hail froze the entire moon and the huge mouth, turning it into a frozen land.


    The scene lasted for a few seconds, as if a pause button had been pressed. However, the countless nervous gazes on it felt like half a minute had passed.


    Time passed so slowly. Why didn¡¯t the golden ball move faster?


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    The silent land of ice exploded, and the huge mouth suddenly opened wide. A terrifying devouring power appeared, and all the ice on the surface of the moon disappeared in the blink of an eye, turning into a distorted vortex that was swallowed up.


    At this moment, the golden ball arrived right on the dot. Although it was affected by the twisting vortex, it still accurately hit the upper jaw of the huge mouth.


    The twisting vortex immediately collapsed, and the golden ball bounced back from the huge mouth.

 Chapter 386 - Chen Yiming and Zhang Cheng

    The moon was thought to be a natural satellite of the sun since ancient times. Many myths and legends had been born from it. In the past, when there was no way to land on the moon, the saying that there were gods living on the moon was widely spread.


    However, in less than a minute, the impression that the moon had given to humans had changed drastically. A huge mouth had split open across the surface of the moon and was roaring.


    The golden ball was caught off guard and started to spin violently from side to side. Huge holes appeared in it, and black liquid splattered everywhere.


    Immediately after, the heavy water spat out by the divine turtle arrived.


    In the blink of an eye, the surface of the moon turned into a sea. From the blue planet, the entire moon seemed to have disappeared, and it became even bluer than the blue planet, as if it was no longer a dead star.


    At this moment, the human city-level spaceship finally reached the same height as the terrifying creatures.


    As the three captains listened to the various information provided to them, they avoided the shining thin lines in space. These lines that covered the entire space outside the blue planet were left behind by the lightning that had flashed past earlier.


    The analysis from the ground control center was that the lightning patterns were most likely used as a means to track and locate the terrifying creatures that were trying to break out of the encirclement.


    However, unlike the terrifying creatures, human spaceships were too fragile. Once they made contact with the lightning patterns, it was very likely that a large number of electronic devices on them would short-circuit.


    Therefore, when the spaceships broke out of the encirclement, it was impossible for them to rush out directly like the terrifying creatures. Instead, they shuttled through the gaps between the lightning patterns.


    ¡°Is it not time to break out yet?¡±


    The captain of the first ship, Qiu Wenzhuo, set the ship to float on the spot. From time to time, his gaze would drift towards the terrifying creatures.


    The moon was already completely surrounded by the heavy water, but the terrifying creatures had yet to make their next move. In other words, the combined attacks of the three terrifying creatures were not the most critical part of breaking through the blockade.


    ¡°Their combined attack is at the level that can flatten half of the blue planet. What¡¯s their next step?¡±


    As Qiu Wenzhuo piloted the spaceship into the battlefield, the pressure on his shoulders doubled every second. All the preparations he had made before taking off could not help relieve him of the anxiety he felt.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    What happened next was not the terrifying creatures¡¯ next move, but further changes on the moon.


    A new larger vortex appeared, and the sea surrounding the moon was sucked into it step by step. At the same time, the moon began to collapse, turning into countless pieces of rock.


    Each of these rocks was like a huge mountain. Together with the sea, they were sucked into the vortex, showcasing the devouring ability that shocked the humans.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Countless humans around the world gasped. The collapse of the moon instantly revealed the full appearance of the huge mouth.


    It was a strange creature with a huge spherical head. It did not have any eyes, nose, or other organs, and only had a mouth.


    In addition, there was a huge wound on the back of its head. The wound could not heal completely, and there were black tubes stuck in it.


    The aura that seeped out from the spot where the black tubes disappeared into made one feel as horrified as if they had fallen into an abyss and were affected by an unknown power.


    Clearly, there was a huge secret behind this that no one knew about. It involved how the black tide had unknowingly established a blockade near the inhabited planet.


    ¡­


    In the depths of the core, the fire spirit floated up from the rolling lava. There were black tadpole-like symbols below it that formed a circle. The circle extended out with black patterns that pierced through the endless lava.


    This was the center of the core, and there was a foundation base under the lava. These tadpole-like black symbols connected the foundation base to the core.


    At this moment, the foundation base had already been fully charged. However, under the cover of the layers of boiling lava, the outside world could not detect it. The fire spirit had been waiting for the most suitable time to activate it.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡±


    The large number of light spots at the mouth of the volcano became the ears of the fire spirit, allowing it to observe the situation at the moon¡¯s blockade in real time,


    from the moment the snow beast made a move and launched a sneak attack on the moon, to the moment the three-legged golden toad spat out the golden ball and injured the huge mouth on the moon, to the moment the divine turtle spat out the heavy water that had accumulated in its body for countless years.


    ¡°This is just the appetizer. Hurry up and get angry!¡±


    At this point in the escape plan, the fire spirit heaved a sigh of relief. The angry aura of the huge mouth was what the terrifying creatures were aiming for.


    That¡¯s right. If the huge mouth did not become angry and instead calmly stared at the targets trying to break out of the encirclement, that would have been beyond the expectations of the terrifying creatures. It would have been their turn to panic.


    The world-level formation had one foundation base in the hands of the terrifying creatures, and the only external force that could be used was the power of the planet¡¯s core.


    The existence that had launched the black tide definitely knew about this. At the moment, only humans did not know about it and could only go with the flow.


    ¡°Although the power of the core can¡¯t kill you, it can still hold you back and make it such that you can¡¯t move,¡± the fire spirit said with a smile.


    To the black tide, the terrifying creatures were basically openly showcasing their way of breaking through the blockade. However, the reason they still did this was to make use of the unstable factors on the blockade that were not completely under their control.


    When the huge mouth became angry, the distorted vortex that could devour energy would appear, and the power of the earth¡¯s core would be poured into the mouth.


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    The fire spirit counted down in its heart. Before the twisting vortex completely appeared, the moment the angry aura appeared, it would control the formation and launch an attack.


    The area of lava deep in the core immediately shrank visibly, and all of it gathered towards a golden-red light source.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    Following the fire spirit¡¯s order,


    at the mouth of the volcano, a circular shock wave spread out in all directions, destroying everything in its way. The forests were scorched, the lakes were evaporated, and the mountains were blown apart.


    At the same time, a huge ball formed by dense lava shot out from the mouth of the volcano. It dragged a fiery red trail behind it as the heavy water was devoured and rushed into the vortex.


    The fire spirit fused into the magma balls and separated from them only when it reached the sky, moving in the direction of the terrifying creatures.


    ¡°A ball of lava from underground!¡±


    The humans were shocked again.


    Although the huge ball of lava had disappeared into the twisting vortex, the fiery red tail was still continuing. After the formation core further condensed the lava in the depths of the core, it continued to shoot into the sky.


    At this moment, the angry mouth did not care about anything else. No matter how much lava came at it, it would devour it. As the attacks were endlessly being devoured, the huge mouth¡¯s spherical body turned black and red.


    ¡°Spread out a little and escape, but remember to cover each other.¡±


    The huge eye emitted a spiritual fluctuation and emphasized it one last time before breaking out of the encirclement.


    In the next moment, almost at the same time, the terrifying creatures scattered and soared into the sky, escaping in the direction away from the huge mouth.


    In the three human spaceships, the three captains pulled down the control rods almost at the same time. The spaceships each spewed out two long streams of flames and followed closely behind the divine turtle.


    The divine turtle carrying an island was the largest of the terrifying creatures, and its personality seemed to be more stable. Furthermore, wherever it passed, the thin lightning patterns were naturally cleared away.


    At the ground control center.


    ¡°How much lava from the core spewed out!¡±


    The top leader looked at the screen and let out a long sigh.


    From the looks of it, the terrifying creatures did have a way to hold back the huge mouth on the blockade and create an opportunity to escape. However, it would undoubtedly leave behind a bigger mess for the humans who had yet to evacuate from the blue planet.


    After breaking through the blockade this time, it would definitely cause the blue planet to enter a long and terrifying snow age. The ice would completely cover the land, and it was even possible for it to completely encase the five oceans.


    In fact, it was not impossible for the blue planet to change from a living planet to a dead planet.


    ¡°Now that the terrifying creatures have done this, humans have no way out.¡±


    The old general¡¯s voice was trembling.


    Any changes in the balance between the blue planet, the moon, and the sun would be reflected in the environment. Now there was a problem within the blue planet, and the moon had also completely disappeared.


    What was worse was that after the terrifying creatures made such a move, they left without a second thought. As for the three city-level spaceships, they had only carried a total of three million people away.


    Compared to the number of people still on the blue planet, three million was too little.


    At this moment, something happened in space outside the blue planet. A total of three shadow mouths appeared in the air and blocked the path of the terrifying creatures.


    ¡°The shadow mouth! It turns out that the terrifying creatures were trying their best to hold back the huge mouth on the blockade, but there are still the shadow mouths to deal with, and there are multiple of them.¡±


    The top leader had been staring at the scene in front of the human spaceships.


    The moment he saw the shadow mouths appear, he immediately understood why the blockade could seal off the blue planet. With so many terrifying creatures, why did they still need to move together to break out of the encirclement?


    In outer space, a huge battle between the shadow mouths and the terrifying creatures was about to break out. There were three of them, so it was three against one.


    One of the huge shadow mouths spit out a fan-shaped transparent ripple at the snow beast.


    This was a materialized spiritual attack that contained endless negative emotions. Ordinary creatures did not dare to come into contact with it easily.


    ¡°Giant Eye.¡±


    The snow beast roared and spat out a mouthful of hailstones.


    The terrifying power of the ice seal placed a heavy burden on the fan-shaped transparent ripples. A huge ice crystal fan appeared in outer space, and its speed was greatly reduced.


    The huge eye¡¯s single eye immediately shot out a long saber that had suddenly materialized. The long saber was formed from the combination of its essence, energy, and spirit, and it struck the huge ice crystal fan.


    However, the long saber only shattered the ice on the surface before it was stuck and could not slash down any further. In the end, the fan swayed a few times and deviated from its intended direction, allowing the snow beast to easily dodge it.


    The first spiritual attack from the huge shadow mouth was overcome with the teamwork from the huge eye and the snow beast.


    On the other two battlefields, fights also broke out. For example, the three-headed fox used a strange spiritual technique to bait the attack from the huge shadow mouth to hit an illusion of it.


    The real fox had already leaped through the space a few times and escaped in another direction, causing the shadow mouth to become as angry as its main body.


    The shadow mouth dissipated on the spot, and in the next moment, it appeared on the fox¡¯s path of escape and suddenly opened up to swallow its target.


    When it was the turtle¡¯s turn, it directly retracted its head and limbs, turning into a real island. It spun around and forcefully crashed into it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The island exploded, and the fan-shaped spiritual power exploded. However, the turtle¡¯s back was surprisingly hard, and there were no cracks on it, as if it was just scratching an itch.


    As the oldest existence in the dark forest world, the divine turtle had long reached the limit of the fusion realm. Its accumulated strength was unfathomable, and the huge eye and the snow beast could not compare to it at all.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    The three captains of the spaceships following behind the divine turtle tensed up and constantly adjusted their direction to avoid the materialized spiritual fragments.


    This was the most dangerous moment for the captains. If any of the spiritual fragments hit the ship, neither the ship nor the people inside would be able to survive.


    ¡­


    Suddenly, just as the huge shadow mouths launched their second round of attacks, chaos occurred among the terrifying creatures.


    For some reason, the dire wolf gave up on breaking through the blockade. Without explaining the reason to the other terrifying creatures, it turned around and charged back towards the ground.


    ¡°What is the dire wolf doing!¡±


    As the one leading the group, the huge eye was clearly shocked. Losing its power meant that there would be more variables. Under the chain reaction, the pressure on everyone increased.


    Even a small variable could be the key to their eventual success or failure.


    ¡°Are you more optimistic about the chance of the strongest human?¡±


    The divine turtle had lived for countless years. After thinking about it calmly, the dire wolf¡¯s thoughts were probably just that simple.


    Of course, it was mainly because the divine turtle had similar thoughts. However, the grudge between humans and the terrifying creatures had already been formed. The terrifying creatures from the dark forest world that had surrendered to the black tide were also pressing forward as the vanguard for the black tide.


    If the strongest human had the intention to escape alone, the divine turtle would naturally support him unconditionally. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The other party intended to escape with his entire species.


    This made the divine turtle not dare to pin its fate on the strongest human. The black tide could not only set up a blockade, but it would strengthen as time passed.


    In the blink of an eye, the attack from the shadow mouth arrived again, and the divine turtle was forced to fight it.


    This time, the shadow mouth no longer used a spiritual attack. Instead, it relied on its devouring power to close in on the divine turtle.


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s not your main body. The shadow¡¯s ability is limited, and I was already guarding against you.¡±


    The divine turtle did not let itself be bitten. Instead, it spat out another mouthful of heavy water. A huge amount of heavy water, along with the turtle¡¯s shell, forced the shadow mouth open.


    The shadow mouth flew to the side. Just as it stabilized itself, it immediately saw the human spaceships following behind the divine turtle. An unknown fury rose in its heart, and it immediately gave up on its original target and flew at the three human spaceships.


    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±


    The eyes of the captains of the three spaceships bulged, and the huge mouth was reflected in their pupils. At that moment, they were so frightened that their souls almost left their bodies.


    Other than the thin lightning patterns that filled the sky, there were also unpredictable incidents. Who would have thought that the huge shadow mouth would suddenly change its target?


    It had to be known that compared to the terrifying creatures, the spaceships only represented a small portion of humanity. It was inconspicuous and weak, and it could even be considered an ant.


    At this critical moment, sword shadows suddenly exploded from under the ruins of the strange mountain village. The sword shadows streaked across the sky and slashed at the shadow mouth that was trying to devour the human spaceships.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With a loud bang, the shadow mouth that was chasing after the terrifying creatures exploded and dissipated into the air.


    The battlefield in outer space suddenly fell silent. The fleeing creatures were shocked that Chen Yiming could still interfere in the battlefield even though he was trapped by a seal.


    The remaining two shadow mouths stopped and turned towards the source of the sword shadows on the blue planet. The flames of anger rose steadily.


    The shadow mouth¡¯s main body was still devouring the lava from the core, but it was in a dilemma, as if it was unwilling to give up on its current delicious food.


    Taking advantage of this pause, the terrifying creatures and the three human spaceships escaped and continued moving deeper into space.


    ¡­


    ¡°We escaped!¡±


    The three captains sat slumped in their cabins and heaved sighs of relief. The shadow mouth behind them had stopped moving, and the distance between it and the spaceships had increased.


    The sword shadow had destroyed the shadow mouth. The three of them had seen it the moment they flew past it. At the critical moment, humans still had to rely on themselves.


    ¡°The promise of the terrifying creature is indeed bullshit. Nothing to worry about indeed.¡± One of the captains immediately cursed. He did not expect that they were almost tricked by the serious-looking divine turtle.


    The divine turtle had taken the blame because it had failed to hold back the shadow mouth, almost wiping out the fleet of spaceships.


    Soon, the three captains calmed down and directed the people in charge of the various sections of the spaceship to continue with the follow-up work.


    The three spaceships not only had the mission of bringing the seeds of humanity with them, but they were also responsible for the early preparations to go to the planet that could support life. Their first stop was Mars, and they would build a temporary base on the surface there.


    When the time came, the human spaceship fleet would gather at the Mars base and set off together for a new planet.


    ¡­


    ¡°The first batch of the seeds of humanity were finally able to break out of the encirclement.¡±


    The staff of the ground control center, including the top leader and the old general, were all shocked. At that time, they almost thought that the spaceships were going to be swallowed up.


    To humans, the actions of the terrifying creatures were not something that they could control. They could not do anything even if they left a mess on the blue planet. Fortunately, there was at least a bit of hope that had survived.


    After the spaceships broke through the encirclement safely, the shadow mouth in outer space still took up half of the images, and the other half was turned to the ruins of the strange mountain village.


    ¡°You have to come back alive.¡±


    The top leader and the old general remained silent on the surface, but they were praying for Chen Yiming in their hearts. This escape had proven once again that outsiders were ultimately outsiders. They were not as reliable as their own people at the critical moment.


    At the same time, the martial arts experts from all over the world who had come to the Daxia Kingdom to watch the battle were also watching the scene nervously over the television.


    The sword shadows had destroyed the shadow mouth. Therefore, as long as Chen Yiming walked out alive, the humans would still have a chance of escaping.


    ¡­


    It was the corrosive space.


    On the space-travel barrier, there were holes everywhere that could not be repaired. Some soil even squeezed through the holes and fell to the ground.


    In the other two spaces, the barbarian priest, the archangel, the six-legged rhinoceros, and the dark creatures could continuously switch spaces.


    However, in the end, they were all trapped and couldn¡¯t leave the sealed space. Chen Yiming, along with the divine sword in his hand, was tireless and inexhaustible, and had killed all of them.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was standing opposite a human.


    This human called Zhang Cheng had swallowed the fruit of darkness, and his will had already been replaced by an unknown existence. He had become as cold as an emotionless machine.


    Even though Chen Yiming had slashed at the shadow mouth in front of him, his expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°The blockade should also have its own restrictions. For example, it can only move within a fixed range. Its function is to prevent creatures from breaking out of the encirclement. The battles here are handled by the war weapon. Otherwise, why would the mouth¡¯s main body be so angry but still continue to devour the lava from the core?¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and met Zhang Cheng¡¯s eyes again.


    Now, neither side could do anything to the other. The reason was that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t seem to be exhausted at all. His mind and body were not tired.


    On the other hand, Zhang Cheng seemed to have obtained this power because he had swallowed the fruit of darkness. This power felt a little temporary, and it was difficult to control it flexibly. This caused Chen Yiming to find a gap to avoid it time and time again.


    Furthermore, every time he used the terrifying power to crush a creature at the fusion realm, Zhang Cheng could only control it for a limited time, and there was also a time interval between consecutive uses. Therefore, he was forced to switch spaces.


    ¡°The huge mouth¡¯s main body and the shadow mouth don¡¯t seem to be able to come down, so only the two of us are left. This sealed space is a little troublesome now.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled confidently.


    With that, the divine sword in his hand fused with his essence, energy, and spirit, causing sword shadows to appear one after another. The sword shadows were not targeting Zhang Cheng, but the surrounding space barriers.

 Chapter 387 - New Spaceship Materials

    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With an explosion, the soil within a radius of dozens of kilometers was suddenly thrown into the sky. After it reached a peak, it fell to the ground far away.


    A small number of martial arts experts had boldly come to the nearby mountains to watch the battle. At this moment, they let out countless shocked shouts and were sent flying along with the soil.


    Warriors had thick skin and flesh. They had internal force to protect their bodies when they fell from a height, so they were rarely severely injured. They were mostly just in shock.


    In Jiangnan province, a huge hemispherical pit had appeared. Yellow sand drifted past in the wind, and two figures were facing each other at the deepest point in the center.


    The Undying Body talent and the giant bloodline combined allowed one to maximize one¡¯s ability to survive. Wounds like broken limbs could be healed at any time.


    The spiritual figure at the fusion realm had turned into a divine sword, and could easily suppress the barbarian high priest, the archangel, and others of the same level. This allowed Chen Yiming to still threaten his enemies¡¯ lives even when he was fighting in an unfavorable environment.


    With all these factors combined, even if Chen Yiming was trapped in a cage, he could still destroy everything from the inside to break out of the special sealed item.


    It had to be known that from the day this special sealed item was born, no one at the fusion realm had ever walked out of its seal alive.


    In fact, it was rarely used to make a move, and when it was used, it was usually aimed at multiple targets in the double digits. This time, it was only targeting Chen Yiming, which was already a sign of how highly they thought of him.


    ¡°The seal has been broken, but his aura still shows no signs of weakening.¡±


    Zhang Cheng¡¯s face remained expressionless as he carefully assessed the current situation.


    The situation had developed to this point, and the supreme will in his body had almost given up. At this moment, it was seriously sizing up this native creature that had grown up on a desert planet.


    There were those who could suppress other creatures of the same level who had reached their limits. Above them, there were those who could also fight creatures of a higher level than them.


    This was the simplest and most direct way to differentiate between the amount of talent one had. No matter what type of civilization one came from, there would always be a standard. However, there was naturally still a difference between geniuses.


    For example, in the martial arts civilization on the blue planet, there were three stages of the warrior realm.


    When one broke through to a new level, if one¡¯s talent could not keep up, they would quickly become mediocre. They would no longer be invincible among those of the same level and could not fight those of a higher level.


    The classification of geniuses in the galaxy was the same. In different civilizations, the upper limit of talent that the geniuses could reach was different.


    As for the humans on the blue planet, a civilization that could not even travel far out of the planet, they needed external help. The external help came from the fragments of the extraordinary weapons they had obtained from killing a black tide creature.


    Now, a special human had been born who had actually destroyed the black tide¡¯s plan. He had even caused a chain reaction and allowed some of them to break through the blockade.


    This was completely out of the supreme will¡¯s expectations. It was an extremely unlikely occurrence.


    Judging from this special human¡¯s performance, he could be considered a genius across the entire universe and could be on the assassination list.


    ¡°He seems to be observing me. Is there something wrong with his body?¡±


    Chen Yiming keenly sensed that something was amiss. Zhang Cheng, who was in the distance, seemed to be unwilling to make another move.


    His extremely powerful blood essence had already returned to its full state. Every time his heart beat, his aura rose steadily.


    On the other hand, the other party had fallen silent. According to how it was previously, he would have already killed him like he was an ant. This was not like the normal actions of the black tide from outer space.


    After familiarizing himself with his opponent¡¯s ability to control the tornadoes, Chen Yiming decided to take the initiative to attack.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Chen Yiming moved.


    His powerful body caused the air to explode. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck down from the clear sky, as if the air pressure in the physical world could not restrain him at all.


    ¡°His physique is indeed beyond imagination.¡±


    Zhang Cheng didn¡¯t move at all. This body didn¡¯t have much time left. The supreme will in his body continued to evaluate Chen Yiming¡¯s physical performance to determine what level of genius he was.


    If there was concrete evidence, the next siege would not be like this one. It would only be a part of the overall operation, but an exclusive treatment would be given by the black tide.


    Chen Yiming became one with his sword, transforming into a dazzling stream of light. He seemed to teleport next to Zhang Cheng and slashed at him.


    The strongest form of an attack that combined one¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit was close combat. If one was far away, a portion of one¡¯s strength would be dispersed. Such a large-scale attack was used to bully the weak, even if one had cultivated to the level of the fusion realm.


    A terrifying air current shot into the sky and shook the surroundings, warning all the people who had not retreated far enough.


    ¡°This body has already reached its limit. I have to use it sparingly.¡±


    Facing the incoming slash, Zhang Cheng frowned. What was rare was that he raised his hand to block it, and a miniature tornado appeared in his palm.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Before the divine sword could slash down, a wound appeared on Zhang Cheng¡¯s raised arm, and a trail of black blood flowed out.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In the next moment, the divine sword struck the tornado.


    The tornado did not move at all, but the divine sword was broken in half. The first half of the sword fell into the tornado and was shattered by the invisible force inside.


    Chen Yiming had expected this outcome and retreated with the other half of his sword.


    Before he landed on the ground, the sword had already reformed. It was relying on the main body¡¯s recovery ability, not the limited recovery ability from the Undying Mark.


    ¡°So his body really can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±


    After Chen Yiming landed on the ground, he took the initiative to attack again. In a flash, he appeared in front of Zhang Cheng and attacked with the same combination of essence, energy and spirit, slashing at his opponent.


    ¡°He came from a desert world and is already close to the level where he can fight those at the same level within the fusion realm. If he enters¡­¡±


    As Zhang Cheng felt the strength of his previous close-range slash, he was forced to release the tornado in his palm in order to reduce the burden on his body.


    He could only raise his other hand and also condense a tornado in his palm to meet the incoming divine sword.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The second time, the divine sword was still broken in half. Chen Yiming retreated again, and another wound appeared on Zhang Cheng¡¯s body. Both his arms were on the verge of collapse.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I become stronger?¡±


    The supreme will in Zhang Cheng¡¯s body was a little disappointed after sensing the strength of the slash at close range for the second time, but there was still a trace of hesitation.


    The human in front of him was only at the level of the inscription realm. If he also broke through to the fusion realm in the future, together with the divine sword in his hand, could he truly fight those at a higher level?


    There was not enough information to prove this for the time being.


    Now, he was just bullying an old and weak body.


    Soon, they exchanged dozens of blows.


    The terrifying aftershock was controlled by the two sides to a certain extent. The goal of the black tide was not to kill humans, so they naturally did not want a high-level battle to destroy the blue planet.


    Chen Yiming kept retreating once he made contact. He only used the simplest method of combining his essence, energy, and spirit, causing Zhang Cheng¡¯s body to be covered in bleeding wounds.


    Each of these wounds was bleeding black blood. His aura had already weakened to a very low level, and he could collapse at any moment.


    However, there was still a qualitative difference between the tornado condensed from his body and the attack combining essence, energy, and spirit.


    The divine sword formed by the spiritual figure still broke every time it hit the tornado.


    Not long after.


    ¡°Just you wait.¡±


    After the divine sword broke in half again, Chen Yiming received a spiritual fluctuation from Zhang Cheng¡¯s body. He was threatening him.


    In the next second, a distorted vortex appeared, and Zhang Cheng¡¯s broken body disappeared. Even the black blood that had fallen to the ground was sucked into it.


    Chen Yiming stood rooted to the ground and watched quietly as the figure disappeared. He wanted to stop it, but he was worried that the spiritual figure would be sucked in.


    The threat of the black tide had not decreased. Once the spiritual figure entered the other party¡¯s territory, it would be troublesome if it could not even take the initiative to commit suicide.


    It was not like there were no loopholes to exploit with the ability to revive indefinitely, especially when the strength of both sides was not on the same level and the enemy was far stronger than them.


    In the face of something related to the black tide, he had to remain cautious and calm at all times. As long as he did not die, he would be able to fight his way back sooner or later.


    ¡­


    The battle at the ruins of the strange mountain village had ended, and peace had returned. The area 100 kilometers around it had been completely destroyed, and broken trees and puddles could be seen everywhere.


    At the same time, the mutant creatures that had gathered in the space-travel passage automatically retreated and dispersed.


    News of this spread throughout the world like lightning. The humans had won the battle on both sides.


    Chen Yiming had defeated the creatures controlled by the black tide, and the three human spaceships had successfully broken through and were on their way to Mars.


    ¡°I heard that most of the forces from the dark forest world were wiped out just like that?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Chen Yiming broke through at the last minute? Isn¡¯t this too unbelievable?¡±


    ¡°The mutant creatures have also retreated. The space plan should be fine, right?¡±


    With the arrival of the black tide, most people thought that the space plan was doomed. However, after many twists and turns, there was a huge change.


    When the news spread, many people thought that they were dreaming. Had the humans really blocked the black tide from outer space stars from making the first move?


    However, the truth was right in front of them. The official announcement could not be fake, right?


    ¡°In the past, the martial arts teacher warned us that the further one goes in martial arts, the more important talent becomes. This time, I have no choice but to believe him. How many years has it taken for humanity to reach the limit of the master realm? But now¡­¡±


    Some people shook their heads and sighed, feeling that the world had changed too quickly. They were only approaching middle age, but it was as if they were out of touch with the times.


    ¡°Almost every large country has a martial master, but those at the inscription realm and the fusion realm¡­ If only we could popularize this path of cultivation,¡±


    an old warrior from the west at the peak of the warrior realm said hopefully.


    Of course, he also knew in his heart that it was a long process to improve his overall martial arts level.


    For those who did not reach the threshold of talent, even if the method to break through was in front of them, they would still have to learn the details one by one. Those who could not do it would still not be able to do it.


    This was especially true from the master realm onwards. What was involved was not only the human body, but also the power of nature.


    The materialization of spiritual power was the key to exploring the outside world, and this hurdle stopped most experts at the peak of the warrior realm.


    ¡­


    ¡°A special sticky substance?¡±


    Chen Yiming picked up a remnant of the special sealed item and rubbed it between his thumb and index finger a few times.


    The toughness of this substance was unprecedented, and it could easily transform into any shape. He could not do anything to it with just his physical strength.


    ¡°What will happen if this sticky special substance is applied to the hull of the spaceship?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it and realized the value it held for the humans.


    The fragments of the extraordinary weapon were reforged into weapons again, and the sticky special substance could be added to the hull. The biggest problem that the spaceships faced now was that of its material, and it seemed to have been resolved just like that.


    They could slowly develop techniques to simulate the environment, cryogenic sleep, social structure adjustments, and so on on the way to the new planet.


    After all, escaping from the blockade was the most important thing.


    Chen Yiming touched his pocket. He didn¡¯t know when his phone had broken into pieces. From the corner of his eye, he saw that the lava was still shooting towards the huge mouth in space.


    ¡°If the huge mouth continues to devour the lava, the blue planet will really become a dead planet.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself that this was bad. He suppressed the thought of contacting the higher-ups immediately and tried to resolve the problem at hand first. His gaze traveled more than 10,000 kilometers and he saw that the cold current from the north and south poles had started to spread towards the equator.


    The loss of a large amount of the core energy had already begun to affect the global climate.


    After a few minutes, Chen Yiming rushed to the mouth of the volcano. It wasn¡¯t too far from the Daxia Kingdom, and was located in a small country in Southeast Asia.


    This small country happened to have the most volcanoes in the world. No wonder it was chosen by the terrifying creatures.


    The passage to the depths of the core had been dug out. Chen Yiming rushed into the magma lake and sank all the way down. It took him some time to reach the place covered in tadpole-shaped symbols.


    He released his spiritual power and grabbed it. Immediately, he removed a foundation base from the lava. The formation patterns immediately fell silent, and the pillar of lava that connected to the moon dissipated.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The ball-shaped huge mouth floating in outer space roared at Chen Yiming, who was still deep in the core. A terrifying spiritual fluctuation appeared around him.


    The world had just received the news of their victory when they were suddenly enveloped by an invisible pressure. The warriors were surprised to find that they could no longer control the internal force in their bodies.


    In the secret chamber, a warrior who was at the point of breaking through spat out a mouthful of blood. At best, he would be severely injured, and at worst, he would die.


    This was because the spiritual power was too strong. Just the fluctuations alone had affected the entire blue planet, causing severe interference for the weaker creatures.


    ¡°Uh¡­ the blockade shouldn¡¯t be able to attack the planet, right?¡±


    Chen Yiming felt the anger coming from afar. It was as though he had snatched the food from the mouth of a tiger.


    The lava from the core of the blue planet had caused the huge mouth on the blockade to forsake its role and focus on devouring. If not for the fact that the huge mouth¡¯s main body had not participated in the blockade, the terrifying creatures would have long turned around and given up.


    After a while, the oppressive aura dissipated. The truth was that the role of the blockade was to stop any creatures that tried to escape.


    The war weapon was in charge of matters on the blue planet.


    Chen Yiming let out a long sigh. The main body of the huge mouth on the blockade wasn¡¯t some temporary power like Zhang Cheng.


    Of course, it was also possible that billions of humans on the blue planet had helped him this time. After all, once an attack that exceeded the level of the fusion realm landed on the blue planet, no living creatures would be left on the surface.


    If they really wanted to turn the blue planet into a dead planet, the black tide would not have gone through so much trouble. Their ultimate goal was still to harvest the negative emotions, not to kill the humans.


    The oppressive aura disappeared, and Chen Yiming was able to take a look at the foundation base.


    The foundation of the formation was a strange stone. It was irregular in shape, and was about three meters in length,width and height. To ordinary people, it looked like a huge rock.


    The interior of the strange stone was engraved with complicated patterns and unknown words. He took a look and realized that he could not understand it at all, but he was not discouraged.


    Clearly, it was the work of another civilization. Unless one understood the meaning of the words and patterns, it was very difficult to analyze it directly.


    ¡°This was refined from the core of the dark forest world. It¡¯s of great use. Remember to keep it well.¡±


    Suddenly, the female spirit sent over a thought.


    ¡°What exactly is this?¡±


    Chen Yiming quickly sent back a thought. He had wanted to find out more information about the black tide from the female spirit, but he hadn¡¯t been able to find a suitable opportunity.


    As the former goddess of the dark forest world, the female spirit would definitely be targeted by the black tide. It was very likely that they had been secretly searching for traces of her. He was also afraid that she would be exposed if he interacted with her rashly.


    ¡°The functions of the different formations that can be set are different. They can be used as a weapon after gathering energy, or as the core of the planet. They can gather the energy needed for cultivation from the void in space for many years,¡± the female spirit replied to Chen Yiming patiently.


    ¡°Gather energy from outer space for cultivation? This should be the original function of the core of the dark forest world, right? As for its use as a weapon, it should be a modified function.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself that this was a good thing. With this foundation base, no matter where humans went in the future, they could create an environment suitable for cultivation.


    The environment for cultivation was indispensable before one had materialized spiritual power. The human martial arts civilization had developed after the appearance of the space-travel passages due to the influence of the dark forest world.


    When one could use their materialized spiritual power to explore the outside world, the influence of the cultivation environment was much smaller. It was more about one¡¯s understanding of the power of nature.


    Taking advantage of the fact that the female spirit seemed to have become easier to talk to, Chen Yiming quickly asked, ¡°The black tide has arrived, but the first wave of the black tide should have failed, right? How long will it take for the black tide to take action again?¡±


    After obtaining the foundation base, he was even more determined to go to the dark forest world. Therefore, he needed to know more about the black tide so that he could formulate a plan.


    It would be best if he could learn about the time needed for the completed war weapon to appear from the female spirit.


    ¡°The first wave of the black tide did not fail, because there is more than just one blockade. You have to escape out of the solar system first.¡±


    The female spirit revealed a piece of bad news.


    ¡°The solar system?¡± Chen Yiming was dumbfounded.


    Although he did not know what the other blockades were, from what the female spirit said, there was no doubt that the human spaceships had not really broken through the encirclement. The same could be said of the terrifying creatures.


    ¡°No wonder the supreme will ended the battle after saying some words, even though I interfered with the blockade and destroyed the special sealed item.¡±


    Chen Yiming immediately understood. The threat of the black tide was still hanging over their heads, and it could fall at any moment.

 Chapter 388 - Hundred Nations Visiting China

    Chen Yiming had slashed at the shadow mouth to help the human spaceships escape deep into space. He had broken out of the sealed item and repelled the will of a certain supreme existence, and stopped the flow of lava from the core to outer space.


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. This unparalleled victory belonged to all of humanity, and the world was shaken by it. The various countries had an unprecedented amount of confidence in the space plan.


    Of course, after this battle, a large mess was left behind. The world quickly entered an ice age. The average temperature fell to -30 to -40 degrees overnight, and the warm sunlight could only be felt at noon every day.


    Therefore, the problem of heating up the planet suddenly became the most urgent job for the higher-ups of the various countries around the world.


    With the continuous heavy snowfall, especially in the temperate tropics, which had not experienced snow for many years, many things had to be changed.


    First, they had to establish a special department to get rid of the snow 24 hours a day. They also needed to modify the structure of the houses in the city and add heating equipment.


    This low temperature was something that could not be avoided, at the very least before all of humanity boarded the spacecraft and evacuated the planet.


    After all, the planet¡¯s core energy was greatly depleted in a short period of time. With the current level of human technology, it was very difficult to effectively resolve the problem.


    In the Chen family house, the interior of the house was warm and the scenery outside was filled with white.


    ¡°Brother, Mom and I traveled across most of Jiangnan province today and finally settled the public welfare plan of warming up thousands of households.¡±


    Chen Yingying reported the good news to Chen Yiming excitedly.


    ¡°If you bring our mother with you, which martial arts faction will dare to say no? They might even be forced to take out all their assets,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    As the three human spaceships successfully broke through the blockade, the space plan had also entered a stage of full acceleration. Father Chen, the figurehead leader, was basically living in the second industrial base.


    After Chen Yingying and Mother Chen saw the news report, they could not help but want to contribute. Therefore, they came up with the public welfare plan to warm up thousands of households.


    The goal of this plan was to allow the ordinary people in the small cities in the south to return to their families and satisfy the conditions of being able to keep warm at home.


    Currently, to make heating equipment available to every household in the country was not something that could be done in a short period of time. It would also take time for the factories to increase production to its maximum capacity.


    Therefore, the limited heating equipment could only temporarily convert some large buildings such as the shopping malls and the gymnasium into shelters with central heating.


    As for warriors, they could withstand the cold with their strong physique. The lack of heating equipment was only a small difference in their living environment.


    Chen Yingying had seen this coming and pulled Mother Chen along to borrow the heating equipment.


    ¡°Today is only the second day, but more and more people are already joining our public welfare plan. I think it will spread all over the country in a few days,¡±


    Mother Chen added, her words filled with a sense of accomplishment.


    ¡°This public welfare plan is indeed a good idea. We should try our best to provide a livable environment for the ordinary people. After all, the more people there are on the way to the new planet, the better. We can let the martial arts experts all around the world suffer a little for the time being,¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said.


    If Mother Chen was not involved, he could just let Chen Yingying stay in Jiangnan province or the surrounding provinces.


    Expanding the scope of the plan was too complicated. She might have a good intention at first, but she might not be able to achieve the desired outcome. She might as well leave the professional matters to the experts.


    Now that he wanted to support Chen Yingying and Mother Chen and truly expand this public welfare plan, he needed to let the outside world know about it to provide true support.


    ¡­


    Just as the blue planet was covered in white, exciting news suddenly spread throughout the world like lightning.


    The core spaceship was officially built. This spaceship was using the latest technology. The materials were from the remnants of the sealed item that had trapped Chen Yiming for a long time.


    ¡°Gasp! To be able to withstand a battle at the level of destroying the world, this material is too terrifying. Now, it¡¯s going to be used to build the main structure of the spaceship.¡±


    When this news was announced, countless people participated in the discussion. The attention it received immediately covered up the problem of the planet¡¯s cold climate.


    The spaceship materials were the most critical in determining whether humans could safely reach a new planet. With a distance calculated in light years between them, the probability of something going wrong midway was too high.


    Now, it seemed that there was no need for the humans to think of a solution themselves. The enemy had taken the initiative to present the solution to the humans.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the stretchability of this material is unprecedented. The amount collected on the battlefield can not only provide for the core spaceship of the Daxia Kingdom, but also for other countries.¡±


    Someone who claimed to be an insider revealed even more shocking news after an hour or two.


    However, most people just treated it as a joke. Subconsciously, they felt that it was impossible. It had to be known that there were billions of people on the planet, and it would take at least 100 spaceships to completely accommodate all of them.


    As for such a small item, which had even been blown to pieces, most people would already be satisfied if the remnants were enough for the core spaceship.


    At any time, as long as they could at least protect the core spaceship, even if the other spaceships were damaged along the way, they could slowly think of ways to repair them.


    Half an hour passed.


    An hour passed.


    Two hours passed.


    The people who were paying attention to the news felt that something was amiss. After two hours, no official from any country had come out to refute the rumors.


    ¡°Can this kind of advanced material from the black tide really be sufficient for all the spaceships?¡±


    Crazy. This was crazy.


    Countless people rushed out of their houses and went onto the streets to cheer.


    If this news was true, the improvement in the current level of technology was equivalent to changing the equipment of an ancient army. In an instant, it had changed from swords and sticks to a modern army armed to the teeth.


    This was a huge improvement. In one step, humans could go from barely leaving the blue planet to being able to move through space for a long time.


    ¡°From now on, the kids at home have to be supervised more strictly and strive to become a warrior before leaving the blue planet.¡±


    As the news was gradually confirmed, the middle-aged people around the world turned their gazes back to their own young kids.


    The appearance of advanced materials had resolved the problems of accidents that happened outside the ship. However, they could not possibly use the advanced materials for all the parts in the ship, right?


    At this time, the chance of survival for a warrior was undoubtedly much higher than for ordinary people and disciples. They had a much higher chance of surviving on a new planet.


    Soon, many young people who were wandering around were called home by their elders. They were greeted by a strict schedule of rest and cultivation without any time for entertainment.


    ¡­


    At the first industrial base, the core spaceship was still being built there. There was a deeper reason for this choice.


    The other industrial bases were in charge of the production and assembly of the parts for this spaceship, as well as the design of the extraordinary firearms.


    At this moment, after the news spread, a large number of people quickly gathered outside the barricade set up by the soldiers nearby.


    In an irregularly-shaped hole in the base, a strange stone had been perfectly slotted in place. The strange stone was the foundation base of the formation that Chen Yiming had obtained from the depths of the core.


    Chen Yiming, Wu Susu, and many other leaders stood around the strange stone.


    ¡°Is there any progress on the formation patterns left deep in the core by the terrifying creatures?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and asked in a low voice.


    The female spirit had an important background. The more people knew about it, the higher the chance of it being exposed. Therefore, Chen Yiming decided not to tell anyone, and the female spirit was also unwilling to interact too much with the outside world.


    Therefore, if he wanted to use the formation, Wu Susu was the most suitable candidate to investigate.


    With her powerful spiritual talent, Wu Susu had only casually studied it, but she had already gained an epiphany from the ice crystal-like hair of the snow beast and broken through to the inscription realm with ease.


    In fact, for a long time to come, the development of the formation would depend on Wu Susu alone.


    ¡°My head still hurts a little. Give me some more time.¡±


    Wu Susu rubbed her temples. Her usually cold expression was now filled with worry. She was frustrated that she had messed up at the critical moment.


    The reason for her headache was that when she was helping Chen Yiming investigate the mysterious underground space, she had encountered an unknown spiritual attack and almost died.


    On the other hand, it also confirmed that there was a high chance that there was a foundation base in that area. However, it was still unknown who was controlling it and how strong they were.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in too much of a hurry. From now until the human spaceship team leaves the blue planet, there¡¯s enough time to slowly study it,¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said.


    He was only asking about the progress. In the field of research, one needed both talent and luck. It was useless to be anxious, and it often had the opposite effect.


    Furthermore, if he looked at it from a long-term perspective, the attack level of the formation was of little value to Chen Yiming. For now, it was still more reliable to increase his talent level.


    As long as he could hold on and make use of the entire dark forest world himself, the next wave of attacks from the black tide would naturally be resolved. At that time, they could try to break out of the solar system in one go.


    The surrounding leaders were also whispering and carefully sizing up the item in front of them.


    According to Chen Yiming, when the dark forest world was first invaded by the black tide, a terrifying creature had fought back and set up a world-level formation with the strange stone.


    The strange stone came from the core of the dark forest world. A complete world-level formation had the ability to destroy the blockade.


    A single strange stone could be used to set up different array formations. Not only could it be used as a weapon for a spaceship, but it could also be used as the core of a planet. It could absorb and convert energy from space to provide a good cultivation environment.


    It could be said that this strange stone was one of the cornerstone items for human civilization after it escaped from the blue planet in the future.


    Not long after,


    a communications soldier quickly ran over.


    ¡°Report. The heads of the various countries and corporations have already arrived outside the base.¡±


    The top leader nodded and instructed the minister of foreign affairs, ¡°Bring them in directly.¡±


    The minister of foreign affairs received the order and quickly left with the communications soldier.


    After a while,


    a large group of middle-aged men in suits and ties walked in under the lead of the soldiers.


    Among them were the representative for the Japanese royal family, the top grandmaster of swordsmanship, and the head of the Mitsui financial group.


    There were also the president from Korea, the head of the four star financial corporation, and the grandmaster of the Bright Sword Sect.


    There were also the head of the Temasek financial group from Southeast Asia, the head of the Three Snakes Sect, and a monk who held a Buddhist staff in his hand.


    There were also presidents from various countries in the European Union, the president of the Sam Nation, and a large number of leaders of the western corporations, and several martial masters.


    There were also the leaders of some small countries and representatives of martial arts factions from all over the world.


    There were hundreds of representatives from hundreds of countries.


    The threat of the mutant beasts had been resolved by the bone beast, and the first wave of the black tide had retreated. There was no major threat to the blue planet for the time being, and the higher-ups of the human race could finally move around freely.


    With just a command from all the people gathered here, they could control most of the power of the entire human race and could determine the direction the humans should go in.


    However, the entire group of people went up to greet Chen Yiming respectfully.


    After exchanging pleasantries for a while, their gazes turned to the most important thing. It was the strange stone that had been placed in a stone trough, which was one of the foundation bases of the world-level formation.


    There was no need for any introduction. Before inviting the 100 countries to visit China, the Daxia Kingdom had already done the relevant work.


    ¡°Is this the stone that gathered the lava from the planet¡¯s core and caused the global temperature to drop by dozens of degrees?¡±


    The head of the Temasek financial group was dumbfounded.


    On the surface, the strange stone looked very ordinary. The complicated patterns and unknown words inside needed materialized spiritual power to detect them.


    Furthermore, the location of the volcano was in the territory of a small country in Southeast Asia. It was equivalent to having a terrifying energy-gathering attack erupting right at their feet.


    The man beside the head of the Temasek financial group, who was half a step away from the master realm, quickly whispered into his ear, ¡°When I used my spiritual power to enter the strange stone, I saw many complicated patterns and unknown words.¡±


    After receiving confirmation from his group¡¯s martial arts expert who was half a step away from the master realm, the head heaved a sigh of relief. He calmed his pounding heart and no longer made any remarks. In his heart, he was already considering the future of the corporation.


    After boarding a spaceship and leaving the blue planet, one¡¯s martial arts cultivation naturally had to continue. However, moving through space was not so friendly to amateur cultivators, who were only martial arts disciples.


    This way, the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s core spaceship would be very important. Not only would it protect the entire spaceship team, but it would also provide an environment for the new generation of martial arts practitioners to cultivate.


    It was still debatable what kind of method should be used to nurture the new generation of martial artists at that time. In any case, the objective of getting cozier with the Daxia Kingdom would not change.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that there¡¯s more than one strange stone. To humans, it¡¯s truly a rare treasure,¡±


    the Japanese grandmaster of swordsmanship exclaimed after observing it several times with his spiritual power.


    To him, who pursued pure martial arts, this was a stone tablet that guided him along the path of martial arts. If he could comprehend a little from it, he would be able to use it for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Sigh! Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with me. I can¡¯t understand it, I can¡¯t understand it.¡±


    When the Korean grandmaster heard this, he shook his head and sighed.


    A shocking opportunity was right in front of him. He had also heard about the method Wu Susu used to break through to the inscription realm. Unfortunately, reality was cruel. After studying it several times, he still did not show any signs of enlightenment.


    When one cultivated to a high level, ¡®fate¡¯ was very important. It was useless to try to force what did not belong to them.


    The best way to cultivate was to train day and night while maintaining enough patience to wait for one¡¯s opportunities.


    At this moment, the presidents of the large countries had also confirmed the authenticity of the strange stone from the experts who were half a step away from the master realm. They all praised it and said that it was better to call it the ¡°cornerstone of humanity¡±.


    In the future, the core spaceship of the Daxia Kingdom would be the place to store this strange stone. It would be able to connect the spaceships to the greatest extent and unite them.


    No country would easily think of finding their own way after breaking out of the encirclement.


    This wasn¡¯t just a matter of how weak a single country was and how risky it was. Chen Yiming could always bring out things that would shock the world, from the trial grounds to the advanced materials and strange stone.


    It was hard to say whether there would be anything more precious than the strange stone in the future.


    ¡­


    After the higher-ups of the 100 countries finished observing the strange stone, they gathered in Jiangnan City for a full day and night of meetings. During this time, many people were watching them, and the news exploded all over the world again.


    ¡°For this international meeting, we will give up on the method of video calling. Instead, we will gather the leaders of the hundreds of countries, as well as the representatives of the corporations and martial arts factions in person.


    This is the first time this is happening in the history of the blue planet! There were no records of it even at the time when the otherworld invaded.¡±


    Overseas, a young master from a large family exclaimed at a gathering of his friends.


    On the television screen in front of him, a man was climbing up to the rooftop of a tall building. He was holding a camera and broadcasting the situation in Jiangnan City live. It was then transmitted back through a satellite signal.


    Although there was no concrete news yet, just the fact that the leaders of the 100 countries were in China held some meaning.


    Clearly, something big had happened that affected all of humanity.


    ¡°To fight against an entire world by himself, he is indeed the man who is called the strongest human by the terrifying creatures. Only this way can he sway the thoughts of the humans and unite all their forces.¡±


    After his friend finished speaking, he downed a glass of beer and burped.


    In the private room, the second-generation heirs raised their wine glasses and downed them in one gulp in agreement.


    Almost all men yearned to practice martial arts. The peak of martial arts cultivation was the ultimate dream of countless men.


    For example, when the mutant creatures attacked, they stood alone in front of everyone and relied on their fists to fight against a powerful enemy. After defeating the powerful enemy, they would leave behind shocking results.


    Their name would be recorded in the history books for hundreds of years. It would be read by future generations, praised by countless people, and admired by the world.


    ¡°The three stages of the warrior realm, the martial master realm¡­ The three stages of internal force, the power of nature. These seem to be just a few levels apart, but in reality, they are worlds apart.


    The battle between Chen Yiming and the terrifying creatures was so destructive that people like us would probably not be able to reach the edge even if we cultivated for another 100 years.¡±


    A young and beautiful woman in the group analyzed the situation calmly.


    She came from a noble background and had outstanding martial arts talent. As a woman, she had become the face of the local younger generation. If she did not die midway, she had a chance to become the next head of the clan.


    However, such a rising martial arts star was still too weak compared to the various changes that had happened on the blue planet in the past year.


    Even if the elders did not stop them, there would be no good outcome if they forcefully participated. There was a high chance that they would be killed in an incident.


    However, in reality, there was no such thing as age. For example, Chen Yiming had just turned 20, and the new representatives of the Daxia Kingdom, Feng Wuji, Wu Susu, and the others, were still young.


    Therefore, this woman would not use her age as an excuse to comfort herself.

 Chapter 389 - Meeting the Dire Wolves

    At the Jiangnan International Airport, large amounts of snow fell from the sky, and the staff were constantly clearing the snow. The runway and the snow on both sides formed a clear contrast, and a black line ran straight towards the end of the road like a sharp sword.


    There were special staff clearing the snow at regular intervals to prevent the heavy snow from deforming the cabin of the planes from the 100 countries.


    With such bad weather, the normal planes would not be able to fly at all. However, the planes with martial arts experts protecting them were completely different. They just needed to forcefully push through the snow and rise to a high altitude to fly into the clouds.


    At this moment, the content of the meeting that had lasted for a day and a night had yet to be publicized, but the area around the airport was already completely blocked off by the crowd. Countless people were waiting for news.


    First, it was revealed that all the spaceships could use the advanced materials, and then, when the big shots from the 100 countries visited, there was a meeting that lasted for a day and a night. The two consecutive pieces of news shook the entire world and attracted a large amount of attention.


    Everyone was looking forward to the third piece of news. According to the scale and duration of this meeting, it would be no less shocking than the first two pieces of news.


    In the VIP waiting hall of the airport.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, may the friendship between the European Union and the Daxia Kingdom last forever and create a beautiful future together.¡±


    The president of the European Union shook Chen Yiming¡¯s hand with a smile.


    The European Union was the first to take the initiative to join the space plan. The transport of manpower and supplies from them did not stop even during the war.


    The truth was that they had made the right bet. Chen Yiming had crushed the first wave of attacks from the black tide.


    At the same time, the speed at which the team from the European Union integrated into the country was faster than all the other countries. At this moment, they were already following closely behind the Daxia Kingdom and starting to build a spaceship.


    Furthermore, just like the one in the Daxia Kingdom, the European Union was about to build a true spaceship, not a city-level spaceship.


    Based on the size of their total population, they planned to build a total of three spaceships to accommodate the entire population of the European Union.


    ¡°No problem. If there are any remaining terrifying creatures causing trouble, I can go and suppress them at any time. I won¡¯t let anything happen to the people or supplies,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    The terrifying creatures had all fled, and the attackers from the dark forest world had already retreated. In reality, the situation on the blue planet would not change much before the next wave of attacks arrived.


    Even if there were creatures in the inscription realm here, due to Chen Yiming¡¯s current reputation, there was a high chance that they would find a corner and go into hiding.


    The firebird was a prime example, and he casually killed it.


    ¡°Thank you so much, thank you so much.¡±


    When the president of the European Union heard this, he had a look of joy on his face. With this guarantee, he could mobilize the manpower and supplies even more freely.


    As the terrifying creatures and the three human spaceships successfully broke out of the encirclement, the status of the spaceships was raised again. There were almost no objections at this time.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, the heroic manner in which you slashed at the shadow mouth is admired by countless young martial arts practitioners in Russia. They all hope to learn the introductory martial arts technique that you have publicized. How about it?¡±


    The president of Russia stepped forward. He had the title of ¡°Iron Fist¡± and had an extremely high reputation internationally. He shook hands with Chen Yiming as he spoke.


    ¡°I see! However, language is a problem. You have to know that in martial arts cultivation, if there is a deviation in the meaning of even one word, it might cause a huge problem in cultivation,¡± Chen Yiming voiced his concerns.


    In his eyes, the introductory martial arts technique referred to the process of mastering the internal force in one¡¯s body.


    At this stage, humans could rely on the huge number of warriors to study the concept diagrams and pass on the explanation in the language of the various countries.


    However, this explanation was not completely accurate to begin with. It was a summary of his personal experience. However, the language barrier undoubtedly magnified the problem.


    ¡°Our plan is not to spread it publicly right from the start. Instead, we will hire martial arts experts who are also fluent in both languages to develop it step by step. After all, we still have a long way to go.¡±


    The Russian president¡¯s last sentence had a deep hidden meaning.


    With the strange stone, the fleet of spaceships could create a suitable cultivation environment on the way to the new planet and continue to nurture the new generation of warriors.


    In terms of cultivation efficiency, of course, it was more suitable to take the path of martial arts that others had already taken. This was the same for humans all over the world, regardless of the country they were from.


    This way, Chen Yiming, who had walked the furthest on the path of martial arts, would undoubtedly be the best choice.


    At the very least, if one walked the same path as the strongest human, they did not have to worry too much about their future path being cut off and having to rely on themselves to overcome all the obstacles along the way.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re asking bilingual martial arts experts to help you, of course it¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll tell the Myriad Phenomena Sect to send some disciples over.¡±


    Chen Yiming agreed without hesitation.


    Furthermore, he planned to quickly work with the spiritual figure to try to come up with a martial arts manual that led straight to the master realm, or even the fusion realm.


    If this was done, it would undoubtedly become the foundation of the human race and could be passed down from generation to generation. This was a temptation that no one could refuse.


    Once Chen Yiming gave his agreement, the other presidents and the heads of the corporations had the same thoughts. They naturally didn¡¯t want to fall behind the Russian president.


    At this moment, there was no need to say it out loud, but they would make arrangements for people to take action quickly. Although there were many disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, it was impossible for every one of them to be willing to leave the sect.


    This way, the demand would suddenly increase, and there would not be enough people to go around.


    ¡­


    After the big shots from the various countries took off one after another, the official news station of the Daxia Kingdom released the content of the meeting that had lasted for a day and a night.


    ¡°The strange stone from the dark forest world can absorb and transform energy from outer space, creating an environment suitable for cultivation. It can also be used as a weapon.¡±


    ¡°The strange stone will be placed in the core spaceship. It will be the foundation for humans to continue their martial arts cultivation after they leave the blue planet.¡±


    ¡°The Myriad Phenomena Academy, which has no restrictions on nationality, and no restrictions on status, is a martial arts academy that is about to be established on the spaceships. Everything is open and fair.¡±


    It was another piece of news that shook the world.


    At the same time, the reason why the volcano spewed out a large amount of lava to attack the huge mouth on the moon¡¯s blockade and caused the world to enter a serious ice age was also explained.


    It was because the terrifying creatures had used this strange stone to set up a large formation and mobilized an unknown amount of energy from the core.


    ¡°How unexpected. A stone has the ability to drain the energy from the core of a planet. I wonder if it can also drain the energy from the sun.¡±


    Countless citizens discussed it enthusiastically.


    As for the experts from the various research institutes around the world, their hearts were in turmoil. The meaning behind this strange stone far exceeded the content of the public meeting for them.


    If they could completely analyze that technology and transform it into human technology, they would not be short on energy on the way to the new planet.


    New energy weapons would also completely replace the current thermal weapons.


    ¡°The new material and the strange stone are all high-tech items. As expected of Chen Yiming, everything he has to offer is extraordinary. However, this time, it¡¯s not like the trial grounds or the miracle blood. People other than the Daxia Kingdom also have the rare chance to enjoy it.¡±


    A blond man in a military uniform sighed.


    Ever since the death of the martial master, Rover, the research on bloodline warriors in the western world had suddenly come to a stop. Even if they wanted to continue, they did not have enough miracle blood.


    The location of the trial grounds was within Jiangnan province. Even the warriors in the Daxia Kingdom had restrictions on the number of times they could enter it every month, let alone those from other countries.


    Due to the special nature of the new materials, it could be used for all the spaceships. The combination of the strange stone and the Myriad Phenomena Academy meant that the new generation of martial arts practitioners from the other spaceships also had a chance to enter and study there.


    Compared to the despair they felt when the news of the black tide was first announced, things could not be any better.


    ¡°Instructor, there¡¯s only one martial arts academy, but there are billions of people in the world. Do we really have a chance of entering the Myriad Phenomena Academy?¡± the surrounding soldiers asked loudly in disbelief.


    ¡°Think about the scene from that day. Compared to when the entire world entered the ice age, the number of people is nothing!¡±


    When the blond man in the blue-eyed military uniform heard this, he laughed out loud.


    As someone who had walked further in the warrior realm, the burly man knew much more than his soldiers.


    For example, when the otherworld first invaded, people were already shocked by the extraordinary power of internal force.


    Sometimes, the difference between two types of extraordinary powers could also be like the difference between heaven and earth.


    The reason why the master realm was once known as the ¡°guardian realm¡± was because the power of nature far exceeded the power of internal force. In essence, they were on different levels.


    However, at this moment, in the face of a world-destroying battle, the country¡¯s martial master was no different from ordinary soldiers like them. It was clear how powerful the strange stone was.


    Less than half a day after the news was announced, countless scientific research institutes around the world could no longer sit still. Various application reports were flying everywhere.


    Previously, the arrangements for the experts from the research institutions in the space plan were mostly mandatory, whether they were willing or not. They had no choice but to agree to it.


    Now, the applications to be an expert to study the strange stone could fill up a room. It might not even exceed the capacity of one room.


    The information about the strange stone involved the secret of the cultivation environment in the dark forest world. How could the experts not be tempted?


    ¡­


    The discussion was still going on all around the world, and there was no sign of it slowing down. There had never been such a lively occasion in history.


    Chen Yiming left the airport and started to plan what to do next.


    ¡°Although Wu Susu¡¯s talent for perception is powerful, she is ultimately limited by the fact that her strength is at the lowest level of the inscription realm. If she encounters someone slightly stronger, her true strength will be revealed.


    Feng Wuji is only at the master realm. Although his purification ability was rather special, he could not help much. He was too weak.


    The dire wolf has been hanging around for a few days now. If we can really subdue it completely, it can become a guardian of the spaceship in the future. We can also learn more about the secret of the black tide through the dire wolf.¡±


    The huge eye, the divine turtle, the snow beast, and the other terrifying creatures had all escaped from the moon¡¯s blockade, but the dire wolf had taken the initiative to give up on breaking out of the encirclement. It was now all alone.


    This was completely different from the previous situation. The dire wolf¡¯s sincerity was far greater than the huge eye¡¯s, whose true body had remained at its original spot.


    It was unlike the huge eye, which had controlled a human using its will while hiding its true body, and did not dare to communicate face to face.


    ¡°After settling things with the dire wolf, I¡¯ll dig out the foundation base that is still buried deep underground.¡±


    After Chen Yiming thought it through, he soared into the sky and quickly disappeared.


    He had found out from the female spirit that the foundation base was refined from the core of the dark forest world. It immediately became clear why the 10,000-meter-long corpse emitted a dense spiritual energy that could help one cultivate.


    Now, his main body was indeed a little weak. In front of someone at the level of the fusion realm or even beyond that, it was completely insufficient. He could only be used as a charger for the divine sword formed by the spiritual figure.


    Therefore, he desperately hoped that the foundation base that had been buried underground for many years would give him a surprise.


    ¡­


    On the Antarctic Continent, some of the traces left behind by the aftermath of the battle had already been completely wiped out by the new ice that had formed after the temperature around the world dropped by an average of dozens of degrees.


    Now, the border of the Antarctic had completely disappeared. The surface of the oceans around the world had frozen over in a few days, and had completely connected to the land.


    A group of dire wolves were living in the area between the icebergs. From time to time, young wolves would break through the ice and go deep into the sea to hunt.


    Some of them had already come to the blue planet to take refuge a long time ago, while others had been summoned from the dark forest world over the past few days. In short, the dire wolves that had been scattered due to the black tide¡¯s invasion had gathered again.


    ¡°Big Brother, I heard that the human called Chen Yiming is very ferocious. He will kill us if we say anything wrong. There should be a long time before the next attack from the black tide. Are we really not going to return to the dark forest world?¡± a much smaller dire wolf asked anxiously as it glanced at its father, who was sleeping soundly in the distance.


    ¡°Father is considered one of the strongest existences at the level of the fusion realm. However, the strongest human is indeed strong enough to crush those of the same level. He can¡¯t be treated normally.


    It has to be known that those who had surrendered had brought out that terrifying sealed item, and even invited the dark creatures who had successfully undergone the transformation ritual with power beyond the fusion realm to participate.


    In the dark forest world, other than the world-level formation, it¡¯s almost unimaginable that such a force would fail,¡± a slightly larger dire wolf at the side shook its head and said.


    If not for the fact that the truth was right in front of it, this dire wolf would not have understood its father¡¯s decision even if it had secretly watched the entire battle.


    Of course, this decision was undoubtedly beneficial to the entire dire wolf clan.


    If the strongest leader of the dire wolves escaped alone with the other terrifying creatures, the fate of the remaining dire wolves, whether on the blue planet or in the dark forest world, would no longer be in their own control.


    This was because the strongest human and his race had repelled the first wave of attacks from the black tide and were still preparing to break through the blockade.


    Clearly, the fate of the blue planet was still thought to be completely shrouded in darkness.


    At that time, the dire wolves, who had lost their clan leader, would not be able to put up any resistance. There was a high chance that they would become food for the humans.


    ¡°I hope the outcome won¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    Seeing that its brother had no intention of returning to the dark forest world, the smaller dire wolf lay on the ground with a dejected expression.


    This dire wolf was considered one of the stronger ones. However, a creature at the level of the inscription realm was considered nothing much in the current situation on the blue planet.


    If not for the fact that its father wanted to join the humans, it would not have dared to stay on the surface of the Antarctic Continent so openly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As a being at the top of the dark forest world, Father knows too many secrets.


    Now that the other terrifying creatures have left, the dire wolves alone are not a big threat to the humans. As long as we don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for us to join the human factions and work with them,¡± the larger dire wolf explained.


    Just as the two dire wolves were exchanging their thoughts, a thunderous explosion suddenly sounded from the horizon. The dire wolves got up and looked in the direction of the commotion.


    ¡°The strongest human!¡± a dire wolf shouted in surprise. The powerful aura was evidence of this.


    Then, a figure landed in front of the two dire wolves that had been secretly discussing Chen Yiming. One of the dire wolves peed in fright, and a strange smell filled the air.


    ¡°It seems like you guys were talking about me just now,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    Humans spoke a completely different language from the dire wolves, but there was no corresponding translation for the words ¡°Chen Yiming¡± in the language of the dire wolves, so they could only be pronounced as in the human language.


    At this moment, there was a commotion among the dire wolves. The strongest human had finally arrived after a few days¡¯ wait. However, it seemed that one of the dire wolves had offended the other party earlier and had peed in fright.


    ¡°No way, we¡¯re doomed!¡±


    When the dire wolves on the nearby iceberg saw this scene, they wished they could run away.


    The strongest human had already been recognized by the dire wolves as someone who had the combat strength to fight against someone who had surpassed the fusion realm. They had just encountered someone like that and already offended them. Their legs went weak just thinking about it.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    A roar from the leader of the dire wolves suppressed all the chaos.


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader leaped in front of Chen Yiming and kicked the offending dire wolf away. It was sent flying into the ice mountains with a bang, shattering more than 10 ice mountains before disappearing.


    It was really ruthless. There was a huge hole in the wolf¡¯s stomach. Those who were not at the fusion realm would usually need a long time to slowly recover from internal injuries like this.


    Chen Yiming had wanted to give the dire wolves a show of his strength. However, from the looks of it, the leader of the dire wolves truly wanted to join the humans.


    Its attitude was not bad. It knew its position very well. In the future, it would definitely be able to play the role of a guard well.


    ¡°The strongest human. The dire wolves are one of the oldest species in the dark forest world. We have a lot of knowledge about this world. 1000 years ago, the black tide launched an attack and invaded the world. Under the guidance of the goddess, we refined the core of the world into five foundation bases. We once set up a world-level formation to resist the black tide¡¯s invasion¡­¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader shrunk its body and lowered its head as it recounted the past.


    Then, it spent some time telling him the information about the huge eye, the snow beast, and the other terrifying creatures, as well as the information about the black tide.


    One of the pieces of information that interested Chen Yiming was that there were a few other similar worlds around the galaxy where the dark forest world was.


    However, with the invasion of the black tide and the blockade, they had completely lost contact with each other 1000 years ago. The dire wolves¡¯ leader did not know what the other worlds were like now.


    Based on the current situation in the dark forest world, there was a high chance that they had also fallen to the black tide. The creatures at the top would either break out of the encirclement and escape, die or surrender.

 Chapter 390 - Devils Den

    Snow fell, and the cold wind howled.


    A figure stood against the wind. He had black hair and eyes, and his physique was like that of a pine tree that was firmly rooted in the snow.


    Although he had a handsome face, his calm eyes revealed a glint that did not match his true age. It was as if he had experienced the vicissitudes of life for thousands of years and had gained wisdom over the years.


    Following their leader, the surrounding dire wolves also shrank to the size of wolves and quietly prostrated themselves on the ground.


    There was no need to spell it out with words. Under the lead of the clan leader, the dire wolves had unconditionally submitted to the human in front of them.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, your talent is unparalleled in the history of the dark forest world. You don¡¯t need anyone to guide you, nor do you need many opportunities to comprehend the power of each realm on your own. You can also comprehend the power to the extent that you are invincible among those of the same level and can fight those of a higher level.


    In fact, every powerful enemy you encounter is not an obstacle, but an inspiration for your progress along the path of cultivation, helping you become stronger. One cycle, two cycles, creating one shocking battle result after another, leaving behind an invincible history,¡±


    the wolf clan leader said slowly in a respectful tone.


    ¡°I saw with my own eyes that this planet was once almost completely destroyed. Human civilization fell into despair under the threat of the black tide. Endless negative emotions were born, and mutant creatures were living in large numbers on this land.


    If no one could change the situation, a terrifying existence would be born from the negative emotions. They would eliminate the remaining resistance and spread the darkness to the entire world.


    On the other hand, you were calmly strategizing step by step. You could always suppress the other party at the critical moment and deflected the attack from the black tide all alone.


    It¡¯s as if the black tide that changes the universe is nothing much to you. Even among the geniuses from the top cultivation civilizations in the universe, not many can achieve such a feat alone without the help of numerous factions supporting them.¡±


    As the leader of the dire wolves spoke, Chen Yiming almost broke out in a sweat. He was just hiding his strength and waiting for an opportunity to increase his strength. He didn¡¯t have any plans or strategies.


    ¡°The attack of the black tide is determined by the value of this world. As long as we grasp the corresponding speed of their moves, it won¡¯t be difficult to deal with it,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    This was the beginning of humans subduing the creatures from other species. Everything had to be done perfectly in the beginning, so he reluctantly admitted to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Under the guidance of the goddess, the dark forest world had set up a world-level formation. The attack of the black tide was far more manageable after that.


    In the end, the reason for our failure was because we did not have an overwhelmingly strong expert like Mr. Chen that could unite all the forces to take action together.


    As a result, even though we used a world-level formation to destroy the weapons of war and the blockade, we failed on the verge of success because of internal strife. We will never have a chance to make a comeback.¡±


    The leader¡¯s tone became even more respectful.


    There was something else that it knew in its heart but did not dare to say out loud. Not only was the human civilization facing the pressure of the black tide, but they were also facing the pressure from the terrifying creatures from the dark forest world.


    For example, the huge eye and the snow beast had been targeting humans. It was not just one or two times that the two sides had clashed.


    Another example was the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse. They had almost managed to sacrifice all the humans to the huge mouth on the blockade. After failing, they were forced to find another way.


    However, in the end, the sacrifice was still made by the environment of the planet where the human civilization lived. The foundation base of the formation had transferred an unknown amount of core energy, and it would not be able to recover in a short period of time.


    ¡°The dire wolves are not bad. The other terrifying creatures think that they have broken through the blockade of the black tide, but they don¡¯t know that the true blockade is around the solar system. They are thinking too simply.¡±


    Chen Yiming shamelessly revealed the information that the female spirit had told him. It was as if everything was under his control and he had predicted his opponent¡¯s movements.


    ¡°Gasp! The huge eye, the snow beast¡­¡±


    The expression of the leader of the dire wolves changed, and it subconsciously looked up at the starry sky.


    The sunlight and clouds could interfere with the vision of ordinary people, but not creatures at the fusion realm. Countless stars hung in the sky.


    The solar system was formed by nine stars, and its diameter was about two light years. Even with such a large area , it was still within the range of the blockade.


    It was clear how much the black tide valued this part of the universe. Even if the first wave of attacks seemed normal, it did not mean that other operations were not being planned.


    ¡°Could they have already¡­¡±


    The dire wolf leader¡¯s voice began to tremble as it looked into the silent starry sky.


    If what Chen Yiming said was true, the terrifying creatures from the dark forest world might have already lost their lives in some corner of the sky.


    Of the terrifying creatures that had come to this planet to take refuge together who did not take the humans seriously at first, only the dire wolf leader seemed to be left.


    ¡°That depends on their luck,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly. How could he know if the terrifying creatures were dead or alive? In any case, there must be a backup plan left behind by the black tide. Therefore, he gave an ambiguous answer.


    As soon as he finished speaking, not only the leader of the dire wolves, but the expressions of the surrounding dire wolves also changed drastically. They all thought that the calmer they were, the more likely it was for them to die.


    At the same time, the entire dire wolf clan was convinced that he was an existence that could defeat the black tide.


    Faced with the opportunity to break out of the moon¡¯s blockade, he could tell at a glance that it was a trap. It was not a true blockade at all.


    ¡°Then what should we do? Using the formation to mobilize the core energy to restrain the huge mouth on the blockade might not work a second time. I¡¯m afraid breaking through by force¡­¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves was panicking.


    The attack from the black tide had only been repelled once, but it would not stop just like that. The next time they faced it, they would have to deal with the completed war weapon.


    However, this planet did not have the conditions to set up a world-level array formation and use the power of the entire world to destroy the war weapon.


    ¡°The mutant beast factions have almost been wiped out by the bone beast. The main intelligent creatures left on the blue planet are humans.


    After obtaining the black tide¡¯s technology three times in a row, everyone has unprecedented confidence in the space plan. The fear brought about by the arrival of the black tide has already fallen to its lowest point.


    Therefore, the war weapon on the blue planet is not a concern at all. Instead, we should consider whether the black tide will send over some terrifying existence from the dark forest world.¡±


    Chen Yiming continued to lie. Actually, he was only guessing about the completion of the war weapon. He let the leader of the dire wolves fill in the blanks.


    ¡°I was too flustered. I didn¡¯t expect that the most dangerous place would become the safest place.


    The war weapon has yet to be completed as planned. The blockade is restricted by certain rules, and it will not take the initiative to attack this planet,¡± the dire wolves¡¯ leader explained with an awkward expression.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming was very satisfied.


    Unintentionally, the situation had turned out well for them. As long as the situation continued according to the general trend of what he said, the dire wolves would not dare to be disloyal.


    After all, even the actions of such a terrifying black tide was graped by Chen Yiming. What could a small group of dire wolves do? They would probably be wiped out as soon as they had the intention of making a move.


    ¡°Since the planet we are living on is safe, should we join forces with the remaining native forces to take the initiative to attack and further cut off the tentacles of the black tide on the other side of the space travel passage?¡± the leader asked.


    As Chen Yiming pointed out a few key points, the situation seemed to have brightened up. They didn¡¯t need to worry about the other things that the black tide had left behind in the solar system for the time being.


    Coupled with Chen Yiming¡¯s performance in the previous battle, it seemed that they only needed to hold back the complete war weapon in the dark forest world. Then, it would be possible to snatch back all the foundation bases.


    After that, with the complete world-level array formation, whether it was to launch a further counterattack or to use it to break out of the encirclement, their options immediately increased.


    Of course, this was based on the premise that Chen Yiming had the ability to deal with a complete war weapon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a foundation base that is easier to obtain. I wonder if you dare to come with me?¡± Chen Yiming continued calmly.


    Wu Susu had encountered an unknown attack when she was helping him investigate, and he did not know the exact situation now. If he could trick the wolf clan leader to go along with him, things would be much easier.


    ¡°Of course. The dire wolves are Mr. Chen¡¯s to order around,¡± the dire wolves¡¯ leader said without hesitation.


    Next, Chen Yiming learned about the situation in the depths of the ground on the other side of the space-travel passage in the strange village. That place was called the devil¡¯s den by the creatures of the dark forest world.


    It was originally a special location, so a large amount of fiendish aura naturally gathered there, creating countless evil spirits. Even without the black tide, a large number of demons and ghosts would appear every 100 years or so.


    In the history of the dark forest world, the fear that the devil¡¯s den brought to the world a long time ago was similar to the arrival of a black tide.


    Every 1,000 years or so, a demon god would be born in the devil¡¯s den. The demon god was an existence that had surpassed the fusion realm. The power of the entire world was needed to seal the demon god and prevent the demons from causing chaos.


    The 10,000-meter-long corpse that Chen Yiming had dug out was responsible for suppressing the devil¡¯s den.


    However, there was a black tide invading from the outside. In order to prevent the dark forest world from being attacked from both inside and outside, it could only choose to sacrifice itself to seal the entrance of the devil¡¯s den.


    ¡°Is that mysterious underground space the entrance to the devil¡¯s den? I remember that it didn¡¯t take much effort to dig out the corpse and take it away.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned in confusion.


    ¡°The black tide invaded the world to harvest the negative emotions, so the devil¡¯s den naturally can¡¯t escape from the harvesting. All these years, it has been far from recovering to its peak.


    I remember that when the foundation base was placed there, there was not even an evil spirit at the fusion realm inside. The devil¡¯s den only existed in name.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolf clan explained why they did not meet with much resistance.


    Chen Yiming nodded and seemed to be lost in his thoughts.


    This way, only some evil spirits at the inscription realm would be left. As long as they did not intend to go deep into the devil¡¯s den like Wu Susu, the inhabitants would not care about what was happening outside.


    Perhaps the evil spirits were also afraid of the black tide and did not dare to show their faces.


    Of course, he was not interested in the evil spirits. They were all existences that could be killed with one strike. His goal was the essence energy that had slowly accumulated in the devil¡¯s den over the years.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming found the leader of the dire wolves and was about to make a move on the foundation base in the devil¡¯s den, two figures hiding in the darkness revealed themselves.


    One of the figures left countless reflections of small spikes on the wall. There was something sharp growing out of its mouth. It was a dark, many-legged mutant insect.


    The other figure was emitting a foul-smelling black aura. It did not have any limbs, eyes, mouth, or other organs. It was like a pile of mud. It was a black mud monster.


    These two dark creatures were among the terrifying creatures that had surrendered and successfully completed the transformation ritual. They were the creatures that had truly joined the black tide.


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect spat out a bottle of liquid into the entrance of the devil¡¯s den. An invisible fragrance began to spread along the irregular underground passage.


    Not long after.


    The evil spirits hiding in the shadows of the underground passage quickly split into more individuals.


    This was the unique way in which such creatures reproduced.


    Then, the devil¡¯s den was completely thrown into chaos. Due to the increase in the number of evil spirits, they naturally had chaotic emotions. Since they were close to each other, conflicts were naturally inevitable.


    After that, like a chain reaction, they all started fighting. Just like countless years ago, a demon god was finally born.


    ¡°I heard that the dark werewolves, the dark iron corpses, and a dark mutant insect were completely trapped in the other world. They couldn¡¯t even escape.¡±


    The black mud monster¡¯s voice echoed through the empty underground passage.


    A few evil spirits that were moving in this direction were affected by the even darker aura. Their red eyes regained some color and they quickly turned to leave.


    ¡°They were locked up in the sealed item together, so they had no chance to unleash the power of the body of darkness. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been killed. Fighting three against one, they should have been able to easily toy with that human,¡± the dark, many-legged mutant insect said disdainfully.


    As an official member of the black tide, it was much stronger than those who had failed the transformation ritual and the terrifying creatures who were unwilling to surrender.


    Its horizons were no longer limited to the small worlds, including the few small worlds around the dark forest world.


    The body of darkness had modified its physique from the inside out, and it had unleashed an endless amount of potential. If not for the fact that there was a problem in the dark forest world, the dark, many-legged mutant insects would still be fighting in another galaxy, and would not have been temporarily transferred back.


    ¡°The negative emotions born in the dark forest world were intercepted by the black tide. The devil¡¯s den is no longer the ferocious place it used to be. Can it really give birth to an evil spirit at the demon god level?¡±


    The black mud monster changed the topic and continued.


    The mission given to them by the mysterious existence above was to use a bottle of unknown liquid to nurture a demon god. Then, they would control the demon god to invade the world on the other side of the space-travel passage.


    The reason for this was because a human had unexpectedly interrupted the descent of the black tide. The intelligent creatures in that world were not afraid of the black tide.


    This was absolutely intolerable. They had to maintain the fear brought about by the black tide while continuing the invasion.


    However, the black tide had its own rules for invading the world. Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t displayed enough talent to break the rules, so they couldn¡¯t mobilize the war weapon across worlds.


    ¡°Who knows? That human¡¯s combat strength is half a level higher than the fusion realm. If he dares to stop the birth of the demon god, the two of us can work together to deal with him.


    On the other hand, the foundation base is buried in the devil¡¯s den. If that human doesn¡¯t come, we can control the demon god to kill him three days later. As long as the strongest human dies, won¡¯t the human civilization collapse?¡± the dark, many-legged alien insects arrogantly voiced its thoughts.


    ¡°Perhaps I was thinking too much. Although the dark werewolf, the dark iron corpse, and the dark mutant insect also obtained the body of darkness, they are still on a different level from us.


    We were all the same as that human. We have combat strength that exceeds the level of the fusion realm by half a level. That was why we were arranged to fight in the battle in the powerful galaxy.


    The three of them might not even be familiar with the use of the body of darkness. Otherwise, how could they be unable to fight back?¡±


    The black mud monster gradually let go of its worries. After all, Chen Yiming¡¯s achievements were quite terrifying. Even with the use of the special sealed items, they couldn¡¯t take him down.


    The supreme will had used the dark fruit to control a human. However, it didn¡¯t tell the dark mud monster and the dark many-legged alien insects that it had lost to Chen Yiming.


    Perhaps it was precisely because they hid this fact that the dark mud monsters and the dark many-legged mutant insect had treated spreading fear back to the other world as killing the strongest human.


    Then, just like an apocalypse, they would sweep through all the resistance in that world.


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect did not reply. In its frustrated mood, it gently waved its countless sharp legs. Immediately, a large portion of the passage melted, and a terrifying aura spread out.


    At this moment, the depths of the underground passage were disturbed by the commotion. More evil spirits instinctively distanced themselves, causing greater chaos. Countless whispers gathered into a strange melody.


    This was what the dark many-legged mutant insect wanted to do to speed up the completion of the mission given by the supreme will. It wanted to intimidate the evil spirits and push the demon god to be born faster.

 Chapter 391 - Fourth Talent

    After their meeting, Chen Yiming and the leader of the dire wolves immediately rushed towards the ruins of the strange mountain village.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the nearest four foundation bases.¡±


    Along the way, Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze swept across the space-travel passages. Not only was the dark forest world connected to the blue planet, but there were also other worlds in the galaxy.


    Advancing to the fusion realm was not even a small goal for him. The foundation of the formation was right under his nose, and he could obtain it at any time.


    After he broke through to the fusion realm, the resources he could get on the blue planet and the dark forest world would slowly start to fall short of his needs. They wouldn¡¯t be enough to provide what Chen Yiming wanted.


    According to the leader of the dire wolves, a demon god could only be born after 1000 years of accumulation in the devil¡¯s den. It was rumored that the demon god was an existence that surpassed the fusion realm.


    However, just by relying on the advantage of numbers, could creatures at the fusion realm could seal a demon god that had surpassed the fusion realm?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s intuition told him that there was a lot more to this than met the eye. It was a little similar to the human, Zhang Cheng, who had eaten the dark fruit.


    The demon god might also have a limit of the time when it was active. As time passed, its cultivation level would naturally decrease, and it would eventually be sealed away.


    The last time the demon god caused a disaster, the dire wolves¡¯ leader had probably not grown to the point where he could truly participate in the main forces.


    After that, due to the invasion of the black tide, the dark forest world had suffered heavy losses. Many of the truths behind the ultimate secrets of the world were often passed down by word of mouth. The secret of the demon god had completely become a part of history, and the more they spread, the more exaggerated they became.


    ¡°After converting all the accumulated energy from the foundation bases over the years into Skill Points, if my main body successfully breaks through to the fusion realm, then if I want to improve further, the first thing I have to consider is how to squeeze out the value of the dark forest world, which is the remaining three foundation bases refined from the core of the world.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and seemed to see the war weapon lying in ambush in the oceanic trench.


    ¡°If we get our hands on the remaining three foundation bases, it will undoubtedly affect the foundation of the dark forest world. Once we take away all the foundation bases, the dark forest world will lose its foundation and gradually head towards its doom. The cultivation environment will become worse and worse as time passes.¡±


    ¡°The goal of the black tide is to harvest the negative emotions of living creatures. If it affects the foundation of the dark forest world, there will be an irreconcilable conflict between the two sides. The war weapon in the depths of the sea is an unavoidable opponent.¡±


    As Chen Yiming traveled, he thought about how to break out of the situation.


    One¡¯s desire was often proportional to one¡¯s strength. Before his main body broke through to the fusion realm, the attack from the black tide was already repelled by him.


    What if his main body really broke through to the fusion realm? What level of qualitative change could be achieved by joining forces with the spiritual figure?


    ¡°The main goal of breaking through the blockade and escaping from the blue planet will never change. After all, the black tide is an existence that can dominate the universe.¡±


    ¡°From the female spirit that found its way to the dark forest world and the blue planet, there are other worlds around the dark forest world that have also been invaded by the black tide. From the fact that the supreme will in the black tide did not descend during the early stages of the invasion of the blue planet, many factors indicate that the scale of the black tide invasion is unknown. There¡¯s a high chance that it is far beyond the imagination of humans.¡±


    ¡°Taking advantage of the fact that the black tide hasn¡¯t really paid that much attention to me, I can use the battles to continuously grow stronger. Perhaps I can reap a large amount of benefits from the world that the other party has occupied before we really escape, so that humans can be more secure after stepping into the unknown deep space.¡±


    Chen Yiming and the leader of the dire wolves traveled with the wind, moving side by side with the sun and the clouds. A simple idea had gradually formed in his mind.


    What was the attitude of powerful civilizations in the universe towards unfamiliar civilizations? Before one truly entered the circle, everything was just a guess.


    However, there was one thing that was absolutely certain. If he wanted to take control over the fate of humans to the greatest extent, he had to become stronger first. Only by becoming stronger would he have the right to speak on equal terms with them.


    This was a fact that had been revealed in history from the wars on the blue planet over thousands of years.


    Chen Yiming was no longer the young man who had just walked out of East Lake City. Other than to his own family, he was as hard-hearted as steel to outsiders.


    If necessary, he could even consider sacrificing the dark forest world or the surrounding worlds.


    Not long after.


    They arrived at the ruins of the strange mountain village and passed through the space-travel passage.


    The scene flashed past, and the Gobi Desert appeared in front of them. It was still filled with yellow sand and sand mountains. Very few creatures stayed in this area for a long time.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A terrifying spiritual storm swept across the Gobi Desert, like a huge spider web that scoured through every inch of the area.


    ¡°The Gobi Desert is surrounded by oases. The devil¡¯s den is indeed a naturally dangerous place. No wonder the area deep underground is filled with demons and ghosts. The body of the 10,000-meter-long corpse seems to have been contaminated, and started to turn living creatures into mutant monsters.¡±


    The secrets had been completely revealed.


    Chen Yiming had created the trial grounds using the 10,000-meter-long corpse. But after it left the devil¡¯s den, there would eventually come a day when it could no longer create mutant monsters.


    This way, it was on a completely different level from the foundation base.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, the exact location of the devil¡¯s den is near the core of the dark forest world. We can enter through the underground passage left behind, or we can forcefully tear open the ground from here and go straight to the area where the devil¡¯s den is,¡± the leader of the dire wolves said respectfully.


    ¡°Can we still find out the exact location of the war weapon left in the dark forest world?¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned and turned around.


    ¡°No, in the past, it was the huge eye and the bone beast who were watching the war weapon. Most of the other terrifying creatures were just hiding away,¡±


    the leader of the dire wolves replied truthfully. This kind of job of secretly monitoring the movements of the black tide was usually done by those who were talented in the spiritual aspect.


    In the face of the black tide, the terrifying creatures in the dark forest world could still form a loose alliance without involving their own interests.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go underground. Let¡¯s not provoke that war weapon for the time being.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and made his decision.


    He was not stupid enough to think that he was still in the same situation as before and could do whatever he wanted.


    If he forcefully tore open the ground and the creatures at the fusion realm made a move, wouldn¡¯t that be telling the war weapon to capture him?


    If he wanted to test the waters, he should wait until his main body truly broke through to the fusion realm.


    ¡­


    Even with the help of spiritual power, the speed of traveling through the underground passages was far slower than tearing open the ground with brute force. Along the way, they encountered underground passages that had already collapsed and had to reopen them intermittently, causing them to waste a lot of time.


    Just like that, after traveling for a day and night, Chen Yiming and the leader of the dire wolves finally arrived at the entrance of the devil¡¯s den under the ground. The entrance wasn¡¯t big, only a few hundred meters wide, but the difference between the inside and outside was obvious.


    There was only an unusual sinister aura outside the entrance. One¡¯s skin felt like it was being attacked, giving off the feeling that there was a huge horror lurking ahead.


    The aura at the entrance became chaotic, and various whispers sounded in their ears.


    If ordinary warriors accidentally entered the devil¡¯s den, those with weak willpower would easily be corrupted by the chaotic aura and become food for the evil spirits.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The commotion coming from the interior of the devil¡¯s den surprised Chen Yiming and the dire wolves¡¯ leader. Countless chaotic spiritual fluctuations spread out along the intersection with the underground passage.


    ¡°The dark forest world was invaded by the black tide a second time not long ago. Logically speaking, the devil¡¯s den should be the main target for harvesting the negative emotions. Why is there still such a large-scale conflict between the evil spirits?¡±


    This abnormal phenomenon made Chen Yiming wary.


    The evil spirits were born with all kinds of negative emotions. Compared to ordinary creatures, they should be the preferred target of the black tide, or even the most delicious food to it.


    The hair on the dire wolves¡¯ leader¡¯s body stood on end as it swept its spiritual power across the devil¡¯s den. ¡°This is definitely not normal. This situation should only happen during the legendary disaster that occurs once every 1000 years when a demon god is born.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble this time. If we make a move and interrupt the birth of the demon god, it¡¯ll be difficult for us not to be discovered by the war weapon left behind by the black tide.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the dire wolves¡¯ leader and said calmly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go straight to the foundation base. At the moment, there aren¡¯t any evil spirits that are strong enough to warrant our attention. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    When the dire wolves¡¯ leader heard this, its metallic fur slowly fell back in place. It let out a breath and said,


    ¡°What Mr. Chen said makes sense. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t gotten over my fear of the black tide completely for the time being. The foundation base is buried in the center of the devil¡¯s den. We can just choose a random path leading in the direction we want to go.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s calmness made the leader of the dire wolves subconsciously think that just because he didn¡¯t deliberately provoke the war weapon didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t put up any resistance.


    In addition, the exit to the surface from the devil¡¯s den was very close to the space-travel passage. Chen Yiming had also defeated those who had surpassed the fusion realm during the siege, so he had nothing to fear.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and the dire wolves¡¯ leader disappeared from the entrance of the devil¡¯s den.


    The devil¡¯s den had a structure similar to a maze. The stone walls had been soaked in the chaotic spiritual power all year round, and had some special properties.


    Some could release illusions to guide the intruders in different directions from where they intended to go. Some had transformed into existences similar to special creatures with their own will. They would take the initiative to attack the intruders in front of them.


    There were also evil spirits hiding inside that would launch sneak attacks on intruders or even their own kind.


    In a dark corner, the figure of the dark, many-legged mutant insect appeared, and a fierce glint flashed across its ferocious head. ¡°Are we just going to let that human and the dire wolves¡¯ leader go?¡±


    At this moment, the progress of the birth of the demon god was more than half completed.


    The dark mud monster emitted a spiritual fluctuation. ¡°That human rose to his current level in the cultivation desert. He¡¯s definitely not a pushover.¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not difficult for us to defeat him in a two-on-one battle, this place is too close to the space-travel passage. If he escapes, it won¡¯t be easy to trap and kill him.¡±


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect fell silent.


    This was indeed the case. Even though they also had combat strength that exceeded the level of the fusion realm by half a level, without the demon god holding the other party back, the chances of killing him instantly were still very low.


    The dark mud monster emitted another spiritual fluctuation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When the demon god is born, you will be in charge of planting the control token. I will swallow the entire devil¡¯s den. That human won¡¯t be able to escape even if he has wings.¡±


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect raised its ferocious head. ¡°Alright, but there¡¯s no need to bring the demon god to the other world. After killing that human and the leader of the dire wolves, I¡¯ll make a move myself.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, if my precious time is wasted like this and I can¡¯t let go of my resentment, it will become an obstacle for my breakthrough in the future.¡±


    This time, the dark mud monster did not reply.


    What resentment? It was clearly just an excuse to hold a personal grudge against the leader of the dire wolves.


    Before the dark, many-legged mutant insect surrendered to the black tide and turned into a dark creature, it had once clashed with the leader of the dire wolves. In the end, the leader of the dire wolves, who was known as the ¡°killing weapon¡±, had won.


    ¡­


    Along the way, the maze did not pose any obstruction to them. Occasionally, an evil spirit that could not read the situation would suddenly attack, but it would naturally just be reduced to ashes.


    After it happened a few more times, no one else dared to show their face.


    Chen Yiming and the leader of the dire wolves arrived at a place that looked like a spring.


    ¡°A spring that emits a murderous aura?¡±


    The spring was not deep, and it was completely black. From time to time, various scenes would appear around it. There were battlefields where demons were wreaking havoc, and scenes of natural disasters.


    The bottom seemed to be connected to a distorted space. It was difficult to see it clearly with the naked eye or using spiritual power, and it would shatter if any gazes landed on it.


    ¡°The source of the spring is the foundation base,¡± the leader of the dire wolves explained.


    The five foundation bases were refined according to the requirements of a world-level formation. Not only were they of different shapes, but the positions they were placed in also had different requirements. Their functions were also different.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°It seems that the main function of this foundation base is to gather murderous aura.¡±


    On second thought. ¡°All living things usually pay attention to the balance of Yin and Yang. Since the 10,000-meter-long corpse was abnormally emitting essence energy, where is the source of the essence energy? It must be this spring.¡±


    ¡°If the source of the spring is the foundation base, without enough essence energy to balance the murderous aura, it would have long been completely assimilated by the murderous aura.¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to pull out the source of the spring, the leader of the dire wolves stopped him. ¡°Mr. Chen, each foundation base was refined from the core of this world.¡±


    ¡°In other words, pulling out the source of the spring will definitely cause a huge change in the entire dark forest world. We can¡¯t rule out the possibility that some space travel passages will disappear and new ones may appear.¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that we¡¯d better decide on our next move first. After all, the space-travel passage we came from is too close to here. It might be a little troublesome if something goes wrong.¡±


    This referred to their failure to return to the blue planet in time, causing them to be targeted by the war weapon deep in the sea.


    Chen Yiming retracted his hand calmly and smiled bitterly to himself. ¡°This leader of the dire wolves was really fooled by me. Does it really think that I have the ability to fight a complete war weapon?¡±


    On second thought, that was true.


    The dark forest world was not a cultivation desert like the blue planet. The core of the world had the magical ability to absorb and transform energy from the void.


    The essence energy that was suitable for the cultivation of living creatures originated from the core of the world.


    The foundation bases came from the core of the world. Ever since the world-level formation was set up, they had been placed in a fixed place. If they were destroyed or taken away, it would cause a huge change in the dark forest world.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the leader of the dire wolves, who was no longer panicked, and thought to himself, ¡°He stopped me just in time. Otherwise, I might have been able to escape, but whether I could bring it back to the blue planet together with me is another matter.¡±


    Seeing this, the leader of the dire wolf clan thought that it had said something wrong, so it quickly explained, ¡°Mr. Chen¡¯s talent is unprecedented, so he naturally isn¡¯t afraid of the war weapon. Even the attack from the black tide was forced back.¡±


    ¡°But with a burden like me¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming waved his hand.


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader put a stop to its explanation. It heaved a sigh of relief in its heart. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not a wrong move to join the humans. However, there¡¯s a saying in the human books that accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. I¡¯ve really experienced it for myself this time. I have to think it through more carefully in the future.¡±


    After Chen Yiming stopped, he fell into deep thought. ¡°If the space-travel passage really disappears, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°If we are ambushed by war weapon while searching for a space-travel passage, just like in the sea battle, the black barrier that caused the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse to die after using up their Undying Marks will appear.¡±


    ¡°Even if my main body has broken through to the fusion realm, the situation might change drastically when facing an existence like Zhang Cheng after he swallowed the dark fruit, but facing a complete war weapon, I¡¯m still too weak. That is one of the things that the black tide is relying on to invade the world. If I am too complacent, I will lose my life.¡±


    He searched through his memories. Previously, he had used his spiritual power to investigate the situation in the entire Gobi Desert. Soon, he remembered that there was only one space-travel passage in the Gobi Desert.


    There seemed to be no sign of another space-travel passage even in the oasis thousands of kilometers away.


    This was undoubtedly bad news, and it greatly reduced his options.


    ¡°This is a little troublesome. It¡¯s impossible for the huge eye, bone beast, and the other terrifying creatures not to know about the existence of this foundation base. Therefore, this foundation base is really a hot potato, which is why it hasn¡¯t been taken away.¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. However, it was impossible for him to give up on the Skill Points that were right in front of him.


    ¡°Since this foundation base is a bait, how will the enemy from the black tide stop us? Will it be similar to the last time? Or will they use the war weapon?¡±


    Chen Yiming understood that he had stepped into a trap. Of course, this bait should have been prepared long ago. However, other than him, no one else dared to step in.


    He thought for a moment. ¡°Instead of taking the foundation base, can I run away after absorbing the essence energy accumulated in it?¡±


    In the next moment, he immediately rejected this idea.


    This way of thinking could only be used to deceive oneself. He had already stepped into the enemy¡¯s trap. Did it matter if he took the foundation base or not? If he did not take the bait, the enemy could use it as bait again.


    ¡°Perhaps I can let my main body absorb the essence energy from the foundation base and leave secretly, leaving behind the spiritual figure that can revive to pull out the foundation base before splitting up to break out of the encirclement?¡±


    Another thought occurred to him.


    However, it was impossible for the enemy¡¯s forces to be weaker than during the previous siege. The spiritual figure alone would definitely not be able to bring the foundation base back.


    Moreover, after being separated from the spiritual figure, he would automatically lose the ability to use his strongest form. He could not guarantee that the enemy would prioritize killing the spiritual figure holding the foundation base and not his main body.


    Time quickly passed by.


    The leader of the dire wolves looked at Chen Yiming, who was deep in thought. It waited and waited, but didn¡¯t dare to disturb him. It felt extremely guilty. ¡°Mr. Chen, you should be thinking about how to bring me away safely. I¡¯m too weak and am a burden.¡±


    As a witness to the first wave of attacks from the black tide that had descended on the blue planet, the dire wolves¡¯ leader knew that if it was in his shoes, it would easily have been surrounded and killed even if the opponents had not used the special sealed item.


    Compared to Chen Yiming, who could defeat the black tide that had invaded the world, they were clearly at the same realm, but the difference in strength was unimaginable.


    At some point, Chen Yiming, who was frowning, suddenly relaxed.


    ¡°Competing in strategy isn¡¯t what I¡¯m best at. My biggest advantage is my talent from the system. Why should I use my disadvantage to fight against the enemy¡¯s advantage?¡±


    A smile appeared on his face.


    The huge eye and the supreme will controlling Zhang Cheng both had the ability to teleport. It was not the first or second time that he had coveted this ability.


    However, since he had already activated three talents, the Skill Points needed to activate the fourth talent was something he could not afford at the moment.


    The fourth talent required 3,000 Skill Points at the first level, and 30,000 Skill Points at the second level. It was too slow for him to break through to the next level.


    It just so happened that humans needed time the most when they were threatened by the black tide. Time waited for no one, forcing him to increase his cultivation level as soon as possible.


    ¡°Swordsmanship talent, Undying Body talent, and Giant Talent are all talents that lean towards long-term growth. However, there are also talents that lean towards immediate use. Even at a lower level, they can also increase one¡¯s combat strength significantly.¡±


    That¡¯s right. The space-manipulation talent that Chen Yiming planned to choose this time wasn¡¯t the most standard growth-based space-manipulation talent.


    Pure space-manipulation talent might be very comprehensive, and the upper limit was extremely high. At a high level, one could master a large number of branch abilities, and their potential was unfathomable.


    He planned to choose a space-manipulation talent that was more functional at the moment. Coupled with his current situation, he wanted to maximize his combat strength.

 Chapter 392 - Fighting the Demon God

    After thinking about how to deal with the upcoming situation, Chen Yiming sent a thought to the system, asking it to slow down the speed at which it absorbed the essence energy. Then, he took a step forward and placed his hand on the foundation base at the source of the spring.


    ¡°Next, I¡¯m going to use the foundation base to cultivate. It¡¯ll take about half a day to a day,¡± Chen Yiming turned around and instructed the leader of the dire wolves.


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Chen, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go clean up the surrounding area now. No evil spirits will disturb you.¡±


    With that, all the metal hair on its body stood up as it walked into the darkness.


    Chen Yiming nodded and watched as the leader of the dire wolves gradually disappeared into the darkness. The faint sound of the evil spirits being reduced to ashes could be heard from the maze-like passages.


    He thought helplessly to himself, ¡°Nowadays, I can¡¯t do as I please. Every move I make is often watched closely. If I absorb the essence energy accumulated in the foundation base over many years in a short time, the trouble caused might be greater than the benefits I can gain.¡±


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t need to be anxious. With the accumulated Skill Points, I can add a new talent at any time. I¡¯ll just play with it for a while. At the same time, I can see how highly the enemy thinks of me after defeating the first wave of attacks from the black tide.¡±


    He could add a new space-manipulation talent, or upgrade the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent to break through to the fusion realm. The former would give Chen Yiming a higher chance of survival by escaping.


    Every time the black tide disrupted the invasion of the blue planet, not only would it buy more time for the humans¡¯ space plan, but the mystery of the black tide would also be revealed bit by bit.


    When the black tide became less and less mysterious, not only would it no longer strike fear in the humans, but Chen Yiming might also start to launch his counterattack.


    As the number of Skill Points increased on the system interface, more and more murderous aura was released. The evil spirits in the devil¡¯s den became even crazier.


    Ghosts appeared one after another, and chaotic screams filled the entire cave.


    ¡­


    Just as the two dark creatures were waiting for the demon god to be born and Chen Yiming was pretending to use the essence energy in the foundation base to cultivate, there were new changes in the dark forest world.


    A mushroom large enough to block out the view of the sky fell to the ground and took root in the center of the dark forest world. Then, it started to emit a special smell.


    This smell was not directly lethal, but wherever it passed, everyone, even the mutant creatures, fell into a deep sleep. When they slept, their faces revealed ferocious and painful expressions, as if they were constantly having nightmares.


    Soon, the surveillance personnel arranged by the humans sent back the news of the abnormality in the dark forest world. The situation that had just calmed down became slightly tense.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days. The first wave of attacks from the black tide has just been repelled. Is the second wave going to start so soon?¡±


    There was another international video conference. The construction of the spaceships appeared to be progressing well every day. However, the dark forest world connected to the blue planet was experiencing changes again.


    Their anxious feelings were brewing.


    ¡°The new movements of the black tide seem to be forcefully creating negative emotions. Could it be that they are preparing to let some terrifying existence descend?¡±


    A president of a small country voiced his thoughts.


    This was not just a guess. From the basic goal of the black tide¡¯s invasion of the world, they had deduced that this was a naked threat from the black tide.


    Even if the higher-ups of the human race knew that it was an overt plan, they could not do anything about it. As long as the situation changed drastically, the majority of the population, who were ordinary people, would naturally start to feel fear towards the black tide again.


    This was also the method that the black tide used to invade the world. As long as there was one wave of attacks that could not be withstood, the entire world would quickly collapse.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation with the three city-level spaceships from the Daxia Kingdom after they arrived on Mars?¡±


    Soon, someone asked the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom for the latest update.


    When they did not receive an immediate reply, the atmosphere suddenly froze. The leaders¡¯ hearts skipped a beat, afraid that they were about to hear bad news.


    ¡°The relevant staff have yet to set foot on Mars for the time being, but the automated engineering equipment that has just been placed on the surface was destroyed by a surprise attack from the dark creatures.¡±


    The top leader had also just received the news during the international video conference.


    ¡°Other than the blue planet, the other planets in the solar system are all lifeless. Where did the dark creatures on Mars come from?¡±


    Another piece of bad news was announced, and the leaders attending the video conference were panicking.


    ¡°At the moment, there are no dark creatures that can threaten the spaceship. The main cannon made from the fragments of extraordinary weapons killed most of the dark creatures that appeared.¡±


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom coughed and continued after things quietened down.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    In the video conference, the leaders finally calmed down.


    Someone thought of something and asked, ¡°What about the terrifying creatures that successfully broke through the encirclement? Did they encounter a similar situation to the human spaceships?¡±


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom shook his head and said, ¡°Two days ago, we could no longer detect the location of the terrifying creatures.¡±


    The leaders nodded. Actually, no one had high hopes for this.


    Although the terrifying creatures were huge, after leaving the planet and officially entering deep space, the terrifying creatures would shrink to the size of ants in comparison to the size of the solar system.


    It was almost impossible for human technology to monitor the other party. Furthermore, the terrifying creatures had many secret techniques. How could they let humans find them?


    Although the two sides seemed to have reached a cooperative relationship when they broke through the blockade, they already had an irreconcilable grudge beforehand.


    ¡­


    Another day passed by.


    The entire dark forest world gradually fell into a deep sleep. The smell from the mushroom that had descended from the sky was so pervasive that even the creatures living deep underground could not escape it.


    The only good news for humans was that after this special smell passed through the space-travel passage, it would become ineffective. It could not cross over to this world and make the creatures on the blue planet fall asleep.


    In front of the foundation base in the source of the spring,


    Chen Yiming had already heard from the dire wolves¡¯ leader that it had gone to the surface to gather information.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, the special smell has not reached the devil¡¯s den. The devouring of the evil spirits is about to reach its conclusion, and we seem to have stepped into a trap.¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader sniffed at the air in front of it with a serious expression.


    ¡°Indeed. Perhaps after you and I entered the devil¡¯s den, the next wave of attacks from the black tide started. The devil¡¯s den is one battlefield, and the other battlefield involves the dark forest world and the humans on the blue planet,¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    His expression was as calm as ever, as if everything was still under control. The dire wolves¡¯ leader also calmed down a lot when it saw this and suppressed the panic in its heart.


    Little did he know that Chen Yiming was sighing in his heart. ¡°The black tide is going all out this time. With this method of forcing the mutant creatures into deep sleep and creating nightmares, the mutant creatures¡¯ bodies can go without eating, but will there be no serious side effects from the mental damage? How many creatures can survive after this?¡±


    According to the history of the black tide¡¯s invasion of the dark forest world, there were hundreds of years between the first and second invasion. Clearly, this was to let the dark forest world recover and continue the harvest later.


    However, this time, they were clearly willing to sacrifice an entire world to completely occupy the blue planet.


    Chen Yiming could already foresee that even if he broke out of the trap set in the devil¡¯s den, he would still have to face a greater challenge. Perhaps an existence that could really crush him would appear.


    However, he still did not panic and believed in the power of the system.


    With a powerful space-manipulation ability, he could just escape while bringing along all the humans.


    Time quickly passed by.


    It seemed that the enemy had even calculated the speed at which the essence energy of the foundation base could be absorbed normally. As the devil¡¯s den gradually became silent, it signaled that the legendary demon god was about to be born.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the system interface. The number on it finally stopped at 1,000,000 Skill Points.


    ¡°This is enough to upgrade both the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent by one level. The remaining 400,000 Skill Points is enough to upgrade the fourth talent to Level 3.¡±


    He laughed again.


    Immediately after, he gestured for the system to upgrade the second and third talents.


    The panel emitted a golden light. The old data was replaced by new data.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª?? Level 5, Giant ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Fusion Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship a?? Level 6


    Level: Fusion Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 403,786


    At the same time, ¡°Badump! Badump! Badump!¡±


    The sound of Chen Yiming¡¯s heartbeat spread out in all directions. The air seemed to be filled with his blood, and every trace of his blood essence seemed to weigh more than 10,000 kilograms.


    The aura emitted from a certain spot in the devil¡¯s den was most likely that of a new demon god. It actually could not withstand the weight of the blood essence and was suppressed.


    ¡°Gasp! How terrifying.¡±


    The first to feel the pressure was the leader of the dire wolves. It said in shock, ¡°His body is too strong. Are we really at the same level?¡±


    ¡°No wonder the giant on the warhorse couldn¡¯t defeat Mr. Chen, who was still in the inscription realm, even when it used its strongest single-target explosive power.¡±


    ¡°Not only are the dire wolves betting on this rare talent, but we are also betting on the unlimited possibilities in the future!¡±


    At this moment, the leader of the dire wolves did not know how to describe its excitement. The trace of worry brought about by the mushroom falling from the sky had instantly dissipated.


    Chen Yiming closed his eyes and carefully experienced the effects of upgrading his talents.


    The invisible connections between the cells had disappeared, and in their place, a core appeared in each cell. Inside the core was a miniature Undying Mark.


    Unlike the spiritual figure and the terrifying creatures, he had more than one Undying Mark. The number of Undying Marks corresponded to the number of cells in his body.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a connection between these miniature Undying Marks. Only by destroying all of them at once and ensuring that none of them can be left behind can I really die. Otherwise, the destroyed Undying Marks will automatically recover along with the cells.¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked himself, but he wasn¡¯t done yet.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a miniature Undying Mark, compared to the sword-shaped mark of the spiritual figure, its resistance to any aspect is far greater. Moreover, the Giant Talent seems to have maximized the toughness attribute of the core, which is equivalent to adding an additional layer of protection to the Undying Mark.¡±


    ¡°Is this the gap between physique and talent?¡±


    ¡°In other words, even a single cell is much harder to destroy than the spiritual figure. How difficult is it to destroy all the cells at once?¡±


    After finishing his checks, Chen Yiming opened his eyes again. A beam of light broke through all the negative energy in front of him and shot out for a long distance before it stopped. It was as if the entire devil¡¯s den had suddenly been swallowed by something.


    The leader of the dire wolves ignored the change in the devil¡¯s den and hurriedly congratulated him. ¡°Congratulations, Mr. Chen, for breaking through to the fusion realm and obtaining the undying attribute.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the leader of the dire wolves. It was just blindly praising him.


    At this moment, light footsteps sounded from the distance.


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect controlled a spirit to appear in front of Chen Yiming.


    A black fog surrounded the spirit¡¯s lower body. Its skin was dry and dark yellow, and there were black spots on it. Other than that, its dead eyes seemed to be able to suck people in.


    ¡°Is this the demon god?¡± Chen Yiming turned to ask the leader of the dire wolves.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I think so. Although it seems to be unstable because it was just born, looking at the glowing cube in the demon god¡¯s body, it must be from the inner world,¡± the dire wolves¡¯ leader explained.


    Chen Yiming nodded and sized up the glowing cube.


    The leader of the dire wolves had told him bits and pieces of information about the higher levels of the fusion realm. It involved the use of power at a higher level than the power of nature.


    There were no ordinary creatures who had truly broken through to the next level in the dark forest world. They could only leave behind some records from the demon gods.


    The most obvious characteristic was the thing called the ¡®inner world¡¯. The inner world was real, but also seemed to be illusory.


    There were demon gods in the dark forest world, but they had never been able to figure out how the ¡®inner world¡¯ was created. They could only feel a power that was at a higher level than the power of nature.


    The terrifying creatures used the term ¡°power of the world¡± for the new power brought about by the establishment of the inner world.


    Just as Chen Yiming was sizing it up calmly, the dark, many-legged mutant insect got a little angry. The fierce glint in its eyes landed on the dire wolves¡¯ leader. ¡°Where¡¯s your arrogance? Where¡¯s your contempt? I didn¡¯t expect you to be reduced to a dog working for humans.¡±


    Dogs were creatures that the dark, many-legged mutant insect had read about when it was learning about the humans on the blue planet. Their biological form was 30% similar to that of the dire wolves.


    ¡°Mr. Chen.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves pretended not to hear anything. It looked at Chen Yiming pleadingly and thought to itself, ¡°Only a fool would argue with you. Even a dog has to choose its partner. Do you really think I made this choice so lightly?¡±


    Back then, it had directly crushed the mutant insect which was at the same level. However, the other party had gone through the sacrificial ritual and turned into a dark creature.


    Furthermore, the dark creatures that could be brought out of the dark forest world by the black tide were the ones with the highest completion rate for their bodies of darkness. Now that it had returned to the dark forest world, it must have become even stronger.


    For example, although the dark werewolves had also completed the ritual and obtained the body of darkness, due to their low completion rate and lack of strength, it was very difficult for them to be invincible among those of the same level.


    This invincibility did not mean that one was invincible at all times, but that one could crush creatures of the same level on average.


    Seeing this, the dark, many-legged mutant insect could no longer suppress its anger. ¡°It was the look of disregard you gave me when you defeated me that allowed me to survive the sacrificial ritual. Let¡¯s settle this score today.¡±


    As soon as it finished speaking, a figure had already teleported to the side of the dark, many-legged mutant insect.


    Chen Yiming raised his fist. For the first time, his main body used the strongest single-point explosive power from the fusion of essence, energy, and spirit. A terrifying fist shadow immediately attacked the dark, many-legged mutant insect.


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack¡­¡±


    A tearing sound rang out in the air, and then the space was filled with cracks.


    Before the fist landed, the body of the dark, many-legged mutant insect had already deformed under the terrifying pressure. It was so frightened that it stopped talking.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In the eyes of the leader of the dire wolves, Chen Yiming¡¯s fist had collided with the demon god¡¯s outstretched hand. After that, there was a flash of white light, and nothing could be seen clearly.


    An invisible shock wave instantly flattened the entire devil¡¯s den. Then, it was blocked by the mud-like wall for a moment. Next, the mud-like wall exploded, and one could vaguely hear a cry of pain.


    ¡°Mr. Chen¡¯s body is too¡­ The void in the dark forest world has been torn apart.¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader was also shocked, but it was shocked by how strong Chen Yiming was. After all, the opponent was a demon god, an existence that had surpassed the fusion realm.


    According to the records, there were no creatures at the fusion realm who dared to fight the demon gods head-on. They had gathered the power of the entire world to fight against the demon gods and finally seal them away.


    The dust settled.


    Chen Yiming and the demon god were still making contact. It was as if they were competing to see who was stronger.


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect had a frightened expression on its face as it crawled to the back of the demon god. The body of the dark mud monster beside them also reappeared. At this moment, it could only rely on the demon god. It was even more dangerous to work alone.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    The dark many-legged mutant insect communicated with the dark mud monster through spiritual fluctuations.


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    the dark mud monster replied simply. What it saw almost stopped its thoughts.


    There was a difference in strength between the power of nature and the power of the world. Just like the power of nature and internal force, high-level power could usually easily crush low-level power.


    Of course, nothing in the world was absolute. For example, in the high-level cultivation civilizations in the universe, those geniuses who were born with special physiques had unbelievable combat strength.


    However, this human did not come from a high-level cultivation civilization. Instead, he came from the blue planet, which was described as a cultivation desert.


    ¡°The speed at which the power of the world is destroying the human cells can¡¯t be compared to the speed at which they recover.¡±


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect almost fainted as it watched Chen Yiming, who was fighting the demon god. It didn¡¯t dare to control the demon god to do anything else because it and the dark mud monster were counting on the demon god.


    ¡°Could it be that the bloodline of a high-level cultivation civilization somehow reached the blue planet and suddenly appeared in a certain generation?¡± the dark mud monster calmed down and said in surprise.


    As a dark creature that had been brought away from its original world by the black tide, it had learned many secrets that ordinary civilizations could not understand after participating in many invasions.


    These bloodline recovery geniuses without any background might be more valuable than the entire world. They were the favorite targets of the black tide when it invaded the world.


    ¡°If we can report this news, it should be a huge contribution, right?¡±


    At this moment, the dark, many-legged mutant alien insect and the dark mud monster had the same thought. However, on second thought, the first thing they should consider was how to survive.


    The information given by the supreme will on this human was too different from the real thing. It was so different that it could easily threaten their lives.

 Chapter 393 - Blood Essence in the Void

    Chen Yiming and the demon god were inches away from each other.


    He could even hear the demon god¡¯s breathing. This was not breathing in the traditional sense, but an energy fluctuation that washed over his body like a wave.


    ¡°Is this the power of the world? It¡¯s very heavy and oppressive. However, that¡¯s about it. If it can¡¯t crush me in one go, it¡¯s equivalent to me fighting against the world alone.¡±


    Chen Yiming seemed to have understood the key to opening up the inner world.


    On second thought, ¡°The demon god was born in the dark forest world. The devil¡¯s den is a special place, so the inner world should be closely related to the devil¡¯s den. Then why did it become sealed in the past? Was it really dragged on until it naturally weakened and fell in cultivation level?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the other party can¡¯t kill me now, but I can¡¯t kill it either. It¡¯s like a person who has mastered the technique for an unbreakable body facing a tsunami alone.¡±


    This was one thing that Chen Yiming had to admit.


    From the moment he mastered the first type of internal force to the moment he mobilized the power of nature that existed in the world, he had always been the one who had the advantage in quantity over his opponent.


    However, today, facing the demon god who had surpassed the fusion realm, no matter how strong his body and blood essence were, the quantity was definitely inferior to the level of the entire world.


    Chen Yiming was deliberately fighting at close range to find out more about the demon god¡¯s capabilities.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The abdomen of the dark, many-legged mutant insect lit up with a red light. Immediately after, its eyes emitted a fierce glint.


    ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz.¡±


    The cube in the demon god¡¯s body shook, and the entire devil¡¯s den immediately vibrated at a certain frequency. All kinds of negative energy suddenly became more active.


    Then, evil spirits started to crawl out of the void, other evil spirits were born from the shadows, and demons stood up from the pools of blood. There were so many of them that it was impossible to see the end of them.


    The negative energy accumulated in the devil¡¯s den seemed to have been transformed into a demon army.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming realized that his movements seemed to be greatly restricted. It was as if the entire world was targeting him. Since he couldn¡¯t be killed, it would press down on him from all directions.


    He calmed down and did not panic. Since it had been sealed more than once or twice in the history of the demon gods, there must be some kind of weakness.


    The reason he was so calm was because he had more than 400,000 Skill Points in the system. The space-manipulation talent was his trump card for the time being.


    Furthermore, learning more information about what lay beyond the fusion realm was beneficial for dealing with the trouble caused by the mushroom that covered the sky after leaving the devil¡¯s den.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The demon god opened its mouth, which was filled with pale, sharp teeth, and released an invisible ripple that enveloped Chen Yiming¡¯s body. A terrifying suction force appeared, and cracks appeared in the air.


    ¡°Are you trying to swallow me into your inner world?¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled. After the transformation, his physique was extraordinary.


    Every miniature Undying Mark seemed to be engraved in the air, but also connected to each other.


    Although the core wrapped in the Undying Mark in his cells was so small that it was inconspicuous, it actually weighed 10,000 kilograms. It could also change at will within a certain range to adapt to the size of the giant after it transformed.


    At this moment, although he was less than three meters tall, after a terrifying suction force enveloped his entire body, the core adjusted itself. His weight was no different from when he had truly transformed into a giant.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    Chen Yiming let out a low grunt. The spiritual figure turned into a sword beam and charged out of his body, aiming straight for the demon god¡¯s face.


    The sudden change caused the dark, many-legged mutant insect to be unable to react at all. It watched helplessly as the sword stabbed into the center of the demon god¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The demon god was essentially a special spiritual creature. Its bones, skin, and appearance were all formed from its spiritual power. At this moment, the spiritual figure that specialized in restraining spiritual creatures had pierced through the space between its eyebrows and destroyed a portion of its spiritual power.


    Pain! Pain! Pain!


    The spiritual figure turned into a stream of light and returned to his body. Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief and sent the demon god flying with a punch. The demon god struggled as it was sent flying. A portion of its spiritual power had been destroyed, causing its instinctive will to try to regain control of its body.


    The entire place fell silent.


    Whether it was the dark many-legged mutant insect, the dark mud monster, or the leader of the dire wolves, they all watched in shock as the demon god was defeated.


    Even the leader of the dire wolves, who had a lot of trust in Chen Yiming, didn¡¯t expect that the demon god, the source of the disaster that happened once every 1000 years in the dark forest world, would be sent flying by a single punch.


    That was the demon god who could control the power of the world!


    The leader of the dire wolves had thought that Chen Yiming was confident that he could escape together with it, not that he could really fight the demon god. It had even thought that he had a small advantage.


    ¡°This is the devil¡¯s den, the only place where the demon god can use the power of the world. It¡¯s not anywhere else in the dark forest world. How can it not be a match for that human?¡±


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect panicked.


    Perhaps Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t kill the demon god while in the devil¡¯s den, but with his terrifying combat strength, killing the two dark creatures would be a piece of cake.


    ¡°Are you stupid? Why aren¡¯t you using that move to cover our escape?¡±


    The dark mud monster beside it quickly reminded it in secret.


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect suddenly came back to its senses. After giving the demon god an order, it burrowed into the soil without looking back. The dark mud monster followed closely behind, and the gap in the soil was instantly filled up.


    The two dark creatures had escaped.


    The siege this time was even more anticlimactic than the previous time. From the moment the conflict broke out to the end, it had only been about a minute.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, I¡¯ll go after them.¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader requested permission before he acted.


    When it said this, its legs almost went weak. It felt good to be on the stronger side, but it would be terrible if the two of them counterattacked.


    Compared to the dark werewolves that had surrendered, it had only 40% to 60% of their combat strength. Compared to the dark mutant insect and the dark mud monster, there was definitely a larger difference.


    ¡°Be careful. If you can follow them, then go ahead. If you can¡¯t, then forget it.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The dire wolves¡¯ clan leader was overjoyed when it heard this, and its legs no longer felt weak. It only needed to stay far behind. This was what it was good at. This was a talent that its clan was born with.


    After receiving the order, it suddenly leaped out. Its metallic fur formed blades, and wherever it passed, it cut through the thick soil like tofu.


    In its pursuit, the leader of the dire wolves only planned to use a little of its primitive physical strength. There were no energy fluctuations, and it only relied on its sense of smell and intuition.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming turned back to the demon god as he watched the leader of the dire wolves disappear.


    At this moment, the demon god was floating above the demon army and looking over at him fiercely. The hole in its forehead had already been filled up again.


    ¡°Those who were in the way have already left. We can go all out now,¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly, not caring if the demon god understood him.


    There was another reason why he had sent the dire wolves¡¯ leader after them. It allowed Chen Yiming to enjoy the thrill of fighting with his strong physique.


    After all, the other party would still be useful in the future. If it was killed by the aftershock of the battle, it would be a loss for the humans.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the blood essence turned into a long dragon that illuminated the air, and the air turned into a furnace that lit up the devil¡¯s den. Waves of heat rose one after another, and all the sinister and ghostly aura seemed to have been melted by the sun and turned into smoke.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hold back at all. He went all out, trying to fight the demon god¡¯s overwhelming power with his own strength.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    His extremely terrifying body shattered half of the devil¡¯s den the moment he moved.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t consider the possibility that anything would happen during his sprint. He was confident that the demon god wouldn¡¯t have the ability to kill him instantly.


    This was what he relied on since he had two talents that enhanced his physique.


    In fact, if the demon god or the demon army took the initiative to attack, Chen Yiming would be delighted instead of shocked. He wanted to see if it was faster for the negative energy to be converted into demons, or if he could kill them faster.


    As he charged forward, a blood-red semicircular barrier appeared, and cracks appeared in the space along the way.


    One punch!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A shocking sound rang out, as if a fist had landed from the sky.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming and the demon god collided violently again.


    This attack was not held back at all, causing the demon god to fall straight to the ground, creating tremors in the surroundings. The dust that was raised by the fall drowned his figure, and half of his body melted on the spot.


    At the same time, the demon army was also affected. As far as the eye could see, they were reduced to dust by the aftershock. Other than the demon god, all the demons in the entire devil¡¯s den had been wiped out.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The demon god, who had been beaten up again, recovered and charged out of the dust, controlling a transparent awl that was aimed at Chen Yiming.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to dodge, the pressure from the power of the world appeared again. In the blink of an eye, the entire demon army reappeared and charged at him.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    This time, it was Chen Yiming¡¯s turn to suffer. Due to the restraints of the power of the world, his speed was greatly reduced, and he couldn¡¯t dodge the transparent spear.


    His head was turned into dust on the spot. In the next moment, although he had returned to his original state through the Undying Mark in his cells, the demon army had already rushed into Chen Yiming¡¯s body.


    That¡¯s right. This was the move that the dark mud monster had gotten the dark, many-legged mutant insect to use to stall for time.


    Because Chen Yiming¡¯s movements were temporarily restricted, every cell in his body had become a battlefield. Demons had entered to destroy it from the inside.


    ¡°Is this a special use of the power of the world?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s understanding of the power of the world deepened.


    If it was an ordinary creature at the fusion realm, such as the leader of the dire wolves, it would probably have been crushed on the spot. There was no need for any subsequent spiritual attacks.


    At this moment, the demon god floated up again. It didn¡¯t make any moves personally unlike Chen Yiming. The cube in its body was spinning, and more of the power of the world descended from the sky.


    Chen Yiming felt like he was carrying the entire world on his back. This time, he really couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°By using the power of the world to control me, and then letting the negative energy in the devil¡¯s den continuously transform into a demon army, you want to kill me by destroying all of my cells?¡±


    Chen Yiming sensed that traces of his blood essence were fighting an all-out battle with the demon army on the battlefield.


    Each demon was naturally easily killed, but after one died, more demons continued to surge into his body.


    It was equivalent to all the cells in his body being attacked from both inside and outside at the same time. He was facing the negative energy that was gathering from the entire devil¡¯s den, or rather, from the dark forest world to the devil¡¯s den.


    He was indirectly fighting against the small forest world.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been trying to absorb all the essence energy accumulated in the foundation base for so many years, I might have felt that something was amiss and fled before the birth of the demon god.¡±


    ¡°However, now that it involves competing in terms of recovery ability, with the transformation brought about by the upgrade of both of my talents, what if I¡¯m one level lower?¡±


    ¡°Since the foundation base that represents the core of the world doesn¡¯t have an unlimited amount of essence energy, it naturally means that the negative energy in the devil¡¯s den isn¡¯t unlimited.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I still have a trump card. Let¡¯s compete to see who can last until the end between the power of the world and the recovery ability of my physical body.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming laughed again.


    As his laughter rang out, the blood essence turned into flames that burned. A world of lava was reflected in the air behind him. It was clearly not a fire-based ability, but the blood essence from his terrifying body. However, even the air seemed to be ignited.


    At this moment, the devil¡¯s den no longer had a ghostly and sinister aura. Instead, it had become like a furnace.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t use the power of the world, but if he was strong enough, he could fight against the power of the world controlled by the demon god.


    Time quickly passed by.


    The demon god and Chen Yiming remained in their original spots without moving, but the intensity of the battle didn¡¯t decrease at all. The ground where the devil¡¯s den was located shook slightly, then visibly, and then the chain reaction spread far and wide.


    This was like a volcano that was preparing to erupt. However, the extent of the eruption was so serious that it affected the entire dark forest world.


    The five foundation bases represented the core of the dark forest world. They were buried in five special locations, and now, one of them was gradually accumulating enough energy to explode.


    ¡­


    Thousands of kilometers away from the surface of the devil¡¯s den, the dark, many-legged mutant insect that was crawling quietly suddenly stopped.


    ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡±


    ¡°It should be that guy, the dire wolf.¡±


    At this moment, the dark, many-legged mutant insect, who was good at sensing the situation from slight vibrations, finally discovered the dire wolf that was far behind and was following them by smell.


    The dark mud monster also stopped. After a moment, it said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. We can¡¯t guarantee our safety at this distance. At the very least, we have to return to the sea first.¡±


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect turned around and looked fiercely in the direction of the Gobi Desert beyond the oasis.


    The leader of the dire wolves was hiding somewhere. As long as they released their spiritual power, they could easily discover their opponent¡¯s location.


    However¡­ any energy fluctuation would be like a fire at night. When it discovered the other party, it would also completely expose their location.


    The dark, many-legged mutant insect understood the shortcomings of the demon god. In essence, the demon god and the devil¡¯s den were one, and it was equivalent to countless evil spirits combining with the devil¡¯s den. It was also of poor quality.


    When the negative energy accumulated in the devil¡¯s den was exhausted to a certain extent, the inner world in the demon god¡¯s body would collapse on its own. Therefore, in the history of the dark forest world, there were records that the demon god was finally sealed.


    In other words, the natural location of the devil¡¯s den had created a creature beyond the fusion realm that had a natural limitation to its abilities.


    Therefore, at the moment, it did not know if the demon god could kill that human or how long it could hold him back.


    Just as the two dark creatures stopped for a moment and were about to continue forward,


    tremors caused the desert to be filled with yellow sand. Then, they gradually spread to the oasis, as if a sandstorm was about to attack it.


    ¡°Not good, escape quickly.¡±


    The two dark creatures¡¯ hair stood on end. The signs in front of them indicated that the move they had used to give them cover to escape had failed to kill the human.


    Since it could not kill him, the two dark creatures knew that the demon god would be the first to collapse.


    At that time, if they could not escape far enough or escape the pursuit of the dire wolf, they would not be able to survive if that human caught up to them.


    The dark mud monster inexplicably recalled that at the start of the siege, it had swallowed the entire devil¡¯s den to prevent that human from escaping. In the end, it was blown up by the aftershock of the punch.


    Now, it seemed a little ironic. The body of darkness, which was known for its recovery ability, was not of much use at all. Instead, they were the ones who had escaped in a sorry state.


    At the edge of the oasis, the dire wolves¡¯ leader sensed that the two dark creatures had suddenly stopped, so it also found a bush to hide in.


    The tremors coming from the depths of the ground continued to increase. However, there was still no limit to the intensity of the tremors. The leader of the dire wolves was shocked again.


    ¡°Could it be that Mr. Chen can really kill the demon god alone?¡±


    ¡°Logically speaking, that¡¯s impossible. The fusion realm still involves the power of nature, while the demon god controls the power of the world. There¡¯s a huge difference between the two types of power. It¡¯s already extremely terrifying that they can temporarily fight against each other.¡±


    ¡°If Mr. Chen can really defeat it, I don¡¯t dare to think about it¡­¡±


    The level of the demon god was much higher than the level of the fusion realm, which involved the use of the power of nature.


    One was the power of the world, and the other was the power of nature. The power of nature was only a part of the world, and this part was divided into many different types of power of nature.


    Not long after.


    Through smell alone, the dire wolves¡¯ leader could tell that the two dark creatures were moving forward again. Their speed was many times faster than before.


    It immediately stood up and continued to chase after them.


    ¡­


    At some point, a loud sound shook the entire forest world. The entire desert and a portion of the oasis were sent flying into the air. A fiery red heat wave lit up the air and caused the sky to change color. The remaining heat started to cause a fire in the oasis.


    Looking down from the sky, there was an unbelievably huge pit on the ground. This pit was more than 1,000 kilometers wide and went straight to the core of the planet.


    Not only that, but it also indirectly caused the trajectory of the dark forest world to deviate slightly.


    ¡°Run! Run! Run! I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    The two dark creatures flew into the air, no longer caring about revealing their positions. In a flash, they had covered dozens of kilometers. They were using a teleportation technique that combined with the power of nature.


    This also caused the energy fluctuations to be abnormally intense. It was no longer possible to hide their location.


    ¡°His blood essence shines in the air like a furnace. This is a phenomenon that can only be triggered by the power of the world!¡±


    As they fled, the two dark creatures were still in shock.


    When they invaded other worlds, they had also seen creatures with powerful physiques cause such a phenomenon. However, those creatures were not at the level of the fusion realm.


    On the other hand, this proved that there was a high chance that the bloodline of that human came from a high-level cultivation civilization, and it had released its potential as he cultivated.


    This way, it could explain how he could cause such a phenomenon at the level of the fusion realm.

 Chapter 394 - New Talent

    ¡°Kill!¡±


    When the Gobi Desert and a portion of the oasis were sent flying into the sky, Chen Yiming felt relieved. The power of the world that was squeezing his body crazily had disappeared.


    The battle of attrition had reached a certain point. Without any further orders, the demon god took the initiative to give up on the previous stalling method.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s blood essence surged, and all the demons that tried to approach him were burned to a crisp. He stomped on the ground and threw out countless punches at the same time.


    Before his body arrived, the demon god had already experienced what Chen Yiming had experienced previously. Countless fist shadows created an effect similar to the overwhelming pressure.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s aura didn¡¯t decrease at all, and his body was unbelievably terrifying.


    The demon god stood rooted to the ground and could not move. Countless fist shadows attacked from all directions, and its entire body began to crack. Its materialized spiritual power could not withstand it anymore.


    With a loud bang, the demon god exploded under the attack of the countless fist shadows.


    A large amount of spiritual power collapsed, indicating that the negative energy in the devil¡¯s den had decreased further.


    ¡°The inner world, the core cube in the demon god¡¯s body.¡±


    Seeing that the cube was still intact, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t show any mercy and teleported over.


    This time, he used a different method of attack. With a kick, cracks appeared in the air. Immediately after, a figure attacked it from all directions.


    In the depths of the earth, the maze structure in the devil¡¯s den had long been destroyed, but the battle was not over.


    As Chen Yiming started to kick at the cube crazily, invisible ripples either enlarged the pit or soared into the sky. More and more thunderous explosions rang out.


    The phenomenon of the blood essence illuminating the void disappeared, and in its place was the dark forest world shaking slightly.


    This was the result of the combined attacks. In the history of the dark forest world, there had never been an intense battle even when the black tide invaded. The native terrifying creatures were too weak in comparison.


    The world-level formation did not count. It was not a continuous battle, but an attack that involved mobilizing the power of the world.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    With an indignant roar, the remaining negative energy in the devil¡¯s den began to quickly gather in the cube, causing it to shine brightly. The appearance of the demon god began to form again.


    It was too tragic. The demon god clearly had a higher level of power, but after giving up the initiative once, it was forced to retreat step by step.


    Of course, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t give the demon god a chance to catch its breath. In any case, every part of his body could withstand the pressure of exchanging injuries for landing a powerful melee attack.


    At this moment, it was as if he was bathing in an energy furnace. His heart was emitting an endless stream of blood, and the surrounding walls were filled with destruction.


    His aura could still be maintained at its peak, and his speed was too fast. It was as if he had a clone. The figures used their fists and kicks to destroy the appearance that the demon god had reformed bit by bit.


    This time, the unwilling roars were gone. Only the glowing cube was left in the devil¡¯s den, and the light was showing signs of dimming.


    ¡°The inner world? That seems to be all it is.¡±


    After Chen Yiming shattered the demon god¡¯s counterattack, he was even more confident, and his fighting spirit became stronger. This was a baptism for his soul.


    After gaining an absolute advantage, he did not hesitate to exchange injuries for a stronger melee attack. He kicked out, not caring that his foot would also be blown to pieces.


    This was because in the blink of an eye, the shattered leg would have recovered. This was the recovery speed that came from having an independent miniature Undying Seal in each cell.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    At this point in the battle, the cube no longer tried to counterattack. It seemed to have become a sandbag for Chen Yiming¡¯s attacks.


    If you can shatter the inner world, continue attacking. I¡¯ll change from offense to defense.


    ¡­


    Ever since the mushroom that covered the sky fell onto the dark forest world, the international video conference had been ongoing.


    In addition, human intelligence personnel continued to enter and leave the space-travel passages all over the world to gather information about the dark forest world.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the video conference was heavy. There was anxiety, unease, and nervousness. The leaders of the various countries, including the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom, had their impression of the intensity of the battle forcefully refreshed.


    The Gobi Desert covered an area of about 1,000 kilometers. After being sent flying into the sky for the first time, the range of the huge pit was still expanding to a range of 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers.


    The reason was that the battle was still ongoing, but no one could go to the edge of the pit to investigate the situation, and no one knew what the situation was like inside.


    ¡°Tens of millions of years ago, an asteroid with a diameter of more than 10 kilometers fell from outer space, causing a mass extinction on the blue planet. The climate of the blue planet changed drastically, and there¡¯s a high chance that its orbit was originally different from what it is now. The environment also changed drastically.¡±


    ¡°The blood essence shines in the air, and it¡¯s like a furnace. The battle created a huge pit thousands of kilometers deep. If it happens on the surface of the blue planet, there¡¯s no doubt that there will be a mass extinction of living creatures. The invisible shock waves will stack up and cover a larger area until the entire planet is flattened. Will the battle finally shatter the planet?¡±


    ¡°What exactly did Chen Yiming encounter when he went back to the spot where the 10,000-meter-long corpse was dug out? It¡¯s equivalent to destroying a corner of the dark forest world. Other than the war weapon, is there such a powerful enemy?¡±


    The leaders of many countries were secretly comparing the amount of soil that had been sent flying into the sky. However, they were not experts and still suppressed their guesses.


    Not long after, a famous professor from the Daxia Kingdom joined the video conference.


    At the moment, most of the scientific research forces on the blue planet had been transferred from various countries to the Daxia Kingdom to join the space plan and build the spaceships. Therefore, this professor not only represented himself, but also countless experts behind him.


    Under the premise that the change in the dark forest world did not affect the progress of the space plan, a quarter of the team of experts were temporarily transferred over to analyze the situation and figure out how the humans should deal with it.


    ¡°Professor Huang, tell us about the situation in the huge pit.¡±


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom gestured for him to get straight to the point.


    ¡°Hello, leaders. With the expert teams¡¯ estimates of the geological structure and hardness of the area in the Gobi Desert, as well as the amount of soil that has been sent flying from the ground, if this had happened somewhere deep underground on the blue planet, there is a high chance that the entire planet would have been torn apart instead.¡±


    Professor Huang quickly explained his conclusion.


    The team of experts had arrived at this conclusion after they mobilized a huge amount of manpower to build a model, perform the analysis, and discuss the results.


    In the end, they believed that the overall stability of the blue planet was much lower than that of the dark forest world, which was much larger than the blue planet. It could not withstand the impact of such an intense battle.


    Furthermore, because of the space-travel passage, the blue planet had become suitable for cultivation due to the benefits from the dark forest world. Humans¡¯ understanding of the dark forest world was too incomplete. Everything was based on scattered information and incomplete research.


    It had to be known that the dark forest world was a world where the true supernatural beings had appeared. The blue planet¡¯s supernatural beings were essentially just imposters in comparison.


    Most of the team of experts still had some doubts about the conclusion. It was not that they did not think that the blue planet would be torn apart, but that they thought that it would take a much shorter time.


    The heads of the various countries listened quietly to the answers given by Professor Huang on behalf of the experts. Everyone felt an invisible pressure.


    ¡°Will there be another miracle this time?¡±


    The black tide came from outer space. Be it the leaders of the various countries or the team of experts, they subconsciously thought that it was already a miracle that they could withstand one attack.


    This way, humans were lucky enough to win in a shocking reversal and buy a period of time to continue with the unfinished space plan.


    How could it happen again and again?


    After a moment of silence, the leaders of the various countries expressed their thoughts.


    Their thoughts weren¡¯t based on the outcome of the battle, but on how humans should deal with it. Or rather, after the battle ended, once Chen Yiming walked out of the space-travel passage, something else would happen.


    How should humans split up and escape to Mars or outer space and complete the integration with the three city-level spaceships?


    ¡°Although it¡¯s only been a few days, the advanced materials from the black tide have already been distributed to the various countries. Let¡¯s first arrange for the most basic space survival simulation environment and the relevant personnel to be in position.¡±


    ¡°If the outcome of the battle is bad for humans, the spaceships from the various countries will split up and escape. Try to bring as many people along as possible. Then, we can think of a way to resolve the problem of the configuration.¡±


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom issued the latest order after discussing it with the other countries¡¯ leaders.


    ¡­


    In the devil¡¯s den, even though the cube had switched from offense to defense, Chen Yiming had no intention of giving up. The figures still surrounded the cube, punching and kicking it. It was still the most primitive form of hand-to-hand combat.


    Punch after punch, kick after kick.


    He threw a left punch and a right punch at the same time, then a left kick and a right kick.


    At some point, an intention to beg for mercy appeared from the cube.


    ¡°Begging for mercy?¡±


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s about to die.¡±


    ¡°The demon god¡¯s endurance is not good. It clearly has power at a higher level than me, but it is losing in a battle of attrition against me.¡±


    Chen Yiming laughed in his heart. His movements suddenly increased in frequency, entering a trance-like state.


    The inner world cube held on for another 10 minutes.


    Suddenly.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    After a cracking sound, Chen Yiming kicked the cube again. The cube couldn¡¯t withstand the impact and exploded into dust.


    However, there was no earth-shattering explosion. There was no phenomenon appearing in the air, and nothing major had actually happened. It was as if he had broken an ordinary piece of glass.


    ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s it?¡±


    Chen Yiming was dumbfounded.


    At this moment, the talent panel appeared in front of him. The number of Skill Points on it had increased by 3,000.


    ¡°So there¡¯s something in the inner world that can provide Skill Points. Then, is this the reason why it has been defeated?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need to analyze it to know the reason.


    ¡°What a huge loss.¡±


    On second thought, he did not have the strength to crush the demon god, unless the other party took the initiative to surrender. However, that was impossible.


    ¡°There are a total of five foundation bases. The remaining three should still be in their original positions. Because the cultivation environment in the dark forest world has not changed much, it¡¯s equivalent to helping me accumulate three million Skill Points.¡±


    ¡°With 300 Skill Points, I can upgrade the spiritual figure to the Level-7 swordsmanship talent. In other words, the spiritual figure can break through to the level of a demon god or even a war weapon.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I still have a chance to snatch the foundation base. After that, the black tide will definitely understand that the foundation base is very useful to me. At that time, the traps set around them will not let me snatch all the foundation bases unless I can continue to become stronger.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned to look at the foundation base in the source of the spring.


    The foundation base seemed to be embedded in the air. There was nothing else around it, but it was not easily destroyed by the aftershock of the battle.


    Clearly, as something that was formed from the core of the world, its level was extremely high.


    ¡°This time, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve really angered the black tide. Fortunately, the enemy didn¡¯t take the foundation base seriously, so I got one so easily. Not only did I break through to the fusion realm, but I also have enough Skill Points to add a fourth talent.¡±


    Chen Yiming sighed for some reason, feeling that his luck was not bad.


    Of course, in essence, it was still because of the system. Every time he upgraded his talent, his combat strength would increase greatly. This improvement always exceeded the expectations of his enemies.


    After taking a deep breath, he did not immediately take away the foundation base. Instead, he summoned his talent panel.


    ¡°Space Anchor¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze turned to the gray talent tree, and landed on one of the space-manipulation talents.


    The system¡¯s introduction to this talent was that locations in space could be marked as anchors. The number of anchors would increase as the level of the talent increased. With just a thought, the main body could follow an invisible line to the marked position.


    When Chen Yiming was making his selection, he had taken a fancy to the two key pieces of information in the Space Anchor talent: ¡°A Thought¡± and ¡°Main Body¡±.


    ¡°A Thought¡± meant that the speed at which the ability was activated was extremely fast. He was very dissatisfied with the huge eye and the slow speed at which the supreme will in the black tide moved Zhang Cheng¡¯s body away.


    The activation time of a few seconds or longer was undoubtedly not suitable for combat, especially in a battle of life and death.


    For example, how did the huge eye get injured by him the first time they met?


    It was precisely because it could no longer teleport away and the distortion in space took a long time when it was using the space-travel ability that he accidentally dealt a heavy blow to it.


    At that time, he was far from a match for the huge eye.


    Another example was when a certain supreme will transferred Zhang Cheng¡¯s body away. If not for the fact that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to bear the consequences, he would have attacked him long ago.


    The information about the ¡°main body¡± meant that this space-travel ability was very focused in its effects, but in turn, it meant that the restrictions on it were much lower.


    For example, the system¡¯s talent tree also had a space talent called the ¡°Void Gate¡±. Those who had this talent could break through the space barrier and open a space-travel passage at any time.


    However, at a lower level, such a space-travel ability would definitely have a huge restriction on the distance. There was no doubt about it. It was not a bad choice to use it to help the human spaceship team escape.


    In addition, after opening up a space-travel passage, the space-travel passage could be used by those other than him. The amount of energy consumed was terrifying.


    This way, the speed of the attack wouldn¡¯t be too fast, and it wouldn¡¯t meet Chen Yiming¡¯s current needs.


    Another example was the ¡°Space Manipulation¡± in the system talent tree. This was the first talent in the space-manipulation talent category. The system only had a simple introduction: Increase one¡¯s affinity with space.


    Chen Yiming had the experience of choosing the Undying Body talent. He knew that this kind of comprehensive growth talent would be of little value at a lower level compared to his current level at the fusion realm.


    Perhaps if he chose the ¡°Space Manipulation¡± talent, it would be useless for a long time.


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate to spend 3,000 Skill Points on the ¡°Space Anchor¡± talent.


    In the next moment, he vaguely sensed that a transparent mark similar to an anchor had appeared in the depths of his body. As long as he wanted to, he could engrave the transparent mark anywhere within his range of perception.


    Chen Yiming immediately summoned the spiritual figure. With a thought, he made the transparent mark appear on the figure¡¯s body. A transparent mark that looked like an anchor left his body, followed by an invisible thread.


    It caused a slight spatial fluctuation that was almost undetectable to those who did not have a space-manipulation talent. In the end, it landed in the palm of the spiritual figure and turned into a transparent mark that seemed to be engraved in the air.


    ¡°Move to another position for testing.¡±


    The spiritual figure moved in a flash and arrived at another spot a few kilometers away.


    ¡°In my perception, the transparent mark seems to be engraved in the air, but the actual effect is that it moves with the spiritual figure. The transparent mark can¡¯t be seen with the naked eye.¡±


    Chen Yiming was very satisfied with this. The activation of the space-travel anchor had only caused a slight spatial fluctuation. This was undoubtedly very convenient to use in an intense battle.


    With such interference, even if one had a space-manipulation talent, it would be difficult for them to notice what Chen Yiming had done in secret. At the critical moment, he would be able to deal the enemy a fatal blow.


    ¡°The first anchor has to be on the spiritual figure. This is for ensuring my survival.¡±


    Chen Yiming made the first decision. At any time, staying alive was the most important thing. Winning or losing for a moment didn¡¯t matter. He had already retreated countless times.


    This involved a restriction. After obtaining the Space Anchor talent, he had obtained a special perception ability.


    Compared to spiritual power, this perception range was 10 times larger. However, it could only be used to sense the location of the transparent mark, not anything else.


    Due to the special connection between the spiritual figure and his main body, Chen Yiming could sense it no matter where he was or even if he was in two different worlds through the space-travel passage.


    Therefore, placing a mark on the spiritual figure was like making use of a bug that bypassed this restriction.


    ¡°Upgrading this talent can increase the number of anchors. I have to thank the black tide for deliberately letting me obtain the foundation base in the devil¡¯s den. I still have enough Skill Points left over to upgrade it twice.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming almost laughed out loud.


    ¡°Upgrade.¡±


    30,000 Skill Points were used up, then 300,000 Skill Points were used up. After two consecutive upgrades, his Space Anchor Talent had increased from Level 1 to Level 3.


    Chen Yiming sensed the changes in the depths of his body and realized that the number of transparent marks had increased from one to three.


    ¡°One anchor per level? Although it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    The additional two anchors would be of great use. In battle, he could instantly teleport using the anchors.


    It could be used to chase after enemies or to avoid attacks that were beyond his ability to withstand.


    This was especially true after he had truly angered the black tide. If he still wanted to cause trouble in the dark forest world, he would not be able to do so without his Space Anchor talent.


    However, now that he had the Space Anchor talent, not only did he have the ability to repeatedly move between the two worlds, but he could also keep all the battles in the small forest world and ensure that the humans¡¯ space plan was not affected.


    Next, he sensed how much the Level-3 Space Anchor talent had increased his perception range.


    ¡°Gasp! From Level 1 to Level 3, it increased 10 times, then 100 times, and then to 1,000 times.¡±


    Chen Yiming gasped. He could teleport at will to almost any location within the entire dark forest world with his Space Anchor talent.


    Of course, this was also related to the fact that he had already reached the level of the fusion realm. The range of his spiritual power perception was not small. If he had chosen the Space Anchor talent right from the start, the range of his ability to teleport would not be as large as it was now.


    When he came back to his senses, he glanced at the updated talent panel.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 5, Giant ¡ª Level 4, Space Anchor ¡ª Level 3


    Level: Fusion Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 6


    Level: Fusion Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 70,786


    ¡°I¡¯m still at the fusion realm, but I¡¯m different from before.¡±

 Chapter 395 - Super Perception State

    In the dark forest world.


    The battle that had lasted for several hours finally ended. The earthquake that had swept through the entire world also began to weaken, and the entire world slowly fell silent.


    However, the effects were not over yet. The sky was dyed gray by the yellow sand. A terrifying sandstorm formed in some areas, and wherever it passed, everything in its path was uprooted.


    If not for the fact that all the living creatures in the world had already fallen asleep under the control of the mushroom that covered the sky, a large migration would have been inevitable.


    When the spiritual figure returned to the blue planet with the transparent mark,


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°With the spiritual figure staying on the blue planet, I can escape whenever I want with just a thought.¡±


    He had never felt so relaxed from his mind to his body.


    He felt that his physical condition had never been better. It was as if the invisible shackles on his body had been broken, and he could enter a special combat state at any time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it the crazy demon state!¡±


    Chen Yiming casually came up with a name for himself in this state. It meant that he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting injured or dying. He didn¡¯t have to worry about anything else, and could just fight to his heart¡¯s content.


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming turned his attention back to the foundation base.


    ¡°The terrifying creatures took away one of the foundation bases which is equivalent to taking away a fifth of the world¡¯s core, but the dark forest world isn¡¯t affected much. What if I take away another foundation base?¡±


    With this question in mind, he arrived in front of the foundation base in the spring and grabbed it. Although his five fingers were far from completely covering it, with the help of an invisible force, his entire hand seemed to be tightly glued to it.


    ¡°Rise!¡±


    With a low shout, the muscles in his arms exploded. He suddenly exerted strength in his five fingers and used his physical strength to pull it out.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve unleashed my full strength, I can fight against the power of the world mastered by someone at the level of the demon god. Even with just my physical strength, it should be more than enough to destroy an opponent at the fusion realm.¡±


    ¡°However, I need to use about 90% of my physical strength to pull out the foundation base from its fixed position. If it were the terrifying creatures from this world, one or two of them might not be able to do anything to the foundation base.¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly understood why this foundation base refined from the core of the world was still left in its place even though it was in the devil¡¯s den.


    Not only were they worried that there would be a trap, but it would not be easy to take it away.


    In the next moment,


    cracks suddenly appeared in the space at the edge of the formation. It was as if the world had come alive. A pair of eyes were staring at Chen Yiming, its gaze filled with warning, threat, and intimidation.


    It was as if Chen Yiming insisting on removing the foundation base, would cause a huge disaster that would not give him a chance to leave the dark forest world.


    ¡°Does this world itself have a form of consciousness?¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t panic at all. Instead, he thought to himself, ¡°Could this be the difference between this world and the blue planet? Is this why one world has a good cultivation environment, while the other world is essentially a cultivation desert?¡±


    Immediately after, he forcefully pulled out the foundation base.


    At this moment, the hole in the source of the spring collapsed like a spiderweb. A distorted hole appeared in front of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Chen Yiming instinctively activated the special perception ability of his Space Anchor talent.


    A faint ripple spread out from Chen Yiming. Wherever the ripple passed, the world turned gray and transparent.


    He temporarily called this special perception ability ¡°Super Perception¡±. Using his spiritual power as the foundation, not only did it have a large range, but it could also block most interference.


    Other than the fact that he could throw a space anchor within the range of his perception, most of the interference caused by the space-travel fluctuations that did not belong to his body were blocked off and could be easily detected by him.


    Chen Yiming controlled a space anchor from within his body and threw it into the distorted hole.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    The space-travel anchor plunged into a watery environment.


    Immediately after, the scenery along the way was all slightly gray and transparent. Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t see the true situation behind the distorted hole.


    However, through the space anchor, he could see a small area around it. He was sure that behind the distorted hole was a watery environment, but he could not get any more information.


    At this moment, the distorted hole quickly disappeared, as if there was nothing special about it. The location became the same as its surroundings.


    ¡°So the distorted hole is equivalent to a space-travel passage. It has shortened the actual distance by an unknown amount. After the distorted hole disappeared, the space anchor was too far away for me to sense it at all.¡±


    Even with Chen Yiming¡¯s enhanced perception range, he had completely lost track of the space-travel anchor.


    Just as he was about to retrieve the space anchor that was thrown to an unknown area, an idea appeared:


    ¡°There are a total of three space anchors. One is placed on the spiritual figure, and one of the other two seems to be left in that mysterious place. Leaving one space anchor with me to help in battle is enough.¡±


    In the end, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t choose to retrieve the space anchor.


    After Chen Yiming pulled out the foundation base, the dark forest world calmed down for a while. Then, an invisible tremor rang out.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s Wrath?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to punish me?¡±


    Chen Yiming stood rooted to the ground and looked up at the sky.


    One second.


    10 seconds passed.


    One minute passed.


    Peace returned to the world, as if there had only been a few thunderclaps earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but raise his middle finger at the sky. However, this provocative action didn¡¯t seem to cause the consciousness of the dark forest world to respond.


    Soon, Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and leaped out of the pit, rushing towards the dire wolves¡¯ leader.


    There were still some changes to the dark forest world. The foundation bases that represented the core of the world had decreased from four to three. First of all, the space-travel passage connecting the ruins of the strange mountain village and the desert had indeed disappeared as expected.


    If Chen Yiming had pulled out the foundation base before fighting the demon god, once he was defeated, he would have to face the pursuit of two dark creatures and the demon god.


    In addition, a portion of the other space-travel passages between the two worlds had also dissipated naturally. These places had forever lost their connection.


    ¡­


    At the top of a tall tree.


    Not far away, waves were constantly crashing against the beach. The yellow sand in the sky had yet to completely dissipate, but it was filled with a deathly stillness. Occasionally, not a single bird could be seen.


    ¡°The sea in the dark forest world is the territory of the war weapon. Those two dark creatures sank to the bottom of the sea and escaped in the direction of the war weapon.¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader revealed the reason for its failure in pursuit.


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°It took me longer to deal with the demon god than I thought. It¡¯s normal for those two dark creatures to escape.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves heaved a sigh of relief.


    It seemed like Chen Yiming didn¡¯t blame it for not continuing its pursuit.


    Actually, the dire wolves¡¯ leader was also feeling bitter. First of all, the bottom of the sea was not the most suitable environment for it. Its innate tracking ability was completely ineffective.


    Secondly, if it approached the area where the war weapon was alone, the dire wolves¡¯ leader would panic. What if the two dark creatures turned around and surrounded it or called for other reinforcements?


    While Chen Yiming was being held back by the demon god, its tactic of using his power to bully others was no longer effective. If anything happened, its life would be in danger.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    The sea breeze blew over, carrying a fishy smell along with it.


    Chen Yiming secretly entered a state of super perception. A faint ripple spread out from afar and swept across the entire dark forest world.


    A few seconds later.


    ¡°There are no spatial fluctuations in the entire dark forest world. It seems that the complete war weapon hidden in the sea did not react to me taking away the foundation base.¡±


    ¡°Or if I can take away the foundation base, it will completely not be within the expectations of the supreme will in the black tide. It will destroy the other party¡¯s plans again.¡±


    Chen Yiming compared the demon god to Zhang Cheng after he had eaten the fruit of darkness.


    Without a doubt, in terms of the level of control over the power of the world, the demon god had the inner world. The power of the world came from them, so their level of control was much higher.


    As for the tornado that Zhang Cheng had condensed with the power of the world, the source of it was probably the dark fruit. Not only was it extremely rigid when used, but it also did not last long and had many weaknesses.


    After coming back to his senses, he asked the dire wolves¡¯ leader, ¡°Hundreds of years ago, under the guidance of the goddess, you set up a world-level formation. It¡¯s said that it destroyed the complete war weapon from that time. What happened after that?¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader trembled when it heard this, as if it had recalled a memory that it instinctively did not want to remember. After a long time, it said,


    ¡°The black water overflowed, and demonic flames spread throughout the world. Most of the living creatures couldn¡¯t escape the corrosion of the darkness, and the entire dark forest world fell dead silent.¡±


    Chen Yiming pondered over this.


    ¡°It seems that war weapons are dangerous creatures to begin with. I can¡¯t just destroy them on the blue planet. The black water and demonic flames are not things that the blue planet can withstand.¡±


    He had wanted to try to turn the situation around and destroy the incomplete war weapon on the blue planet before the enemy made its next move.


    Now that he heard the dire wolves¡¯ leader¡¯s words, he realized that the war weapons were pollutants to begin with. Even self-destruction could cause heavy damage to the world.


    Now that he heard the wolf clan leader¡¯s words, he realized that war weapons were pollutants to begin with. Even self-destruction could cause heavy damage to the world.


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll let that war weapon off for the time being. As long as the black tide doesn¡¯t gather enough negative emotions, it should be very difficult for a complete war weapon to be created.¡±


    In the end, Chen Yiming gave up on the idea of attacking immediately.


    He was also very confident in this guess. Why did the black tide immediately attack him after being defeated? The negative emotions generated by the humans must be the key.


    ¡­


    At the international video conference, the atmosphere was very heavy. The leaders of the various countries were anxiously waiting for the outcome.


    The reason was that the last time they broke through the blockade, the terrifying creatures had used the foundation base to mobilize the lava from the planet¡¯s core to hold back the blockade. Now that Chen Yiming was not on the blue planet, the humans had no way of dealing with it.


    In just a few hours, the fleet of spaceships had already installed the most basic artificial environment system. The basic conditions for taking off had been met.


    However, in essence, it was just a shell made from the advanced materials from the black tide together with the artificial environment system. There was no time to install all the other equipment. Only after confirming that Chen Yiming had died in battle would they take the huge risk to break out of the encirclement.


    At this moment, a spiritual will connected to the video conference. It was the spiritual figure that represented Chen Yiming.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s back safe!¡±


    ¡°God bless humanity!¡±


    ¡°A miracle has really happened again!¡±


    Before the spiritual figure could speak, there was a commotion in the video conference.


    The leaders of the various countries finally heaved a sigh of relief. They didn¡¯t dare to imagine how decisive they would be if the news of Chen Yiming¡¯s death reached them.


    Perhaps, once the news was made public, the speed at which things would collapse would be faster than expected, and the space plan might not even be able to continue.


    Not long after.


    The spiritual figure reported that he was safe to the people in the video conference and quickly disconnected.


    It was enough for the higher-ups to know that he was the winner of the second round of attacks. The humans only needed to steadily push forward with the space plan.


    ¡­


    In the dark forest world.


    Chen Yiming sent the dire wolves¡¯ leader away and asked it to find a space-travel passage to return to the blue planet.


    Whether he was facing a complete war weapon, the mushroom that had fallen from the sky, or the arrival of a terrifying existence,


    Chen Yiming¡¯s space anchor talent could only allow him to teleport his main body away. If anything happened to the dire wolves¡¯ leader, he might not be able to save it.


    After the dire wolves¡¯ leader left, Chen Yiming turned to look at the big mushroom in the middle of the dark forest world. He decided to put aside the matter of finding the third foundation base for the time being, hoping to confuse the consciousness behind the black tide.


    It was difficult not to notice the huge mushroom that covered the sky. It was still unknown what level it was at, but in terms of size, it was unique in the entire world.


    Even from afar, one could see that it was much taller than the tallest mountain. Most of it was above the clouds.


    ¡°That big mushroom seems to have a transparent thread hanging down from its folds?¡±


    Through the reflection of light, Chen Yiming vaguely saw something special about the huge mushroom. He suddenly thought of the information that the spiritual figure had sent back from the video conference.


    ¡°The big mushroom emitted a special smell that made all the living creatures in the dark forest world fall asleep. Then, they would have nightmares that they could not wake up from.¡±


    Chen Yiming decided to find a creature that was sleeping and was not at the terrifying level of the fusion realm. It would be best if it was at the level of the inscription realm. He would personally investigate the situation.


    At this moment, a few hundred kilometers away, the king of the forest, a huge beast, was lying in a cave. Its two arms and sharp claws were abnormally thick compared to its lower limbs and legs. Its head was shaped like a hippopotamus, but it had two long fangs.


    A space anchor came from the air and landed in the cave.


    In the next moment, a figure appeared in the cave.


    ¡°The trajectory of moving towards the space anchor is not the distance in the real world. I can teleport almost anywhere within the range of my super perception. It¡¯s indeed very convenient for traveling,¡±


    Chen Yiming remarked as he surveyed the cave.


    In front of him was a sleeping beast. Its facial muscles twitched from time to time, and its limbs were also trembling.


    Then, Chen Yiming walked over and kicked the huge beast that was on its side until it was sleeping on its stomach.


    The beast did not show any signs of waking up, but its entire body was twitching even more violently, as if this kick had worsened its nightmare.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any transparent lines connecting them! Could I be wrong?¡±


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the area and didn¡¯t notice any of the transparent threads that were hanging from the mushroom¡¯s folds.


    Because the transparent threads were physical threads, he did not think too much about it at the spiritual level, even though the purpose of the black tide¡¯s invasion was to harvest the negative emotions on the spiritual level.


    Soon, Chen Yiming realized something. He walked over and placed his hand between the beast¡¯s eyebrows. A portion of his consciousness forcefully entered the beast¡¯s spiritual world.


    ¡°Its spiritual world has been completely covered by the black aura.¡±


    A humanoid consciousness landed on the ground. The black aura was repelled by an invisible force, revealing the giant beast consciousness surrounded by the black aura.


    The beast¡¯s consciousness had already been completely corroded by the black aura, and a transparent thread pierced through it and disappeared into the distance.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness arrived beside the beast¡¯s consciousness. He reached out and plucked at the transparent thread on its back. The beast¡¯s consciousness started to struggle, as if it was experiencing a great horror in its dream.


    ¡°The end of the transparent thread is connected to the void, which involves space-manipulation abilities. Can I use the space anchor to investigate the situation caused by the large mushroom?¡±


    Giving it a shot, he immediately entered a state of super perception.


    A faint ripple spread out. It swept past the end of the transparent thread, and as expected, there was a slight spatial fluctuation there.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze searched for similar spatial fluctuations in the transparent gray sky.


    When one paid special attention to these subtle spatial fluctuations, they would see many similar situations in the super perception state. They were all in the same situation as the giant beasts.


    Not long after, he locked onto the location with the greatest spatial fluctuations.


    ¡°That should be the place where the transparent threads gather, the main body of the big mushroom.¡±


    Chen Yiming controlled the space anchor and threw it at his target. After doing this, he secretly became vigilant and prepared for the possible collision of wills.


    Time quickly passed by.


    It was unknown if he was lucky or if the big mushroom did not notice that someone had secretly done something to its body. In short, nothing happened after waiting for more than a minute.


    Then, Chen Yiming boldly used the space anchor to check the situation in the small area around it.


    ¡°A box? A coffin?¡±


    He saw half of a long black box and the pattern on the surface of the box.


    The pattern was formed by complicated patterns, and it emitted a faint light. Even from afar, one could feel that it was not ordinary. It was definitely an important item for the huge mushroom.


    Chen Yiming guessed that the huge mushroom was leading some terrifying existence to this place. Therefore, the moment he saw the box, he thought of a coffin.


    ¡°The field of view provided by the space anchor is limited. I wonder how many such coffins there are?¡±


    ¡°After the big mushroom controlled the creatures in the dark forest world to fall into a deep sleep, it hasn¡¯t made any further moves. Is it trying to accumulate more power to ensure that it can kill me in one go?¡±


    At the thought of this, Chen Yiming had the urge to enter the mushroom through the space anchor and destroy the enemy¡¯s plan in advance.


    After all, the black tide came from outer space. His performance was drawing more and more attention, and even the demon god who had mastered the power of the world had failed. This might not be a good thing.


    Once the other party accumulated strength to a level that Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t deal with, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid for himself since he had the Space Anchor talent. However, the first thing he would be worried about would be the incomplete space plan.

 Chapter 396 - Secrets Buried in History

    A gust of wind blew past, and the cave echoed.


    A few leaves carrying sand drifted into the cave with the wind and landed on Chen Yiming and the giant beast.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze and saw that the giant beast, which had been twitching in pain, was snoring. Soon, the sound of its snoring completely drowned out the sound of the cave.


    ¡°It¡¯s having a nightmare while in an illusion of sleep. If it doesn¡¯t even have time to recover, the consciousness of the giant beast will collapse on its own soon.¡±


    On second thought, if he rashly entered the interior of the huge mushroom, the situation would be completely different from when he positioned the space anchor inside the huge mushroom. The former would almost definitely alert the enemy.


    ¡°There are other similar worlds in this galaxy where the dark forest world is, and they were all invaded by the black tide. Now that I have the Space Anchor talent, can I try to investigate them quickly?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly changed his mind. When the power left behind by the black tide in the dark forest world could not do anything to him, he, who had the space-manipulation ability, had become a character who could move about in the dark.


    In the past, due to the mystery of the black tide, the humans, including Chen Yiming, were all in a passive position.


    The enemy was in the dark and they were out in the open. This meant that they could only wait for the black tide to attack before thinking of a way to resolve the attack.


    Now, after Chen Yiming destroyed the demon god, he didn¡¯t dare to say that he could also destroy the huge mouth on the moon blockade, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to hold it back.


    In reality, the enemy was now in the open while he was in the dark. Chen Yiming only needed to use the imagery sent back by the space anchor to determine the time it would take for the black tide to launch another attack.


    This way, even though the speed at which humans gathered their people to enter the spaceship was not fast, they still had a huge advantage.


    ¡°Not only that, but if I can deal with the forces left behind by the black tide in the other worlds around the dark forest world, I can also try to lead those worlds to launch a counterattack.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s brows relaxed.


    ¡°As long as the creatures at the fusion realm from the other worlds are not completely wiped out, and there are still survivors like the huge eye and the snow beast¡­¡±


    ¡°With my Space Anchor talent, wouldn¡¯t I be able to buy more time for humans if I led the operation to break through the blockade and cause chaos in these worlds?¡±


    In the end, humans would definitely have to escape from the blue planet. But when would they escape? How would they escape? Could they escape as victors?


    Chen Yiming felt that he had become too arrogant. For some reason, he imagined a scene from Star Wars.


    The dark forest world was invaded by the black tide, and had been disturbed greatly by him. However, the black tide could not do anything to him with their attacks.


    Then, the human spaceship team set off for the new planet after making full preparations.


    He continued to deal with the situation, cutting off the possibility that the black tide might chase them into deep space. Then, he quickly teleported to meet up with the human spaceships.


    In fact, Chen Yiming was still thinking of subduing more terrifying creatures during the process. He wanted them to protect the fleet of human spaceships, just like the dire wolves¡¯ leader.


    ¡°Although this plan is a little too idealistic, it¡¯s not completely impossible. The premise is that I have to make good use of my Space Anchor talent to take advantage of the black tide and cause as much chaos as possible in the surrounding worlds.¡±


    Chen Yiming walked out of the cave and looked up at the starry sky.


    In outer space, the three glowing balls seemed to be motionless as they hung in the sky. They were completely different from the earth and moon on the blue planet.


    ¡°There¡¯s an invisible barrier that envelops the entire dark forest world. What the naked eye sees might not be real. Not only does it prevent the terrifying creatures from breaking out of the encirclement, but it also prevents the communication between the worlds in this galaxy.¡±


    If he wanted to cause trouble in the other worlds, Chen Yiming had to be able to quietly pass through the blockade.


    Soon, he left the cave.


    ¡­


    The dark many-legged mutant insect and the dark mud monster finally arrived at the surface of the sea around the war weapon after sneaking around for several hours.


    The war weapon was currently silent. It was in the form of a floating island, covered by a layer of transparent energy. The surrounding black tentacles were completely retracted, as if it was really an ordinary island.


    ¡°To forcefully nurture a demon god in a short period of time, it still took at least 100 years of negative emotions that the black tide could harvest from the dark forest world.¡±


    At this moment, the two dark creatures were feeling uneasy.


    ¡°The plan to borrow the power of the demon god to kill that human, then invade the other world with the power to destroy the world is not working out. The supreme will is still accumulating its power.¡±


    Both of the dark creatures felt that the counterattack from the darkness had been delayed again because of the two of them and some unexpected factors.


    Immediately after, the two dark creatures quickly reached a consensus.


    ¡°Chen Yiming is from a high-level cultivation civilization, whose bloodline has been making its rounds. The requirement for the transformation of his bloodline is to absorb the energy contained in the core of the world.¡±


    A cruel system of rewards and punishments had been established in the black tide. The two dark creatures had used up a lot of resources for the siege, but they had failed. Under normal circumstances, their punishment would be to get turned into fertilizer on the spot.


    The only possibility to lighten the blow was to bring back detailed information about how Chen Yiming, who was at the fusion realm, had killed a demon god that was at a higher level.


    However, the two dark creatures had escaped long ago. The information they could bring back would not be much different from the information collected by the war weapon.


    The rest depended on their luck. If they were lucky, they would not have to die. If they were unlucky, they would lose their lives.


    Not long after, an opening appeared in the transparent barrier, and the two dark creatures turned into two streams of light and flew in.


    At the last moment when the energy barrier closed, screams and the sound of struggling could be heard. Then, everything returned to normal.


    ¡­


    On the blue planet, at the first industrial base, a spaceship that was more than 100 kilometers long was parked in the middle of Jiangnan province. It looked like a continuous mountain range.


    Every day, a large number of people came up to the barricade set up by the soldiers to see it. No matter how many times they saw it, they were still shocked.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t imagine it. A few years ago, humans couldn¡¯t even conquer the sea. The sea was like a forbidden area.¡±


    ¡°Such a spaceship can actually accommodate the billions of people in the Daxia Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no need to squeeze all of us into one spaceship. Can¡¯t we split into three groups and spread the risk out? If something happens to one spaceship, we can still transfer people to the other two.¡±


    ¡°There are only three spaceships in the Daxia Kingdom. The other countries have at least one spaceship each. The size might be different, but with such a huge fleet of spaceships, are we going to escape or to conquer the galaxy?¡±


    ¡­


    With the integration of the black tide¡¯s technology and the huge pressure brought about by the black tide, the spaceships were quickly built and the artificial environment was quickly installed. The most basic conditions for taking off were already met.


    At this moment, in the middle of the ship, there was a control room that doubled as the main cannon room.


    The entire space was filled with many elements from science fiction. Green lights lined up along the equipment, giving off a powerful visual impact.


    In the middle was a platform with a groove. On the groove was a crystal cover, and inside was a strange stone. The strange stone was one of the five foundation bases.


    Chen Yiming and a group of big shots walked along a long corridor past five security doors and arrived at the core of the spaceship.


    After a general verified their identities, the door automatically opened and the group walked in.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, but the foundation base has already started to slowly modify the surrounding cultivation environment,¡± Chen Yiming remarked as he felt the spiritual energy in the air that had been diluted countless times.


    The only pity was that after leaving the dark forest world, or rather, the special spot for it in the world,


    the ability of the foundation base to absorb and convert energy had decreased greatly, and it was no longer connected to the mysterious watery environment. Chen Yiming recalled the foundation base in the source of the spring in the devil¡¯s den and could easily feel the difference.


    Professor Huang, who was among the big shots, was wearing a slightly tattered shirt. His hair was also in a mess. He had not had enough rest for a long time, so his eyes were bloodshot, but he was very excited.


    ¡°Another foundation base, another foundation base. The humans really obtained another foundation base!¡±


    Professor Huang¡¯s gaze never left the stone in Chen Yiming¡¯s hand.


    For a worker who focused all his energy on scientific research, there was nothing more worth looking forward to than advancing the technology.


    The foundation base came from a world that had a good cultivation environment. A part of the core of the world that had been split apart was definitely the best target for research and imitation for humans.


    The surrounding big shots also had expectant gazes. They were all waiting to see what kind of changes would occur when the two foundation bases were placed together.


    ¡°If all the foundation bases were gathered and the core of the world was reformed, would this spaceship become a mobile cultivation world?¡±


    Not only were there experts and professors from various fields who had such guesses, but the big shots had also come up with similar ideas. This was too wonderful and tempting.


    However, in the end, it was just an ideal scenario. No one really thought that they could snatch away all the foundation bases. That was impossible. The dark forest world was a world occupied by the black tide.


    Even though Chen Yiming seemed to have interrupted the black tide¡¯s attack again and turned the impossible into reality, the mushroom that covered the sky didn¡¯t take any further action.


    However, from the top to the bottom, from the big shots to the experts and professors to countless martial arts experts, no one thought that the core of the dark forest world could be reformed on a human spaceship.


    The entire room was silent. No one spoke.


    The general, who had opened the door after verifying their identities, took a few steps towards the controller on the central platform and manually entered a complicated password. He then went through the verification of his iris and then his entire body.


    The verification process was not over yet.


    Everyone continued to wait quietly for more than half a minute. After the last verification from the control center, the crystal cover covering the strange stone in the middle of the platform automatically opened.


    The crystal barrier was also a piece of black tide technology that humans had created recently. It had many functions like defense, surveillance, and so on.


    ¡°Should I just put the two foundation bases together? Or is there another way?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about how awkward it would be if nothing happened after they mobilized such a large number of people.


    If he had known earlier, he would have communicated with the female spirit first. Although the other party was hiding in the ring, she should have already sensed that he had obtained another foundation base.


    However, there was no movement from her, so there was a high chance that the other party did not care about the foundation base.


    Chen Yiming sighed in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s really not much to be concerned with for the foundation base. The black tide didn¡¯t dig out the core of the world after the invasion. Even for me, after I drained the essence energy accumulated by the foundation base, my interest in it has decreased greatly.¡±


    ¡°It takes a long time to accumulate the essence energy that can be converted into Skill Points. If I have the time, why don¡¯t I rely on the space anchor to jump through space? Wouldn¡¯t it be much easier to snatch more of such things?¡±


    After obtaining the Space Anchor talent, he was extremely confident that if he faced a powerful enemy he was no match for, he could retreat and fight back after upgrading his talent.


    If not for the fact that he had the blue planet, which was the headquarters of the humans, and had to be wary of the intense reaction of the black tide, he would have barged into the other worlds around the dark forest world openly.


    However, it was the complete opposite of what Chen Yiming had thought.


    The female spirit in the ring was furious at Chen Yiming for draining the essence energy from the foundation base. The pure energy from the core of the world was also very beneficial to her.


    However, she was in a special situation. Her movements were severely restricted by the cage-like ring.


    It had to be known that the female spirit had once interacted with the terrifying creatures in the dark forest world. She had always acted like a goddess. Not only was she high and mighty, but she also did not reveal her status or background.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t let her secret be exposed so easily in front of Chen Yiming.


    In essence, the female spirit was limited by her own situation and was extremely wary of everything in the outside world. She had always kept a powerful trump card.


    If Chen Yiming had any ill intentions towards her, such as giving the ring and the female spirit to the black tide, she would kill him instantly.


    Time passed slowly.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his thoughts and felt the expectant gazes on him.


    ¡°Sigh! Let¡¯s leave it to fate. If the two stones don¡¯t have any reaction, we can think about it later.¡±


    He took a few steps to the platform where the foundation base was placed.


    The hole on the surface of the foundation that was the source of the spring was just big enough for the other strange stone to be placed on it.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to study it further. He just combined the two foundation bases together.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Time seemed to have slowed down, and the big shots became nervous. Everyone hoped for a good outcome.


    Three seconds.


    Just as everyone¡¯s hearts tightened, thinking that the simple method of connecting them together was wrong, the two foundation bases lit up, and the blazing white light made it difficult to look straight at them. It drowned out the two strange stones and the entire room.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s glowing.¡±


    ¡°As expected, there are changes.¡±


    Exclamations rang out in the room.


    The big shots and Professor Huang were all willing to risk the damage to their eyes and tried to see what was going on through the gaps between their fingers.


    This was especially true for Professor Huang. He felt that if he missed this moment, he would lose countless secrets that had been kept hidden. It would definitely be something he would regret for the rest of his life.


    The blazing white light drowned out the entire room and did not end there. The light passed through the layers of obstacles and shot out of the spaceship, and was seen by the countless people who had come to see the spaceship.


    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡±


    ¡°What happened!¡±


    Countless people exclaimed.


    Then, all the satellites on the entire blue planet focused their cameras on Jiangnan province. A dazzling light, like a small sun, burst out from the interior of the spaceship.


    ¡°Could there be a problem with the spaceship from the Daxia Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°At this juncture, nothing must happen!¡±


    When the leaders of the various countries received the news, they immediately put down what they were doing and turned their gazes to the Daxia Kingdom.


    In the end, even the satellite that had regained the appearance of the moon revealed the shadow of the huge mouth. It stared intently at the source of the light, vaguely showing its hunger.


    Chen Yiming, who was drowned in the white light, automatically entered a state of super perception. A faint ripple spread out, blocking out the interference from the light.


    He could clearly see the two foundation bases gradually fusing together, turning into a single, larger stone.


    Not only had its shape turned into a short pillar, but there were also mysterious patterns forming inside. Part of the original array patterns had been destroyed, and part of it was connected by the mysterious patterns.


    At the same time, a trace of a ¡°living¡± consciousness appeared. It was as if the core of the world was not an inanimate object, but had its own independent will.


    ¡°Independent will? And after I transferred the core of the world from the dark forest world to the blue planet, will the reborn consciousness still be the same one as before?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought of this problem.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s precisely because the complete core of the world has an independent will that it was once split into five and placed in five special locations in the dark forest world.¡±


    ¡°After all, the world-level formation that was set up essentially consumes the energy accumulated by the core to launch an attack. It¡¯s definitely against its will.¡±


    ¡°However, the core had been divided into five parts. Even if it contradicts its will, it is severely weakened, causing it to have no choice but to be used by the terrifying creatures to break through the blockade.¡±


    Everything that happened in front of him instantly revealed some of the secrets that had been swept into the dust of history.


    ¡°Previously, when I forcefully pulled out the foundation from the spring, the world seemed to have been shaken. However, there was nothing much after that. It was just a bluff.¡±


    ¡°This way, if I can gather the cores of many worlds together, what will happen?¡±


    ¡°Could the human spaceship fleet become a holy land for cultivation?¡±


    Chen Yiming became arrogant again. His gaze had already passed beyond the dark forest world. The remaining three foundation bases were basically already within his reach. It was only a matter of time.


    He looked towards the other worlds around the dark forest world.


    Not long after.


    The light quickly weakened and finally disappeared back into the new stone.


    Regretful voices came from behind Chen Yiming.


    ¡°They really fused together. The foundation bases have become one.¡±


    ¡°This light is deliberately emitted by the foundation bases. It doesn¡¯t cause any damage to the eyes, but I can¡¯t see what it was like when they merged.¡±


    Soon, there was also regretful news from the control center.


    All kinds of surveillance equipment were used to record the scene exactly as it was seen by the naked eye. It was all white, and the scene of the two foundation bases fusing did not leave any imagery behind. There were not even any blurry images.


    The big shots had no choice but to wait and see what Chen Yiming had to say.


    In the end, because it involved the recovery of the world¡¯s core, Chen Yiming casually brushed it off, indicating that his spiritual power was blocked by the light.


    This was the truth. If not for the fact that Chen Yiming could enter a special state of super perception, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the changes in the fusion of the foundation bases with his normal spiritual power.


    There was another reason why he had chosen not to make it public.


    The consciousness of the core of the world was equivalent to the will of the world. This was a will that was above the level of living creatures. He had yet to figure out how to deal with it.


    For example, after the results were announced, if this consciousness was allowed to exist, would humans be willing to accept it? What would the attitude of this consciousness towards humans be?

 Chapter 397 - To Feign Something

    Just as the outside world was still shocked by the ray of light that seemed to have descended from the sky that appeared from the spaceship in the Daxia Kingdom.


    Chen Yiming and a portion of the military big shots left the spaceship and arrived at the office of the new military council. It was a simple,temporary military camp.


    The new military committee had moved from the capital to a place near the first industrial base.


    The reason was that the situation could change at any moment, and the human spaceships might face an emergency situation where they had to take off in advance.


    As the higher-ups of the human race, they had to stay in the core and give orders. No mistakes were allowed.


    ¡°Because there are dark creatures on the surface of Mars, the three city-level spaceships can¡¯t establish a temporary base on Mars as planned?¡±


    In the meeting room, Chen Yiming heard about the dangerous scene that the three spaceships had experienced during the time he left the blue planet.


    His expression remained the same because he had long known from the female spirit that the black tide¡¯s plan to invade the blue planet was not just limited to the blue planet, but the entire solar system.


    The entire solar system would be shrouded in darkness one day.


    ¡°How do we get out of this situation?¡±


    The room was silent. The top leader and the military big shots had solemn expressions on their faces.


    Chen Yiming had almost been killed during the siege. A large amount of energy from the blue planet¡¯s core had been consumed and it gradually became unsuitable for life. After taking such a huge risk, they had yet to completely escape the true blockade.


    In other words, the three city-level spaceships could be attacked at any moment. Such a possibility made them all very uncomfortable and affected their morale.


    If not for Chen Yiming¡¯s miraculous return, this news would not have been hidden for long. The situation might have quickly slipped into an abyss.


    ¡°Three blockades sealed off the dark forest world, while there is only one blockade for the blue planet. According to the leader of the dire wolves, the second blockade on the blue planet is equivalent to the third blockade in the dark forest world.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it. ¡°On the blue planet and in the solar system, the black tide¡¯s plans are being disrupted. There must be many loopholes in the black tide¡¯s plan.¡±


    ¡°I originally wanted to use the space anchor to teleport through space and cause trouble in the worlds around the dark forest world before the big mushroom made any further moves.¡±


    ¡°Now, if we add on the pretense of creating a diversion and attacking the moon blockade, the black tide will definitely be watching the blue planet from the shadows.¡±


    ¡°At that time, the success rate of causing a commotion in the worlds occupied by the black tide will naturally increase greatly. We will also have the confidence to catch the supreme will of the black tide off guard and make it difficult for them to take care of everything.¡±


    ¡°Besides, as I have the strength to kill the demon god, the first thing I would be expected to do next is to deal with the threat floating above the blue planet, which is the huge mouth on the blockade.¡±


    He would be feigning one thing while secretly doing another.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming felt his achievements were not only because of the system.


    In the past, he could resolve it with his fists, so he was too lazy to think too much about it. But when the time came, he could also transform into a wise person like Kong Ming.


    Then, Chen Yiming suddenly announced confidently that he would take advantage of the fact that the black tide had yet to mobilize enough power to launch a sneak attack on the huge mouth on the blockade and completely break through the obstacle that stood in the humans¡¯ way to the new planet.


    ¡°Are you confident?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too risky!¡±


    In the meeting room, the big shots were shocked when they heard this.


    Taking the initiative to launch a surprise attack was not a wise decision. It was fine as long as the humans could escape successfully. There was no need to pick a fight with the blockade left behind by the black tide.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, just as the outside world was still discussing the matter, the international video conference started again.


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom quickly informed the heads of the various countries of Chen Yiming¡¯s decision to personally attack the moon¡¯s blockade.


    The battle that happened in the depths of the Gobi Desert in the dark forest world was not only enough to destroy their civilization, but also the entire planet.


    ¡°As intelligent creatures, humans are very easily affected by the situation. We are the best type of people to harvest negative emotions from. We shouldn¡¯t be affected by the aftershock of this battle, right?¡±


    The leaders of the various countries had long understood the value of humans in the eyes of the black tide. They all prayed for peace in their hearts.


    As a human, Chen Yiming naturally wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to let the aftershock of the battle land on the blue planet. His only worry was whether the value of the humans on the blue planet was enough to cause the huge mouth on the blockade to hold back.


    Just like Chen Yiming, they should have a tacit understanding to limit the range of the battle to outer space.


    ¡°We have to break through the blockade eventually. Since we have the ability to fight against the huge mouth, we can expose all the other party¡¯s trump cards in advance. After that, there will be no more obstacles for us to break through.¡±


    Although the leaders of the countries were frightened, they could only comfort themselves.


    This was the truth. If the huge mouth attacked without restraint when the fleet of spaceships broke out of the encirclement, it was very difficult to stop the stronger party from slaughtering the weak ants around them.


    These ants were referring to the fleet of human spaceships.


    Soon, this news was announced to all the humans around the world. Then, countless martial arts experts were arranged to various places around the world to try their best to prevent any accidents from happening.


    If any aftershock from the battle fell onto the blue planet, the first thing humans would do was to save themselves. The best way to save themselves was to arrange for martial arts experts to quickly rescue those who got injured and prevent any casualties.


    For a time, the world was in an uproar. The moon above them became the focus of the world again.


    ¡­


    ¡°Is this day really coming?¡±


    Countless gazes looked up at the sky.


    The moon in outer space was still the same moon, as if it had never changed. However, everyone knew that it was just an illusion. The real moon had already been replaced by a terrifying mouth.


    If humans tried to leave the blue planet, they would immediately be ambushed. The huge mouth on the moon could form several shadow mouths, and they would not let them leave easily.


    At this moment, a figure was standing in the air and looking in the direction of the moon together with all the other humans.


    He had fair skin, black hair, and a handsome appearance. He was like a god of war, and he single-handedly fought back against the huge mouth on the moon.


    ¡°Chen Yiming!¡±


    When they saw this young man, countless people were so excited that they almost forgot to breathe. It was as if they had seen their idol. They were so excited that their faces turned red. Some people even fainted on the spot.


    That¡¯s right, Chen Yiming was the guiding light in the hearts of those who walked the path of martial arts.


    This guiding light dispersed the fog on the path time and time again, pointing out the way for those who came later. Naturally, he was respected by the people.


    ¡°The moon¡¯s blockade has been like a demon that came out of hell since the day the huge mouth appeared. It continues to cause panic on the blue planet. What if it can be completely resolved?¡±


    Someone trembled and whispered.


    When the surrounding people heard this, their imaginations ran wild.


    The solar system was the true scope of the black tide¡¯s plan. This news was only a top secret that circulated only among the higher-ups of the human race.


    It was not just the ordinary people, but many famous martial arts experts in the Daxia Kingdom also did not know about this secret that had yet to be revealed.


    This way, breaking through the moon¡¯s blockade gave countless people hope. It was as if they had finally seen a glimmer of light after walking through a dark tunnel for a long time.


    ¡°Chen Yiming might not only want to get the blockade to reveal its trump cards, but the outcome of the battle is still unknown. I¡¯m not too sure yet.¡±


    ¡°In the end, if the blockade is broken, even if the humans are not fully prepared, they can bring with them the complete information on current technology, along with the elites and experts from all areas.¡±


    ¡°We can break out of the solar system first, or break out of the encirclement around Pluto. These are good options once the spaceship fleet gathers.¡±


    Thinking of this, the president of the European Union turned to the minister of industry and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the construction of our spaceship going?¡±


    ¡°The first spaceship has basically been completed. There are still some accessories that have yet to be completed. The factory is already running 24 hours a day.¡±


    ¡°The second spaceship¡¯s hull has already been built. Only the artificial environment has been installed. The third spaceship¡¯s hull has just been built, so we can¡¯t rely on it for the time being,¡± the minister replied truthfully.


    When the president of the European Union heard this, he pondered the possibility of another plan.


    First, they would gather all the people in the European Union on one spaceship. It would definitely be very crowded, and the living conditions would be much worse than expected.


    The other two spaceships would be relatively empty, with only the crew members on them. In the future, they would be built step by step on the way to the new planet.


    Time was tight, and the situation was changing rapidly. The people of the current generation would have to suffer first before reaping the rewards later. They would just have to endure it for a while.


    Of course, it was hard to say when this would happen. Once they left the solar system, no one could tell when the other two spaceships would be completed.


    It might be a few months, a few years, or even longer.


    ¡­


    At the same time, at the first industrial base, in the core spaceship from the Daxia Kingdom, the two foundation bases had fused together.


    The foundation bases that came from the core of the world had already become the most important treasure for humans. A large number of forces had been sent there to guard it, and it could not be lost easily.


    The leader of the dire wolves had transformed into an old man. He was wearing a black gold suit with mysterious blood-colored patterns drawn on it. His hair was combed back, and he looked like a successful old man from high society.


    Behind him were hundreds of dire wolves in wolf form.


    Their bodies were covered in sharp, metallic fur. Coupled with their ferocious expressions and powerful aura, just by standing in rows, it was as if they had created an ambush and invaded the human camp.


    ¡°On behalf of the dire wolves, I¡¯m here to help protect the blue planet, and advance and retreat together with the humans.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves bowed slightly to the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom. For a terrifying existence at the level of the fusion realm to do this, it was showing the attitude of the dire wolf clan.


    Its voice was elegant and precise, and it spoke the official language of the Daxia Kingdom fluently. No one dared to question the intelligence of any creature that had cultivated to a high level.


    Along with this, hundreds of dire wolves lowered their heads.


    At this moment, the dire wolves seemed to have become the most loyal friends of humans. Even though their strength far exceeded that of everyone around them, they were willing to be ordered around by others.


    ¡°At such a time, since the dire wolves are willing to advance and retreat with the humans, the humans will naturally not forget this precious friendship.¡±


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom took the initiative to reach out and shake hands with the leader of the dire wolves.


    They had long known that the dire wolves had joined the humans because they thought highly of Chen Yiming. Otherwise, the leader of the dire wolves wouldn¡¯t have let go of the opportunity to escape and choose to return to the blue planet.


    However, he still had to show some respect to a powerful ally at the level of the fusion realm. After all, the other party still had to block the attacks for the sake of the humans. The risk that they were taking due to the possible aftershock of a battle that could happen at any moment was no less than that of anyone else.


    That was a power that could destroy the entire blue planet. The dire wolves¡¯ leader was considered a terrifying creature, but in the face of such a battle, it was not much stronger than a human.


    If the huge mouth on the blockade targeted the leader of the dire wolves in anger, there would only be one outcome: death.


    Many of the military big shots around them started to wonder if they could form a special cavalry team with the dire wolves.


    ¡°That fur is clearly the sign of the combat style of a killing machine. Their skin provides an unbelievable defense. From the looks of it, it seems to be so ferocious that all living things will fear it after it returns to its true appearance.¡±


    ¡°In the future, if we are temporarily stationed on an unfamiliar planet on the way to the new planet, a cavalry team formed by the dire wolves is the perfect choice.¡±


    ¡°Investigation, exploration, vigilance, and so on. It can even be combined with technological weapons that humans will use after their transformation in the future. That scene¡­¡±


    ¡°This is perfect. I have to find an opportunity to mention it.¡±


    When the dire wolves in front of him saw the human¡¯s kind smile, they finally felt relieved.


    Before coming, they still had many concerns. What if they were bullied and treated as prisoners?


    Of course, even if they were treated unfairly, the dire wolves¡¯ leader had already thought it through. There would not be any incidents of them suddenly attacking the humans.


    ¡­


    Time quickly passed by.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze had been fixed on the moon for a long time, but nothing had happened. The huge mouth that spanned the surface of the moon remained motionless.


    He suddenly realized that the moon¡¯s blockade, or rather, the special existence of the huge mouth, had a flaw that he could exploit again.


    ¡°In the past, the terrifying creatures had an overt plan to use the foundation base and the energy from the planet¡¯s core to hold back the huge mouth on the blockade. They used its gluttonous nature to successfully break out of the blockade.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for the black tide not to know about this characteristic of the huge mouth, but they couldn¡¯t effectively stop it in advance. Instead, they allowed the terrifying creatures to break out of the encirclement and had set up more traps in the solar system in advance to stop them.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about how the huge mouth on the moon and the black tide seemed to be working separately. The chains covering its entire body were another piece of evidence.


    A special existence like the huge mouth was very likely to have been captured and modified by the black tide. There were other unknown problems with it.


    This problem involved the need for special chains to forcefully control it. The black tide was also unwilling to pay the price to control it at will.


    ¡°This way, if I use the space anchor to launch a sneak attack near the moon and attack the huge mouth in my crazy demon state, not only will I be able to push the other party away from the blue planet, but the probability of my space-manipulation ability being exposed is also not high.¡±


    ¡°After all, there are many strange bloodline talents in the universe. The space-manipulation ability is not the only way to approach the moon silently.¡±


    ¡°The main thing is that there should be a serious problem with the communication between the black tide and the huge mouth. There are only the ¡®free¡¯ and ¡®trapped¡¯ states that are used to control it.¡±


    Then, ¡°Super perception.¡±


    A faint ripple spread out from Chen Yiming, turning the world into a slightly gray and transparent color. All kinds of interference were blocked out.


    His perception of the spatial fluctuations instantly increased by countless times, allowing him to easily throw the space anchor where the ripples had spread out.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    When the space anchor landed at the point where the moon was, Chen Yiming made his move.


    He could not be bothered to pay attention to the black tubes behind the huge mouth. It would be best if the black tubes and chains could be sent flying far away so that the huge mouth could escape from the control of the black tide.


    It would be best if he could drag it out until the secret plan was completed and the other worlds around the dark forest world were stirred up before it was exposed.


    With this thought, Chen Yiming appeared on the surface of the moon. In the next moment, a giant nearly 100,000 meters tall appeared. Only then did the huge mouth react.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    One punch, two punches, countless punches.


    With a shocking bang, countless fist shadows completely covered the entire moon. Blood essence lit up the sky, followed by a chain reaction. Even those on the blue planet could feel the impact.


    It had to be known that the two sides were hundreds of thousands of kilometers apart. There was only a huge amount of air and the space between them.


    ¡°The moon exploded!¡±


    At this moment, under countless gazes, the moon instantly exploded into pieces.


    Countless pieces of rubble and the main body of the huge mouth were moving away from the blue planet. Some of the black tubes were dislodged in the air, and the chains on the surface gradually broke apart.


    The huge mouth was roaring in pain, and it wanted to pounce on Chen Yiming and devour him. However, in his crazy demon state, Chen Yiming had the ability to fight across realms.


    This had already been proven during the battle with the demon god, who had mastered the power of the world. The pressure brought about by the power of the world was broken by countless repeated attacks.


    ¡°He¡¯s too strong!¡±


    ¡°The diamond ape often had an absolute advantage in terms of physique and strength when facing those at the same level. However, even though they are both at the level of the fusion realm, one is 10,000 meters tall while the other is 100,000 meters tall.¡±


    ¡°Although numbers can¡¯t completely represent the strength of the opponent, the scene of the blood essence illuminating the sky is almost unimaginable.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves widened its eyes and became excited.


    The diamond ape was the corpse that Chen Yiming had dug out from the depths of the desert near the entrance of the devil¡¯s den.


    In a special military camp.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    ¡°Beat him up!¡±


    ¡°Beat him up until he explodes!¡±


    The group of burly men waved their thick arms and roared at the sky.


    The instructor was also among them, and he too let out a roar in his heart. He felt a violent surge and seemed to have comprehended a trace of the truth. It was as if this was how a true battle should be.


    They were giant bloodline warriors who formed a special team that was secretly trained, nurtured and experimented on. Although they did not have any particularly outstanding achievements, they were seen as having endless potential.


    One day, someone would appear who could go along Chen Yiming¡¯s path of martial arts.

 Chapter 398 - Swallowing a Planet

    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    The battle in space had suddenly started, and it had continued for several hours without coming to an end.


    The shadow mouths materialized in front of the fist shadows. After a moment of stalemate, they were dispersed. Then, new shadows materialized and the cycle continued, trying to withstand the attacks from the giant.


    It had to be known that just one of these shadow mouths had once made everyone on the blue planet feel afraid and uneasy. It was like a shadow that could not be removed from their hearts.


    Shock waves spread out in all directions, and the orbit of the blue planet was changing slightly. Blood essence shone in the air, enveloping the outer space like a furnace.


    Under the gazes of countless people, the huge mouth that was revealed after the moon broke apart screamed as it was attacked crazily. From time to time, black blood would spew out of its mouth. The black tubes behind it were destroyed, and the chains on its body were all broken.


    Just like that, the threat that had been floating above the heads of the humans, which was the special life form on the blockade, was quickly sent flying away from its original position.


    Then, it gradually turned into a black dot, as if it was about to fall onto the sun, which was the only star in the solar system. Under the dazzling rays of sunlight, it was almost invisible, and only the phenomenon caused by the battle was left behind.


    ¡°The blockade has been broken!¡±


    In the first industrial base, the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom heaved a sigh of relief. His heart, which had been in his mouth, calmed down. Chen Yiming was now the symbol of humanity, and he represented more than just himself.


    This symbol signified the new era. If anything happened to him, human civilization would be forced to go in another direction.


    The gazes of the surrounding big shots stopped on the hundreds of dire wolves and quickly turned back to the battlefield in space. They were all extremely shocked.


    ¡°Even if his hands and feet are destroyed, he can still recover completely in an instant. Is this still the body of a human?¡±


    ¡°The aftershock of the battle on the blue planet is almost zero. The blockade trapping the humans is already very far from the blue planet.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the huge pit spanning thousands of kilometers in the dark forest world was created just like that?¡±


    Even though they had seen it with their own eyes, it was still unbelievable. It was hard to believe that this was something that could be done with one¡¯s physical abilities.


    Hundreds of years ago, a great scientist proposed the law of physics that every force had an opposing reaction. Even today, it was still a rule that held, and supernatural power was also within the scope of this law.


    This meant that in the melee battle between the two sides, the intensity of the attack on the huge mouth would reflect back on Chen Yiming.


    However, the recovery ability of the giant figure in space was terrifying. In less than a breath, his entire body had completely recovered, as if the injuries he had suffered earlier were just an illusion.


    ¡°After not seeing him for a day, Mr. Chen seems to have become stronger.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves looked up at the blazing sun. Two black dots, one big and one small, were falling towards a huge fireball.


    There were two scenes in its mind. One was of Chen Yiming fighting the demon god, and the other was of Chen Yiming silently appearing on the moon.


    ¡°Compared to the world-level formation, although he didn¡¯t instantly destroy the huge mouth on the blockade, the outcome is no different from destroying the blockade.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves had seen the black tubes connected to the back of the mouth and the chains covering its entire body break under the terrifying tearing force.


    The black tube and chains were only effective against the huge mouth that was connected to it. Their resistance to destruction was not as strong as expected, and the huge mouth was no longer under the control of the black tide.


    ¡­


    In the cold and silent space, the eight planets were revolving steadily around a large fireball. There was also the faint starlight from deep space. Other than that, there was only darkness.


    The commotion caused by the battle between the two terrifying existences slowly attracted the attention of the terrifying creatures hiding in various corners of the solar system.


    Not long after the terrifying creatures left the blue planet, they were suddenly forced to split up. Now, they had completely lost contact with each other.


    On an asteroid belt that was moving towards the periphery of the solar system, the asteroids were only small when compared to the huge celestial bodies in the solar system. In reality, they were not small at all. Large asteroids with a diameter of dozens of kilometers could be found everywhere.


    An eye with a ripple pattern on it appeared on an asteroid that was a few kilometers in diameter. It was one of the terrifying creatures, the huge eye.


    ¡°A battle broke out in the direction of the blue planet?¡±


    The huge eye stared for a long time, feeling shocked and uneasy.


    Although it did not know who was making the move, a battle at this level had undoubtedly reached the level of the power of the world.


    The power of nature was a secondary power derived from the power of the world on a living planet, a cultivation world, or a secret realm.


    Most of the universe was a void, and the power of nature was very weak. It was usually not enough to support such a level of combat, and the consumption and replenishment could not be balanced.


    As for the power of the world, it was a higher-level type of supernatural power. It was invisible and colorless, and was widely distributed in various corners of the universe.


    Although the power of the world in the void was not as strong as that from the celestial bodies, it was enough to support a long battle. This was determined by the level of their strength.


    Therefore, even if one controlled the power of nature to a high level, they could only barely move forward in deep space.


    After mastering the power of the world, although the outer space was still and quiet and so wide that one could only see the edge of it, it was still difficult to travel a long distance measured in light-years.


    However, moving forward in deep space was no longer a problem. One had the ability to withstand dangers at the interstellar level.


    ¡°With such a huge commotion, almost the entire solar system has been alarmed. Can we take the opportunity to escape?¡±


    The huge eye retracted its gaze and started to weigh the pros and cons.


    It had the ability to distort space and create a temporary space-travel passage. Under normal circumstances, it would not take long to leave the solar system alone.


    Since the power of nature in the void after it left the planet was weak, it could only use this space-travel ability every once in a while.


    However, the ability to manipulate space was just that. It was rare and its functionality was something that other special abilities could not replace. Before the terrifying creatures encountered the unexpected situation, they were willing to follow the huge eye, which was equivalent to letting it lead them.


    After a short period of contemplation.


    ¡°Damn it, we were completely at a disadvantage because of the internal strife in the past. We clearly had the advantage in terms of timing and location, but we failed at the last hurdle when we had almost broken through the blockade.¡±


    An angry spiritual fluctuation spread through the surrounding asteroids.


    The terrifying creatures did not expect that after breaking through the blockade on the surface, the black tide would still have a backup plan in the solar system.


    This backup plan not only referred to the dark power that was gradually accumulating in the remaining celestial bodies, but also to a creature that could travel through the void and had the ability to teleport.


    This creature¡¯s body was like that of a crawling insect. It was long and had silver patterns around it from head to toe. Under normal circumstances, it would not appear in the physical world, but only move between the mysterious gaps in space.


    ¡°The battle in the direction of the blue planet is ultimately a terrifying collision. If I use my space-manipulation ability, it will definitely cause a spatial fluctuation.¡±


    ¡°Which will attract more attention? It¡¯s difficult to determine. I¡¯ll hide in the asteroid belt and think about it when I reach the edge of the solar system.¡±


    The huge eye¡¯s restless heart calmed down, and it finally decided to hide in the rubble.


    At the same time, it recalled the scene of the snow beast disappearing.


    A strange crawling insect had suddenly crawled out from the space behind the snow beast and swallowed it in one bite. The whole process was fast and clean, not giving it any chance to struggle free.


    The other terrifying creatures, including the huge eye, were lucky enough to escape in all directions after the strange insect was temporarily frozen.


    However, after going into hiding, they restrained their energy fluctuations, afraid that they would suffer the same fate as the snow beast if the strange insect sensed them.


    The solar system was very large and also very small. Other than the huge eye, the other terrifying creatures moved through the solar system like snails.


    If they were discovered and targeted by the strange insect that could travel through space, it was equivalent to an eagle seeing a turtle on the ground. It was impossible for them to escape.


    ¡­


    In space, the two huge creatures were moving faster and faster.


    Other than on the celestial bodies, the rest of the solar system was a vacuum environment with almost no air resistance.


    Therefore, as the countless fist shadows overlapped, as long as the huge mouth did not explode or disintegrate on its own, its speed would continue to increase.


    As he approached Venus, Chen Yiming suddenly felt a complicated spiritual fluctuation.


    ¡°Human, thank you for helping me. I didn¡¯t expect a planet with such a short history of cultivation to give birth to an existence like you.¡±


    ¡°However, the prey that comes right to my mouth makes me very excited. I¡¯ll devour you first, then the other eight planets, and finally the sun. Hehehe¡­¡±


    Its wild laughter was filled with malice.


    The huge mouth, which had been controlled by the black tide, finally seemed to be about to counterattack. Previously, it had only been pretending to be beaten until it could not put up any resistance.


    ¡°According to the order, the last step is to devour the sun? Then I¡¯ll blast you straight into the sun and see who can come out alive,¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes narrowed as he thought to himself.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, the huge mouth exploded into nine parts. Black blood splattered throughout the space, and even the light was completely dyed black and disappeared.


    Immediately after, each part flew in different directions and approached Venus from all directions. As they flew, the nine parts gradually turned back into the shape of the mouth, and nine smaller mouths appeared.


    ¡°Are you going to devour Venus to replenish your energy before fighting me?¡±


    Chen Yiming realized that the main purpose of splitting into nine smaller mouths was to forcefully escape from the battle. He immediately wanted to use the space anchor to instantly kill the nine mouths.


    Its main body had split into nine, and each split body would naturally become weaker. Just because it could withstand his crazy attacks previously, it did not mean that it could do the same after splitting up. The split mouths seemed to only be thinking about eating the celestial body not far away.


    On second thought, ¡°If humans immediately let the spaceships take off, there will definitely be many problems. We might as well focus on perfecting the spaceships first.¡±


    ¡°As for my original goal, I only wanted to secretly make use of this opportunity to attract many people¡¯s attention to the blue planet. My true plan is to stir up the other worlds around the dark forest world.¡±


    ¡°At the moment, it¡¯s not like when they first invaded us. Every move is being watched from somewhere hidden. If I rashly use the space anchor, my space-manipulation talent will be exposed too easily.¡±


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming smiled in disdain. Using the weak power of nature in space as a medium, he randomly chased after one of the split mouths.


    There was no need for any fancy moves. He only clenched his fists and punched down from the sky, repeatedly and quickly punching down.


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack¡­¡±


    The space where the huge mouth was located was quickly filled with cracks under the siege of countless fist shadows.


    Each fist shadow represented a terrifying explosion of energy, and the physical impact spread out in all directions.


    Not long after, something in the mouth that was attacked by the fist shadow suddenly exploded. It was punched into a spatial rift and mixed together with the spatial fragments.


    Finally, the continuous punches finally caused the target mouth to explode.


    One of the nine parts of the huge mouth had exploded and died.


    ¡°Damn it, I underestimated the endurance of the split bodies. I should have split into three. However, this damned human has been fighting for so long. Isn¡¯t he tired?¡±


    An angry spiritual fluctuation appeared, representing the rage of the huge mouth.


    ¡°If I destroy one or two more, will the damage to the inner world be worth it compared to one celestial body?¡±


    Chen Yiming chuckled. His figure flashed through space like a stream of light. After a while, he caught up to his next target.


    Facing the enemy, his expression was cold and heartless. He swung his fist again, as if he wanted to kill as many of the split mouths as possible.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    In space, continuous tremors rang out at an unimaginable scale. The various detection devices on the blue planet could no longer see the situation clearly. They only knew that the battle was still going on as they made their way towards Venus.


    In the end, before the mouth could reach Venus, a total of three split mouths had died tragically under Chen Yiming¡¯s attacks.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming forced the huge mouth to flee in the direction of the sun,


    time gradually passed. Night gradually fell on the blue planet. The sky became dark, and it was easier to watch the battle in space.


    Therefore, all the telescopes in the shops all over the world were sold out in a short period of time. Although ordinary telescopes were not of much use, this could not stop the people¡¯s enthusiasm.


    Another international video conference was held. However, this time, the heads of the various countries were using portable video equipment. Some were sitting on the rooftop of tall buildings, some were standing on the top of large mountains, and some were standing on a wide grassland.


    ¡°Are they going to fight all the way to the sun?¡±


    The leaders of the small countries chatted in low voices in the video conference.


    No matter how advanced the technology was, it could not stop the interference from the energy fluctuations. When they were too far away, the fiery red blood essence that filled the air almost covered the entire battlefield.


    If humans launched an unmanned craft to follow them, the aftershock of the energy could damage the detectors. If they stayed on the blue planet, they could only see the general situation.


    The general situation was that the battle had not ended even after such a long time. From day to night, they fought all the way while heading in the direction of the sun.


    At some point.


    ¡°Eh, where¡¯s Venus?¡±


    One of the leaders turned to speak to the others in the video conference.


    Venus, which had existed for billions of years, had inexplicably disappeared. The international video conference was in chaos. Each of them used the high-tech detection equipment beside them to verify it with their own eyes.


    Then, the experts also conveyed the news that Venus could no longer be seen to the leaders in the video conference.


    ¡°First, the moon exploded, then Venus disappeared. Could Mercury be next?¡±


    The leaders of the various countries immediately became anxious. They did not expect such incidents.


    It had to be known that the solar system worked as a whole. The loss of the moon was barely acceptable to humans. After all, humans were almost ready to escape.


    At that time, after enduring a harsh environment, all the humans would enter the spaceships to escape. They would have no choice but to give up on the blue planet for the time being even though this was where they were born.


    As for the day when they could take back the planet from which humanity originated¡­


    At the moment, only the children dared to dream about this. Adults basically thought that it would already be a miracle among miracles if humans could successfully escape from the black tide.


    How could they dare to imagine that a long time later, humans would return to their original planet?


    Soon, the news that Venus had disappeared shocked the entire world. Countless astronomy enthusiasts and people who had bought telescopes also noticed this phenomenon.


    ¡°Could Venus have been shattered like the moon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There was no choice but to destroy the moon, since the blockade was on the moon, but why would Venus be destroyed for no reason?¡±


    ¡°F*ck, previously, a large amount of the energy in the core of the blue planet was used up, and the entire world entered an ice age. It was so cold that countless people were forced to go to the shelters that had heating equipment. So many people were there and snoring away, and I could not fall asleep at all.¡±


    ¡°Now that Venus has disappeared, will the opposite happen? Will it become so hot that everyone can only run into the river to avoid the heat?¡±


    ¡­


    At the first industrial base, the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom found the leader of the dire wolves and asked him about the possible reasons for Venus¡¯ disappearance.


    ¡°It must have been swallowed by the huge mouth.¡±


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader revealed its thoughts with a serious expression.


    ¡°What!¡±


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom gasped.


    Venus was a planet similar to the blue planet, not a satellite like the moon. How could it be devoured so easily and silently?


    According to the astronomy experts, in almost an instant, the detection equipment could no longer see Venus.


    ¡°Then, Chen Yiming¡­¡±


    He did not know how to ask the rest of the question. The top leader sucked in a breath and did not let it go for a long time.


    The dire wolves¡¯ leader shook its head. ¡°That¡¯s the level beyond the fusion realm. I only know that the power mastered at that level is called the power of the world.¡±


    ¡°In the past, the dark forest world mainly relied on the world-level formation to break through the blockade.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, with just the terrifying creatures, no matter how many there are, it won¡¯t be enough. That would be suicide.¡±


    As the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom, his personal cultivation level was limited. The dire wolves¡¯ leader also did not know how to explain further.


    In reality, the dire wolves¡¯ leader¡¯s understanding of the power of the world was very limited. It only knew that the demon god, who had also mastered the power of the world, had been defeated by Chen Yiming.


    However, comparing the demon god and the huge mouth at the blockade, one seemed to be a last-minute product that was born in a special place, while the other was a genuine product that came from the black tide.


    Therefore, being able to defeat the demon god was not necessarily equivalent to being able to defeat the huge mouth.


    ¡°Venus might not be the location for the final battle. Next, I¡¯m afraid that Mercury will also¡­ the real final battle will be on the sun.¡±


    After some thought, the dire wolves¡¯ leader revealed its guess.


    At the very least, it felt that with what Chen Yiming had displayed on the moon before the huge mouth reacted, even if he couldn¡¯t kill the huge mouth in the end, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to escape safely.


    In short, this blockade was definitely broken. Facing a pair of iron fists that could punch the huge mouth all the way to the sun, the huge mouth would not return to its original spot easily.


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom took a while to recover. He muttered,


    ¡°The location of the final battle is the sun.¡±

 Chapter 399 - Final Battle on the Sun

    ¡°Gulp, gulp¡­¡±


    In space, just as Chen Yiming was about to destroy the third split mouth, he seemed to hear the sound of something being devoured. He turned around and saw that Venus had been completely covered in black, and black blood was flowing down the surface of the planet.


    At this moment, the interior of the planet was filled with a dark energy. Everything was assimilated by the darkness, as if the planet had become the entrance to the 18 levels of hell, emitting a terrifying aura of the abyss.


    Then, the planet in front of him seemed to have instantly melted. Be it the dry seabed, the continents, or the underground world, none of them could escape this fate.


    Under the power of distortion, the black liquid spun clockwise along the surface of the entire planet like a huge tsunami.


    ¡°Invasion and assimilation. This way of devouring the planet is so fast!¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. Without revealing his space-manipulation ability, he had no way of instantly killing the nine split mouths.


    Not long after.


    The black liquid spun in circles, and the range became smaller and smaller. Its speed became faster and faster. Finally, half of its main body appeared from the core of the planet. It no longer had the appearance of the huge mouth.


    Instead, it had a completely black half-human body, but it was not human. Its eyes were scarlet, as if there was a world of blood inside it. A demonic black aura appeared on its body, as if it had its own will.


    In addition, two claws extended from both sides of its body, and a mouth opened in each palm. It even stuck out its long tongue, emitting a sense of hunger.


    There were two bumps on its back, and something seemed to be growing out. For some reason, it could not be completely formed in the end, as if there was not enough energy.


    ¡°Human, I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of the devouring demon race.¡±


    The three mouths on the head and arms of the devouring demon were wide open, and the tongues twisted and licked at the same time as it continued,


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t destroyed a third of my inner world, I might have completely recovered by now. I wouldn¡¯t have wasted half the energy of this planet.¡±


    ¡°However, your body is more delicious than this planet, especially your heart, which seems to never feel tired. I will swallow every drop of your blood and see how long your heart can last.¡±


    ¡°Next, I¡¯ll bring you, who is on the verge of death, to witness how a devouring demon god can dominate the entire galaxy before you die.¡±


    As the devouring demon spoke, it couldn¡¯t help but laugh again. It treated Chen Yiming as food that could continuously regenerate.


    ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied with the reward for helping me break out of the control of the black tide?¡±


    Its laughter carried a demonic spiritual fluctuation that spread far and wide in the vacuum environment. With the devouring demon as the center, the area around it turned into hell.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm. He didn¡¯t care too much about the huge mouth returning to its demon form.


    If there was no qualitative improvement or limited improvement in this kind of pure energy recovery, he naturally would not be afraid of competing in a battle of attrition. Instead, the word ¡°god¡± was what caught his attention.


    ¡°From the demon god to the devouring demon god, they all like to call themselves gods. Is the level of controlling the power of the world at the level of gods?¡±


    The power of the world was indeed suitable for beings that were described as gods. This power was completely beyond all other living beings.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    After completely digesting the energy from the planet, the devouring demon stopped talking and attacked Chen Yiming.


    Its claw swung out, bringing with it a surging dark aura. Then, it seemed to have enlarged countless times. The devouring demon was clearly still standing where it was, but the entire space seemed to be covered by the shadow of its claw.


    In the air, endless dark energy gathered at the spot where the claw shadow had landed. At the same time, there was a power similar to a will. The interference caused by the demonic laughter grew larger and larger.


    In the area on the other side of the blue planet that was experiencing daytime, they could see that a small area on the sun was covered by a black cloud.


    For many people, just looking at the black clouds caused their minds to immediately be filled with a violent storm. Ghosts cried and wolves howled, and it was as if space had changed. They were in a terrifying world.


    Chen Yiming remained calm and said calmly,


    ¡°It¡¯s using its inner world to bring me under the influence of the power of the world. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m in a different world.¡±


    He had already experienced the feeling that the entire world was filled with the enemy when facing the demon god. The devouring demon in front of him might be stronger than the demon god, but the power it had mastered was still on the same level.


    Chen Yiming took a step forward. Before the space was completely compressed and he was held down, his huge body, which was nearly 100,000 meters long, leaped into the air. Countless shadows of his legs floated in the air and attacked the claw shadows.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Countless leg shadows collided with the claw shadows, and it was as if the starry sky had exploded. The sky collapsed and the void was shattered.


    This was almost like a single entity resisting the power of one world.


    As the old saying went, ¡°Humans can defeat the heavens, and humans can fight the heavens.¡± At this moment, Chen Yiming was going against the heavens and fighting the earth, becoming enemies with an entire world.


    Countless leg shadows struck out one after another, followed by an endless stream of attacks. The blood essence spread out and formed a furnace stretching between heaven and earth, and this phenomenon was countering the power of the world.


    Then, he used quantity to make up for the lack in quality. The suppression from the power of the world was like a cage, and the strongest claw shadows in front of him were all shattered.


    Chen Yiming then kicked more leg shadows towards the devouring demon.


    The devouring demon¡¯s expression changed drastically, as if it had never expected such a thing to happen. It suddenly turned its body to avoid the shadow of the kick, but unfortunately, Chen Yiming followed its every movement.


    In the end, the extraordinarily tough skin on the surface of the devouring demon¡¯s body broke apart bit by bit, and its entire body was kicked to pieces.


    The black blood scattered across the air, as if it was drawing a black circle against the backdrop of the sun in the distance.


    ¡°You¡¯re very good! Very good!¡±


    Half of the devouring demon¡¯s body instantly condensed in the inner world. Its eyes were red, as if a blood world was about to be formed.


    Endless killing intent and anger were about to spew out of its eyes.


    After this devouring demon was captured by the black tide, it had been transformed into a tool that was under their control. It had already traveled through dozens of worlds, and it had never been in such a sorry state.


    Previously, when it had been beaten up on the way here, it could still use the fact that it was pretending to be weak and had just escaped from the control of the black tide as an excuse. However, its body, which had recovered to half its original size, had been blown up, and it could no longer find any excuses.


    After all, the human in front of it was only a creature at the fusion realm. He had not mastered the power of the world, which was of a higher level. There was a qualitative difference in the level of their power.


    The devouring demon was really angry and no longer cared about the progress of its recovery in the inner world.


    That¡¯s right, the reason why it was in a half-crippled state was because the black tide had done something to it. Its inner world was in a severely injured state and could only recover by devouring the cores of the planets.


    Nine claw shadows materialized in the air. The nine claws each carried a terrifying pressure as they struck out from nine directions, all targeting Chen Yiming.


    This was the limit of the power of the world that it could mobilize in its current state. The inner world would not be able to take any more than this.


    ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming was clearly in the dead silent space, but it was as if he had been forced into another space. He was in a world with a terrifying will pressing down on him.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    As soon as the devouring demon finished speaking, an endless amount of black aura emerged from the void like a black snake. Coupled with the nine claw shadows, it turned the world of will that was created out of thin air into a place filled with ghosts.


    It had the intention of withering all living things, weakening the blood essence, and invading via poison¡­


    Black snakes were formed by the black aura that had the power of many curses. It was responsible for holding Chen Yiming back and restricting his movements, as well as attacking his mind. The claw shadows were formed purely from the power of the world, and they were responsible for tearing Chen Yiming¡¯s body apart.


    This time, it was as if the world was truly angry. It wanted to mobilize all its power to target Chen Yiming¡¯s small body and attack him from all directions, from his body to his mind.


    It had mastered the power of the world and had the ability to project the power of the world. No matter how one looked at it, it had the upper hand.


    This was the difference between mortals and gods. Divine power could even cross space and time to destroy the mortal world from an endless distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless. Even if nine claw shadows work together with the curses, so what? If they can¡¯t kill me completely in an instant, it¡¯s all for nothing.¡±


    Chen Yiming was expressionless, his eyes showed no emotions. He raised his hand gently, and in the next moment, countless fist shadows struck out again.


    Endless blood essence power erupted, and battle intent erupted. The most basic physical strength exploded from his body, and his blood essence instantly filled the area projected by the power of the world. A furnace was burning fiercely within it.


    In the next moment,


    the nine claw shadows shattered one after another. The countless black snakes took the opportunity to wrap around him, but as they approached, they were burned to ashes by the fiery blood essence.


    Be it the power of the world or the spiritual curses from the god, they could not invade his body at all.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    The devouring demon roared crazily, its voice hoarse.


    It immediately self-destructed its arms and claws in exchange for the two protrusions on its back to grow. A pair of bone wings appeared, covering the sky and almost the entire planet.


    At the same time, the devouring demon retreated rapidly. With a wave of its bone wings, the terrifying power of the world enhanced its speed, allowing it to move towards Mercury at nearly the speed of light.


    The strength of Chen Yiming¡¯s body had exceeded the expectations of the devouring demon. He had used his body to withstand the projection created by the power of the world and wasn¡¯t afraid of the spiritual attacks formed by the curses.


    It seemed extremely small, but his body contained a power that could shatter the world.


    ¡°This human is the true monster. A monster with an abnormal physique. His body is something that even a true god can¡¯t compare to.¡±


    ¡°With just his powerful blood essence, he is almost invincible. How can such a monster appear on a planet in some remote corner?¡±


    As the devouring demon fled, it turned around from time to time to watch the scene of the world power projection being destroyed. The more it watched, the more shocked and panicked it became.


    Shouldn¡¯t a genius like him be protected well since he was able to cross the gap between mortals and gods? How did it encounter him?


    ¡°You want to use Mercury to further your recovery? Dream on!¡±


    After Chen Yiming destroyed the world projection, he quickly chased after it.


    ¡­


    Time quickly passed by.


    To everyone on the blue planet, the battle was far from over. The commotion was gradually getting further away from the blue planet, but its influence was getting greater and greater.


    On the surface of the huge ball that was the sun, something that looked like a black cloud would appear from time to time. From time to time, a brighter spot would appear, like a small solar flare.


    ¡°F*ck, not long ago, a world-destroying battle appeared on the blue planet. The range of destruction was limited to killing all the living creatures on the surface. This is already enough to shock the entire world.¡±


    ¡°In the blink of an eye, a planet that is close to the blue planet has completely disappeared in such a battle. I don¡¯t know if it was shattered or something else.¡±


    ¡°Are we really going to fight on the sun next?¡±


    Some people¡¯s heads were about to explode. Their worldview had been forcefully changed too quickly. For some reason, they felt like they were stepping into a completely different era.


    If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have doubted if they were actually awake, or if they were trapped in a dream.


    ¡°First, it was Venus. Next, it will probably be difficult for Mercury to survive. What will happen to the sun in the end?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt, the entire solar system can no longer be viewed the same way as it was in the past. Unforeseen events can happen at any time.¡±


    At the international video conference, all the leaders had frowns on their faces. Each of them had received a report from their teams of experts.


    The situation of the battle was still unknown, but the trajectory of the battle was moving towards Mercury. With the example of Venus, everyone seemed to have expected a similar outcome to happen to Mercury.


    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s really time to leave the place where humanity originated!¡±


    The heads of the various countries did not say anything, but they all thought so in their hearts.


    At the same time, countless people also had a feeling that the fight would continue all the way to the sun. A planet-level celestial body was no longer enough.


    More time passed.


    Suddenly, Mercury exploded. It did not disappear mysteriously like Venus, but exploded under an overwhelming force.


    The entire world was shocked again.


    A few seconds later, the latest report from the research institute was sent to the international video conference.


    ¡°It really exploded!¡±


    ¡°Mercury has really exploded.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Although the process is not exactly the same, the fate is similar to Venus. Both are gone. Two of the eight big planets are gone just like that.¡±


    Even the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom was a little confused.


    As a decision maker, he had experienced countless ups and downs, and had seen many things. He had accumulated a lot of experience over time.


    However, in this incident where the planets were easily destroyed, it was too difficult to give any suggestions.


    Just as the president of the European Union had thought, no matter what, they just needed to escape quickly. There was a high chance that he was right.


    This was the only way they could avoid an incident that could easily destroy their entire civilization. They were even willing to become a civilization that wandered the universe.


    ¡­


    In space, at this moment, the commotion had broken the cold and quiet environment that had existed for countless years.


    During his pursuit, Chen Yiming had destroyed the devouring demon¡¯s body a few times. Then, he had attacked and destroyed Mercury in advance.


    The power of the world accumulated on a planet was not like that of the demon god and the devouring demon, which all existed in their inner worlds. Instead, it was mainly centered in the core of the planet and was scattered loosely in a large area.


    After Mercury was blown up, the power of the world released into space floated around for a moment before moving towards the sun under the influence of an invisible force.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming quickly understood the reason.


    In the solar system, the mass and size of all the planets combined were far inferior to the sun. Therefore, it was easy to understand why the power of the world that lost its owner would be drawn to the sun.


    Perhaps a will that truly had its own emotions like the one in the dark forest world be born within the sun.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The devouring demon¡¯s eyes were burning with anger. The power of the world that was about to enter its mouth was out of its reach.


    Unlike Chen Yiming, who was inexperienced, it knew that the world¡¯s will was no joke. Going against it was equivalent to courting death.


    If it was like Venus, it would be fine if it was instantly devoured. However, if the consciousness of a star found a target after it woke up and it fought with the star over it, the star¡¯s consciousness would be furious.


    Once the star became angry, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    ¡°It will be very difficult for the remaining six planets to be successfully devoured.¡±


    In reality, it was impossible for the devouring demon to back down. It didn¡¯t seem to be able to defeat Chen Yiming in a head-on fight. Just because it had mastered a higher level of strength didn¡¯t mean that its recovery ability could definitely suppress that of someone at a lower cultivation level.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s physique was such an exception. This also meant that the devouring demon only had one choice: to escape towards the sun.


    The small amount of the power of the world that was traveling towards the surface of the star was the target of the devouring demon. As long as it did not go too far, the consciousness of the star would not pay too much attention to it.


    Next, the two figures, one chasing and the other fleeing, moved towards the sun.


    With a space anchor on the spiritual figure, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t too worried. If he really fell into a desperate situation, he could just use his Space Anchor talent to teleport back to the blue planet.


    This desperate situation was referring to his battle with the devouring demon causing something to happen to the sun, resulting in a price that he could not afford to pay.


    ¡°If the price is too high, the only one who will die will be the devouring demon.¡±


    Chen Yiming forced the devouring demon towards the sun, but he remained calm. With an escape route secured, he could get away at any time, and his fighting spirit surged.


    ¡­


    Time was almost at a standstill in space, but there were many people paying attention to this matter. There were many weak creatures, and there were also many at a high level.


    After an unknown period of time,


    Chen Yiming and the devouring demon finally arrived near the surface of the sun. Both of them stopped in unison. Getting any closer to the sun was equivalent to entering its interior.


    Chen Yiming breathed in the scorching heat and glanced at the bright spots flashing across the surface of the sun from time to time. It was as if the world¡¯s will was secretly observing him and the devouring demon.


    At the same time, he sensed the aura of the power of the world from the firestorm that swept across the surface of the sun.


    At the moment, he didn¡¯t know how to control the power of the world. However, from his experience with the demon god and the devouring demon, he was already very familiar with the aura emitted by the power of the world.


    ¡°It¡¯s a stronger fluctuation of the power of the world. No wonder the devouring demon said that it would devour eight planets first before devouring the sun. If it enters rashly, it¡¯s hard to say who will be the one to be devoured.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it. ¡°The devouring demon was definitely just scaring me. The power of the world accumulated on Mercury is not even comparable to the firestorm on the surface of the sun.¡±


    ¡°This way, even if the devouring demon completely devours eight planets, can it transform to the extent of taking on the sun?¡±


    Thinking of this, the devouring demon was nothing much in his eyes.


    Seeing that it could not defeat him in a head-on fight, it wanted to use the power of the world on the surface of the star to replenish and recover. How could he let the devouring demon have its way so easily?

 Chapter 400 - Raging Will of the World

    Since ancient times, the sun was considered to be very far from the humans. It was viewed as something that they could not get close to.


    Usually, just some strange activity on the surface could affect the blue planet even from such a large distance. For example, the activity of sunspots would cause damage to the magnetic field and various electronic products and appliances on the blue planet.


    What was the world inside the sun like? Humans could only use some observation equipment to come to a conclusion that represented their opinion.


    Therefore, when Chen Yiming approached the sun for the first time, he didn¡¯t lose his caution.


    Just as Chen Yiming was secretly sizing up the inner world of the sun, something strange happened to the half-destroyed body of the devouring demon. The black aura was being burned by an invisible force, and the inner world in its body turned as red as blood.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and noticed the changes in the devouring demon.


    In the blink of an eye, a red figure walked out as if it had undergone a transformation. Its entire body was completely different, and the aura related to the black tide had completely disappeared.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    The flame wings on the back of the devouring demon flapped once as if it was still adapting to its new body. A firestorm suddenly blew up in space, burning up everything in its path.


    The terrifying temperature was no different from the firestorm that blew up on the surface of the sun from time to time. It even faintly resonated with each other, and the frequency at which the solar flares flickered increased.


    ¡°This body of flames was obtained from an ordinary star. It doesn¡¯t have as much potential as the previous body of darkness, but there are almost no restrictions on it.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±


    There was a hint of regret on the devouring demon¡¯s face, but it quickly turned into a smile. It laughed heartily as it broke free from its shackles.


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the space seemed to have frozen. The world power of the devouring demon was enhanced by an invisible force, and the area Chen Yiming was in changed from the surface of the sun to the interior of the sun.


    It was similar to falling from the space around the blue planet to the surface of the blue planet.


    Not long after, the surrounding temperature quickly rose to tens of thousands of degrees Celsius.


    This was a world of flames. Even though he was holding his breath, the scorching flames lit up all the cells in his body along with the power of the world that was everywhere.


    In addition, there was a sense of hostility coming towards Chen Yiming.


    There were flames as long as dragons that were more than thousands of kilometers in length. There were not just one or two of them, but dozens or even hundreds of them, circling above his head.


    Under his feet, more solar flares flickered. Terrifying electromagnetic radiation erupted, turning into invisible blades that wreaked havoc in space.


    The sun seemed to have become angry due to the intrusion of the outsiders, thus changing the frequency of its activities.


    At this moment, the devouring demon finally stopped laughing and continued, ¡°Human, I admit that you¡¯re very powerful. If we were at the same level, I would easily have been crushed by you.¡±


    ¡°However, the strength of the devouring demons does not lie entirely in combat. Now, do you feel the hostility of the world¡¯s will towards you? I have an unlimited supply of the world¡¯s power here, and the more you struggle, the more the world¡¯s consciousness will be hostile to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret it? It¡¯s useless even if you do. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re bold or really stupid to chase after a devouring demon.¡±


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and realized that it was just as the devouring demon had said.


    The devouring demon had used some special method to transform into a native creature of the inner world of the sun. Although it was not blessed by the world¡¯s will, the world¡¯s will was not hostile to it.


    On the other hand, he was equivalent to an outsider. Perhaps the devouring demon had secretly caused him to do something such that after he entered the inner world of the sun, the hostility from the entire world was focused on him.


    At the same time, the sun began to react violently, and all kinds of phenomena appeared frequently.


    ¡­


    ¡°The sun¡¯s activity has changed visibly. Did the battle break out again?¡±


    The entire blue planet was shaking. The sun¡¯s activity was not a joke. It would have a direct impact on the blue planet. This was completely different from the indirect influence of the other eight planets.


    It could be said that in front of the sun, the blue planet was like an ordinary person facing a giant. Even the tremors caused by the giant¡¯s footsteps could injure ordinary people.


    If an ordinary person was unlucky and was hit by a falling object, their life would be at risk.


    ¡°The frequency of the sun¡¯s activity has exceeded all the records from the past. In particular, the number of sunspots has increased by dozens or even hundreds of times.¡±


    ¡°Stop, quickly shut down the equipment. We have to take protective measures. Contact the factory to speed up the production of a batch of simple isolation devices.¡±


    Countless laboratories were in chaos, and the progress of the space plan was also affected. A large number of equipment was turned off and moved within the range of protective devices.


    At this moment, the hulls of the spaceships were of great use.


    Because the black technology materials provided the best form of protection, as long as they moved into range before the influence of the sun¡¯s activity reached the blue planet, the progress of the space plan would only be affected for a short period of time.


    This was already a blessing in disguise.


    ¡°Mr. Chen.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves had a serious expression.


    It did not know much about the huge mouth on the blockade and did not know about the existence of the devouring demon race at all. However, it still had a lot of understanding of the world¡¯s will.


    In the history of the dark forest world, there were many secrets left behind. One could not barge into an unfamiliar and powerful world. It was very easy for the world¡¯s will to target them.


    This was especially true for intruders. They were powerful creatures to begin with. Even if they expressed their goodwill clearly, they would still be targeted by all kinds of invisible forces.


    Now, the abnormal changes in the sun were very similar to the scene in the records.


    ¡°Everyone, calm down and don¡¯t panic. Chen Yiming has returned unharmed from the two attacks by the black tide from outer space. Clearly, he has some mysterious ability and is under the protection of the heavens. The sun is just a star¡­¡±


    At the international video conference, the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom spoke to suppress the chaos.


    In fact, the stars were the most terrifying existences in the solar system. However, there were as many stars in the universe as there were hairs on a cow. Humans had estimated that there were tens of billions of stars.


    It was rumored that the black tide that could dominate outer space was not something that a star could compare to. A star should be a toy for it to play with and a tool for extracting energy.


    This was in line with human¡¯s thoughts about advanced civilizations.


    Of course, there was something else that he did not say. No one knew how much power the black tide had mobilized to invade the blue planet. It was just a simple comparison, and there were undoubtedly many mistakes.


    Then, the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom changed the topic. ¡°All the ordinary people will temporarily enter the spaceships to hide. Let¡¯s see how the situation changes next¡­¡±


    The leaders of the various countries also calmed down and reached a consensus on the spot.


    If the situation really changed in an irreversible direction, such as the intense activity of the sun, to the extent that it could cross the distance of light years and kill the lives on the blue planet, humans would have to escape in advance.


    ¡­


    Near a meteorite that was like a floating island on Jupiter, a hole appeared in the meteorite, and the head of the divine turtle stuck out. It turned to look in the direction of the sun.


    ¡°What a powerful world consciousness. It¡¯s even stronger than the one in the dark forest world. Furthermore, it¡¯s purely elemental and has a lot of attack power.¡±


    The divine turtle recalled that many, many years ago, before the black tide invaded the dark forest world, the will of the world was something that no living creature could disobey.


    For example, if a powerful creature killed weak creatures without restraint on the continent, the world¡¯s will would secretly note it down. After reaching a certain number of strikes, it would send down punishment.


    It was also because it was not completely disorderly that the dark forest world where the law of the jungle prevailed did not self-destruct. Even if it was a demon disaster that happened once every 1,000 years, the demon god would eventually be sealed away.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t go back anymore.¡±


    The divine turtle shook its huge head helplessly.


    Ever since the black tide invaded, the world¡¯s will had first been defeated and hidden away. Then, under the guidance of the goddess, the terrifying creatures split it into five foundation bases and set up a world-level formation.


    That battle had exhausted too much of the dark forest world¡¯s foundation. It could be said that it had injured its foundation.


    In reality, the world had already become very weak. For example, materials suitable for the cultivation of living creatures in the world could not be controlled and flowed through the space-travel passage to the world on the blue planet.


    This was absolutely impossible before there was a problem with the world¡¯s will. This was the main reason why the martial arts on the blue planet had been rejuvenated.


    ¡­


    In the desert in Africa, at the entrance of the secret underground palace, the stone statue suddenly exploded into rubble, and the entrance to the stone passage collapsed with a bang.


    It was the same for the underground space connected to the stone passage. For some reason, everything turned into dust.


    This included many stone jars, stone slabs, and the surrounding pillars, and everything else that was connected via the chains.


    The ground had collapsed in this area to form a large rectangular pit. A sandstorm blew past and wiped out all traces of it.


    The only base left on the blue planet by the supreme will had disappeared just like that.


    At the same time, the Pacific Ocean was shaken up a few times. A floating island covered in many black tentacles rushed out of the sea, then rushed into the sky and quickly disappeared into space.


    ¡°The war weapon!¡±


    At this moment, the people on the blue planet were undergoing a mass migration. A large number of ordinary people from all over the world were being transported to the Daxia Kingdom, preparing to board the spaceships built by the various countries or to take refuge in them.


    Countless people looked up at the sky after being alarmed and saw the war weapon flying away and disappearing.


    ¡°The heavens are blessing the humans. The moon¡¯s blockade has just been broken not long ago. Now, even the last threat, the war weapon, has left on its own. It even seems like it was running away.¡±


    The war weapon and the blockade were seen by countless people as two invisible hands that had locked down the blue planet from the inside out.


    At this moment, countless people exclaimed.


    Even the impact of the intense activity of the sun seemed to be disappearing. If not for the fact that their lives were in danger, some people would have planned to celebrate on the spot.


    However, many martial arts experts had questions about this.


    On one side was Chen Yiming, and on the other was the huge mouth that represented the black tide. Could Chen Yiming really win?


    There were many suspicious points here. It seemed like no matter which side won in the end, they would target the war weapon. Strange, strange.


    ¡­


    No matter how the other parts of the solar system changed, Chen Yiming and the devouring demon, who were facing each other in the sun, didn¡¯t care about anything else.


    ¡°Huh? The space-travel barrier is becoming thicker.¡±


    As the sun became more active, Chen Yiming, who had a spat-manipulation talent, keenly sensed the world¡¯s will that was trying to seal off this space.


    ¡°How big of a grudge is this? Previously, I clearly didn¡¯t want to enter the inner world of the sun. It was the devouring demon who forcefully brought me in.¡±


    Chen Yiming had pinned the blame on the demon. The other party must have done something.


    ¡°The devouring demon seems to have gotten close to the will of the star, so it¡¯s very arrogant.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not all bad. With such a thick space-travel barrier on the surface of the sun, it¡¯s very difficult for the outside world to notice the spatial fluctuations that appear inside.¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly entered a super perceptive state and could clearly sense the existence of the thick space-travel barrier.


    The devouring demon and the will of the sun had made a miscalculation. Not only did the Space Anchor talent have the ability to locate its target, but its attack on the space-travel barrier was also unbelievably powerful.


    If Chen Yiming wanted to, the space anchor that he threw out could easily break through the barrier and let him escape. In other words, this basic space-manipulation ability would definitely not be able to stop him.


    At some point, ¡°Kill!¡±


    Chen Yiming controlled the space anchor and threw it at the devouring demon, leaving an imperceptible mark on the barrier of the inner world in its body.


    In the next moment, he traveled through space and threw out a punch.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The inner world of the sun seemed to have collapsed from Chen Yiming¡¯s punch. The projection of the power of the world within a radius of 1,000 kilometers was completely shattered by his punch.


    Before his fist could really hit the devouring demon, the terrifying pressure had already deformed its back. Its arrogant face looked like it was about to suffocate.


    ¡°He actually hid a trump card that he had space-manipulation abilities!¡±


    The devouring demon seemed to be dumbfounded and stood rooted to the ground without any reaction.


    It was already unbelievable that Chen Yiming had a monster-like body. Now that he had used such a fast spatial ability, it was even more dumbfounded.


    How could such a genius with so many powerful talents appear in the world where the black tide had invaded?


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The inner world of the sun shook as though there was a thunderstorm.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s actions had severely challenged the will of the world. Outsiders had to be killed!


    However, no matter how angry the world¡¯s will was, it was too late for it to turn a huge amount of the power of the world into a projection in this area.


    A figure shuttled through the air and punched the devouring demon, then hit the inner world in its body.


    Its flaming body turned into black ashes and extinguished on the spot, leaving behind only its inner world. It turned into a flaming meteorite and fell deeper into the sun.


    The next moment.


    On the way, the devouring demon¡¯s body reformed.


    If the inner world was not destroyed, those at this level would not truly be killed. It would only be using up their energy. Coincidentally, with the sun providing support for it, the power of the world was almost inexhaustible.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    The devouring demon flapped its wings of flames and came to a stop. The power of the world turned into long flames that surrounded its body.


    At the same time, the long flames formed by the world¡¯s will in the sky let out a roar, as if it was preparing to attack the human who dared to provoke the world¡¯s will at any moment.


    ¡°Human, this world of flames is my home ground. I¡¯m immortal here, hehehe!¡±


    After recovering from the shock of his space-manipulation ability, the devouring demon started to laugh wildly.


    It did not believe that this human could use up the power of the world accumulated within the sun.


    That was impossible. The stars were not something that planets could compare to. The power of the world that was transformed at every moment far exceeded the consumption by its activity.


    The laughter continued.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Another punch landed.


    The devouring demon was laughing wildly on the surface, but it was secretly preparing to counterattack at any moment.


    However, the long flames that surrounded it and could pounce on Chen Yiming at any moment were useless. Another punch tore through space and exploded the devouring demon¡¯s body from behind, landing on its inner world.


    The inner world changed direction and flew back.


    ¡°This¡­ this is too fast. What level of space-manipulation ability is this?¡±


    After forming its body again, the counterattack came too fast, and the devouring demon could no longer laugh.


    It realized that the space-manipulation ability this human had was not something that needed a long preparation time.


    Instead, it was almost instantaneous. It was also silently targeted, and it was almost impossible to dodge.


    ¡°If the punches keep landing on my inner world, it will explode sooner or later!¡±


    When the devouring demon suddenly realized this, panic appeared on its face. It was no longer as arrogant as before.


    At this moment, the anger of the will of the sun subsided.


    Hundreds of fire dragons opened their mouths and bit at Chen Yiming. The space-travel barrier around them thickened, completely sealing off the area he was in.


    The power of the world naturally carried a trace of the power of space, and the inner world was created because of this.


    However, there was no way to break the invisible line connecting Chen Yiming to the space anchor.


    In other words, as long as the devouring demon was still within the range of his perception, Chen Yiming could teleport again with just a thought.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Two shocking explosions rang out in succession.


    The first one had a much larger range and strength. Hundreds of flame dragons attacked a single point, causing a circle to spread out on the surface of the sun and a firestorm to sweep through a distance of a million kilometers.


    The blue planet had a diameter of more than 10,000 kilometers. A single flame dragon could easily destroy the blue planet. Jupiter had a diameter of more than 100,000 kilometers. If it landed in such a large-scale firestorm, even it could not escape the fate of being destroyed.


    However, such terrifying solar activity was sealed off and contained within the space barrier.


    The intense activity of the sun observed from the outside world would not affect the other areas of the solar system or have any serious impact.


    The subsequent explosion erupted in the devouring demon¡¯s body. Its body exploded for the third time, and its inner world flew out in another direction.


    ¡°F*ck! The inner world must have been tampered with. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been hit every time.¡±


    This time, the devouring demon¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It had a bad feeling.


    It no longer wasted the power of the world to reform its body. Instead, all its power was focused on its inner world, and it adopted a defensive stance just like the previous demon god.


    This was the world of flames, and there was an endless supply of the power of the world to replenish its energy for it to recover. If you have the guts, break through my inner world! The devouring demon had no choice but to do this.


    If it left the range of the sun, the inner world still needed to continuously consume the power of the world. The attacks it faced would sooner or later destroy it.


    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you just because you¡¯ve adopted a defensive stance?¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming snorted and instantly teleported towards it. He punched, kicked, shouldered, and elbowed the inner world of the devouring demon away from the sun.


    The method was very simple. He only needed to use the space anchor to pierce through the thick space-travel barrier created by the will of the sun, then send the inner world of the devouring demon flying.


    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡±


    The will of the world appeared in the sky, causing Chen Yiming to be on guard.


    Under his feet, a funnel-shaped vortex was forming, covering half the sun. The vortex led straight to the core of the sun, and an angry eye seemed to have opened inside.


    ¡°Gasp! The will of the sun seems to have a bad temper. Didn¡¯t I just mess with it once? Is there a need to use such a big move to target a small fry at the fusion realm like me?¡±


    As he thought of this, a terrifying suction force appeared.


    With Chen Yiming¡¯s current physical strength, he had no way of resisting.


    Of course, he did not panic. He still had the space anchor, so he could just teleport away.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to retract the space anchor and reposition himself, he saw that the devouring demon had already reformed its body. Its flaming wings flapped.


    However, this was completely useless.


    The world¡¯s will was really angry this time. It was not a joke. The funnel-shaped vortex targeted everything within its range. Even the firestorm that spread out could not escape the fate of being sucked back in.


    ¡°Your father, the world¡¯s will, doesn¡¯t seem to care about you anymore.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled.


    As soon as he finished speaking, with a thought, he teleported to the top of the devouring demon¡¯s head and kicked it towards the funnel-shaped vortex. At the same time, it was pulled down by a terrifying suction force and fell inside.


    ¡°The core of the sun is at a high temperature of tens of millions of degrees. You can¡¯t escape, but I can travel through space. I wonder if the world¡¯s consciousness will swallow you up or help you to become stronger?¡±


    ¡°However, the will of the sun has a super hot temper. It might not even recognize its own son, let alone someone like you who has been transformed by some unknown method.¡±


    Just like that, Chen Yiming watched as the devouring demon fell into the funnel-shaped vortex. He retracted the space anchor and traveled through space a few times before returning to his previous position far above the surface of the sun.


    At this moment, the funnel-shaped vortex began to shrink, and the devouring demon was undoubtedly swallowed into the core of the sun.

 Chapter 401 - Doomsday on the Blue Planet

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t add the Space Anchor talent and fell into the core of the sun, with my current cultivation level, no matter how strong my physique is, I¡¯ll probably be burned to a crisp.¡±


    Chen Yiming shook his head and let out a long sigh.


    Soon after the devouring demon fell into the core of the sun, there was no more sound. Perhaps it had been directly assimilated into it and became a part of this world.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t stay any longer and fled.


    This was because at the moment, the solar flares under his feet were no longer just active. Before one dissipated, a new one would already appear in the same spot.


    The will of the sun had made such a big move, but in the end, it couldn¡¯t do anything to Chen Yiming. After failing twice in a row, its anger rose again.


    The world¡¯s will could not allow an ant-like creature to provoke it repeatedly, although Chen Yiming had no intention of provoking it on purpose.


    However, the world¡¯s will would not reason with him unless he became stronger in the future¡­


    ¡­


    A few days later, a fiery figure streaked across the starry sky, and the long flame dragons chasing after it disappeared one after another, leaving behind a huge amount of heat radiation and the scene of the galaxy burning up.


    This was the scene of the will of a star chasing after a weak creature all the way back to the blue planet.


    In the end, perhaps because it did not want to destroy the blue planet, which was one of the six remaining planets, or for some other unknown reason, the pursuit ended when they approached the blue planet.


    The will of the sun took the initiative to give up on this pursuit.


    ¡°So the sun has never revealed its true appearance to humans,¡± an astronomy expert sat in a chair and whispered.


    The sun was a star that occupied more than 99% of the solar system¡¯s mass. Compared to the sun, the other celestial bodies in the solar system would not cause much of a stir even if they all crashed into the sun. The difference between planets and stars was obvious.


    However, the sun had displayed a side that it had never displayed before. It had a violent, angry, and fiery will.


    If someone really provoked the sun, it would be angry.


    Its rage was incredible. The entire galaxy seemed to be burning up, directly changing the environment of the solar system.


    ¡°Since the star has a will, does it have a real living existence inside of it?¡±


    If not for the fact that the space plan was more important and could not be delayed, many expert teams would have applied to work on some new research topics on the spot. They could not wait to uncover the secret of the sun, the oldest celestial body in the solar system.


    However, the relevant research plans were already being prepared.


    In an office, the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom looked at the report sent by the expert team and finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°He has already returned safely. This is great!¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that in order to resolve the blockade on the moon, a series of chain reactions would cause two planets to disappear. In the end, even the sun was angered.¡±


    The process was extremely eventful, and the impact on the blue planet was irreversible. However, the constant threat looming above the heads of the humans was eliminated, and Chen Yiming had returned safely.


    On the whole, the impact on humanity was positive. It cleared another obstacle for them to truly leave the blue planet and the solar system.


    In the spaceship of the European Union, ¡°Minister of Industry, it¡¯s been a while since we obtained this kind of black technology. Have the many experts come up with anything?¡±


    The president of the European Union touched the wall of the ship beside him. His eyes were shining as if he was looking at a rare beauty.


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°The aftershock of the star¡¯s anger passed through the planet, and the surface of the blue planet was completely burned. However, we were not affected at all while staying in the spaceship. It¡¯s too magical.¡±


    ¡°If we can also produce such advanced materials and increase the number of spaceships, then there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t do in the vast universe.¡±


    When the minister of industry heard this, his expression turned bitter and awkward.


    The black tide¡¯s technology used to create the ship came from a special item. It was used by the first wave of the black tide to trap and kill Chen Yiming. It was obvious that it was something extraordinary.


    They were trying to decipher the black tide¡¯s technology that was equivalent to the crystallization of an alien civilization¡¯s technology that far exceeded the level of human civilization.


    In 10 years, they might be able to find an entry point. In 100 years, they might be able to take a preliminary look at the general mechanism involved. In 1,000 years, they might be able to produce similar results.


    This was already the experts¡¯ optimistic estimate. In reality, other than Chen Yiming, the other humans might never be able to analyze such advanced materials.


    After all, humans had faced different technologies, such as the remains of other civilizations on the blue planet, but they had not been able to completely figure them out over the years.


    ¡°Although I can understand that as the president of the European Union, you have a huge responsibility and that every step you take in the future might lead us to heaven or hell, scientific research really can¡¯t be rushed!¡±


    The minister of industry was silent for a moment before he said this in his heart.


    At this moment, a broadcast played throughout the spaceships of the various countries. The content was: ¡°Chen Yiming has returned.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    There was a loud bang.


    Chen Yiming landed in an uninhabited city in the Daxia Kingdom. The charred skin on his body quickly fell off, and new skin grew out. He had completely recovered.


    These burns were caused by the flames formed by the power of the world. Although they were of a high level, they had been separated from their source. After landing their attack, they were directly destroyed.


    At this moment, the air temperature was 70 degrees Celsius. What greeted his eyes were the waves of heat, the sound of old metal falling to the ground, and the silent city.


    All the humans in the city had already moved to the interior of the spaceships to avoid the aftershock of the sun¡¯s rage and the resulting effect on the blue planet.


    The aftershock came from the flames that were chasing after Chen Yiming.


    ¡°In the blink of an eye, the blue planet has changed from an ice age to a doomsday scenario.¡±


    A human spaceship was similar to an ark, but it was much more advanced than Noah¡¯s Ark. Noah¡¯s Ark was built to deal with floods, and could only sail in water.


    Soon, Chen Yiming walked along the streets of the city and arrived at the wilderness outside the city.


    The wilderness was completely burned down. The plants had become the biggest victim in the aftermath of the chase, and there was almost nowhere to hide.


    On the other hand, the few remaining mutant beasts had burrowed deep underground to avoid the natural disaster caused by the sun¡¯s rage. At this moment, they would occasionally poke their heads out of the ground to carefully observe the human who had appeared here.


    ¡°A rat with flames burning on its back?¡±


    Chen Yiming also noticed that the creature that had broken out of the ground was a rat-type mutant beast that could adapt to high temperatures.


    Soon, the rat-type mutant beast sensed his gaze and quickly hid underground.


    The impact of the natural disaster had yet to completely pass. They were still in a state of fear. Even if it wasn¡¯t Chen Yiming who had appeared, they would still hide first.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and walked along the beach. Not long after, he arrived at the original coastline and released his spiritual power to investigate.


    ¡°About half of the seabed has dried up. The war weapon in the oceanic trench is no longer there.¡±


    Chen Yiming paid special attention to the deepest trench on the blue planet.


    At the moment, that spot was still under the surface of the sea, but it was empty. There were no traces of the war weapon at all, as though it had never been there.


    He communicated with the spiritual figure that was left behind in the spaceship.


    ¡°So the war weapon escaped from the blue planet.¡±


    Chen Yiming stroked his chin and smiled.


    From the looks of it, the war weapon and even the black tide¡¯s plans for the blue planet must have stopped after their previous attack was repelled.


    Then, after losing control of the huge mouth on the moon blockade, which was the devouring demon, it was no longer able to maintain its control over the blue planet.


    ¡°The framework for the human spaceship has already been built. All that¡¯s left is more detailed equipment, and the various factories can be rebuilt in some of the spaceships.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming turned to look at a space-travel passage in the distance.


    ¡°If we cause more chaos in the dark forest world and the other worlds surrounding it, I¡¯m afraid the black tide won¡¯t be able to be concerned with the blue planet.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. He was sure that was the case.


    This was because the level of the battle with the devouring demon this time was higher than before. First, he faced the devouring demon that could devour planets, and then the will of a star.


    However, even so, the female spirit in the ring did not say a word. It was not like the last time when the terrifying creatures broke out of the encirclement, when the female spirit took the initiative to communicate with him.


    The reason was that the female spirit was limited by a special seal. In the face of the black tide invading the blue planet, she would definitely be more anxious than him.


    There was no movement, which meant that there was no problem with the overall direction of the humans¡¯ escape from the blue planet.


    His consecutive actions had indeed caused trouble for the black tide, causing the next wave of attacks to be delayed or to be interrupted for a long time.


    ¡­


    That day, when Chen Yiming returned to the first industrial base, he found that it had changed drastically. Almost all of it had been transferred onboard the spaceship.


    The remaining parts outside were mostly sentry posts for the soldiers to stand guard and maintain the order.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    The top of the Daxia Kingdom and a group of big shots enthusiastically held a welcome ceremony for Chen Yiming.


    The air temperature at the scene was very high, and it was not something that ordinary people could withstand. Those who came out of the spaceship to the scene were all martial artists.


    A group of reporters from various countries with extraordinary martial arts cultivation had already rushed forward to interview him, but they were forcefully stopped by the soldiers.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The reporter looked at the soldier and wished she could just barge in. However, it was just a thought.


    All the humans were hiding in spaceships that had just been built or were half-constructed. Due to the large number of people, the profession of reporter was considered one that was watched very carefully.


    Although they wanted to be the first to put the microphone to Chen Yiming¡¯s mouth, they were still unwilling to lose their jobs because of this.


    After all, with the current speed of change in human society, no one knew what would happen the next day. For example, it took less than a day for all of humanity to migrate into the spaceships.


    The Daxia Kingdom and the other large countries mobilized small spaceships to various parts of the world to gather their people.


    This way, a stable job was very precious. No one was willing to receive handouts over the long-term.


    Of course, Chen Yiming also felt the gazes of the reporters. There were girls who had just turned 18, girls who were about 25 years old and knew how to dress up, and women in their thirties.


    ¡°Even an interview is such a grand affair!¡±


    However, Chen Yiming only wanted to escape as soon as possible. There was also a familiar face in the group of reporters from the time when he had been impulsive and created some embarrassing memories.


    It was not that he did not want to see his old lover, but that he still had something important to do. The other worlds occupied by the black tide were waiting for him to stir up trouble. How could he delay it because of his personal matters?


    The welcome ceremony was underway.


    Soon, Chen Yiming took the microphone from the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom.


    He coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°The special life form on the moon has already been swallowed into the core of the sun and burned to a crisp.¡±


    ¡°In the solar system, the black tide is no longer a threat to humanity. The spaceship can set off almost immediately¡­¡±


    His voice spread far and wide through the use of his spiritual power.


    Chen Yiming had simply revealed the current situation to all of humanity to encourage them. He wanted to make it as difficult as possible for the black tide to gather negative emotions here, so that all their plans would come to a complete stop.


    As soon as he finished speaking, all of humanity was in an uproar.


    The viewership ratings reached 100%. Everyone was waiting for Chen Yiming to personally report the results of the battle. Even the important laboratories were allowed to put their work on hold. There were televisions in every room that were broadcasting the announcement live.


    Needless to say, many children from ordinary families were chased away by excited parents to practice their martial arts. The hope in their hearts burned even brighter.


    If their children could become warriors, they would be able to find suitable jobs in the spaceships. With a clearer goal, they would have a higher resistance to risks.


    A round of applause rang out, drowning out all other sounds.


    Chen Yiming spotted Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Chen Yingying not far away. The family quickly walked towards the nearest entrance to the spaceship.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The relevant staff were dumbfounded. There was still supposed to be an interview segment, but it seemed to be over just like that. Everyone had hoped that Chen Yiming would say more.


    For this reason, the reporters had been screened many times. They came from different countries, were of different ages, had different styles, were of different heights¡­


    The big shots naturally did not care about such a small matter. They walked towards the entrance of the spaceship one after another, as if they were welcoming a hero home.


    The soldiers at the entrance used a controller to open a row of doors. A passage more than 100 meters wide appeared in front of them, and a large group of people entered in an orderly manner.


    The reporters at the back felt regretful and frustrated. An opportunity to get close to him had disappeared just like that.


    However, the higher-ups had already returned to the interior of the spaceship. Although they did not say anything, it was clear that the interview was over, and the reporters could only follow.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s family returned to their new home under the lead of a female soldier.


    The new house was located in the living area of the A1, which was also the villa area. The people living there had an extraordinary status and were surrounded by the highest level of security.


    ¡°Why are you here too!¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked when he passed through the long corridor and opened the door.


    A woman in a maternity dress stood up from the sofa in the living room and walked over. It was Wu Di, who was suspected to be pregnant with his child.


    At this moment, Wu Di was no longer wearing the green military uniform from before. Her black hair was tied up high, and her skin had turned from a wheat color to a milky white. She looked like a mature woman.


    In addition, there was a change in her wide hips and perky butt. Their dimensions seemed to have increased again, and the loose maternity clothes could not completely cover them.


    Wu Di walked to the door and stood there, not knowing how to answer.


    Previously, she and Chen Yiming had agreed not to make it public for the time being. Now, she had come straight to his house.


    Mother Chen glared at Chen Yiming and said, ¡°It was found out during the body check on the spaceship. When did you start hiding it from us and making private arrangements for Xiao Wu?¡±


    When she returned home, without any outsiders, Mother Chen did not need to worry about the consequences. She was very dissatisfied with her son¡¯s arrangements. What if something went wrong?


    Father Chen also had a serious expression on his face. Previously, the Chen family¡¯s Chen Jindong and Chen Yiming didn¡¯t show any signs of leaving behind the next generation.


    The problem was huge and serious.


    The number of people who were concerned about this matter ranged from the Chen family to many big shots.


    However, the current situation of the humans was being supported by Chen Yiming alone. For the sake of the survival of the entire human civilization, they had to give in to him.


    In addition, it would be normal if Chen Yiming and his lovers couldn¡¯t give birth to a child. It was more abnormal that they did.


    This was because according to the statistics, the probability of ordinary people and warriors having children was much lower than ordinary people having children or warriors having children.


    In other words, Chen Yiming¡¯s cultivation level was too high. It was difficult for him to find a suitable partner among the humans.


    In fact, many big shots often looked for Wu Weiguo to secretly test whether the daughter of the Wu clan had such intentions.


    Wu Susu was the closest to Chen Yiming in terms of cultivation level among the humans.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming coughed and tried to change the topic. ¡°How¡¯s Yingying¡¯s martial arts progress? Perhaps in a week, half a month, or less than a month, we will be setting off.¡±


    At this moment, Chen Yingying was thinking about how she should react when she saw her brother embarrass himself later.


    Such opportunities were rare. If she missed this one, she did not know when the next one would be. Perhaps it would never happen again.


    Chen Yingying was a little confused by Chen Yiming¡¯s question. She subconsciously replied, ¡°Not yet¡­ but it¡¯ll be soon. My spiritual power has been very active recently. I¡¯ve asked many seniors about it, and they all said that this is a sign of a breakthrough.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, her mind was filled with questions.


    Why did the topic suddenly change to her? Shouldn¡¯t they be interrogating Chen Yiming?


    Chen Yiming nodded and continued, ¡°Continue to work hard. You can¡¯t slack off. I¡¯ve discovered a shortcut for cultivation.¡±


    ¡°In a world where the world has its own will, the core of the world will accumulate a large amount of higher-level power. The power of nature there is much more active than in other places.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll bring you to the core of the world to cultivate for a period of time.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in surprise. She was completely drawn in.


    Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Wu Di were similar. Their attention was attracted by this shortcut for cultivation.


    Everyone knew that the power of nature existed in the world. Some martial arts experts who had cultivated to the half-step master realm could even touch it with their materialized spiritual power.


    However, how to resonate with it was a matter of metaphysics. It could only be understood but not explained.


    Once they mastered it, they could freely mobilize the power of nature for their own use. Those who were stopped outside the door could only watch helplessly even if they touched the power of nature.


    Now, according to Chen Yiming, entering the core of the world to cultivate was a shortcut to mastering the power of nature. In other words, when the conditions were ripe, the number of human martial masters would increase greatly.


    ¡°Enter the core of the world to cultivate.¡±


    Soon, everyone came back to their senses and grasped the key point.


    On second thought, how could ordinary people enter the core of the world? For example, in the dark forest world, there were many terrifying creatures. For those at the half-step master realm to try to even spy on the core of the world was just daydreaming.


    Another example was the sun, which had just shown the existence of its will. When the sun became active, it almost burned the blue planet to death. Furthermore, even those at the half-step master realm did not dare to approach a star like the sun.


    Soon, the Chen family was full of smiles.


    Chen Yiming had glossed over the matter of not settling Wu Di down properly. Life had to continue. After all, nothing bad had happened.


    That night, Chen Yiming had planned to head to the dark forest world overnight and break through the blockade to infiltrate the other worlds.


    However, because of some indescribable and irresistible force, it did not work out in the end.


    He had been working hard for the future of humanity for a long time. His body had also been pent up, and this time, he could release a lot of it at once.


    Wu Di used to have the nickname of the ¡®Goddess of War¡¯ in the north. Even when compared to men of the same level, there were very few who were on par with her.


    However, in the end, she could not take it any longer and fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 402 - First Exploration of the Plate-shaped World

    The sky had just turned bright.


    Many small spaceships returned to the Daxia Kingdom from all over the world.


    Teams of ordinary people alighted from small spaceships one after another and quickly gathered towards the spaceships of the various countries.


    Currently, the average temperature on the blue planet during the day had risen to 70 degrees Celsius. This was a truly high-temperature environment. Other than warriors, the teams composed of ordinary people could only leave the spaceship during the day if they wore protective clothing.


    The goal of these teams was to retrieve their valuables that could not be taken with them in time when they were in a hurry to evacuate. However, if they used protective clothing during the search, the cost would not be proportional to the gains. Of course, it was impossible for them to distribute the precious protective clothing to every ordinary person.


    Therefore, the teams of ordinary people were mostly active at night, from close to midnight to the next day when the sun first started to rise. During this time, the average temperature would drop below 40 degrees.


    ¡°Annie, your backpack is so full. It seems like you¡¯ve collected a lot!¡±


    A golden-haired man quickened his pace and arrived beside an orange-haired woman. He chatted with her as he jogged over.


    ¡°William, one of us is in the south and the other is in the north of the residential area we¡¯ve been assigned to. There¡¯s too much distance between us.¡±


    Annie rolled her eyes at William and continued jogging.


    ¡°How can it be too far? There¡¯s a maglev train on the spaceship that goes around all the residential areas. We can move together tomorrow night.¡±


    William continued shamelessly.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I already have the last batch of items I planned to take from my original house in my backpack. I won¡¯t be going out with the small spacecraft anymore.¡±


    Annie refused politely.


    There were too many uncertain factors in her future. Facing William¡¯s obvious pursuit, she rejected him without hesitation, unwilling to be a temporary girlfriend.


    A temporary girlfriend. That¡¯s right. In this era, when men and women got together, there was a high chance that they would vent their frustration, uneasiness, and so on, on each other.


    This was because everyone knew that the space plan was already nearing completion. In the face of the doomsday environment on the blue planet, the human spaceships would take off at any moment.


    Humans were about to board the spaceships and travel in space to a new planet. This was very unfamiliar to everyone, so they would naturally feel insecure.


    At this moment, unlike many ordinary people who had returned to the spaceship,


    as the cabin doors opened in all four directions, burly men walked out of the cabin doors chatting and laughing. They were either barefoot or in wooden shoes.


    Each of these burly men was a warrior. By relying on their internal force, they could withstand the high temperature and move around during the day without any protection.


    Due to the fact that all of humanity had migrated in a hurry, the valuable items of the various organizations from the various countries were left behind and had to be brought back by small teams of warriors. They took the small spaceships to various parts of the world for this.


    Almost all the important infrastructure such as the research laboratories, high-tech factories, key universities, and so on that were once located all over the world had been broken up and transferred into spaceships in batches to be reassembled.


    At the moment, not only was the space plan still progressing in an orderly manner, but various industries were also gradually building up within the spacecraft, forming a circle within them.


    The communication between the spaceships of the various countries was mainly led by the officials of the various countries. After all, it had only been a few days since the migration, and the humans around the world were still far from being able to settle down properly.


    ¡­


    In the dark forest world.


    When Chen Yiming stepped onto the ground again, he was surprised to find that the huge mushroom had completely disappeared from sight.


    ¡°Super perception.¡±


    He entered a super perceptive state and walked on the silent wetlands.


    Soon, Chen Yiming confirmed that the dark forest world had really become a dead world.


    The remaining creatures who had been forced into a deep sleep and fed nightmares to harvest the negative emotions had all died suddenly and turned into corpses. There were no exceptions.


    ¡°Could it be that something happened in this world while I was fighting the devouring demon?¡±


    However, no one could answer his question.


    The doomsday environment on the blue planet forced humans to keep their forces within the spaceships. The reconnaissance power left in the outside world was greatly reduced compared to the past.


    Moreover, this was a huge change that involved the entire world. If the dire wolves¡¯ leader dared to investigate further, there was a high chance that it would not be able to return, let alone anyone else.


    Such superficial information also wouldn¡¯t be of much use to Chen Yiming.


    Not long after,


    Chen Yiming relied on the space anchor to perform a space-jump and quietly explored the entire dark forest world.


    Soon, he confirmed that the power that the black tide had left in the small world had entered a dormant stage. It was gathered at a total of four locations, and they were all deep underground.


    Three of the locations were where the foundation bases of the formation were located, and a large number of dark creatures were gathered around them.


    The last location was where the core of the world used to be. The complete war weapon and the huge mushroom were also there.


    The large mushroom seemed to have replaced the core of the world. It was deeply rooted in a special spot, and a gray fog gradually spread out along the soil.


    ¡°The black tide¡¯s position in the dark forest world has already changed greatly. It¡¯s no longer harvesting the negative emotions of living creatures, but something else.¡±


    Chen Yiming summarized what he had seen and felt the changes clearly.


    At the moment,it was hard to say whether this change was good or bad, but it was definitely good for the humans. It had given them more time to prepare. Perhaps the black tide had tacitly agreed to let the humans escape?


    However, he could not be completely sure at the moment. After all, according to the female spirit, the blue planet was only a small part of it. The black tide had set up the final blockade around the entire solar system.


    He had no idea what had happened to the terrifying creatures who had broken through the encirclement first, and he did not have the energy to find them.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming suddenly snapped out of his daze. He muttered, ¡°If it¡¯s just a failure on the blue planet, it¡¯s impossible for it to affect the dark forest world!¡±


    ¡°I only took away one of the foundation bases. With the remaining three foundation bases, the dark forest world can still operate normally.¡±


    He paced back and forth and thought for a while. He muttered to himself, ¡°The disruption of the progress of the black tide on the blue planet should be only part of the reason.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that in this galaxy, something is wrong in the other worlds, and it¡¯s not a small problem. It caused a chain reaction, causing a general change in the plan for the black tide¡¯s invasion.¡±


    After connecting all the clues, Chen Yiming vaguely grasped the general direction of the change. More ideas surfaced in his mind.


    This time, it was not only to stir up trouble for the black tide, but also to stall for time while thinking of ways to obtain more benefits.


    It would be best if he could accumulate a lot of resources before the human spaceships started on their journey in space. The humans could also upgrade their equipment and leave with the spoils of war.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming randomly found a space-travel passage at the bottom of the dark forest world. He entered the space-travel passage and returned to the blue planet. The passage connected to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.


    Then, he entered the space-travel passage again and returned. He entered the super perceptive state and carefully checked the surrounding 100 kilometers of sea to ensure that he would not be discovered.


    ¡°The three glowing balls in the sky are similar to the moon. They are the three blockades that seal off the dark forest world.¡±


    ¡°The nearest blockade created an invisible barrier that wrapped around the entire dark forest world, causing one to be unable to see the situation outside the world.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of years have passed. When the dire wolves¡¯ leader participated in breaking through the blockade, there was no such barrier. I wonder how many layers there are. Could there be one layer for each of the three blockades?¡±


    Chen Yiming decided to throw out the space anchor to check it out.


    However, if that invisible barrier involved the sealing of space, it was unknown what kind of changes would occur if the space-travel barrier was broken by the space anchor.


    He planned to turn around and enter the space-travel passage to return to the blue planet in case he alerted the existence at the blockade. After a while, when the commotion subsided, he would quietly return.


    He should keep a low profile. Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be rash and fight head-on just because of the pride of the strong or anything like that.


    Soon, after thinking it through, ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Chen Yiming entered the super perceptive state, and a faint ripple spread out. The world turned slightly gray and transparent. Then, the ripple passed through the invisible barrier in the sky.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    He controlled the space anchor in his body and threw it at the nearest barrier.


    The space anchor flew very quickly and did not travel in the physical space, allowing it to cover the distance between him and the barrier in an instant.


    The next moment.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Using his super perception, he sensed that the space anchor had caused a ripple in space at the spot where it had landed. After the space anchor pierced through the invisible barrier, it rushed out of the range of the first blockade.


    At the same time, a will was awakened.


    One of the glowing balls corresponding to the first blockade, and an eye suddenly appeared on it.


    Three small balls appeared in the eye which were connected to each other. Black blood vessels bulged at the edges, and the energy fluctuations became intense.


    Then, it turned around and seemed to be investigating what had happened in the dark forest world.


    ¡°Are its functions mainly for surveillance and investigation?¡±


    The moment the will was alerted, Chen Yiming glanced at it and turned to enter the space-travel passage. He didn¡¯t even have time to check the images sent back from the space anchor that had broken out of the barrier.


    ¡­


    Another day passed by.


    Compared to the day before, the number of ordinary people leaving the spaceship had clearly decreased. After a few rounds, the valuables that were left behind had mostly been retrieved.


    On the other hand, the number of warriors who left the spaceship did not change, but their goal had changed drastically. Their destination had become the trial grounds of Jiangnan province.


    The special 10,000-meter-long corpse was essentially at the level of the fusion realm. Since the flame dragons representing the will of the sun came towards the blue planet, it would naturally be expected to be burned to ashes.


    However, it was only slightly affected. Other than changing the cold environment of the trial grounds, nothing else had changed. Entering the trial grounds was still very effective.


    To the martial artists from countries other than the Daxia Kingdom, this was good news that they had not received in a long time.


    Before the spaceship set off, the trial grounds was completely open to all humans. Anyone could enter without any restrictions.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming and the leader of the dire wolves were standing at the top of a mountain.


    ¡°Let the wolf cubs enter the space-travel passage every once in a while to investigate the situation? Alright, I understand.¡±


    The leader of the dire wolves nodded respectfully.


    ¡°If a phenomenon at the level of the world appears, contact my spiritual clone. At that time, I will naturally know about it.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and added.


    There were no suitable candidates among the humans for this dangerous job that required them to be familiar with the dark forest world. On the other hand, the dire wolves would be suitable for this.


    Other than relying on humans, the dire wolves had no other way out. Therefore, Chen Yiming felt more at ease. Furthermore, the spiritual figure could be stationed at a safe spot, so there was no chance of failure.


    If anything happened on the blue planet, his main body could instantly teleport back.


    Soon, Chen Yiming left.


    After waiting for a few minutes, the dire wolves¡¯ leader heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mr. Chen is indeed unfathomable. Although I don¡¯t know where he will go, perhaps he is clearing out the hidden dangers in the solar system in advance, or maybe he is rushing out of the solar system to scout the way.¡±


    ¡°However, with just a spiritual clone, he is confident that he can hold down the fort on the blue planet and not be afraid of any unforeseen circumstances. The dire wolves have indeed chosen the right person to rely on.¡±


    It was easy to enjoy the shade under a big tree. Recently, the dire wolves¡¯ leader had been able to get rid of the heavy burden weighing it down, and its cultivation condition had improved.


    The reason was that whatever Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t handle, no matter how the dire wolves struggled, it would be useless. They just had to be realistic and do what they were told to do.


    ¡­


    After a while, Chen Yiming returned to the dark forest world.


    After a day, the will in the sky had already disappeared, and the world returned to a dead silence. This was a world where almost no life existed.


    ¡°Super perception.¡±


    Chen Yiming entered a super perceptive state.


    The landing point of the space anchor was just at the edge of the range of his super perception. At this moment, he could see a little of the situation outside this world.


    A continent was floating in the air. It looked like a plate, which was completely different from the blue planet and the dark forest world.


    He could not see anything else clearly, but he could vaguely sense that the continent was not peaceful.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming was delighted. ¡°I just disrupted the arrangements of the black tide on the blue planet. I didn¡¯t expect that there would really be a problem in the other worlds around the dark forest world.¡±


    No matter what happened in that plate-shaped world, whether it gathered enough strength to break out of the encirclement or if some creature broke through to the level of the demon god and the devouring demon and launched a counterattack against the black tide that had occupied the world,


    as long as it got chaotic, it would coincide with Chen Yiming¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After figuring it out, Chen Yiming disappeared from his spot and teleported to the space anchor.


    The space outside the barrier was very large. His insignificant figure could only be detected if he touched an invisible barrier or stayed there for a long time, or if the will that was in charge of monitoring the situation woke up.


    Otherwise, it would be very difficult to be noticed immediately. It would not be difficult to remain hidden.


    Chen Yiming quickly observed the surrounding void and realized that he was in the middle of the other two glowing balls, between the second and third blockade.


    Furthermore, he was lucky that there was only one layer of the invisible barrier. It was not three layers as he had expected.


    In addition, other than the plate-shaped continent, there were three other worlds that could be seen in the distance.


    They were a sphere-shaped water world, a circular world, and a tree-shaped world. Including the dark forest world, the five worlds were positioned to form a pentagon, and each of them was located in a corner of the shape.


    ¡°The other three worlds are as silent as the dark forest world.¡±


    Soon, Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and tried his best to minimize the possibility of being exposed. He then controlled the space anchor and threw it at the plate-shaped continent, then quickly made a space-jump.


    Tiny spatial fluctuations spread out in the air one after another. If one wanted to see and discover them, they would have to be at a close distance to be able to do so unless they were sensitive to spatial fluctuations.


    The subtle spatial fluctuations only lasted for a short period of time. In a few seconds, it returned to its original state without leaving any traces.


    ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­¡±


    A few minutes after Chen Yiming left, a spatial ripple was released from the glowing ball at the first blockade.


    A few minutes later, it swept its gaze across the area where Chen Yiming had been.


    However, nothing was detected, and nothing abnormal seemed to have happened. The traces of the previous spatial fluctuations had already disappeared, and the void had completely returned to a stable state.


    The space-detection ripples spread along a fixed track and disappeared after reaching their limit. The cycle lasted for 10 minutes. This was a test targeted towards the abnormalities detected the previous day.


    However, the difference between a 10-minute cycle and a few seconds was too great. Unless Chen Yiming was extremely unlucky, he wouldn¡¯t be detected by it.


    ¡­


    With a thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s coordinates in the air changed continuously.


    The distance covered each time was 1,000 times that of the maximum range of his spiritual power. This made the distance in space, which was measured in light years, no longer feel that far.


    Soon, after crossing most of the solar system, Chen Yiming arrived near the plate-shaped world.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost exactly as I expected.¡±


    As soon as he appeared in the air, Chen Yiming saw a fierce battle erupting. A shocking roar shook the world, and spiritual fluctuations continued to spread through the air.


    Inside the plate-shaped world, there were giant dragons circling the sky. In the space outside the world, hundreds of dark creatures were secretly monitoring the world.


    However, a red light suddenly soared into the sky.


    The red light vaguely transformed into the shape of a dragon. It had eyes that emitted anger, and a long flaming tail. Wherever it passed, a large number of cracks appeared in the air.


    Then, the red light started to chase after the dark creatures. Its lethality was indescribably terrifying, and one would die if they touched it.


    From the aura of these dark creatures, Chen Yiming deduced that they were all at the level of the fusion realm. In other words, they had Undying Marks, and they wouldn¡¯t die so easily.


    However, at this moment, the Undying Marks seemed to have lost its effect. As long as they were hit by the sparks, they were burned to ashes.


    That¡¯s right, other than the spatial cracks, nothing else was left behind at the spot where the dark creatures had been burned to death.

 Chapter 403 - From the Peacekeeping Alliance of the Central Galaxy

    ¡°This red light seems to be a little special.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t see any blockade outside the plate-shaped world. Instead, a large number of dark creatures had replaced the blockade.


    ¡°With the power displayed by the red light in front of me, the black tide¡¯s blockade on this place will only be stronger, not weaker. However, I can¡¯t see any blockade at all.¡±


    On second thought. ¡°Could it be that the blockade set up by the black tide was completely destroyed by the red light?¡±


    From the fact that the power left behind by the black tide in the dark forest world had suddenly decreased, it seemed to be true. The existence that had emitted this red light had left behind a much better battle record than him.


    In reality, Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t killed the devouring demon himself. Instead, it had been swallowed by the will of the sun into its core. There was a huge difference in level.


    The fierce battle around the plate-shaped world continued.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Suddenly, a few more red lights soared into the sky and formed a fire formation, surrounding the invading dark creatures.


    In an instant, the color of the starry sky changed. A large area of the starry sky could be seen with the naked eye. The void was lit up, and the flames from the stars turned into a vast fire domain.


    The next moment.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    In the fire domain, the dark creatures could not even struggle for half a second. In the blink of an eye, their bodies were all burning up, and even the black smoke that rose up was turned into ash.


    In the face of this indiscriminate attack, having the Undying Mark was no different from not having it.


    Chen Yiming was unlucky enough to be within the range of the fire domain.


    ¡°They¡¯re accidentally injuring their ally!¡±


    He let out a scream as he turned into a burning man.


    Even the combination of the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent could not stop all his cells from losing their vitality.


    Half a second passed, then a second. If he continued to be burned like this, all the cells and the Undying Marks inside them would be destroyed at once.


    The next moment.


    With a thought, the space anchor was thrown out of the fire domain. Chen Yiming also followed it out of the fire domain.


    The cells in his body began to regenerate at high speeds. His charred skin fell off, and his hair grew back. His body returned to its original state.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming felt the cells in his body trembling and gasped.


    A second ago, he was in the fire domain. If not for his space anchor talent, his super regeneration ability would have been useless. The difference in strength was too great, and he would really have been killed.


    ¡°After so long, I was only unlucky this once.¡±


    He comforted himself with this thought.


    From the looks of it, the thousands of dark creatures at the fusion realm were only cannon fodder for investigating the plate-shaped world, and he had foolishly appeared near this world.


    Soon, Chen Yiming¡¯s face darkened.


    Compared to the existence that had released the red light, his strength was a little lacking.


    ¡°According to the original plan, I will descend into the interior of the plate-shaped world in a powerful manner and secretly gather the power of the world.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll repeat the same thing and consolidate the power of the other three worlds.¡±


    ¡°Finally, all the forces resisting the black tide will be mobilized at the same time. I¡¯ll rely on the space anchor to quickly support the various battlefields. If the enemy is weak, I¡¯ll fight them. If the enemy is strong, I¡¯ll retreat.¡±


    ¡°The five worlds controlled by the black tide will create a large amount of chaos and crush the black tide.¡±


    Scratching the back of his head, he turned to the plate-shaped world. The fire domain gradually dissipated, and none of the dark creatures managed to escape. Everything gradually returned to normal.


    ¡°The plan to consolidate all the power remaining in these worlds remains unchanged, but I have to achieve a higher status first.¡±


    ¡°The existence that emitted the red light also needs to be treated seriously. We need to be able to sit down and have a good chat.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts raced as he combined all the information he had gathered and analyzed his own situation.


    ¡°The main advantage I have is my space-manipulation ability and my combat strength that surpasses my level. My physique is almost unparalleled among those of the same level.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems quite feasible for me to claim to be a member of a high-level cultivation civilization in the universe that passed by and noticed the commotion in the starry sky.¡±


    ¡°In any case, the other party can¡¯t do anything. There¡¯s no way to verify it. Whether they think it¡¯s true or false depends on whether my acting is good or not.¡±


    At this thought, a smile appeared on Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    What he could rely on the most now was actually his space-manipulation ability. This was the foundation for him to communicate on an equal footing with the existence that had released the red light.


    Otherwise, even if he spoke glibly, the other party might have ill intentions. In the blink of an eye, they could restrain him first before slowly investigating him.


    If his identity could not be kept a secret and remain a mystery, it would naturally not stand up to investigation.


    Soon, he decided on his identity.


    ¡°The black tide is at the level where they can freely roam the universe. Then, the background I set naturally has to be at the same level. Let¡¯s call it the Peacekeeping Alliance.¡±


    ¡°The alliance¡¯s members come from the central galaxy. The goal of the organization is to stop the black tide from spreading to the entire universe and to save the worlds that have been invaded by the black tide.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I¡¯m an ordinary member at the bottom of the organization.¡±


    The outline of the entire plan was gradually built. A person who was powerful among those at the same level and had the ability to teleport was actually just an ordinary member.


    The level of the Peacekeeping Alliance was immediately established.


    His space-manipulation ability was another convincing point.


    Rescuing the worlds that had been invaded by the black tide involved traveling across a distance of light years in outer space. Only with strong space-manipulation abilities could his identity as a member of the Peacekeeping Alliance be convincing.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to enter the plate-shaped world, a thought came from the ring in his hand. The female spirit took the initiative to communicate with him.


    ¡°When a female spirit takes the initiative to communicate, the problems involved are usually very serious.¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked, but he still felt uneasy. He sent a trace of his consciousness into the ring.


    The space in the ring was still the same as before. The female spirit was restrained by two vortexes, and the entire space looked no different from before.


    Until now, Chen Yiming still couldn¡¯t tell what type of material it was made from. He had secretly used all his strength to squeeze the ring before. He was proud of his powerful body, but when facing the ring, he was as weak as an ordinary person.


    ¡°In this world, there¡¯s a treasure tree that I once planted.¡±


    The female spirit opened her eyes and met the gaze of Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness. She spoke calmly.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. From the female spirit¡¯s eyes, he seemed to be able to see a vast space that was like a sea of stars.


    ¡°The difference between me and the female spirit doesn¡¯t seem to have decreased. Instead, because I¡¯m standing higher, I can see further. My intuition tells me that the difference between us is huge.¡±


    On second thought, ¡°Could it be that the female spirit really came from a place similar to the central galaxy that I made up?¡±


    This thought flashed across his mind. He could only take it one step at a time. If it did not work out, he would definitely have escaped by then.


    ¡°Treasure tree?¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to be surprised and his eyes lit up.


    For the terrifying creatures in the plate-shaped world to gain the ability to create the red light that could turn into a fire domain and burn hundreds of thousands of dark creatures to death, it must be extremely precious.


    Did the female spirit mean that she wanted him to help her take back what was originally hers?


    After all, the reason why she had planted the precious tree seed was probably because she had no choice but to nurture a powerful existence to help it withstand the invasion of the black tide.


    This arrangement was similar to guide the terrifying creatures in the dark forest world as a goddess to turn the core of the world into the foundation bases to set up a world-level formation to destroy war weapon and the blockade.


    The female spirit¡¯s gaze did not change at all as she continued,


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s a treasure tree that has reached the level of universal laws. It must have just matured. The huge dragon that emitted the red light gained the ability by eating the fruit from the treasure tree¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned as he listened patiently.


    He was not very interested in the fruit produced by the treasure tree. Those were all external objects that could not be compared to the system in the long term.


    However, what would the dragon that emitted the red light think if he appeared as a fake member of the alliance in front of the treasure tree?


    Would it believe that he was here to rescue the world that had been invaded by the black tide? Or would it think that he was looking for an excuse to steal from the treasure tree?


    This¡­ suddenly changed things.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and threw the question back to the female spirit to see what she had to say.


    ¡°With your current ability, it¡¯s best if you avoid the attack of the dragon that emitted the red light for the time being. You only need to touch the treasure tree with the ring in your hand to store it within the ring space.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t have much time left. The treasure tree has already been exposed to the black tide. Soon, it will attract the attention of an existence that you can¡¯t fight back against at all.¡±


    The female spirit emphasized that there was not much time left.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming wanted to leave and return to the blue planet.


    It turned out that the reason why the power left behind by the black tide in the dark forest world had changed from an all-out invasion to a full-scale retreat was because of the treasure tree.


    The value of the treasure tree was unquestionable, but it could still bring forth disaster. If he took it, the humans might have to face the pursuit of the black tide even after breaking out of the solar system.


    This was far more harmful than beneficial to Chen Yiming.


    Soon, the female spirit closed her eyes, as if she had fallen into a deep sleep again. After revealing the information about the treasure tree, she did not say anything else.


    He wondered how important the treasure tree was to the other party. Did she just want Chen Yiming to give it a shot?


    Not long after, Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness left the ring with a heavy heart.


    As time passed, he still remained where he was, weighing the pros and cons. He did not enter the plate-shaped world immediately.


    ¡°With the space anchor on the spiritual figure, I can return to the blue planet with just a thought. My safety is still guaranteed, provided that I don¡¯t get involved with the treasure tree.¡±


    ¡°I still have to carry out the plan to stall for time. As a member of the Peacekeeping Alliance, I should gather as many forces as possible.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the original plan and stall for as long as possible until the human spaceships are completely ready to set off.¡±


    In the end, after a long time, Chen Yiming made his decision. He chose a random landing point, then teleported through space and entered the plate-shaped world.


    ¡­


    A figure suddenly appeared outside a valley.


    The valley was very large, and the mountains surrounding it were more than 10,000 meters tall. Huge trees grew in the surrounding forest.


    The forest was silent. There was no commotion caused by the arrival of this stranger. The main reason was that this figure did not descend from the sky, but walked out of the void.


    The slight spatial fluctuation was almost imperceptible, and peace was quickly restored.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chen Yiming felt his surroundings and his heart raced. He was shocked.


    ¡°The density of the substances in the world that help living creatures cultivate is at least dozens of times that of the dark forest world, and the blue planet is way inferior compared to it.¡±


    ¡°This density is like water. If the new generation of humans were to grow up in such an environment from a young age, even without deliberately cultivating, they can become a warrior and master their internal force before they reach adulthood.¡±


    ¡°The five worlds in this galaxy shouldn¡¯t be too different from each other. Could this be the change brought about by the treasure tree?¡±


    He had just scoffed at the treasure tree and insisted that he would not touch it, but his firm stance had been shaken.


    Chen Yiming had the experience of absorbing the essence energy from the foundation base. Clearly, the treasure tree was of a higher level, so it must have accumulated more essence energy. This meant that he had more Skill Points to gain from it.


    ¡°Damn it! Could it be that the female spirit guessed that the essence energy was of great use to me and deliberately revealed part of the information about the treasure tree to me?¡±


    Chen Yiming almost lost it .


    Another reason why he was hesitant to take back the treasure tree was because, according to the female spirit, if the ring came into contact with it, the treasure tree could be transferred into the ring.


    Although this ring was an item used to seal the female spirit, could Chen Yiming still take out the treasure tree after storing it inside? The female spirit hadn¡¯t guaranteed anything.


    What would happen if Chen Yiming really dared to steal back the tree?


    Just as Chen Yiming was feeling uncomfortable and was in a dilemma, a troubled spiritual fluctuation spread out.


    In the next moment, a shocking roar sounded from the valley.


    A golden light suddenly blossomed from the valley, and a huge body leaped up and landed among the huge trees outside the valley.


    This was a 10,000-meter-tall golden ape. Its fur was glowing with a golden light.


    Its fur was sticking to its body like black armor, and its eyes emitted a fierce gaze. A violent and angry aura covered the sky, like the might of the heavens.


    The surrounding forest was alarmed. Countless creatures scrambled to escape into the distance. For a time, the ground shook.


    This was the terrifying thing about creatures at the level of the fusion realm. Every move they made had a huge impact over a large range.


    ¡°Monkey?¡±


    Chen Yiming was jolted out of his daze and instantly fell into his role.


    He cupped his fists and controlled his body to quickly float up to a height higher than the golden ape. He sized up the other party.


    The golden ape had a violent nature. Now that this little fellow who had trespassed into its territory was looking at it like that, the golden ape felt that it was being severely provoked.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    With a furious roar, the golden ape grabbed a huge mountain beside it and leaped up, hurling it at Chen Yiming.


    The mountain was more than 10,000 meters tall, and the rock that formed it was much harder than usual. It was clear that the golden ape was unbelievably strong. It was usually difficult for terrifying creatures of the same level to defeat it.


    ¡°This world is too primitive.¡±


    Chen Yiming used his spiritual fluctuations to tell the golden ape what he wanted to say.


    Then, he raised his index finger and tapped lightly on the mountain as it approached.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    An invisible fluctuation spread out, and the mountain immediately shattered into dust that filled the sky. His relaxed figure appeared in midair, as if the 10,000-meter-tall mountain was just a small stone.


    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡±


    Seeing this, the golden ape¡¯s rage soared to the sky. It responded to Chen Yiming with extreme anger.


    It leaped up again and clenched its right fist, which suddenly became a size larger. It gathered its essence, energy, and spirit into its fist and threw a terrifying punch at Chen Yiming¡¯s face.


    ¡°It seems that the creatures in this world are not easy to communicate with!¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered through his spiritual fluctuations, sending his thoughts to the golden ape again.


    Then, he raised his hand a second time and gently clenched his fist, freezing the golden ape in midair. The strongest single-target attack at the level of the fusion realm sank like a stone in the sea, and only a small circle of air waves was created.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Chen Yiming exerted strength in his arm and smashed the golden ape down to the ground.


    Countless cracks appeared on the ground, and rubble shot into the sky in all directions. Dust filled the sky, and when the creatures on the battlefield saw this, the number of them escaping into the distance increased by another level.


    The commotion caused by this smash attracted the attention of at least half of the plate-shaped world. The golden ape disappeared from the surface and sank deep into the ground.


    At this moment, the golden ape¡¯s head was spinning. Cracks had appeared on the Undying Mark deep in its body. Its body had already been destroyed once, and it had to rely on the Undying Mark to recover.


    At this moment, the battlefield suddenly fell silent again. Only the tremors caused by the creatures escaping could be heard.


    ¡°The golden ape was actually defeated in one move.¡±


    ¡°How is this possible? Could that figure also be a god?¡±


    In the plate-shaped world, countless gazes were cast on the battlefield. They all saw the figure in midair and the golden ape being defeated in one strike as though it was just a weak creature.


    From the style of the figure¡¯s clothes and appearance, he did not seem to be a living creature from this world. At the very least, none of the creatures had seen a human before.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The ground exploded again, revealing the figure of the golden ape.


    However, this time, the anger on the golden ape¡¯s face was gone. Instead, its face turned pale. This was the direct effect of the damage to the Undying Mark, and its physical condition had decreased greatly.


    If it chose to continue, the Undying Mark might shatter further. At that time, it would really die.


    Chen Yiming looked down from above, satisfied with his strength.


    Not only did it achieve a full effect of intimidation, but it also did not really harm the lives of the living beings at the top of the world. There was still room for negotiation, and it did not form an irreconcilable grudge.


    ¡°I come from the Peacekeeping Alliance of the central galaxy. There seem to be traces of the black tide in this starry sky, so I specially traveled to this world.¡±


    A spiritual fluctuation spread out with Chen Yiming as the center. Not only was it directed at the golden ape, but also to the large number of creatures that were secretly observing him.


    At this point in the plan, everything was going smoothly. Chen Yiming felt that his acting had no flaws.

 Chapter 404 - Battle to Prove Ones Identity

    ¡°The central galaxy?¡±


    ¡°The Peacekeeping Alliance?¡±


    In the plate-shaped world, a terrifying creature kept repeating in a low voice the shocking news contained in the words of the unfamiliar figure.


    Tracing back to a long time ago, the five worlds connected by the pentagonal structure had never given birth to an existence that could truly walk out of it and return.


    All the terrifying creatures, including the dragon that emitted the red light, had a limited understanding of the universe. They could only try to figure out some information from the black tide¡¯s invasion of their world.


    Therefore, what was the cultivation civilization in the central galaxy like? Were there really a large number of high-level cultivation worlds?


    This had always been a fantasy for the terrifying creatures.


    The universe was too big and too mysterious. There was often only one outcome for recklessly exploring it. One would die of old age all alone in the void and not be able to find their way back.


    But now, a guest from another world had appeared. His status seemed to be extraordinary.


    ¡°Is this creature who claims to be from the Peacekeeping Alliance investigating the traces of the black tide?¡±


    Thinking of this, many terrifying creatures turned to the core of the world. There was a treasure tree there, which was also the territory of the three dragon gods from the plate-shaped world.


    The dragon gods were originally only one of the terrifying creatures at the fusion realm. Later, they became gods because of the treasure tree and were considered supreme existences in this world.


    They had destroyed the war weapon and the three consecutive blockades, wiping out all the forces left behind by the black tide in this world.


    ¡°How will the three dragon gods treat this stranger? Should they tell him the situation of the black tide invading this world and cooperate with the people from the Peacekeeping Alliance to rescue the surrounding worlds that are still occupied by the black tide, or¡­¡±


    The terrifying creatures and the dragon gods might not think the same way at times. They might even have different opinions and secretly have hidden motives.


    The treasure tree was currently the private property of the three dragon gods. It was a treasure whose existence shook the world as it could be used to create gods. It was impossible for them to take the initiative to let the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance discover it.


    If a terrifying creature could offer up the treasure tree to the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance, would it be able to obtain the chance to go to the central galaxy?


    ¡°A powerful cultivation galaxy that far exceeds the plate-shaped world would have a cultivation path above the level of the fusion realm. It can even send powerful creatures into space to chase away the black tide and maintain order in the universe.¡±


    The horror of the black tide had left an indelible shadow in the world.


    Most of the terrifying creatures did not think that they could rest easy just because the three dragon gods destroyed the forces left behind by the black tide. Instead, they felt a greater sense of danger.


    At this moment, the power of the three dragon gods had indeed reached its peak. Even the terrifying black tide could not do anything to them, but what about after a long time?


    For example, in the battle that had just happened, a large number of dark creatures had suddenly appeared and seemed to be monitoring the plate-shaped world.


    Did this sudden surveillance mean that the black tide was mobilizing an even more terrifying existence? At that time, would the three dragon gods be able to withstand it?


    ¡°This visitor from the otherworld has traveled through space. I hope it¡¯s as he said, that the Peacekeeping Alliance is a mysterious organization that maintains order.¡±


    Other than a few of them, most of the terrifying creatures had temporarily suppressed their disloyalty and planned to observe the situation for a while longer.


    They did not dare to step forward rashly. After all, if it was an imposter who was spying on the treasure tree, things would end well for them if they offended the three dragon gods.


    ¡­


    In the flattened valley, after hearing Chen Yiming¡¯s words, the buzzing in the golden ape¡¯s head became even worse. It even felt like fainting, and its thoughts raced.


    ¡°I actually provoked a person who crossed the universe, and he¡¯s from the Peacekeeping Alliance in the central galaxy. What should I do?¡±


    At this moment, not only did the golden ape fall silent, but the plate-shaped world also fell silent. Under the orders of the powerful creatures, the fleeing creatures stopped in their tracks.


    This was not a battle between terrifying creatures, but an arrival at the same level as the black tide. This required the dragon gods to interact with them.


    Chen Yiming deliberately gave the plate-shaped world some time to think before continuing, ¡°Let someone who can make the decision for your world come out. The thousands of dark creatures that are close to gods are only a weak scouting force, but you didn¡¯t let any of them escape.¡±


    ¡°However, the reach of the black tide has spread throughout the entire universe. It feeds on the negative emotions of living beings to get stronger. It is the common enemy of all living beings. Next, a stronger existence from the domain of the gods will descend on this world.¡±


    ¡°At that time, all the living beings in your world will be subjected to additional torture. You will all be forced into an eternal nightmare until all your remaining value is exhausted.¡±


    When the golden ape heard this, its entire body trembled.


    It recalled the tragic past of the plate-shaped world. At that time, the dragon gods weren¡¯t so powerful yet, and the treasure tree hadn¡¯t grown out of the core of the world.


    Hundreds of years ago, the black tide had spread darkness to every corner of the world. Even the terrifying creatures that looked down on the rest of the world had either surrendered or submitted to it. Some of them had turned into dark creatures and were left behind or taken away.


    They could either hide themselves or live in the shadow of the black tide. This period of time lasted until a while ago, when the birth of the three dragon gods changed the world. Soon, the forces left behind by the black tide were wiped out.


    ¡°Dragon Gods¡­¡±


    Just as the golden ape¡¯s lips were about to move to tell Chen Yiming about the dragon gods¡¯ existence, ¡°Boom!¡±


    A thunderous sound suddenly rang out. The thunder shook the entire world, interrupting the golden ape.


    Then, two streams of light appeared from the horizon and approached.


    They were getting closer and closer, and the streams of light became larger and larger. Two huge dragons burning with flames appeared. They circled the sky, their gazes burning as they looked down at Chen Yiming.


    ¡°How can you prove that is your true identity, and not a lie?¡±


    As soon as the two dragon gods spoke, a thunderous spiritual fluctuation containing the power of the world swept towards the figure in midair.


    When it came to things like his status and background, there was no concrete evidence. This was not just a simple conversation, but also a secret test. The dragon gods were not arrogant enough to think that they were invincible.


    ¡°I can prove it with my strength.¡±


    Chen Yiming allowed the dragon god¡¯s spiritual power to sweep past him. From the beginning to the end, he didn¡¯t show any signs of retreating.


    In reality, he had already thrown the space anchor to the other side of the plate-shaped world. If the situation did not go well, he could escape with just a thought.


    However, just their spiritual power alone was far from enough to kill him. In fact, the two dragon gods felt that their secret probing was useless.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he continued, ¡°The cultivation method in your world is too primitive. It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re relying on your instincts to cultivate. There are no good treasures to improve your physique. You¡¯re among the weakest among those of the same level.¡±


    ¡°Within the Peacekeeping Alliance, as someone who is only close to a god, I¡¯m only an ordinary member. However, the two of you can¡¯t do anything to me even in a one-on-two situation.¡±


    In order to prove his identity, Chen Yiming had to rely on the enhancement from the Space Anchor ability to fight the dragon gods. Otherwise, he would immediately be exposed as an imposter.


    When the two dragon gods heard this, four streams of flames shot out from their nostrils.


    Even at the level of the fusion realm, he was close to a god but not yet at the level of gods. However, he actually boasted that he could fight two true dragon gods alone.


    The terrifying creatures who were secretly observing the situation were shocked when they heard this.


    ¡°Impossible! There should be a large difference in strength between them due to their levels. How can he fight two opponents at once?¡±


    There was an unimaginable difference between the power of nature and the power of the world. In the history of the five worlds in this galaxy, there was no one who could defeat the god-like existences.


    On second thought, ¡°If he is really comparable to a true god while at a lower level, that would be too terrifying. Are all the people from the central galaxy like this?¡±


    Many terrifying creatures had to admit that it tugged at their hearts again.


    The central galaxy was the holy land for cultivation. They were willing to pay any price to obtain a chance to go there.


    The two dragon gods quickly suppressed their anger and did not forget their purpose.


    ¡°In that case, the two of us will wait for you in space. If we accidentally kill you, you can¡¯t blame us.¡±


    With that, under Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze, the two dragon gods flapped their wings and left. The power of the world turned into a hurricane that spread out, causing the entire world to tremble.


    Even those at the level of the fusion realm could cause serious damage to the world, let alone a god who had mastered the power of the world. If they fought in the world, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Therefore, the two dragon gods wanted to put the battlefield outside the world.


    At the same time, ¡°A battle between gods!¡±


    The terrifying creatures immediately realized that a true battle between the gods was about to begin. Even if one of them was only close to a god, such a battle was even more anticipated.


    Soon, mountains collapsed, ice shattered, and the sea surged. Many terrifying creatures took the initiative to reveal themselves.


    Seeing this, the golden ape started to tremble.


    In the end, no matter which side won, it seemed that things would not end well for it. It could only curse itself for being unlucky enough to be the first to rush into the battle.


    Time passed by slowly.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry. With the range of his super perception, the invisible connection between him and the space anchor was enough for him to teleport to the dragon gods.


    In other words, even if the dragon gods flew out of the world, they were still within the range of his super perception.


    Next, just as the terrifying creatures were wondering why the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance was still standing rooted to the ground, ¡°Bang!¡± a dragon god¡¯s body suddenly exploded. Its flesh and blood filled the sky like highly flammable fuel, burning the air red and causing the sky to change color.


    A figure walked out of the fiery red void. It was the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance who dared to fight a true god even though he was only close to a god.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The terrifying creatures who had been confused were dumbfounded.


    Under their gazes, the figure suddenly turned transparent and disappeared. In the next moment, they sensed the commotion from the battle outside the world. They turned around and saw a dragon god explode.


    In a very short period of time, the figure had actually activated a space-manipulation ability and shattered the powerful body of a dragon god.


    ¡°He was just stating a fact, but it feels like he is looking down on the living beings of our world.¡±


    A terrifying creature sighed.


    This was the truth. It was impossible to refute him, and it felt helpless. He was really not boasting.


    ¡°The dragon god was destroyed in one strike!¡±


    Seeing this, the golden ape¡¯s legs went weak and it fell to the ground. It had clearly recovered due to the Undying Mark, but it seemed to have lost all its strength.


    Not long ago, it had impulsively thrown an angry punch at the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The dragon god who was not injured shook the world with its roar.


    It was in the sky, but the plate-like world seemed to have come alive, as if everything in the world would listen to its orders.


    This was the enhancement from the world¡¯s will. Generally speaking, only when facing a powerful intruder¡¯s invasion would the world¡¯s will go into such a frenzy.


    However, now that both sides were outside the world, it could be seen that the plate-shaped world had become different from the normal world after the treasure tree was planted.


    ¡°Is it going to activate the red light?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the inner world of the dragon god that he had destroyed and secretly became vigilant. The space anchor had already been placed behind the dragon god.


    ¡°World Destruction Divine Fire!¡±


    A huge amount of world power was gathered in front of the dragon god¡¯s mouth. Then, dozens of water dragons shining with black patterns appeared. This was completely different from the red light. The black patterns on them were the most obvious difference.


    The moment the dozens of water dragons appeared, they charged forward. Their bodies grew to a length that covered the sky, and they surrounded Chen Yiming from all directions with a terrifying power that could burn everything.


    In the blink of an eye, a dazzling red light drowned out the small figure. An endless explosion came from the sky, and the aftershock knocked down countless mountains and countless huge trees¡­


    ¡°Gasp! This is the wrath of god, the power of the world,¡± a terrifying creature exclaimed.


    The member of the Peacekeeping Alliance stood at his original positions and allowed the flames to strike at the same time and remained at the center to receive the most lethal attack.


    It was unknown if it was because the activation of the space-manipulation ability required a cooldown or some other unknown reason.


    It was just that no terrifying creature had thought that someone at the level of the fusion realm would use his body to withstand such a terrifying attack.


    At this moment, the explosion in the sky was still ongoing. A stream of light rushed out of the range of the explosion. It was the dragon god whose body had been destroyed by Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Be careful. Your World Destruction Divine Fire is useless. The other party didn¡¯t even budge.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? That was enhanced by the world¡¯s will¡­¡±


    Before it could finish speaking.


    A kick.


    Another kick.


    The figure flashed twice, and the bodies of the two dragon gods exploded almost at the same time. The inner world in their bodies turned into two streams of light that fell towards the plate-shaped world.


    Chen Yiming had done this on purpose to end the battle as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the battle continued for too long, the fact that he couldn¡¯t kill the dragon gods in a short period of time would be revealed.


    At that time, his fictional identity would not be so convincing, and the mystery behind his identity would fade away.


    ¡°The two dragon gods have lost!¡±


    As expected, in the hearts of all the terrifying creatures watching the battle, although the battle had only lasted for a short period of time, the dragon gods, who had obtained the will of the world, had already lost to Chen Yiming.


    Furthermore, the bodies of the two dragon gods had been blown up one after another.


    As for the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance, he had held back and did not attack their inner worlds. Perhaps in the eyes of the other party, it was just a battle to prove his identity. It did not involve life and death.


    Outside the plate-like world, Chen Yiming watched as the two dragon gods reappeared. When they approached the ground, they passed through an invisible barrier and disappeared.


    ¡°The two of them came to test me. They should have gone back to discuss it.¡±


    He did not chase after them. Instead, he allowed the two dragon gods to leave. This was in line with the attitude of someone from the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance.


    At the same time, he had discovered a secret about the red light.


    ¡°These two dragon gods can¡¯t use the red light, or they can¡¯t use it far from the treasure tree. The red light must be very closely related to the treasure tree.¡±


    Thinking of this, he turned to the other three worlds that were connected to the dark forest world.


    With the red light¡¯s level, if it could leave the plate-shaped world, it would have long wiped out all the remaining forces from the other four worlds.


    ¡°Uh¡­ let¡¯s not continue with the pretense out here. If the other party activates the red light, won¡¯t I become a target?¡±


    ¡°When facing the red light, I can¡¯t dodge, and I can¡¯t not dodge.¡±


    Realizing this, Chen Yiming controlled the space anchor to reposition himself. Then, he traveled back to the valley that had been razed to the ground.


    The area within a radius of 1,000 kilometers was in chaos. Chen Yiming had deliberately controlled his strength to destroy the terrain with a casual strike.


    Canyon-like ravines, pit-like holes, endless belts of rubble, and so on could be seen everywhere.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When the golden ape saw who it was, it was stunned for a moment. Then, it quickly suppressed the energy in its body and shrank to a height of just over a meter. It only reached Chen Yiming¡¯s waist and ran over with a fawning expression.


    Many of the terrifying creatures who were spying on them cursed in their hearts, ¡°Is this still the golden ape king? How shameless.¡±


    In the next second, some of the terrifying creatures became anxious.


    With the golden ape around, it was not easy for them to appear and offer their allegiance to the Peacekeeping Alliance.


    After all, if they only appeared now, it would seem too deliberate. The other party would not really take a second look at them, and there was a high chance that they would be ignored.


    ¡°Compared to the level of power I sensed before I traveled through space, the two dragon gods are much weaker now!¡± Chen Yiming said calmly.


    There was a hint of regret in his tone, as if he was not satisfied with the battle just now and had failed to meet his expectations.


    The golden ape said obsequiously, ¡°Sir, not long ago, a treasure tree grew at the core of this world. The three dragon gods ate the fruits of the tree and broke through to the god realm.¡±


    ¡°The power you¡¯re talking about should be the red light that killed the dark creatures. The red light needs the three dragon gods to gather at the core of the world, and it can only be activated with the help of the treasure tree.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled faintly. ¡°So that invisible barrier was set up in case I have hidden motives regarding the treasure tree in your world.¡±


    The golden ape smiled and nodded.


    Chen Yiming shook his head and continued, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡±


    ¡°If the three dragon gods in your world, who have the right to speak for this world, think that they can deal with the black tide themselves, I naturally won¡¯t forcefully interfere with the black tide¡¯s actions in this galaxy.¡±

 Chapter 405 - Putting up an Act Again

    At the center of the plate-shaped world was an invisible barrier.


    The barrier had existed for many years, and the exact time it appeared was no longer traceable. In the past, the creatures of this world had recognized the interior of the barrier as the most dangerous place in the world.


    The reason why the most dangerous place was so famous was because more than once, a terrifying creature had entered it and tried to reach the ultimate secret inside, but failed.


    In the end, they did not return and no one heard from them again.


    Recently, the three dragon gods had solved a portion of the puzzle. The barrier, including everything inside, was related to a treasure tree that had grown out of it.


    Of course, it was also possible that when the treasure tree grew to a certain stage, it would take the initiative to communicate with the world. The three dragon gods were just lucky.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The roars of the dragons echoed through the cliffs, as if they were in the country of the dragons.


    In the center of the invisible barrier was a circle of tall mountains and canyons. In the canyon was the place where the treasure tree grew, and also the center of the former forbidden area that living creatures were not allowed to approach.


    At this moment, the three dragon gods had completely restrained the flames burning all over their bodies. Red scales appeared on their bodies one after another, and their bodies were lying on the ground.


    In front of them was a strange treasure tree. The tree was not more than a meter in height, and it was completely red with two green and red fruits hanging from it.


    The branches without fruits only had about 10 leaves each with fiery red patterns.


    The surroundings were quiet, and only the occasional roar of the dragons could be heard from afar. At the same time, the treasure tree was constantly releasing a dense fog.


    This dense fog was transformed by the treasure tree. It had surrounded the tree for many years and had gradually been absorbed by its fruits, which turned from green to red.


    After some time, one of the dragon gods woke up from its slumber. It was the one who had stayed behind in the invisible barrier and didn¡¯t participate in testing Chen Yiming. It was also the oldest and strongest of the three dragon gods.


    ¡°Big Brother, what did the tree spirit say?¡±


    The anxiety on the faces of the two dragon gods dissipated and they asked impatiently.


    The battle with the member of the Peacekeeping Alliance from the central galaxy had almost destroyed the confidence of the two dragon gods. It also showed that their isolated world was too weak.


    This level of weakness made the two dragon gods wonder if they had gone astray in their cultivation. Otherwise, why would they be defeated by someone who was only close to a god?


    It had to be known that the power they had mastered was the power of the world. This was a power that only gods could possess, and they could easily crush the terrifying creatures at the fusion realm in this world.


    On the other hand, their opponent did not display much of his abilities. He only had a space-manipulation ability that was hard to guard against, and a powerful physique. It could be seen that those from the Peacekeeping Alliance of the central galaxy were unimaginably powerful.


    ¡°The tree spirit told us to follow our original plan and ignore that intruder.¡±


    The oldest dragon god paused before speaking.


    ¡°But¡­ That person is from the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance. They are tracking the traces of the black tide, and he is only an ordinary member.¡±


    The two dragon gods, who had lost their confidence, did not follow the order unconditionally. Instead, they hesitated.


    ¡°This outsider is indeed mysterious and powerful. However, if he does not sincerely wish to rescue the worlds that have been invaded by the black tide, or rather, if it is convenient for him to do so¡­¡±


    The oldest dragon god had only expressed part of its thoughts, but the issue was already clear.


    The space-manipulation ability of the intruder could be activated very quickly. It was not the slow type. To the three dragon gods, even the treasure tree seemed to be an unsolvable problem.


    This also caused the dragon gods and the treasure tree to hope that the other party was sincere about saving the worlds that had been invaded by the black tide, but they were also cautious about the intruder.


    This concern was not limited to the dragon god. The treasure tree was also afraid that it would be forcefully taken away. After all, if it was taken away, its fate would be out of its control.


    ¡°Big Brother, then should we explain to that person about how we are trying to combine the five worlds and help the treasure tree undergo another transformation to face the impending crisis?¡±


    The two dragon gods asked again. When it came to the mysterious outsider, they had also become cautious.


    ¡°The two of you will be in charge of contacting the other party. However, the existence of the treasure tree must have been revealed to the other party by the golden ape already. It¡¯s unrealistic to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°This way, other than some things that we should keep secret, we can only openly tell the other party about the operation to merge the five worlds.¡±


    ¡°If the outsider is really here to save the worlds that have been invaded by the black tide, he will definitely not object or stop us from saving ourselves.¡±


    The oldest dragon god pondered for a moment before saying slowly.


    These instructions were not the treasure tree¡¯s arrangements. The treasure tree only revealed its intention, which was to fuse the cores of the five worlds together according to the previous agreement.


    The larger and more fertile the soil, the more the treasure tree could evolve.


    To the treasure tree, the three dragon gods were only its subordinates. For example, it could let the three dragon gods eat a ripe fruit and raise them to the level of gods.


    The reason was that the three dragon gods could only help the treasure tree when their strength reached a certain level. By carrying out the will of the treasure tree, they could also hide the existence of the treasure tree from the outside world to a certain extent.


    Soon, the two dragon gods flew up and left the mountain valley.


    ¡­


    Just as the three dragon gods were discussing things, a terrifying creature appeared where Chen Yiming and the golden ape were.


    An elk, its body emitting a faint blue light, emerged from the messy forest and ran over.


    The faint blue light came from a layer of protective energy that flowed along the surface of its body like water. It was also accompanied by electric sparks that jumped out from time to time. It was breathtaking at first glance.


    Then, another terrifying creature appeared. It looked like a tiger but also like a cat. Its entire body was silver-white, and its body looked a little weak. At the same time, it was glowing with a purple light.


    Wherever it passed, illusions appeared.


    ¡°Did the dragon gods send the two of you here because they were worried that I would snatch the treasure tree from your world?¡±


    Chen Yiming said on purpose as he looked at the two terrifying creatures.


    At this moment, his status was that of a member of the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance. He should treat all the creatures of this world the same way.


    Whether it was at the level of the near-god realm or at the level of gods who had mastered the power of the world, they had to be treated equally.


    As soon as he said this, the white cat, who was already a little nervous, was shocked. In an instant, the face of a tiger appeared.


    The weak-looking white cat actually had two forms. One was its normal form, and the other was its combat form. Its innate ability could also be switched between the two forms at will.


    In reality, among those at the level of the fusion realm in the plate-shaped world, the white cat¡¯s overall ability was considered to be extremely outstanding. It had previously killed many dragons.


    However, it was also because of these achievements that the white cat had been forced to disappear and hide away after the three dragon gods appeared.


    ¡°Sir, we are not close to the three dragon gods, so we don¡¯t know what they are thinking.¡±


    ¡°The two of us came because we hope to help rescue the world that has been invaded by the black tide.¡±


    ¡°The black tide once caused this world to fall into complete darkness. It is the enemy of all the creatures that grew up in this world.¡±


    The blue elk continued to jog forward and came up to Chen Yiming to explain itself.


    As it spoke, the white cat had already returned to its delicate appearance and followed behind the blue elk. Facing the mysterious outsider who could destroy the dragon god¡¯s body with one strike, it could not remain calm at all.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming nodded.


    From the looks of it, the purpose of the two terrifying creatures was to join him. As for their relationship with the three dragon gods, it was just an excuse. If an excuse did not work, he could find other excuses.


    Of course, he did not mind. With the native terrifying creatures taking the initiative to join him, it would save him a lot of time to understand the five worlds in this galaxy.


    Of course, he did not mind. With the native terrifying creatures taking the initiative to join him, it would save him a lot of time to understand the five worlds in the starry sky.


    This was the change brought about by his status. If he came to the plate-shaped world as the strongest human on the blue planet where he cultivated, the three dragon gods would probably shoot him with a red light on the spot.


    If he didn¡¯t die, they would use the fire domain that they had used previously to kill the dark creatures.


    The golden ape at the side gradually had a bitter expression on its face, but it could not say anything. It vaguely felt that it had welcomed a competitor, and two at once.


    As time passed, if it could not continue to show the value of its existence, it would gradually be ignored and forgotten. It would have missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    At this moment, the white cat gradually calmed down. It quickly took the initiative to explain its abilities to Chen Yiming.


    The blue elk and golden ape also reported in detail what they were good at.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The white cat¡¯s illusion ability has never failed in front of the dark creatures. This means that it can be considered a bloodline talent.¡±


    Chen Yiming followed the system¡¯s definition of talent and continued, ¡°When necessary, I will break through the barrier set up by the black tide. White cat, I hope you can bring back enough details about the situation inside.¡±


    ¡°Golden ape, you have an incomplete body of anger. Your rage can allow you to maintain your battle intent at an extremely high level. In a life-and-death battle of the same level, you can automatically forget any concerns about death and become stronger as you fight.¡±


    ¡°Work with the white cat. You are mainly responsible for dealing with the dark creatures that are more troublesome.¡±


    ¡°The blue elk is good at both water and lightning elemental abilities. It has an incomplete elemental physique and is one of the fastest among those of the same level.¡±


    ¡°In that case, stay by my side for the time being. In the future, when the white cat and the golden ape move out, you will be in charge of passing on my orders to them.¡±


    Chen Yiming assigned the suitable roles according to what the terrifying creatures were best at. His tone also carried a hint of a test.


    This made the golden ape, the blue elk, and the white cat heave sighs of relief.


    If they were in his shoes, and had come from the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance, there was a high chance that they would have done the same. Not only that, but there would also be more terrifying creatures looking for a suitable opportunity to join them in the future.


    At the level of the fusion realm, every terrifying creature had a high level of intelligence. Before they displayed enough value, they would not propose any conditions. No terrifying creature would be so stupid.


    In fact, after resolving the problem of the black tide, it was not strange even if none of the terrifying creatures could leave with him.


    Going to the central galaxy was just a fantasy. It was an opportunity that the terrifying creatures of this world one-sidedly hoped to grasp.


    Soon, the blue elk lowered its body and willingly became Chen Yiming¡¯s mount. It wanted to bring Chen Yiming around their world to check the traces left behind by the black tide.


    Chen Yiming knew that there was a high chance that the place where the war weapon was stored had been destroyed by the three dragon gods.


    He did not refuse and happily mounted the blue elk. Its fur was very soft and comfortable under the nourishment of the water energy. Riding on it had the effect of washing away the fatigue in his body.


    The golden ape and the white cat followed on both sides.


    Just like that, they gradually disappeared into the distance.


    At the same time, the white cat¡¯s illusion ability was automatically activated, causing all the creatures hiding in the dark to lose sight of them. They would no longer be able to find Chen Yiming¡¯s position.


    This also included the two dragon gods who arrived not long after.


    Seeing that he had already left, they could only give up for the time being. They didn¡¯t manage to let Chen Yiming know about the plan to fuse the five worlds.


    ¡­


    The black water pit was originally called the black water lake.


    In the plate-shaped world, it was just a lake. On the blue planet, it would be even larger than the Pacific Ocean. At a glance, there was a layer of black substance left in the dry black hole.


    The blue elk stopped in front of the black water pit and explained, ¡°After the three dragon gods appeared, it¡¯s said that they obtained the help of the treasure tree and worked together to destroy the war weapon left behind by the black tide.¡±


    ¡°That day, after the war weapon was destroyed, countless sinister ghost shadows were about to spread throughout the entire world. Even the dragon gods could not stop them.¡±


    ¡°In the end, the fire domain was formed by several red lights. Only then did it burn all the shadows away and keep them from spreading out.¡±


    ¡°This black substance was left behind after the black water in the lake evaporated. Other than its abnormal toughness, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special about it.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and leaped off the elk¡¯s back, arriving at the black water pit.


    He picked up a small piece of the black substance and pinched it a few times. He thought to himself, ¡°Could it be that this is the raw material for the advanced material used in the special sealed item that was once used to kill me?¡±


    The color had changed from purple to black. It should be the result of being attacked by the three dragon gods and being burned by the red light. The quality of the material was greatly reduced compared to the sticky substance.


    However, just by comparing its toughness, the black substance in his hand seemed to have been greatly enhanced in this aspect.


    On second thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t the substance in this black water pit the best way to expand the number of human spaceships?¡±


    If the relevant facilities could handle the large amount of substance in the black water pit that were slightly wider than the Pacific Ocean on the blue planet, they could even produce hundreds or thousands of spaceships.


    Chen Yiming quickly looked away and let go of the black substance in his hand.


    The reality was that with the current industrial capacity of humans, it was not enough to meet the needs of the spaceships being built, let alone scaling up to hundreds or thousands of spaceships.


    The golden ape scratched the back of its head and faced the black water pit in frustration. It thought all the way until it reached the black water pit, but it could not think of any particularly valuable information.


    The white cat jumped to a spot on the same level as Chen Yiming and said, ¡°I once stayed near the black water pit and observed it secretly. I discovered that there were some abnormal movements in the night.¡±


    ¡°Although I didn¡¯t go close to verify it myself, I sensed the aura of the dark creatures around the black water pit for a while.¡±


    ¡°The aura of the dark creatures is completely different from ordinary creatures. I can confirm that I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    Before the white cat finished speaking, Chen Yiming entered the state of super perception.


    Under his enhanced senses, he sensed that there were indeed a few abnormalities in the black water pit, just as the white cat had said.


    However, what the white cat sensed was different from what he sensed. There were also strange spatial fluctuations in those abnormal places.


    Clearly, it had not been exposed all this while. Except for the white cat, others would not have noticed it if they did not go up close. They might even fall into the trap set by the dark creatures.


    Chen Yiming pointed at a few spots and said calmly, ¡°White cat, you were right to observe carefully. There are abnormal spatial fluctuations at those spots.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t even have a little space-manipulation talent, or if you are very insensitive when it comes to spatial fluctuations, it¡¯s very dangerous for you to approach rashly. It¡¯s very likely that you won¡¯t be able to walk out of here alive.¡±


    At the end, he added, ¡°In your world, space-manipulation abilities are rare. However, in the central galaxy, and among the black tide that can reach out to the entire universe, the situation is completely different.¡±


    ¡°Often, even without the ability to manipulate space, I can still use external forces to achieve a similar effect. Even when I face the black tide, I have to track its traces carefully.¡±


    ¡°I once fell into a trap by mistake and was almost killed by the forces left behind by the black tide. If it was someone else who didn¡¯t have the ability to teleport, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.¡±


    Chen Yiming modified the story of him being under siege and said seriously.


    The golden ape, the elk, and the white cat pricked up their ears and memorized every word. They gasped quietly in their hearts.


    ¡°If it was someone else who didn¡¯t have the ability to teleport, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape. He must be referring to someone like the three dragon gods or someone stronger than them.¡±


    In the hearts of the three terrifying creatures, the dragon gods had easily been defeated by Chen Yiming a few times in a row. They had lost completely and were completely crushed.


    If not for the fact that he was from the central galaxy, the bodies of the two dragon gods would have been destroyed along with their inner worlds.


    The consecutive show that he put on made the three terrifying creatures believe in Chen Yiming¡¯s identity even more. He appeared to be both mysterious and powerful.


    Chen Yiming waited for the golden ape, the elk, and the white cat to catch their breaths before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the abnormal spots one by one later to clean up the dark creatures left behind in the black water pit. We won¡¯t leave any spies behind from the black tide.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the golden ape, the elk, and the white cat¡¯s gazes turned solemn.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t dare to. They were afraid of the power of the dark creatures, but that they truly valued this opportunity. They thought that this was the first test Chen Yiming was giving them.


    If they could not even deal with the dark creatures left behind in the world, how could they have the face to go to the other four worlds in the galaxy that had been completely occupied by the black tide?

 Chapter 406 - The Countless Tentacles of the Black Tide

    The endless black water pit was densely packed with black, and not a single blade of grass grew there. There was only a single color in it.


    From time to time, large birds would turn around in the sky, unwilling to go deep into the sky above the black water pit. This was the deterrence that the remnants of war weapon still had after it was destroyed.


    If one entered the black water pit alone, it would be like entering a world made of black. Even if nothing happened, fear would still grow in them.


    Chen Yiming led the golden ape, the elk, and the white cat to the nearest location with abnormal spatial fluctuations. They were more than 1,000 kilometers away from the edge of the black water pit.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since any prey has taken the initiative to come knocking on my door.¡±


    Laughter sounded from under a puddle of water.


    The water in the puddle came from the rain, but under the reflection of the black substance, it looked as dark as ink. Without going down personally, one would not know the depth of the puddle.


    There were three dark creatures hiding under the puddle.


    However, there was not a single drop of water around them. Instead, it was a relatively large space that was hundreds of meters in length, width and height. On the ground in the middle of the space, there were a few black clubs.


    ¡°One, two, three, four.¡±


    One of the dark creatures had a bone mask on its face and was covered in black fur. It counted the number of the new arrivals and said, ¡°They are indeed coming in our direction, but it¡¯s three against four. If we take the initiative to attack, it¡¯s easy for some of them to escape.¡±


    At this moment, an excited voice sounded from the side.


    ¡°This is too simple. When they come in, we can control the black club to launch a sneak attack and kill one of them first. Won¡¯t it be three against three then? We also won¡¯t have to worry about the information being leaked.¡±


    ¡°Those three stupid dragons really think that the power of the treasure tree is invincible. Little did they know that as long as it was willing to pay the price, the tentacles of the black tide could reach any location in the universe.¡±


    ¡°Just you wait. When darkness descends on this world again, we¡¯ll eat those three stupid dragons first.¡±


    The terrifying creatures that had transformed into dark creatures had a special physique like the body of darkness. The negative energy that was everywhere in the world was the source of their energy, and it was almost inexhaustible.


    In battle, this type of physique could also absorb the fear, panic, nervousness, and so on that were born from facing the dark creatures. It could also increase one¡¯s fighting spirit.


    Therefore, in a battle of the same level, there were few who were a match for them. In a one-on-one battle, they were confident that their prey would not have a chance to escape.


    Soon, as Chen Yiming¡¯s team got closer and closer, the puddle returned to its calm state. It was as if it was a normal place where water had gathered.


    ¡­


    The sky was clear and the clouds were thin.


    The plate-shaped world seemed to have become more lively after the thousands of dark creatures were killed not long ago.


    This was the result of the world¡¯s will and the will of the living beings being cleansed after defeating the invading enemies that were at the level of taking over their world.


    However, there were still hidden dangers.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s team arrived near the puddle where the abnormal spatial fluctuations were.


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the first blockade. A layer of invisible membrane with the space attribute is dividing the puddle into two.¡±


    Under the influence of his super perception, the barrier was completely exposed to Chen Yiming.


    He saw a square space under the puddle. Due to the fact that it was relatively close by, three black shadows could be vaguely seen, which meant that three dark creatures were hiding there.


    Chen Yiming roughly explained the situation to the golden ape, elk, and white cat.


    When the golden ape heard this, the muscles in its arms bulged as it took an excited step forward. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. Let¡¯s break through that invisible barrier first.¡±


    It was three against three, and each of them had been assigned a dark creature as their opponent. The golden ape, who was good at fighting head-on, realized that this was a good opportunity for it to perform.


    The elk glanced at the golden ape as if it was looking at a fool.


    Unlike the golden ape, it had restrained the faint blue light on its body.


    The white cat was similar to the elk. It even meowed, making its body appear more weak and delicate so that it would more likely be ignored or belittled.


    ¡°With the personality and intelligence of the elk and the white cat, they won¡¯t make any mistakes easily. On the other hand, the golden ape clearly has a violent fighting style. It¡¯s fine when facing a single enemy of the same level, but¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming took in the behavior of the three terrifying creatures around him.


    If the golden ape fought the elk and the white cat separately, there was a high chance that the golden ape would be the strongest in terms of direct combat strength. The elk specialized in long-range continuous combat, while the white cat specialized in sudden attacks.


    ¡°It seems that I can¡¯t let the golden ape carry out the orders alone. There¡¯s actually no need for them to be involved in a real battle. Let¡¯s follow the original plan and let the white cat and the golden ape move together.¡±


    The golden ape was excitedly waiting for Chen Yiming to give the order. Little did it know that in the future, it would have to follow the white cat¡¯s orders.


    Such a position of purely being a fighter was often not indispensable, unless one could become stronger and stronger one day and further evolve to the level of a god.


    Soon, Chen Yiming said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly. I¡¯ll break the invisible barrier, and leave the three dark creatures inside to you.¡±


    With that, he controlled the space anchor in his body and threw it in the direction of the puddle.


    The space anchor could also transform into a powerful weapon when facing certain things that had the space attribute, such as barriers, space-travel passages, and so on.


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack¡­¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the space anchor reached the bottom of the puddle and pierced through the barrier dozens of times. The invisible membrane exploded, revealing the three dark creatures behind.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Facing this sudden change, the three dark creatures were all shocked.


    The barrier forming the space under the puddle that they were hiding was essentially the same as the invisible membrane released by the first blockade when the black tide sealed off a world.


    The space attribute contained in it could transfer away a large amount of the damage it received.


    In addition, this invisible membrane was made of a tough material and had the ability to automatically repair itself. Unless one had the power of the world, the chances of breaking out of a sealed world were slim.


    For example, the space-manipulation ability of one of the terrifying creatures, the huge eye, could temporarily distort space and create a short-range space-travel passage.


    If it wanted to distort any part of this invisible membrane, the power of distortion would be spread over a large area, and it would be equivalent to fighting against the power of the entire blockade.


    Therefore, even terrifying creatures with spatial abilities could not easily break through the seal of this invisible membrane.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The golden ape¡¯s suppressed desire to fight had long been aroused. It was the first to leap out and gather its essence, energy, and spirit into its fist to attack the dark creature with the bone mask.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    The faint blue light on the elk¡¯s body suddenly became so strong that it turned the surrounding area into a lightning domain filled with mist. As the mist filled up the area, there was no blind spot in the lightning domain.


    Then, the elk¡¯s figure fused into the lightning domain. Compared to the golden ape, it was actually the first to arrive. In the blink of an eye, it had arrived in front of one of the dark creatures.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The white cat let out a roar that did not match its appearance. The clouds in the sky shattered and dispersed, and a small portion of the plate-shaped world shook.


    In the next moment, a ferocious-looking white tiger suddenly leaped out and pounced at one of the dark creatures. Its claws flickered with white light, and claw marks appeared along the way.


    Clearly, the sharp claws that were flickering with white light were at the top level of attack power below the level of the power of the world. Compared to the golden ape and the elk, the strength of its sudden attack was very obvious.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    A battle broke out. The terrifying creatures from the plate-shaped world faced the dark creatures. It was three against three, and the numbers were completely equal on both sides.


    At the same time, the commotion caused quickly alarmed the entire plate-like world.


    ¡­


    ¡°A battle is happening in the direction of the black water pit.¡±


    A terrifying creature walked out of its territory and looked over in that direction through the countless obstacles.


    The black water pit had always been a place that many creatures were watching. However, the dark creatures relied on the external forces from the black tide to interfere with what they could see. They knew that it was located in a certain area, but they could not determine its exact location.


    The power of the treasure tree would not be used easily. They would prioritize its growth and transformation. The three dragon gods would naturally spend their time on carrying out the treasure tree¡¯s orders.


    The remaining dark creatures were only small fries. A small amount of surveillance was tolerated.


    As long as they completed the plan to fuse the five worlds, the treasure tree would grow further. The small number of remaining dark creatures would not be able to cause any trouble.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the person from the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance. Have they started to deal with the tentacles left behind by the black tide in this world?¡±


    Soon, the news spread.


    Many of the terrifying creatures who were still waiting for an opportunity were extremely envious of the golden ape, the elk, and the white cat. It had only been a short while, but they had already gained a certain level of trust from the visitor.


    However, even though they were envious, they still had the patience to wait for the right opportunity. After all, the forces left behind by the black tide in the galaxy was mainly concentrated in the other four worlds.


    The progress they had made so far might not even be 1%. There were still many chances to join, make a contribution, and attract attention. Even if they joined early, they might not be the one to have the last laugh.


    In the circular valley where the core of the world was located, at this moment, the two dragon gods had already returned to the side of the treasure tree. The three dragon gods were also alarmed by the commotion from the battle in the black water pit.


    ¡°The location where the remaining dark creatures are hiding was actually discovered so easily.¡±


    The oldest dragon god used the power of the world to project its gaze above the black water pit. After a long time, it spoke slowly.


    This outcome was both shocking and expected. Chen Yiming had already indicated that he had arrived to help the world that had been invaded by the black tide because he had discovered signs of the black tide in the galaxy.


    His background was vaguely on the same level as the black tide. If he took a lot of time to deal with the remaining dark creatures in the world, how could the Dragon God not be suspicious?


    But now, Chen Yiming was leading the three terrifying creatures to quickly clean up the hidden dangers in the black water pit. The dark creatures had nowhere to hide.


    Seeing this, most of the suspicion in the dragon gods¡¯ hearts dissipated. The only thing left was that they were worried that Chen Yiming would use his power to snatch the treasure tree after resolving the problem of the black tide.


    In reality, this suspicion was correct. The female spirit had secretly revealed the existence of the treasure tree to Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Big Brother, it looks like the plan to fuse the five worlds will go more smoothly than we thought because of the help from this powerful person.¡±


    The other two dragon gods became more optimistic. They had almost completely forgotten the embarrassment of having their bodies destroyed by someone who was only close to a god.


    It was as if they were certain that the other party came from the central galaxy, which was a place that was much stronger than the five worlds in their galaxy.


    Naturally, it was not something that they could compare to. It was not embarrassing to be defeated by someone of a higher level than them.


    The oldest dragon god growled in agreement.


    These dark creatures were left behind in the invading world by the black tide and could be considered important spies. If they were all wiped out, the plan to fuse the five worlds would undoubtedly be much smoother.


    In fact, with the power of the treasure tree supporting them, they could quickly eliminate the remaining forces from the black tide in the other four worlds.


    ¡°The treasure tree can grow further, and this person with an extraordinary background is only at the level of the fusion realm.¡±


    The three dragon gods thought about it. If the plan went smoothly, their previous worries would be resolved. They would become stronger first and gain the upper hand.


    After all, the treasure tree was not an inanimate object. It had its own will and would not be controlled by the weak.


    ¡­


    At this moment, the first battle in the black water pit had already ended.


    Chen Yiming understood how the golden ape, elk, and white cat fought from the way they reacted when facing the dark creatures. With just a little effort, they had instantly killed the three dark creatures.


    With just a few rounds of battle, even the black water pit within a radius of 1,000 kilometers could not withstand it, and the terrain changed.


    However, the black substance covering the ground had a powerful ability to repair itself. Soon, the gaps were automatically filled up, and the black water pit returned to its original state.


    ¡°A black club made of an unknown substance?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the only thing that had survived the battle.


    He did not make any move to go forward and investigate. After all, as someone who came from the central galaxy to track down the traces of the black tide, it was impossible for him not to know about the black club.


    ¡°This black club is really troublesome. If the dark creatures can use it to appear from thin air, it¡¯s impossible to stop the black tide from extending its reach to the entire world.¡±


    As the elk spoke, it stepped forward and used the antlers on its head to point at the black club.


    A blue light blossomed as the strongest single-target attack from the combination of essence, energy, and spirit struck the black club. However, the black club remained firmly in place and only swayed slightly, without taking any damage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s attack together. This way, we can deal with the black club faster.¡±


    The golden ape and the white cat followed suit and also unleashed their combined attacks.


    The three terrifying creatures attacked three consecutive times before a crack finally appeared on the black club. In the fourth round, a large number of cracks began to appear on the black club. In the fifth round, the black club was completely destroyed.


    ¡°A spatial fluctuation has appeared at the end of the black stick that is connected to outer space.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s super perception detected it, so he controlled the space anchor and threw it into the center of the spatial fluctuation.


    Soon, he saw a scene from the perspective of a space anchor. In a damp cave with a cold wind, a huge creature whose appearance could not be seen clearly was there.


    The other end of the black club was this huge creature, which extended a part of its body through space.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not within the range of my super perception. Its true location might be in one of the other four worlds, or it might not even be in this galaxy.¡±


    Chen Yiming only had one space anchor left, so he had no choice but to retrieve it. It was a pity that he had to let this space anchor return to him.


    To him, the location of the space anchor related to the foundation base would very likely bring him countless Skill Points in the future after he solved the mystery behind it.


    As for those related to the black tide, if he could not obtain Skill Points, they would definitely be of lower importance to him.


    Next, Chen Yiming led the golden ape, elk, and white cat to continue clearing the other abnormal spots in the black water pit. With him personally participating, their progress was very fast.


    It didn¡¯t take long for more than 100 dark creatures to be found. Without a doubt, they were not able to escape Chen Yiming¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many abnormal locations.¡±


    The white cat had returned to its delicate body from its tiger form, but its face was still filled with shock. The fact was that there was a high chance that the three dragon gods were still in the dark about their home almost being taken over.


    At this moment, the three dragon gods were indeed furious. They did not expect that so many dark creatures had already been planted on this former battlefield.


    Although there was a difference of about a magnitude between hundreds and thousands, it was not long ago when the thousands of dark creatures had been stopped from entering the world.


    Now, these hundreds of dark creatures had already successfully descended to the world and acted as spies. The meaning behind this was completely different.


    Furthermore, other than the black water pit, were there no other dark creatures hiding in the other areas of the world?


    ¡°What!¡±


    Many terrifying creatures who were also secretly paying attention felt their bodies turn cold. They were worried that there were dark creatures around them, and that their every move was being watched.


    Initially, everyone thought that when the three dragon gods had destroyed the war weapon and the blockades, they had also wiped out the dark creatures in their world.


    Then, even if there were still some dark creatures left, it would be a small problem. The plate-shaped world had come alive again and returned to a state where the native creatures could take the initiative to attack.


    However, the truth in front of them showed that it was too early to be happy about it. The hidden tentacles of the black tide had unknowingly spread out.


    From darkness to light, then to darkness again, was something that may happen not too long after.


    After walking out of the black water pit, the golden ape, the elk, and the white cat were still in low spirits.


    Chen Yiming remained calm, as if everything had gone according to plan.


    ¡°In this world, the black tide seems to be an unstoppable force. The biggest problem lies in the other three worlds that have been occupied.¡±


    Due to some unavoidable factors, there were no longer any living creatures in the dark forest world. It was a dead world.


    ¡°With those three worlds continuously providing negative emotions for the black tide to continue harvesting, the victory of the plate-shaped world will only be a temporary victory.¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, the counterattack from the black tide is already brewing. There won¡¯t be much time left.¡±


    In reality, it wasn¡¯t just the three dragon gods and the treasure tree that had set their sights on them. Chen Yiming had also set his eyes on the cores of the other four worlds.

 Chapter 407 - Sudden Change in the Situation

    In the blink of an eye, the sky gradually darkened.


    In the plate-shaped world, many forces of darkness were quickly recovering.


    From the dragon gods to the terrifying creatures, they all walked out of their territory and released their auras to intimidate the dark power that was about to erupt.


    The reason was not because of the counterattack from the black tide, but because after Chen Yiming eliminated the hidden dangers in the black water pit, he continued to eliminate the other hidden dangers in the other areas of the plate-shaped world.


    The dark creatures were killed one after another, but there were always remnants of the dark power left behind. The entire world seemed to have shuddered as the temperature decreased.


    ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­¡±


    Two of the three dragon gods flew into the sky and cooperated with the world¡¯s will, turning the world into a cage. They isolated the world from the outside and did not allow anyone to enter or leave.


    The world¡¯s will clearly hated the dark creatures to the core. It treated them like parasites and took every opportunity to attack them to prevent the dark aura from contaminating this world.


    ¡°This is forcing the hidden dark creatures into a corner! However, this is also an opportunity for us to show off and obtain a brighter future,¡± a terrifying creature said in a low voice.


    Just as he had said when he first appeared in this world, Chen Yiming was acting as a member of the Peacekeeping Alliance to rescue the world that had been invaded by the black tide.


    Soon, the terrifying creatures moved.


    They did not need to fight the dark creatures to the death. They only needed to stall for a moment until the dark creatures started to panic on their own.


    This was because the dragon gods were watching from the sky, and there was a God of Death who seemed to be almost everywhere at once, searching for abnormal places all over the world with his super perceptive state.


    The dark creatures would be easily killed by this God of Death.


    As for the creatures below the fusion realm, they also felt the pressure brought about by the darkness. However, they were too weak.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    A cloud leopard that was emitting a green light and had a fierce expression roared a warning at a cliff in its territory. An abnormal sense of oppression came from there.


    The wind that blew past turned into wind blades that circled around its body. Wherever they passed, huge trees collapsed and boulders were cut into pieces, and it was like a natural disaster.


    This cloud leopard was born with an affinity for the wind. It had been enhanced by the power of the wind since it was young, and was powerful and fierce in combat. It was extremely good at hunting, and had become an overlord since it became an adult.


    However, a black club suddenly shot out from the concave wall of the cliff.


    In the cloud leopard¡¯s eyes, the black club moved too quickly, and was so fast that even it, who had an advantage in speed, could not react in time. It could only release its spiritual power to the limit and control the wind blades around it to meet the incoming blow.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The wind blades were like tofu when faced with the black club and did not pose any resistance to it at all. The black club easily pierced through all the wind blades in its path and pierced through the cloud leopard¡¯s heart.


    The cloud leopard felt a sense of pain. This pain was not only coming from its body, but also from its mind. It was losing control of its body.


    Then, the cloud leopard struggled a few times before the black club and its body retreated from its spot on the cliff.


    Creatures who had mastered the power of nature often easily ruled over a small area. However, against the dark creatures, they were usually just treated as prey.


    The suppressed aura suddenly appeared and quickly disappeared, while the aura of the cloud leopard completely disappeared, causing the territory occupied by the cloud leopard to fall into chaos.


    Creatures who had not even mastered the power of nature and had only mastered a little supernatural power could only hide in their hiding places and tremble.


    Occasionally, a wisp of dark aura would drift over, scaring them out of their wits. Every time they made a choice, whether to stay where they were or move to another hiding place, it was a gamble that they would risk their lives.


    Occasionally, a wisp of dark aura would drift over, scaring them out of their wits. Every time they made a choice, whether to stay where they were or move to another hiding place, it was a gamble with their lives at stake.


    If one was touched by the dark aura, their will would completely be taken over by it, and they would turn into crazy beasts that only knew how to kill.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    The dark power in the entire plate-shaped world instantly erupted.


    Knowing that if they continued to hide, they would only die, the dark creatures walked out of their hiding place and a conflict broke out.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A ball of yellow light exploded on the sand, and thick smoke rose into the sky. The ground was like dry soil, and cracks appeared everywhere.


    In the next moment, the yellow light that seemed to be able to illuminate the world turned dark again after a black fog drifted past. Only an invisible shock wave was left behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s the desert crocodile. It¡¯s intercepting the dark creatures that are trying to break out of the encirclement.¡±


    The first conflict at the level of the fusion realm started, and countless gazes immediately turned to the battlefield.


    A huge pit appeared in the sand. A crocodile mouth covered in metal barbs that was so large it could swallow an asteroid snapped at a dark creature nearby.


    This dark creature had perfectly fused with the darkness of the night. It was impossible to see its appearance clearly, and it did not seem to have a fixed form.


    Soon, as the conflict intensified, the mouth of a fish appeared from the thick black fog from time to time. It was about the size of the crocodile¡¯s mouth.


    The two huge creatures started to fight in close combat. The ground completely collapsed, and the dust and black fog completely covered the battlefield.


    At the same time, in other areas, almost all the terrifying creatures were forced to participate in the conflict with the dark creatures. The main reason was that the actual number of dark creatures far exceeded their imagination.


    It was not even an exaggeration to say that each terrifying creature needed to face more than 10 dark creatures. The difference in strength between the two sides was huge.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The dragon gods in the sky were furious.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    It was as if a huge bell was ringing in the world, and the world¡¯s will was in a rage.


    The black tide had extended its tentacles into the world. With so many dark creatures, if they launched an attack that could hold back the three dragon gods, the hidden dark creatures could instantly crush this world.


    Soon, flames that spanned across the sky landed on the ground one after another. These flames were not ordinary flames, but flames formed by the power of the world.


    With the enhancement from the world¡¯s will, the two dragon gods became like perpetual motion machines, and the energy in their bodies was inexhaustible.


    In the face of the difference in strength, the dark creatures were constantly burned to ashes.


    The body of darkness was actually very powerful. There were also existences like Chen Yiming, who could fight someone of a higher level. However, there were no such existences in the five worlds in this galaxy.


    ¡°It¡¯s like walking on the brink of death.¡±


    Seeing this, the terrifying creatures heaved a sigh of relief. The dark creatures they encountered rarely engaged with them. Otherwise, if it was one against many, they would not be able to last long before being torn to pieces.


    In terms of physique and talent, there was no difference in level between the five worlds in this galaxy. Before the black tide invaded, there were those who were stronger and those who were weaker. They were considered to be at almost the same level.


    Therefore, after transforming into dark creatures and obtaining the body of darkness, their physique and talent would directly surpass all the terrifying creatures in the five worlds.


    Often, when facing one dark creature, two or even three terrifying creatures might not be able to take them down, let alone now that the other side had the advantage in numbers. The terrifying creatures were definitely on the weaker side.


    ¡­


    Above the clouds, dozens of black lights suddenly shot into the sky. Many black clubs were hidden in the black lights, and their target was the world cage formed by the world¡¯s will.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The entire world shook, and a hole appeared in the void. Starlight shone through the hole, and even the oldest dragon god guarding the treasure tree was alarmed.


    It turned out that the dark creatures had silently gathered together and seized the opportunity when the two dragon gods were distracted to create a hole in the cage formed by the world¡¯s will.


    Although the world cage was formed by the power of the world, it was not invulnerable. The dark creatures relied on the interference of the black clubs to instantly unleash power at the level of gods.


    In addition, there was an unknown power on them that prevented the power of the world from automatically repairing the hole.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect those black clubs to be so special when they were used as weapons.¡±


    Chen Yiming controlled the space anchor and threw it out. He marked the coordinates of the empty spot and observed the scene within it carefully.


    Above the clouds, the dozen or so dark creatures strangely did not immediately rush towards the gap in the void and escape the cage set up by the world¡¯s will.


    ¡°They first created a hole to attract all the attention to it. That¡¯s definitely not the true location from which they will escape. The two dragon gods are headed in that direction.¡±


    Chen Yiming saw through this simple diversion.


    In the history of human wars, similar strategies had been used too many times. He could even recite them backwards and repeat them word for word.


    ¡°The upcoming battle is no longer something you can participate in as you please.¡±


    ¡°Elk, stay where you are and wait for orders. The golden ape and the white cat will move together. Together with the other terrifying creatures, we will delay the escape of the dark creatures.¡±


    Chen Yiming had a feeling that his interference would cause a chain reaction. Hence, he turned around and instructed the golden ape, the elk, and the white cat.


    When the golden ape and the white cat heard this, they were a little disappointed. However, they instantly composed themselves and quickly left.


    As the first to submit to Chen Yiming, they still had an advantage. At the very least, they were carrying out Chen Yiming¡¯s orders.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and waited quietly. He planned to deal with the situation as it developed. At the same time, he went through the plan he had made when he left the blue planet.


    ¡°The initial plan was to work in secret. We would first break through the blockade on the blue planet and create signs that we wanted to leave the blue planet completely.¡±


    ¡°Then, I would secretly come to this world and gather as many forces as possible to create chaos for the black tide here. I can also obtain many benefits during the chaos.¡±


    ¡°Now, with my fake identity as a member of the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance, I have already obtained the approval of the plate-shaped world, including that of the three dragon gods. In other words, the step of consolidating our forces has been successfully completed.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the starry sky and thought to himself,


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve only been in this world for a short time, it¡¯s time to launch a counterattack against the black tide. If we wait any longer, there might be more variables when the black tide reacts.¡±


    He had been thinking about the core of the world that could provide him with a large number of Skill Points, just like the foundation bases of the dark forest world.


    Regardless of whether he decided to take the treasure tree away in the end, he would definitely have to obtain some benefits.


    On second thought, ¡°This status as a member of the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance seems to be very useful. I tricked the three dragon gods with it. Should I keep at it for the long term?¡±


    Chen Yiming was thinking that after humans left the blue planet in spaceships, they would become a wandering civilization before they found a new planet to live on.


    If they encountered an unfamiliar civilization or a cultivation world along the way, rashly interacting with them as a wandering civilization would often have the opposite effect, causing their interaction to have a bad outcome.


    ¡°On the other hand, if I continue to maintain this status and background, I can even continue to make this pie that doesn¡¯t exist bigger and rope in more powerful creatures to our side.¡±


    At this moment, he had the intention to make the Peacekeeping Alliance seem even stronger.


    The reason was that as the level of his Undying Body talent and the Giant talent continued to increase, the difference between him and others of the same level would increase. Without a doubt, this would provide evidence for the authenticity of his claims.


    The only hidden danger was the existence of powerful cultivation worlds in the central galaxy and whether there was actually an organization like the Peacekeeping Alliance.


    Just as Chen Yiming was thinking about how he could continue to use this fake identity to trick more people, the cage formed by the world¡¯s will was attacked from more than 10 directions.


    The black lights with the black clubs hidden inside created one hole after another in the cage. This meant that there were more than 10 escape routes.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The two dragon gods spat out a single stream of dragon breath at the places where most of the dark creatures had gathered. The terrifying flames formed by the power of the world pushed back dozens of dark creatures at once.


    Due to the distance, the lethality of the dragon¡¯s breath was lowered. It was more like a deterrent. If the dark creatures dared to go towards the holes in the cage, they should be prepared to be burned to death.


    However, the dark creatures had been waiting for this moment. How could they give up just like that?


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    They had created more than 10 holes in the cage, but this was not their final trump card. The 10 highest mountains in the world suddenly exploded.


    At the same time, as the mountains collapsed, unknown objects shot out towards the two dragon gods. They were large black nets, and each net was larger than the bodies of the dragon gods. There were more than a hundred of them in total.


    ¡°What is this!¡±


    The two dragon gods were shocked by the black nets that were closing in on them from all directions.


    Their intuition told them that the mountains had been tampered with at some point. The black nets were left behind to deal with the three dragon gods, so they would definitely be held back for the time being.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming felt helpless. He couldn¡¯t help the two dragon gods.


    The black tide took out more and more shocking items time and time again. If it were him, he could only use the space anchor to dodge in advance. Otherwise, it would be like the first time he was surrounded and forced to find a way to escape from the special sealed item.


    At this moment, the two dragon gods began to try to counterattack. Before they were trapped by the black nets, they spat out several dragon breaths in a row.


    The terrifying flames turned the black nets into nets of fire. However, due to the unknown material and special method used to create them, the dragon breath was unable to destroy them completely.


    The next moment.


    The two dragon gods were covered in large black nets that were still on fire. Then, they quickly fell to the ground, as if they had suddenly lost control of their own energy.


    ¡°Even a god who has mastered the power of the world can be restrained?¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow. The black net wasn¡¯t just made from tough materials. It could even severely affect the dragon gods¡¯ control over their own energy. Otherwise, the two dragon gods wouldn¡¯t have fallen from the sky.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk!¡±


    At this moment, faint laughter sounded out, but there were still no signs of the dark creatures escaping through the holes.


    This was very abnormal, as if they had no intention of escaping.


    ¡°It turns out that the holes in the cage were not used to escape at all. Instead, they were used to launch a counterattack. There should be more movements outside the world soon.¡±


    ¡°If I had appeared immediately to chase after the dark creatures, those black nets might have charged at me. There might even be more black nets hidden somewhere.¡±


    Chen Yiming realized this after some thought.


    There were still so many dark creatures at the level of the fusion realm. To the plate-shaped world, they were a very powerful force that needed to be taken seriously.


    However, to the black tide, they might only just be targets to be sacrificed. After all, the dark creatures seemed to have been created by the black tide whenever they invaded a world.


    In essence, as long as they continued to invade new worlds, there would never be a lack of dark creatures.


    As expected, Chen Yiming¡¯s thoughts were soon confirmed.


    At the center of this world, the invisible barrier suddenly disappeared, as if a huge glass barrier had exploded.


    In its place was a huge black net that covered a larger area on the surface and deep underground, binding the oldest dragon god and the treasure tree.


    On the branches of the treasure tree, the fiery patterns on the red leaves had clearly dimmed. That was the key to the dragon god activating the red light. Now, there was a huge problem.


    Perhaps even if it could forcefully use it, the power would not be as strong as before.


    At the same time, peace gradually returned to the world. The world¡¯s will no longer appeared, and it seemed to be suppressed by an unknown force.


    The cage that had more than 10 holes in it quickly collapsed, revealing the starry sky outside the world. A heavy pressure came from deep in space.


    This sudden change shocked the three dragon gods, the spirit in the treasure tree, and the terrifying creatures who had stopped when they saw that something was amiss and had distanced themselves from the dark creatures.


    It also shocked Chen Yiming.


    ¡°In the dark forest world, they put all the living creatures into a continuous nightmare. It was equivalent to squeezing out negative emotions over a short period of time to harvest them.¡±


    ¡°Now, for some unknown reason, after sacrificing all the living creatures on that world, they are switching from offense to defense in this world.¡±


    ¡°The three dragon gods destroyed all the arrangements of the black tide that occupied the plate-shaped world. The treasure tree was once buried by the female spirit, so it should be of extraordinary value to her. She took the initiative to communicate with me and asked me to snatch the treasure tree back.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the black tide¡¯s counterattack against the plate-shaped world must have been planned long ago. I just don¡¯t know if the other party was already fully prepared or if they were forced to launch a counterattack in advance due to my arrival adding an unknown factor to the equation.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze turned solemn. He glanced at the ring in his hand, but there was no reaction. Did that mean that there was no danger of death? Or was she afraid to communicate with him at this time?

 Chapter 408 - Humanity Decides to Escape

    Just as the dark creatures suddenly counterattacked and silenced the plate-shaped world at lightning speed, the source of the suppressed aura in deep space finally appeared.


    An ancient stone platform flew over. It was not big, only about 1,000 feet, but there were many mysterious diagrams of bird creatures engraved on it.


    The diagrams of the bird creatures were still in a dark state. At first glance, they looked like murals. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to have come alive and charged into the spiritual world of living creatures, emitting a fierce killing intent.


    On both sides of the stone platform were two stone pillars. They were also engraved with mysterious diagrams of bird creatures.


    ¡°As expected, they are going to call on some stronger existences.¡±


    What Chen Yiming was looking at wasn¡¯t the diagrams of the bird creatures, but the faint spatial fluctuations emitted by them.


    Clearly, these bird creatures had powerful space-manipulation abilities when they were alive. However, they had been turned into diagrams engraved on the stone platforms and pillars using special methods.


    At this moment, the white cat and the golden ape had retreated deep into the forest, keeping a distance from the dark creatures.


    ¡°The three dragon gods and the treasure tree are actually trapped. Does Master need to face the counterattack of the black tide alone?¡± the white cat asked worriedly.


    They had thought that with the aid of an external force from the plate-shaped world, they would be able to quickly defeat the black tide and catch them off guard. Who knew that the counterattack would come so quickly?


    A large number of dark creatures had already sneaked into the world under their noses. They even beat them at their own game and created the false impression that they were retreating, causing the situation to change drastically.


    ¡°This is nothing. What¡¯s the hurry? Master descended into this world after the dragon gods killed the dark creatures from the otherworld.¡±


    ¡°The black tide might be able to be mobilized to a level that matches Master, but that will definitely be the next time, not this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like when the three dragon gods were born. With the power of the treasure tree, the black tide was wiped out before they could react.¡±


    The golden ape was different from the white cat. It firmly believed in Chen Yiming¡¯s identity and was confident in his abilities. Back then, the dragon gods had not only been trapped by the black nets, but had been destroyed one after another by him.


    In the golden ape¡¯s opinion, Chen Yiming had the power to easily destroy the dragon gods.


    The white cat was about to continue when the stone platform suddenly started to move violently. Its gaze was immediately attracted to it.


    At the same time, countless gazes turned to the stone platform hovering in space, including those of the dark creatures. The diagrams of the bird creatures on it had turned into shadows and were really coming to life.


    There was the shadow of a phoenix, the shadow of a five-colored bird, and the shadow of a giant roc¡­


    Then, a large ball of black light rushed out of the five worlds in this galaxy and quickly flew towards the stone platform. It fused with the stone platform and dyed the diagrams of the bird creatures black.


    In the next moment, an invisible force forcefully tore open a door in the space between the two stone pillars. Lightning appeared in the air above, and countless forked lightning bolts struck the door. A dull sound shook the starry sky.


    As time passed, a door bathed in lightning and shining with white light appeared. It was dozens of meters tall, and one could see bits and pieces of compressed images inside, as if it was connected to another world.


    This was a long-distance space-travel passage.


    ¡°It seems that I was still a step too late. Or rather, I happened to encounter a counterattack from the black tide against the plate-shaped world. It¡¯s not that there was a fatal flaw in my plan.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same. He planned to take things one step at a time. After all, he could escape at any time.


    In the circular valley, at the center of the world, the oldest dragon god¡¯s body was tied to the ground by a large black net. Its gaze stopped on the door, and it regretted underestimating the speed of the black tide¡¯s counterattack and the value of the treasure tree.


    ¡°If only I could have discussed with the person from the Peacekeeping Alliance about how to deal with them earlier, I wouldn¡¯t be helplessly trapped here.¡±


    It was unknown how the black net was created, but it seemed to be specially targeting the energy in the inner world in the bodies of its restrained targets.


    However, it was useless to regret it. Even if they could turn back time, the three dragon gods would still make the same choice as before. There would be no chance of them making another choice.


    The ability of the treasure tree was too shocking. It could actually help living creatures condense the inner world and break through to the god realm.


    Furthermore, this was not the end. If the conditions were met, the treasure tree could undergo another transformation. The three dragon gods would be the first to benefit from it.


    ¡°Tree Spirit, what should we do? The person from the Peacekeeping Alliance seems to have no intention of saving us. Something is amiss.¡±


    The oldest dragon god lying in front of the treasure tree spoke.


    In the past, its consciousness would enter the treasure tree and communicate with the tree spirit. Now that it was restricted by the black net, it did not know if it could successfully communicate with the tree spirit.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    The treasure tree did not give any response.


    The heart of the oldest dragon god sank. It turned to look in Chen Yiming¡¯s direction, but he had yet to leave. It immediately realized that the counterattack from the black tide was extraordinary, and that the other party wasn¡¯t willing to act rashly.


    On second thought, ¡°The person from the Peacekeeping Alliance has the ability to travel through space at will. Even if he is no match for them, he can still escape. Furthermore, the black tide is targeting the treasure tree.¡±


    At the thought of this, its face turned ashen.


    ¡­


    At the same time, the black tide was about to descend on this galaxy with even stronger forces!


    When this news was blurted out by the spiritual figure representing Chen Yiming, all the spaceships from the various countries in the Daxia Kingdom were shocked.


    After receiving the order from their superiors, the hundreds of thousands of staff members in charge of controlling the spaceships went on guard against the incoming enemy. Their normal leave and rest time were all canceled, and everyone stayed at their posts 24 hours a day.


    The news stations of the various countries also urgently broadcasted this news. They informed the humans who were transporting supplies or entering the trial grounds to return to the spaceship as soon as possible.


    ¡°Will the black tide use this opportunity to launch a counterattack to the blue planet?¡±


    In front of the television, some people were worried about this.


    ¡°All the spaceships from the various countries have yet to be completed. The factories have only just been rebuilt inside the spaceships. How should we resolve the problem of the raw materials after leaving the blue planet?¡±


    Many experts were panicking.


    The deeper meaning of this news was that if the changes in the other world developed beyond their control, in order to avoid being affected, humans would have to set off even if they were not completely prepared.


    However, the problem was that all the technology on the blue planet was developed based on the conditions on the blue planet.


    Although they could stop and resupply on the nearby planets along the way, they could not just rely on luck.


    What if some important raw materials could not be replenished for a long time? A spaceship that could not be completed could only be used as a cargo ship forever.


    At the international video conference, ¡°I officially propose that humans take the initiative to enter the next era and enter deep space to find another home suitable for us to settle down in,¡±


    the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom stood up and expressed his opinion concisely.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the discussions among the attendees exploded.


    In the past, the Daxia Kingdom was the first to receive insider information, tips, suggestions, and so on from Chen Yiming. The situation in their country had always been mostly stable, which made the other countries envious.


    Now that the leader of the Daxia Kingdom had said such a thing, the meaning behind it was obvious. He was not trying to scare anyone, but the situation could really change drastically at any moment.


    With the blockade destroyed, humans were no longer stuck with no way out. Instead, they could control their own fate to a certain extent.


    ¡°The European Union agrees.¡±


    ¡°The Sam Nation agrees.¡±


    ¡°Japan agrees.¡±


    ¡°Russia agrees.¡±


    ¡­


    Soon, the heads of the various countries voted in agreement.


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom continued, ¡°With the fragments of extraordinary weapons, we can reforge the spaceship¡¯s power system so that our transport spaceships can easily travel between the blue planet and Mars.¡±


    ¡°The human spaceship fleet can gather in the orbit of Mars first. We can use the transport spaceships to return to the blue planet to collect the supplies that can¡¯t be gathered on Mars.¡±


    The heads of the various countries nodded.


    Everyone understood what the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom was saying. The news that the world might be undergoing a huge change had come from Chen Yiming, and he still needed to stay there for the time being.


    Flying the spaceships to Mars¡¯s orbit first was a compromise, based on the development of the situation in the other world.


    If things went well, the human spaceship fleet could fly back to the blue planet and continue to make sufficient preparations before setting off. If things went south, they could just escape without looking back.


    Not long after, the international video conference ended.


    Soon, when the news that the human spaceships were about to set off and officially embark on the path into space spread, the blue planet was in an uproar again.


    Facing the unknown deep space, be it the experts and professors who had long been mentally prepared or the well-known martial arts experts who had long been able to keep themselves calm, or those who were naturally extremely optimistic, everyone immediately felt that their hearts were empty.


    The feeling of emptiness grew when they heard the news, and it was uncontrollable.


    ¡°Are we really leaving this time?¡±


    In the living area of the spaceships, many family members took out the videos they had recorded when the situation on the blue planet had stabilized.


    There were many such videos. Almost all the families had spent a few days making them. After all, if they left, there was a high chance that they would leave their hometown forever.


    The unknown deep space first brought about a sense of unfamiliarity. During the monotonous journey in deep space, it was inevitable that one would not be able to hold back their emotions.


    At that time, if they could take out the videos about their hometown and have a cry after watching it, it would be much better than keeping it bottled up.


    ¡°God bless our son, and let him return safely.¡±


    In the Chen family¡¯s house, Father Chen and Mother Chen kept muttering.


    ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t slack off in martial arts in the future. We have to have all the members of our family. You have to come back.¡±


    Chen Yingying was also praying in her heart.


    At this moment, the familial bond between them suddenly grew stronger. Chen Yingying felt that she had matured a little.


    At the same time.


    ¡°The first time you create a miracle is luck, and the second time is God¡¯s blessing. Continuously creating miracles past the third or fourth time means that it is based on the abilities that you already have.¡±


    ¡°You have to come back. The symbol that represents the martial arts of the blue planet cannot be anyone other than you.¡±


    All the martial arts experts in the countries prayed for Chen Yiming.


    To all who aspired to walk the path of martial arts, having a pioneer who could lead them at the forefront was extremely important. He was like a lighthouse on the sea at night.


    If the light from the lighthouse was extinguished, the path he had taken would be lost.


    ¡­


    In space, outside the plate-shaped world, it had been a while since the door had appeared, but other than the occasional violent tremor and the increasing pressure, nothing had happened. Nothing had walked out from it.


    ¡°Master, what should we do?¡±


    The faint light on the blue elk¡¯s body flickered. It was a little flustered and worried since it was weak. If it was affected by the upcoming battle, it was very likely to die.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same as he said calmly.


    Actually, how would he know what to do? He was just an imposter, so he needed to adapt to the situation and avoid being attacked.


    As for using the space anchor to destroy the door, this was beyond Chen Yiming¡¯s ability. After all, although the space anchor could break through the space-travel barrier, it was useless against a large amount of spatial energy.


    In essence, the stone platform and the stone pillars were not the key. The key was the shadows of the bird creatures that had come alive. They had used the black light from the five worlds as energy to forcefully open a space-travel passage.


    ¡°The counterattack of the black tide is targeted at the three dragon gods and the treasure tree. Do you think I¡¯m stupid enough to stand out at this time?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that he was here to obtain benefits, not to help this world stop the black tide from invading.


    If he confirmed that there was no chance for him to obtain any benefits later, he would quickly take advantage of the fact that the black tide was dealing with the resistance in this world and escape along with all of humanity.


    That¡¯s right, escape.


    If he didn¡¯t escape, after this world was dealt with, he would definitely be the next.


    Previously, he had disrupted the attacks of the black tide that had invaded the world several times. However, the situation had turned out this way because the existence of the treasure tree was more important to the black tide than dealing with Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Master is from the central galaxy¡­¡±


    The blue elk trembled slightly. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t stop it, which meant that the existence that had crossed over was very powerful. This wasn¡¯t good news.


    Time continued to pass. The center of the door gradually emitted a white light and a black dot could vaguely be seen.


    ¡°Is it coming?¡±


    ¡°Is it really coming?¡±


    All the living creatures in the entire plate-shaped world felt as if they had been cursed in their hearts. The hair on their bodies stood on end, and they felt a chill run down their spines.


    Suddenly!


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow.


    It was not that something had happened at the door, but that an unfamiliar guest had appeared in his spiritual world.


    ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s consciousness asked the old man in front of him.


    This old man was formed from a trace of spiritual power, and it contained a portion of his will.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m what the creatures of this world call the treasure tree.¡±


    The old man smiled with an amiable expression. His figure and appearance were almost like that of a real human, and he imitated 99% of a human¡¯s appearance.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming became vigilant.


    He was the first human to appear in the plate-shaped world. Before the treasure tree came into close contact with him, it had already secretly observed him to the extent of being able to imitate his body structure.


    In addition, the treasure tree had been buried by the female spirit, so its knowledge might be beyond what he knew. In that case, the trick he had used to trick the three dragon gods might not work with it.


    ¡°Should I call you the honorable guest from the central galaxy, or a human?¡±


    The old man maintained his smile and questioned him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    The old man formed by the will of the treasure tree might be trying to trick him, or he might really have seen through his tricks. However, it was not important. He could escape at any time, but the black tide was targeting the treasure tree.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Chen Yiming gave an ambiguous answer. He neither admitted nor denied it.


    ¡°I¡¯m also from the central galaxy. I have the fire attribute. As long as I have enough resources to grow, I can turn the place I¡¯m rooted in into a holy land for cultivation,¡±


    the old man explained with a smile.


    ¡°F*ck, I¡¯m from the central galaxy. Are you also from the central galaxy?¡±


    Chen Yiming almost broke through his act and cursed loudly. In the end, he held it in and his expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°The central galaxy is very big. A god of the lowest level there is not much stronger than ordinary supernatural creatures in this world.¡±


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, those below the level of a god can¡¯t enter the central galaxy. It¡¯s not that they aren¡¯t allowed to enter, but that they can¡¯t withstand the environment there.¡±


    ¡°Cultivating in the central galaxy for one day can be compared to¡­¡±


    The old man slowly explained the common knowledge of the central galaxy.


    Chen Yiming was naturally skeptical.


    In terms of bragging, he knew how to do it too. In any case, where was the central galaxy? What was it like? If he had not been there before, he would not be able to tell if it was real or fake.


    Not long after, the other party finished speaking. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t take the initiative to say anything and just waited.


    He knew very well that the treasure tree was definitely more anxious than him. The other party would be the one to lose his cool in the end.


    As for his identity being exposed, that wasn¡¯t a problem at all. It was fine if he couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. The three dragon gods and the group of terrifying creatures from the plate-shaped world could not really deal with Chen Yiming.


    Furthermore, it was still unknown if the plate-shaped world could withstand the counterattack of this black tide.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    The old man coughed awkwardly and continued, ¡°I know that with your special space-manipulation ability, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to take me away.¡±


    ¡°I have a deal for you here. If you save me this time, I¡¯ll help you condense the inner world and break through to the god realm. How about that?¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming shook his head without any hesitation.


    This deal might be very tempting to others. After all, the realm of gods controlled a higher level of power, the power of the world.


    The power of the world was a qualitative improvement compared to the power of nature.


    However, for him, there was no need to do something through making a deal when it could be done through his Skill Points.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make another deal. You take me away and I¡¯ll stay by your side and follow your orders for 100 years. How about that?¡±


    The old man seemed to have expected that the first deal would be rejected, so he asked again in the blink of an eye.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply. It was clear from his expression that he didn¡¯t agree.


    Control it for 100 years?


    Was that all?


    Did it not understand the situation? Did it think that the other party was a fool? He might not even want it even if it gave itself away for free.


    He had to see if the thing that walked out of the door was a threat to him and if it was worth the risk of being hunted down to give the treasure tree a way out.


    That¡¯s right. In Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes, if he didn¡¯t save the treasure tree, it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    Don¡¯t think that you can trick people just by transforming into an old man. Chen Yiming had learned about it from the female spirit. The treasure tree had only just grown up, and compared to living creatures, it was equivalent to an adult in age.


    It could be seen that the treasure tree was also spouting nonsense. There was a high chance that what he said about the central galaxy was not true. At most, it was information it had filled in based on some rumors.


    Soon, as the old man that the treasure tree had transformed into was angered till his beard was trembling, a trace of the female spirit¡¯s will appeared in Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual world. The old man was shocked and his entire body trembled.

 Chapter 409 - Predestined Ending

    ¡°Goddess¡­ why are you here?¡±


    As he spoke, the old man formed by the will of the treasure tree suddenly turned into a young man of 15 or 16 years old. At the same time, his mouth was trembling and his mind was in a mess.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t plan to look for you according to the plan. I arranged for the three little dragons to gather the five world cores to find your whereabouts and accumulate enough energy fruits at the same time.¡±


    The treasure tree¡¯s will suddenly became very humble, and it quickly revealed everything.


    This surprised Chen Yiming.


    From this, it could be seen that the female spirit¡¯s true status was higher than his.


    ¡°Cut the crap.¡±


    The female spirit¡¯s pale eyes revealed a hint of displeasure. Immediately, the young man formed by the treasure tree¡¯s will trembled again.


    She turned to Chen Yiming and said, ¡°Human, take away the treasure tree and use your special space-manipulation ability to lure the creatures from the black tide close to you.¡±


    ¡°Next, just like the last time we communicated, as long as you can touch the creature sent by the black tide with your ring, I can pull him into the ring space.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming shuddered. His expression had remained the same in front of the treasure tree, but when it was the female spirit¡¯s turn, his act was broken.


    ¡°Goddammit, doesn¡¯t this mean that my life has actually been in the hands of the female spirit without me knowing?¡±


    ¡°I even provoked her a few times and repeatedly jumped in front of her.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ At that time, my own value shouldn¡¯t be worth it for the female spirit to attack me. When the female spirit attacks, there will definitely be restrictions. I need to consider the price I have to pay and whether the gains are worth it¡­¡±


    The female spirit noticed Chen Yiming¡¯s abnormal behavior and continued, ¡°I know your goal is also to obtain the essence energy accumulated by the world core.¡±


    ¡°In return, the world core that the treasure tree has already controlled will belong to me. How about you take the remaining four world cores and the map of the universe that we obtained from the black tide?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, before Chen Yiming could weigh the pros and cons, the young man formed by the will of the treasure tree panicked. ¡°Goddess, it¡¯s fine if we give out the map, but how can we give away most of the essence energy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to miss out on the energy from the five worlds in front of us where the world¡¯s will coexists with the living creatures¡­¡±


    At this point, the young man formed by the will of the treasure tree shut his mouth. He realized that he had revealed something he should not have said, or something taboo, causing the female spirit to glare at him.


    ¡°Essence energy.¡±


    ¡°A world where the will of the world and living creatures coexist.¡±


    ¡°The space anchor that has yet to be retrieved which is marking a mysterious place.¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly connected these pieces of information and realized that at the level of the female spirit, she also valued the essence energy very much.


    Clearly, he had underestimated its value. There was a competition here.


    Previously, he had thought that since the terrifying creatures in the dark forest world could bring out the foundation bases, it meant that the value of the core of the world was only so-so.


    When the black tide invaded the world, they also only controlled the core of the world.


    ¡°The reason why the will of the treasure tree is in a hurry is not because the world¡¯s will coexists with living beings. It¡¯s so rare that it¡¯s very difficult to find it. Instead, after reaching a certain level, there will be a corresponding limit to its movements.¡±


    ¡°This restriction might be why they cannot invade the inhabited worlds as easily as the black tide. There is some kind of order in the universe that we don¡¯t know about until we reach a certain level.¡±


    In an instant, Chen Yiming had many other thoughts.


    However, this was only a guess. He needed to slowly find the answer in the future.


    Soon, the deal was decided according to the female spirit¡¯s instructions.


    In reality, the outcome had already been decided when the female spirit took the initiative to appear.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t willing to give up on the ring so easily. In the future, he would need the help of the female spirit to enter the universe along with the human spaceship fleet.


    Moreover, the female spirit had never really harmed him.


    As for the treasure tree¡¯s opinion, it would listen to everything the female spirit said. It had no right to bargain with Chen Yiming.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming, the female spirit, and the treasure tree reached an agreement, the black dot within the white light from the door had already turned into a black ball that was about to fill up the entire door.


    ¡°Something is about to come out of the door.¡±


    The expressions of the terrifying creatures changed.


    However, at this moment, not only were the three dragon gods and the treasure tree still trapped, but the visitor who claimed to be from the central galaxy also had no intention of making a move.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    When the white light shining from the door was completely covered by the black ball, three figures rushed out of the door.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the three figures¡¯ bodies were similar to those of the person who claimed to be from the central galaxy. The only difference was that their skin was not yellow, but blue.


    The three of them were a man in a black cloak, an old man in a long robe, and a beautiful woman in a formal dress.


    The moment these three figures appeared, the shadows of the bird creatures turned back into diagrams and returned to the stone platform. The door slowly dissipated, and the stone platform returned to its original state.


    However, an aura that shook the starry sky pressed down heavily on the plate-shaped world. Most of the creatures were lying on the ground, waiting to be slaughtered.


    Even the terrifying creatures felt that they could not breathe and could not straighten their backs due to the pressure from the invisible force.


    This made Chen Yiming¡¯s figure stand out. He was exposed to everyone, and his powerful physique only had its speed reduced.


    ¡°They¡¯re all humans. What¡¯s their relationship?¡±


    Seeing this, the three dragon gods were shocked and panicked.


    It seemed that the human race was extraordinary in the universe. Now, they had become different factions and were fighting among themselves.


    Soon, a dark creature rose into the air and left the plate-shaped world. It arrived in front of the three blue-skinned humans and communicated with them.


    From the expressions on their faces, it seemed to be explaining the reason for suddenly summoning them.


    This was especially true for the old man in the long robe. He had a smile on his face as he turned his gaze to the treasure tree at the center of the world.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. This treasure tree is enough to overturn the luck of a world. After nurturing it for more than 1,000 years, it will accumulate a terrifying foundation.¡±


    ¡°Just the fruits that it produces are worth a lot. They can be used for trade or personal use.¡±


    ¡°At that time, it might help me take another step forward and become the absolute overlord of a few galaxies.¡±


    However, at this moment,


    with a thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared from his original spot and reappeared beside the treasure tree. The black net couldn¡¯t block him at all and he slipped in just like that.


    ¡°Brat!¡±


    The old man glared at him, and a will that could tear through the sky charged into the galaxy. Cracks appeared in the air, as if the world¡¯s will was angry.


    This anger was not something the three dragon gods could compare to. In terms of aura, it was comparable to the will of the world.


    The black-cloaked man and the beautiful woman also had ugly expressions on their faces. They did not expect that after the three of them arrived, someone would dare to take advantage of the situation.


    At the same time, many of the dark creatures were clearly stunned.


    He did not make a move earlier or later, but attacked at the very moment when the three big shots descended into this world. Did he have so much confidence? Or was he deliberately provoking them?


    It had to be known that these three big shots were all famous existences in this galaxy. They might not be the strongest, but they were still big shots who stood at the top and looked down on the rest of the galaxy.


    They came from a faction with a powerful background and had influence across several galaxies. They had never encountered such disrespectful behavior.


    Of course, on the surface, they had a high status. But the three blue-skinned humans had secretly joined the black tide and worked for it, becoming its lackeys.


    By relying on the stone platform to open up a space-travel passage that could span galaxies, they could end the battle and return quickly so that they would not be discovered to be related to the black tide.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Who are you trying to scare?¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he reached out his hand with the ring and touched the treasure tree.


    In the next moment, the treasure tree disappeared under the gaze of everyone. The black net that could interfere with the flow of energy lost its effect again.


    ¡°A ring with the space attribute.¡±


    Chen Yiming had extended his hand. The ring on his thumb became the first suspicious target.


    This was completely out of the dark creatures¡¯ expectations, causing them to not be able to inform the three big shots who had arrived in advance. The treasure tree was snatched away just like that.


    ¡°Human, you¡¯re courting death!¡±


    The woman¡¯s scream turned into a terrifying sound wave that spread out.


    Perhaps because very few people dared to openly snatch what she wanted, at this moment, she seemed to have lost her rationality and attacked indiscriminately.


    The first to suffer was the dark creature closest to her. It instantly seemed to have lost its soul, and its entire body stiffened. Then, it fell from space into the plate-shaped world.


    Facing such a lethal sound wave, the expressions of all the creatures in the plate-shaped world changed, including the dark creatures.


    Unexpectedly, when this woman went crazy, she did not even care about those that were on the same side.


    However, the range of the sound wave attack was too wide. It completely enveloped the plate-shaped world, and no one could escape its impact.


    ¡°Those who are fated to obtain the treasure will get it. You guys are just pretending to be cool. You just stood there after walking out of the space-travel passage. You can¡¯t blame me for this,¡±


    Chen Yiming said as he gave the three of them the middle finger. He didn¡¯t care if they could understand him or not. He just wanted to provoke them.


    With that, he activated his Space Anchor talent and disappeared from his spot again. When he reappeared, he was already outside the plate-shaped world. Then, he leaped through space and disappeared into space.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Chase after him!¡±


    The old man in the long robe waved his hand, and the sound waves that were about to sweep through the plate-like world dissipated. It seemed to be just a loud sound, but in reality, it was just a bluff.


    The woman snapped out of her daze and snorted. She was the first to chase after Chen Yiming.


    In the next moment, the three figures disappeared one after another. It was as if they could travel through space, and in a flash, they had crossed a large distance in space.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can be arrogant just because you have a space-manipulation ability,¡±


    a dark creature chuckled as it watched Chen Yiming disappear.


    It turned out that when Chen Yiming was clearing out the dark creatures in the black water pit, the black tide had specially called people who also had the ability to teleport.


    Using the treasure tree as bait to let the humans deal with the human was agreed by the supreme will in charge of this galaxy. Therefore, a space-travel passage was temporarily opened to welcome the arrival of the three blue-skinned humans.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A terrifying tremor came from outer space.


    The oldest dragon god snapped out of its daze.


    In the end, it had lost the treasure tree. It had been taken away right under its nose, and it could only watch and do nothing.


    ¡°Will the person from the central galaxy send the treasure tree back later?¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, it was extinguished. Thinking about it, it was impossible. How could he give back the treasure he had obtained? It did not make sense.


    The dark creatures had summoned such terrifying existences, and three of them at once. They had descended from the other side of the galaxy, so the value of the treasure tree was far beyond their imagination.


    At this moment, the plate-shaped world fell into a dead silence.


    Due to their disadvantage in numbers, the terrifying creatures were being surrounded by many dark creatures. At this time, whoever was the first to rush into the starry sky would undoubtedly become a target.


    To the dark creatures, the black tide wanted to occupy and rule over the living world. After the three big shots snatched back the treasure tree, the supreme will would decide what to do with this world.


    No dark creature thought that Chen Yiming would be able to escape alive. This was something they had specially prepared for him after suffering a few losses.


    ¡­


    Just as the pursuit in the starry sky erupted,


    on the blue planet, in the Daxia Kingdom,


    an international video conference was held again. The participants included the spiritual figure and the heads of all the countries.


    ¡°What! An incomplete spaceship that we can completely empty out?¡±


    a leader of a small country said in surprise.


    According to the spiritual figure that represented Chen Yiming¡¯s will, after the battle in the other world ended, the humans would arrange for a spaceship to enter the dark forest world and sail to a plate-like world.


    There were black technology materials there that could be used by humans to build their spaceships.


    ¡°Our spaceship also uses a large amount of technological equipment. There might be a problem if we enter the dark forest world rashly,¡±


    the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom said worriedly.


    Ever since the otherworld invaded the blue planet, the problem of the operation of technological equipment there had not been resolved. Experts from all over the world were worried sick about this.


    Be it modifying the parameters, replacing the materials, or so on, they had thought of all the methods they could think of. It was as if the world was faintly rejecting the human technology.


    The spiritual figure had a calm expression as it said calmly, ¡°The secret of the dark forest world that can help living creatures cultivate is in the will of the world born from the core of the world.¡±


    ¡°In other words, all humans are considered intruders to a world with a will of its own. If they are discovered, they will be rejected.¡±


    ¡°The will of the dark forest world was split into five. There¡¯s a huge problem. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be as simple as being repelled. As long as humans enter, they will be viewed as enemies and will constantly encounter all kinds of dangers.¡±


    As soon as it finished speaking, before the leaders of the various countries could come back to their senses, the higher-ups of the military and the people in charge of the key laboratories were stunned by the news.


    Everyone had the same mindset. For example, as long as conditions were met, human spacecraft could land normally on the blue planet, Mars, and the moon.


    Who would have thought that a world with the will of its own would be so hostile to outsiders?


    The world had its own will. It had always been thought that it was something that the ancestors had imagined. They did not expect it to actually be real.


    After a while, there was a commotion in the video conference. The heads of the various countries discussed the plan while contacting their secretaries. They seized the time to urge the relevant staff to come up with a report.


    They did not know when they would be able to encounter such high-tech materials again.


    Therefore, no leader would complain that there was too much of it. If not for the fact that the environment on the blue planet had already become unsuitable for ordinary people to live in, they would have wanted to unload the people and equipment and arrange for all the transport forces to go.


    ¡°Then, is the spaceship carrying people from our countries still setting off as planned? Should we go to Mars first or wait here?¡±


    Soon, the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom took advantage of the fact that the spiritual figure representing Chen Yiming had yet to leave to ask about the situation of the humans facing the black tide.


    The leaders of the various countries fell silent on the spot. Everyone was also very concerned about this.


    If there was still time, humans might as well make more preparations. Once they left the blue planet, there would be many restrictions.


    The spiritual figure said without hesitation, ¡°I stole something valuable in that world, and it caused a greater commotion than all the previous incidents combined.¡±


    When the leaders of the various countries heard this, their expressions froze.


    They had to make the best use of their time and escape. It was not difficult to tell from this that the humans might still be hunted down.


    Soon, orders were passed down from the heads of the various countries.


    Hundreds of thousands of related staff quickly took action and did their jobs.


    ¡­


    In the empty universe,


    one person was fleeing and three people were chasing after him. This scene appeared in the galaxy consisting of the five inhabited worlds.


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t run if you have the guts.¡±


    One exasperated voice after another sounded in Chen Yiming¡¯s ears.


    He could not be bothered to pay attention to them. Instead, he kept trying to figure out the spatial abilities of the black-cloaked man, the old man in the long robe, and the beautiful woman in formal dress using his super perception.


    The spatial abilities of the other three were much simpler and weaker than his. Otherwise, he would have been easily captured and would have died long ago.


    This was especially true for the old man in the long robe. He seemed to be the strongest of the three blue-skinned humans, and it was unknown what his true level was.


    With a casual strike, an asteroid turned to dust on the spot.


    ¡°This kid¡¯s space-travel ability is very strange. He¡¯s clearly just a weak ant at the fusion realm, but the distance he can cover with one space-jump is much further than any of us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if the distance is abnormal, but it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s a need to consider the environment around the spatial distortion. He can enter and leave as he pleases.¡±


    The black-cloaked man cursed under his breath after his punch had failed.


    Not far away, a sword cut through the air.


    The figure of the old man in the long robe walked out of the spatial distortion, and the spatial cracks behind him quickly filled in again.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure if he came from the central galaxy for the time being, but it¡¯s definitely a lie that he came from a desert planet. He should be a young genius who was assigned to train outside.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to cultivate all aspects to perfection and lay the foundation for reaching the limit of each realm.¡±


    As the old man chased after him, he could tell from Chen Yiming¡¯s overflowing blood essence and resistance to spiritual will that he couldn¡¯t have obtained it through the original cultivation methods.


    In order to have such achievements in the fusion realm, one had to have many factors such as talent, opportunity, background, and so on.

 Chapter 410 - First Mobilization of the Human Spaceship Fleet

    The figure of the beautiful woman appeared in the air. Her gaze was complicated, filled with jealousy, anger, and killing intent¡­


    Being involved with the black tide was a taboo in the universe. Once it was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    One could either transform into a dark creature and completely become a member of the black tide, or they could wander the universe and hide in a world with a lower level of cultivation. They would not dare to travel through the universe with their true identity.


    Therefore, the human in front of them was definitely a target that the three of them had to kill. Once he escaped, it would be a huge problem for the three of them.


    However, the human who was fleeing in front of them not only had a more mysterious background than the three of them, but his escaping ability was also top-notch. He had one of the most difficult abilities to deal with, the space-manipulation ability.


    She vaguely felt that she had been tricked. Although the treasure tree was tempting, it was not worth betting everything on it. However, at this moment, she could not retreat just because she wanted to. She could only walk this path until the end.


    ¡°Seal!¡±


    The old man in the long robe drew a barrier with one hand. His words were like a bolt of lightning that descended from the sky. The void shook, and it was as if every star in this space was hiding a killing intent.


    He had thought that the human in front of him was just a small rat that he could easily destroy. Clearly, things were not that simple now. The treasure tree was not so easy to obtain, and he had to use his true abilities.


    His figure flashed, turning into hundreds of flickering shadows that surrounded Chen Yiming in an unbelievable manner. An invisible killing intent sealed off all possible escape routes.


    The sword in each of the figures¡¯ hands underwent a magical transformation. The sword was divided into seven sections, and on each section was a mysterious poisonous curse.


    The seven poisonous curses were all different, and each of them had the power to invade the world¡¯s will. After being stacked thousands of times and amplified by seven times, they almost turned the starry sky into a land of death.


    At the same time, the shadow of a snake head appeared at the tips of the swords. The intelligent gaze in the snake¡¯s eyes indicated that it was accumulating strength to deliver a fatal blow to its target at any moment.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to kill me directly on a spiritual level.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze narrowed, and he was forced to stop his space-jumps. This was because within the range of his super perception, even the furthest place he could reach was still covered by the invisible killing intent.


    When they were close enough, it was not impossible for him to be instantly killed with just a thought. After all, the other party was an existence that could turn an asteroid into dust with a casual strike.


    At this moment, the beautiful woman in formal dress said, ¡°Human, stop your useless struggles. The three of us didn¡¯t use our true abilities earlier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hide anything. I just didn¡¯t want the treasure tree to be damaged, so I let you jump around for a while.¡±


    ¡°If you are willing to hand over the treasure tree now, we can pretend that we never met you and let you live. Otherwise, we can only let you die here.¡±


    Just as he said, the old man did not kill him immediately. The black-cloaked man stood in the air with a smile.


    ¡°Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword.¡±


    ¡°This is a divine artifact for curses. Any of the curses on it can kill you thousands of times.¡±


    The old man in the long robe said each word calmly, as if to remind Chen Yiming that it was useless no matter how he jumped around when facing the divine artifact.


    These words were completely true. The difference between the two of them was no longer something that could be made up for with talent. As long as one was touched by it, the poison curse would invade their spiritual will.


    At that time, even the old man in the long robe who had cast the poison curse would not be able to save the people who were affected by it.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming¡¯s mind was racing.


    ¡°From the way the three blue-skinned humans are chasing after me, their spatial abilities should be exactly the same. They are all biased towards spatial perception.¡±


    ¡°The difference between them and me is that their bodies entered the space-travel distortion directly. They relied on their ability to sense space to determine the location of the corresponding coordinates before leaving the space-travel distortion and returning to normal space.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I can locate the coordinates through the space anchor without my main body getting involved. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. In short-distance space-jumps, their adjustment speed is far inferior to mine, so they can¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°However, due to the level of the Space Anchor talent and the difference in the level of cultivation between the two sides, the three blue-skinned humans can always catch up to me.¡±


    If his opponents didn¡¯t have the means to kill Chen Yiming so easily, he would be able to toy with them. However, the old man had clearly used the power of the divine artifact to make up for his disadvantage and used a larger range of attacks to restrain him.


    ¡°Should I take advantage of the situation and kill one of them first?¡±


    Along the way, the beautiful woman and the black-cloaked man had revealed very little. The old man seemed to be the one making the decisions.


    Under normal circumstances, there would be slight spatial fluctuations when the space anchor pierced through the space-travel barrier. It would definitely not be able to escape the eyes of the three blue-skinned humans who had sharp spatial perception.


    Therefore, the time to deal with the first blue-skinned human was when the old man tried to kill him. At that time, all their attention would be on him and the ring containing the treasure tree.


    However, using the ring in his hand to deal with one of the blue-skinned humans would undoubtedly be the easiest for the first target. The other party would not be prepared, but the remaining two blue-skinned humans would not be easy to deal with after they were prepared.


    After making his decision, Chen Yiming used the space anchor to fake another space-jump to escape.


    At the same time, the consciousness representing his will forcefully split into two. One half remained in his main body, and the other half entered the ring in his hand.


    With his current Undying Body talent, he would only truly die if his body and will were destroyed at the same time. When he encountered something he could not fight against, the ring in his hand was equivalent to a life-saving trump card.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming didn¡¯t listen to his advice, the old man¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°Destroy!¡±


    Every shadow shouted at the same time. The trap formed by the Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword seemed to be activated, and it created a colorful scene.


    Each poison curse automatically became thinner and spread out, instantly filling almost the entire starry sky. The few gaps in between were just illusions and traps.


    If Chen Yiming really dared to appear at these gaps, he would fall right into the trap set by the old man and be attacked by an endless stream of poisonous curses.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too hard on him. Don¡¯t break the treasure tree in the other party¡¯s hand.¡±


    The moment the old man made his move, the beautiful woman in the formal dress quickly turned around and reminded him. At their level, killing someone at the fusion realm was as easy as crushing an ant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me. Of course I remember. I¡¯ve already deliberately avoided that ring. The main target of the poison curse won¡¯t be such items,¡± the old man said calmly.


    At this moment, his only chance of survival was in the ring space, but he was being watched by the old man, the beautiful woman, and the black-cloaked man.


    It could be said that Chen Yiming had no way out. He would definitely be in a desperate situation.


    Then, the poison curse completely covered the sky, and Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared at a certain spot.


    The moment it appeared, the poison curse seemed to have been waiting there in advance. In an instant, it covered his entire body. In the spiritual world corresponding to his eyes, the terrifying poison curse had completed its attack.


    In the next moment, his consciousness quickly dissipated, and all the cells in his body were destroyed.


    At this point, it was almost certain that Chen Yiming had died. The difference in level of the two sides was too large, and there was no way to resolve the situation after he was poisoned by the curse.


    ¡°What a pity. I thought that at the last moment, this talented human would beg us for mercy to save his life.¡±


    The black-cloaked man relaxed and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for you to think that way.¡±


    The beautiful woman frowned.


    There was actually another way to deal with the mysterious human who had stolen the treasure tree. That was to let him secretly get involved with the black tide like the three of them.


    This way, they would all be on the same side.


    ¡°This is not appropriate. There are too many hidden dangers.¡±


    The old man in the long robe also understood what the black-cloaked man meant and directly refused.


    Even if Chen Yiming gave up resisting and handed over the treasure tree, he would not hesitate to kill him in the next moment, leaving no room for future trouble.


    If they beat up the younger ones and attracted the older ones, they could deal with Chen Yiming at will. The elders behind him could also be dealt with easily by them.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    Soon, the hundreds of shadows formed by the old man dissipated. The Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword turned back into a single stream of light and returned to his hand.


    The poisonous curses that had spread throughout the entire starry sky gradually dissipated, and the void quickly returned to normal. The stars were still shining brightly, and the battle did not cause much of a commotion.


    ¡°The other party¡¯s background is mysterious. He might be carrying a shocking talent.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s too late to say anything now. They should be dead by now, right? Let¡¯s find that special item and not lose it,¡± the black-cloaked man replied with a smile.


    The old man and the woman in palace robes nodded and began to use their will projections to search for the inconspicuous ring that had been lost in some corner.


    ¡°First.¡±


    A laugh suddenly appeared behind the old man.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The expressions of the black-cloaked man and the beautiful woman changed drastically.


    Chen Yiming extended a hand and stuck it to the back of the old man¡¯s shirt. His eyes had lost their spirit and were blank.


    ¡°How did you do this to him!¡±


    the beautiful woman in the palace dress exclaimed.


    The turn of events was too drastic, and it was unbelievable.


    Chen Yiming had clearly died under the poison curse. They could be sure of this, but how could he have revived and even launched a sneak attack?


    The reason for his revival could barely be explained by the other party¡¯s mysterious identity and the fact that he might have a rare item related to his life force. The reason for his sneak attack was his mysterious spatial ability.


    The old man¡¯s situation was the most incomprehensible.


    This was similar to how an ordinary person on the blue planet had ambushed and killed a country¡¯s martial master. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that such a turn of events would happen.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    The smile on the man¡¯s face had disappeared.


    These words were a reminder to himself and the beautiful woman that what was happening now could also happen to them.


    The air was dead silent. The stars in the sky seemed to be quietly observing the corpse of the old man. His life force was still there, but the consciousness that represented his will had disappeared.


    Chen Yiming retracted his hand from the old man¡¯s body. The ring trembled for a moment before falling silent.


    ¡°There are still two people left.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes and retrieved the space anchor, then threw it at the beautiful woman.


    In the next moment, a spatial fluctuation appeared.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A dazzling divine light blossomed from the woman¡¯s position.


    Where the divine light shone, a white world appeared. The void froze, time stopped, and the spatial fluctuations stopped. It was as if a pause button had been pressed.


    ¡°As expected, the same method won¡¯t work the second time.¡±


    Chen Yiming had only tested the waters, but the woman¡¯s reaction was too intense. He hadn¡¯t planned to teleport over.


    Soon, the beautiful woman in formal dress walked out of the space-travel distortion and appeared beside the black-cloaked man.


    The two of them looked at each other and realized something. Perhaps they had misunderstood something. At the same time, they reached a decision in silence.


    Under Chen Yiming¡¯s surprised gaze, the bodies of the two blue-skinned humans entered the space-travel distortion and disappeared.


    Time passed by slowly.


    Chen Yiming remained vigilant. He had already marked the location with the space anchor and activated his super perception. He could escape a long distance away at any time.


    However, after waiting for a while, instead of the beautiful woman and the black-cloaked man, what awaited him was a commotion from the plate-shaped world.


    ¡°Did I scare them away?¡±


    Chen Yiming saw the beautiful woman and the black-cloaked man appear in front of the simple stone platform. They quickly activated the stone platform and entered the space-travel passage.


    Soon, even the stone platform flew into the space-travel passage and left.


    The encounter with the old man made the beautiful woman and the black-cloaked man willing to risk exposing their involvement with the black tide and leave.


    They no longer wanted the treasure tree and they no longer cared about the mess left behind in this galaxy, leaving behind a large number of dumbfounded dark creatures.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later.


    The dark creatures in the plate-shaped world, whether they were hiding or escaping into the starry sky, were all dealt with by Chen Yiming.


    None of these dark creatures could use spatial abilities, so their speed in the starry sky was as slow as a snail compared to Chen Yiming.


    He could just use the space-jumps to get near to them, and use just one punch to kill one and destroy another with one kick. Pure physical strength could completely destroy the dark creatures and the Undying Marks in their bodies.


    The black nets around the three dragon gods¡¯ bodies became weaker and weaker as time passed, until they could use their own strength to break free.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The three dragon gods gathered again, but other than sighing, they did not know what to say.


    In the plate-shaped world, this human from the Peacekeeping Alliance had undoubtedly saved all the living beings, including the three dragon gods.


    However, facing Chen Yiming, who could repel the black tide, the three dragon gods didn¡¯t dare to mention the treasure tree unless he took the initiative to return it.


    As expected, the matter with the treasure tree was left unsettled. After the dark creatures were dealt with, Chen Yiming left without even saying goodbye.


    ¡°Big Brother, what should we do?¡±


    The oldest dragon god was silent when faced with the questions from the other two dragon gods.


    There were two paths in front of them. The first was to leave the world they were from and enter the unknown deep space. Even if they took the initiative to resist it, the counterattack from the black tide might happen again.


    The other was to stay in the plate-shaped world and gamble that the black tide would give up on the world that a member of the Peacekeeping Alliance had interfered in.


    However, neither of these paths were good choices.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    After a long time, the oldest dragon god looked at the other worlds that were still controlled by the black tide. The plate-shaped world had been saved, but those worlds had not.


    The white cat and the golden ape approached the blue elk.


    ¡°Did Master say anything to you?¡± they asked anxiously.


    After all, they had not made much contributions and there was no chance for them to be noticed. The problem of the black tide¡¯s counterattack seemed to have been resolved just like that.


    At that time, all the terrifying creatures had seen the three blue-skinned humans walk out of the space-travel passage created by the stone platform. When they returned, only two of them were left.


    No one knew where the missing person had gone, but when the two blue-skinned humans rushed into the space-travel passage, they could be said to have escaped in a sorry state.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here under orders,¡± the blue deer was also in a low mood and replied casually.


    When the golden ape and the white cat heard this, they looked disappointed.


    From the blue elk¡¯s words, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that it hadn¡¯t been able to meet Chen Yiming again. Everyone was the same. Because of the sudden counterattack from the black tide, they had lost a lot of opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.


    ¡­


    At the first industrial base, Chen Yiming held a sphere in his hand, and a long sword hung from his back.


    The sphere was the core of the inner world left behind after the old man¡¯s body automatically disintegrated. The longsword was the divine artifact, the Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword. It was similar to an ordinary sword unless it was activated.


    For some reason, the ring space had been completely sealed off. He wanted to go in and take a look, but he did not have the chance to do so.


    ¡°The outer wall that forms this inner world is clearly different from the previous demon god, the devouring demon, and the dragon gods. Not only is it so strong that it can¡¯t be destroyed, but there are also a large number of mysterious patterns.¡±


    Chen Yiming observed it briefly before putting it away.


    He did not need to study how to cultivate. He only needed to increase his talent level. Once he reached a certain level, he would naturally advance.


    Soon, as more than 100 spaceships slowly floated into the air, the leaders of the various countries gathered in front of the first industrial base.


    ¡°I¡¯ll enter the dark forest world first and deal with the world¡¯s will. It won¡¯t take long. After that, the spaceships of the various countries can take action,¡± Chen Yiming said to the leaders of the various countries.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the leaders of the various countries, including the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom, were all excited.


    To the Daxia Kingdom, the two spaceships that were close to being completed, other than the core spaceship that was not moving, could be arranged to go there.


    Other large countries could also send a spaceship to go there. They could not appear stronger than the Daxia Kingdom, but they had to show that they were stronger than the small countries.


    As for the small countries, they could only temporarily modify the interior of the spaceships. The living area would be reduced, and the population would be temporarily squeezed out. The remaining areas would be used as storage for black technology materials.


    ¡°Ever since the arrival of the black tide, I¡¯ve been feeling both afraid and happy. I don¡¯t have many peaceful days, and I¡¯m on tenterhooks all day.¡±


    ¡°Now, we can finally live a relatively stable life. However, it seems that the development of the human technology system will be inseparable from the black tide for a long time to come. Will this cause a misunderstanding?¡±


    A leader of a small country thought to himself.


    He was worried that in the future, when humans encountered other civilizations on their journey through the starry sky, they would be parading too many traces of the black tide. If the other party misunderstood the situation, it would be a problem to explain.


    Soon, Chen Yiming left. He chose a random space-travel passage and entered the dark forest world. The spaceships from the various countries also set off for the first time.


    Due to the lack of time, a ceremony for the expedition was not able to be held. Only the news stations from various countries had the announcers broadcast the breaking news.


    The leaders of the various countries did not go together with the spaceships. Instead, they stayed in the control center of the industrial base and watched as the spaceships from the various countries entered the space-travel passage.

 Chapter 411 - War with the Will of the World

    ¡°Rip!¡±


    When Chen Yiming appeared in the dark forest world, countless red lightning bolts streaked across the sky, tearing through the air. The clouds in the sky scattered, revealing a faint will shadow.


    This will shadow came from the world¡¯s will, and it had an irreconcilable grudge against Chen Yiming, who had taken away a portion of its body.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°The dark creatures related to the black tide, the huge mushroom that covered the sky, the three blockades, the war weapon, and so on have all disappeared.¡±


    In the short time that he had returned to the blue planet, the forces left behind by the black tide in the small forest world had retreated completely. There were almost no traces left behind.


    ¡°It seems that the successful sneak attack on the old man not only frightened his two companions, but also the tentacles that the black tide had extended into this galaxy.¡±


    With this thought, Chen Yiming knew that someone at the level of the old man in the long robe would probably be an extraordinary existence in the vast universe.


    Although such an existence was secretly involved with the black tide, he had a lot of freedom. This could be deduced from the actions of the beautiful woman and the black-cloaked man.


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s necessary for me to continue maintaining my identity as someone from the central galaxy¡¯s Peacekeeping Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether it¡¯s full of loopholes or if it can be seen through at a glance, it can at least explain why I could successfully launch a sneak attack on the old man.¡±


    After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to maintain this fake identity as an outsider for a long time to come.


    In any case, as long as the true situation of the female spirit was not exposed, others would be afraid that he would launch a sneak attack on them like he did to the old man.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    At this moment, another galaxy appeared in the world, as if the starry sky had been cut into two.


    A terrifying aura surged out, putting pressure on the spot where Chen Yiming was. The ground in the area cracked open, as if the will of the dark forest was borrowing the power of the stars.


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze when he saw the changes in the world.


    ¡°The will of the dark forest world was split into five, and two-fifths of it was removed. It shouldn¡¯t still have such power, right? How does it have so much power?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that before the black tide retreated, it caused some trouble for me to prevent me from chasing after them?¡±


    This judgment seemed to be reasonable. After all, his strange sneak attack on the old man had frightened off his other two companions.


    The three blue-skinned humans who had crossed a long distance to this galaxy and arrived in this world were the main forces that the black tide had used to launch a counterattack on the plate-shaped world.


    They had made such meticulous preparations, but it had ended so quickly. No one could doubt Chen Yiming anymore. Not only had he suddenly appeared on a desert planet, but he also had a mysterious background.


    ¡­


    At this moment, the human spaceship fleet slowly entered the space-travel passage behind Chen Yiming. There were more than 100 of them, and they were all hovering in space.


    If not for the fact that humans knew their own strength, they would have thought that they were here to colonize this primitive planet.


    The general in the driver¡¯s seat observed the scene of the world outside the spaceship nervously through the large screen.


    ¡°Is this the will of the world? It¡¯s really terrifying.¡±


    On the large screen, the Milky Way gradually distorted, and the shadow of a huge human face appeared.


    A pair of cold and emotionless eyes looked down at the ground. Flames were constantly rising around them, as if they represented anger at the intruders.


    At the same time, countless staff members guarding the spaceships heaved a sigh of relief. Many of them secretly wiped the sweat off their foreheads.


    ¡°Report. The equipment is working well. There are no inexplicable failures or any black smoke rising from them.¡±


    Someone hurriedly used a walkie-talkie to report to the higher-ups.


    This was the first time that human technology was operating normally in the dark forest world. All kinds of detection equipment were collecting the surrounding data in an orderly manner.


    Soon, the team of experts and professors also got busy, and their work was accompanied by cries of surprise.


    ¡°Gasp! The gravity data of this world actually fluctuates on the spot. How unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°The spaceship is experiencing a storm 10 times stronger than the wind from a typhoon on the blue planet. However, the hull, which is made from black technology materials, shows no signs of cracking.¡±


    ¡°There is spiritual energy wreaking havoc in the world outside, but our hull is still functional. It completely blocks out these chaotic spiritual disturbances.¡±


    ¡°A portion of the stars detected in this galaxy correspond to those detected on the blue planet. It turns out that the blue planet and this world are not completely separated and too far away to be reached. It might even be in a neighboring galaxy.¡±


    ¡­


    After realizing that the technological equipment could operate normally, the scientific analysis method that humans were so proud of seemed to have gained a new life.


    The dark forest world was once known as the mysterious otherworld. As data was collected and analyzed by countless teams of experts, its veil was gradually drawn back.


    As the dark forest world stopped being an unknown world, its mystery faded.


    Due to the changes in the dark forest world, other than Chen Yiming, the people in charge of the spaceships from the various countries had yet to realize that the world¡¯s will was acting abnormally. They were still making the best use of their time to gather information about the surrounding environment.


    Chen Yiming immediately sent a voice transmission to the person in charge of the operation.


    ¡°It will take a few days for a spaceship to reach the plate-shaped world from the dark forest world. It will take at least a week to return.¡±


    ¡°The black tide has already retreated, but I¡¯m not sure if anything will happen in the next week. You guys go first. If the world¡¯s will interferes, I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    They had benefited from the fragments of extraordinary weapons which were used to create power devices, and the toughness of the spaceships was achieved through black technology.


    Compared to the spacecraft made from materials produced on the blue planet, its speed was more than 100 times faster, and the speed limit was nearly 1,000 times higher.


    Therefore, it was truly possible for them to travel through space. They would not have to fly for hundreds of years. Compared to the distant galaxies, it was as though they were still near the solar system.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Without any hesitation, once he gave the order, the two spaceships from the Daxia Kingdom charged into space with a powerful force.


    Then, the spaceships from various countries followed behind.


    If not for the fact that the direction was not right, they would have thought that the human spaceship fleet was about to fight the human-faced shadow.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A dull, invisible ripple surged between the heavens sky and the earth. Golden flames lit up in the eyes of the human-faced shadow, and the flames rising around it became even more intense.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Facing the rage from the world¡¯s will, Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm. He used the space anchor to leap over and attack first.


    He had the physical ability to destroy the bodies of the weakest creatures at the god realm like the demon god, the devouring demon god, and the dragon god. Every move he made had an unbelievable power that could destroy the world.


    Therefore, there was often no need for fancy moves or weapons with terrifying power sealed in them. Just his strength was enough to crush everything.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    The energy tide formed by the world¡¯s will was like the large waves on the sea amplified many more times. And yet Chen Yiming¡¯s punch had the power to tear through the sea.


    In front of this punch, a terrifying energy tide was swept back.


    A vast and invisible force shook the world. Between the human spaceship fleet that soared into the sky and the shadow of the human face in the sky, a black wave formed by a spatial rift appeared.


    The black waves brought with them chaotic, unknown, and dangerous spatial turbulence.


    Those who were not talented in space-travel or above the level of a god would most likely be lost in the space-travel turbulence and would not be able to find their way out. In the end, their body, mind, and everything else would collapse.


    When his punch landed, even the three dragon gods in the distant plate-shaped world could not help but narrow their eyes.


    ¡°In the dark forest world, someone is fighting an intense battle with the world¡¯s will. The energy of the world is flowing back, and the foundation of the world is being shaken.¡±


    In an instant, they realized who was involved in the battle.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s pure physical strength had become more and more terrifying as his Undying Body talent and Giant Talent level increased.


    Under the situation where he unleashed his true strength, almost every time he waved his arm, the sound of space being torn apart would ring out. Coupled with the enhancement from the fusion of his essence, energy, and spirit, he could easily break through the void and shatter space.


    The range of impact from his fists was completely on par with the energy tide mobilized by the world¡¯s will. It was even slightly beyond that. After one punch, he could add on countless punches, while the energy tide mobilized by the world¡¯s will would be unable to follow up with more attacks.


    Taking advantage of the appearance of a passage through the void, the human spaceship fleet easily broke through the energy tide barrier set up by the world¡¯s will and flew towards the plate-shaped world.


    Then, the aftershock of the punch arrived. The shadow of the face in the sky collapsed, and a bottomless ravine appeared in the ground. The entire dark forest world shook.


    All obstacles in the way, including rocks, grass, and water, were sent flying out of the world. Even the dark forest world moved 1,000 feet in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Not long ago, other than our world, something strange happened in the other four worlds. The dark creatures retreated completely.¡±


    ¡°This obstruction to the black tide¡¯s plans seems to have been left behind in the dark forest world. It just so happens that it ended up in a battle with the world¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t contact him.¡±


    The oldest dragon god shook its head helplessly.


    It wasn¡¯t that it didn¡¯t think Chen Yiming could resolve the obstruction from the world¡¯s will, but that it hadn¡¯t been able to inform the four worlds of the situation in time.


    Since the other party had come after traces of the black tide, he would definitely leave afterwards. The dragon gods also had the intention to join Chen Yiming and leave together.


    Just as the dragon gods thought that the world¡¯s will had been defeated by a single punch.


    ¡°Gather!¡±


    The light in the world instantly lit up and extinguished. The foundation bases stored in three different places broke out of the ground and flew towards a point in the sky.


    Faced with Chen Yiming¡¯s punch that could shake the earth and destroy the dark forest world, the world¡¯s will couldn¡¯t hide anything anymore. It removed all its restrictions.


    The three foundation bases all came from the core of the world. At this moment, they had fused into one and their scattered power had been gathered.


    ¡°Badump badump badump¡­¡±


    It was as if a living heart was beating. The shadow of the human face also materialized again in the sky, and its aura had clearly increased greatly.


    This was not even the complete core of the world. If it could take back the missing two-fifths, its power would be even more terrifying, and it would not allow any intruder to cause trouble in the world.


    It could be seen that in a world where living creatures could cultivate, there was a reason why the world¡¯s will was hostile to intruders. When one had the power of will and could protect their territory at will, who would be willing to let an outsider steal its resources?


    The supplies needed for the initial stages of cultivation, such as spiritual energy and essence energy, were all absorbed from the mysterious place by the core of the world. They were equivalent to food for cultivation.


    The living beings in the world were like their own children. Just because their children could eat them did not mean that outsiders could as well.


    Next.


    ¡°Ten Directional Sun Apocalypse.¡±


    An unfathomable whisper suddenly echoed through the world.


    The energy tide rose again, increasing by more than 10 times compared to the previous time. The stars in the sky seemed to flicker at this moment, and an invisible force descended to provide support.


    At the same time, three strange huge rocks rose into the sky from a certain corner of the world. They formed a triangle and surrounded the newly formed core of the world.


    Finally, 10 large balls of light condensed in the sky, emitting terrifying energy fluctuations and burning fiercely.


    ¡°Those are the cores of the other three worlds, but why would they appear in the dark forest world?¡± the three dragon gods said in shock at the same time. They could barely use their will to watch the battle that had erupted in the dark forest world. They were often by the side of the treasure tree and were also very familiar with the aura of the core of the world that was buried underground.


    The core of the world could not leave for a long time. Otherwise, not only would its power decrease greatly, but the will of the world would also gradually dissipate.


    This was a restriction that no matter how strong the world¡¯s will was, it could not bypass.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    Chen Yiming cursed under his breath. ¡°No wonder the female spirit agreed to the deal. After I obtained the core of the plate-shaped world, it seems like she had already predicted that I wouldn¡¯t be able to successfully obtain the cores of the other four worlds.¡±


    Although everything that was happening in front of him had saved him some effort and time, it was also squandering the energy accumulated from the other three world cores!


    At this moment, his heart was bleeding from the loss. They were originally supposed to be turned into Skill Points, and form the foundation for him to reach the god realm. After this battle, he did not know how much would be left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes were filled with anger. With the help of the space anchor, he performed a space-jump and appeared in front of the newly formed world core.


    His body was comparable to a perpetual motion machine. Unless he faced someone like the three blue-skinned humans from before, whose strength was on completely different levels,


    otherwise, the limit of one punch was not his true limit. The true limit was the stacking of countless punches.


    ¡°Destroy!¡±


    Chen Yiming waved his arms quickly.


    The fist shadows that filled the sky instantly surrounded the four world cores. A large area of space collapsed, and the space-travel distortion that was created was about to devour the dark forest world.


    To the dark forest world and the will of its world, they were instantly faced with a crisis that they had not encountered for countless years even when the black tide invaded.


    That¡¯s right, this crisis was even more serious than the black tide. The invasion of the black tide revolved around the harvesting of negative emotions from living creatures. Chen Yiming¡¯s forceful attack could send the entire world into a space-travel distortion.


    On the other hand, if the entire world was thrown into space-travel distortion, due to the large area of contact, the entire world would be instantly torn apart. It would not be able to forcefully break out of it.


    It was not like creatures with space-travel abilities, for which, to a certain extent, it was like a fish returning to the sea. The space-travel distortion was a sort of refuge.


    ¡°You, what are you doing? Are you going to let the entire world be devoured by the space-travel distortion?¡±


    The eyes of the three dragon gods had widened to thousands of times larger than before. They found this situation unbelievable.


    After they became gods, they had also personally entered space-travel distortions before. However, it was only for experimenting and preparing for any unforeseen situations.


    Among the three dragon gods, even the oldest dragon god did not dare to stay in the space-travel distortion for long.


    The reason why space-travel distortions were so termed was because the space inside was unordered and changed randomly. There was no pattern to it.


    At the level of a god, one could easily break through the space-travel barrier and enter the space-travel distortion. However, if one was brought too far away from the point of entry, even a god would find it difficult to find a suitable point to return to normal space.


    For the unsuitable points, it was not that one could not return to normal space from those positions. Instead, it was because there were many layers of space barriers. Even the dragon god¡¯s strength was relatively insufficient.


    In addition, there were terrifying dangers related to space hidden inside. If the dragon god was lost in it, it would die sooner or later due to an accident, and its corpse would not even be found.


    At this moment, the counterattack from the world¡¯s will also erupted.


    The 10 suns surrounded the human-faced shadow and the four world cores, including Chen Yiming. Then, they exploded, releasing all the energy contained within.


    The suicidal explosion that prevented the dark forest world from being devoured was also an attempt to compete with Chen Yiming in terms of endurance.


    In an instant, a dazzling light drowned out everything. Nothing could be seen except for the fact that the starry sky was trembling.


    A terrifying energy tide had already overflowed from the dark forest world and spread out into the sky like a wave of flames.


    This much energy being released at once had never happened in the five worlds since the birth of this galaxy countless years ago.


    ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t take long to resolve the problem with the world¡¯s will?¡±


    An old general from the Daxia Kingdom tensed up when he saw the scene on the surveillance screen.


    He had never seen the three blue-skinned humans who had descended with the power to suppress the galaxy, nor had he seen one of the old men in long robes die under Chen Yiming¡¯s sneak attack.


    The will of the dark forest world was far inferior to the three blue-skinned humans. It could be easily suppressed by Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Will Chen Yiming be alright?¡±


    A few staff members beside the old general prayed in their hearts.


    Chen Yiming had once been chased by the will of the sun. Therefore, in the eyes of ordinary people, an individual could not fight an entire world head-on.


    According to what he said at the entrance of the industrial base, he must have used some spiritual method to suppress the world¡¯s will for a short period of time so that the human spaceship team could leave successfully.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    Under the anxious gazes of countless people, the dark forest world used the force of the suicidal explosion to change its original trajectory. Carrying flames behind it, it flew out of the range of the space-travel distortion just in time.


    At this moment, the interior of the dark forest world had already turned into a world where flames and lava coexisted. It was no longer the same world. A figure walked out of it, and a furious voice could be heard.

 Chapter 412 - Breaking Through to the God Realm

    ¡°Damn the black tide. Originally, all four talents would have increased by at least one level. Now, I only have six million Skill Points left.¡±


    The system interface appeared in front of him. Six million Skill Points, no more, no less. It was just enough to increase the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent by one level each.


    As the level of his physique talent increased, the overall combat strength from the Undying Body talent and Giant Talent increased even more.


    Since he didn¡¯t have enough Skill Points, Chen Yiming could only neglect the spiritual figure¡¯s upgrades for now. It had to be known that he had previously always prioritized the swordsmanship talent so that the spiritual figure could advance to a higher level.


    The spiritual figure now provided the coordinates for the space anchor and had gradually retreated to the back seat. It was a backup plan to ensure his survival.


    ¡°Upgrade!¡±


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate to allocate Skill Points to the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent.


    In the next moment, golden light shot out from every section on the system interface. A vast and heavy aura seemed to be rushing out of it into the real world.


    Next, it didn¡¯t simply complete the upgrade as before. Instead, it turned into a golden stream of light that flew back into Chen Yiming¡¯s body.


    ¡°Bang bang!¡±


    The sound of a heartbeat shook the galaxy.


    The human spaceship fleet that was leaving the dark forest world and everyone in the plate-shaped world heard this sound.


    ¡°Is the dark forest world about to explode?¡±


    On the spaceship, someone looked towards the burning world and spoke with their lips trembling.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems with the space-travel passage, right?¡±


    There were also people who were worried that the changes in the dark forest world would affect their way back to the blue planet. If that happened, this fleet of human spaceships would become a wandering civilization.


    The wandering civilization was something they could think about, but did not have the confidence to actually do. After all, this team was only in charge of transporting the black technology materials. The elites of the human race were all left on the blue planet.


    ¡°What a powerful aura. He¡¯s about to break through to the god realm.¡±


    The three dragon gods in the plate-like world sighed.


    Not only did they hear the sound of their hearts beating, but they also saw an aura hidden in the burning world rising steadily.


    Now that this aura was undergoing a transformation, the world¡¯s will had used the foundation it had accumulated over countless years to form 10 self-destructing suns. However, in the end, it could not create a miracle.


    That¡¯s right, the three dragon gods did not think highly of the dark forest world¡¯s will gathering the four world cores.


    This was because that was only an increase in quantity, not a qualitative change. The world¡¯s will could not complete the transformation in a short period of time.


    Soon, just as the three dragon gods had guessed, the burning world shook. Invisible ripples soared into the sky, pushing aside the waves of fire that were like tides and extinguishing the endless flames that were putting up a resistance.


    The shadow of a giant stood up from the half-burnt and half-extinguished world. His eyes emitted a divine light, as if he was observing his surroundings.


    All those who took even a glance at him felt like they were being suffocated, as though they were being seen through by him. Even the three dragon gods were no exception.


    ¡°This is only the spiritual pressure brought about by the manifestation of his will. I feel like it can easily crush us to death.¡±


    One of the dragon gods was shocked by how powerful Chen Yiming was after breaking through.


    The higher the level of one¡¯s cultivation, the more sensitive one¡¯s intuition would be. Unless one deliberately hid it with a secret technique, the difference between the two of them could be seen with the naked eye.


    ¡°However, the commotion caused by this transformation is too exaggerated.¡±


    The other dragon god retracted its gaze and sensed the abnormality in the plate-shaped world under its feet. There was an invisible attraction force between the five worlds that ensured that the pentagonal structure was maintained.


    Now, invisible shock waves spread out from the burning dark forest world. The attraction force between the worlds was actually dispersed.


    As a result, the five worlds were moving away from each other.


    ¡°It seems that relying on our instincts to cultivate primitively is indeed not enough at the level of a god. No matter what, we have to think of a way to leave.¡±


    ¡°Although we might have to take a huge risk, only by leaving will we have a chance to come into contact with a better cultivation technique.¡±


    The oldest dragon god sighed, its gaze blank.


    This was a stronger feeling compared to when it had seen the three blue-skinned humans arrive. It was similar to the feeling of a backward civilization facing an advanced civilization.


    Thinking of this, it looked at the five worlds in the galaxy. They used to be worlds with a strong cultivation atmosphere, but at the level of a god, they were like fish ponds. They were too small.


    The three dragon gods had all reached the level of gods, and they could only interact with each other. It was very difficult for them to improve further.


    Time passed by. Just as countless creatures were still shocked by the terrifying power of the giant, the half-extinguished burning world was lit up again by the blood essence energy.


    The aura that belonged to the world¡¯s will was quickly dissipating, and it was replaced by a pure blood essence power. The blood essence power dyed the world red.


    Chen Yiming opened his eyes and carefully sensed the changes in his body.


    ¡°As expected, the difference in physique makes the inner world I condensed different from others. Each cell corresponds to an inner world.¡±


    The inner world was essentially compressed space. On the surface, it was the size of a ball, but in reality, the energy contained in it was comparable to that of a planet.


    ¡°A cell corresponds to an inner world. The human body has billions of cells. Even if each miniature inner world is not as good as a normal inner world, the accumulated amount is still an unimaginable number.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of something. ¡°Has this galaxy been sucked dry by me?¡±


    He immediately looked up and realized that the starry sky above him had not changed much. Clearly, the energy needed to break through did not come from the space he was in.


    On second thought, he recalled that the foundation bases refined from the core of the world could absorb and convert energy from a mysterious place, slowly accumulating a very pure energy called essence energy.


    Clearly, with the physique formed by his Undying Body talent and Giant Talent, he had done something similar, absorbing energy from a mysterious place to support the creation of such a large number of inner worlds.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because the mysterious place is in a different dimension that the billions of cells were able to condense into inner worlds. It didn¡¯t have a far-reaching effect in the real world.¡±


    As he experienced the changes in his body, he thought about it. However, he still could not sense the so-called mysterious place. Even he could not understand the physique brought about by his two talents.


    Soon, Chen Yiming gave up on the idea of following the trail and glanced at the updated martial arts talent system panel.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 6, Giant ¡ª Level 5, Space Anchor ¡ª Level 3


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 6


    Level: Fusion Realm


    Physique: Intermediate Sword Body


    Skill points: 54267


    ¡°Star condensation realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming memorized the name of the realm written on the interface.


    God was just a very general term. It referred to a creature that had mastered the power of the world and had power at the level of a world¡¯s will, and the ability to easily project one¡¯s own will.


    His physique had changed from the intermediate undying giant body to the advanced undying giant body.


    The condensation of the inner world was a milestone and turning point on the path of cultivation. Due to the innate differences between the living beings, there was often a difference in their bodies.


    Due to the fact that the inner world involved space to begin with, the direction of cultivation had changed greatly. If he wanted to strengthen the inner world, it would probably be difficult for him to continue without his space talent.


    ¡­


    At this moment, in a corner of the galaxy far away from the burning dark forest world,


    a strange-looking bug with a white light at the corner of its head broke through the spatial distortion and crawled out. The spatial fluctuations it caused were minimal.


    ¡°At this distance, we shouldn¡¯t be discovered.¡±


    A low voice that sounded like someone chewing on food traveled out.


    Soon, a crack appeared in the void at the side. Another bug crawled out of the spatial distortion and stared ahead.


    Both bugs had spatial abilities and moved very stealthily. They were nicknamed the ¡°Void Pursuers¡±, which meant that they could both monitor and chase after their targets.


    In all the galaxies in the universe, these bugs were notorious. Things usually did not end well for their targets.


    ¡°The target has broken through to the star condensation realm and has a special spatial ability. It¡¯s not easy to monitor or deal with him. Send the information back.¡±


    One of the bugs communicated with its companion.


    The other bug thought so too. The two bugs immediately reached an agreement and prepared to return to the space turbulence and leave this space.


    They were the last force left behind by the black tide in this part of the galaxy. They were in charge of cleaning up any traces that might be left behind and checking on Chen Yiming¡¯s situation.


    If Chen Yiming had also encountered a problem after launching a sneak attack on the old man and was at a disadvantage in the fight against the world¡¯s will, the black tide could take the chance to wipe him out at any moment.


    However, the truth wasn¡¯t that there was a very low chance of that happening. Instead, it was developing in a direction that was even more disadvantageous to the black tide. Chen Yiming had become stronger.


    This also meant that all the plans against Chen Yiming had to be revised.


    It turned out that the existence behind the supreme will no longer had the ability to take on the plan to deal with Chen Yiming.


    However, just as they were about to return to the space-travel distortion, ¡°I can¡¯t let you spread what you saw.¡±


    Chen Yiming appeared in front of the two bugs with a smile.


    As he broke through to the star condensation realm, the power of his will had also increased by a large margin. The range of his spiritual perception had increased, and it could completely cover the entire range of this galaxy where the five worlds were.


    When the two bugs broke through the space-travel distortion, the slight spatial fluctuations created could not be hidden from him. He only needed to use the space anchor to jump through space and capture the two bugs.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The two bugs looked at each other and silently communicated. They turned around and entered the space-travel distortion.


    The reputation of the ¡°Void Pursuers¡± did not mean that they were invincible. Facing ordinary people at the star condensation realm who did not have spatial abilities, they were powerful pursuers.


    For example, the dragon gods. Although such bugs could not kill the dragon gods directly, it would be difficult for the dragon gods to escape the surveillance of these bugs. If they could not escape the surveillance, it meant that the bugs would sooner or later summon an existence that could kill them.


    ¡°The power of the world itself carries a little spatial power. I¡¯ll also try moves like making a cage that can cover a world and see how effective the trillions of miniature inner worlds can be.¡±


    Chen Yiming treated the two bugs as his test subjects.


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the corners of the two bugs¡¯ heads, which were glowing with white light, were forcefully compressed back into their bodies by an invisible space barrier.


    The cracks in the void were smoothed out by Chen Yiming, and the spatial distortion no longer appeared in this space.


    The white light on the corners of their heads was the spatial ability of these insects. It could easily break through the void and also emit invisible ripples to locate them, allowing them to move freely in the space distortions.


    However, today, they encountered their nemesis. The white light on the corner of their heads had already been activated to the limit, but the space barrier that they had broken through was being repaired much more quickly.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    ¡°It seems that the target of the experiment is too weak. It¡¯s only at the fusion realm. If I use a little strength, the other party will be defeated.¡±


    At this moment, the two bugs could not break through the space barrier head-on, so they tried to move in another direction to find the weak points in the space barrier.


    They were like ants trapped under a glass cover that were running around in panic. The more they could not find a way out, the more anxious they became.


    It was time for Chen Yiming to kill the two bugs.


    The space that trapped the two bugs quickly shrank, finally turning into a small white dot that then disappeared into thin air.


    The corpses of the two bugs were naturally compressed into a small black dot that floated in space.


    Soon, Chen Yiming left this space with the help of the space anchor.


    All was silent. Other than him, no one else knew that the corpses of the bugs called the Void Pursuers were floating here.


    These two corpses were too inconspicuous. Their flesh and bones were completely fused together, and their size was so small that it was difficult to see them with the naked eye, let alone when they were left in a corner of the vast galaxy.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    The human spaceship fleet finally arrived after flying from the dark forest world to the plate-shaped world at an extremely high speed.


    The distance covered was unprecedented in the history of human flights. However, to Chen Yiming, he could complete it with just the help of the space anchor.


    However, his space ability was not the type that could open up a space-travel passage, and he could not bring the fleet of spaceships together with him during the space-jump.


    At this moment, seeing that they had arrived at their destination, the supervisor heaved a sigh of relief. He also allowed the crew to move around freely to a certain extent. Countless people rushed over and gathered around the large screen to observe the scenery around them.


    The three dragon gods and all the terrifying creatures were already waiting.


    ¡°F*ck, those three dragons are nearly half the size of the moon.¡±


    Countless people on the spaceship were extremely excited. In the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s culture, dragons were creatures with a special meaning.


    Whether it was an Eastern dragon or a Western dragon, as long as it was a creature with the characteristics of a dragon, it would attract a lot of attention, let alone a living dragon.


    If they were on the blue planet, countless cameras would have flashed and taken photos of them.


    ¡°Look, the dragon seems to be welcoming our arrival.¡±


    Someone exclaimed, and his jaw almost dropped.


    Without needing this person to say anything, everyone could see that an older-looking dragon was standing at the front. Exclamations rang out one after another.


    At this moment, everyone understood that Chen Yiming had already conquered this world. That was why he had asked the human spaceship fleet to come and take the high-tech materials away.


    Soon, under the guidance of a dragon god, the human spaceship fleet scattered and landed around the black water pit.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    Seeing the black substance that covered an area the size of the Pacific Ocean, not only were the countless people shocked, but even the top people in charge of the various countries were shocked.


    There was too much of it. Even if all the forces on the blue planet worked together, they would not be able to bring much of it back with them.


    At this moment, an image appeared in the minds of everyone who was staring at the screen. Hundreds of millions of black spaceships were appearing in the galaxy where their new home was.


    Countless civilizations had become affiliated with the humans. They were in charge of monitoring the galaxy for the humans, and at the same time, they were constantly providing supplies.


    Such a scene was too good to be true. It was a pity that the threat of the black tide could not be kept away for sure. Therefore, it was impossible to take away all the black substance.


    Not long after, the cabin doors of the spaceships from various countries opened, and various transport vehicles carrying people drove out. There were multi-purpose trucks and cranes¡­


    This was not all. Under the orders of the dragon gods, many terrifying creatures came to the black water pit to help the humans.


    The terrifying creatures were in charge of tearing the black substance into small pieces. Human transportation tools were in charge of transporting it back and forth between the excavation sites and the spaceships.


    Just like that, the black water pit had become a large construction site. In the history of the plate-shaped world, this was the first time that even the dragon gods had seen modern technological equipment from humans on the blue planet.


    ¡­


    Just as the humans were turning the black water pit into a large construction site, Chen Yiming and the three dragon gods gathered in the center of the plate-shaped world.


    A young man¡¯s figure suddenly jumped out of the ring.


    ¡°You are!¡±


    The three dragon gods trembled. They felt that the other party¡¯s aura was quite familiar, but his human appearance was so unfamiliar. In the next moment, they recalled that Chen Yiming had taken the treasure tree away.


    ¡°I¡¯m the treasure tree. Have you forgotten so quickly?¡±


    The young man did not sound too happy. He did not expect that the three dragon cubs would not recognize him after he left for just a few days.


    The three dragon gods looked embarrassed and shouted in their hearts that they were being maligned.


    In the inner world of the treasure tree, the tree spirit had always appeared with an old man¡¯s face. The three dragon gods treated him as an existence at the level of their ancestors, so how could they expect him to look like a young man now?


    The young man that was the treasure tree did not continue to argue with the three dragon gods. Instead, he waved his hand at the ground.


    In the next moment, the ground immediately cracked open inch by inch. A strange stone that was glowing flew out of one of the cracks. It was the core of the plate-shaped world.


    ¡°This will give me the Skill Points needed for the spiritual figure to break through to the star condensation realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze was burning as he stared fixedly at the young man. Under such a burning gaze, the young man instinctively tensed up.


    ¡°Is he looking at me or the core of the world?¡±


    The young man formed by the treasure tree was vaguely worried about his own safety.


    This was different from before. Chen Yiming was no longer at the fusion realm. After breaking through to the star condensation realm, although he was only at the weakest level among the gods, he could already suppress him.


    A few days ago, while he stayed in the ring, he had seen with his own eyes how the two void pursuer bugs had been killed.

 Chapter 413 - New Enemy

    The stars were hanging high in the sky. Occasionally, a comet would fly past, making one feel that the universe was not motionless, but moving.


    As the young man formed by the treasure tree put away the core of the plate-shaped world, an aura of decline suddenly appeared in the five worlds that were originally suitable for living beings to cultivate in.


    Chen Yiming felt that the materials that could help living creatures cultivate were gradually being used up. He was surprised by this.


    ¡°The five worlds are arranged at five corners of the pentagon. From the looks of it, they are not isolated existences. Instead, they have some kind of connection to begin with.¡±


    ¡°When all the cores of the five worlds are dug out, the materials that can help living creatures cultivate will only be consumed and not produced. The supernatural beings will also disappear and it will become like the blue planet in the past.¡±


    ¡°Then after a long time, will a new core be born? Will it be able to restore an environment suitable for living creatures to cultivate?¡±


    After all the trouble, Chen Yiming had taken away four world cores, and the young man formed by the treasure tree had dug out one of the world cores. It was equivalent to completely cutting off the path of cultivation in this galaxy.


    Compared to the black tide that was invading the world, it seemed that what they were doing was not a good thing either.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    At this moment, the young man turned around and said to Chen Yiming, ¡°The black substance obtained from destroying the war weapon is abundant and of good quality, but it¡¯s best to use it carefully.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming snapped out of his thoughts.


    On second thought, that seemed to be the case. The black substance came from the tools used by the black tide to invade the world, and the aura on it could not be removed.


    To humans, it was fine to use it at the last minute before their own technology caught up. There was always a hidden danger in using it all the time. This was obvious from the situation of the three blue-skinned humans. It was definitely not a good thing to be involved with the black tide.


    The young man formed by the treasure tree continued, ¡°Before the black tide retreated, it left a trap for you. Perhaps you didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    Chen Yiming was puzzled. Was that true?


    The three dragon gods were also puzzled. In their opinion, the black tide seemed to be fleeing in panic. How could it trick Chen Yiming?


    ¡°This trap was set when you were fighting the world¡¯s will. How should I say it? In reality, the black tide is only trying to slow you down and prevent you from tracking down their base that is near this galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Think about it. At that time, was the world¡¯s will slightly stronger than at its peak? Did the stars suddenly flash and enhance the world¡¯s will?¡±


    ¡°To understand everything involved, we have to start with the other name of the world¡¯s will, which is the star spirit.¡±


    Before the treasure tree could explain itself, Chen Yiming suddenly understood that the strange stones he had obtained that were part of the core of the world could cause trouble.


    The reason was that his identity as a person from the central galaxy was all a lie.


    In essence, he was born on a cultivation desert planet and did not know anything about the universe that might be common knowledge.


    ¡°The star spirits have the ability to contact each other. At that time, the stars flashed in the sky, giving the world¡¯s will additional enhancement. The increase in combat strength was quite limited, and it was mostly to intimidate you.¡±


    ¡°However, you still insisted on forcefully killing a star spirit. Such actions will cause your aura to be remembered forever and blacklisted by the star spirits.¡±


    ¡°In other words, any world with a star spirit will view your aura as that of an enemy. There are also factions related to the star spirits that specially hunt down people like you.¡±


    ¡°In essence, it¡¯s not much different from the hatred for the black tide.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow and glanced at the strange stone in the young man¡¯s hand.


    Seeing this, the other party quickly continued to explain, ¡°The star spirits are the foundation of cultivation in the universe. You are not allowed to kill them openly and forcefully take their accumulated essence energy. This is common knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Although the strange stone that you have and the strange stone here both contain star spirits, I didn¡¯t give this one a chance to contact other star spirits.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to how the black tide invades a new world. A tool like the blockade will immediately suppress the star spirit and prevent it from spreading the news of the invasion.¡±


    Good lord!


    Veins popped out on Chen Yiming¡¯s forehead, and he clenched his fists.


    Since the treasure tree knew about the issue with the star spirits, it was even more impossible for the female spirit not to know. However, she must have done it on purpose to watch him fall into the trap.


    The current situation was that he had repeatedly repelled the counterattack of the black tide. It was obvious that if he encountered the black tide, they would fight to the death.


    After forming a huge grudge with the star spirits, it was equivalent to both the good and evil sides treating him as an enemy. He would not be welcome wherever he went.


    Furthermore, he was not the only one who was not welcomed. The materials on the hull of the human spaceship pointed to the black tide, and there was a high chance that they would also not be welcome.


    The young man formed by the treasure tree secretly took a step back.


    He was a little flustered, afraid that Chen Yiming would go all out. Since he had already offended the star spirits, he might as well take the strange stone from him.


    Of course, he also understood the reason why the goddess didn¡¯t inform him in advance. If Chen Yiming and the human factions couldn¡¯t truly integrate into the universe, she could hide herself better.


    It was to prevent her from losing her value to Chen Yiming and being sold off. It was also to protect herself.


    Humans stepping into outer space and gradually coming into contact with the real universe was completely different from staying on the blue planet alone.


    The expressions of the three dragon gods at the side also froze.


    They had thought that by blocking the black tide¡¯s counterattack and obtaining what they wanted, everyone would be happy. They had also wanted to take the opportunity to suggest joining Chen Yiming.


    However, when he heard the sound of Chen Yiming¡¯s fist knocking against the ground, they had to swallow their words. The other party was still angry.


    The atmosphere in the entire plate-shaped world was rather heavy. Ordinary creatures felt that they could not breathe normally. In the sky, there were also faint signs of a large thunderstorm gathering.


    If the weather continued to evolve, it would be similar to the scene of the world¡¯s will getting angry. The entire world was on the verge of collapse, and the sky seemed to be about to fall down.


    Only then did the young man from the treasure tree remember that he still had something to do. He quickly took out the map of the universe drawn by the goddess on a piece of paper made of some unknown material that looked like a sheepskin scroll.


    The map of the universe originally did not have a physical form. It was drawn by the female spirit based on a portion of the memories from the old man in the long robe.


    What was given here was not the full map, but the parts that were sufficient for humans to use in the next stage.


    ¡°This is part of the map,¡±


    the young man formed by the treasure tree emphasized.


    Chen Yiming took the sheepskin scroll. His attention was attracted by the map, and the phenomenon that covered the entire world gradually disappeared. The heavy atmosphere gradually calmed down.


    On the star , the location of the blue planet was marked by a red circle. At the moment, the five worlds in this space were marked by five small red crosses.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same, but he was speechless. Such a map had to be handed over to an astronomy expert to study, and he could only understand the rough direction.


    As for how far the marked stars were from each other, it needed to be checked before it could be determined. Just by looking at the map, it was similar to a map of the blue planet.


    Seeing this, the treasure tree heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°The goddess also had another thing that she wanted me to tell you. Of the five worlds in this galaxy, the dark forest world is the most special.¡±


    ¡°The core of its world has the space attribute, so it¡¯s worth a lot in the universe. It can be made into a spatial item, so don¡¯t reveal it to others easily.¡±


    ¡°The space-travel passage connecting to the blue planet was established with the core of that world as the foundation and the power of the wormholes nearby.¡±


    ¡°However, because you have brought the core of the world away, all the space-travel passages will gradually close. The longest time they can last will not exceed a month.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled the appearance of the huge eye.


    Among the five worlds in this galaxy, there were no creatures that had mastered spatial abilities in the entire plate-shaped world. However, there was one in the dark forest world, and there might even be more than one.


    The female spirit¡¯s first stop was the dark forest world, not the other four worlds.


    It was clear that even if the core of the world was not made into a spatial item, its value was immeasurable. This priceless item was akin to a treasure for the humans.


    ¡­


    Just as the human spaceship fleet was racing against time to transport the black substance away, a silver spaceship that seemed to have fused with space was rushing towards the dark forest world.


    In the spaceship,


    a middle-aged man in black armor had a calm expression on his face as he crossed his arms in front of him. In front of him was a large screen that marked the location of the dark forest world in space and the real-time location of the spaceship.


    Behind him, two burly men stood on both sides. They were the two crew members of the spaceship and were also direct subordinates of the middle-aged man.


    One of the bald men had a worried expression on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that in the face of a powerful enemy like the black tide, there would still be extremely selfish people among the humans who would do anything to get their hands on the star spirits.¡±


    Another burly man with a scar on his face shook his head from side to side, making a knocking sound.


    ¡°However, even in a galaxy, there are always transactions of essence energy happening in secret. This is the temptation of essence energy.¡±


    The bald man nodded. It was just as the scarred man had said.


    For some people, even if they knew that it was very easy for one¡¯s foundation to be weak when using the essence energy to break through, and that many of their problems could not be resolved, causing the difficulty of breaking through to the next level to increase greatly,


    they still could not resist the temptation to use the essence energy to break through immediately. On one hand, there was the unknown future, and on the other hand, there was the present.


    They would always prioritize the present. As for the future, if they could not break through now, there would be no future to speak of.


    At this moment, the middle-aged man in armor suddenly said, ¡°We have to put in 120% of our effort on this operation. It involves a star spirit with the space attribute, so we can only succeed and not fail.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the two burly men in the spaceship replied loudly.


    The middle-aged man, who was their superior, had personally relayed the information. Clearly, it was a mission with hidden requirements.


    It had to be known that before they set off, the two of them had not seen this information during the mission briefing. At this moment, their relaxed brows immediately frowned.


    The bald man¡¯s fighting spirit erupted.


    He had taken one step at a time and had never relied on external forces to break through to his current level. What he hated the most was those who relied on external forces to break through.


    That¡¯s right, there were also many second-generation descendants who were powerful gods in the universe.


    However, most of these second-generation descendants had broken through using the accumulated resources, relying on treasures to protect themselves. Their true combat strength was often the average among those of the same level.


    If not for the reputation of their ancestors and their factions, the second-generation descendants would have been beaten to a pulp by others of the same level.


    Similar to the second generation descendants, the true combat strength of those who relied on essence energy to break through was often very weak. He could not wait to teach that brazen fellow a lesson.


    The scarred man touched the scar on his face.


    The scar ran from his forehead to his chin. This was not a natural scar. It was left behind in a battle where he had underestimated his opponent and almost died.


    Ever since he was lucky enough to survive that time, he had treated the scar as a reminder.


    ¡°It seems to hurt a little!¡±


    It was unknown if it was just a psychological effect or if he really had an accurate intuition when facing a powerful enemy. Anyway, the pain had successfully predicted such situations three times.


    The middle-aged man in armor turned his gaze back to the big screen.


    ¡°He knew that it was a special star spirit, but he still dared to kill it openly. He¡¯s either an ignorant fellow or someone who is extremely confident in his own strength or is hiding his strength.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the connection between the star spirits can only facilitate a simple communication. Even they don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    ¡°I can only hope that it¡¯s not some old fox who is hiding his strength. The activity of the black tide is increasing day by day, and the various factions are short on manpower. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid the mission won¡¯t be so easy to complete.¡±


    Unlike the calm, domineering, and confident expression he displayed when facing his two burly subordinates, the middle-aged man in armor sighed at the difficulty of this secret mission in his heart.


    On the surface, the mission of this spaceship was to chase and kill the human who dared to kill the star spirit. In secret, there was also a revival mission.


    The middle-aged man had a strange item that he could use to snatch back the body of the star spirit and revive it to revitalize the place of its birth.


    Finally, they would escort the star spirit back to the world it was born in and resettle it.


    After discovering a special star spirit, those managing the star spirits would not let it wander around outside. Instead, they would give it the protection and resources it needed to grow.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a few days had passed.


    Due to the fact that the space-travel passages were about to disappear, the humans could only complete one round of transport. They would carry as much as they could, and there would be no second chance.


    Therefore, other than the necessary space to move around in, the human spaceships were almost filled to the brim with the black substance. It was time to return.


    The spaceships from various countries slowly rose into the sky. Then, they floated in the sky and organized themselves into groups to check on the supplies and the crew.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The two dragon gods each led two dragons at the fusion realm to eliminate any threats that might affect the spaceships in the space between the dark forest world and the plate-shaped world.


    The reason was that Chen Yiming had decided to take away the terrifying creatures at the fusion realm who were willing to leave with him.


    In the end, not a single terrifying creature was unwilling to leave with them. There were a total of more than 100 of them. As for those below the fusion realm, they had an acceptable level of strength on this world, but they were not of much use in space. Therefore, they were not accepted as his subordinates.


    The traces of the black tide on the human spaceship were too obvious. In the future, these terrifying creatures at the fusion realm would interact with the outside world on their behalf.


    Humans, on the other hand, would try their best to develop their technology until they had the ability to completely replace and remove the traces of the black tide from the spaceship.


    This way, the human factions suddenly expanded. There were more than 100 people at the fusion realm escorting them, and there were also four existences at the level of gods guarding them.


    At this moment, the oldest dragon god was at the front. The terrifying creatures accompanying him were around him, protecting the human spaceship fleet from all angles.


    Some common accidents, such as the occasional meteor flying past, could be resolved by the terrifying creatures directly before they approached, ensuring that the spaceships would not be affected by such accidents.


    On the back of the oldest dragon god,


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and stood quietly. After the tree spirit passed on the message, the ring had returned to his hand. There was no more news from them.


    The ring was still sealed off. He could no longer enter it with just a trace of his will like before.


    Due to the deal they had made, the two sides had become partners. The middleman for this cooperation was the treasure tree, who was in charge of the communication between the two sides.


    At this moment, a wave-shaped spatial fluctuation moved forward bit by bit from the distant void. The fluctuation was very small, but the range it triggered was very large. It was a little similar to the probing ripples emitted by a radar.


    ¡°As expected, just as the treasure tree said, the factions related to the star spirits are about to come after us.¡±


    Chen Yiming was extremely sensitive to spatial fluctuations. Even from a distance, he could see them clearly like a fluorescent light in the night.


    However, he could not track down the other party¡¯s exact location.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since we dealt with the star spirit from the dark forest world. Then, there¡¯s still more than half a month before all the space-travel passages naturally disappear.¡±


    ¡°The world-level formation that the huge eye once mentioned only destroyed the remaining forces of the black tide as a side effect. The main function of that world-level formation was to use the power of the wormholes to open up a long-term, stable space-travel passage.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, the value it has means that it is definitely not something to be taken lightly. From my perspective, I can¡¯t pretend not to see it either.¡±


    Chen Yiming considered the time difference.


    If the factions related to the star spirits only arrived after more than half a month, the space-travel passages would have already disappeared, and the other party would only have missed their target.


    If he arrived at a certain time within half a month, he would have to stop the intruder in this space and prevent the location of the blue planet from being exposed.


    Otherwise, it might be like poking at a hornet¡¯s nest. After humans left the blue planet, they would not be able to have peace for a long time. Just like when the black tide launched a counterattack, they would send stronger existences over again and again.


    In any case, as long as the coordinates of the blue planet in the universe were not exposed, he could use the coordinates of the space anchor left on the spiritual figure to shake off the other party with one space-jump.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming became energized. This was the last battle before humans left the blue planet.


    Half an hour later, the fleet of human spaceships had gathered and started to speed up slowly, heading towards the dark forest world that had been destroyed by the blood essence power.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t return with the group and stayed behind alone.


    ¡­

 Chapter 414 - Old Planet

    Mars was a red planet. It was similar in size to the blue planet, and the surface was far richer in iron ore than the blue planet.


    At this moment, more than 1,000 temporary construction sites had already been built on the surface, as well as densely packed temporary campsites. Resources were mined, the keel of the spaceships were built, and adaptive training was underway¡­


    The dark creatures had already disappeared. The entire Mars was under the control of humans, and all the work was carried out in an orderly manner.


    A week ago, the main force of the human spaceship fleet took off from the blue planet and crossed a distance of more than 100 million kilometers to meet up with the three city-level spaceships.


    The spaceship fleet had a silent journey the entire time. It was not as exciting as they had expected, and there was only a quiet and sad farewell.


    Even though it was confirmed that the counterattack of the black tide had been pushed back on the other side of the space-travel passage, the higher-ups of the humans were still determined to go to a new planet.


    However, the day that the news that the space-travel passage was about to disappear forever was made public, there was a small disagreement within the spaceship fleet.


    Among the billions of people, there was a small group from every country that had gathered to speak up and communicate with the higher-ups of the humans.


    They voluntarily gave up on the chance to go to the new planet and chose to stay on the blue planet.


    ¡°New planet.¡± This hinted at a new hope. The general opinion was that the human spaceship fleet was heading to a new planet that could support life.


    ¡°Old planet.¡± At some point, there were more and more voices from the people who no longer referred to the place where humans came from as the ¡®blue planet¡¯, but the ¡®old planet¡¯.


    The word ¡°old¡± contained many meanings, and everyone had a different understanding of it.


    Some people thought that the black tide¡¯s repeated activities had directly or indirectly caused the terrain on the blue planet to change drastically. The original name felt a little awkward, but it was more suitable to use the word ¡°old planet¡±.


    Some people thought that Chen Yiming, an unprecedented personage, had led all the elites of humanity and the technological achievements of the entire civilization to leave the blue planet and head to a new planet.


    The blue planet was similar to the dynasties that had left behind a short period of glory in history. In the end, they could not withstand the tide of the era and turned into records in history books.


    Some people thought that the ¡®new¡¯ and ¡®old¡¯ represented the new humans and the old humans. The new humans would go to a new star that was more suitable for development, and the old humans would have no future if they stayed behind. They would also face the possibility of the black tide descending again at any time.


    The difference between ¡®new¡¯ and ¡®old¡¯ was also a metaphor for the difference between the two sides. As time passed, the average martial arts level of the humans on the old planet would definitely fall far behind that of the humans on the new planet.


    ¡­


    On the blue planet, in Jiangnan province in the Daxia Kingdom, A space ripple similar to a radar was emitted from afar. The tracking factions related to the star spirits would not be able to arrive so quickly.


    With the protection of the three dragon gods and more than 100 terrifying creatures, the human spaceships were still on their way back to the blue planet. Chen Yiming used the space anchor to jump back first, preparing to put down the core of the world he had obtained.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was walking alone on the hot ground, crushing the rubble under his feet.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    There were some changes from the last time he left. The human spaceship fleet had already headed to Mars, but some cities were operating again.


    There were rumbling diesel generators, houses with high-tech materials, and figures appearing on the streets picking up recyclable and reusable items, and so on.


    The city was no longer dead silent. Instead, it was filled with people again, even though it was pitifully deserted compared to before.


    Soon, Chen Yiming communicated briefly with the spiritual figure on Mars.


    It turned out that the news that the space-travel passage was about to be permanently closed had spread. Some humans who were unwilling to go to the new planet chose to take a small transport spaceship and bring a portion of their survival equipment back to the blue planet.


    ¡°Most of the humans have already left the blue planet, causing there to be very few living creatures left on this planet. Therefore, will the black tide ignore this planet?¡±


    He thought about it. From the perspective of weighing the cost and benefits, it made sense. Perhaps the remaining humans were really not worth the black tide occupying this planet.


    At this moment, a small building in front of him that had been deformed by the high temperature suddenly tilted to the side. The reason was that the steel bars in the pillars had melted and broken, and the structure of the entire house was out of balance.


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack!¡±


    Hasty footsteps sounded, followed by the figure of a 13 or 14-year-old girl rushing out of the building that was about to collapse.


    She was wearing a loose training robe, and her face was rather young and chubby. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and her entire body was drenched in sweat.


    When the little girl rushed out of the building a few meters away, the building behind her could not withstand it anymore and collapsed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.


    This dust was mixed with the scorching air. It was extremely uncomfortable to breathe it into one¡¯s lungs, and there was a burning and suffocating feeling.


    ¡°A 13 or 14-year-old girl who has undergone nine transformations and is a warrior candidate. Such martial arts talent is already relatively rare.¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised that this little girl had not chosen to follow the humans to the new planet. Instead, she had stayed behind on the blue planet.


    It had to be known that treasures that could change the fate of the entire human race would be placed on the core spaceship of the Daxia Kingdom.


    If she knew that her martial arts talent was not good and was afraid of the uncertainty of the new planet, it was understandable that she would choose to stay behind on the blue planet. However, this little girl was clearly not in such a situation.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to take a few steps forward and ask the girl why she had made such a choice, the girl quickly retreated as if she had seen a bad man. Then, she turned around and ran away.


    ¡°There¡¯s only a difference of five to six years. It shouldn¡¯t be that bad!¡±


    Chen Yiming understood the little girl¡¯s gaze and touched his chin with a smile.


    On second thought, his body was much taller and stronger than that of an ordinary human even without the giant transformation. His muscles were extremely big and strong, which was a little scary.


    This was a perfect body that could easily fight a god who had mastered the power of the world in close combat when he was at the fusion realm.


    ¡­


    Not long after, a middle-aged couple in martial arts training robes led a group of seven to eight young people out. The girl who had met Chen Yiming earlier was also among them. The group returned to another building in the city.


    The building was shaped like a hemisphere, and its surroundings had been flattened. The remnants of the original building could vaguely be seen. On the surface, there was a coating made of special materials, almost completely blocking out the high temperature outside.


    Chen Yiming happened to catch a glimpse of this scene and muttered to himself, ¡°So they¡¯re family! As long as they weren¡¯t forced to leave for some reason, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Whether it was him or the higher-ups of the Daxia Kingdom, they had never expressed any intention of forcing all humans to go to the new planet together. It was indeed true that the road ahead was filled with uncertainties. Staying on the blue planet might not be a bad choice.


    A gust of hot wind blew past.


    Chen Yiming looked up at the sky. It seemed that the will of the sun was a little more active than before. This wasn¡¯t a good thing for the blue planet, which had already become a high-temperature environment.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if it returns to what it was before, when the temperature in most of the world ranges from around -20 degrees Celsius to about 35 or 36 degrees Celsius.¡±


    After breaking through to the star condensation realm, the level of energy he had mastered had also changed from the power of nature to the power of the world. He had the ability to easily change the environment of a world.


    The power of nature was borrowed from heaven and earth. In essence, it was only controlled by the user. No matter how much control one had, it was not a power that truly belonged to oneself.


    The power of the world was divided into two situations. One was from the inner world in one¡¯s body, and the other was similar to the power of nature coming from one¡¯s body.


    The power of the world from the inner world was equivalent to absorbing the energy from the outside world into the inner world. It was compressed and condensed in the inner world, and then assimilated by the will.


    The power of the world outside one¡¯s body was formed by the projection of one¡¯s will. It was equivalent to a cage between heaven and earth, and was similar to a world where the stars existed. The energy between heaven and earth was controlled by one¡¯s will.


    Because each portion of the power of the world carried a unique will, it was completely their own power.


    In other words, compared to the power of nature, because of the enhancement from the will, be it strength, activity, resistance, or so on, the power of the world far exceeded the power of nature.


    ¡°Buzz.¡±


    When Chen Yiming projected his will across the entire blue planet,


    the shadow of a giant that covered the sky appeared out of thin air. The world began to shake continuously, and shock waves swept through the air.


    This was the reason why the star condensation realm was also called the god realm. One could change the world just by relying on their will, and could control the world with the power of their will.


    Then, under Chen Yiming¡¯s command, a portion of the light and heat left behind between the ground and the sky was compressed into the depths of the core.


    At this moment, the temperature outside the surface of the entire blue planet suddenly dropped to 25 degrees. This was the same all over the world.


    However, it would not remain the same forever. It would automatically adjust according to the geographical environment. In some areas, the temperature would rise, and in others, the temperature would drop.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    In the spaceship in orbit around Mars, the experts and staff in charge of monitoring the blue planet exploded on the spot.


    Everyone was dumbfounded as they stared blankly at the rows of changing numbers on the work screen, as well as the sphere in the middle that displayed the temperature.


    In the row after row of numbers, each row belonged to a country. At this moment, the numbers had all changed to 25, indicating that the global temperature had dropped to 25 degrees.


    The color of the sphere in the middle changed from dark red to a light red.


    ¡°Beep, beep, beep¡­¡±


    Immediately after, an alarm rang. The temperature fluctuation on the blue planet was too high, and the computer gave an early warning that an unknown abnormality was happening on the blue planet.


    However, no one cared about the alarm. They quickly turned to the largest screen hanging in the middle of the surveillance department.


    This screen was showing real-time scenes from all over the blue planet. The satellites were filming them from space. At this moment, every scene captured the shadow of a giant.


    The shadow of the giant was too big. Its size was on the same level as the planet. It was impossible to imagine it.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Someone¡¯s breath was stuck in their throat for a long time.


    The sudden change almost frightened them to death. Although the blue planet was already an old planet, no one wanted the place where humans originated to be destroyed.


    ¡°The global temperature suddenly dropped, and the shadow of a giant appeared.¡±


    After a while, they eliminated the possibility that an unknown enemy had descended. Everyone thought of Chen Yiming. Other than him, no one else had the ability to change the world.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    After taking the initiative to cause a change on the blue planet, the spiritual figure communicated with the higher-ups in the spaceship on behalf of Chen Yiming and informed them about restoring the environment on the blue planet.


    With a thought, the world changed according to his will!


    What kind of power was this? All the higher-ups of the human race were stunned and took a long time to accept it.


    After all, Chen Yiming had always relied on his powerful body to fight. His opponents at the level of the gods rarely used such methods.


    Little did they know that the power of his will could change the world. A large-scale move like this was not very useful among those at the level of gods. It was mostly used to bully those below the level of gods.


    ¡­


    The sky was clear.


    After the temperature dropped, the clouds began to form again. Immediately after, the world changed. It suddenly turned from sunny to gloomy. At the same time, countless bolts of lightning appeared in the air.


    Water was the source of life. Chen Yiming tried to replenish some water on the dried up blue planet and bring the sea level back to its original height, allowing the rivers to regain their vitality.


    Such a scene was equivalent to turning a dead planet into a planet suitable for life.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining! It¡¯s raining!¡±


    Soon, with the sound of thunder, the entire blue planet was covered in heavy rain. Some people in the city ran out of their houses in the rain, their faces filled with excitement.


    The high temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Celsius was not impossible to overcome.


    The humans who stayed behind on the blue planet had houses made of high-tech materials to live in. They could raise some high-temperature mutant beasts as food.


    They could also dig through the underground rivers buried deep underground to replenish their water supply.


    However, it was better to have a comfortable environment to have more confidence in their long-term life.


    For example, the long and unknown journey to the new planet was not as safe as the security brought by the permanent closure of the space-travel passage.


    Just as everything was changing for the better on the blue planet, a solar flare erupted, as if it was welcoming an active period. It was about to release a large amount of light and heat to the solar system and beyond.


    At the same time, an oppressive aura began to gather in the space outside the blue planet. A will that also had the ability to change the world was about to descend on the blue planet from hundreds of millions of kilometers away.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming used the space anchor to locate the coordinates and jumped out of the blue planet, appearing in outer space.


    ¡°Is this because I interfered and changed the planetary environment in the solar system, causing the will of the sun to feel invaded and angered? Is it going to attack me?¡±


    None of the world¡¯s wills he had come into contact with seemed to have a good temper. Could it be that star spirits were generally extremely easily angered by intruders?


    However, things were different now. Perhaps the will of the sun had gone a little further among the gods, but Chen Yiming was no longer at the level of the fusion realm.


    They both had the power of the world and had the strength of their wills. The devouring demon had been assimilated and devoured by the will of the sun, but that didn¡¯t mean Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t fight against it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Soon, Chen Yiming unleashed the power of his will in space, blocking the stream of light that was dying the starry sky red, preventing it from moving forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never lost when it comes to a battle of attrition. Besides, the battlefield is not far from us, and you need to cross hundreds of millions of kilometers to project your will. Because of the distance, let¡¯s see how long you can last.¡±


    Chen Yiming cursed under his breath.


    A dividing line that spanned an unknown distance appeared. Near the sun, the starry sky gradually seemed to be burning.


    The area near the blue planet was peaceful. The environment on the blue planet was still improving due to the heavy rain.


    The area near the blue planet was peaceful. The environment on the blue planet was still improving due to the heavy rain.


    The appearance of the sun when it was angry had appeared not too long ago, and was still deeply engraved in the minds of every human.


    At that time, Chen Yiming had been chased by the flame dragons and had been burned to a crisp. Furthermore, just the aftershock had greatly changed the geographical environment on the blue planet from an ice age to a high-temperature environment.


    It was clear that in the solar system, the sun¡¯s will was the true ruler. No planet could withstand its anger.


    ¡°Ever since the otherworld invaded the blue planet, till the threat of the black tide, even the will of the sun in the solar system, which should have been our ally, has also¡­¡±


    The heads of the countries wished they could give the order to set off on the spot.


    If they did not stay here, they would naturally find another place to stay. The space in front of them was no longer a good place. They might as well find another suitable and stable planet.


    As time passed, the battle between the wills in space continued. The aftershock gradually began to affect the other areas of the solar system.


    For example, on a planet that happened to be on the same side as the battlefield, the temperature on the surface began to rise violently, and the entire planet gradually turned redder and redder.


    Some of the asteroid belts were also affected. Due to the aftershock, most of them burned up completely. There were even terrifying creatures that had broken out of the blockade earlier that were now exposed in outer space.


    ¡°Why would there be such a conflict?¡±


    The asteroid that the huge eye was hiding in was about to disappear. It immediately panicked, but it did not dare to use its spatial ability, afraid that it would be discovered by the bugs that could travel through space.


    The remaining power of the black tide in the solar system, the dark creatures, were hidden away. However, no one knew if the bugs that were used as surveillance had left.


    ¡°The level of the energy fluctuations is already comparable to the world-level formation that was set up in the past. Who is fighting against the will of the sun?¡±


    Although the huge eye was shocked, it did not have the ability or dare to go close to investigate.


    In the face of a battle at this level, those at the fusion realm could easily be destroyed just like the asteroids.


    It had no choice. The huge eye could only rely on its speed in the air to nervously fly to the other side of the solar system where the battlefield was.


    At the same time, it did not dare to fly too quickly, afraid that it would be noticed if it caused too much of a commotion.


    Soon, the huge eye¡¯s complaints could be heard in the void. ¡°The human spaceships have been docked for so long. When will they set off?¡±


    Like the huge eye, there were many other terrifying creatures that had broken out of the blockade. For example, the divine turtle carrying an island had shrunk itself and turned into a huge asteroid.


    The solar system was very wide. When one¡¯s aura was completely restrained and they did not move at all, it was very difficult to tell that an asteroid was fake across such a vast space, and that there were terrifying creatures at the fusion realm hiding there.


    This was especially true when the shadow mouth on the blockade had not appeared again in outer space for a long time after the battle with Chen Yiming.


    The terrifying creatures watching in secret, such as the huge eye and the divine turtle, were all waiting for Chen Yiming to go ahead first. If nothing happened, they would also rush out of the solar system.

 Chapter 415 - Invisible Protection

    Time passed by slowly.


    Just as Chen Yiming had expected, when both sides were at the level of a god, the fancy will projections would just create a flashy scene.


    The two sides¡¯ wills fought for a long time, but there was still no result. Instead, the power of their wills clashed on a large scale, causing the range of the aftershock to increase.


    The other planets in the solar system and the environment in this galaxy had been affected badly. Wherever the aftershock of the divine battle passed, the terrifying creatures at the fusion realm had to be careful. Otherwise, they might be killed on the spiritual level.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Hundreds of millions of kilometers away from the battlefield, more and more dazzling lights erupted from the surface of the sun.


    Hundreds of thousands of flame dragons charged into the air. Each of them was more than 1,000 kilometers tall, and they charged straight at the battlefield with ferocious expressions.


    The battle of wills failed, and the will of the sun changed its method.


    Under the energy fluctuations caused by the flame dragons, the average temperature in the entire solar system was quickly rising, and the entire galaxy was turning red.


    This seemed to be turning the solar system into a truly burning galaxy.


    ¡°When Chen Yiming made a move to change the environment on the blue planet, did he show that he was too powerful? So powerful that the will of the sun can no longer tolerate such an existence staying in the solar system?¡±


    A strategic analysis expert vaguely understood the cause for the behavior of the sun¡¯s will.


    Soon, this strategic analysis expert reported his deduction to his superiors. The communications officer quickly sent the information to the top leader of the Daxia Kingdom.


    The top leader of the Daxia Kingdom read through it briefly and said in a low voice, ¡°If we want the blue planet, which has already become the ¡®old planet¡¯, to be stabilized, the human troops can¡¯t stay for long.¡±


    ¡°The current situation is also due to the humans. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not just that the sun¡¯s will can¡¯t tolerate humans.¡±


    ¡°According to the information sent back in advance from the otherworld, humans are about to have a group of powerful species working under us. Among them, there are three dragon gods.¡±


    ¡°With such powerful forces, if not for the fact that the sun is a star with its own will, it can be said that the entire solar system is the territory of humans.¡±


    ¡°In the same territory, when two powerful people fight, either they fight to the death, or one of them will have to take the initiative to retreat.¡±


    Many wars between dynasties in human history had already proven this principle. Humans were like an originally inconspicuous prince who had suddenly grown up to the extent that he could threaten the throne that belonged to the sun.


    At this time, they could either cripple their own martial arts and disband their factions, start a war to change the dynasty, or lead their factions away from their original country.


    They had to make a choice. Even if he did not choose, there would be an endless stream of trouble coming his way.


    On the battlefield.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming took a deep breath and transformed into a giant that was about the same size as a planet and more than 10,000 kilometers tall.


    At this moment, each of his cells had become the size of an asteroid. Each of the corresponding miniature inner worlds turned into a miniature black hole, and the light around him dimmed.


    Devouring Formation.


    This was Chen Yiming¡¯s innate ability after reaching the star condensation realm. He had more than a trillion cells and more than a trillion miniature inner worlds. He could forcefully absorb and digest any factors that were disadvantageous to him.


    The next moment.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    A spatial fluctuation spread out, and a giant figure appeared among the group of flame dragons.


    As soon as it appeared, all the light and heat emitted into space froze and were absorbed back into a single point, forming a spinning, fiery red nebula.


    At the same time, the flame dragons also stopped. Their figures were drowned out by the fiery red nebula and disappeared, making it impossible to see what was going on.


    ¡°How is that possible!¡±


    After breaking out of the blockade, the figures of the terrifying creatures that had remained in various corners of the solar system were all exposed in space in the aftermath of the previous battle.


    At this moment, their eyes widened in disbelief. That was the will of the sun. Even the devouring demon, which had been made into a tool to seal off the planet, was mercilessly devoured and could not fight back against it.


    However, the giant was clearly not afraid of the sun¡¯s will that had entered a furious state. It wanted to directly devour the flame dragons that represented its will.


    This was especially true for the huge eye. When it saw the giant¡¯s figure, it recalled what had happened in the past. Then, its entire body trembled.


    ¡°Chen Yiming has become stronger again.¡±


    In the spaceship, all the spectators sitting in front of the screen were shocked.


    No one could say for sure how strong he had become, but from his size, the last time he transformed into a giant, he had only wreaked havoc on a planet. This time, his size was comparable to a planet. They were clearly not on the same level.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    10 seconds passed.


    Soon, the fiery red nebula entered the giant¡¯s body. Chen Yiming, who was in the middle of the vortex, burped and looked up.


    ¡°This physique formed by the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent is too powerful.¡±


    His eyes were like a bottomless pit, emitting a terrifying suction force, as if they wanted to devour everything and dominate everything.


    This was the domineering aura brought about by his powerful physique. His body was unbelievably powerful. The hundreds of thousands of flame dragons could easily destroy the entire solar system, but in the blink of an eye, they were all devoured by him.


    When the flame dragons were completely wiped out, the surface of the sun started to boil.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Fire pillars soared into the sky one after another. At the same time, a pair of eyes vaguely opened in the depths of the core. Under the contrast of the endless flames, it appeared to be even more furious.


    The flame dragons were formed by the power of the world, and they contained the will of the sun. But they had actually been completely devoured.


    Although this was only considered a drop in the ocean and could not be considered a huge loss, it had shaken the sun¡¯s position as the ruler of the solar system. Such a thing had never happened before.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze stopped on the sun hundreds of millions of kilometers away.


    ¡°The will of the sun didn¡¯t have any intention of destroying the ecosystem in the solar system last time, but it¡¯s different this time. The number of flame dragons means that as long as it wants to, it doesn¡¯t need to be concerned about anything.¡±


    ¡°A small number of humans will stay on the old blue planet. Although I won¡¯t be in the solar system in the future, I have to leave enough of a deterrent behind.¡±


    If a battle of wills could not do anything to it, it would be fine if the will of the sun gave up just like that. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want the two sides to become enemies for no reason.


    However, it was obvious that they still had to use their fists to communicate. Other methods were useless.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    A spatial fluctuation spread out.


    The giant took a step forward and retracted his foot. His figure had already appeared in the sun.


    The Space Anchor talent did not create a physical space-travel passage. Instead, it relied on the invisible link between his main body and the space anchor to complete a space-jump.


    Otherwise, with ordinary space-travel passages, when he transformed into a giant, the miniature inner worlds in the trillion of cells could blow up the space-travel passage.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Facing Chen Yiming, who had taken the initiative to enter the sun, how could the will of the sun tolerate it? It immediately unleashed its true power.


    A black flame appeared in the center of the sun. Then, as if a chain reaction had occurred, the red flames from the core turned into black flames in the blink of an eye.


    The endurance of the black flames was extremely terrifying. They could be replenished by the energy from an unknown space. As long as they were not completely destroyed, they would not be extinguished.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    At the same time, numerous figures walked out of the black flames in the sun. They were all mutant beasts with the corresponding black flames bloodline.


    There were the black bird, the black dragon, the black tiger, the black panther, and so on. These mutant beasts weren¡¯t the same as the mutant beasts on the blue planet. They were formed by the will of the sun and were used to attack Chen Yiming.


    Each of them was extremely terrifying and had a power similar to that of a god. They were equivalent to clones of the sun¡¯s will.


    Soon, the battle inside the sun reached its climax.


    The giant figure did not use any fancy moves. It relied on its fists and feet to fight with the mutant beasts that were burning with black flames.


    The void cracked and repaired itself, then cracked again. From time to time, a hole would appear on the surface of the sun, revealing the two sides fighting fiercely.


    On Mars, in a spaceship.


    ¡°Gasp! Why did he go in?¡±


    The surveillance camera was zoomed in to the maximum limit. Countless screens displayed the battle that was happening inside the sun, shocking countless people.


    The black dragon was bleeding from a single punch, and burning black blood had splattered on the giant¡¯s body. A portion of his flesh and blood had burned away, but in the next moment the flames were devoured, and the flesh and blood were reformed.


    A black bird continuously spat out black flames that landed on the giant¡¯s body, but the flames were also devoured. The black flames were very strong, but their terrifying endurance was not demonstrated.


    An invisible sealing power transformed into curses that fell down, trying to restrain and slow down the giant¡¯s movements. However, they were all torn apart and shattered in the air as if they were made from glass.


    The giant¡¯s body was unimaginably terrifying. Not only was its strength unparalleled, but it also had the recovery ability to quickly regenerate. It also devoured all the surrounding energy like a bottomless pit.


    Even if the black flames could destroy the miniature inner worlds in the giant¡¯s body, so what? If the speed of destruction was not as fast as the recovery speed, everything was still in vain.


    ¡°This is too much. That¡¯s a battlefield at the core of the sun that¡¯s more than 10 million degrees Celsius!¡±


    Seeing that Chen Yiming was getting stronger and stronger, someone exclaimed.


    It had to be known that since ancient times, no one had imagined that other than the legendary creatures, there would also be living creatures in reality that could move around in the core of the sun.


    ¡°If we can suppress the will of a star, what other obstacles can¡¯t be overcome on the way to a new planet?¡±


    Seeing that the blue planet had returned to its original state, some people who were tempted to return immediately regained their confidence in heading to the new planet.


    It was just like how Chen Yiming had repeatedly created miracles and repelled the black tide¡¯s attacks. This confidence was built on Chen Yiming¡¯s strength.


    In the space-travel passage on the blue planet, due to the loss of the foundation bases from the dark forest world, the space-travel passages were naturally disappearing every day. In just a week, the number had decreased by about a third.


    At this moment, the oldest dragon god, who had received the corresponding news from the transport spaceship and was rushing to the blue planet, had arrived.


    Amidst cries of surprise, it spread out its wings that covered the sky and flew into the void. Its bell-shaped dragon eyes reflected the sun.


    ¡°Although the characteristics of the black flames are different, I can confirm that they are on the same level as the fiery red patterns on the leaves of the treasure tree.¡±


    The red light that could burn through the galaxy was emitted by borrowing the power of the treasure tree. The old dragon god was very familiar with this and could make a judgment at a glance.


    On second thought, the treasure tree had tried to escape many times in front of Chen Yiming.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a limit to the number of leaves with fiery red patterns. Compared to the black flames that covered the entire star, the quantity is countless levels lower. No wonder¡­¡±


    In front of the three dragon gods, the treasure tree had always been very terse and gave orders without any room for negotiation. This was because the three dragon gods working together would still not be able to disobey it. This was the difference in their strength.


    In front of Chen Yiming, without sufficient strength, the treasure tree¡¯s attitude immediately softened. It still had to worry about its own safety.


    At the same time.


    The appearance of a huge dragon that covered the sky also caused a commotion among the humans on the blue planet and the humans in the spaceships on Mars.


    The news that a group of terrifying creatures with earth-shattering strength and three giant dragons at the level of gods would join the humans and become their subordinates had yet to be made public.


    Soon, the information that was still confidential was quickly made public among the spaceships of the various countries. Only then did the people calm down again.


    Subordinates?


    Wasn¡¯t it just like the dire wolves?


    The people on the spaceship were very familiar with the dire wolves.


    There were three dire wolf cavalry teams that patrolled around them 24 hours a day to clear out any hidden dangers for the human construction sites on Mars and the temporary camps.


    Due to their strength as mounts, the dire wolf cavalry was currently the strongest team that could react quickly to the situation among the humans. They had the ability to detect, guard, and launch surprise attacks.


    At this moment, only the leader of the dire wolves could not heave a sigh of relief.


    Once it received the news, it had been pacing back and forth in its residence. With a large number of competitors coming, how could it still remain calm?


    Previously, the dire wolves were a unique and powerful subsidiary species under the command of the humans. However, the situation was no longer the same after just a few days. Things had changed a little too quickly, and the dire wolves could not adapt to it so soon.


    ¡­


    In the vast space of the solar system, even after a day and night, the battle in the sun had not stopped. However, the intensity of the battle was gradually decreasing.


    The giant¡¯s figure showed no signs of fatigue, but the sun was about to collapse.


    The average temperature in the entire solar system only rose quickly for a while when hundreds of thousands of flame dragons appeared. After that, all the power was conserved, and the average temperature quickly fell back to its original level.


    ¡°The star spirit is about to lose!¡±


    The oldest dragon god let out a low growl.


    The black flames and Chen Yiming¡¯s physique leaned towards endurance, recovery, and limitless attributes. When the black flames couldn¡¯t kill the opponent, the weaker side would be defeated sooner or later.


    Furthermore, Chen Yiming had a special space-manipulation ability, and he was still fighting. This meant that this star spirit didn¡¯t pose a threat to his life.


    Otherwise, he would have used his ability to fight instead of fighting head-on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve observed things for a long time. In this world, the so-called mutant beasts are all formed by the power of the world. They are not real creatures, so they are not members of the star alliance.¡±


    Other than paying attention to the situation of the battle, the old dragon god was also paying attention to this point.


    Previously, the three dragon gods had been preparing to carry out the orders of the treasure tree and gather the cores of the five worlds to fuse into one. They had heard some common knowledge from the treasure tree that they should take note of in the universe.


    For example, when it came to the world of life, the star spirits.


    There were two types of worlds with star spirits. One was where living creatures coexisted, and the other was where there were no signs of life and only the will of the world.


    The star spirits that lived together with other creatures had formed a faction called the star alliance. They could contact each other and maintain a good relationship with many powerful species across the universe.


    This relationship was based on the fact that the star spirits could provide a good cultivation environment. The powerful species gave the star spirits of the star alliance their protection, and there was some kind of unspoken deal between the two sides.


    The star spirits that had no living creatures on their world, or were unwilling to support any living creatures, were basically all powerful individuals.


    These star spirits were in a deep sleep most of the time. Usually, if they were not provoked, it would be as if they had existed since ancient times and had not changed much even after many years.


    The star in front of them, which was called the sun, had a star spirit that was not from the star alliance. Even if they got into a conflict with it, they did not have to worry about offending the entire star alliance.


    ¡­


    Another half a day passed.


    At some point, the sun that was like a black fireball suddenly retracted the power it emitted. Other than the black flames still burning in the center, its surface was covered in fiery red flames again.


    The sun took the initiative to return to its original appearance.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t press the advantage and insist on killing the sun.


    There were two reasons for this. The first was that once he had resolved matters on the blue planet, he needed to rush back to the space-travel passage to stop the enemy that could descend at any moment.


    Secondly, although the sun seemed to have lost, it had gone further than him in terms of cultivation. Without the help of the female spirit, he would not be able to kill it in a short period of time.


    At that time, if the sun turned its anger towards the human spaceships on Mars, such as charging over with the entire world¡¯s will, it would be his turn to be helpless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this galaxy immediately. As long as nothing happens to the humans on the blue planet, I won¡¯t return.¡±


    A spiritual fluctuation shot towards the star spirit at the center of the sun. After saying this, Chen Yiming changed back from his giant form and used the space anchor to mark the blue planet. With a space-jump, he disappeared.


    The reason why he dared to say such harsh words was because he was not afraid that the will of the sun would take revenge on the humans left behind on the blue planet after he left this space. He relied on the deterrence of his spatial ability.


    Spatial abilities were a type of ability that could greatly expand one¡¯s influence. Not only did Chen Yiming have a first-rate ability to escape, but he also had a strong ability to survive. He could also intimidate the enemy.


    In the future, as long as it wasn¡¯t certain that Chen Yiming had died, the human factions that had developed on the new planet would be able to receive the corresponding protection.


    Even if it was a powerful god, if he wanted to target the humans on the new planet, he had to consider if the price and benefits were worth it.


    An existence that was powerful and had a spatial ability was an unavoidable problem for the enemy, especially when it was someone like Chen Yiming, who had unlimited potential and was still making rapid progress on his path of cultivation.


    ¡­

 Chapter 416 - Dragon Shadow Hidden in the Star Map

    On the blue planet, with the help of the space anchor, Chen Yiming appeared at the center of the blue planet.


    He waved his hand, and three foundation bases and three world cores appeared in front of him. These were the bodies of the dead star spirits.


    ¡°After the star spirits were killed, the three foundation bases were scattered again. I wonder if the five foundation bases can be automatically reformed.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the three foundation bases and quickly turned to the three strange stones that represented the cores of the worlds.


    The reason why he did not immediately return to the spaceships in orbit around Mars and settle down the cores of the worlds he had obtained was because he planned to bury a complete world core on the blue planet.


    The humans on the old blue planet were still humans.


    Perhaps in the future, as the new planet developed, the culture, society, and system of the two sides would go in different directions and gradually become separated.


    However, as long as the path of cultivation was not cut off, there was still hope for the humans on the old planet.


    For example, for Chen Yiming, if the blue planet couldn¡¯t provide the conditions for cultivation, he would not have been able to rely on the system to reach the level where he could go to the universe up till he died of old age.


    Soon, he chose a strange stone at random which had many vortex-like patterns on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s you. Regardless of whether a star spirit can be born again, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to barely maintain an environment suitable for cultivation.¡±


    As the body of a star spirit, its power was naturally incomparable to when it was still alive. It was unable to absorb a large amount of essence energy from the mysterious place.


    However, it could still slowly absorb and convert the various energies in the air into essence energy. The difference in speed was like the difference between heaven and earth.


    On second thought, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a bad thing in the era of low-level martial arts. It¡¯s a sin to have a treasure when you are weak. It¡¯s very difficult for the humans left behind on the blue planet to give birth to enough powerful people in a short period of time.¡±


    ¡°If the humans heading to the new planet can establish themselves in the universe, it won¡¯t be difficult for them to take care of the old blue planet later.¡±


    ¡°If I leave behind something that is too good and has too high a value now, it will harm the people who stay behind instead.¡±


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming reached out into space. The strange stone he had picked fell into the lava with a splash.


    ¡°The female spirit can use the body of the star spirit to create the foundation for the formation, while I can only let it fend for itself.¡±


    There was a sigh.


    ¡°In the end, the blue planet is too primitive. The pinnacle of martial arts here was at the martial master realm. There¡¯s not much previous experience to refer to. Otherwise, it could be used better.¡±


    Then, a mutter echoed through the lava.


    In the next moment, the figure had already disappeared.


    ¡­


    In the orbit around Mars, numerous spaceships were docked at the temporary space port.


    Time was tight. After burying a strange stone that was the body of a star spirit, Chen Yiming appeared in the spaceship that was painted with the flag of the Daxia Kingdom.


    Soon, the heads of the various countries boarded small transport spaceships and gathered in the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s spaceships. There were also more than 10 aerospace experts.


    In the meeting room, Chen Yiming spread out the star map he had obtained on the large round table and explained, ¡°This is the map of the universe that I obtained from the three people related to the black tide.¡±


    The star map had been given to him by the female spirit through the treasure tree. Chen Yiming had no intention of explaining this.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the meeting room, including the aerospace experts, gasped.


    The star map was too valuable to humans.


    Humans¡¯ understanding of the universe was from a macroscopic view. The actual situation in the distant galaxy was not something that the current methods could detect.


    Unexpectedly, Chen Yiming had repelled the black tide¡¯s counterattack and obtained another unimaginable reward.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. With the star map, there¡¯s no problem finding a new planet.¡±


    The atmosphere in the meeting room immediately relaxed, and many people became optimistic.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Although we still need to study it carefully, with the real map of the universe, it¡¯s much more accurate than what we have discovered with our current immature technology.¡±


    The voices of agreement rang out continuously.


    Although they had yet to confirm its authenticity, no one would deny the value of this star map.


    The black tide was definitely the stronger side. The possibility of obtaining a star map from the people related to it was very low.


    At this moment, the dozen or so aerospace experts could not be bothered to be polite. Their gazes were fixed on the star map.


    This star map looked like it was tailor-made for humans.


    The blue planet was located in the lower right corner of the star map. The five worlds on the other side of the space-travel passage were located in the area near the upper right corner.


    In the middle were densely packed stars of different sizes. With the naked eye, one could roughly judge that this map of the universe contained at least 10 to 20 galaxies.


    ¡°Are those stars marked with green dots representing planets that can support life?¡±


    someone asked, seeming to be in disbelief that there were so many candidate planets.


    From the star map, there were at least thousands of such planets, if not tens of thousands of them. Planets that could support life did not seem to be rare in the universe.


    Chen Yiming coughed and replied, ¡°We can verify the authenticity of the contents of the star map along the way. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    ¡°However, on the other side of the space-travel passage, in a few days, a week, or half a month, new enemies will soon descend.¡±


    ¡°After roughly determining the direction we should go in, it¡¯s time to set off.¡±


    The heads of the countries nodded when they heard this.


    That made sense. It was time to set off.


    Although they didn¡¯t know who the new enemy Chen Yiming was referring to was, it was fine as long as they knew that it was an enemy.


    When the humans obtained treasure from a fallen enemy, they had to be prepared to be chased down and killed for it.


    This was inevitable. Conflicts and wars would only be resolved if one side was completely defeated or wiped out.


    Soon, everyone¡¯s gazes returned to the star map.


    From the star map, humans had three directions to choose from. One was to go to the lower left corner, the second was to go to the upper right corner, and the third was to go to the center.


    Among them, the center had the most planets with the highest density, far exceeding the area near the four corners.


    ¡°The blue planet is in the lower right corner, and the world on the other side of the space-travel passage is in the upper right corner. It was invaded by the black tide. Could it be that the upper left and lower left corners were also invaded by the black tide?¡±


    In the quiet meeting room, the aerospace experts immediately voiced their opinions.


    This opinion was not baseless. From the distribution of the stars in the star map, the number and density of stars near the four corners were about the same.


    ¡°If there are many higher-level cultivation worlds in the middle, it¡¯s indeed possible for the black tide to invade from the four weaker corners.¡±


    Soon, an expert raised his opinion.


    In the meeting room, many people nodded. This seemed to be correct in theory.


    Chen Yiming recalled the three blue-skinned humans who were involved with the black tide and said,


    ¡°In the world on the other side of the space-travel passage, the people who had a conflict with me were involved with the black tide. It¡¯s very likely that they came from the middle of the star map.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that they came from a galaxy not depicted in this map.¡±


    At that time, because the blockade of the dark forest world still existed, humans could not observe the battle.


    Now that Chen Yiming had said it himself, everyone¡¯s hearts tightened.


    The planets in the middle were the densest, but it might not be a good place to go. They might barge into the other party¡¯s territory without knowing it.


    ¡°How should we choose?¡±


    Some of the heads of the countries were confused.


    From the star map and related information, there seemed to be traces of the black tide everywhere. What was the difference between this and staying on the blue planet?


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply.


    In his heart, he was more inclined to go to the center. No matter how much the black tide had invaded there, he would deal with it after they first made contact with the real universe.


    After all, he had formed a grudge with the star alliance, but that did not mean that other humans had formed a grudge with the star alliance.


    He could even move around outside as two people. His main body had many enemies, but he also had spatial abilities and could behave as though he was not related to the other humans.


    The spiritual figure could take on the role of the strongest human and be in charge of communicating with the outside world and trying to understand more general knowledge about the universe so that they could indirectly integrate into it.


    Just as the meeting room fell silent, an expert suddenly exclaimed, ¡°No way. I saw a dragon on the star map!¡±


    Everyone was woken up from their thoughts and turned to look for the dragon on the star map.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all disorderly stars. Where is the dragon?¡±


    Surprised cries rang out.


    The others did not see any dragons on the star map.


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow as his thoughts raced.


    Combining them one after another in his mind, he could really see the figure of a dragon in the star map.


    Soon, the expert projected an image of the star map. Then, he used a marker to indicate the positions on the image one by one.


    The planets he had indicated were not the largest, but the small- and medium-sized ones.


    When these planets were connected, under the emphasis of the marks, the surrounding stars that were interfering with their concealment were dispelled like a fog, revealing a dragon hidden in the star map.


    The dragon seemed to be sleeping, as if it was already dead.


    ¡°So there¡¯s really a dragon hidden here.¡±


    ¡°With so many stars gathered in the middle, it must be no small matter.¡±


    ¡°I think this is a good opportunity for the humans to join in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The four corners of the star map are relatively remote, and there are very few stars. If we go to the middle area where the dragon is hiding, at least we won¡¯t be alone anymore.¡±


    After confirming that there was really a dragon hiding in the star map, the meeting room became noisy. They all expressed their thoughts and brainstormed several ideas.


    On the blue planet, whether it was the eastern world or the western world, dragons represented a very powerful legendary creature.


    Furthermore, from the other side of the space-travel passage, the three dragons that had reached the level of gods had become subordinates of the humans.


    Chen Yiming spoke next.


    He felt that the center of the star map was undoubtedly the better choice. At the very least, they could come into contact with the higher-level cultivation world first.


    At that time, they could make a choice based on the situation and adjust their direction at any time.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was time for the human spaceships to return.


    Spaceships filled with the black substance left behind by the black tide¡¯s war weapon came out of the space-travel passages one after another.


    This was the first expedition for the human spaceship fleet since the spaceships were built, and it was an expedition across a very long distance.


    The process was very smooth. Other than firing a few cannons for experimental purposes, they were used as transport spaceships the entire time. Most of their work was just transporting and organizing the goods.


    In addition, a large group of subsidiary species had returned along with them. This made the humans¡¯ forces stronger than ever.


    ¡°Is this still the space plan?¡±


    On the blue planet, someone walked out of his house and was dumbfounded.


    In the past, when faced with the threat of the black tide, the humans who had fallen into panic had thought of the space plan. This was an escape route for their race.


    However, at this moment, the meaning behind it seemed to have changed.


    Such a powerful team did not look like they were escaping at all. They were clearly going to go on an expedition to a new planet to establish a territory more suitable for human development.


    The spaceship team did not stop on the blue planet. Instead, they headed straight to Mars.


    A new enemy was about to arrive. After the human forces gathered, they would set off on the same day, and they did not have much time to rest.


    ¡°So many terrifying creatures!¡±


    Someone saw the huge figures in the air and recalled the figures of the bone beast and the giant on the warhorse. That was a terrifying night when all of humanity was almost sacrificed.


    Thinking back on it, it was still vivid in his mind.


    It was clear that to humans, terrifying creatures were already very powerful existences.


    However, in front of him, a large number of such creatures had appeared. There were not just a few, or dozens of them. There were hundreds of them escorting the human spaceships.


    Soon, the humans on the blue planet gathered for a discussion.


    The scene in front of them was beyond many people¡¯s expectations. It seemed that the risk of going to the new planet had decreased greatly, and some people were a little shaken.


    However, before the discussion could come to a conclusion, a few hours later, the human spaceships had completed their formation and were sailing into the unknown deep space.


    Now, there was nothing to feel conflicted about. The human troops were already on their way to the new planet. It was impossible for them to turn around and return for a small number of people.


    ¡­


    At the same time. in the space on the other side of the space-travel passage on the blue planet, Chen Yiming sat cross-legged in the air alone.


    In his super perceptive state, he sensed the space ripples that were like a radar. The interval between them was much shorter than the last time, which meant that the enemy was now one step closer.


    The good news was that it was not easy to use a special stone platform to open up a long-distance space-travel passage like the three blue-skinned humans who were involved with the black tide.


    In fact, the enemy related to the star spirits this time might not be able to reach this galaxy before the space-travel passages disappeared.


    He could choose to secretly use the coordinates of the space anchor on the figure in his mind to return to the human spaceship fleet, or he could test the waters before leaving.


    At the moment, the initiative had shifted to Chen Yiming. He could choose to fight or retreat at any time.


    At some point, the spiritual figure sent over the news that the human spaceship fleet had set off.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze stopped on the space ripples that were moving forward like waves.


    ¡°In the vast space, it¡¯s definitely not easy to locate the team of human spaceships out of nowhere, unless you leave behind a way to locate them in advance.¡±


    ¡°And humans have never interacted with the other party, so it¡¯s impossible for them to determine their location.¡±


    An idea to break out of the passive situation immediately surfaced in his mind.


    ¡°If the enemy doesn¡¯t arrive as scheduled before the space-travel passages disappear, we might be able to take the initiative to counterattack along the radar-like spatial ripples emitted by the other party.¡±


    ¡°The special space ability should have been observed by the world¡¯s will in the dark forest world long ago, but the enemy that is about to arrive still dares to use space-related methods to locate it.¡±


    Chen Yiming suspected that either the other party was extremely confident in his strength, or there was a problem with the long-distance communication between the star spirits.


    It was not as powerful as his connection with the spiritual figure, which could transmit a large amount of information in real time.


    If he had a special spatial ability that was not known to the enemy this time, he would not need to care about anything else.


    ¡­


    Time passed day by day.


    At a certain moment, the speed at which the space-travel passages on the blue planet automatically closed suddenly increased.


    This made the humans left on the blue planet cheer. The sadness and regret they felt when they chose to give up on going to the new planet was immediately mostly washed away.


    Some people liked to take risks, some pursued the path of martial arts, and some were willing to lead ordinary and stable lives.


    Most of the humans who stayed behind on the blue planet were the third type. They prioritized normalcy and stability.


    However, when the human spaceship fleet headed to the new planet, the concept of countries no longer existed on the blue planet. Most of the land was uninhabited.


    Some people who cared about power were already secretly gathering people and consolidating their territory. They were just short of openly establishing themselves as a faction.


    However, in a short period of time, any turf wars would definitely not be intense.


    The main reason was that the population was too small. There were only a few million people in total, and they were from various countries. They were basically scattered around the world according to their hometowns.


    However, new countries and a different human civilization would eventually be born on the blue planet.


    This process, without the interference of powerful external enemies, might take a few years, decades, or even hundreds of years.


    ¡­


    At the same time, the human spaceship fleet had already passed by Pluto.


    The three dragon gods and more than 100 terrifying creatures were moving in the same direction as the spaceship fleet. After accelerating to an extremely high speed, they used their inertia to move through space.


    Some entered a deep sleep, some entered a cultivation state, and some remained awake.


    Two planets on the star map that looked very close together were actually very far apart, and the distance was in light years. The journey was long and boring.


    Therefore, before setting off, the dragon gods and the terrifying creatures had discussed it with each other. They would take turns to stay awake and protect the spaceship fleet.


    Inside the spaceships, the hibernation technology that humans had developed on their own was also being activated in an orderly manner.


    This was to ensure that all the ordinary people who followed them to the new planet could also live to reach the distant new planet in the future and not die of old age along the way.


    At this moment, the equipment had already been installed in each household. The robots controlled by the central system instructed each household to follow the instructions and enter a hibernation state in an orderly manner.


    The billions of people were divided into 10 batches. Nine batches would enter hibernation, while the remaining 10% would be moving around and working normally in the spaceships.


    In the Chen family house, Father Chen, Mother Chen, Chen Yingying, and the pregnant Wu Di were temporarily not among the people who were hibernating. They were part of the batch that could move about freely.


    Chen Yiming had specially arranged this. He was confident that the speed at which his family¡¯s cultivation broke through would completely exceed the speed at which they were aging.


    ¡­

 Chapter 417 - Man-made Accident

    The stars were unchanging, and everything seemed to have come to a stop.


    Chen Yiming maintained his super perceptive state and looked up from time to time to observe the progress of the space-travel passage.


    ¡°Soon, soon.¡±


    As time passed, it decreased from a quarter to a fifth, and gradually to a tenth.


    The blue planet was gradually returning to its original state.


    That was an era of relative peace. Conflicts and wars mostly occurred among humans. Large countries fought with large countries, large countries fought with small countries, and small countries fought with small countries.


    This was unlike during the full-scale invasion of the otherworld, when everyone was worried that one day, humans would have to give up most of the cities and hide in a few safe places.


    It was even more unlike the time when the black tide was about to descend, when there were a large number of people in despair all over the world who were easily lured into becoming mutant humans.


    ¡­


    Days passed.


    The interval between the radar-like spatial ripples decreased again.


    At some point, the last spatial rift gradually closed, which also meant that the last space-travel passage had disappeared.


    At this point, the connection between the blue planet and this galaxy had been severed, and it was very difficult to establish a direct connection with it.


    In the end, the enemy this time was only approaching this part of the galaxy and could not arrive in time.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to take the initiative to attack.¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered, and his figure disappeared. He left behind a faint spatial fluctuation, and chased after the source of the radar-like spatial ripples.


    For someone like him who was extremely sensitive to spatial fluctuations, the enemy¡¯s radar was simply telling him its location.


    ¡­


    In the starry sky, a silver spaceship flew past.


    ¡°Buzz¡­¡±


    Spatial ripples spread out into the void from the spaceship.


    At this moment, three days had passed since Chen Yiming took the initiative to attack.


    Here, the coordinates of the galaxy were calculated in terms of light years away from their destination. It would officially change from two digits to single digits, and they would reach their destination soon.


    In the spaceship, everyone smiled.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    ¡°Although this guy who dared to attack the star spirit chose a relatively remote area, he definitely didn¡¯t expect us to come so quickly.¡±


    The bald man had a confident expression on his face.


    The middle-aged man in black armor wrapped his arms around himself and did not reply, but nodded.


    Although this spaceship that could emit spatial ripples was not big, it was abnormally expensive. It was considered a high-end item.


    Even at the level of a god, there were very few people who specialized in spatial abilities. Therefore, such a spaceship could be said to be a weapon used for pursuit, investigation, and travel.


    If not for them owning this spaceship, they would not have been issued this mission.


    On the surveillance screen, the image of a humanoid assistant appeared, and its programmed voice rang out. ¡°According to the spatial ripples, there are five planets that can support life at the destination. They are all low level cultivation worlds.¡±


    ¡°Among them, there are no longer any living creatures on four planets. Only one planet still has creatures living normally on it.¡±


    ¡°As we have yet to receive a response from the star spirits, our initial judgment is that in the five worlds, the star spirits have all been killed. The identity of the perpetrator is unknown.¡±


    The spaceship¡¯s artificial intelligence assistant reported the conclusion the central processor had come to after analyzing the data.


    When everyone heard this, their facial muscles twitched.


    ¡°Good lord.¡±


    The middle-aged man in armor cursed under his breath.


    Wiping out all living creatures in a world was a huge taboo in the universe. The corresponding path of blood sacrifice was even listed as an evil one.


    To attack five star spirits at once, coupled with the extermination of the living creatures on four planets, was a huge crime that people would only dare to commit in such a remote area.


    The bald man clenched his fists, his muscles bulging.


    The star alliance had always played a righteous role in the peaceful development of the universe. Almost all the people who attacked the star spirits were existences that took the evil path.


    These people often did not care about order or the overall cultivation environment. They were all extremely selfish people.


    Of course, such existences basically lived in remote space zones. They would not stay in a certain space zone and wait foolishly for punishment.


    The scarred man reached out to touch the scars on his face and kept warning himself in his heart, ¡°Their daring is often proportional to strength. You can¡¯t be careless.¡±


    Although he could catch them off guard with the high-end spaceship and continue to chase after the perpetrator, this did not mean that they could safely complete the mission. If they were careless, they might be injured or even lose their lives. After all, anything could happen if they were forced into a corner.


    ¡­


    At this moment, near the path of the silver spaceship, spatial ripples spread out to the edge of the area.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared in space.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a spaceship!¡±


    He was quite surprised by this.


    The spaceship was an inanimate object. If it was damaged, the other party would have to think about how to escape unscathed instead of worrying about tracking him down.


    ¡°I wonder if there are any people in the spaceship who have spatial abilities like the three blue-skinned humans.¡±


    Chen Yiming hesitated.


    Although the Space Anchor talent was very useful and its function was very powerful such that he had never been restricted by it, it did not mean that he would face any restrictions.


    He still needed to test the waters.


    If he rushed over recklessly, even if nothing happened this time, something would happen sooner or later.


    Soon, as the silver spaceship moved forward quickly, Chen Yiming secretly followed behind.


    There were all kinds of accidents that one could face in the universe. The spaceship might encounter one or he could even cause one. He decided to wait for a suitable opportunity.


    He was even considering directing the abnormality caused by the spatial distortion to the silver spaceship.


    ¡­


    An hour later, in the silver spaceship, the alertness of the middle-aged man in armor and the two burly men had clearly increased.


    Suddenly, the A.I. assistant appeared on the screen, and a quick and concise voice sounded. ¡°At a distance of 0.1 light years ahead, there is an abnormal tremor in space. We suggest avoiding it.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± the middle-aged man said without any hesitation.


    The space-travel distortion was disorderly and unpredictable. The abnormality in space might have been caused by the spatial ripples emitted by the spaceship.


    In the next moment, the tail of the silver spaceship lit up, and its direction immediately changed drastically. The entire process was very smooth, and it did not cause any damage to the spaceship.


    Chen Yiming, who was following behind, appeared in space.


    ¡°I was using the space anchor as a weapon to pierce through the area where the spatial distortion has reached its peak. I didn¡¯t expect the other party to immediately notice it.¡±


    Chen Yiming tried to create an accident, but the spaceship that could emit spatial ripples could also avoid areas where there might be accidents in advance.


    The first test ended just like that.


    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s very difficult to trick the silver spaceship with just one abnormal situation. I have to forcefully create a series of accidents. However, if that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t hide these probes from them.¡±


    Anyone who suddenly encountered the situation of having multiple spatial abnormalities appearing one after another would suspect that something was amiss.


    Soon, Chen Yiming made his decision. With the help of the space anchor, he leaped through space and overtook the silver spaceship.


    After that, every time he appeared in space, he would be in the middle of the two spatial ripples to ensure that the spaceship would not detect him.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, in the silver spaceship.


    On the screen, the A.I. assistant appeared again and quickly reported, ¡°We have passed the area with the abnormal spatial fluctuations. We haven¡¯t discovered any more abnormalities in space for the time being.¡±


    With that, the A.I. assistant disappeared.


    The middle-aged man in armor heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Although the abnormal situation in space is widely distributed in the universe, the space in the universe is vast and boundless. The probability of encountering it head-on is very low.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 0.1 light-years away. If not for this spaceship, I would have really crashed into it.¡±


    The bald man also let out a long breath.


    In fact, as the spaceship circled around the area with the abnormal spatial fluctuations, his entire body tensed up and he broke out in a cold sweat.


    Every crew member had learned a lot about the universe, especially the unexpected situations they had to avoid on the way.


    Among them, the abnormalities in space were the most important. After all, the inner world involved the mastery of the power of the world, but the small bit of spatial power it contained was not enough to form a usable spatial ability.


    It was very dangerous for non-spatial ability users to accidentally enter the space-travel distortion. It was very likely that they would not be able to find their way out after entering.


    The scarred man narrowed his eyes and heightened his senses.


    ¡°It seems to hurt a little!¡±


    He felt a faint pain coming from the scar. This sixth sense had already helped him avoid several life-threatening situations in the past.


    This time was no exception. Unlike what the middle-aged captain and the bald man thought, he was certain that it was not just a coincidence, but something related to this mission.


    In fact, it may even be that the person who had attacked the star spirits was secretly causing trouble for them.


    The three of them on the spaceship were in big trouble.


    Next, more than 10 minutes of peace passed. It seemed that the area with many spatial fluctuations was just a coincidence.


    The middle-aged man in armor crossed his arms again and his gaze stopped on the star map displayed on the screen.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming continued to fly through space, using the space anchor to perform space-jumps. He searched for a suitable area along the way to ensure that the silver spaceship couldn¡¯t dodge.


    However, after 10 to 20 minutes, a suitable area did not appear.


    Clearly, although there were many accidents in the universe, it was not to the extent of accidents happening every step of the way. Even if it involved the spatial distortion, it would not work.


    ¡°I have the space anchor on the spiritual figure. Taking some actions that seem to be courting death are actually still possible for me.¡±


    He could not do it in space. He considered entering the space distortion himself to create an abnormal situation and lure the silver spaceship to the area where it was.


    However, the outcome of this was completely uncontrollable. His understanding of the spatial distortion was limited, and he might cause a huge problem.


    Soon, he thought twice about it. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just take two foundation bases? The star spirit from the dark forest world insisted on fighting to the death, so I had no choice but to counterattack.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the world¡¯s core being split into five was something that the female spirit did. That star spirit only relied on the support of the star alliance to think that no one would dare to really kill it.¡±


    ¡°This silver spaceship is from a faction related to the star spirit. Could it be that it¡¯s here to reason with me? How is that possible? It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s here to investigate me.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming ignored the commotion he would cause and used the space anchor to enter the spatial distortion.


    ¡­


    In the spatial distortion, space overlapped, and all kinds of strange scenes appeared in front of him.


    In the distance, the shadow of a huge beast opened its mouth and sucked in several glowing stars. After devouring the stars, it even burped.


    An endless tide surged out of the void and broke through one world after another along the way. One could vaguely see the despair of the living beings.


    There was also a storm that spread out, making it impossible to see what was inside. After it passed, it left behind a scene of everything being torn to pieces.


    ¡°Are these scenes real? Or are they just illusions?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes widened.


    This was the first time he had personally entered the spatial distortion. Using the space anchor to perform a space-jump was, in essence, teleportation of his body to the space anchor.


    Throughout the entire process, he did not enter the spatial distortion.


    At the same time, a tearing feeling came from his body. This was the twisting power that naturally existed anywhere in the spatial distortion.


    ¡°This twisting power is sometimes strong and sometimes weak. It¡¯s unpredictable. If I¡¯m not careful, the location might have already changed from where I entered the spatial distortion. It might even be a distance away.¡±


    Chen Yiming personally experienced one of the reasons why the spatial distortion caused people¡¯s expression to change when they heard about it.


    Those who did not have a sharp perception of space would be in a desperate situation in such an environment.


    If they could not immediately leave from the coordinates where they had entered, there was a high chance that they would not be able to find another weak spot among the layers of space.


    His intuition told him that his current body would definitely not be able to withstand it. If he stayed too long, there might be a problem.


    ¡­


    Soon, after exploring the spatial distortion, Chen Yiming turned around and used the space anchor to leave the spatial distortion and appear back in the real space.


    Then, he started to enter and exit the spatial distortion, moving in the direction of the silver spaceship. Finally, he chose an area he felt was relatively suitable and selected three coordinates.


    From the first coordinate, his body entered the spatial distortion.


    At this moment, what appeared in his vision was a lightning world that was approaching him.


    It was unknown if this lightning world was real or fake. On the surface, it was filled with dense black lightning that seeped out of the spatial distortion and was destroyed by a storm.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    Chen Yiming waved his fists countless times. His powerful physical strength immediately shattered the twisted power around him.


    He was not really trying to attack the lightning world. The distance that the naked eye could see through the spatial distortion was inaccurate. It could be very far, very close, or it could be similar to what he perceived.


    This was only because the power of distortion was everywhere in the spatial distortion, indirectly affecting the lightning world that was approaching in his direction.


    At that time, it would not matter if anything rushed out of the space distortion. He just needed to reach his destination.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    Three seconds passed.


    When Chen Yiming sensed a mixed energy fluctuation around him, he immediately used the coordinates marked by the space anchor to leave.


    Then, before heading to the next set of coordinates, he used the space anchor as a weapon and slashed at it, breaking through the barrier between the real space and the spatial distortion.


    After completing this step, he did the same for the remaining two coordinates. Then, with the help of the space anchor, he jumped to a spot that was easier to observe.


    The three coordinates were distributed in a triangle.


    Chen Yiming timed it perfectly to allow the silver spaceship into its center.


    ¡­


    In the silver spaceship.


    When the A.I. assistant appeared on the screen, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the entire spaceship.


    The expressions of the middle-aged man in armor, the bald man, and the scarred man changed drastically. Such an alert meant that something could happen to the spaceship at any moment.


    The A.I. assistant said, ¡°Captain, the spaceship flew into a triangular area. At the three corners, serious abnormal situations broke out.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Before it could finish speaking, the screen went black, and the A.I. assistant fell silent.


    At the same time, the spaceship shook violently. The light turned black, and the screen shattered. The hull collapsed, and everything was instantly torn apart.


    Then, faint curses could be heard. The voices were very angry.


    In a corner of the galaxy, from Chen Yiming¡¯s point of view, the silver spaceship was torn to pieces by the storm at the first coordinate. It wasn¡¯t the explosion he had expected.


    This was a little different from his prediction. Clearly, the lightning world had not been brought close enough to the spaceship.


    However, the range of the storm was too terrifying. When it first rushed out of the spatial distortion, it could not be seen at all, but in the blink of an eye, it had wreaked havoc in the galaxy.


    He roughly estimated that it covered about half of the solar system. It could be seen that in the spatial distortion, any random move would cause uncontrollably serious consequences.


    It was precisely because of this that the silver spaceship was torn to pieces before it could react.


    Seeing that the storm was still expanding, Chen Yiming decided to hide far away first. He might as well create as much chaos as possible at the last two coordinates.


    A faint spatial fluctuation appeared. With one space-jump, another faint spatial fluctuation appeared. And another space-jump¡­


    The instigator was the first to stay far away.


    Just as the storm was wreaking havoc in the galaxy,


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    There was a loud bang that shook the galaxy.


    In the next moment, many palm shadows turned into huge palms that cut through the galaxy and struck out in all directions. The terrifying storm was actually forcefully dispersed.


    Due to the distance, unless Chen Yiming used his will projection, he wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish what was happening under the interference of the powerful energy fluctuations.


    Of course, the other party was also very far away and couldn¡¯t see Chen Yiming, who was hiding in a corner. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to find him.


    The universe was endless and vast.


    As long as Chen Yiming didn¡¯t activate his giant transformation ability, unless his spiritual power was strong enough to cover an area of space measured in light years, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.


    At this point, the trap at the first coordinates he had selected had destroyed the silver spaceship and tested how strong the pursuers were.


    The huge palm that could cut through the galaxy was definitely not something that someone at the level of the star condensation realm could use.


    To Chen Yiming, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to come into contact with them rashly without knowing the difference in strength between them.


    He had relied on his special spatial ability to trick the enemy first.

 Chapter 418 - An Unfamiliar Radio Wave

    In space, the space barrier quickly repaired itself.


    The middle-aged man in armor held a crystalline diamond-shaped object in his left hand. He lowered his right hand, which was shaking slightly.


    In the end, this was only a spatial barrier that had been temporarily broken through. They were not in the spatial distortion, and there was no spatial energy to continue supporting it, forming a spatial rift that would not automatically close.


    The terrifying storm erupted for a while, fierce and sudden. In essence, it had no power to draw on. As long as it was blocked off from its source, it would not be able to continue.


    The bald man and the scarred man flanked him like guards.


    ¡°We were tricked.¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s expression was ugly as he gritted his teeth.


    Although they had protected the core of the spaceship, how could they find a place with the ability to build a similar spaceship in such a remote galaxy?


    The silver spaceship was a multi-purpose spaceship that could perform investigations, tracking, and attacking. The destruction of the spaceship was almost equivalent to a mission failure.


    ¡°Boss, the person who set up the trap in advance must be the one who killed the star spirit. The other party might have a spatial ability. What should we do?¡±


    the bald man asked anxiously, ignoring the cold sweat that was dripping down his forehead.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to avoid it. Let¡¯s deal with the trouble at hand first. Under the cover of the remaining storm, I sensed two other abnormal energy fluctuations. Be careful.¡±


    The middle-aged man nodded and reminded him.


    ¡°There are still two abnormalities?¡±


    The bald man¡¯s expression suddenly froze. The disturbance when the storm erupted was very serious. He had thought that the three abnormalities reported by the artificial intelligence had erupted at the same time to create the storm.


    The scarred man at the side felt the pain from his scar and had a serious expression on his face.


    It was fine since there was a huge difference in strength between them and the opponent who had spatial abilities. But if the difference in strength was not to the extent of crushing him, it would be a huge problem for those who did not have spatial abilities.


    This was especially true since the location of their spaceship¡¯s destruction was in a remote area in outer space. It was a fact that one¡¯s strength made the rules here.


    The three of them were already equivalent to law enforcers. They were very intimidating to ordinary criminals who had some strength, but when faced with spatial ability users who could fight and leave at will, their intimidation was no longer there.


    In fact, to put it bluntly, they might not be able to escape unscathed.


    Just as the three of them were waiting solemnly, the other two spatial abnormalities erupted almost at the same time.


    A red-haired arm suddenly extended from the spatial rift. Then, it opened its palm, and the sharp claws on it lit up with a white light.


    The palm was unprecedentedly large, almost completely covering the entire space.


    The sharp claws could not be underestimated. With a flash of white light, terrifying restraining forces quickly spread out, almost sealing off the entire galaxy.


    At the same time, in the last spatial rift, although nothing strange rushed out, a terrifying suction force suddenly appeared, wanting to suck all the matter in the galaxy into the spatial distortion.


    Although this suction force was not very lethal, it was the most terrifying.


    No one knew what kind of existence was waiting in the spatial distortion behind the suction force. Perhaps it was an unimaginable mouth, an environment that made one feel despair, or perhaps¡­


    Once one was sucked in, the result would be nothing good.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡±


    The middle-aged man in armor took a step forward and pressed his palms together.


    The energy fluctuations in his body suddenly rose from a relatively low value to near its peak. Just the fluctuations alone shook the entire galaxy.


    He was preparing to use all the power of his inner world to deal with the red-haired arm and the increasing suction force.


    ¡°Captain,¡± the bald man and the scarred man shouted.


    The two of them were extremely vigilant and stood guard on his left and right sides to prevent the middle-aged man from suddenly being ambushed by the spatial ability user.


    If necessary, they would even take the initiative to wear down a portion of the will in their bodies and transmit the power of their inner worlds to the middle-aged man to replenish his energy.


    This was a desperate situation. There was no other way. The middle-aged man was the strongest in the three-man team. If their strongest combatant did not fall, they could still fight.


    ¡­


    However, the three people led by the middle-aged man quickly sensed that something was amiss. Be it the red-haired arms or the terrifying suction force, they did not seem to be targeting them.


    Outside the abnormal space, ¡°It¡¯s alive!¡±


    Chen Yiming was also dumbfounded by what he had brought over.


    From the red-haired arm, the shadow of the huge beast he had seen previously was real, not a mirage.


    The spatial distortion was too dangerous. Unless it was necessary, he should not mess around with it. Otherwise¡­


    At this moment, a palm that covered the sky moved towards Chen Yiming. Before it reached him, the surrounding space became sticky.


    This stickiness wasn¡¯t just a little restrictive. Even with Chen Yiming¡¯s physical strength at the star condensation realm, he couldn¡¯t move freely and felt a powerful restraining force.


    ¡°It can¡¯t see those who are close to it?¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked.


    What he did not know was that the interference he had caused in the spatial distortion was very serious.


    The red-haired arm had locked onto his aura, allowing it to cross countless layers of space and find the corresponding spatial rift.


    Furthermore, it was as if a blind person was touching an elephant. Other than the aura that it had already locked onto, all the other auras in the galaxy were disturbed by the spatial distortion.


    For example, as long as the three people whose spaceship had been destroyed did not take the initiative to come into contact with it, the red-haired arm would not sense them.


    In the blink of an eye, facing such a terrifying arm, Chen Yiming immediately used the space anchor to perform a series of space-jumps. The binding power couldn¡¯t stop the space anchor, and he escaped from its range in the blink of an eye.


    After escaping, he did not dare to stay any longer and continued to escape further into outer space.


    At this moment, a commotion came from afar. The three people who were resisting the suction force also discovered the person who had attracted the attention of the strange arm.


    It turned out to be a yellow-skinned human.


    When the middle-aged man in armor saw this, he immediately shifted a portion of his attention to the fleeing figure. The spatial ability he had was very powerful. He was fast at launching attacks, and he could jump a long distance.


    The bald man had a strange expression on his face as he muttered to himself, ¡°Do you think this is karma?¡±


    The scarred man thought to himself, ¡°What exactly did the culprit who killed the star spirit do in the spatial distortion? The red-haired arm has a main body that is definitely an existence that is far beyond the level of the gods.¡±


    The spatial distortion was a forbidden place at the level of a god. Most of the bolder people would only go there due to the excitement of becoming a god.


    The three dragon gods escorting the human spaceships all belonged to this category.


    This also included the middle-aged man in armor. Even though his cultivation level was above the star condensation realm, he still did not know much about the spatial distortion.


    The deeper reason was that the spatial ability users were very secretive about this and treated the spatial distortion as an escape path. They did not want other non-spatial ability users to know too much about it.


    Soon, the red-haired arm chased after Chen Yiming.


    However, the terrifying suction force from the other spatial rift also suddenly increased by a few times, as if it wanted to devour the entire galaxy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat too,¡± the middle-aged man in armor frowned and instructed.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the shadow of an ancient Buddha appeared from the middle-aged man¡¯s body. His face was expressionless, and his size was comparable to a planet. In addition, thousands of arms grew out of his back.


    Then, the ancient Buddha became furious.


    Countless arms formed fists and stretched out in a large circle, attacking the spatial rift that emitted a terrifying suction force.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In an instant, terrifying ripples spread out. The galaxy shook, the stars trembled, and matter was destroyed. Its power was not much weaker than the terrifying suction force.


    The terrifying suction force from the spatial rift paused for a moment and its strength decreased greatly.


    ¡°Now,¡± the middle-aged man in armor shouted. Taking advantage of the small gap, the three of them endured the much weaker suction force and crossed the void with just their bodies to escape from the abnormal triangular area.


    The further away they were, the weaker the suction force became. It did not take long for the three of them to escape from its range.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, more than 10 minutes had passed.


    The terrifying suction force in the galaxy had already weakened to almost nothing.


    Other than the red-haired arm that was shrinking back after failing to find anything, it was completely empty. Not a single piece of rubble was left behind.


    Although no one was seriously injured, they still felt a lingering fear.


    In the end, the red-haired arm and the suction force from the spatial rift only took a short time to completely disappear.


    In space, Chen Yiming observed all these changes and said in a low voice, ¡°The time taken for their complete disappearance and the time I took to break through the space barrier is exactly the same.¡±


    ¡°Then, when using the spatial distortion to affect the real world, is the time inside fixed?¡±


    Previously, when he used the space anchor to escape, he thought that he needed to completely shake off the red-haired arm, but the truth was not like that.


    The red-haired arm had locked onto his aura and chased after him for a while. Regardless of whether it caught up to him or not, it would return to the spatial distortion once the time was up.


    ¡°It seems that there is an indescribable existence hidden in the spatial distortion. If I cause a huge commotion inside, I will expose the corresponding coordinates, which are the weak points in space.¡±


    Due to the layered space inside, most of the spatial barriers were so thick that it was almost impossible to break through.


    Among the spatial abilities, the most common spatial perception ability was relying on one¡¯s sharp spatial senses to move around in the spatial distortion.


    On the other side, in space, the middle-aged man in armor watched as the spatial rift completely disappeared.


    If the red-haired arm was targeting him, and there was a terrifying suction force interfering from the side, he did not have the confidence to escape unscathed.


    This was the difference in their cultivation levels. It was a natural difference between those at the top and those at the bottom. It was not impossible to admit that this difference did not exist.


    The culprit who had killed the star spirit could escape from the pursuit of the red-haired arm unharmed. Even without his two subordinates, he would not be in a good situation if he fought with such a spatial ability user.


    Spatial ability users could come and go as they pleased, but if he made a wrong move, he might step into a trap set by the other party. Just because he could escape such a trap once did not mean that he could escape again.


    At this moment, the bald man heaved a sigh of relief. His entire body went limp and he relaxed.


    In his current state, there was no longer any trace of the fighting spirit from before. He was completely dispirited after having survived a disaster.


    He asked, ¡°Boss, look, the spaceship is broken, and the person we¡¯re facing is so difficult to deal with. If we don¡¯t ask the organization for help and go to our destination to investigate just like that, what if a similar trap is set up ahead¡­¡±


    He did not know how to continue.


    In short, he wanted to report to the higher-ups that they had failed the mission and ask for help or just return dejectedly.


    When the scarred man heard this, he looked up at the bald man.


    As members of the same team, logically speaking, they should scold him for suggesting that they retreat.


    They had lost their means of transportation, but they themselves were unharmed. Even if the opponent had special abilities, it should not be a reason for them to retreat.


    However, when he recalled his previous encounter with an existence he could not defeat, most of his confidence disappeared.


    The three of them fell silent.


    After some time, the galaxy was still extremely quiet, but the quieter it was, the more uncomfortable they felt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat for the time being and wait for the orders from the higher-ups.¡±


    The middle-aged man in armor weighed the changes in the difficulty of the mission and made the final decision.


    Hearing this, the bald man and the scarred man heaved a sigh of relief.


    The person who had killed the five star spirits had tricked them without even showing his face. They really could not afford to just rely on their own strength to cause trouble for the other party.


    If they wanted to continue with the mission, they had to at least have spatial ability users as temporary reinforcements.


    ¡­


    In the next few hours, Chen Yiming remained cautious and used the space anchor to make space-jumps. He searched the area for the whereabouts of the three people whose spaceship had been destroyed.


    It took some time to determine their location.


    It turned out that they were hiding together under a small energy barrier. The energy barrier was maintained by a burly man with a long scar on his face, and it blended into space, making it difficult to see with the naked eye.


    Although the universe was vast and boundless, it was quite difficult to hide in a space where there were no obstacles to hide behind.


    This was because the energy barrier was a barrier-type ability. Its function was for hiding and interference, but it was essentially still energy.


    Chen Yiming was relying on the space anchor to open a path. Once he touched the energy barrier, something would immediately happen. This abnormality would immediately reveal the coordinates of the three of them.


    In the energy barrier, the spatial energy fluctuations collided with the energy barrier, causing a commotion.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been discovered!¡±


    The scarred man¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    There was nothing in the space around the energy barrier, so there was only one possibility. He was not taking any chances.


    When the bald man heard this, his expression changed drastically.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s method of tricking others had left a serious trauma in their hearts. They were afraid before even starting to fight him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way. That person¡¯s spatial ability is special, and we can¡¯t wait for reinforcements to arrive. The information we have isn¡¯t enough to support us in fighting the other party. Let¡¯s retreat.¡±


    The middle-aged man in armor decided to retreat without any hesitation.


    No matter how fast the reinforcements were, they could not immediately arrive in this galaxy.


    As for the price of opening a long-range space-travel passage and for them to quickly arrive in this part of the galaxy, with the level of this mission, it was clearly impossible to justify it.


    At the very least, the faction that the three of them were in was not in the position to pay such a price.


    Soon, the three of them rushed out of the energy barrier without holding back at all. As quickly as possible, their bodies crossed the void.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared in the distance, but he didn¡¯t chase after them.


    ¡°Am I that scary?¡±


    However, he was secretly delighted. After all, the three of them were not weak. The reason they had fled without fighting was mostly because they had been frightened by him.


    For spatial ability users, spatial distortions were also indirectly a part of their strength.


    Chen Yiming had made use of the spatial distortion. Some seemingly suicidal actions could be used as his trump cards once he understood the spatial distortion more.


    ¡­


    Time passed day by day.


    In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. The factions related to the star spirits had yet to send anyone back. They seemed to have given up on investigating the case of Chen Yiming killing the star spirit.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave after dragging things out all this while.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming made use of his special connection with the spiritual figure and the space anchor on its body to teleport across an extremely long distance and appear in the Daxia spaceship.


    The three spaceships of the Daxia Kingdom were named according to historical eras. They were the Daxia, the Dashang, and the Dazhou. The Daxia was the core of the spaceship fleet.


    In a flash, a secret cultivation chamber appeared in front of him.


    This was a sealed room that completely blocked out any interference. It was beside the core power room of the spaceship, and was equipped with a full set of daily necessities.


    Of course, the spiritual figure was essentially a ball of spiritual power and did not need to eat, drink, or poop.


    He opened the electronic door and walked out. The surveillance equipment in the corridor discovered Chen Yiming¡¯s figure. In a few seconds, the higher-ups of the human race knew that he had returned.


    Half an hour later, in the control center of the Daxia spaceship, in a large room that was more than 1,000 square meters, other than the staff, a representative had been brought over from every spaceship. They had important matters to decide.


    Soon, Chen Yiming heard a piece of unexpected news.


    ¡°A radio wave with some pattern?¡±


    This radio wave had obvious traces of an intelligent civilization. For example, there were several repetitive waves, and there was a logical connection between the waves.


    In fact, it was very similar to the time in human history when unmanned detectors were launched into space one year. The detectors would continuously send radio waves into the distance to seek a response from intelligent alien civilizations.


    An expert said in an apologetic tone, ¡°The advanced technology used on the spaceships were not developed by humans. Our level of technology and operating systems are far too inferior.¡±


    ¡°In reality, human technology is still at the level of the blue planet. We¡¯ve received this radio wave for a few days, but we still can¡¯t completely decipher it.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. He could understand why the expert was offering an apology.


    To humans, they had once yearned to come into contact with alien civilizations, especially those that were also technologically advanced. They hoped that they could use this opportunity to make a huge leap in technology and not be trapped on their planet.


    This was especially true because of the decreasing number of non-renewable resources, which ignited this anxiety. If not for the sudden invasion of the otherworld, there would still be constant friction between the large countries because of the resources for space travel.


    Now, an opportunity to interact with technologically advanced civilizations seemed to be right in front of them. Coupled with the fact that the humans now had strong subsidiary species working for them, they were even more confident.


    No matter how one looked at it, there was no reason to miss this chance.

 Chapter 419 - Shooting in a Row

    In the boundless dark universe, the huge fleet of human spaceships moved extremely quickly and progressed forward stealthily.


    This was not humans deliberately sneaking around, but due to the black substance obtained from the black tide¡¯s war weapon. As long as it was used to make the hull, it would have a stealth effect.


    Any method of investigation that humans currently knew about would not detect anything due to this black substance. It was a result that exceeded the level of technology that humans should have.


    Soon, the humans also received a radio message from the Daxia spaceship.


    This radio wave was also formed by several repeated waves.


    If the other party could decipher it, the content would simply be, ¡°We are a fleet of friendly spaceships passing by. We hope to have a peaceful exchange.¡±


    It was just that simple and direct.


    The main reason was because of the radio waves sent by an unknown civilization.


    However, it could also be seen that the level of technology of this unknown civilization was probably similar to that of humans, or weaker, or stronger.


    In short, there would not be a huge difference in their level of technology. There would probably be a difference of two to three generations, or even 20 to 30 years.


    However, the hulls of the human spaceships were all made of materials that had the black substance added to them. Even nuclear weapons could not do anything to them.


    It was so powerful that it could withstand continuous nuclear explosions and charge through them without being damaged.


    Furthermore, with the protection of the three dragon gods and more than 100 terrifying creatures, there would not be any problems.


    ¡­


    On the Daxia spaceship, in the Chen family¡¯s villa in the A1 living area, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back!¡± Chen Yingying shouted excitedly when she saw the figure entering the courtyard.


    It had been a long time since they last met. It had been about two months. Chen Yiming saw that his sister hadn¡¯t changed much, and her cultivation was almost at the same level.


    After all, she had relied on external forces to obtain the results of her cultivation.


    This kind of dependence could not be eliminated for the rest of her life. He could only constantly provide better resources and a better cultivation environment for her. Otherwise, she would forever be stuck at a certain level and unable to progress further.


    ¡°Our son is back. Has the problem in the other world been resolved?¡±


    At this moment, Mother Chen heard the commotion and walked out of the villa.


    ¡°It¡¯s resolved. I stayed for another month and completely resolved the hidden danger.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The main thing was that a month ago, the human spaceship fleet had just set off. It made no difference whether he returned or not.


    Now that a month had passed, the spaceship fleet was already quite far from the solar system.


    Looking at the solar system with the naked eye, it was like an ordinary piece of space, not an area with multiple planets.


    With that, he looked into the villa. The pregnant Wu Di had followed her out, but he did not see Father Chen.


    Seeing this, Mother Chen immediately complained, ¡°Didn¡¯t we receive a radio message from an unknown civilization a few days ago? When your father heard about it, he became so excited that he couldn¡¯t stay at home.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think your father is so excited? With so many experts and all kinds of special forces around, what¡¯s the use of an old man like him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still shouting all day that he has to follow the emissary team and see what the real aliens look like.¡±


    Chen Yiming was thinking about how to reply.


    He could understand that Father Chen had similar feelings to those experts. After all, humans had come into contact with the dark forest world, the terrifying creatures, and the black tide.


    It was not the alien technological civilization depicted in traditional literature.


    The individual cultivation system was still quite different from the technological system. The former relied on powerful individual strength to support it, while the latter relied on the overall level of the civilization. There would not be a sudden decline if any particular individual was missing.


    Therefore, a surprising and exciting radio wave was very in line with what humans thought about the alien civilizations.


    Chen Yingying quickly said, ¡°Brother, I want to go too. Help me tell the higher-ups.¡±


    Her voice was coquettish.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming realized that Chen Yingying¡¯s excitement was also because of this.


    He recalled his memories of his sister. She had almost made no progress in her own cultivation. Part of the reason should be because she was not hardworking enough.


    After some thought, he rejected her. ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate. Do you really think that two unfamiliar civilizations can sit down and talk after exchanging just a few radio waves?¡±


    Chen Yingying subconsciously explained, ¡°The other party¡¯s technological level is similar to that of humans, but the strength we have doesn¡¯t rely on technological weapons at all, but¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Chen Yiming interrupted, ¡°Have you heard of the law of the dark forest? Don¡¯t even think about it. Perhaps the radio waves were meant to paralyze us with fear.¡±


    ¡°If you want to interact with others, you can¡¯t avoid fighting a war. You¡¯re so weak that you¡¯ll be a burden on the battlefield. We still have to arrange for a large number of additional forces to protect you.¡±


    When Chen Yingying heard this, she was speechless.


    In the vast universe, even the huge fleet of human spaceships seemed extremely weak, let alone individuals at the warrior realm.


    The status of warriors in interstellar wars was not much higher than that of ordinary soldiers. They were no longer the key to directly affecting the outcome in interstellar wars.


    After dismissing his sister, the family quickly entered the house.


    ¡­


    The passage of time in the universe was both too fast and too slow.


    Soon, three days had passed since the spaceship emitted the radio waves. The humans had made many preparations, but there was still no response.


    It felt like time passed very slowly because the stars in the corresponding galaxy all seemed like they were still at their original positions, as if they had never moved.


    On a sunny morning, Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying left the house.


    The sunlight, working hours, and day and night arrangements were all arranged by the spaceship¡¯s internal circulation system. The artificial simulation environment recreated the 24 hours cycle from the blue planet.


    Soon, the two of them used spiritual power to change their appearance and boarded the floating train to the Myriad Phenomena Academy like ordinary people.


    At the moment, the Myriad Phenomena Academy was the only officially recognized martial arts academy for humans. It was developed from the foundation of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.


    There was a strange stone placed in the academy. The body of a star spirit created an excellent environment for cultivation. Not only were other spaceships unable to compare with it, but the area outside the academy was also far inferior.


    The reason seemed to be that it was not powerful enough, and the spaceship was constantly moving quickly. The body of the star spirit instinctively restricted the essence energy it emitted to a relatively small area.


    When they exited the floating train, they saw that the street was filled with people.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t the teachers and students of the Myriad Phenomena Academy, right?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the clothes of the people in the crowd and said casually.


    He saw many middle-aged warriors and older warriors queuing up with the young people to enter.


    ¡°They¡¯re all here to register for the assessment,¡± Chen Yingying explained softly.


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°Of the billions of people, 90% have entered hibernation. The remaining 10% is still not a small number.¡±


    The deeper reason was that at the initial stage of martial arts, which was below the level of a warrior,


    other than the Myriad Phenomena Academy, only the other areas on the Daxia spaceship could barely provide an environment for cultivation.


    If the younger generation from the other spaceships did not meet the requirements of the Myriad Phenomena Academy, they could say goodbye to their path of martial arts.


    After all, even under an optimistic view, there were still many years before humans could reach a new planet.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying arrived at the registration counter.


    Chen Yingying dispersed the spiritual power that hid her identity, revealing her young face.


    ¡°Teacher Chen, you have class today! Please come in,¡± a voice shouted. It was the young guard in charge of registering the visitors.


    At this moment, a large number of gazes landed on Chen Yingying, filled with endless envy. Even the noise had quietened down.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the young man outside the door. He seemed to have seen this person before. He was once an inner sect disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. His martial arts talent was alright, but he was already half a step away from the master realm at such a young age.


    Those who were half a step away from the master realm had spiritual power that could be materialized to prevent unidentified people from sneaking in. No wonder he had been assigned to guard the entrance.


    Chen Yiming followed Chen Yingying silently into the Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    In the entrance square of the academy, a statue was standing in the middle. There were fountains all around spewing out water according to a certain pattern.


    The statue had 90% of Chen Yiming¡¯s likeness, but the outline of his face was more sharp and mature. He would probably only look like that when he was in his thirties.


    ¡°Brother, it looks much older than you actually are,¡± Chen Yingying suddenly said softly.


    Hearing this, the veins on Chen Yiming¡¯s forehead bulged.


    His physique contained an almost unlimited amount of life force. Under normal circumstances, his appearance would forever be fixed at the age of 18. That resolute and mature style would not appear.


    Perhaps the sculptor had used some artistic freedom to display his image to be more like that of a savior.


    Soon, the two of them separated.


    Chen Yingying¡¯s daily job in the Myriad Phenomena Academy was to lead a martial arts class. This was also to ease the boredom of traveling in deep space.


    Chen Yiming wandered around the Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    His name was hanging in front of the head¡¯s office. The door was very new and had no signs of being used, and the lights inside were dark.


    A portion of the teachers were originally from the Myriad Phenomena Sect. They were leading the new students, and carried out their teaching in an orderly manner.


    In the entire academy area, the cultivation environment was inferior to the dark forest world, but it was also slightly better than on the blue planet.


    This could not be helped. The power of a relatively high-level cultivation world was widely distributed in the universe, but those below the god realm could not control this power.


    In the long term, as long as they did not settle down on the new planet, the development of human martial arts would be limited.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming walked out of the Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    ¡­


    Time passed day by day.


    In the blink of an eye, another 10 days had passed. Nothing happened. The higher-ups of the human race waited in silence for a reply to the radio waves they sent out.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t deliberately search for this unknown civilization.


    If there were no major problems from now on, he planned to use the space anchor to make space-jumps and head to the area in the middle of the star map before the humans.


    However, just as the excitement of the higher-ups rose to the peak and was about to fall to the bottom, what greeted them was not a radio wave, but bad news that they did not know how to describe.


    ¡°More than 100,000 kilometers ahead, hydrogen bombs are widely distributed in the dark space. There are more than 10,000 of them.¡±


    In the control center of the Daxia spaceship, there was an uproar.


    With so many hydrogen bombs, it was obvious that after the Daxia spaceship sent out the radio waves, their coordinates and direction of travel had been determined by an unknown civilization.


    They ignored the friendship offered by the humans who came from afar and started a war without any public declaration. They even set up an ambush in advance to destroy the human spaceships.


    ¡°Damn it, we were too confident. This is not the kind of attitude we should have when facing an unknown civilization.¡±


    An old man in a military uniform had an angry expression on his face.


    If not for the seriousness of the situation, he would have smashed the conference table instead of slowly lowering his hand.


    The heads of the countries were silent.


    Coincidentally, Chen Yiming had returned to the spaceship. Coupled with the fact that the human spaceship fleet was strong, everyone seemed to have let down their guard. This was not right.


    This time, the unknown civilization might not have the ability to threaten humans. What about the next time?


    The right way to deal with it was for the humans to seize the initiative and prevent the other party from attacking the spaceship fleet.


    Chen Yiming had also heard the news and participated in the meeting to make a new strategy.


    The truth was just as he had expected. The encounter between two civilizations that did not know each other was almost certain to follow the rules of the dark forest.


    When their strength was close, the careless side would suffer a painful sneak attack, and the fruits of their civilization would be taken over.


    Soon, the higher-ups of the human race reached a consensus.


    If they forcefully slowed down at this time, they would need to activate the power system again later. Time was too short, and it was very likely that the power system would be damaged.


    Therefore, the spaceship fleet would rely on the toughness of the black substance on the hull to rush past the hydrogen bombs and deal with the unknown civilization later.


    ¡­


    10 minutes later, ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    As the human spaceship fleet passed through the area where more than 10,000 hydrogen bombs had been set up, the space shook and countless lights lit up, drowning out everything.


    With such a violent explosion, if humans relied on their own technology, they would have long been blown to bits.


    If the materials produced on the blue planet were used to make the hulls of the spaceships, facing nuclear weapons, their defense would still be insufficient.


    At the same time, this was another reason why humans were so enthusiastic about the exchange between civilizations in order to get rid of the traces of the black tide on the spaceship.


    In the living area of the spaceship, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Someone felt the ground shake, as if an earthquake had occurred. He quickly ran out of the house.


    ¡°Maybe the spaceship was ambushed.¡±


    On the way, some of the people who had run out guessed the reason for the tremors.


    In space, if there was such a sudden change in the situation, there was a high chance that they were being ambushed. It was not like they had accidentally entered some problematic space.


    At this moment, a broadcast sounded throughout all the areas on the spaceship.


    The announcers from the various countries announced in a concise manner that the spaceship fleet had accidentally entered the ambush set up by an unknown civilization. However, the citizens did not have to worry. The spaceships could withstand the consequences of this mistake.


    When the citizens heard the announcement, they did not panic further.


    This was because everyone knew that the hull of the spaceship was infused with high-tech materials. The source was the black tide, and the materials were not something that could be easily destroyed.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    Soon, the spaceship fleet rushed out of the area with the hydrogen bombs and gradually slowed down before finally floating in space.


    More than 10,000 hydrogen bombs had exploded in succession, but they had not left even a dent in the surface of the spaceships. Even if there had been one, the hulls had automatically repaired themselves in a short period of time.


    In the dark space, Chen Yiming stood in the air. The three dragon gods and more than 100 terrifying creatures had already woken up from their slumber.


    If there were enough nuclear explosions, they would still pose a threat to those at the master realm. However, what level were they at? The weakest among them was at the fusion realm.


    A nuclear explosion was actually equivalent to scratching an itch for them.


    If not for the fact that this was the first time the human spaceship fleet had come to a stop after encountering an accident, they would not have woken up all the subsidiary species.


    ¡°Should we attack and destroy the other party?¡± a dragon god opened its bell-like eyes and asked Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Let¡¯s observe the situation first. If this is all they have, they¡¯re really too weak. There¡¯s no need to show yourselves,¡± Chen Yiming looked into the air and said calmly.


    The three dragon gods and more than 100 terrifying creatures were a form of insurance he had arranged. If they were revealed too many times, the effect would definitely be greatly reduced.


    At that time, if the spaceship fleet was attacked again, the enemy would take measures against the subsidiary species as well.


    ¡­


    Just as the humans released the small spaceships and were about to investigate the location of the unknown civilization, specks of light appeared dozens of kilometers away and attacked the fleet of human spaceships.


    At the same time, due to the appearance of the light, a sphere was revealed in their field of vision.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a planet. Is it a wandering civilization?¡±


    The moment the light appeared, the general appearance of the unknown civilization was reflected in Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes. He vaguely made out a figure that was taller than humans and looked like a lizardman.


    Soon, the specks of light could also be seen clearly.


    It turned out that they were interstellar missiles one after another. There were also more than 10,000 of them, and they were spewing flames as they attacked. There was a high chance that there were also hydrogen warheads installed inside.


    They were probably disturbed by the energy shockwaves and only saw the spaceship fleet rush out of the hydrogen bomb trap. They did not see the damage clearly, so they quickly launched a new round of attacks.


    At this moment, the human spaceships lined up and started to counterattack.


    Elemental energy attacks shot out in rows. There were thunderballs that turned into lightning storms, fireballs that turned into flames, and ice cones that froze the air.


    This was not because there were no interstellar missiles with hydrogen warheads on the human spaceships. The human spaceships had them, but were made from resources that could not be replenished after they were used up unless they stopped on another planet.


    On the other hand, the source of the elemental attacks was the fragments of the extraordinary weapons from the black tide. These fragments could automatically be charged and could be used repeatedly as long as they were not damaged.


    A few minutes later.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The elemental attacks from the human spaceships collided with the missiles from the unknown civilization.


    Then, countless shock waves that shook the void and blinding light erupted. The dark space was illuminated by the light, and the two civilizations could clearly see each other.


    ¡°A planet!¡±


    In the spaceship, the higher-ups were all shocked.


    The light from before was not enough for the reconnaissance equipment to take a clear photo of the unknown civilization.


    However, as the elemental bombs exploded and the hydrogen warheads were detonated, a strong light instantly erupted, revealing the exact coordinates and appearance of the unknown civilization.


    In terms of scale, the planet was undoubtedly larger than the human spaceship fleet.


    If the two sides were at the same level of technology, the spaceship fleet would definitely suffer a huge loss if they fought against the forces from the planet.

 Chapter 420 - Hidden Dragon Galaxy

    They shot at each other.


    Soon, everything gradually returned to normal, and the space fell dark again.


    Without a light source to provide a line of sight, the planet of the unknown civilization seemed to become invisible. They clearly knew that it was there, but no reconnaissance equipment could detect it.


    One minute passed.


    Two minutes passed.


    Three minutes passed.


    Time passed, but the unknown civilization did not take any further action.


    It was possible that a stronger attack was brewing, or that they had already started to retreat when they saw that they could not defeat the human spaceships.


    ¡°Kill them.¡±


    The control center of the Daxia spaceship made the decision to take the initiative to attack.


    A few seconds later, the main cannons that were already prepared fired elemental bombs one after another, aiming straight at the planet.


    Not long after, the weak light provided by the elemental bombs could be seen. The unknown civilization was slowly moving away into the distant space.


    ¡°Dire Wolf Special Forces, move out.¡±


    The control center of the Daxia spaceship immediately issued a second order.


    The moment they received the order, several small spaceships rushed into space. They carried the Dire Wolf Special Forces, with a small team inside each spaceship.


    The Dire Wolf Special Forces was the strongest unit among the special forces controlled by humans that could launch a surprise attack. This was the first time they were making a move against an alien civilization.


    At the same time, the human spaceship fleet started up again and chased after the unknown planet.


    The true level of technology of humans was not much different from the unknown civilization in front of them. If they were separated by a distance of light years, it would be very difficult to find their location in the dark space.


    In the dark space, from Chen Yiming¡¯s position, the planet of the lizardmen was about a few meters in diameter. In terms of distance, its true diameter was slightly larger than the blue planet.


    This way, unless there were some special circumstances, the quality, speed, and other basic parameters should be similar.


    ¡°The basic parameters of the planet are similar, and these lizardmen have technology similar to that of humans. Did they develop it themselves or use other methods to obtain it?¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    Whether it was the technological system or the cultivation system, they followed an indescribable order in this universe.


    For example, from traditional black gunpowder to interstellar missiles, they were definitely not exclusive to the humans on the blue planet. Other civilizations could also develop them.


    However, the fuel ratio, technology level, and so on would not be the same.


    Another example was the cultivation system, especially for low-level cultivators. The methods and effects of cultivation were different.


    At his original spot, there was only a faint spatial fluctuation, and his figure had already disappeared.


    ¡­


    ¡°Energy barrier?¡±


    Chen Yiming, who had arrived in the space outside the planet, saw the truth about the lizardmen civilization.


    The planet was enveloped by an energy barrier, and was slowly accelerating away. Although there was no atmosphere, the energy barrier could block out all kinds of dangerous rays in the universe.


    In other words, the energy barrier technology had replaced the planet¡¯s original atmosphere, allowing the planet to move through space like a fortress.


    Compared to humans, because they did not have such technology, it was impossible for them to arm the blue planet into a war fortress and bring the entire planet with them.


    ¡°This lizardmen civilization has an energy barrier technology that covers the entire planet, but their attacks are only at the level of nuclear weapons?¡±


    This was completely unequal technology. He could clearly tell that it was not developed by the lizardmen themselves.


    On second thought, he thought, ¡°Did they rob people like humans who had just left the planet of origin, or did they buy it from a high-level technological civilization in the area in the middle of the star map?¡±


    Chen Yiming had the ¡®Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword¡¯ from the old man, which was a longsword that was called a divine artifact.


    There were complicated and exquisite patterns inside, sealing away a terrifying power.


    Although Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t analyze and replicate it, it didn¡¯t stop him from recognizing how high its level was. It also indirectly showed how strong the area in the middle of the star map was.


    Therefore, it was normal for there to be a high-level technological civilization there.


    Soon, another faint spatial fluctuation appeared. When Chen Yiming reappeared, he was already on the land of the lizardmen civilization.


    The sky was dark and gloomy, and a gust of yellow sand blew over.


    In front of him were several huge buildings that were dark yellow in color and had many passages on the surface. There were lizardmen guarding them with primitive iron weapons.


    From the outside, it looked like a nest that had appeared on the surface.


    ¡°Compared to human civilization, it doesn¡¯t feel like an advanced civilization at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the residential area and confirmed his previous guess. Regardless of whether it was bought or stolen, it didn¡¯t belong to the lizardmen civilization originally.


    At this moment, ¡°¡­&*%¡± A series of curses rang out.


    From the four directions around Chen Yiming: front, back, left, and right, lizardmen holding primitive iron weapons charged over from the tall buildings in the distance.


    These lizardmen walked upright like humans. They were between three to four meters tall. Although they were naked, there was a layer of scales on their skin.


    The surface of this layer of scales reflected a strange color. It was natural armor for the lizardmen.


    10 seconds later, dozens of lizardmen charged over and sealed off all of Chen Yiming¡¯s escape routes, forming an encirclement.


    ¡°&%%#!¡±


    The lizardmen suddenly stopped and approached at a slower speed. Their words carried an interrogative tone as they prepared to capture this unfamiliar person.


    The next moment.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Chen Yiming flicked each of the lizardmen on the head, and they all fainted and fell to the ground. Their bodies started to twitch spontaneously.


    Chen Yiming looked at the results of his attack and nodded. ¡°These lizardmen should be ordinary guards, but their bodies are close to that of human warriors.¡±


    ¡°The physical body of their species is slightly stronger than that of humans. It¡¯s about the level of a human martial arts disciple who has undergone seven to nine transformations.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not easy to judge what level the strongest lizardman can reach.¡±


    ¡°The cultivation environment on the blue planet indirectly comes from the dark forest world. The dark forest world has a star spirit, so it¡¯s a special world.¡±


    Chen Yiming fell into deep thought for a while.


    However, other than the lizardmen poking their heads out from the surrounding huge buildings, there were no other incidents.


    What was happening in front of him indicated that on a planet that was like a war fortress that operated in the universe, individual cultivation might not be very powerful.


    No powerful lizardmen came to cause trouble for Chen Yiming. However, the planet under his feet was still gradually speeding up.


    Chen Yiming, an unfamiliar intruder, seemed to have been ignored.


    ¡°If humans can obtain the complete energy barrier technology from the lizardmen, they might be able to hide the traces of the black tide on the surface.¡±


    The black substance added to the hull of the spaceship could not be hidden from those who were familiar with the black tide. They might even think that the human spaceship fleet was involved with the black tide.


    After making his decision, Chen Yiming muttered to himself, ¡°Then let¡¯s stop this planet first.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he threw a punch towards the energy fluctuations underground, which were clearly greater than the other areas on the planet.


    The next moment.


    The mountains collapsed and the ground cracked. Countless lizardmen screamed as the energy barrier exploded, and the planet shook.


    A passage through the planet appeared, and a large amount of rubble was thrown into space, forming a moving asteroid belt that disappeared into the deep space.


    The moving planet no longer accelerated. It moved through space at a slow speed, and the human spaceships behind it could immediately catch up.


    This time, the lizardmen civilization had no choice but to calm down.


    What had they provoked?


    For some reason, before all the lizardmen could react, their planetary power system was destroyed. This had never happened before.


    It had to be known that the spaceship fleet that they had failed to ambush was still far away.


    In outer space, one was chasing while the other was escaping. Unless the speed of the one chasing was more than one level higher, not to mention catching up, if they did not lose him, it meant that the level of technology in reconnaissance was higher.


    The vast space was also a place where it was very easy to avoid pursuit.


    In reality, when the lizardmen civilization saw that the hydrogen bombs were ineffective, they were still not afraid of the human spaceships. They could just retreat and not continue fighting against the elemental bombs.


    However, now that there was a huge problem internally, and they could not leave even if they wanted to.


    ¡­


    More than an hour later, the human spaceship fleet landed on the lizardmen¡¯s planet.


    At the same time, three huge gods and more than 100 terrifying creatures landed on the surface of the planet.


    In an instant, countless lizardmen ran out of the huge buildings. Every one of them was extremely flustered.


    The lizardmen were really frightened to death. They thought that they must have provoked the real gods.


    At the same time, in a building that looked like a palace.


    This was one of the few special buildings of the lizardmen civilization. There were tables and chairs carved with strange flowers, exquisite porcelain, and so on.


    In addition, the layout of the building was also extraordinary. The decorations were all very detailed, and it was worlds apart from the residences of ordinary lizardmen.


    Chen Yiming and a portion of the higher-ups sat in the seats arranged for them.


    Around them was a group of female lizardmen holding fruit platters. They had good figures, but their faces were too scary and did not meet the standards of beauty of the humans.


    At this moment, a lizardman nearly 10 meters tall rushed in from outside the door.


    It was the king of the lizardmen civilization. Its cultivation level barely allowed it to rule over this planet, and it was equivalent to a martial master among humans.


    That¡¯s right, the average cultivation level of an individual was stronger than that of humans. However, due to the restrictions imposed by the cultivation environment, the strongest individual in the lizardmen civilization was not as powerful as expected. It was not even at the level of the inscription realm.


    ¡°How could this be! How could this be! It¡¯s actually related to the black tide that made countless worlds tremble in fear. How could the lizardmen civilization be so unlucky?¡±


    The lizardman king¡¯s footsteps were a little flustered. He was still recalling the scene of the human spaceships landing in its mind, and its entire body trembled.


    When the piercing gazes gathered on it, the lizardman king came back to its senses and realized that it had lost its composure.


    However, at this moment, it did not care about losing its composure. Those related to the black tide were not kind people. No matter how it pretended or struggled, it was useless.


    It could be described as being attacked whether one moved to the left or the right.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the king of the lizardman civilization. I¡¯m from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. This planet is a wandering civilization.¡±


    The lizardman king introduced itself in fluent Chinese.


    With that, it explained, ¡°The lizardman civilization has a universal translator bought from a planet with a machine civilization. We have just gathered some information about the conversations between humans, so we can use a special device to speak the Chinese language.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming noticed a small metal tube extending from the lizardman king¡¯s ear.


    From the looks of it, the small silver tube should be the special equipment it was talking about. It could translate what one wanted to say in real time and perfectly imitate the tone of the lizardman.


    ¡°A universal translator?¡±


    The higher-ups of the human race were also quite interested.


    Putting aside what the machine civilization was like for the time being, the universal translator they created was a good thing for communication between civilizations. It was very easy to overcome the language barrier in communication.


    However, what attracted more attention was the Hidden Dragon Galaxy that the lizardman king had mentioned.


    There was a dragon shadow hidden in the star map. Didn¡¯t it fit with the name of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy?


    However, even if their curiosity was aroused, the higher-ups of the human race would not ask about it at this time. Before they came, they had discussed that they could not reveal the fact that the humans did not know anything.


    Next, it was time to get down to business.


    The lizardmen civilization had wanted to destroy the human spaceship fleet, so the higher-ups of the human race naturally did not stand on ceremony. They announced in front of the lizardman king that this planet was to be handed over to the humans.


    All the lizardmen had to put down their weapons and surrender unconditionally. They had to follow the orders of the humans.


    It was short and concise. This way, they could slowly obtain all the loot from the planet. It would be impossible for the lizardmen civilization to conceal them somewhere.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The lizardman king did not raise any objections and agreed after being stunned for a moment.


    After that, it had a helpless expression on its face. First, there was the existence that could punch through a planet, then there were the huge dragons that covered the sky, and the arrival of the spaceships related to the black tide. None of these were things that the lizardmen civilization could resist.


    They even felt that they were lucky to be alive and not tortured.


    On the other hand, the higher-ups of the human race were thinking too much.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed since humans occupied the planet of the lizardmen civilization.


    At this moment, the energy barrier that covered the entire planet had already reappeared and started to absorb all kinds of cosmic rays, indirectly turning the planet into a world suitable for life.


    However, the location of the energy shield had changed. It had been transferred to the Daxia spaceship.


    Humans did not intend to occupy this moving planet for a long time. The main reason was that the environment of this planet contained too much sulfur, and it was not suitable for ordinary people to live on.


    In addition, humans did not even care about using this planet as a war fortress to continue their journey.


    The reason was that compared to the spaceship fleet, this planet could not be kept for a long time. The energy barrier could not cover the entire planet while it was moving at a high speed.


    There was also a solution to this. They could provide the energy barrier with a super energy source.


    According to the information provided by the lizardman king, there was a shop set up by the machine civilization in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. There were many such shops on the powerful worlds.


    At the moment, the lizardmen civilization did not have any super energy. It was too expensive and not worth it, so they had never considered buying it.


    Therefore, humans could only abandon this planet and prepare to continue searching for a suitable planet to use as their second home.


    As for what would happen to the lizardmen civilization without the energy barrier?


    In reality, nothing much would happen. It was just that their lives would return to how they were 1,000 years ago, without the energy barrier technology.


    The lizardmen lived underground to begin with. Their scaled skin had strong resistance and could withstand the attacks of the cosmic rays to a certain extent.


    On the Daxia spaceship, in a meeting room, Chen Yiming, all the higher-ups of the human race, and some famous experts and professors were all present.


    On the screen, they had traced the steps of the lizardmen civilization from the middle of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy to the current space.


    There were nodes marked on it, and each node represented a space-travel portal.


    The space-travel portals were created using the power of wormholes. Between two space-travel portals, there was a space-travel passage that could be kept open for the long-term.


    One had to pay up to pass through the space-travel portals. This money was the currency used in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the hidden dragon coin.


    It was not a problem even if one did not have enough hidden dragon coins. They could just hand over the resources of the corresponding value and convert them into the required hidden dragon coins to pass through.


    In reality, the lizardmen civilization had come to the remote outer space to earn hidden dragon coins.


    They collected resources from unowned planets and searched for objects from outer space. Sometimes, when they encountered weak civilizations, they would turn into bandits.


    ¡°If we humans are unwilling to give up on the technology from the black tide, it will be very difficult for us to use those space-travel portals to quickly reach the middle of the star map,¡± an expert said regretfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. With the level of human technology alone, we¡¯re too weak. Before we achieve a leap in technology, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    A head of state shook his head.


    This was the truth. They had obtained the black technology materials from the black tide and used them to make spaceships with a strong defense.


    Otherwise, it was impossible for humans to bring billions of people into space to find a new planet. In fact, with the true level of human technology, they would not even be able to leave the solar system.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming coughed and reminded them, ¡°There are four strange stones placed on the spaceships. These are the cores of the world. They can¡¯t be revealed.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, ¡°What!¡± Almost everyone gasped.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Even the lizardmen civilization dared to attack us, let alone the factions that control the space-travel portals. At that time, they will definitely detain the spaceship fleet for some groundless crime.¡±


    After Chen Yiming¡¯s reminder, everyone suddenly remembered that the human spaceships carried items of shocking value that couldn¡¯t be revealed when they were still weak.


    Once it was revealed , it would cause endless trouble.


    Soon, the meeting room was filled with discussion again.


    The lizardmen civilization took the path of traveling through space that was equivalent to the national highway on the blue planet.


    All kinds of hidden dangers had basically been eliminated, but there were many civilizations who would pass through there.


    The humans had several shocking treasures, so they naturally could not take this path. However, they could refer to the direction of this path and search for a suitable planet along the way.

 Chapter 421 - Taking the Initiative

    Half a month later, the human spaceship fleet set off again with the energy barrier equipment and more than 10 new spaceships built on the lizardmen¡¯s planet.


    The number of spaceships had increased by about 10% in less than a month, and the fleet had become larger. The crowd in the living area had eased a little.


    The main addition was the energy barrier equipment. The human spaceship fleet would not be able to use it, but it would be very useful if they stopped on a resource planet temporarily.


    Once the energy barrier was activated, ordinary people could move around on the surface of the planet with simple breathing equipment and control the machines to mine for resources.


    It could be said that humans had gained a lot from their first interaction with an alien civilization after they left the blue planet.


    The accumulated knowledge of the lizardmen civilization over the past 10 million years was forcefully shared with the humans. The humans now had a basic understanding of the galaxy they were in, which was the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    Of course, they only knew the basic information, such as its name, range, some basic rules, and so on.


    The lizardman civilization was too insignificant in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. They were almost at the bottom of the hierarchy, and were slightly stronger than a civilization that had just obtained the ability to leave the planet.


    The reason why there had not been much development in the past 10 million years was not because the lizardmen civilization did not want to, but because the conditions did not allow it.


    For example, if one was unlucky and encountered a fleet like the human spaceships, at best, their years of accumulation would be wiped out, and at worst, their civilization would be in danger of being completely destroyed.


    In reality, they were considered lucky since their weak lizardmen civilization could still remain active in this remote area of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    ¡­


    At the same time, Chen Yiming separated from the human spaceship fleet. He used the space anchor to continuously jump through space.


    The distance of 100 light years could be covered in only a few days. Along the way, because he was not familiar with the place, he had to stop from time to time. After comparing the position of the stars, he set off again.


    Finally, he arrived at a huge planet, the Flying Cloud Planet.


    The Flying Cloud Planet was a node in the star map that he had obtained from the female spirit. It was also a transit point that the lizardmen civilization had once passed through.


    It was a planet controlled by human factions. It had a space-travel portal and was on a busy route through space.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared in the distance. He saw that there was only one huge city on the planet with many different species living side by side. It was more than 10,000 kilometers long and wide.


    In addition, the city also had a large port. According to the type and size of the spaceship, different areas were designated for parking.


    The numerous spaceships docked, took off, and landed here. For example, there was an area for transportation-type spaceships, and an area for private small spaceships.


    Most importantly, the city had a public means to learn about the Hidden Dragon Galaxy ¡ª the Internet.


    Compared to the network on the blue planet, this network was similar but different. The biggest difference was the range. This was a galaxy-level network.


    This was the main reason why he had spent so much time coming to the Flying Cloud Planet.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry to enter the Flying Cloud Planet. Instead, he observed the situation from afar.


    Soon, he noticed a transparent barrier above the city that one would subconsciously overlook.


    The transparent barrier would automatically identify the information of the spaceships entering and exiting the city. If there was a problem with the identification, humans at the fusion realm would rush over to stop them.


    ¡°I wonder if the space anchor will cause a huge commotion if it pierces the transparent barrier.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it and decided not to get into trouble.


    He observed the situation for a while longer and discovered that the spaceship that an alien species at the level of gods was on was stopped half-way up. A human at the fusion realm went forward to negotiate.


    After some discussion, the spaceship was finally allowed to pass through with a list and a small amount of hidden dragon coins.


    There were not many hidden dragon coins exchanged, so it might be something like a fine. However, this alien species was at least at the level of the star condensation realm.


    Even those at the level of the gods obediently followed the rules and paid the necessary amount. In turn, this meant that on this planet, the rules were enough to prevent everyone from doing anything rash. One could not even escape a fine.


    ¡°I have to wait for a suitable opportunity to place the space anchor within the city.¡±


    After some thought, Chen Yiming decided to wait patiently.


    He took a step forward, leaving behind a faint spatial fluctuation. In the next moment, he had already appeared outside the huge city, in a barren mountain range.


    Then, he randomly chose a small hill to stop on.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a day and night had passed. 48 hours had passed.


    It was unknown how many spaceships had taken off and landed on the Flying Cloud Planet, but all the spaceships were obediently following the rules to resolve any small problems.


    This was a planet where the rules could not be easily challenged.


    Just as Chen Yiming was considering whether to take the initiative to create chaos so that he could take advantage of the situation and enter the city, he sensed someone rushing towards the small hill.


    They saw a fat man who was more than 1.6 meters tall, an old man in a butler¡¯s uniform, and four burly bull-headed men who were nearly 10 meters tall.


    The bull-headed men had two horns on their heads and faces that looked like bulls. Their figures were similar to that of humans, but they were abnormally strong and did not have any excess fat.


    ¡°Brother, are you alone?¡±


    The fat man had a friendly attitude and asked immediately. Wasn¡¯t he afraid of others being suspicious of him?


    The old butler beside him had been following closely behind the fat man the entire time. His entire body emitted a faint fluctuation of the power of the world.


    He seemed to be deliberately revealing his aura to warn Chen Yiming not to have any ill intentions.


    On the other hand, it also told Chen Yiming that the fat man had an extraordinary status.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to have a casual attitude. He had already learned the official language of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy from the lizardmen civilization.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Gao Shuai.¡±


    The fat man continued, but stopped after saying his name.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze stopped on the fat man¡¯s face.


    He only saw his fat face and his height that was a head shorter than him. None of them were related to the words ¡°tall¡± and ¡°handsome¡± that were in his name.


    However, the reason why Gao Shuai had stopped talking was probably because he had expected Chen Yiming¡¯s reaction.


    Gao Shuai paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s like this. I won¡¯t hide it from you, brother. I have a special ability. I can always turn misfortune into good luck.¡±


    Turning misfortune into good luck?


    Then what does the old butler beside you do?


    Chen Yiming thought about it. Perhaps he was afraid that the fat man¡¯s special ability would suddenly fail and he would be beaten to death.


    This was indeed the case. How dare a weakling at the fusion realm come looking for him like this? Chen Yiming had killed a god at the star condensation realm before.


    Otherwise, the old butler would not have such a reaction.


    ¡°The Hidden Dragon Galaxy has always produced mutant beasts with the bloodline of a true dragon. Recently, the price of mutant beasts with the dragon bloodline has been increasing day by day. It¡¯s increasing fiercely.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, my clan deals in related businesses. Therefore, we need to make friends with experts from all over the world. It¡¯s easier to negotiate the price like this.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ve never let my brothers suffer a loss. If you help me, I¡¯ll do my best to help you. Even outside of the clan, I still have a stable and powerful network.¡±


    A stable and powerful network?


    So that was how it was. Chen Yiming had seen through the fat man¡¯s intentions. Of course, he didn¡¯t know what other motives the fat man had for taking the initiative to befriend him.


    However, these conditions were generally sufficient.


    Powerful cultivators working alone needed people like Gao Shuai who could create a relationship of mutual benefit, and could keep things a secret and get things done.


    ¡°Do you deal with anyone related to the black tide?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of the three blue-skinned humans who were involved with the black tide. Hence, he asked straightforwardly to test him.


    As soon as he said this, Gao Shuai fell silent. The expression of the old butler beside him changed drastically, and the four bull-headed men behind him trembled.


    The silent atmosphere remained for a while, as if this question had exceeded the expectations of the group.


    ¡°The black tide is far more than just a taboo in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. No one dares to openly have anything to do with the black tide, not even the true ruler of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy,¡± Gao Shuai stopped smiling and replied.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming immediately understood that he was denying any involvement with the black tide, and there was no room for negotiation. He nodded and explained,


    ¡°A few humans who were involved with the black tide chased after me. If I want to expose them, could you deal with such a thing?¡±


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he fell silent again, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.


    This was not something that one could casually agree to. It involved the level of gods above the star condensation realm.


    Since he had relied on his special ability to find Chen Yiming, who must have something special about him, the humans chasing after Chen Yiming weren¡¯t simple people either.


    They might even be people from the overlord-level factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    However, the old butler quickly tugged at his clothes from behind. He did not say it explicitly, but he also conveyed that he could not get involved in such matters.


    Chen Yiming saw this move. It seemed that the other party was just dealing with small matters. This didn¡¯t meet his standards for potential allies.


    For example, even if Chen Yiming provided a lot of information about the three blue-skinned humans, the information might not be able to reach the right place before it was cut off.


    In the end, Chen Yiming would be exposed instead.


    The main reason was that he was not clean either. After all, what he had done was equivalent to killing five star spirits at once. If he was really exposed, he would not be able to achieve his goal and would only get himself into trouble.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to send the group away, the fat man smiled again and said, ¡°No problem. Brother, I¡¯ll become your friend. This matter is negotiable. How about we return to Flying Cloud City and slowly discuss the plan?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, an anxious expression immediately appeared on the old butler¡¯s face. Clearly, such a thing was definitely beyond the scope of what he could agree to.


    Gao Shuai turned around and said, ¡°Uncle Zhong, I know my limits. I¡¯ll explain things to the clan when I get back.¡±


    The one who could really make the decision was Gao Shuai, not the old butler, or the bull-headed men, who were just bodyguards and fighters.


    The four bull-headed men didn¡¯t behave like fighters in front of Chen Yiming at all. Not only were they silent, but they were also occasionally flustered.


    Chen Yiming introduced himself and got to know Gao Shuai.


    In order to display his status, Gao Shuai had told Chen Yiming that with his guarantee, he didn¡¯t need to report to the authorities in the Flying Cloud City and could enter the city without providing detailed information about his identity.


    Chen Yiming looked at the fat man in a different light. However, if he didn¡¯t meet his standard, there wouldn¡¯t be many things they could work together on in the future. It wasn¡¯t something that could be forced.


    Soon, the group walked towards Flying Cloud City.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai¡¯s group entered Flying Cloud City.


    As he had said, someone had already reported that the issue of his guarantee had been settled. No one stopped him and tried to verify his identity.


    ¡°There¡¯s more than one expert at the star condensation realm hiding in the dark.¡±


    Chen Yiming observed the situation as he walked. Although no one had stepped forward earlier, several gazes had landed on him.


    It was clear that it was not rare for someone to reach the level of a god in Flying Cloud City.


    It had to be known that the absolute core of this city should be the space-travel portal in the center. However, even if they were not yet in the absolute core, the city¡¯s defense was still so powerful.


    At the same time, he also started chatting with Gao Shuai.


    The two of them tacitly did not mention anything related to the black tide.


    The first reason was that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to do it in public. The second was that even if the other party really wanted to help Chen Yiming, it couldn¡¯t be done in a short period of time.


    They had just met. Although they had made an agreement, their relationship was not that close that they could trust each other immediately.


    In reality, it was just a verbal promise. Whether it could be done or not was another matter. Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t completely trust a stranger who had taken the initiative to befriend him.


    Soon, under Gao Shuai¡¯s lead, the group arrived at a square building.


    The square building, the Black Dragon Hotel, was the tallest building in Flying Cloud City. The top floor reached straight into outer space. From afar, it looked like an obelisk, but there were small windows densely packed in it.


    There were also observation platforms on the upper floors.


    Sitting on the observation platforms, one could see most of Flying Cloud City and the situation outside the city, as well as the spaceships that had landed and taken off in outer space. It was a good place to eat and talk.


    ¡°Welcome!¡±


    Beautiful women with long ears bowed slightly to welcome them. There were a total of four people on each side.


    Each of them had a straight nose, red and tender lips, fair skin that gave off a clean feeling, and a pair of bright eyes.


    Gao Shuai glanced at them and walked in.


    Chen Yiming also glanced at them as he walked in.


    Even the old butler and the four bull-headed men behind took a glance before walking in.


    In essence, they were all male creatures. They did not hide their admiration for their beautiful female counterparts, especially since they did not have to worry about paying the price.


    The four beauties with long pointed ears were not surprised by this. Facing the burning gazes, they still maintained their smiles.


    They walked into the lobby of the Black Dragon Hotel.


    On the walls around them, there were carvings of different types of dragons. Some were white, some were red, some were black, and so on.


    Perhaps it was because they had added something related to dragons or because their carving skills had reached the peak, but in short, they exuded a vast and ancient aura.


    It made one feel shocked just by looking at it. It was as if the dragons were alive and not inanimate objects. They seemed to be watching them at every moment.


    ¡°This Black Dragon Hotel has never overlooked any dragon-related elements. Even the receptionists at the door used to be humans with the dragon bloodline. They had strong and burly figures.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if the higher-ups have changed to someone else, or if they were forced by business problems. Recently, they suddenly changed to humans with the elf bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Compared to before, that figure is simply indescribable,¡±


    Gao Shuai said with a smile.


    There was no lack of praise for the humans who had the elf bloodline. It seemed that as long as they had the elf bloodline, they would be considered the top beauties in the world.


    Chen Yiming made a simple comparison.


    Indeed, compared to the humans on the blue planet, what originally looked perfect was no longer perfect.


    Coupled with the exceptionally fresh feeling, his heart could not help but beat a few more times. If not for the fact that Gao Shuai and the others were beside him, he would have taken a few more glances.


    There was no need to ask for their contact details openly, and it would be embarrassing. However, he could always do it in private. He could also learn more about the Hidden Dragon Galaxy through their interactions.


    He found a suitable excuse for himself. There might be some connection between the Black Dragon Hotel and the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. It was not a loss to spend some effort there.


    Next, Chen Yiming, Gao Shuai, and the others waited for the elevator for a while. The elevator was completely transparent, and as it rose, they could clearly see half of Flying Cloud City.


    Soon, the elevator arrived. It opened, and they walked in. The door closed, and it rose.


    The elevator rose all the way to the top before stopping.


    Gao Shuai had booked all the suites and the observation platforms on the top floor with his status.


    Sitting on such a wide observation platform with some drinks and drinks, overlooking most of Flying Cloud City, was a good way to discuss business, make deals, and make friends.


    After exiting the elevator, Gao Shuai smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s still some time before night. The nights in Flying Cloud City are quite lively. There are performances by humans that look almost like elves.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while. How about we have dinner together and talk about that matter in detail?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded in agreement.


    After all, it was no small matter when it came to the black tide. He knew that the other party wanted to contact the clan behind him first. This was mentioned when he stopped the old butler earlier.


    Soon, Chen Yiming separated from the others. He took the room card in his hand and found a suite with the corresponding number. He didn¡¯t swipe his card, but used facial recognition to enter.


    ¡­


    In the suite that was more than 1,000 square meters large, there were all kinds of facilities. Compared to the blue planet, the level of technology was much higher. Not only was it full of smart devices, but the materials used also gave off a comfortable feeling.


    There were also artificial intelligence systems that were almost like real humans. They could accurately carry out the orders of the people who had checked in and could also help to read up on various information, especially over the Internet.


    Chen Yiming had seen from afar that the pedestrians in Flying Cloud City were carrying smart devices similar to the phones on the blue planet. They were much more technologically advanced and were holographic projections.


    Even though the human spaceship fleet had stepped into outer space, they had yet to truly integrate into the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, let alone the universe.


    It could be said that they were essentially a wandering civilization and could not contact the mainstream factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. What they lacked was the right connections to the corresponding network.


    The lizardmen civilization had a small number of smart devices. Although they had all been taken away by humans, it was similar to how there was only a signal in a fixed area on the blue planet. It was the same for the network in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    Only places like Flying Cloud City could be connected to the Internet.


    As for whether it could still be connected after leaving the range of the network, perhaps not. Perhaps it could be connected with special equipment and special permission.


    However, this was not something he needed to consider for the time being. At the moment, he had a feud with the factions related to the star spirits. It was best not to come into contact with the outside world openly with his true identity.

 Chapter 422 - Black Card

    After Chen Yiming entered the suite, the artificial intelligence system started up automatically.


    ¡°Welcome to the Black Dragon Hotel, Mr. Chen. I¡¯m your smart butler. If you need any help, you can call me. The smart butler can provide you with all kinds of services at any time.¡±


    Chen Yiming looked up and nodded. ¡°Help me fill the bathtub. I need to take a shower first.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of running water came from the bathroom that was dozens of square meters large.


    It was extremely fast and could be achieved with just a simple order.


    ¡°There¡¯s one bad thing about this system. It¡¯s very easy to secretly gather information. Perhaps the entire process from the moment I entered the Black Dragon Hotel to the moment I entered the suite was secretly recorded.¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t wait to use the network in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, but he still pretended to be normal on the surface. He planned to take a shower first and follow the normal check-in procedures.


    10 minutes later.


    Chen Yiming walked out of the bathroom and sat on the sofa in the living room. He immediately gave the smart butler an order to go online.


    On the back wall, a device projected a moving scene on the wall in front of the living room. A faint spiritual fluctuation spread out.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a combination of spiritual power and the Internet.¡±


    Chen Yiming was a little excited. After all, this was something that the technology on the blue planet couldn¡¯t achieve. It was as if he had just come into contact with a game and was filled with curiosity.


    Unfortunately, the technology involved was definitely a secret. From the fact that it was only allowed to be accessed in Flying Cloud City, it could be seen how confidential it was.


    At this moment, the words ¡°Second World¡± flashed across the screen, and a person with the same face and figure as Chen Yiming appeared.


    The person representing Chen Yiming was born in a small house. It was about 10 square meters and had some simple furniture.


    ¡°Why does it really feel like we¡¯re playing a holographic projection game?¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming was in a daze, he vaguely sensed a rope-like spiritual connection extending from the top of the person¡¯s head.


    The interface emitted a spiritual fluctuation that did not require words. It was vaguely indicating for him to use his spiritual power to connect to it in the same way.


    Soon, Chen Yiming did as he was told. He felt that the person in the projection was a clone of himself. His control over it was extremely smooth, and it moved around with his will.


    After playing for a while, he thought to himself, ¡°The threshold to connect to the so-called second world in this way is quite high. At the very least, it has to reach the level of materializing one¡¯s spiritual power.¡±


    ¡°However, logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be such a serious flaw. Could it be that none of the technological civilizations in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy can make a device that can support the reception of spiritual fluctuations?¡±


    ¡°Is this a deliberate choice, or is there another reason that no one knows about?¡±


    After some thought, Chen Yiming thought that it was more likely that they chose this method on purpose.


    The materialization of spiritual power was the prerequisite for mastering the power of nature. Perhaps at the level like the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, those who could be taken seriously would at least have to master the materialization of spiritual power.


    Considering that the battlefield was in outer space, and that it was an endless space, supernatural power at the level of internal force was indeed not very useful.


    Next, just as he was about to control the person in the video to open the door and walk out of the room,


    the image of a shopping cart appeared by the door. It was difficult not to notice it since it had appeared so suddenly just before he was about to leave the house.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming cursed under his breath. ¡°It seems that the logic of shopping is similar everywhere. The ultimate goal is to attract your attention.¡±


    This time, he could only give up on going out for the time being. This was because he had similar thoughts to begin with. It was just that the shopping cart had not taken the initiative to pop out earlier.


    As Chen Yiming thought about it, the projected scene changed. A login option appeared, including logging in as a tourist and logging in with his true identity.


    Chen Yiming had never registered his identity in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. The identification card from the blue planet would not work here and his true identity would not be found in the system.


    There was only one choice, and that was to log in as a tourist from the Black Dragon Hotel.


    ¡°Beep!¡±


    A notification sounded.


    The scene changed, and a style similar to an online shopping center appeared. There were various types of cultivation techniques, secret techniques, potions, spaceships, and so on.


    It could be said that there were all kinds of strange things being sold. As long as one had enough hidden dragon coins, they could even buy bodyguards (with restrictions) below the god realm.


    Chen Yiming glanced around.


    He noticed that there was a button flickering in the upper right corner of the screen. On it was a line that, when translated into the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s language, meant, ¡°You have a new email.¡±


    With the thought of opening it, ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    The email opened, and a video immediately appeared.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Chen.¡±


    A middle-aged man in black appeared on the projection and said with a smile, ¡°Welcome to the Second World from the Black Dragon Hotel. We have a 5% fee to ensure that the goods can be safely delivered to you.¡±


    ¡°If the goods are lost or damaged during the delivery, Black Dragon Hotel promises to return the full amount of the hidden dragon coins that have already been paid.¡±


    ¡°If you use the internal contribution points of the Black Dragon Hotel to buy it, our internal purchase price will be 10% off the original price.¡±


    ¡°In addition, those who make a huge contribution can enjoy a greater discount. The maximum is 50% off.¡±


    Internal contribution points?


    10% off?


    50% off?


    They were enticing him step by step. Although it was not said explicitly, there was an undercurrent of recruitment in the message.


    When Chen Yiming saw this, he felt that there was a strong need for fighters here. This was the case for the Black Dragon Hotel, and also for Gao Shuai.


    Perhaps something had happened in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. For example, according to Gao Shuai, the price of mutant beasts with dragon bloodlines in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy was increasing exponentially.


    Soon, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, it seems like the tables have turned for the three dragon gods who have become subordinates of the humans. Who is protecting who seems to have changed.¡±


    It seemed that there was more than one thing on the human spaceship fleet that would be targeted by others. Even the three dragon gods, who were equivalent to the captain of the bodyguards, were being watched.


    Without sufficient strength, it would not be easy to truly blend in and head to the middle of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest in continuing to surf the Internet decreased greatly.


    Not only did he realize the new danger that the human spaceship fleet was facing, but his pockets were also empty. No matter what he liked, it was useless. He did not have any hidden dragon coins to spend.


    ¡­


    Night fell.


    Outside Flying Cloud City, the wilderness was dark and barren.


    For the weak, such as those below the star condensation realm, there was a certain risk of being killed if they stayed outside the city. This was also the reason why spaceships had to be docked at the port.


    For experts like Chen Yiming, he had stayed outside the city for a day and night before entering the city. Other than Gao Shuai, who took the initiative to approach him, no one else came to cause trouble for him.


    In Flying Cloud City, the number of spaceships taking off and leaving was clearly much lower than during the day.


    At night, due to the different preferences of the various alien species, some areas of the city were lit up in blue, and some areas were lit up in yellow.


    At the same time, because of this difference, it seemed to have become much more lively.


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai chose a spot on the top floor with the widest view and sat down. A long table was temporarily placed in front of them.


    There were a few exquisite dishes on the long table. There was dinner, snacks, and a few pots of good wine.


    To the two of them, replenishing their body¡¯s energy already did not require the act of ingesting food. It was more like a process for them to show their mutual respect.


    Before they even started eating, Gao Shuai placed a small object in the middle of the long table. Then, he smiled and said,


    ¡°Although I¡¯m almost certain that no one will overhear our conversation tonight, let¡¯s not make some taboo topics too obvious.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. It seemed that Gao Shuai had successfully communicated with the clan behind him.


    If they did not dare to go against a powerful existence like the three blue-skinned humans who were involved with the black tide, they would take the initiative to ask him to forget about it.


    After making sufficient preparations, Gao Shuai started to pour two cups of wine.


    He downed a cup and continued, ¡°This is a terrible era. The tentacles of the black tide are extending to the living worlds of the various galaxies in the universe.¡±


    ¡°The Hidden Dragon Galaxy has always been relatively unstable because of the traces of the true dragon. Not only are there endless disputes between the internal factions, but there are also often interferences from the other galaxies.¡±


    ¡°This is especially true in recent years. News related to the true dragon has become a hot topic. It¡¯s said that someone really found traces of the true dragon.¡±


    ¡°There are also organizations that want to gather a large number of creatures with the dragon bloodline and find the space where the true dragon was hiding when it was alive. Some people want to use the corpse of the true dragon to cultivate the physique of a true dragon and rise from this galaxy.¡±


    At this point, he sighed. Contrary to the shrewdness he had always displayed, he felt a deep sense of helplessness. It was as if he had found himself in this situation and could only try to save himself.


    Chen Yiming listened quietly.


    A true dragon had died in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy?


    What was a true dragon like? How strong was it? What level was it at?


    The Daxia Kingdom on the blue planet had a saying that since ancient times, there had been descendants of dragons.


    In the plate-shaped world, the treasure tree did not choose to nurture other terrifying creatures at the level of the fusion realm. Instead, it chose three dragons to create three dragon gods.


    The relationship between the treasure tree and the female spirit was clearly not that simple.


    The female spirit with the most mysterious background was trapped in the ring space, but she could still destroy the blue-skinned human she came into contact with.


    The other two blue-skinned humans were so frightened that they ran away on the spot. It was a little like when humans wanted to escape from the blue planet when the black tide was about to descend.


    Soon, Gao Shuai poured himself another cup and finished it in one gulp. With a serious expression, he said,


    ¡°The situation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy is very unclear now. For some reason, the actual ruler, the territorial lord, has never stood up to deal with the invasion of the black tide.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    Territorial lord?


    It turned out that the ruler of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy was called the territorial lord. It was just that he did not know what level his cultivation had reached, and how much weaker the star condensation realm was compared to him.


    However, the ruler of this galaxy had not appeared. Could it be that something had happened to him?


    As soon as this thought appeared, Gao Shuai continued in a low voice, ¡°The territorial lord might have left the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, so it¡¯s not so easy to deal with that matter.¡±


    ¡°If the actual situation is extremely bad, we might be accused of being related to that thing and people might be sent to kill you and me.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Gao Shuai was much more conservative than him. He only judged that the territorial lord had left the Hidden Dragon Galaxy for some reason and not that he might have been secretly killed.


    However, no matter which was the truth, as long as the territorial lord, who was the actual ruler, did not show his face, the existing order would be superficial.


    On the surface, for example, the spaceships were moving around normally, and the space-travel portal was open. No one dared to break the rules.


    In secret, after reaching a certain level, people like Gao Shuai had already sensed the undercurrents and made various countermeasures in advance.


    ¡°Therefore, Brother, directly exposing the other party is really the last resort. We can secretly investigate the other party first. Perhaps we can use them to expose everything at the critical moment.¡±


    Gao Shuai paused for a moment before explaining helplessly.


    At this point, both sides¡¯ requests were obvious.


    In order to deal with the possible changes in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, Gao Shuai used the resources he had to make allies. He wanted them to help each other in times of crisis.


    On the surface, Chen Yiming wanted to expose the blue-skinned humans who were involved with the black tide.


    Of course, he had only casually thrown it out to probe the other party¡¯s background. In reality, he was not in a hurry to find trouble with the two blue-skinned humans who had escaped.


    Every time the system upgraded his talent by one level, the Skill Points needed would increase greatly. This was Chen Yiming¡¯s first consideration.


    Otherwise, he would have sent the other party away long ago.


    ¡­


    Next, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai stopped talking about the black tide and started to eat.


    Now, the two of them had truly gotten to know each other. Previously, Gao Shuai had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation with him. If Chen Yiming turned around and left, Gao Shuai couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Both sides had formed an invisible alliance, so they could discuss things now.


    Soon, after eating and drinking his fill, Gao Shuai burped and said, ¡°I¡¯m full. How about we go down and take a look at Flying Cloud City? We can see winged elf beauties later.¡±


    ¡°Those with wings are different from ordinary people. They only show their faces once a month. This time, they are staying on the Flying Cloud Planet for a long time.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a black card from his pocket and passed it to Chen Yiming. His hand trembled a little when he retracted it.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    The boat of friendship would shake if money was involved!


    However, there was no pure friendship between Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai. They could barely be considered allies.


    For an alliance of mutual interests, it was naturally not a problem to use the hidden dragon coins to pave the way. The more, the better.


    ¡°It¡¯s anonymous.¡±


    Gao Shuai explained further, ¡°This black card isn¡¯t from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. It comes from the Space World Organization in the Second World.¡±


    ¡°The Space World Organization is a famous overlord faction in the universe. As long as this card is not artificially damaged, it is almost completely secure. From now on, you can use this black card to transfer money.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood, but he was a little worried.


    Although he did not know what exactly Gao Shuai¡¯s family was doing, he could roughly tell that they were doing business in or between the galaxies. It was understandable that they could obtain such a black card.


    On the other hand, the two of them had just formed an alliance of mutual interests, so it could be said that their trust in each other was still very weak. But they had already given away the black card, which was clearly not an ordinary precious item.


    What he was worried about was Gao Shuai¡¯s special ability.


    It had to be known that Chen Yiming had only been waiting in the wilderness for an opportunity to enter the city. He hadn¡¯t exposed anything, and Gao Shuai had come looking for him just like that.


    The value of the black card represented how much the other party valued Chen Yiming.


    Coincidentally, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want anyone to take him too seriously, especially since he hadn¡¯t revealed his identity.


    Gao Shuai seemed to have foreseen that Chen Yiming would be troubled and said,


    ¡°My special ability is actually a prophecy-based ability. However, there is a long interval between each use and it is limited by the strength of the target.¡±


    ¡°To the outside world, I¡¯ve been using the excuse that it works one time out of ten to gloss things over and survive until now.¡±


    ¡°Besides, a year ago, when I wanted to see your face clearly, I was almost beaten to death by you. I had to lay down for nearly half a year before I recovered. Brother, you were too fierce.¡±


    Good lord.


    I almost killed you?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s head hurt.


    Unexpectedly, he was not targeted by Gao Shuai only because he came to Flying Cloud Planet. Instead, he was already targeted by Gao Shuai when he was still on the blue planet a year ago.


    This prophecy-based ability was too unbelievable. The distance between the two seemed to have disappeared.


    However, there were usually many limitations to this ability, especially since it was easily countered. It was equivalent to playing with one¡¯s life.


    Thinking of this, he really wanted to shout, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your ability a few months later? At that time, with the enhancement from my spatial ability, you would definitely not be able to withstand the backlash and would have been killed.¡±


    At this moment, unlike Chen Yiming, who had a headache, when Gao Shuai revealed his true special ability, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    The two of them were undoubtedly very special. They had a large number of points about themselves which could not be exposed and needed to keep each other¡¯s secrets. Now, their trust in each other had increased greatly.


    This level of trust was based on the fact that they had their own secrets and were being controlled by the other party. No one was willing to let their relationship break down easily and turn against each other easily.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    Three seconds passed.


    The black card was placed on the long table in front of Chen Yiming.


    In the end, Chen Yiming picked up the black card and put it in his pocket.


    Previously, he did not think much of Gao Shuai. After all, he had taken the initiative to approach him, so he did not know much about him. It was normal for him to be wary of being tricked.


    At the same time, those who took the initiative often seemed to be cheap and were not valued, and were even guarded against.


    However, it was gradually different now. He was good at fighting and had a strong ability to protect himself. Gao Shuai had a prophecy-based special ability.


    With their complementary abilities, there were many things for which he no longer needed to behave like a headless fly. Due to the lack of sufficient information, he had to be careful and only dared to take the next step after confirming it.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming also wanted to know how much Gao Shuai knew about him. Hence, he asked, ¡°If you make another prophecy about me now, how much can you see?¡±


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he hurriedly said, ¡°Brother Chen, please let me off. The backlash from the prophecy-type special ability is much more serious than usual.¡±


    ¡°For example, the star condensation realm is considered the level of a god. It¡¯s a completely qualitative change. Using my special ability on opponents at the fusion realm¡­¡±


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, the two sides are evenly matched. However, in reality, I will have to bear the backlash. There¡¯s a chance that I will be killed by someone at the level close to that of a god.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    If that was the case, it was not impossible to deal with such a special prophecy-based ability. It was very easy for him to trick others because he could fight across realms.


    Even if there were enemies with such special abilities in the future, they probably would not dare to use them recklessly.


    Gao Shuai was probably really lucky. It had to be known that with the conditions on the blue planet, it was very easy to overlook him.


    If the timeline was a little later, even before he added the space anchor talent, he would have defeated Gao Shuai. Of course, there would not be such a thing as the current relationship between the two of them.

 Chapter 423 - Unexpected Provocation

    The Flying Cloud Square was located in the center of Flying Cloud City, and was more than 10 kilometers wide. Not only were there many offices of human factions around it, but there were also many offices set up by alien factions.


    It was precisely because it was where the different species met that as time passed, it became the most prosperous part of Flying Cloud City.


    At the same time, it was also the venue for the human winged elves to perform.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai arrived at the Flying Cloud Square. Along the way, they were secretly watched more than once or twice.


    Chen Yiming glanced around and said with a smile, ¡°Gao Shuai, the excuse that it works only one time out of ten doesn¡¯t seem to have worked out completely. Perhaps it¡¯s not the critical moment yet. Otherwise, you would have been captured long ago.¡±


    Gao Shuai looked around and smiled bitterly.


    This excuse was indeed full of loopholes, but as long as he did not admit it, no one could verify it.


    However, it was precisely because he was worried about the possibility of being captured that he risked his life to seek an ally like Chen Yiming. It had to be known that someone who had reached the level of a god and was a true genius was very dangerous.


    Prophecy users were often not good at fighting. Facing a true genius, with their weak combat strength, it was very easy for them to not be able to withstand the backlash.


    Chen Yiming nodded and used the power of the world in his body to set up a barrier.


    ¡°No wonder you used the excuse of befriending experts as soon as you appeared. The price of the dragon blood mutant beasts is rising steadily. How long can order be maintained in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy?¡±


    ¡°With the temptation of the true dragon¡¯s corpse internally and the invasion of the black tide externally, even the true ruler, the territorial lord, doesn¡¯t appear to preside over the overall situation. If things get chaotic, will the star spirits escape from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Gao Shuai frowned and looked at Chen Yiming as if he was crazy. He was stunned when he heard about the star spirits.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s words definitely weren¡¯t a joke. He was referring to star spirits on the things they had.


    On the star spirits, the most valuable thing was the essence energy they had accumulated.


    Essence energy was a hard currency. The currency of the various large galaxies, such as the hidden dragon coin, had a fixed amount of essence energy sealed inside. This was why the hidden dragon coin had a true monetary value.


    At the same time, it was precisely because of this that one needed sufficient strength and influence to get their hands on the essence energy. Otherwise, they fall into the hands of evil people.


    Chen Yiming looked away and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    To others, the value of the black card might be immeasurable, but its weight in his heart was actually limited. It was far inferior to Gao Shuai¡¯s prophecy-type ability.


    In other words, by using this special ability, he could obtain more essence energy to increase his talent level when the Hidden Dragon Galaxy fell into chaos.


    This was also to make it clear to Gao Shuai that he would definitely expose his enemies who were involved with the black tide one day. However, there was still a higher priority at the moment.


    ¡­


    On the open-air observation platform in the Flying Cloud Square, Qin Hongyue had a vexed expression on her face, and she did not look happy at all.


    The Qin clan was a huge human faction in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. On the surface, they controlled more than 10 living worlds, and they secretly had a large number of bases in other galaxies. They were a faction with an influence that exceeded that of a galaxy.


    She came from a noble background and had a peerless appearance, and had a starting point that countless living beings could only dream of. Her talent and ability were also one in a million. She had already taken on a portion of the clan¡¯s core matters not long after she became an adult.


    However, it was precisely because of this that she had countless worries.


    ¡°Lanlan, do you think what Gao Shuai saw in his prophecy is true? Could it be that he deliberately exaggerated things to protect himself?¡±


    ¡°You have to know that over the years, there have been more than one or two people who have been tricked because of his prophecies. Even if there are no special abilities like prophecy, this 10% success rate should still be achievable,¡±


    Qin Hongyue complained to her friend beside her.


    At this moment, with her natural beauty and her status as a member of the Qin clan, she looked very attractive even with a frown on her face.


    This was the truth. Many gazes were focused on her. It was unknown if they were looking at her slender and fair legs or if they were interested in the Qin clan¡¯s background.


    ¡°The Qin clan should have given you the most freedom they could. They only arranged for you to keep an eye on Gao Shuai. I heard that there are even alien species planning to marry into the Gao clan.¡±


    ¡°You have to know that even if a prophecy-type ability only comes true once in a while, it is still more valuable than a genius who can fight someone of a higher level in the star condensation realm.¡±


    ¡°A genius at the star condensation realm who can fight someone of a higher level is already a seedling for the next generation of power in the Qin, Gao, and Jiang clans of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy,¡± Jiang Lan said calmly.


    She was from the Jiang clan, and her appearance was not inferior to Qin Hongyue¡¯s. Furthermore, just like the Qin clan where Qin Hongyue was from, she was also from a huge faction of humans in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    However, the focus of the two clans was different. The Jiang clan paid more attention to cultivation and paid a huge price to send some young people with potential out of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    They were not sent to a galaxy of the same level, but to a place with a higher level of cultivation.


    The only difference between Jiang Lan, who had not been sent out, and Qin Hongyue was that her cultivation talent was one level lower. Of course, it was precisely because she could not reach the level of a true genius that the attention she received was worlds apart.


    For example, at least 80% of the gazes were directed at Qin Hongyue, and the remaining 20% were focused on a young man from an alien species.


    The young man from the alien species who was sitting with Qin Hongyue and Jiang Lan had a pair of wings and a sharp gaze. He was a true genius from the Roc Clan.


    It was clear that the difference in talent was sometimes greater than expected. They were often only one level weaker than each other, but their status, resources, connections, and so on could not be compared.


    Qin Hongyue took a sip of the sparkling water and said with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t that because Gao Shuai¡¯s special ability is too unreliable? I remember that a few years ago, the Xie clan was killed by his words. In just a few years, they declined greatly.¡±


    ¡°If not for that, even as the princess of the Qin clan, I would probably have to use my status to try to marry into the Gao clan. How could I still sit here leisurely?¡±


    When Jiang Lan heard this, her gaze did not change at all, and her expression remained cold.


    Similar to Qin Hongyue, she was the person from the Jiang clan that was in charge of watching Gao Shuai.


    At the same time, because Gao Shuai had run to this relatively remote Flying Cloud Planet, she was forced to follow him. She was quite unhappy with Gao Shuai and felt that he had delayed her personal cultivation.


    Yin Jueying, a young genius of the Roc clan, did not participate in the conversation between the two women.


    He thought about the information he had just received: Gao Shuai had befriended an unknown person and even vouched for him.


    It had to be known that this guarantee was built on the Gao clan¡¯s reputation. Once something happened, no matter what the outcome was, it would not only be Gao Shuai¡¯s responsibility, but it would also affect the Gao clan¡¯s reputation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    From this, it could be seen how much Gao Shuai valued his new partner. It was unknown if this importance was real or fake, or if he had another motive. It was possible that he was trying to trick his new partner.


    His prophecy-type ability was 10% accurate, making it difficult for others to believe in it.


    At the same time, many people from the humans to foreign species had also gathered at the Flying Cloud Square. The square looked no different from usual, and it was still as lively as always.


    However, in reality, there was a huge difference. Many people were no longer looking at the winged elf humans, but at Gao Shuai¡¯s latest move.


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly.


    When Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai stepped into the square, they immediately attracted a lot of attention. These gazes were no longer hidden, but openly sizing them up.


    A few months ago, Gao Shuai had also made an ally who was quite famous. However, the outcome was not good. After continuous provocation, this ally could not take it anymore and chose to cut ties with Gao Shuai.


    ¡°Many of the humans and alien species here look very young. Their cultivation levels are all at least at the star condensation realm. This is seriously abnormal.¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and glanced at the fat man beside him.


    He had wanted to keep a low profile, but it seemed that with such a person, he would probably not be able to keep his peace.


    Gao Shuai apologized and explained in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone find traces of the true dragon in the otherworld in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy?¡±


    ¡°At that time, I was just saying it casually. For some reason, the news spread, indirectly adding to the interest of the true dragon¡¯s corpse.¡±


    He did not deliberately not let anyone hear him, and he said it directly.


    However, the traces of the true dragon had already been confirmed. It was not useful for Gao Shuai to clarify things now. Furthermore, this was not the first time he had said this.


    The reason why they were being watched was because they were waiting for the chance that Gao Shuai had really discovered some extraordinary clues. Many human and alien factions yearned for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    If they could use this opportunity to nurture the physique of a true dragon, although it could not be compared to the physique of a true dragon when it was alive, it was enough to allow the factions related to it to improve by a level or even several levels after it grew up.


    This was the importance of potential. The true dragon physique represented a foundation that was not something that the physiques of the various species born naturally in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy could compare to.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai walked to an open-air observation platform that they had booked in advance and sat down.


    Originally, someone should have come out to preside over the performance of the winged elf humans. However, for some reason, there was no movement today, and no staff member came out to explain the situation.


    Seeing this, Gao Shuai was extremely frustrated.


    It seemed that someone had used their influence to delay the performance. However, the person who had wanted to test the waters had acted too quickly and openly this time, not giving him any face at all.


    It had to be known that in order to escape the title of ¡°Fat Man Gao¡±, Gao Shuai had once self-proclaimed himself as a ¡°prophet¡± after his prophecies succeeded a few times.


    However, the title of ¡°prophet¡± had never been recognized. It was because he had failed too many times. It could be considered Gao Shuai¡¯s wishful thinking.


    Then, a few seconds after he sat down, a few young men and women passed by and stopped. One of the white-robed youths smiled and said,


    ¡°Fat Man Gao, the person you befriended last time seems to be calling himself the ¡®Heavenly Fist¡¯. Is he referring to the fact that no one can restrain him?¡±


    ¡°Why did he hide away after being challenged a few times?¡±


    ¡°This is your new friend. Is your prophecy accurate this time? Don¡¯t harm others. It¡¯ll be troublesome if his foundation is damaged!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the young men beside him had smiles on their faces, and the young women covered their mouths and chuckled from time to time.


    If Fat Man Gao had befriended an old man, perhaps those who had the intention to test the waters would still observe the situation. However, the person he had befriended was even younger than the previous person.


    Although being young meant having a lot of potential, it also meant that he did not have enough time to cultivate and unleash his potential.


    Furthermore, in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, no matter if it was the humans or the alien species, there was no one who was on Gao Shuai¡¯s side.


    It was possible that there were some from other galaxies, but it was unlikely. Many people were watching him.


    It was similar to the last person Gao Shuai had met. After that person hid away and announced that he had cut ties with him, no one else dared to hang out with Gao Shuai.


    They were all worried that they would not be able to withstand the pressure. The pressure was related to the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged and he didn¡¯t reply.


    Wouldn¡¯t damaging one¡¯s foundation mean that one couldn¡¯t withstand the continuous provocation and their confidence would be greatly affected, causing them to suffer irreparable injuries?


    Among the young men and women in front of him, other than the white-robe youth who was at the star condensation realm, the rest were only at the fusion realm.


    To him, they were all small fries. Was he going to argue with a group of people who did not have much strength to fight back? Did they really think that with the protection of Flying Cloud City, he would not dare to kill them with a single move?


    Seeing this, Gao Shuai glared at them angrily.


    Good lord! They were trying to sow discord right from the start, and even brought up the matter of a friend he had tried to make.


    Although most of the prophecies were not accurate, it was true this time. He was afraid that if someone died later, it would not be easy to clean up the mess in Flying Cloud City.


    It might even escalate to a conflict between the factions backing them.


    The white-robed youth wasn¡¯t too happy to see that Chen Yiming remained silent.


    In his heart, he was trying to give him a word of advice, and letting him know what type of person Fat Man Gao was. He was someone who had a lot to do with the traces of the true dragon. If he was implicated, his corpse might not even be found.


    After all, although one could pass through a certain coordinate in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy to reach the otherworld, the dangers of passing through the spatial distortion was completely uncontrollable.


    The star condensation realm was the weakest existence among the gods. In the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, it was still someone important. In the spatial distortion, it was just like a large grasshopper. An accident could happen at any time.


    Furthermore, the otherworld they had discovered was not the otherworld that the true dragon¡¯s corpse had really come from. It just contained the traces left behind by the true dragon.


    Who knew how much they would have to pay in the end?


    ¡°Hey, young man, do you know what the sword symbol on my chest represents? If you cut ties with Fat Man Gao, we won¡¯t make things difficult for you. After all, those who don¡¯t know anything are innocent.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, have you thought it through? If you¡¯re really the person in his accurate prophecies, these people won¡¯t just be watching you.¡±


    The white-robed youth¡¯s words were already a clear threat and warning.


    To put it bluntly, Chen Yiming had come from some unknown place. He spoke to him like he was an inferior.


    Under normal circumstances, this was indeed the case. The further one walked on the path of cultivation, the higher the requirements, such as cultivation techniques, environment, experience, talent, and so on.


    How could someone from an ordinary planet compare to the younger generation of the large factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy? They might even be easily defeated by someone of the same level.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s eyes gradually turned cold.


    The provocation was understandable and acceptable, but towards the end, the white-robed youth was no longer just testing the waters. It was a serious threat.


    In the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the Gao clan was the top faction below the territorial lord. As the representative of the Gao clan¡¯s younger generation, he had never been looked down on and humiliated like this.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes, his gaze becoming dangerous. This person who had spoken arrogantly to him probably didn¡¯t know what kind of people had died under his fist.

 Chapter 424 - Battle of Fists and Secret Techniques

    Just as the atmosphere froze, a woman in a plain dress stood up from another open-air observation platform.


    This action immediately attracted a lot of attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jiang Lan!¡±


    Someone sighed softly.


    ¡°This will probably end soon.¡±


    ¡°Although the Jiang clan of the human race in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy is considered to occupy fewer planets, everyone from the Jiang clan is an ascetic. This is the genetic trait of the clan.¡±


    ¡°Although Jiang Lan isn¡¯t one of the most talented people sent out by the Jiang clan, she is still a second-tier genius in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    Around the square, many alien species were discussing this in low voices.


    Clearly, even though Jiang Lan was only a genius from the second tier of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, she did not garner as much attention as the two people beside her.


    However, if she stood out alone, it would immediately become dazzling. Her strength would definitely be recognized by the various species, and she did not need to rely on the Jiang clan to intimidate others.


    In the square, light spots floated around Jiang Lan¡¯s body as she took a step forward.


    At this moment, the distance seemed to have automatically shortened, producing an effect similar to shrinking the ground.


    At the same time, the gazes looking over became even more focused. They all wanted to see the extent of Jiang Lan¡¯s current abilities and gather information about her cultivation speed.


    In the next moment, Jiang Lan retracted her foot.


    She had already arrived. Chen Yiming was more than a meter away from Gao Shuai and she was looking at him coldly, completely ignoring Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Sister Jiang¡­¡±


    As soon as the white-robed youth spoke, he was interrupted by Jiang Lan.


    Jiang Lan¡¯s gaze stopped on Gao Shuai and she said calmly, ¡°Fat Man Gao, you don¡¯t have to set off smoke bombs every once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows about your prophecy ability. It¡¯s impossible for you to directly see the location of the true dragon¡¯s corpse. Otherwise, you will definitely not be able to withstand the corresponding backlash.¡±


    ¡°So if you don¡¯t want to be involved, behave yourself. This will be good for both of us. No one will make things too difficult for you.¡±


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he felt terrible.


    Jiang Lan¡¯s words immediately pushed him into an unreasonable situation. He could not refute her. This was the truth. He had said this previously.


    Furthermore, Jiang Lan and the white-robed youth were not on the same level. The white-robed youth and his companions came from an external faction.


    The biggest difference between the external faction and the clan was that they were relatively spread out. Often, they could only gather their full strength when they were in danger of being wiped out.


    The white-robed youth had an extraordinary status in his faction. He was only at the level of a disciple, and he only had the strength of his master.


    Therefore, if Gao Shuai got into a conflict with the white-robed youth, with Gao Shuai¡¯s status in the Gao clan, he would usually not even bother to look at him.


    In the Jiang clan, Jiang Lan¡¯s status was only slightly lower than Gao Shuai¡¯s, which was equivalent to not being among the top few of the younger generation.


    In addition, Gao Shuai was not good at combat, and his cultivation level was one level lower. Even if they fought, he would not be able to do anything to Jiang Lan.


    The gazes from the surroundings were similar to Jiang Lan¡¯s, and they seemed to be teasing him.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally going to see Fat Man Gao suffer again. We didn¡¯t waste so much time following him in vain,¡± a spirit beast said happily.


    ¡°Indeed. If not for the fact that the elders of my clan forbade me from getting into a conflict with Fat Man Gao before the true dragon¡¯s corpse was found, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed in Flying Cloud City quietly. I would have gone up to fight him just now.¡±


    A black ape held a metal rod in its hand and had an unhappy expression.


    Most of the members of the apes were born with violent personalities. It was difficult for them to calm down and cultivate diligently. They were more suited to fight and use the inspiration gained to improve in battle.


    At this moment, many humans who were following Gao Shuai were certain that the alien species had similar thoughts when faced with such a situation where they could not make a move.


    It could be said that they all treated Chen Yiming as a pushover. Everyone wanted to bully him and earn some face under the gazes of countless people.


    However, to their surprise, Chen Yiming asked calmly, ¡°Gao Shuai, what level is the actual ruler of Flying Cloud City?¡±


    Gao Shuai was stunned for a moment before he quickly came back to his senses and said, ¡°It¡¯s He Tianzheng from the He clan, one of the eight large clans in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. He¡¯s at the jade star realm.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he added, ¡°The jade star realm is the second stage on the path of gods. He Tianzheng also knows a secret technique like Jiang Lan¡¯s. It¡¯s best not to fight him.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the white-robed youth almost laughed out loud when he heard this.


    As expected, he came from some unknown planet. Fat Man Gao had explained in detail, which meant that this person knew nothing about the cultivation on the path of gods.


    Since he was advised not to fight, it could be seen that even Gao Shuai did not have confidence in him. To put it bluntly, he was just worried that he would not be able to escape.


    However, ¡°Boom!¡± Chen Yiming threw a punch at the white-robed youth.


    He had thought that there was a powerful existence presiding over Flying Cloud City, but it turned out that he was only a second-stage god at the jade star realm.


    The surface of his punch was ordinary, but the impact it caused soared into the sky. Before anyone could react, a huge hole appeared in the transparent barrier above Flying Cloud City.


    In the blink of an eye, the white-robed youth and the group accompanying him were sent flying on the spot.


    In the distance, the few of them had reformed their bodies from their Undying Marks, but their bodies were covered in cracks and could not recover to their original state. It was clear that their Undying Marks were severely damaged.


    Looking up again, in the dark space, a half-broken cube of an inner world was floating there. At this moment, it was emitting a fluorescent light as it tried to repair itself.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The square fell silent.


    The white-robed youth at the star condensation realm had almost been blown up along with his inner world. Be it humans or alien species, they were essentially the same. They all knew how to respect the strong.


    Disrespectful behavior was equivalent to courting death.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Jiang Lan, who had a calm expression on her face, could not hold it in any longer.


    It was very unexpected and unbelievable. Although the white-robed youth was nothing much in the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy, it still depended on who he was compared to.


    Compared to geniuses like Jiang Lan, Qin Hongyue, and Yin Jueying, he was just someone ordinary.


    However, compared to those who had grown up in an ordinary world, having mastered many secret techniques and built a more complete foundation step by step, he had an all-round advantage.


    However, he almost died from a single punch.


    On the observation platform, seeing this, Qin Hongyue swept away her previous worries and smiled. ¡°This Fat Man Gao really almost tricked everyone.¡±


    This trick was different from most of the previous ones.


    Previously, when the traces of the true dragon were confirmed to be true, everyone was wary of Fat Man Gao using his special ability to find powerful external help. Therefore, they were very cautious when provoking him.


    In the end, it was proven to be purely for show, which immediately disappointed countless people.


    This time, just as everyone thought that he was trying to trick them again, Fat Man Gao really found someone with a mysterious identity. His actions shocked everyone.


    For a human faction like the Qin clan, they could not let Fat Man Gao escape their line of sight. Otherwise, Fat Man Gao might secretly obtain the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    If Fat Man Gao obtained the physique of a true dragon before breaking through to the star condensation realm, coupled with his special prophecy ability, once he broke through to the god realm, the special prophecy ability would be even stronger, and it would even shake up the balance of power in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    The gaze of the genius of the Roc clan, Yin Jueying, turned solemn.


    In the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the overall strength of the humans was the strongest. In their hearts, the other species would not want the humans to continue becoming stronger. Otherwise, when the difference reached a certain level, the other species would either leave or choose to become their subordinates.


    In reality, if not for the fact that the true dragon¡¯s corpse was very involved, Fat Man Gao would have already faced many rounds of assassinations. How could he still be so lively outside?


    The Flying Cloud Square fell silent for a moment, but soon, there was an uproar.


    However, amidst the commotion, Jiang Lan¡¯s pupils constricted, and her beautiful face changed drastically. She raised her hand to block the attack and retreated quickly.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A moment ago, Chen Yiming was still beside Gao Shuai.


    In the next moment, his figure traveled through space and arrived in front of Jiang Lan. Without using any fancy moves, he just threw out another punch.


    Facing this punch, Jiang Lan¡¯s figure turned into an afterimage and exploded. Then, a fluorescent ribbon was left behind like a rain of light.


    The terrifying aftershock of the punch caused the transparent barrier above the city to collapse inch by inch.


    At the same time, in the silent dark space, the void was trembling. Although the powerful collision force did not gather at one point, many spatial rifts still appeared.


    Behind the spatial rift was the spatial distortion. It was not a place that one could approach at will.


    The surrounding humans and alien species gasped, especially Yin Jueying from the Roc Clan. He and Jiang Lan were also known for their speed.


    At this moment, he was already comparing in his heart whether he could easily dodge that punch. Or rather, the space-based secret technique behind this punch.


    At the moment, there was only a faint spatial fluctuation left behind, and nothing else could be seen.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai was also dumbfounded.


    In the past, when he used his special prophecy ability to find Chen Yiming, he had only chased after him with his body. It wasn¡¯t like what he was seeing now.


    Otherwise, he would definitely have died from the backlash. In the prophecy, the target had received a mysterious enhancement and his combat strength would suddenly increase. He could not be treated as a normal person.


    Drip!


    The sound of raindrops falling suddenly appeared, and there was a change.


    Jiang Lan¡¯s figure appeared in the rain of light and stared fixedly at Chen Yiming. Other than some damage to her plain dress, which the rain of light automatically covered, she was fine.


    However, she still looked a little disheveled. After all, Jiang Lan had mastered the secret technique of shrinking the distance on the ground. In the past, she had rarely been ambushed. She had always maintained a calm expression and dodged with a flash.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Jiang Lan to not be able to completely dodge it.¡±


    Many people were surprised.


    Jiang Lan had been forced to use her best secret technique, but the outcome was like this.


    Chen Yiming was surprised at first, then he understood. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to react in such a short time.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Lan was so angry that she almost bit her lip.


    What did he mean by that?


    It had to be known that in a head-on clash, there might be many people who were stronger than her among those of the same level. However, in terms of agility and speed, she thought that she was among the best at the star condensation realm.


    Therefore, how could she not be able to react at all and become like the white-robed youth, whose inner world was almost completely destroyed.


    This meant that he was looking down on her.


    However, she had also not watched Chen Yiming carefully enough. She was still a little confused.


    Soon, another shocking scene occurred. Jiang Lan¡¯s expression suddenly changed drastically, and her figure turned into a rain of light that shot into space.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared behind Jiang Lan. He stabbed his hand into the pillar of light, and the power of the world surged out to form a sealing cage that immediately trapped the remaining light rain.


    He said in a low voice, ¡°It seems like your inner world has also turned into a rain of light, greatly increasing your agility. It¡¯s very difficult to be trapped directly.¡±


    On the blue planet and in the dark forest world, the use of power was very primitive.


    For example, the power of nature was mostly used to suppress others with numbers. The power of the world was the same. Most of it was based on the basics.


    He had never seen anyone use a secret technique at the level of the power of the world like Jiang Lan. He immediately felt that it was quite novel.


    It had to be known that Jiang Lan should not have a spatial talent. Or at most, her spatial perception was not bad, but it was far from being considered a talent.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Jiang clan¡¯s secret speed technique, the Rain of Light Technique. It has the spatial attribute.¡±


    In the distance, Gao Shuai shouted, reminding Chen Yiming of the reason why he had been dodged repeatedly. At the same time, he revealed the characteristics of the secret technique, the Rain of Light Technique. It was agile, fast, and had spatial abilities.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming used the power of the world to destroy all the rain of light. He looked up at Jiang Lan, who had appeared from the rain of light.


    She could dodge it once or twice.


    However, with the space anchor marking her position, could she dodge the crazy attacks from all directions?


    When he looked up, the countless gazes were also focused on Jiang Lan. At this moment, they all understood that it should be a true spatial ability.


    Since it involved traveling through space, it was useless to keep an eye on Chen Yiming. They should keep an eye on his target, Jiang Lan.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Jiang Lan cursed under her breath under the gazes of so many people.


    She did not expect that the person Fat Man Gao had found would break through her expectations one after another. Now, even she, the beloved daughter of the Jiang clan, was in a sorry state.


    However, despite her anger, she focused her attention on her surroundings and did not dare to relax at all.


    On the open-air observation platform,


    Qin Hongyue was surprised and asked Yin Jueying, ¡°That person didn¡¯t move at all from the beginning to the end. It must be a pure spatial secret technique or a spatial talent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve sparred with Lanlan many times recently. How is it compared to your Roc clan?¡±


    Yin Jueying came back to his senses. His face almost twitched, and he did not know how to respond.


    The Golden Pattern Technique of the Roc clan in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy could develop one¡¯s speed to an extremely high level. One flap of their wings could cover tens of thousands of kilometers. Of course, it involved the spatial attribute.


    However, in the end, it was not a spatial ability, just like what Jiang Lan was using.


    Facing a true spatial ability user, since the Roc clan was not only good at speed, they would only know who was stronger when they really fought.


    Seeing this, Qin Hongyue smiled and said, ¡°I think Lanlan won¡¯t be able to withstand it alone for long. The fact that the rain of light was intercepted is proof of this. Why don¡¯t you join forces with her to test that person¡¯s limits?¡±

 Chapter 425 - One Person Against Two Geniuses

    Just as Qin Hongyue suggested that Yin Jueying make a move, a faint spatial fluctuation appeared around Chen Yiming.


    In the next moment, a terrifying tremor exploded in space, and a huge spatial rift appeared in the air.


    The power of compression, collision, distortion, rain of light, and so on were mixed in the space.


    In fact, a portion of the power rolled back towards the Flying Cloud Planet. At that moment, the entire planet seemed to have deviated from its natural trajectory and started to tremble.


    In Flying Cloud City, a group of gods at the level of the star condensation realm attacked and destroyed all the power that had fallen from the sky. Only then did the city avoid the outcome of being wiped out and the countless spaceships at the port were saved.


    Outside the city, they were not so lucky. The huge area seemed to provide enough space to dodge, but in the end, an endless amount of land collapsed. Boulders soared into the sky, and sand covered the sky, leaving behind countless bottomless ravines.


    At this moment, no one cared if there were any casualties. With such a terrifying aftershock, those who did not stay in the city could only pray.


    ¡°This¡­ No wonder Jiang Lan didn¡¯t manage to counterattack.¡±


    Initially, he had wanted to test the waters, but now, his fiery heart had completely turned cold. He was even lucky that he was not the one who had made the move.


    The opponent was suspected to be a spatial ability user and had such a terrifying body. Ordinary geniuses like Jiang Lan could tell at a glance that the difference in their physiques was too great.


    Only those at the top of the younger generation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, or perhaps only the elders, could fight against him.


    ¡°Is the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet really not going to stop him?¡±


    At the same time, someone looked in the direction of the ruler¡¯s mansion, but there was no movement in that area. It was as if nothing had happened.


    Just like before, even the aftershock was destroyed by the inner forces from the city.


    In the dark space, the rain of light was gradually extinguished. It was as if Jiang Lan had died tragically at Chen Yiming¡¯s hands.


    A voice sounded from Gao Shuai, ¡°Brother, the Jiang clan¡¯s Rain of Light Technique can borrow the power of the starlight. Jiang Lan also has a trump card to protect her life. She might be preparing to fake her death to escape.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the rain of light that had completely extinguished suddenly lit up again, as if it had fused with the stars in the sky. The starlight was continuously absorbed, and its aura quickly increased again.


    Then, it turned into dozens of phantoms formed by the rain of light and spread out to keep a distance from Chen Yiming, preventing them from being completely wiped out by a single punch.


    Chen Yiming frowned. His punch had covered the entire rain of light, and he had already sensed that Jiang Lan¡¯s aura had fallen to nothing. He hadn¡¯t expected such an outcome.


    The space anchor was still on one of the shadows, so she was truly not dead.


    He immediately continued to attack. His figure completed the space-jump and threw out another punch. This punch directly killed the shadow at the coordinates of the space anchor, including the few nearby shadows.


    Space seemed to have distorted and shattered at this moment. An invisible shock wave swept across the galaxy, destroying all obstacles in its way. Even the huge planet, the Flying Cloud Planet, was trembling slightly.


    Indeed, if the target was the Flying Cloud Planet, it would not be able to withstand more than a few such attacks. In a battle at the level of a god, the planets were nothing much.


    At this moment, the phantom rain of light condensed again. At the same time, Jiang Lan¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°This is the Jiang clan¡¯s Rain of Light Technique. Perhaps you can defeat me, but it¡¯s impossible for you to kill me.¡±


    ¡°As long as the stars are not destroyed, even if the inner world is destroyed by you, it¡¯s only a matter of time before I revive. So give up. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°You have to think carefully. If you use all your strength in vain, you may not be able to leave this galaxy.¡±


    Her voice suddenly returned to its original tone, as if she was a true genius looking down on a poor kid who had grown up in a commoner¡¯s family.


    That was true. There were many hidden geniuses on the Flying Cloud Planet. It was very dangerous to not care about one¡¯s own energy consumption at all.


    At that time, even Gao Shuai wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him. After all, Gao Shuai was from the Gao clan, but Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t.


    Chen Yiming smiled when he heard this. Unless he really let Jiang Lan fake her death to escape, if she kept using the Rain of Light Technique, no matter how mysterious it was, it would still use up her energy.


    In the past, he could not directly break through the inner world of the demon god in the dark forest world. In the end, he still relied on a battle of attrition to forcefully wear down the demon god.


    In terms of endurance and physical strength, he had never lost.


    Just as Jiang Lan finished speaking, he moved.


    The coordinates of the space anchor constantly shifted, and his figure appeared at different locations in space. The moment he appeared, he threw a punch at the shadow of the rain of light.


    Due to the fact that his spatial ability enabled him to cross long distances, there was no corner in the space near the Flying Cloud Planet that could not be covered by his fists.


    This was the most primitive power that could be unleashed freely in space.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    In the blink of an eye, countless holes appeared in the void, and the aura of the spatial distortion leaked out. The power of distortion became stronger and stronger, and it wanted to suck Chen Yiming and Jiang Lan in.


    In Flying Cloud City, ¡°Oh no, could it be that that person wants to drag Jiang Lan into the spatial distortion?¡±


    Those who had a close relationship with the Jiang clan were shocked.


    Thinking of this, they immediately paced back and forth anxiously.


    The spatial distortion was a place that made one¡¯s expression change when they heard about it.


    The Rain of Light Technique could obtain the characteristics of light, but light would also get lost in the spatial distortion. At that time, it would be difficult for the Jiang clan to help her out.


    ¡°As expected, he¡¯s a spatial ability user. That¡¯s really troublesome. The genius daughter of the Jiang clan is in danger.¡±


    In Flying Cloud City, there were at least dozens of existences at the level of the star condensation realm among the humans and the alien species. However, at this moment, all of them were standing their ground.


    So what if the shadows of the rain of light in space could move as quickly as light? In a head-on collision, they were not strong enough, and their speed was countered by the spatial ability.


    Now, the spatial ability user had indirectly created a combat environment that was disadvantageous to the enemy and beneficial to them. No one dared to interfere.


    On the open-air observation platform, Qin Hongyue¡¯s eyes flickered as she quickly said, ¡°I heard that the Roc clan and the Jiang clan intend to join forces to find the true dragon¡¯s corpse. So it¡¯s really a rumor!¡±


    It was no longer just a matter of Jiang Lan¡¯s defeat. If she was not careful, she could be completely dragged into the spatial distortion at any moment.


    If Yin Jueying made a move now, it would immediately confirm the relationship between the Roc clan and the Jiang clan. If he allowed Jiang Lan to fall into the spatial distortion, it would be extremely bad for his reputation.


    After all, they had sparred many times, so they naturally had a good relationship on the surface. If he stood by and did nothing at this time, it would put him in a disadvantageous situation.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a golden light soared into the sky. Yin Jueying had made a move.


    Yin Jueying was a genius on the same level as Qin Hongyue, and was the representative of the Roc clan¡¯s younger generation. Compared to him, Jiang Lan also had the speed of light, and was only lacking in physique and talent.


    This genius from the Roc clan had a body as strong as his speed. He had once flapped his wings and destroyed an inhabited world with a single strike, and it was even an inhabited world with a star spirit.


    Even with the support of a world¡¯s will, it was difficult to withstand the splitting of an inhabited world. It could be seen that it had a lethality that was incomparable to those of the same level.


    Countless clangs rang out.


    A roc flapped its wings, and golden patterns appeared on the sharp scales on its body. Then, countless golden spikes shot towards the battlefield in space, and golden light lit up the dark space.


    This was the power cultivated by the roc clan from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. It was the clan¡¯s signature technique, the Golden Pattern Technique. It was very different from the original power of the world, and its lethality had increased by several levels.


    ¡°Yin Jueying is willing to help. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem now.¡±


    In Flying Cloud City, countless people heaved a sigh of relief. It was two against one, and Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying were both people who specialized in speed and were extremely difficult to kill.


    This way, her life would not be in danger. In fact, with the tacit cooperation, it was not impossible for the spatial ability user to be defeated.


    This was based on their past achievements. There were people with spatial abilities who had been killed in a similar way.


    After Yin Jueying joined the battlefield, Qin Hongyue walked over to Gao Shuai¡¯s side with a smile. This immediately frightened Gao Shuai, and he almost thought that he was going to be kidnapped.


    One of them was at the fusion realm, and the other was at the star condensation realm. Not only was there a difference of one cultivation realm, but there was also a huge difference in their mastery of strength.


    ¡°Sister Qin, I didn¡¯t know that Jiang Lan would get into a conflict with my brother. Otherwise, I would definitely explain the relationship between our clans clearly.¡±


    With that, Gao Shuai made sure that he had not received any warnings about his fate before he relaxed.


    Qin Hongyue glanced at a spot in the crowd before turning back and saying with a smile, ¡°Fat Man Gao, why are you so nervous? In the past, there were several times when someone set up an ambush to capture you, but you dodged them in advance.¡±


    ¡°A prophecy-type special ability can make a prediction on others. On the other hand, it¡¯s often equally sharp when it comes to protecting yourself. This has long been revealed.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, you would already have become a tool. How can you still have your freedom?¡±


    Gao Shuai laughed it off. Some things could not be admitted.


    This was the reason why he had the ability to accurately predict the strength of his target, but still had an accuracy of 10%.


    The true limitation of his special ability was that the target of his prophecy ability would receive a large amount of enhancement such that the backlash was greater than expected. If others figured it out, wouldn¡¯t he become a tool for them?


    For example, if he was asked to predict the location of the true dragon¡¯s corpse, he might die before he could see it clearly.


    Qin Hongyue didn¡¯t think much of it. Her big eyes flickered as she continued, ¡°You found a powerful helper. Are you really going to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse?¡±


    Gao Shuai immediately shook his head and gave out the excuse he had prepared in advance. ¡°How is that possible? The true dragon¡¯s corpse is no small matter. The gazes secretly watching it are definitely not limited to the various factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Even if the eight human clans in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy join forces to find it, so what? It¡¯s all in vain.¡±


    Qin Hongyue nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Otherwise, why would so many people be staring at you, Fat Man Gao? Although your name is Gao Shuai, in reality, it¡¯s anything but.¡±


    Gao Shuai¡¯s expression froze.


    Was he unable to get over this problem? They were all afraid that he would secretly take away the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    In reality, he had indeed thought of this, but he had a feeling that with his current strength, he would be doomed if he participated.


    The way to break out of the situation was to introduce external forces.


    Everything was still within his expectations. No matter how good Chen Yiming¡¯s performance was, he was still at the level of the star condensation realm, the starting point of the path of a god. For the time being, he wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to those who were really involved in finding the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    However, the Qin Hongyue in front of him was being too stubborn. He was afraid that she was someone he could not shake off. It was very troublesome.


    Just as the two of them were chatting, the battle in space became even more intense.


    The rain of light that filled the sky lit up again after it was extinguished. At the same time, a large amount of the rain of light was devoured by the spatial distortion. Finally, after Yin Jueying made a move, Jiang Lan¡¯s figure could materialize normally.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The golden spikes sealed off the entire space. Unless Chen Yiming teleported away, there was no room for him to dodge.


    In reality, he had not thought of dodging at all. With his Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent, he was not afraid of any head-on challenge from anyone of the same level.


    At the same time, a roc claw was so sharp that it didn¡¯t need to move at all to leave behind spatial rifts. At this moment, a golden light shone brightly as it grabbed at Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze narrowed as he allowed the golden spikes to hit his body. Clang! Clang! It was as if they had hit an indestructible object. At the same time, he threw a punch back at the roc claw.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A loud bang shook the Flying Cloud Planet.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Countless people were shocked. That was Yin Jueying, a member of the strongest among the younger generation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    The roc claw was no match for the fist. Before it could make contact, it exploded into dust and was sent flying back.


    A cry of pain rang out through the starry sky. Yin Jueying returned to his human form from the giant roc form and gritted his teeth as he waited for his right arm to slowly grow back. Although it was not a fatal injury, the pain was still there.


    Their bodies collided head-on, or rather, in terms of innate physique, Yin Jueying from the Roc Clan from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy had lost to someone who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Countless gazes were still filled with shock. The person that Gao Shuai had found had been fighting with his primitive talent from the start to the end.


    This also made it impossible to obtain more information about the secret techniques, cultivation techniques, and so on to determine where he came from and what his goal was.


    After Jiang Lan took a deep breath, she took the initiative to attack for the first time.


    She had been beaten too badly by Chen Yiming previously. It could be said that in the one-on-one fight, she had not been able to fight back at all. She had already accumulated some resentment in her heart.


    The rain of light that floated out of her body gradually turned into countless light blades.


    The lethality of the light blades was considered top-notch among those of the same level, but they were even better at speed. Their attack speed was comparable to the speed of light, and it was almost impossible to completely dodge them.


    ¡°Swish, swish, swish!¡±


    When Chen Yiming shattered the roc claw with a punch, his body was already surrounded by countless light blades. Similar to the golden spikes that filled the sky earlier, they were all large-scale attacks.


    ¡°That¡¯s all? It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Chen Yiming chuckled and allowed the light blades to reach him.


    This was the truth. The golden spikes that filled the sky were not lethal enough, and the light blades were naturally not enough. When they could not break through his defense, the threat of their speed would decrease greatly.


    At this moment, Jiang Lan¡¯s main body had also turned into a rain of light and fused into one of the light blades. Seeing this, she sneered and said, ¡°If you want to use your spatial ability to dodge, don¡¯t bother. If you¡¯re so arrogant, just wait for your death.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, above Chen Yiming¡¯s head, as Jiang Lan¡¯s figure appeared from a light blade, a beam of light that cut through the galaxy blossomed, accompanied by a blood-red divine sword that slashed down from the sky.


    The blood-red divine sword was one of the protective treasures given to Jiang Lan by the Jiang clan, a large human clan in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Its level was not something that someone at the star condensation realm could withstand. It was definitely a trump card that could protect one¡¯s life.


    It was not that Jiang Lan did not want to use it previously, but that the situation did not allow it.


    At that time, she was unable to fight back. If she took out the blood-red divine sword, there was a risk that her sword would be snatched away on the spot.

 Chapter 426 - Fake Death and Sneak Attack

    In the blink of an eye, Jiang Lan suddenly charged out from a blade of light. Based on the essence of the Rain of Light Technique, he was already mentally prepared. However, some powerful techniques could not be countered just because one was prepared.


    The moment Chen Yiming sensed Jiang Lan¡¯s true body, the blood-red divine sword had already arrived. Unless he used the space anchor, it would be too late to dodge it.


    He did not choose to dodge. Instead, he faced the attack head-on.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    Before he could swing his fist, his entire body was split into two by the blood-red divine sword.


    The two halves of his corpse floated quietly in space. The dense aura of the power of the world spread out, and the blood essence that spread out seemed to want to ignite the entire galaxy, causing it to turn red.


    Dead?


    A spatial ability user with extremely strong survival abilities had died just like that?


    Was he too careless and did not use his spatial ability to dodge in time? Or was he too careless and thought that he could use his body to withstand the blood-red divine sword in Jiang Lan¡¯s hand?


    However, no matter the reason, the dense power of the world spread out in space, indicating that the inner world had been struck by the blood-red divine sword.


    The inner world was the most important place to store the power of the world. As long as there were no problems with the inner world, one¡¯s body could automatically be repaired even if it was destroyed.


    If something happened in the inner world, at best, one¡¯s cultivation level would drop, and at worst, one would die on the spot.


    Chen Yiming looked like he had died on the spot.


    Yin Jueying turned into a ray of golden light and arrived beside Jiang Lan in a flash. He stared at Chen Yiming¡¯s corpse and said, ¡°What a pity. The heavens gave him so much talent, but he died just like that.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even had the chance to use my true strength and fight a good battle. If I miss out on a suitable opponent, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to meet one again.¡±


    Jiang Lan held the blood-red divine sword in her hand, and her gaze returned to its usual coldness. ¡°He came from an ordinary world. It¡¯s normal for him to be inexperienced.¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect this person to have so little combat experience. Does he really think that a slightly stronger physique can ignore everything? Even if he doesn¡¯t die under my sword this time, he will die under another person¡¯s blade the next time.¡±


    Yin Jueying nodded. That was indeed the case. For example, he had never been so rash. He held back 30% of his strength and could dodge incoming attacks at any time.


    In the battle earlier, Chen Yiming had shattered his roc claw with a single punch. But so what? It was only a part of his body, not the most important inner world.


    On the other hand, Chen Yiming had been killed by Jiang Lan¡¯s blood-red divine sword. The difference between the two sides was obvious.


    In Flying Cloud City, countless gazes were focused on the corpse that had been split into two by the blood-red divine sword. The space became dark and peaceful again.


    ¡°I thought Fat Man Gao found someone good this time, but it turns out that he¡¯s just a boor.¡±


    A spatial ability user had been killed due to carelessness. Immediately, someone gave Chen Yiming the evaluation of a boor.


    This term did not have any good intentions behind it. He was mocking him for having a talent that countless people envied, which was rare even in the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy, but it was all wasted.


    At the same time, he was also secretly mocking Gao Shuai for tricking them. Now, there were already two so-called ¡°brothers¡± who had been tricked. The first one had announced that he would cut ties with him in a sorry state, and the second one had been brought to his death.


    This could be said to be getting more and more tragic. In the future, no one would dare to interact with him. Then, with Fat Man Gao¡¯s weak combat strength, he would not be able to cause much trouble.


    Soon, someone sneered and said, ¡°Since Fat Man Gao can¡¯t borrow powerful external help, he can only stay quiet or choose to be a tool for everyone to find the true dragon¡¯s corpse.¡±


    As soon as he said this, there was laughter everywhere.


    As a tool, one¡¯s fate could not be controlled by oneself. If one listened obediently, the outcome might not be good. In fact, after this, for some reason, they were likely to be killed by a powerful existence to prevent future troubles.


    On the open-air observation platform, Gao Shuai was dumbfounded.


    That was impossible! How could he have died so easily!


    A memorable scene appeared in his mind. Back then, he had met Chen Yiming for the first time in the prophecy. After a simple probing, he had been chased down miserably.


    Gao Shuai had used many powerful trump cards. For example, the blood-red divine sword that the Jiang clan had given Jiang Lan. The Gao clan had also prepared one for Gao Shuai, and there were many more.


    However, he was shocked to see with his own eyes that Chen Yiming¡¯s tenacious vitality made him almost impossible to kill. He had almost used up all his trump cards and couldn¡¯t escape.


    Otherwise, he would not have revealed his true prophetic ability just to express his true intention to befriend him.


    Qin Hongyue, who was at the side, looked at the two halves of the corpse in the galaxy and then at the stunned Gao Shuai. She was immediately extremely disappointed, as if she had just gotten interested, but it had been brought to a stop.


    ¡°Fat Man Gao, it looks like there¡¯s a problem with your prophecy ability this time. The person you found was indeed stunning, but it¡¯s just that he was standing out too much.¡±


    Gao Shuai did not reply to Qin Hongyue.


    Looking up at the sky, he saw Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying walking towards Chen Yiming¡¯s corpse. A corpse with a strong physique was worth studying even if it was dead.


    In addition, there would always be some spoils of war left behind. In terms of contribution, Jiang Lan would take the bulk of the loot, and Yin Jueying had saved her, so it was not too much to take a small amount.


    At the very least, to the alien species, with such vigorous blood essence, it was the most delicious food. Or they could refine blood pills from it to replenish their energy during their daily cultivation.


    Time seemed to have stopped at this moment.


    All kinds of gazes, including pity, envy, and regret, watched as Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying walked over to pick up their spoils.


    Suddenly, a fist that had partially transformed into the giant form punched out with a vast aura that could shatter the galaxy.


    In Flying Cloud City, countless pairs of eyes narrowed.


    Gao Shuai smiled again.


    Qin Hongyue was stunned.


    Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying raised their feet and stopped in midair, their bodies stiffening.


    He was not dead!


    He faked his death!


    At this moment, countless people felt deeply deceived and could not help but panic.


    The inner world had been destroyed, but he could still come back to life.


    This was very rare in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. There were only a few relevant records in history, and the treasures needed for this to happen were not something that the weakest gods, such as those at the star condensation realm, could obtain.


    Furthermore, almost everyone was certain that Chen Yiming had come from an ordinary planet. He wouldn¡¯t have any treasures on him that were worth coveting, nor did he have any powerful secret techniques.


    With their first impressions, even Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying, who were the closest to him, were deceived by the illusion that the inner world had been destroyed.


    ¡°Bang! Bang!¡±


    With a punch from the giant, two balls of blood mist exploded in the galaxy. These corresponded to Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying, who could not react in time.


    Among them, the ball of blood that Jiang Lan had exploded into was much smaller. It should be the effect of the Rain of Light Technique. The ball of blood that Yin Jueying had exploded into was similar to Chen Yiming¡¯s, and his blood dyed the sky red.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming¡¯s corpse, which had been cut in half, stood up and fused back into one.


    In the blink of an eye, his injuries disappeared without a trace. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that this person¡¯s inner world had just been destroyed.


    His inner world had indeed been destroyed, but it was different from the others. Each cell corresponded to a miniature inner world.


    The blood-red divine sword was indeed extremely powerful. Jiang Lan¡¯s mistake was that she hadn¡¯t been able to destroy all of Chen Yiming¡¯s cells and his miniature inner worlds in one go.


    On the other side, Jiang Lan¡¯s figure appeared in the air.


    At this moment, her condition was extremely bad. The inner world in her body was filled with cracks, and she quickly switched between the form of the rain of light and her normal form to barely prevent the inner world from collapsing.


    That punch was too sudden and she was completely unprepared. She had almost died on the spot.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    Time seemed to pass very slowly, but it was still passing by.


    Unlike Jiang Lan, Yin Jueying¡¯s figure did not appear again.


    At the same time, the huge amount of power released by the destruction of his inner world had scattered in space and dyed it red, proving that he had died from that punch.


    He had really died.


    The pride of the roc clan, Yin Jueying, did not have any treasures that could help him revive after the inner world was destroyed.


    He had treasures like the blood-red divine sword, those for defense, and those for escape. However, none of them could save his life.


    Unexpectedly, Yin Jueying had died in the hands of an unknown person that Gao Shuai had found.


    In Flying Cloud City, voices of disbelief sounded one after another.


    ¡°How dare he? Yin Jueying is a genius of the Roc clan!¡±


    Some people were dumbfounded as Chen Yiming¡¯s figure was reflected in their eyes.


    ¡°The person that Fat Man Gao found actually dared to kill him. Furthermore, he attacked the Roc clan, which few people dare to provoke. Is he so confident that he won¡¯t be afraid of being chased down by the entire Roc clan?¡±


    Some of the alien species whispered to each other.


    Although the rocs were far inferior to the humans in terms of numbers, their top combat strength was still at the level of the overlords of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    In addition, every member of the Roc clan was good at speed. It had been many years since a member of the Roc clan who was at the god level was openly killed.


    Furthermore, the identity of the person who had died this time was actually an extremely outstanding personage. He secretly had the nickname of the ¡°Little Roc King¡±.


    The ¡®Little Roc King¡¯ was given to him in recognition of Yin Jueying¡¯s potential. It meant that as long as he could unleash all his potential normally, he could replace the current king of the Roc clan.


    On the open-air observation platform, Qin Hongyue retracted her gaze and said to Gao Shuai with a smile, ¡°The Little Roc King died too aggrievedly. Compared to the last time he fought with others, he was killed before he could even use half of his true strength.¡±


    ¡°However, that person¡¯s physique is really terrifying. Fat Man Gao, where exactly did you find him? Don¡¯t worry, just tell me a bit. I swear I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Gao Shuai looked at this smile and inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.


    Yin Jueying had died just like that. He really did not expect that Jiang Lan and Yin Jueying would both be defeated.


    There was a huge difference between defeat and death. It was impossible for the Roc clan to let this matter go so easily. The pursuit would come soon.


    That¡¯s right, he and Chen Yiming would both be chased down.


    Soon, Qin Hongyue continued, ¡°Fat Man Gao, I¡¯ve figured something out. Although the Flying Cloud Planet has a space-travel portal, both ends of the corresponding space-travel passage are controlled by humans.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the Flying Cloud Planet is considered a remote area compared to the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy. You knew that something big would happen, right? Did you think of a way out?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the otherworld corresponding to the true dragon¡¯s corpse is also in a relatively remote area of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy? Is your true goal to muddy the waters this time?¡±


    Faced with Qin Hongyue¡¯s three consecutive questions, Gao Shuai¡¯s expression froze.


    He indeed had the intention to spy on the true dragon¡¯s corpse, but how could there be such a detailed plan? The power of prophecy could not be used recklessly.


    However, the more he explained at this moment, the more suspicious she would be of him. Gao Shuai knew this very well and did not say a word, remaining silent.


    In the dark space, Chen Yiming turned to look at Jiang Lan, who had an ugly expression on her face.


    Jiang Lan knew that even if she had turned into the rain of light, she would not be able to escape the pursuit of a spatial ability user. Even if she used a short-distance space-travel treasure, it would be difficult for her to escape from her opponent¡¯s spatial ability, which seemed to be able to locate her coordinates in space.


    Therefore, she had activated a black umbrella that was floating beside her. This was a defensive divine artifact, and it could reach the level of absorbing a star and unleashing its full power.


    Jiang Lan took a deep breath and explained calmly, ¡°This divine artifact, the black umbrella, can protect me for at least 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°And the Little Roc King, Yin Jueying, died at your hands. This is the Flying Cloud Planet, which has a space-travel portal. I don¡¯t need to say anything else, right?¡±


    As she spoke, she panicked.


    At this moment, her body was in an extremely poor state. Even with a defensive divine artifact, she was not as carefree as she appeared.


    After all, Yin Jueying¡¯s tragic death had happened right in front of her. She could not be careless at all.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a spatial rift appeared beside Jiang Lan, and an old man walked out. The person was the Flying Cloud Planet¡¯s ruler, He Tianzheng, who had not appeared all this time.


    His face was thin, and there were bandages on his face and body. He looked like he had been sick for a long time. It was barely acceptable that he had not made a move up till now.


    Chen Yiming sized He Tianzheng up and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not enough for someone at the jade star realm to stop me.¡±


    With the Undying Body talent and the Giant talent, as the level of his two talents increased, it was no longer difficult to fight someone of a higher level. Coupled with the Space Anchor talent, it was even more so.


    In fact, if his past achievements were exposed, everyone on the Flying Cloud Planet would be shocked.


    He Tianzheng nodded and said, ¡°I know I¡¯m not enough, but the death of the Little Roc King is already due to my dereliction of duty. I can¡¯t let Jiang Lan die here too.¡±


    In other words, it was not that he wanted to stop them, but that the situation forced him to make a move.


    After all, the death of the Little Roc King could still be explained as an accident. If Jiang Lan also died, although the He clan was one of the eight great clans of the human race in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, they did not want to create a grudge between the two clans.


    This was especially true since it was equivalent to one internal grudge and one external grudge. This would put the He clan¡¯s connections in a very passive position for a long time.


    In Flying Cloud City, because of He Tianzheng¡¯s appearance, everyone almost heaved a sigh of relief, but they could not really relax yet.


    The jade star realm was one level higher than the star condensation realm. He Tianzheng was not a true genius, but it should be very easy to stall for time.


    Soon, with the help of the space-travel portal, existences with enough strength would be able to arrive to resolve this matter.


    However, from the condition of He Tianzheng¡¯s body, it was impossible to rely on him completely.


    How bad were his injuries under the bandages? No one knew if they were fake injuries or if he was really seriously injured and they needed to be hidden away before he dared to appear.

 Chapter 427 - Reversal

    Just as everyone was worried about the wounded ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet, with a crack, the ground shook on the Flying Cloud Planet. It was as if a huge earthquake had occurred in Flying Cloud City, causing everyone to be shocked.


    With a loud bang, a huge mountain sank in, and a deep hole appeared in the ground. Soon, more than one such holes appeared, and another 10 to 20 mountains met with the same fate. The scene was extremely shocking.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Everyone was shocked.


    A sudden change occurred in a certain area on the Flying Cloud Planet.


    Cracks appeared on the ground one after another, and a terrifying aura gradually spread out.


    It was a little scary that so many mountains had sunk deep into the ground. The main reason was that it had happened too suddenly. The battle in space had yet to end, but the people already thought that Flying Cloud City was about to be destroyed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The higher-ups of the Flying Cloud City were alarmed. They appeared everywhere on the city wall one after another. Each of them was at the level of the star condensation realm, and there were a total of eight of them.


    When the ruler was not in the city and something happened on the Flying Cloud Planet, the higher-ups of the cabinet had to step forward to stabilize the situation. The truth was that there were very few problems that could not be resolved with such a huge force.


    Chen Yiming turned to look at the deep cracks on the Flying Cloud Planet. He felt a threat coming from it. Something dangerous was about to come out.


    He retracted his gaze and happened to see the calm expression on He Tianzheng¡¯s face.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what gives the ruler of Flying Cloud Planet the confidence to make a move?¡± Chen Yiming indeed felt that it was dangerous. It was similar to the time when three blue-skinned humans had descended from the stone platform.


    ¡°Crack¡­¡±


    As time passed, more and more cracks appeared on the ground, as if a small portion of the Flying Cloud Planet had collapsed. The scene was extremely shocking.


    Looking down from space, one could see the abnormal areas. Black cracks appeared one after another on the ground, interweaving like spiderwebs. Finally, all the rocks and soil completely shattered and fell to the ground.


    A large abyss that emitted a terrifying aura appeared in front of everyone. However, the commotion was not over yet. Something dangerous was about to come out of it.


    Gao Shuai leaped up, and a staircase seemed to appear in the air. At the same time, a disc-shaped spaceship rose into the air from the port and arrived beside Chen Yiming in a few seconds.


    ¡°Ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet, the injuries on your body are probably related to the plant life form below, right?¡± Gao Shuai put away his casual attitude and said with a serious tone.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a vine soared into the sky from the abyss. It was like a black spear, and the aura it emitted made one subconsciously want to stay away.


    He Tianzheng nodded and removed the bandage on his forehead. There was a bloody hole on it, and the wound could not heal due to some unknown interference.


    In addition, not only was there his own blood flowing out of the wound, but there was also a drop of mutant blood that emitted a dazzling light. It flickered with many colors and emitted a dense aura, making it seem mysterious and powerful.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and became serious.


    He could tell that there was more to it than what meets the eye.


    In essence, those at the level of the gods cultivated the inner world. The body was only an external manifestation of the inner world. In other words, the injuries on He Tianzheng¡¯s body were only on the surface. The injuries on the inner world were the real problem.


    Now, just by looking at the mutant blood, one could feel how special it was. Before coming into close contact with it, one would feel intimidated and could not help but tremble. They even wanted to submit to the mutant blood. It was unimaginably powerful and terrifying.


    A single drop of blood was already so terrifying. It was difficult to estimate how powerful the creature it belonged to actually was.


    He Tianzheng continued, ¡°This demonic vine was what I obtained in the spatial distortion linked to the otherworld. I originally planned to use it only after the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse started.¡±


    ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s revealed in advance. Even if I continue to recuperate, my injuries won¡¯t completely heal. I think this little brother has a very special physique, especially his vitality.¡±


    ¡°If you can provide some help with my injuries, the He clan will no longer pursue your actions on the Flying Cloud Planet. They can even mediate between you and the Jiang clan.¡±


    ¡°How about this? You just need to deal with the pursuit of the Roc clan. I don¡¯t think the humans will investigate this matter too much.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming understood.


    The life force displayed by his physique was the real reason why He Tianzheng had appeared. It was not because of his negligence or because he wanted to stop him from continuing to attack Jiang Lan.


    This planet¡¯s ruler really had a good plan. He attributed the death of the Little Roc King to an accident, then saved Jiang Lan. Now, he wanted to trick him into treating his injuries.


    He would probably not be able to treat all his injuries. In truth, he would squeeze out all the value from his body, and in the end, he would be able to give the Roc clan an explanation.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai said bluntly, ¡°The eight large human clans in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy don¡¯t have a good relationship with each other. He Tianzheng definitely doesn¡¯t have good intentions. It¡¯s time for us to escape.¡±


    With that, the cabin door of the disc-shaped spaceship that had risen to their side opened. The old butler and a few bull-headed guards were already inside.


    Running away was what he had planned to begin with. Otherwise, how could Gao Shuai, who had a special prophecy ability, escape the attention of the public and participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse?


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the area.


    After Yin Jueying was defeated, some items were left floating in the air. Jiang Lan¡¯s face returned to its cold expression, and He Tianzheng smiled.


    It was indeed as Gao Shuai had said. If this dragged on, it would only increase the risk. The Roc clan was a race that specialized in speed, so their reaction might have exceeded ordinary expectations. After all, a young genius had died here.


    Just as he decided to escape, a voice sounded in his spiritual world. It was from the treasure tree in the ring, and it also brought with it another deal from the female spirit.


    The deal was that the treasure tree would use the power bestowed by the female spirit to deal with the demonic vine on the Flying Cloud Planet. Coupled with the destruction of the space-travel portal on the Flying Cloud Planet, it would prevent the Roc clan from chasing after Chen Yiming.


    The remaining spoils of war from Yin Jueying, the items from the Flying Cloud Planet¡¯s ruler, who was not in a good state, and even the items on the Flying Cloud Planet that were of interest to him belonged to Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate and agreed to it.


    After the female spirit left the blue planet, she still kept her existence a secret. In fact, she hid it even deeper because Chen Yiming could no longer let his spiritual will enter the space in the ring like before.


    This way, Chen Yiming felt much more at ease. The relationship between the two sides seemed to be very stable for the time being.


    He needed the female spirit to deal with powerful existences like the three blue-skinned humans. The female spirit needed to continue hiding and be brought around by him, a spatial ability user.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Just as Chen Yiming and the treasure tree finalized the deal, the main body of the demonic vine on the Flying Cloud Planet finally crawled out of the abyss. As soon as it appeared, it caused a commotion in Flying Cloud City.


    ¡°Is that the demonic vine? It¡¯s really too powerful.¡±


    ¡°With the help of the demonic vine, I¡¯m afraid he can easily compare to or even defeat a true genius.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Otherwise, how would He Tianzheng have the guts to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse with his strength at the jade star realm? Furthermore, his main body was severely injured.¡±


    The black spear-like vines covered the sky. Its main body was extremely huge, as if it could support an entire planet.


    As soon as it appeared, the sky on the Flying Cloud Planet darkened. A pair of bloodthirsty eyes opened, seeming to want to devour the creatures in Flying Cloud City.


    This did not cause that much chaos in the city. The reason was that the demonic vine seemed to be under He Tianzheng¡¯s control.


    In addition, there was a fixed space-travel portal on the Flying Cloud Planet, and they could run away at any time if the situation was not right.


    The moment the main body of the demonic vine appeared, Gao Shuai immediately felt as if he had been stabbed.


    This was an automatic warning to his body from his special prophecy ability. An existence that he could not resist had already made a move. If he did not escape now, there was a high chance that something irreversible would happen.


    The smile on He Tianzheng¡¯s face became even more obvious.


    It seemed that even if they delayed for a few seconds or 10 seconds, during the time they were hesitating, the chances of Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai escaping would decrease greatly.


    At the very least, he would definitely be able to get what he wanted. For example, the large number of cells that were filled with vitality in Chen Yiming¡¯s body, and even the vital organs in his body.


    ¡°Young man, have you thought it through?¡± He Tianzheng asked with a smile.


    Chen Yiming chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through. I just don¡¯t know how many punches you can withstand in your current state. Will you be like that little roc from before and explode with just one punch?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Gao Shuai was the one who became the most anxious and flustered.


    Brother, you are confident that the Roc clan can¡¯t do anything to you with your spatial ability. However, although my spaceship also has the ability to perform space-jumps, inanimate objects are not as agile as living people.


    If they escaped too late and fell into the encirclement set up by the Roc clan, they would have many methods to interfere with space-jumps.


    In Flying Cloud City.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming had no intention of escaping, surprise filled the air.


    ¡°Could it be that this person thinks that he doesn¡¯t need to care about the Roc clan just because he killed the Little Roc King with a sneak attack?¡±


    ¡°Spatial abilities are not omnipotent. The Roc clan is an overlord faction in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. In history, they have killed countless spatial ability users.¡±


    ¡°It seems that he has never seen the world. With his victory against two geniuses, he has completely lost his mind. Just look at Fat Man Gao¡¯s anxious expression.¡±


    No one in the city thought highly of Chen Yiming. At the level of the star condensation realm, he was like a firefly competing with the bright moon in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    Even Qin Hongyue was the same. She could not understand why he had not decided to escape quickly.


    After all, when the Roc clan descended in large numbers through the space-travel portal, Fat Man Gao¡¯s prophecy ability would be nothing in the face of the absolute difference in strength.


    However, Chen Yiming took the initiative to attack.


    At this moment, countless jaws dropped in shock.


    The moment the spatial fluctuation appeared, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure faded away. In the next moment, he threw a punch at He Tianzheng¡¯s face. At the same time, a stream of light descended from the sky, heading towards the demonic vine on the Flying Cloud Planet.


    They did not know what the stream of light was for the time being, but this action clearly told everyone that he had never thought of escaping. Instead, he wanted to kill the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet.


    ¡°Although the spatial ability is powerful, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t achieve the same effect using a secret spatial technique,¡± He Tianzheng said. After he finished speaking, his figure almost disappeared.


    Thousands of kilometers away in space, a mirror that was taller than a person had appeared there at some point. He Tianzheng walked out of the mirror.


    The smile on his face remained the same. The only thing out of place was the traces of blood on a few bandages. Clearly, his injuries were still affected.


    In the next moment, he threw another punch.


    With a loud bang, he and the mirror were shattered by Chen Yiming¡¯s punch. The dark space shook violently, and a powerful force tore through the air, creating a huge crack in space.


    However, the mirror was indeed shattered, and what was destroyed only an afterimage.


    On the Flying Cloud Planet, the demonic vine raised its bloodthirsty gaze and waved the black spear vines that filled the sky. It seemed to have seen something even more delicious than the food in Flying Cloud City.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless. Even if my body isn¡¯t in good condition, in such a short time¡­¡±


    Thousands of kilometers away, another mirror appeared. He Tianzheng explained as he walked out. However, before he could finish speaking, the afterimage of his body and the mirror were shattered by another punch.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath. Every time He Tianzheng used the secret spatial technique, the injuries on his body would worsen.


    Clearly, innate abilities and secret techniques were not the same. The price one had to pay was definitely different.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Soon, after walking out of the mirror three times in a row, He Tianzheng coughed violently.


    It had to be known that it was unbelievable for a god at the jade star realm to cough. Unless he deliberately did it, his physical condition might be worse than expected.


    That¡¯s right.


    In reality, He Tianzheng could no longer smile.


    This did not follow the script he had set according to the situation at all. Logically speaking, with the arrival of the Roc clan, there would definitely not be such a complete reversal of the situation.


    With his physical condition, using the secret spatial technique continuously was not a good choice. He could even be torn apart by the twisted power of the spatial distortion at any moment.


    In space, beside the disc-shaped spaceship, ¡°Young Master, the person you found must be crazy. We have to leave quickly,¡± the old butler said anxiously as he quickly tried to persuade Gao Shuai.


    The bull-headed men in the spaceship were mercenaries who served as bodyguards.


    However, at this moment, their legs were about to go weak, and their bodies were trembling uncontrollably.


    Everyone knew how terrifying the Roc clan was. The bull-headed men in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy were often targeted by the rocs because they did not have a powerful king.


    However, because the entire species was not strong enough, when a bull-headed man was attacked by a roc, they could only pretend that nothing had happened. There would always be areas where order could not reach.


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he shook his head and refused.


    He knew the reason, but he could not say it at this time. In reality, when the stream of light fell towards the demonic vine on the Flying Cloud Planet, the warning had disappeared.


    This meant that after receiving the warning from the prophecy, due to the intervention of new powerful factors, the outcome had changed drastically.


    It was also because of this that he should remain uninvolved and prevent the outcome from changing again due to his actions.


    It had to be known that at this moment, more gazes were focused on him than on the demon vine or on the battlefield in outer space.


    However, the old butler did not know the reason.


    He thought that Gao Shuai thought too highly of Chen Yiming and was risking his life to gain more trust from the other party.

 Chapter 428 - Finale

    On the battlefield in outer space, He Tianzheng was fleeing from Chen Yiming.


    The battle on the Flying Cloud Planet erupted at the same time. A small tree that was emitting a shining light grew larger and larger after landing on the ground. It only stopped when it was as big as the demonic vine.


    Every leaf had fiery red patterns on it, and it emitted a divine flame that burned through everything. As soon as it appeared, the entire galaxy seemed to be burning, and the temperature on the Flying Cloud Planet was even higher.


    At the same time, a pair of red eyes opened on the tree. When they met the bloodthirsty eyes of the demonic vine, two distinct domains formed between them.


    One black and one red. Neither of them could take a step forward, and neither of them took a step back. Some of the divine flames were devoured by the darkness, while some of the darkness was burned away by the divine flames.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a plant life form too.¡±


    In Flying Cloud City, countless living beings gasped. They all thought that this treasure tree that had fallen from the sky belonged to Chen Yiming and was under his control.


    This way, He Tianzheng, who was already in a bad physical condition, might not be able to last until the arrival of the Roc clan.


    ¡°Is this person really from an ordinary world?¡±


    Some people rubbed their temples, unable to accept what they were seeing.


    A plant life form that could support cultivation, powerful physique, and spatial abilities. One would usually be considered a genius in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy if they were able to obtain even one of them.


    Being a genius meant that one¡¯s potential had been recognized. At the same time, it meant that one had just started their growth. Other than encountering some old monsters, it would not be a problem for one to dominate this galaxy.


    ¡°The human factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy are very large. Not only are there eight large clans, but there are also many sects and factions, as well as various powerful organizations.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, there are always internal disputes. Even the eight large clans with bloodlines are no exception.¡±


    Some of the alien species were wary and did not want another genius with terrifying potential to appear among the humans.


    However, on second thought, even if this person did not create a huge grudge with the Roc clan, the internal strife among the human factions would not let him continue to grow easily.


    In fact, the more dazzling his performance was, the worse his situation would be.


    As for forming a relationship with Fat Man Gao, he could not even protect himself. With the two of them together, the old fellows who were participating in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse would treat him as a thorn in their side.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Facing the treasure tree that descended from the sky, the demonic vine danced in the air and its black spear-like vines shot towards the treasure tree.


    In an instant, an overwhelming counterattack was launched. From one side of the Flying Cloud Planet to the other, it continued to extend into the galaxy.


    It was as if a black sea had come alive, and it was filled with a bloodthirsty aura. Living creatures felt a suction force from afar, and a mysterious seductive voice sounded in their ears.


    Even if they stabilized their lower body and stood still, the distance between them seemed to be closing quickly. The aura of death descended.


    However, the treasure tree that had just become larger was not flustered at all.


    When the black spear-like vines surrounded and quickly approached it from all directions, the tree shook, and a large number of fiery red leaves shook with it. Then, the entire tree burned fiercely, and divine flames rose from it.


    In the end, after a few moments, everything around it was burned to ashes. The Flying Cloud Planet fell silent. The bloodthirsty glint in the demonic vine¡¯s eyes faded, and a large number of vines rolled back to its side.


    He had just forced He Tianzheng to use his secret spatial technique again. Chen Yiming glanced over and was shocked. When did the treasure tree become stronger?


    When they first met, each of those fiery red leaves was treated like a treasure that it would not easily use. Now, there were countless leaves.


    Furthermore, from its unhurried counterattack, it clearly did not take the demonic vine seriously.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    It was impolite not to reciprocate. The treasure tree¡¯s true counterattack had arrived.


    Countless fiery red leaves shot out and turned into balls of divine flames in the air. The flames seemed to want to purify the demonic vine.


    In the blink of an eye, the Flying Cloud Planet turned from black to red. It was as if everything was about to be burned to ashes.


    Facing the treasure tree¡¯s counterattack, a portion of the vines stabbed deep into the ground, and a portion turned into a protective barrier.


    At a glance, it was obvious who was stronger.


    In space, with a whoosh, He Tianzheng could no longer continue to protect himself and immediately charged in the direction of the demonic vine on the surface of the planet.


    He did not use the secret spatial technique related to the mirror, nor did he know that the location was not suitable for the demonic vine, which was why his injuries had not healed.


    However, with a loud bang, the galaxy suddenly shook. A figure suddenly appeared and forcefully blocked his path.


    A tremor spread out from the point of contact. From the Flying Cloud Planet, it looked like a terrifying ring had exploded in space.


    Chen Yiming relied on his powerful body to fight He Tianzheng, who was at the jade star realm, head-on for the first time. He didn¡¯t miss again, unlike his previous attacks.


    He Tianzheng¡¯s ability to support the demonic vine was hindered, and he only stopped after retreating a large distance in space. His expression was ugly. Chen Yiming had also retreated a long distance before stopping, but he had a relaxed expression on his face.


    However, the demonic vine on the Flying Cloud Planet let out a scream. Its huge body was about to turn into a sea of fire under the attack of the divine flames.


    There was a clear difference in strength between the two plant life forms. The vines could not defend against all the fiery red leaves and a portion of them broke through the defenses.


    ¡°Young man, very good. You¡¯re very bold,¡± He Tianzheng said through gritted teeth.


    He had risked his life and suffered serious injuries to bring the demonic vine back to the Flying Cloud Planet from the otherworld.


    When the demonic vine fused with his body in a symbiotic relationship, their life forces would temporarily be connected. The demonic vine¡¯s attack power was stronger, and He Tianzheng¡¯s secret spatial technique was more agile.


    It could be said that this plant life form could complement him and improve him in all aspects, including combat, cultivation support, treatment of injuries, and so on.


    Otherwise, he would not have dared to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    However, he was restrained now and could not fight at his strongest.


    Chen Yiming replied calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve only used the secret spatial technique a few times, and you¡¯re already unable to use it? Is it because of your physical condition, or is it because you can¡¯t use the secret spatial technique too frequently?¡±


    To be honest, He Tianzheng felt like an old and weak opponent.


    He had yet to fight to his heart¡¯s content with someone at the jade star realm, but it seemed like he would not be able to last much longer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. I naturally still have some strength left.¡±


    He Tianzheng denied it and continued, ¡°However, you have to think carefully. You¡¯ve already offended the Jiang clan, one of the eight large human clans, and you¡¯ve formed a huge grudge with the Roc clan.¡±


    ¡°If the He clan is added to the mix, there will definitely be no place for you in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. All that¡¯s left for you is an endless pursuit.¡±


    However, at this moment, he would only know if what he said was true or not after fighting. Perhaps he really still had some strength left, or perhaps he had reached his limit and was about to collapse.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Indeed, as He Tianzheng had said, after today¡¯s incident, just the death of the Little Roc King, Yin Jueying, was already something that could not be resolved.


    Now, with the addition of the two top factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the Jiang clan and the He clan, it was as if he had taken the initiative to walk into a dead end and had to pay the price for his impulsive actions.


    However, before he faked his death to launch a sneak attack on the Little Roc King, he had naturally made up his mind.


    He did not know how large the human factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy were or how strong they were compared to the alien species. However, the humans were clearly not weak.


    Such a large human faction was like a piece of cake that had already been distributed. How could they easily allow a new faction to gain a foothold without paying any price?


    Then, if the humans from the blue planet, including Chen Yiming himself, wanted to establish themselves in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, they could choose to rely on a powerful human faction, such as the Gao clan.


    Alternatively, they could choose to rely on Chen Yiming himself. In other words, Chen Yiming had to kill his way through until no one dared to underestimate him, including the alien species.


    Otherwise, even if there was no longer the issue with Gao Shuai, similar provocations would still happen one after another.


    Compared to the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, Chen Yiming had indeed come from a remote and ordinary world. However, it could not be denied that he had many treasures on him.


    For example, just his physique, which was filled with vitality, had attracted the attention of the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet, who had been hiding himself away.


    The battle in space stopped for a moment.


    Suddenly, something strange happened to the space-travel portal in the middle of Flying Cloud City.


    It was a portal that emitted an ancient aura. The base was made of crystalline jade, and the door frame was engraved with the patterns of mutant beasts.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±


    There were three humans at the star condensation realm guarding the space-travel portal. At this moment, when they saw the scene in front of them, each of them was shocked.


    They saw that a part of the space-travel passage connected to the space-travel portal was affected by an unknown force and was quickly disintegrating and becoming a spatial distortion.


    This would cause a serious chain reaction for the space-travel passage. It was equivalent to the power of distortion that was everywhere in the spatial distortion being released into the space-travel passage.


    Needless to say, unless an existence with the ability to construct a space-travel passage acted in time to repair the problem, the entire space-travel passage would collapse.


    ¡°No wonder that person did not retreat, but he even wanted to kill the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet.¡±


    Chaos immediately broke out everywhere in Flying Cloud City.


    If even the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet was killed, the fate of all the living beings would be out of their control before the space-travel passage was repaired.


    Very few spaceships had the ability to jump through space.


    However, even if they had such a spaceship, who could guarantee that the spatial ability user would not have any means to stop them when they activated the space-jump? If they accidentally fell into the spatial distortion, it would not be a good outcome.


    At the same time, the treasure tree and the demonic vine fought fiercely.


    Planet life forms generally had a weakness. Their movement speed was often much slower than the average among those of the same level. It could even be said that they were at the bottom. Therefore, in battles between those of the same type, they quickly got into close combat.


    The branches of the two sides intertwined, and the divine flames and the black light clashed violently.


    The treasure tree was stronger, and the demonic vine could rely on the vines that were deep underground to absorb energy to recover, making up for the difference in strength to a certain extent.


    This was a battle of devouring and being devoured. The losing side would become the opponent¡¯s nourishment. It could be said to be an extremely tragic outcome, and there was no possibility of retreat.


    In space, facing such a change in the space-travel portal, He Tianzheng finally could keep calm any longer, and his face filled with panic.


    It was very difficult to secretly destroy a space-travel passage.


    After all, although the space-travel portal door there, the corresponding coordinates of the spatial distortion were constantly changing. It was very difficult to accurately locate it.


    For example, he was only in charge of guarding the Flying Cloud Planet. He had not built the space-travel portal.


    Thinking of this, He Tianzheng immediately turned around and left the battlefield. He chose a random direction to escape in.


    Was this still someone who came from an ordinary planet?


    Not only was he more talented than a genius, but he also had a plant life form that was stronger than the demonic vine. Now, before he made a move, he had secretly helped to destroy the space-travel passage.


    Thinking about it, his identity and background immediately became more mysterious. No one would believe that he came from an ordinary planet.


    However, He Tianzheng was still facing Chen Yiming¡¯s fists.


    Chen Yiming used the space anchor left on the other party¡¯s body to teleport through space and threw a punch at He Tianzheng.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The space was shaking, and He Tian was vomiting blood. This punch had hit him square in the face.


    The level of the jade star realm was already one level higher than the star condensation realm. It was unrealistic for him to be destroyed with a single punch. This was the truth. He Tianzheng had only vomited blood.


    This was only because He Tianzheng was severely injured to begin with. Otherwise, if his body was in good condition, Chen Yiming would have a 50-50 chance of winning before his opponent exhausted himself severely.


    Then, the next punch came.


    At such a close distance, it was impossible for He Tianzheng not to counterattack. He forced himself to swallow a mouthful of blood and threw out a palm to meet the incoming fist.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Before the fist and palm came into contact, Chen Yiming used the space anchor to appear behind He Tianzheng and punched him in the back.


    At first, he thought that his bones had cracked. Then He Tianzheng¡¯s face turned pale.


    In reality, his inner world had suffered a heavy blow. There was already a problem affecting his body, so he needed a bandage to cover it up. Now, a large crack had appeared in his inner world.


    ¡°The power of the world that has gone out of control?¡±


    Chen Yiming, who had succeeded in his attack, sensed He Tianzheng¡¯s injuries. This was because his punch had completely erupted. The uncontrollable fluctuations of the power of the world shouldn¡¯t be fake.


    He Tianzheng immediately stopped and suddenly laughed wildly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this. I really didn¡¯t expect that I would fall here, in the most unlikely place¡­¡±


    There was a space-travel portal, the demonic vine, and many young geniuses from various species on the Flying Cloud Planet. Even the black tide, which made countless living worlds turn pale, did not attack this place.


    It was not that they could not do it, but that the price they had to pay and what they could gain were not worth it.


    For example, if something happened to the Little Roc King, the elders of the Roc clan could use the space-travel portal to arrive quickly. However, who would have thought that Chen Yiming would have a way to destroy the space-travel passage?


    Furthermore, it was completed quietly before anyone could react.


    It was all these coincidences that made He Tianzheng careless. He did not fuse with the demonic vine to fight from the start. Otherwise, he would not have been so burdened by his severely injured body.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to the other party¡¯s muttering before he died. He used the space anchor to arrive in front of He Tianzheng and threw a punch at him.


    With a bang, a ball of blood appeared in the galaxy.


    The ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet, He Tianzheng, had died.

 Chapter 429 - Escape and Pursuit

    As the injured body of the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet couldn¡¯t withstand it anymore, he was blown up by Chen Yiming¡¯s punch in space. At the same time, the close combat between the treasure tree and the demonic vine on the Flying Cloud Planet quickly ended.


    Perhaps the female spirit had given the treasure tree a special item, but in short, the demonic vine had lost unbelievably quickly, shocking the entire Flying Cloud City.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, the demonic vine disappeared, leaving behind only a seed.


    ¡°It actually condensed into a divine seed.¡±


    Someone exclaimed as he watched the treasure tree turn into a young man and put away the seed left behind by the demonic vine.


    Powerful plant life forms had the ability to change the cultivation environment of an area. In other words, if they were subdued, they would definitely become a good support for one¡¯s cultivation.


    As for the divine seed, it was a rare growth-type treasure.


    For example, plant life forms that had already grown up could only coexist temporarily in a symbiotic manner, just like how He Tianzheng controlled the demonic vine.


    As for divine seeds, if they were implanted into the bodies of living creatures when they first embarked on the path of cultivation when they were young, they could cultivate and grow together.


    Not only would they have astonishing combat strength at the same level, but it was equivalent to fighting two against one. When they broke through to the star condensation realm, the situation of forming an inner world was also different from normal.


    A plant life form that had grown up from a divine seed could easily support the inner world. It would greatly reduce the difficulty of breaking through to the star condensation realm.


    Secondly, having a plant life form equivalent to the world tree in the inner world was a qualitative change. It was an improvement in quality, and it laid a sufficient foundation for a higher level breakthrough in the future.


    ¡°The divine seed is something that only appeared a few times in the history of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. It¡¯s said that unless it¡¯s a coincidence, it¡¯s very difficult even for the territorial lord to provide such cultivation conditions for his descendants.¡±


    When the youths from the other species saw the divine seed, their eyes were filled with jealousy.


    Although a divine seed was ultimately an external object and was not as tempting as the physique of a true dragon, it was still enough to make one go crazy over it. It was rare to find a single divine seed in the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    If not for the example of the bloodbath of the Little Roc King and the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet, the experts from the various clans in Flying Cloud City would have rushed forward and fought for it with their own abilities.


    ¡°Damn it, could it be that the goal of destroying the space-travel passage was the demonic vine from the start?¡±


    Some of the elders suspected that this was just a trap set up together with Fat Man Gao. In reality, everything had been part of their plan.


    Otherwise, how could it be possible for an unknown person to suddenly appear and have the means to condense a divine seed? It had to be known that the method to condense a divine seed was something that even the territorial lord of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy did not know about.


    Otherwise, the territorial lord would have already arranged for each of his descendants to have a divine seed.


    On the open-air observation platform, Qin Hongyue¡¯s gaze stopped on Gao Shuai and Chen Yiming.


    Should the Qin clan join the upcoming pursuit?


    At this moment, she was wavering in her heart. On the surface, it seemed that the Roc clan alone was not something these two people could deal with.


    However, the appearance of the divine seed was a huge variable.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming listened to the private discussions of the alien species in Flying Cloud City. On the surface, his expression remained the same, as if he was used to it. He didn¡¯t even seem to pay any attention to the appearance of the divine seed.


    Divine seed? It seemed that it was a remarkable treasure that shocked the entire Flying Cloud City.


    However, he had so many miniature inner worlds in his body. One divine seed was not enough at all, so it seemed a little useless to him.


    ¡°What exactly is the identity of the female spirit? With just this incident of the divine seed, it seems that the level of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy is far from her true level.¡±


    ¡°Then what exactly did she encounter to be sealed into the ring space and then come to a living planet at this level?¡±


    ¡°For some reason, I happened to obtain the ring of the sect master of the Myriad Phenomena Sect? Even after entering outer space, she didn¡¯t leave on her own?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about many things.


    However, the treasure tree might know a portion of the origins of the female spirit, her goal, when she would leave, and so on. However, compared to the female spirit, he was still too weak.


    It would be a disaster for the weak to know too much. They were not even qualified to talk to each other as equals.


    When the treasure tree turned into a stream of light and returned, Chen Yiming snapped out of his thoughts. It wasn¡¯t bad to maintain his current relationship with the female spirit. At the very least, she hadn¡¯t tricked him before.


    ¡­


    An hour later, after a few space-jumps, the disc-shaped spaceship moved through the endless space.


    Chen Yiming, Gao Shuai, the old butler, and the bull-headed bodyguards were all in the spaceship.


    After the battle on the Flying Cloud Planet ended, they hurriedly collected the spoils of war from He Tianzheng and Yin Jueying and set off on their escape.


    Although the space-travel passage had been destroyed, the Roc clan could still arrive through a space-travel portal similar to the one on the Flying Cloud Planet and quickly rush over.


    Therefore, every minute they stayed there increased the risk of being surrounded.


    Gao Shuai hadn¡¯t been able to fulfill his invitation, and the winged female elves hadn¡¯t appeared in the end. Chen Yiming felt a little regretful.


    He had originally wanted to have a chance to meet them and interact more with them.


    It was said that humans with the winged elf bloodline had the ability to bless others. This special ability came from the true elves and could bring one good luck.


    Unfortunately, all of this was ruined by the imminent arrival of the Roc clan.


    ¡°The abandoned world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In reality, it¡¯s an ancient battlefield that happens to be in the southwest region of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Because a portion of it is connected to the spatial distortion, even the Roc clan¡¯s elders will find it difficult to surround us inside.¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, other than the star spirits in the living planets, the essence energy you are looking for also exists in the source mines in the abandoned world. This is much easier to obtain than snatching it from the star spirits.¡±


    Chen Yiming needed a large amount of essence energy. Gao Shuai also needed to stock up on a large amount of essence energy for the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse. The two of them quickly reached an agreement.


    In the abandoned world, the essence energy obtained would be split 50-50. Because Gao Shuai was a second-rate non-combatant, he was at a disadvantage and would use a device to collect the essence energy.


    Gao Shuai continued, ¡°The abandoned world is very special in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Because it is connected to the spatial distortion, danger and opportunity coexist.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, that¡¯s a true holy land for adventurers. There are many factions active there, and geniuses often appear. The competitive environment is very suitable for growth.¡±


    ¡°In the history of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, there was once a prodigy who carried a deep grudge against his clan. After he entered and exited from there, he developed an invincible aura. Although he was weaker than the true ruler of this galaxy, the territorial lord could not completely suppress this prodigy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the genius left the Hidden Dragon Galaxy after taking his revenge. Now, he¡¯s an existence that even the territorial lord needs to look up to.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming recalled the direction the human spaceship fleet was heading in. Previously, he had considered the lower left corner of the star map.


    This abandoned world was indeed very suitable for him and Gao Shuai. The combination of their special abilities could greatly reduce the risk.


    This was something that they could not do alone.


    For example, Gao Shuai¡¯s combat strength was relatively weak, and the old butler beside him did not reach the level of a genius. In the dangerous abandoned world, did he have to frequently use his prophecy ability to avoid danger?


    He would probably not gain much from this, but he would be risking his life.


    If Chen Yiming was alone, the efficiency of harvesting the source mines would definitely be inefficient due to the lack of information. It was better to work with Gao Shuai.


    Before Chen Yiming could study the spoils of war and discuss more about the situation in the abandoned world with Gao Shuai,


    ¡°I finally caught you guys!¡±


    In the dark space, a black bird broke the silence and approached the spaceship from the side.


    In its hand was a huge green staff. Its appearance was as black as ink, and its body was comparable to a moving planet. Wherever it passed, it emitted an ominous sound, and it was accompanied by a black light.


    It had chosen a suitable ambush spot for an expert of the Roc clan in advance. Coincidentally, it bumped into Chen Yiming¡¯s spaceship heading to the abandoned world.


    ¡°It looks like we have to take a long detour. The Roc clan won¡¯t give up on the pursuit so easily,¡± Gao Shuai looked at the black bird and said.


    Behind him, the old butler and the bull-headed bodyguards had solemn expressions on their faces.


    With Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai around, they were enemies with the entire world. It would already be good if the Gao clan could protect themselves, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to provide any help.


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it beforehand. Gao Shuai, control the spaceship and head west. It¡¯s equivalent to staying far away from the direction of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Make a space-jump and leave first.¡±


    ¡°After I stop the black bird, I¡¯ll use my spatial ability to quickly catch up to you. After that, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to constantly adjust our direction of travel. We might even have to leave the Hidden Dragon Galaxy and approach the abandoned world from the other side.¡±


    Gao Shuai agreed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no warning yet, which means that the stupid black bird isn¡¯t anything to be afraid of. Brother, beat up the stupid black bird as much as you want. I¡¯ll wait for you in front.¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared from the spaceship, the black bird that was charging at the spaceship stopped in its tracks and flew back.


    The fist shadows were like a meteor shower, shining brightly and illuminating the starry sky. A terrifying hole appeared in the black bird¡¯s abdomen, and blood splattered across the starry sky.


    The black bird let out a long cry in pain and spat out black flames at the attacker. Mysterious patterns flowed through the flames, as though they wanted to burn Chen Yiming to ashes.


    However, the black flames might be very strong, but it was useless if they could not hit him.


    Another series of punches that were like a meteor shower hit the back of the black bird that was sent flying, and the black flames that were spewing out suddenly stopped.


    This black bird from the Roc clan was at the jade star realm, but it appeared to be extremely clumsy of Chen Yiming. It was beaten up from the start.


    A few minutes later, there was an explosion.


    The power accumulated from the punches on the black bird¡¯s body caused its huge body to explode into pieces. Blood filled the sky, and its inner world was slightly damaged.


    With the power of his fists, he had beaten up a black bird at the jade star realm even though he was at the level of the star condensation realm.


    At the same time, his fierce appearance frightened the black bird. After using the inner world to regenerate its body, it immediately turned around and fled. It was afraid that if it stayed any longer, its inner world would be destroyed.


    ¡°You¡¯re at the jade star realm. Consider yourself lucky that I didn¡¯t have time to kill you,¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure had already disappeared. He used the space anchor to jump through space and chased after the spaceship.


    After a while.


    ¡°Black bird, I¡¯m the ruler of the Qi Planet. Where is he?¡± An elder with the appearance of an angry lion stepped through the air, carrying a pagoda divine artifact that emitted a precious glow in its hands.


    This was specially prepared for Chen Yiming. The pagoda divine artifact could expand to the size of a planet. It was specially made for sealing, and it had previously sealed a spatial ability user.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop him. He escaped,¡± the black bird suppressed its fear and said in a low voice.


    It was true that it couldn¡¯t stop him, but what it didn¡¯t want to say out loud was that it was beaten to a pulp. The one who had escaped wasn¡¯t Chen Yiming, but the black bird itself.


    ¡°Shall we go together?¡± the angry lion elder asked.


    ¡°No, my clan has its own arrangements. Perhaps that person will pretend to change directions and pass by here again.¡± The black bird casually thought of an excuse.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give chase first.¡± After the angry lion elder finished speaking, it stepped into the air and left. It had a speed-based secret technique that could not compare to spatial abilities, but it was still useful for pursuit.


    ¡­


    Half a day later, ¡°Kill!¡±


    In an area that was outside the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, shouts shook the starry sky. It was unknown how many pursuers had rushed over from all directions.


    Of course, most of the people who chased after him were at the star condensation realm or at the fusion realm.


    Those at the star condensation realm were too weak for Chen Yiming, and he could easily destroy them with a single punch. Therefore, when facing Fat Man Gao¡¯s spaceship, they didn¡¯t dare to appear and intercept it alone.


    There were creatures covered in blood everywhere, and the battlefield extended across an unknown distance.


    Some creatures at the level of the fusion realm were trembling. They might die just from the aftershock of the battle, but due to their orders, they had no choice but to be cannon fodder.


    At this moment, almost all the creatures who were here were famous in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. The main reason was that Chen Yiming seemed to have too many treasures on him and all of them wanted a share of the loot.


    Among them, the humans and the Roc clan had the most people. The humans naturally didn¡¯t want Chen Yiming¡¯s inheritance to be lost. The Roc clan could use the death of the Little Roc King to send out a huge team to participate in the pursuit.


    In the disc-shaped spaceship.


    ¡°Gao Shuai, there seem to be a lot of people involved in the ambush this time. Is there a problem with your prophecy ability?¡±


    Chen Yiming had made a move and killed a few people at the star condensation realm with his fist. He had intimidated them before returning to the spaceship, causing their pursuers to hesitate.


    Gao Shuai smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although there are a large number of creatures in this ambush, they are all small fries. I¡¯m just playing a game with those old monsters.¡±


    ¡°After all, the humans have never been at peace with each other, and the alien species are also in a similar situation, or even worse. How can the elders of the various species be away for too long? Aren¡¯t they afraid that their hometown will be stolen?¡±


    The old butler and the bull-headed men were not as nervous as when they first left the Flying Cloud Planet.


    Although he was not a true core member of the Gao clan, he could still understand the pursuit in front of him.


    The further away the spaceship was from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the fewer elders there were. The remaining pursuers were almost all people Chen Yiming could deal with.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s previous attack had intimidated countless teams that were chasing after them. The reason was that none of the elders were nearby.


    Why was this happening?


    Because the universe was vast, it was unrealistic to seal off an entire planet. Every time Gao Shuai made a space-jump, he deliberately avoided the direction where his intuition told him that there was danger.


    The elders who had the ability to stop the spaceship were being toyed with by Gao Shuai, but they could not find the location of the spaceship.

 Chapter 430 - Chance Encounter with the Interstellar Battle

    In the space ambush.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally captured these two people. Once the space disruptor is activated, the spaceship can forget about teleporting freely. With so many large factions present, let¡¯s attack together and not give the two of them any chance to escape.¡±


    A space beast covered in lightning spoke in human language. This was a creature that could devour stars, and the remote and weak living planets often that became its food.


    For example, a planet like the blue planet had not truly integrated into the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. The space beast might have casually swallowed it when it passed by, and the creatures on the blue planet would have disappeared without a trace.


    Nuclear weapons, intercontinental missiles, and laser weapons would not even leave a scratch on the space beast, and the martial masters were even less than ants compared to it.


    It had a grudge against the Gao clan, so it had participated in the pursuit of Gao Shuai.


    ¡°Oh? They want to kill me together?¡±


    After discussing the route with Gao Shuai, Chen Yiming appeared outside the spaceship and heard the space beast¡¯s suggestion.


    He did not make a commotion when he appeared, nor did it attract any attention. He was just standing there in space as though it was an ordinary thing to him.


    However, his figure that was reflected in countless pupils seemed to be glowing. In an instant, it seemed to light up the entire galaxy, illuminating the entire ambush area.


    Just by meeting his gaze, they subconsciously looked away. The scene of blood dying the space red was too terrifying. This was his might in a battle.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Countless creatures gasped and their expressions changed when they saw him. The lightning on the space beast¡¯s body had even extinguished and it took the initiative to hide.


    Although Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t considered famous in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, his achievements on the Flying Cloud Planet and his lack of fear of those with powerful backgrounds were enough to intimidate them.


    It had to be said that the deaths of the Little Roc King and the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet were too shocking. As a result, Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance caused a commotion in those involved in the ambush. They didn¡¯t attack together as the space beast had said.


    The tense atmosphere lasted for a while.


    However, if they did not make a move now, they would just be watching as the spaceship flew away.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    An elder from the Jiang clan spat out a sword. Although it was not more than a foot long, its surface was shining brightly as he slashed his way over.


    This sword was a divine artifact. The base was made from the tooth of a space beast. It was completely green and emitted a life force that made it seem to be alive.


    Ever since it was created, countless creatures had died under this sword. Its achievements in battle were almost invincible, and it could easily cut a planet in half.


    In the blink of an eye, when the sword reached its target, it suddenly turned into a huge green beast that opened its huge mouth and bit at its target.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care about the sword or the huge beast. No matter what he was facing, he just threw a punch back. A fist shadow hit the huge mouth of the green beast.


    The green beast¡¯s body was immediately forced back, and its energy fluctuated unstably. It almost collapsed on the spot.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    The elder from the Jiang clan spat out a mouthful of blood.


    This mouthful of blood contained powerful energy that entered the body of the huge green beast. It was absorbed immediately and disappeared, and the light around it became even stronger as it drowned out the fist shadow.


    ¡°Oh? I want to see how many mouthfuls of blood you can spit out.¡±


    Chen Yiming waved his fists. After a fist shadow was swallowed up by the huge green beast, hundreds of fist shadows shot over in the blink of an eye. The starry sky shook, and the huge green beast¡¯s body was shattered on the spot.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Under countless gazes, a sword flew back towards the elder in the form of broken fragments. The elder was kneeling on the ground with a dispirited expression, and his mind had suffered a serious backlash.


    The old man waved his hand, and the fragments of the divine sword fused into his inner world. He looked up and roared angrily, his eyes turning red as he went into a frenzy.


    The Sword Control Technique was an offensive technique that could kill enemies from thousands of kilometers away. At the god realm, its power was even more terrifying.


    However, because it needed to be nurtured by the mind for a long time, it was almost an extension of the body. If a part of the body was destroyed, it would also cause a backlash to the body.


    ¡°How dare you destroy my divine sword? I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a figure appeared in front of the elder. Chen Yiming had used the space anchor to travel through space. At the same time, due to the interference from the aftershock of the battle, he had not been noticed until now.


    ¡°Then die!¡± Chen Yiming said calmly. He punched the old man straight in the chest with an almost indestructible fist.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The physique formed by his Undying Body talent and Giant talent could almost be called the divine power of the body. A terrifying power erupted, and a figure covered in blood streaked across the galaxy.


    It was the elder.


    The space beast had retreated and the second to step forward to lure Chen Yiming into a trap was this elder.


    However, other than the aftershock of the battle that was still spreading, the entire galaxy was silent. This was the result of not having an elder that was strong enough to hold down the fort.


    At the critical moment, all of them were afraid.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? What happened to attacking at the same time?¡±


    As Gao Shuai had said, they were just a group of small fries. Chen Yiming swept his gaze across them and took in everything. The creatures he was looking at, whether they were humans or alien species, slowly retreated.


    Their action of retreating completely exposed the situation in the ambush.


    There were countless cannon fodder at the fusion realm present. There were at least 100 creatures at the star condensation realm. There might not be more than 10 main combatants at the jade star realm, but there were at least close to 10 of them.


    However, in the face of Chen Yiming, who could be considered to have taken the initiative to attack, they didn¡¯t rush forward to try to exhaust him to death. Instead, after seeing that the elder had been defeated, their fighting spirit disappeared.


    This also meant that when one cultivated to a high level, there were very few boorish people who were not clear-headed.


    The divine seed was tempting, but one had to be alive to obtain it.


    No one in the ambush wanted to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others.


    Time quickly passed by.


    After the true situation of the ambush was revealed, no one dared to make a move.


    They all started to slack off on the pursuit mission assigned to them. They pretended not to see each other and did not put in any effort into the pursuit.


    The spaceship was allowed to escape from the ambush. In front of the spatial ability users, they all knew that it was useless to stop the spaceship. Instead, they would be beaten up like the elder.


    Chen Yiming glanced at them again before his figure disappeared into the void.


    ¡­


    Outside the Hidden Dragon Galaxy,


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    In the dark space, a faint light lit up. Unidentified flying objects passed by. Unless they were very close, they could not be seen by the naked eye. Most methods were useless for detecting them.


    In the spaceship, Chen Yiming was holding a piece of bone in his hand. He looked at it again and again. Many disorderly patterns appeared on the surface of the bone, and from time to time, it would show a sharp edge, and from time to time, it would look like lightning.


    ¡°We¡¯re in luck. This is a divine rune. As the son of the Roc King, the pure bloodline of the giant roc flows in the Little Roc King¡¯s body, and he was born with this innate precious bone,¡± Gao Shuai glanced at it and said.


    The divine patterns formed by the innate precious bones were essentially materializations of the corresponding natural laws. Furthermore, they had been optimized to a certain extent, and were greatly compatible with the physique of this race.


    Generally speaking, it was very difficult for others to snatch it away. Before one died, they could destroy it themselves. However, the Little Roc King had been ambushed and blown up, so it did not have time to react.


    At the same time, it was also the best way to understand the natural laws. Clans that could create these innate precious bones were usually not allowed to spread them to outsiders. If it was exposed, they would do their best to chase after them.


    ¡°It has a similar principle to the concept diagram corresponding to internal force. However, the level of power involved is worlds apart. If we use modern science to describe it, it¡¯s a power inherited from the genes.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming roughly figured out the essence of the innate precious bones.


    To put it bluntly, they were all passed down from the elders among their ancestors. Those with pure bloodlines could rely on information they contained to progress along their path of cultivation.


    However, this method was definitely not something that ordinary cultivators could use. This was because there was a high chance that it did not have a high compatibility with their bodies. In other words, they need to have the ability to comprehend the natural laws from the innate precious bones.


    Of course, each piece of the precious bone would definitely be of extraordinary value. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t need it himself, but he could use it to exchange for essence energy, so it could indirectly be converted into Skill Points.


    The old butler and the bull-headed men stared at the precious bone for a long time.


    To break through to the star condensation realm, one needed to condense an inner world. With the inner world, it would be easy to break through. After mastering the power of the world, it would be very, very difficult for one to improve further.


    This involved comprehending the power of natural laws and integrating it into the power of the world. Only then could the power one controlled continue to increase.


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming put away the bone in his hand and took out the treasured saber he had obtained from the Little Roc King.


    The treasured saber was a divine artifact used by the Little Roc King. It also had divine patterns related to natural laws inside. However, compared to the innate precious bone, it was man-made, so it contained many flaws.


    These flaws were caused by the difference in everyone¡¯s understanding of the natural laws. Therefore, only in the hands of the creator of the divine artifact could it unleash its full power.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not of much use to me. I wonder if I can trade it for essence energy,¡± Chen Yiming said in a low voice.


    Gao Shuai nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to make a trade in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Any faction that accepts the treasured saber of the Little Roc King will offend the Roc clan if they use it.¡±


    ¡°The Gao clan¡¯s business is not limited to the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. When the time comes, we can sell it to other galaxies of the same level. Even if the Roc clan finds out later, they won¡¯t be able to do anything other than buy it back at a high price.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. He took out another divine artifact, the Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword. This was what he had obtained from killing one of the three blue-skinned men, the old man in the long robe.


    ¡°Uh, this is?¡±


    Gao Shuai¡¯s small eyes widened.


    The divine artifact in front of him was notorious for being used by a powerful elder. Why had it suddenly fallen into Chen Yiming¡¯s hands? Could it be?


    When the old butler saw the Seven Snakes Absolute Soul Sword, he was dumbfounded.


    Divine artifacts were also categorized into different grades. He had one of the worst quality ones on him. After many years of hard work, coupled with the fact that he was always by Gao Shuai¡¯s side, he had been given that divine artifact.


    However, Chen Yiming already had two divine artifacts in his hands. Furthermore, there was a hint of disdain on his face, as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    Just as Chen Yiming was about to ask Gao Shuai about the amount of essence energy he could obtain in exchange for the two divine artifacts, the spaceship shook violently, and the artificial intelligence appeared on the screen.


    ¡°A space battle is breaking out three light-years ahead. The energy intensity has reached the level of a battle between gods at the first level. Do you want to change your path?¡±


    The battle of gods at the first level meant that there were people at the level of the star condensation realm involved. The number of people involved could not be determined, but they did not reach the level of the jade star realm.


    Chen Yiming looked up at Gao Shuai.


    Gao Shuai closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. ¡°It has nothing to do with the pursuit. The spaceship accidentally triggered the other party¡¯s warning system.¡±


    This spaceship was the best of the best and had the ability to teleport.


    However, they had actually accidentally triggered a warning system. Logically speaking, such a situation would not happen in a battle between gods. It was clear that things were not that simple.


    Since it had nothing to do with the pursuit, Chen Yiming ignored it.


    He could not wait to enter the abandoned world to find enough essence energy for the spiritual figure and his main body. Now that the level of his talents was high, it was not easy to accumulate sufficient Skill Points for further upgrades.


    This was especially true for the spiritual figure. The Skill Points had been used by his main body first, and it was still at the fusion realm. Now, its level was not high enough to deal with the enemies.


    Fortunately, although the human spaceships were heading towards the middle of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, their speed was far inferior to him, who could perform space jumps.


    However, it was necessary to take precautions. He had to increase the strength of the spiritual figure as soon as possible. Otherwise, if anything happened, his main body would have to go over and rescue them.


    He did not know how much time would be wasted on the round trip.


    Gao Shuai thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Most of the manufacturing technology for this spaceship came from the machine civilizations, although there will definitely not be anything left by them to spy on us.¡±


    ¡°However, since there¡¯s a warning and this is just a battle between the gods, there¡¯s a high chance that it involves the machine civilization.¡±


    Chen Yiming said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s just barge our way through. If they don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them, we can just kill them. We¡¯ve already circled out of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    Gao Shuai nodded and said, ¡°We have indeed wasted a lot of time on the journey. What I want to say is that the machine civilization is one of the species that likes to stock essence energy the most.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, human technology is developing well, causing our relationship with the machine civilization to naturally not be so good. We can consider making a move.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    What he was thinking about was about to happen. It was indeed as Gao Shuai had said. Due to the competition between the humans and the machine civilization, there was a natural hostility between them.


    Unless humans gave up on developing their technology and took the path of pure individual cultivation, the level of competition would never decrease. It would only become more and more serious. It might even develop into a full-scale confrontation one day.


    1


    In that case, there was naturally no reason to let them off since they had encountered each other in the vast galaxy.


    The face of the old butler twitched.


    After his young master made friends with a strong fighter, he had completely let himself go.


    It had to be known that with Gao Shuai¡¯s special prophecy ability, the things he could see were definitely not at the level comparable to his own strength. He naturally felt powerless.


    In addition, the Gao clan had started off with business. They could be said to be a large business clan at the level of the universe. Their influence extended out of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy and reached many other galaxies of the same level or even stronger.


    Under normal circumstances, a large business clan like the Gao clan should prioritize peace and stability. It was the same for alien species that did not have a good relationship with humans.


    They should not be thinking of snatching things by force just because they were strong.

 Chapter 431 - Taking Advantage of Others

    In the boundless dark universe, on a large planet where extraordinary power had appeared, there were many tall towers. From time to time, the roars of ferocious beasts would shake the ground.


    However, now that this planet welcomed a group of uninvited guests, the forbidden area suddenly seemed as ordinary as a backyard.


    The space around the planet was surrounded by warships. cannons were aimed at various areas on the planet.


    Some areas were riddled with holes, and the ground cracked open. Mountains sank into the ground, and corpses were lying everywhere. The air was dyed red.


    Suddenly, a huge creature charged into space, trying to break through the encirclement of the warships.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, a cannon successfully hit its target.


    The huge creature shattered into pieces in the sky, and its flesh and blood fell to the ground. Immediately, a large number of extraordinary creatures swarmed over, ignoring the danger.


    On this planet, there was a chance that devouring creatures stronger than oneself would allow one¡¯s bloodline to evolve and one would obtain a chance to break through further.


    In reality, the main reason was that their power all came from the same source. The essence of this bloodline evolution was to rely on the accumulation of the defeated creatures, not purely rely on one¡¯s own cultivation.


    Soon, as this huge creature was killed, another humanoid creature holding a staff soared into the sky. With its small body, it wanted to escape from this land amidst the chaos.


    This type of humanoid creature was known as sorcerers. They were about seven feet tall and had destructive power in their bodies. They were one of the extraordinary creatures on this planet.


    The towers that covered the entire planet were the bases of sorcerers. They usually had a supreme deterrence, and even terrifying beasts were unwilling to provoke them.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Dozens of interstellar missiles shot out from the warship, aiming straight at the sorcerer who was trying to escape. Furthermore, they would automatically adjust their direction and lock onto their target.


    ¡°Oh no! I¡¯ve been discovered!¡±


    The sorcerer was forced to counterattack. A meteorite was summoned out of thin air in front of him to serve as his defense. The meteorite was nearly 10 kilometers in diameter, but the sorcerer, who was usually high and mighty, now seemed to be panicking.


    On the observation platform of a tall tower on the surface.


    Seeing this situation, a few sorcerers with wrinkles all over their faces cried out, ¡°Why did such a disaster happen just because we secretly sent a signal to outer space?¡±


    With the arrival of the machine civilization, the extraordinary power that this planet was so proud of would be crushed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.


    Even the sorcerer god who ruled over the planet was no match for the endless bombardment from the cannons and was forced to return to the world¡¯s core to defend it.


    ¡°Those warships are too powerful. In front of them, our airships are like the difference between an ordinary person and a sorcerer.¡±


    An old sorcerer¡¯s face was ashen, and his spirits had fallen to rock bottom.


    On this planet, the boundless star-filled space was referred to as the universe. The universe had always been a very popular research area. Of course, there had been many disasters that resulted from this.


    While there had been cases of attracting demons from outer space and causing terrifying incidents in the past, this was the first time the entire planet was in danger of being destroyed.


    However, even with this one incident, the consequences were not something that this planet could withstand. The outcome might be complete annihilation.


    As he spoke, ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    Dozens of interstellar missiles exploded against the huge meteorite. The meteorite turned into rubble and fell, revealing the panicked figure behind it.


    This was the strongest finishing move of this sorcerer ¡ª Meteorite Descent. It was what they relied on to dominate the entire planet. Usually, this attack would affect a range of more than 1,000 kilometers.


    However, the machine civilization¡¯s interstellar missiles could easily deal with them.


    The next moment.


    As the sorcerer was still in a daze, a pillar of light descended from the sky, hitting the center of his relatively small figure. Soon, the pillar of light disappeared, but the figure did not reappear.


    With one blow from the main cannons, the sorcerer had been defeated.


    Many sorcerers in the towers on the planets gasped when they saw this scene. This was not giving them any way out. They could not even escape.


    At the same time, a heavy feeling appeared in their hearts. This planet was doomed.


    ¡­


    At the same time, in the depths of the fleet of warships in space, there were a few spaceships that looked different from the other warships.


    These warships were not big, but they had the highest level of technology. Each of them corresponded to a mechanical life form, and they were controlling the huge fleet of warships.


    Facing the unfamiliar intruder approaching from a few light years away, the mechanical life forms started a discussion.


    ¡°A spaceship has barged in. From the feedback from the warning device, the intruder is probably not weak.¡±


    ¡°Should we get rid of the other party? After all, we¡¯re trying to surround and kill the star spirit. This can¡¯t be exposed. It¡¯ll be very troublesome if it¡¯s exposed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nervous. Order is collapsing in the remote areas of the various galaxies. Who will know if it was the black tide or us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll observe the situation then. If the intruders don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them, we¡¯ll kill them. If they were just passing by and accidentally entered, it¡¯s fine. We might not be able to completely hold them back.¡±


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Before long, the mechanical life forms reached a consensus not to take any action.


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai¡¯s spaceship was quickly approaching the battlefield in outer space. Neither of them had taken the initiative to communicate, so they didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s motives.


    ¡­


    Time passed by slowly.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Suddenly, an invisible ripple spread out, and the space around it fluctuated violently. Then, a huge black hole appeared in the air, and a spaceship flew out.


    The cabin door opened and Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai walked out of the spaceship.


    ¡°A few mechanical life forms. Are they attacking the star spirit?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at it and sensed the hostility from the world¡¯s will aimed towards outer space.


    This was the same result as him defeating the will of the dark forest world. However, this world¡¯s will was trapped by an unknown method and could not manifest normally.


    Similar to the black tide¡¯s invasion, they did not allow the star spirit to have a chance to contact the star alliance.


    ¡°So it¡¯s just a few scum from the machine civilization. The threat of the black tide is imminent. We can¡¯t let this matter go.¡±


    Gao Shuai pretended to be angry.


    His words were heard by the mechanical life forms at the same time.


    In an instant, the main cannons of countless warships turned around and pointed at the two of them. A terrifying energy fluctuation appeared from the black muzzles.


    ¡°Humans, mind your own business.¡±


    A voice sounded across the silent space, warning the two people who had suddenly appeared.


    The reason why they did not fire immediately was very simple. Gao Shuai¡¯s spaceship had the ability to jump through space, and was of a higher level than the spaceships of the mechanical life forms.


    It was not that the machine civilization did not have spaceships of this level, but that these mechanical life forms did not have the financial resources to buy one.


    Clearly, the level of the spaceship made it impossible for the mechanical life forms to kill the two of them silently.


    Chen Yiming cooperated with Gao Shuai and frowned.


    Now, the two of them were the side that represented order and coincidentally encountered a few mechanical life forms that had ill intentions towards a living planet. They were preparing to uphold justice and rescue the trapped star spirit.


    That¡¯s right, he and Gao Shuai were preparing to take advantage of the situation and kill a few mechanical life forms before snatching the essence energy gathered by the star spirit.


    At the same time, the confrontation in outer space was seen by many powerful creatures on the planet.


    ¡°Someone from the same species as the sorcerers?¡±


    a beast took a deep breath and said in shock.


    This was not entirely good news for the other species on the continent.


    If the planet was saved because of this, the sorcerers would undoubtedly rise to a supreme status. Even the humans who could not become sorcerers would not have the same status as before.


    ¡°Are we saved?¡±


    A sea demon appeared from the surface of the sea and felt a little reassured.


    The sea demons did not have an existence that reached the level of a god, and their status on this planet was only slightly above average. Therefore, they felt that survival was the most important.


    In their hearts, they did not care which species would rule this planet after resolving the threat of its destruction.


    In the towers all over the planet,


    when they saw that the main cannons of the warship had changed directions but held their fire for a long time, they immediately became excited.


    ¡°So it turns out that there are humans from other lineages among the vast universe.¡±


    An old sorcerer knelt on the observatory and cried.


    The young sorcerers beside him did not feel much, but they also knelt down. Even if they had to squeeze out their tears, they had to put on an act.


    It was not only the humans on the blue planet who had the thought of pursuing eternal life. The sorcerers also had the same thought. When they saw the appearance of the humans who could dominate the galaxy, it was as if they saw hope of extending their lifespan.


    After all, the gods of the sorcerer lineage only had a longer lifespan than ordinary sorcerers. They were far from reaching the level of eternal life and would still die of old age.


    Under the ground,


    the sorcerer god and the Heaven Devouring Divine Bird, guarded the core.


    The star spirit, which was the core of the world, was currently sealed in a cage. It was a special method that the machine civilization used to suppress the star spirits.


    Unlike the excited expressions of the two gods, the star spirit became abnormally angry after sensing Chen Yiming¡¯s aura. This person¡¯s aura had been blacklisted by the star alliance.


    However, due to his special spatial ability, the star alliance could not mobilize too many people to chase after him, so they did not publicize the matter.


    Even the fact that Chen Yiming had killed star spirits was something that not many people in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy knew about at the moment. Most of the information was kept within the star alliance.


    ¡­


    In the dark space.


    ¡°Since the two of you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, we can only kill you!¡±


    When the mechanical life forms expressed their intention to start a battle, black balls appeared in the air and surrounded Chen Yiming, Gao Shuai, and the spaceship.


    This was a void lightning that could kill gods. It was a common ambush method in the war between gods. Under the continuous explosions, one could only withstand it head-on or be blown to pieces.


    Because the machine civilization was best at winning with numbers, when one saw the ambush method of the void lightning, one could basically confirm that it was done by those from the machine civilization.


    Seeing this, Gao Shuai smiled and said, ¡°So it¡¯s still the same. If the quality isn¡¯t good, you will make up for it in quantity. These mechanical life forms are considered weak among the machine civilization, so they aren¡¯t powerful figures.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He waved his hand, and a bolt of lightning flew into his hand.


    In the next moment, an explosion rang out. A terrifying energy fluctuation caused cracks to appear in the air. This was a power that could shatter space.


    However, just as all the energy fluctuations were about to spread out, they were forcefully suppressed by an invisible force. Black smoke rose from it instead.


    Chen Yiming had forcefully suppressed it.


    ¡°Brother, your move is really crazy!¡±


    Gao Shuai shouted in his heart with an envious expression.


    He also wanted to pretend to be cool, but in the end, his strength did not allow him to do so. If it was anyone else, they would have exploded. After all, the void lightning could really kill a god.


    However, the guy he was with could not be trifled with. His physique was too terrifying.


    On the planet, on each tower¡¯s observation platform, there was a screen created using magic power that displayed the real-time scene of the battlefield in space.


    When they saw the void lightning explode and be suppressed, countless sorcerers were dumbfounded.


    ¡°This, he¡¯s too strong. The difference between gods is too great!¡±


    Not long ago, a sorcerer god had been ambushed by a bolt of void lightning in the space battle. His body had been torn to pieces on the spot, and cracks had appeared in his inner world.


    There were also terrifying ferocious beasts in the forbidden area that wanted to charge into space, but they were accidentally ambushed by a bolt of lightning and exploded into nothingness.


    Even what was left behind was swallowed up by the spatial rifts and thrown into the spatial distortion. There was no hope of survival.


    However, this human had actually held the void lightning with his bare hands and remained unharmed.


    Under the ground, the sorcerer god and the Heaven Devouring Divine Bird were also stunned.


    They had never expected it to be like this. It was as if the person who had arrived was far stronger than they had imagined.


    The star spirit sensed Chen Yiming¡¯s strength and fell silent.


    What was the difference between this and being targeted by a few mechanical life forms? It was similar to an ordinary person being targeted by a tiger after being targeted by a ferocious wolf.


    In any case, the ferocious wolves and tigers were not beings that ordinary people could deal with when they were unarmed.


    After the lightning in the air fell silent,


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Almost all the warships were fired in an instant, and the cannons launched attacks against Chen Yiming.


    The cannons had a terrifying power that could destroy planets. The huge holes in the ground that almost ran through the entire world were the work of the cannons.


    The forbidden areas on the planet were razed to the ground by a single cannon. Any supernatural power would be wiped out by the resulting explosion of energy.


    In fact, as long as the mechanical life forms wanted to, they could instantly blow the entire planet to pieces.


    ¡°Buzz.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t say anything. He took a step forward and faced the attack head-on.


    Then, from a distance, he threw out punch after punch. Countless fist shadows faced the countless cannons. This was a head-on collision between individual cultivation and advanced technology.


    Individual cultivation often represented quality. It was difficult for one person¡¯s strength to compare to heaven and earth, or to compare to an entire galaxy, or to compare to the entire universe.


    For technology, if the quality was insufficient, they could often use quantity to make up for it. It would only consume more resources. This was a difference in philosophy between the two paths.


    However, it was not that the quality of the technological equipment was not good. It was said that there was a black hole-level weapon that could directly devour an entire galaxy.


    To devour the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy at once, was something that even the territorial lord could not do. It could be seen that there was no difference in the upper limit of strength for the two paths.


    ¡°How terrifying!¡±


    Other than Gao Shuai, everyone else who was paying attention to the space battlefield was frightened. Their expressions changed drastically.


    Although they would not be able to withstand even a single blow from the cannons, the cannon¡¯s attacks were not a match for the fist shadows at all, and could almost be said to have collapsed upon the first contact.


    In addition, countless fist shadows shattered all of the cannons and landed among the warships.


    The defense of these warships was too weak for Chen Yiming. The energy barrier they had was like paper to him, and in the blink of an eye, the space was filled with fragments of the destroyed warships.


    Only a few warships had dodged the attacks and barely survived in the end. Those were the warships with the mechanical life forms. However, even if they were not destroyed, it was clear that they were severely damaged.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Be gentle.¡±


    Gao Shuai hurriedly stepped forward and reminded him softly.


    If they even destroyed the few warships that the mechanical life forms were on, the devices to store the essence energy would definitely all be broken. That would not be in line with their original intentions.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming stopped.


    He had already held back his strength. Otherwise, he would have destroyed them all long ago.

 Chapter 432 - : A New Way to Add Skill Points

    In the silent dark space, this time, things had really calmed down. Densely packed space debris could be seen with the naked eye. They were all fragments of the warships, which completely covered the planet below.


    The mechanical life forms behaved as though their spaceships had malfunctioned, and they floated quietly between the fragments of the warship. They did not run or try to counterattack.


    Their spaceships did not have the ability to jump through space. In theory, it was impossible for them to escape from a spaceship with the ability to jump through space.


    This was especially true for all the warships. They had been destroyed almost instantly. If they ran, they might be destroyed in the next moment.


    On the tower¡¯s observation platform.


    ¡°How is this possible? How can his main body¡¯s physical strength be so powerful?¡±


    One old sorcerer after another knelt down in disbelief.


    To the sorcerers, cultivation was all about the bloodline and spiritual power. The physical training methods had already been eliminated at the sorcerer realm, which was the realm of extraordinary power.


    The strength of a sorcerer¡¯s body mainly depended on the type of bloodline flowing through their body. Or rather, the battles on this planet mainly relied on extraordinary power.


    This was not only the case for sorcerers, but also for the other creatures. In the past thousands of years, there had never been an example of someone going against this rule.


    Otherwise, the physical cultivation technique would not be lost when one transitioned from ordinary people to sorcerers. Instead, it would be a path of cultivation that led straight to the god level like the sorcerers.


    ¡°So the physical cultivation technique is just not complete. It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no way up on the path of physical cultivation, but that it¡¯s because of this planet. A powerful spiritual power is more suitable for developing one¡¯s bloodline power.¡±


    There was a grand knight beside the sorcerer who was trembling with excitement.


    How many years had it been? Although the knights on this planet had mastered more extraordinary power compared to ordinary people, they were still vassals of the sorcerers.


    The strongest knights might not be able to defeat the weakest sorcerer in a head-on battle. In front of a powerful sorcerer, they were not much different from ordinary people.


    Therefore, those who were outstanding could only rely on their resistance to abnormal energy to work for the sorcerers.


    In the tower, the status of a grand knight was on the same level as that of a servant. Every day, the corpses of those who had died in various accidents would be thrown out of the tower. Then, new grand knights would be brought in.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai stepped into the spaceship containing the mechanical life forms.


    They were greeted by a computer-like machine, a flying mechanical bug, and a robotic vehicle.


    The core of the mechanical life forms was the spark. It did not matter what their appearance was like. The spark was equivalent to a human¡¯s consciousness. As long as the spark was not destroyed, it would not really die.


    The mechanical bug paused for a moment and said, ¡°Welcome, Young Master Gao and your friend. We are the three mechanical life forms from the G8 nebula.¡±


    A human figure appeared on the screen of the computer-like machine. When it saw Chen Yiming, it was a little nervous and hesitated.


    The robotic vehicle took on the form of a man. It cracked open its mouth, which was filled with metal teeth, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that there¡¯s a human clan dealing with trade in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy that does business in many galaxies. I didn¡¯t expect to be lucky enough to meet them today.¡±


    Chen Yiming swept his gaze across the three mechanical life forms and realized that they were all very respectful. Even though they had been beaten into submission, they were behaving this way out of their respect for the stronger party.


    However, he didn¡¯t care about any of this. He revealed his fake identity. ¡°My name is Chen Yiming, and I¡¯m from the Peacekeeping Alliance in the central galaxy. The three of you, hand over the misappropriated essence energy.¡±


    The three mechanical life forms were stunned when they heard this.


    Unexpectedly, the three of them happened to encounter members of an organization that maintained order in the universe.


    Their luck was too bad, but where was the central galaxy? They had never heard of it before, and they did not dare to ask further. Perhaps it was the name for a powerful galaxy.


    Gao Shuai almost lost his composure when he heard Chen Yiming reveal his identity.


    Central galaxy? Why don¡¯t I know about it?


    When I saw you in the prophecy, you hadn¡¯t even left the most ordinary living planet. You really know how to brag. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be exposed?


    However, as long as they did not get exposed, it would indeed be quite intimidating. It would be even more convenient for them to openly take advantage of others.


    Soon, the mechanical bug was the first to come back to its senses. It said, ¡°We don¡¯t have much essence energy with us. There are a total of 10 units, and only seven of them were stolen.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll verify it and deal with it according to the rules. It¡¯s not up to you to decide how many units were stolen.¡±


    When the mechanical bug heard this, it was clearly hesitant.


    The ten units of essence energy not only belonged to it, but also to its two companions. What if its other companions did not agree with it after handing them over?


    Gao Shuai added, ¡°Hand it over first. If you take the initiative to hand it over, we¡¯ll consider letting you off lightly.¡±


    He was spouting nonsense. He had already discussed with Chen Yiming that they would search for everything, not to mention that their status as people who were keeping order was just to trick others.


    At this moment, they were only trying to calm down the three mechanical life forms because they were worried that if they were forced into a corner, the other party would blow up the essence energy storages. At that time, losses would be inevitable.


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai didn¡¯t say anything else and just waited.


    However, Chen Yiming was already putting a lot of pressure on the three mechanical life forms just by standing there. Previously, he had easily defeated the warships which formed most of their strength.


    The three mechanical life forms looked at each other.


    Whether they felt helpless or unwilling, they all knew the value of essence energy. However, their opponent¡¯s fist was too strong, so open resistance was the worst option.


    In the end, they were forced to hand over the 10 units of essence energy in their hands.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the silence in space was broken.


    The three mechanical life forms piloted their spaceships and quickly left. They did not even bother to retrieve the device that they had used to seal the star spirit in the core of the planet.


    Two streams of light fell from the sky towards the planet. They were Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai.


    The essence energy was stored in special crystals to begin with, so they split it 50-50 as originally agreed. Each of them took five special crystals.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a loud bang like an asteroid crashing into the planet, the two of them landed on the ground.


    A terrifying sandstorm blew up like a magnitude 12 storm, sweeping up countless obstacles along the way and spreading out in all directions.


    ¡°The cultivation environment is at least 100 times better than the dark forest world.¡±


    Chen Yiming could feel the difference.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai smiled and said, ¡°You let those three mechanical life forms go. Are you planning to continue using your identity as a member of the Peacekeeping Alliance from the central galaxy?¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly, ¡°Of course we have to keep using it. After all, snatching things openly will anger everyone. On the Flying Cloud Planet, we were forced to counterattack.¡±


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he smiled and did not say anything.


    Indeed, when one was strong enough, they only needed to find an acceptable reason to take action.


    The first thing the three mechanical life forms had to consider was not to expose Chen Yiming¡¯s fake identity, but to consider if they would be targeted by this spatial ability user again.


    Perhaps the first thing they would do after this was to pool their resources and think of all kinds of ways to build a spaceship with the ability to jump through space.


    However, the materials required for this type of spaceship could not be obtained by ordinary trade. Even if one wanted to exchange their essence energy for it, it would cost an astronomical amount. Gao Shuai had a special prophecy ability, which was why he could own one.


    It was clear that such spaceships were not commonplace. There were not many of them in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, and each of them was equivalent to a life-saving divine artifact. In fact, there were fewer such spaceships in the entire galaxy than there were creatures with spatial abilities.


    Just as the two of them were chatting and laughing, a large number of sorcerers set off from the towers all over the world and gathered at the landing point. Some of those who were close by had already arrived.


    The first to arrive was a level-6 breaking dawn sorcerer, whose level was equivalent to the fusion realm. He was only one level below the level of a god among sorcerers, which was the level-7 law-defying sorcerer.


    The means by which this breaking dawn sorcerer traveled around was a floating city. It was nearly 10 kilometers long and wide, and there were seven towers built on it.


    The tallest of the seven towers was the laboratory of this sorcerer, while the others were the laboratories of the powerful sorcerers under him.


    At the same time, the distribution of the seven towers was also specially designed. They could be connected to form an energy barrier, providing a stable defense for the floating city as it moved.


    The floating city landed not far away. An old man in a long robe, followed by six elders, as well as a group of middle-aged people and young people, quickly ran over.


    As the rulers of Sun City, the seven powerful sorcerers had always been high and mighty, treating all living creatures as their test subjects. However, at this moment, they had humble expressions on their faces and were just short of kneeling down.


    ¡°How showy. It¡¯s not as good as a spaceship of the suitable size,¡± Chen Yiming glanced at the floating city and said calmly.


    As someone who had left a living planet and traveled to the Flying Cloud Planet, he naturally understood that the main means of transportation were still spaceships. The structure of the spaceships had a strong advantage.


    For example, the lizardmen civilization, which did not use spaceships, controlled a huge planet that could move through space. Its speed and energy consumption far exceeded that of a spaceship.


    This was a method that the lower-level civilizations would choose in order to maximize the amount of resources they could gather. They were cumbersome, so when they encountered dangers they could not withstand, they often could not avoid it.


    Another example was the floating city in front of him. In terms of the amount of supplies it could carry, it could not compare to the moving planet of the lizardmen civilization, and its speed could not compare to that of spaceships.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that a layer of energy barrier provided only a limited amount of defense and it would be torn to pieces when it faced any kind of accident in the universe.


    ¡°Did we take the wrong path in our research?¡±


    The breaking dawn sorcerer at the front had an awkward expression on his face as he asked in his heart.


    It was not that he felt that what the other party said was wrong. On second thought, it was actually true. The fragments of warships scattered throughout space were evidence of this. If the quality was not high enough, no matter how many there were, they would be destroyed in one strike.


    Compared to the warships that filled the sky, the floating city was as weak as a toy.


    The reason why it remained intact was that it had not been targeted. Otherwise, a single cannon blast could wipe out the entire floating city along with all the sorcerers inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s not to the extent that the floating city is worthless!¡±


    The young genius sorcerers at the back of the group were not convinced.


    This floating city could be said to be the result of the accumulated research this planet had conducted. It made use of countless precious technical knowledge.


    Every year, countless sorcerers on the continent had to pay a huge price to enter the towers in Sun City to further their studies.


    The sorcerers who had been staying in the towers of Sun City for a long time were either talented in spiritual power or had outstanding research achievements. There were also seven breaking dawn sorcerers guarding Sun City.


    In their minds, it was just that the level of the sorcerers was not high enough. One day, the floating city would become a war fortress that could dominate the galaxy.


    The sorcerers would also follow their research philosophy and travel throughout the galaxy to study the truth of the natural laws and investigate the essence of the universe.


    ¡°Everyone, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Gao Shuai broke the silence and asked directly.


    It was obvious why they had come. If not for the fact that the two of them had chatted for a while, they would have already appeared in the planet¡¯s core to gather the essence energy gathered by the star spirit.


    The old sorcerer in the lead bowed and said, ¡°We from Sun City admire the two of you from the bottom of our hearts. We want to erect two statues for you in the city.¡±


    ¡°We want to interact with you and hope to receive some pointers on our cultivation. If the two of you have any requests, if Sun City can do it, we will do our best to fulfill them.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming immediately lost interest.


    Gao Shuai was the same. When he looked at this group of sorcerers, it was the same attitude as a rich person who saw a few yuan by the roadside. He was not even interested in bending down to pick it up.


    The sorcerers also sensed what the two of them felt.


    Seeing this, the leading breaking dawn sorcerer immediately did not know what to say. He was afraid that if he said anything wrong, they would kill them with a single move.


    Just as the scene fell silent, Gao Shuai¡¯s spaceship landed on the ground.


    The old butler and the bull-headed bodyguards walked out of the cabin door one after another. Their powerful auras suppressed the breaths of every sorcerer present.


    The bull-headed men¡¯s powerful physical talent caused the leader of the breaking dawn sorcerers to pale in comparison. In front of the bull-headed men, he was like a weak ordinary person.


    He even felt that if he fought the bull-headed men one-on-one, he would be defeated and die in a few moves.


    In reality, this was also the case. The bodyguards that the Gao clan had arranged for Gao Shuai were naturally not weak among those of the same level. If not for the fact that Gao Shuai was only at the fusion realm, the level of the bodyguards would have increased by a level.


    The old butler came to Gao Shuai¡¯s side and said, ¡°Young Master, in recent years, the activities of the black tide have become more and more intense. This place is really too far from the center of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    Although he did not say it explicitly, the meaning was clear. He did not even care about this world, let alone Sun City.


    The deeper reason was that if they occupied this inhabited world, they had to send enough forces to guard it. However, the current situation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy made it not worth it for the Gao clan to do this.


    When the sorcerers heard this, their expressions darkened.


    They had many ideals. They were all humans, and although it was unknown how many years ago it might have been, they could be related by blood. However, reality was cruel. When they were of no value, others would not want them even if they delivered themselves to their door.


    Soon, Chen Yiming was about to send the sorcerers away. More and more sorcerers had gathered from all over the planet.


    Suddenly, he frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The talent panel that no one could see automatically appeared in front of him.


    The Skill Points on it were increasing rapidly. Although the increase was very slow relative to the amount required for upgrading to the next level, the speed at which it was increasing was faster than before.

 Chapter 433 - Preparing to Enter the Abandoned World

    Just as Chen Yiming¡¯s emotions were changing, the situation suddenly changed.


    He clearly did not use his will projection, but a giant vaguely appeared in the world and frowned. The face of the giant became blurry, and the characteristics of its entire body were that its physique was clearly very strong.


    At the same time, praises echoed between the sky and the earth. Thousands of human figures in armor knelt on one knee, like warriors preparing to go to war.


    Gao Shuai was shocked and said, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re really something. You casually took care of a few mechanical life forms and obtained a large number of believers!¡±


    ¡°Believers?¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly thought of the tricks that people in ancient times had used to trick others.


    However, when civilization developed to a certain extent, very few people would really believe it. In the modern society on the blue planet, such behavior was called superstition.


    The leader of the breaking dawn sorcerers heard this and was puzzled.


    ¡°Who exactly moved so quickly? Could it be those knights who have mastered a little supernatural power?¡±


    A topic of cutting-edge research among the sorcerers was to intercept all kinds of strange items floating over from outer space around the planet.


    Almost all the famous towers on the planet contained some remains of unknown creatures from outer space.


    There were sorcerers who had risked their lives to study the remains of these creatures and tried to communicate with them.


    Sudden death, spiritual corruption, transformation into a deformed body, and so on were the majority of the outcomes. However, there were also successful cases where one received a response and was bestowed with the power of a different system.


    Successful examples like this often came from people who claimed to be believers of someone and spread their faith to others. However, there had never been a situation where a large number of people responded like this.


    Due to the fact that there were many sorcerers and creatures from other species who had extraordinary power, as well as the existence of two god-like existences, believers had always been a niche group on this planet.


    At this moment, the image of the giant in the sky was still there, and its influence was increasing. It was as if the power of this world had been stripped away, and the will of the world had become controlled by the giant.


    Gao Shuai continued, ¡°There¡¯s actually nothing special about having believers. First of all, you have to reach the level of a god, which is to create an inner world in your body.¡±


    ¡°Then, a statue needs to be erected. Living creatures will pray to the statue from the bottom of their hearts. They will quickly become believers and establish an invisible connection with you.¡±


    ¡°In addition, believers can provide the power of faith through invisible threads. Even if they are far away in space, you can still receive power from their faith in you.¡±


    ¡°Believing in God is also a type of cultivation system. However, there are many restrictions. The power of faith is not completely one¡¯s own power, so it¡¯s not the mainstream cultivation method.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    It seemed that the reason for the increase in Skill Points was because the power of faith had been absorbed and used by the system.


    On the other hand, the reason why there were no believers on the blue planet was probably because of the technological advancements. The many years of education had led to the emphasis on science and the rejection of superstitions.


    Even those who admired a human would only treat him as a teacher on the path of martial arts, not as a god.


    He looked at the group of sorcerers in front of him again. If they could provide a large amount of power of faith, it would naturally be worth taking a second look at. However, it seemed that these sorcerers were not the ones who had established such a connection with him.


    ¡°You say such pretty words, but it turns out that you¡¯re just a group of fake believers,¡±


    Chen Yiming muttered.


    ¡°The power of faith can¡¯t be faked. Your image and style are more compatible with the knights¡¯ cultivation system on this planet, not the sorcerers¡¯ cultivation system.¡±


    As soon as Gao Shuai finished speaking, he reminded him,


    ¡°Unless you plan to become a symbol for their faith, you have to use the power of faith carefully. It¡¯s usually only used to temper your spiritual will, not to truly absorb it.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood.


    Naturally, he would not really absorb it. This power did not completely belong to him, and the one that could truly absorb and make use of was the system. This was the same as absorbing essence energy.


    Soon, the two of them mercilessly sent the group of sorcerers away. No matter how the leader of the breaking dawn sorcerers promised that he would pray every day to establish his faith, they ignored him.


    The sorcerers studied the truth, and their cultivation philosophy was suitable for becoming believers. This was something they could not change just because they wanted to.


    ¡­


    Under the ground,


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai arrived in front of a world stone.


    The hiding place of the star spirit was in this world stone.


    At this moment, the world stone, the sorcerer god, and the Heaven Devouring Divine Bird were each nailed to the air by five black nails, unable to move.


    Around them was a scorching environment where lava spewed out from time to time. Even if ordinary creatures knew that the star spirit could no longer resist, they would not be able to come to the world stone.


    ¡°So we came neither too early nor too late. It just so happened that at that time, the three mechanical life forms were about to get rid of the strongest people on this planet.¡±


    Chen Yiming was in a good mood and smiled.


    Seeing the world stone in front of him was like seeing countless Skill Points. His time spent here had not been wasted. The problem now was how much essence energy was stored in the world stone.


    Gao Shuai also smiled and said, ¡°Three sets of sealing items and two captives at the level of the gods that can be sold for money. After dealing with them, we can probably exchange them for two units of essence energy.¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around and asked, ¡°Are god-level captives that valuable?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the sorcerer god and the Heaven Devouring Divine Bird turned from looking forward to being saved to glaring at them. The world stone also started to struggle violently, and the scene of the apocalypse was simultaneously projected from the world¡¯s core.


    No one wanted to lose their freedom, let alone a star spirit with a high status. The other two were gods with supreme power on this planet.


    Gao Shuai ignored the reaction from the world¡¯s core and said, ¡°In reality, the value is more than just two units of essence energy. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have the means to control the gods at the level of the star condensation realm.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, on the surface, the various galaxies prohibit the trading of god-level captives. Coupled with the fact that middlemen are involved in the transactions, gods from ordinary living planets can only be exchanged for about 30% of their value in essence energy through the corresponding channels.¡±


    30%?


    In other words, 70% of it would be taken by others. What a scam.


    Chen Yiming could feel that in some corner of the universe, there were powerful existences on the path of gods who could crush weak gods at will.


    In the end, those at the star condensation realm were still too weak. In an ordinary world, they could control everything, but when they really entered the universe, they were not considered very powerful.


    As for him, if he was arrested one day after he was defeated, because there were too many things about him that caught other¡¯s attention, the outcome would probably not be good for him.


    ¡°Because of the matter with the true dragon¡¯s corpse, even if I don¡¯t get involved in it, there is still a certain amount of danger in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. I have to go to the abandoned world as soon as possible to increase my strength.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and made a decision.


    It was better to rely on the system than on others. Both the female spirit in the ring and Gao Shuai, who was calling him brother, were both external forces.


    They would leave him at some point.


    Next, Gao Shuai began to extract the essence energy stored in the world stone.


    He was using a syringe made of a special crystal. He extracted it syringe by syringe and stored it in the corresponding special crystal.


    During the process, the world stone trembled, afraid that they would think it was not enough even after obtaining all of its essence energy and that they would take its life in the end.


    After all, there was a ferocious person standing beside Gao Shuai. This ferocious person had a dark history of killing five star spirits. He was on the blacklist of the star alliance and was a target being pursued.


    Of course, there were many people on the blacklist who were being pursued. From the looks of it, this ferocious person was also the type who would always remain on the blacklist.


    ¡­


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    A spaceship moved quickly through the dark space.


    The spaceship had already returned to the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, but they did not encounter any more ambushes. It was as if the matter on the Flying Cloud Planet had been resolved just like that.


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged in a private cabin.


    He suddenly opened his eyes. Under the interference of his will, a small piece of space in front of him became strange. It was as if the fog in space was about to be lifted, revealing the essence of the space behind it.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 6, Giant ¡ª Level 5, Space Anchor ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 7


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Sword Body


    Skill Points: 973,583


    ¡°The spiritual figure has also broken through to the star condensation realm. My overall spiritual will has undergone a qualitative change. My body and mind were originally one, so this time, I¡¯m completely at the star condensation realm.¡±


    The essence energy he had obtained from this trip had been converted into Skill Points, allowing him to upgrade his Space Anchor talent to Level 4. The range of his super perceptive state had increased by 10 times, and he had one more space anchor.


    After upgrading his swordsmanship talent to Level 7, he felt that the projection of his will could crush opponents at the level of the star condensation realm who did not have a special physique.


    It was equivalent to a suppression of both the body and mind. It would forever far exceed the combat strength of those of the same level, and he could easily fight enemies of a higher level.


    After his spiritual power was further enhanced, he was not afraid of any strange tricks.


    Now that his spiritual resistance had also undergone a qualitative change, the characteristics of his physique were becoming more and more obvious. Even enemies two realms higher would find it difficult to completely kill him, and his ability to survive had increased again.


    After using his Skill Points to level up, Chen Yiming stood up and opened the door.


    In the hall of the flying spaceship, Gao Shuai was sitting cross-legged. The old butler was using the essence energy to cleanse his body, continuously removing the impurities in his body.


    This fellow was much more extravagant than Chen Yiming. This was an extremely inefficient and primitive way of using the essence energy. The shockingly valuable essence energy was being wasted just like that.


    Gao Shuai had briefly told Chen Yiming that his goal in collecting a large amount of essence energy was to use it to set up various special formations during the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse. It was equivalent to using external forces to increase his strength.


    The second was to prepare to condense his inner world and break through to the star condensation realm.


    The strength of the inner world was related to one¡¯s spiritual will and physique. It was laying the foundation for one¡¯s cultivation.


    Gao Shuai had a prophetic ability, so his spiritual talent was naturally top-notch. What he lacked was physical talent.


    If he did not build a good foundation, it would be difficult for him to break through to the next level. It could even be said that breaking through to the star condensation realm was the end of his cultivation journey. The quality of the inner world would not be good enough for him to break through further.


    In addition, essence energy was an extremely pure form of energy. Gao Shuai¡¯s clan had spent a lot of effort to obtain a cultivation technique that could help him cleanse his body.


    This technique was very powerful. It could purify the impurities in one¡¯s body bit by bit under the control of one¡¯s own will, enhancing the traces of dragon bloodline that all the native creatures in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy had.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s ultimate goal was to make use of the true dragon¡¯s corpse to use the dragon bloodline in his body and transform several times at once to make up for the shortcomings in his physical talent.


    After that, when Gao Shuai broke through to the star condensation realm, not only would he have a special prophecy ability, but he would also have the combat strength of a genius, or even surpass one.


    Not long after.


    The old butler took a deep breath and took a few steps back.


    The essence energy obtained on this trip had been squandered away by Gao Shuai just like that. Even with his enhanced super perception, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t sense any changes in Gao Shuai.


    ¡°This is too wasteful. I might as well use all the essence energy from now on. That way, we might have a higher chance of snatching the true dragon¡¯s corpse.¡±


    Of course, this was impossible to achieve.


    Not to mention the fact that the two of them were essentially working together based on mutual interests, even biological brothers could not really trust each other when it came to such things.


    The main reason was that Gao Shuai didn¡¯t have much essence energy left. If there was enough for Chen Yiming to increase his cultivation by one or two levels at once, he might have to forcefully make a suggestion.


    In any case, he had good intentions. He believed that Gao Shuai would understand his good intentions when he obtained the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    Unfortunately, Gao Shuai also did not have that much essence energy. He basically used as much as he had. The plan to save a portion of it for setting up a special formation had actually not been started at all.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai stretched and stood up. ¡°The amount of essence energy I obtained this time was too little. If I had known earlier that there would be no change after bathing in it, I would have saved it instead.¡±


    Then, he changed the topic and said, ¡°Brother, have you used up all your essence energy? Why don¡¯t I trade some treasures with you? Trade me the rest of your essence energy for now.¡±


    ¡°I felt that I was just short of breaking through the bottleneck and entering a new stage.¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes and said calmly, ¡°Just like you, I used up all of it.¡±


    With that, he took out the crystal containing the essence energy and shook it. It was empty, and there was not even a trace of essence energy left.


    Gao Shuai sighed.


    It seemed that it would be very difficult to realize his idea of trading treasures for essence energy. Both of them had a timely need for essence energy, and there would not be any left unused.


    If he wanted to obtain a large amount of essence energy, he could only wait until they reached the abandoned world.


    The cabin was silent for a moment.


    Gao Shuai changed the topic and said, ¡°By the way, the return of the spaceship to the Hidden Dragon Galaxy can¡¯t be hidden from the various people that were chasing after it previously.¡±


    ¡°If they don¡¯t appear now, there¡¯s a high chance that they have predicted our destination and are already waiting for us in the abandoned world.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    That was true. Unless the two of them left the Hidden Dragon Galaxy forever, it was impossible for them to let it go. The peace at this moment was just an illusion.


    Gao Shuai continued, ¡°If we don¡¯t want to break through the layers of obstacles and take the risk of being stopped by the powerful elders before we enter the abandoned world, we can only choose to pass through dangerous places and restricted areas.¡±


    Dangerous places?


    Restricted areas?


    It was said that the abandoned world was the most dangerous special world in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. The most direct danger was that it was connected to the spatial distortion everywhere.


    The dangerous places and forbidden areas were places that could really kill a god. Only those who were courting death would dare to do such a thing.


    However, the spatial distortion was a small problem for Chen Yiming. Gao Shuai should be able to avoid the dangers in the forbidden areas in advance. Overall, although it looked like they were courting death, the risk was not as high as one would think.


    Soon, the two of them discussed and decided to do this. Otherwise, if they were ambushed by the powerful elders, they would waste a lot of time running away.

 Chapter 434 - Forbidden Death Zone

    In the abandoned world.


    After nearly a month, Chen Yiming had finally arrived at this special planet.


    This was a huge planet. The sun could be completely devoured by it, but it did not burn brightly like the sun.


    On the contrary, it looked a little desolate from afar. From the ground alone, one could tell that it was a living planet. On it were traces of mines and huge mountain ranges.


    ¡°We have to be careful from now on.¡±


    As soon as Gao Shuai finished speaking, the spaceship suddenly tilted. An unknown corpse happened to be blocking the way, and the spaceship automatically drew an arc to dodge it.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a spatial rift hidden inside the corpse. Is it a trap?¡±


    Soon, when the spaceship passed by the corpse, Chen Yiming used the projection of his will to see the situation of the corpse clearly.


    It was the corpse of a strange creature. Its bones were glowing like jade, and when its eyes met Chen Yiming¡¯s, they seemed to have regained their light. It seemed to be trying to determine if it should make a move.


    ¡°The source mines have attracted many adventurers, not only from the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, but also from the other galaxies. Naturally, there will be people who are lying in ambush,¡±


    Gao Shuai explained in a helpless tone.


    There was already a lot of risk in the abandoned world, and there were also people who had set up traps in the surrounding space.


    This was especially true for adventurers who came here for the first time after learning about its reputation. It was very easy for them to be tricked before they really entered the mines. It was clear that the essence energy in the source mines was not easy to obtain.


    The traces of the mines also seemed to be filled with ill intentions.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming turned his gaze back to the traces of the mines. He thought to himself, ¡°My Space Anchor talent has also increased by one level. Now, I have two space anchors that I can use freely.¡±


    A diversion? Pretending to be weak?


    Since the source mine was clearly at a fixed location, there were some fake mines that were deliberately used to trick others. They could be compared to the corpse trap that they just passed and they could unexpectedly cut off any path of retreat.


    This was something to take into consideration. It would take a long time to dig out the source mines. Those that were easy to find would definitely have been dug up by others.


    Next, the spaceship continued to approach the abandoned world.


    Under Gao Shuai¡¯s control, the spaceship made twists and turns to avoid the ambushes of the pursuing factions and carefully passed through the space between the asteroids from time to time.


    These asteroids were of varying sizes. When they were far away, they looked like meteors. Compared to them, the planet¡¯s size was huge.


    Chen Yiming noticed that the surface of these asteroids was bare and dark. There were also traces of a large number of corpses, with a few huge corpses among them.


    According to Gao Shuai, there were space teleportation portals hidden on some of the asteroids, but there was a high chance that they were no longer functional. In the past, there were factions from the galaxies that used the teleportation portals to enter and exit the abandoned world.


    However, in the current era, the rise of the technological system made it safer to board a real spaceship and travel around using the star map.


    In addition, the interior of the abandoned world was directly connected to the space-travel distortion, causing the space teleportation portals on the nearby asteroids to be easily disturbed. There might be accidents due to the coordinates being altered.


    It was due to many reasons that the teleportation portals on these asteroids were gradually abandoned. Perhaps some of them were still functioning, but no one had used them for a long time.


    ¡­


    Time quickly passed by.


    The spaceship was heading towards an area on the abandoned world where nine mountains were linked together, forming an incomparably large canyon.


    There were many abnormalities in many areas of the planet. There were people walking around in the space around it, and there were huge creatures soaring into the sky. Unknown objects were falling towards the spaceship from the sky.


    Almost all the abnormal movements aimed straight at the spaceship Chen Yiming was in. It was the ambush set up by the factions that had been chasing after them earlier.


    However, because this planet was too huge, the surrounding space could not be sealed off completely. Coupled with Gao Shuai¡¯s special prophecy ability, they could easily avoid the attacks.


    When the spaceship started to land, it was still in a restricted area. It was too late to stop them.


    Gao Shuai had a serious expression on his face as he emphasized, ¡°The place I chose for us to land on is in a forbidden death zone. Any living creature that stays here will use up a large amount of blood essence every second.¡±


    ¡°The reason for this is unknown. Rumor has it that it¡¯s related to the bottomless pit at the bottom of the valley. Perhaps there¡¯s another world connected to the space-travel distortion at the bottom.¡±


    ¡°We have to find a way out of this forbidden death zone as soon as possible. Otherwise, we will exhaust our life force and die inside.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he frowned.


    Gao Shuai quickly continued, ¡°If we are forced to separate because of factors out of our control, we should just try to leave the forbidden death zone first. After that, I naturally have a way to gather everyone one by one.¡±


    These words were not only directed at Chen Yiming, but also at the old butler and the bull-headed men.


    He seemed to have a premonition that something unexpected would happen, causing everyone to be forced to split up.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming sized Gao Shuai up.


    He wanted to say in his heart, ¡°You could find me before, but can you still find me now?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he would be killed by a single punch from him due to the backlash? He could even crush a weakling at the fusion realm with just his will projection.


    Gao Shuai did not have the time to elaborate, and as he predicted, something unexpected happened.


    The spaceship was suddenly attacked by the violent power of space. It was as if the hull did not have any ability to block the attack, and its interior was directly exposed to the space-travel distortion.


    In an instant, everything around them began to disintegrate. The tables, chairs, screens, and so on in the cabin turned into fragments and quickly turned to dust.


    Chen Yiming had already set the coordinates for the space anchor so that he could leave safely at any time. He took one last look at Gao Shuai, the old butler, and the bull-headed men who each took out a talisman.


    ¡°Brother, the instant teleportation talisman is a consumable, and there¡¯s no way to replenish it in the abandoned world, so I didn¡¯t prepare any for you. After all, you¡¯re the strongest here, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to escape safely.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the cabin, except Chen Yiming, turned into a white stream of light and disappeared.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s reaction speed was much faster. When Gao Shuai and the others used the instant teleportation talisman to escape, he also instantly appeared at the coordinates set by the space anchor.


    The range of his super perception brought about by his Level-4 Spatial Anchor talent allowed him to easily target a spot on the ground of the abandoned world. He chose to go straight for it, and his figure appeared under a cracked ancient tree.


    In the next moment,


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The spaceship, which had the ability to jump through space and was of unknown value, was destroyed just like that in the sky above the forbidden death zone.


    It was unknown how the violent power of space had suddenly appeared. It was very sudden and unexpected. For the time being, they did not know if it was a trap or if they were just unlucky.


    ¡­


    ¡°It seems that from one of the nine mountains, an unknown existence attacked the spaceship.¡±


    Chen Yiming stepped on the dry soil and confirmed that the ancient tree beside him had been dead for a long time. Only then did he have time to investigate the reason for the attack.


    The fresh air blew over, bringing with it the smell of soil and the fragrance of flowers.


    He had returned to the natural environment from the silent and dark space, the environment was immediately filled with life. The cells in his body seemed to have become more active.


    This forbidden death zone was not as empty as expected. Instead, it was a beautiful place with rolling mountains and all kinds of strange flowers and plants.


    He had never seen these plant creatures that could balance the consumption and recovery of blood essence and survive normally in such a special environment.


    ¡°The pressure between heaven and earth is very strong. It¡¯s probably a pressure that is 1,000 times more than normal. The range of spiritual detection, speed, and so on are all suppressed.¡±


    In an unfamiliar world, it was not suitable for him to investigate the situation on the nine mountains too closely. Soon, Chen Yiming started to experience the environment on the abandoned world.


    The environment of such a huge planet was definitely extremely harsh. For example, if ordinary people from the blue planet came here, their bodies would not be able to withstand it and would directly be destroyed.


    It could be said that every blade of grass and tree here was at the level of a divine object on the blue planet.


    Even the range of his super perception was greatly reduced because the range of his basic spiritual detection was suppressed. The distance of one space-jump here was far inferior to that in outer space.


    ¡°Should I look for Gao Shuai and move together, or should I act alone?¡±


    Chen Yiming hesitated as he sensed the depletion and recovery of his blood essence power.


    Gao Shuai only knew that he had a powerful physique and that he had faked his death to launch a sneak attack on the Little Roc King on the Flying Cloud Planet. He had not revealed much information about his physique.


    Little did he know that the speed at which his blood essence was being consumed was actually far slower than his recovery. It was not much different from normal situations for him.


    ¡°If I work with Gao Shuai, we have to split the profits 50-50. In a situation where the entire world is our enemy, I seem to be at a disadvantage.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s spatial ability ensured his speed, but his spatial ability could only be used on himself. He couldn¡¯t teleport with Gao Shuai and the others.


    Due to the strong rejection, the inner world could not hold other living creatures, unless they entered the space in the ring like the female spirit and the treasure tree.


    The ring in his hand was extremely mysterious. Under normal circumstances, it should not have been able to teleport with him, but in reality, there was no problem at all, and there was no need to take it into his inner world.


    ¡°There are many variables on the abandoned world, and a large number of mines are hiding an unknown number of source mines. Perhaps I can consider exploring first before looking for Gao Shuai to discuss this further.¡±


    After some thought, he decided to use his spatial ability to try to make his move first. After all, it was impossible for all the large factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy to be chasing after him, right?


    Moreover, Gao Shuai had said that while the abandoned world was located in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, but in reality, there were a large number of factions from the surrounding galaxies that were after the source mines.


    The factions in this galaxy were wary of him. He could consider the mines constructed by the other galaxies instead. If he just cultivated diligently in order to get stronger, how long would it take?


    Soon, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up. He released his spiritual power and prepared to find a suitable escape plan.


    As the spiritual figure also reached the star condensation realm, his spiritual level and physical level returned to the same level.


    Even with the powerful pressure between heaven and earth, the range he could cover was still very large. It was easy to cover hundreds of kilometers. If it was anyone else at the same level, they would definitely be restricted more severely than him.


    Of course, he was still relatively cautious. His spiritual power did not cover the area from all angles. Instead, he gathered it into a straight line that carefully avoided the nine mountains.


    ¡°In the north, about 100 kilometers away, there are obvious energy fluctuations. It seems like a battle has broken out.¡±


    He could not see the scene clearly from here, but it did not matter if he could just go over to observe it.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming appeared behind a short slope with the help of the space anchor. There were some strange flowers and plants growing on the short slope, which blocked his path.


    There was a group of young men and women, a total of more than 10 people. The pouches at their waists were bulging, and they did not look flustered at all. They were fighting and retreating in an orderly manner.


    Behind these people, a middle-aged man was in pursuit, but his expression did not look too good.


    Every time the middle-aged man made a move, the materialized golden palm energy was not wasted at all. It accurately hit one of his opponents. This was something he had no choice but to do in the forbidden death zone. Every move he made had to minimize his consumption of energy.


    However, the dozen or so people on the other side were actually fighting across realms with ease with their combined attacks.


    The reason was that the suppression between the heavens and the earth was too serious. Unknowingly, the difference between the two realms had decreased, causing the combined attack technique to become stronger with their advantage in numbers.


    ¡°A middle-aged man at the fusion realm and more than 10 young men and women at the inscription realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming took a look and determined their cultivation level from the strength of their auras.


    The group of men and women in front of him clearly came from the same faction. Their movements were very coordinated, as if they had a telepathic connection. It was clear how well they worked together.


    Their combined attack technique was not something complex. They just used the principle of mutually reinforcing each other¡¯s attacks to form a cycle that repeatedly unleashed unexpected power at critical moments.


    The fire sword, ice saber, and wind arrow they used were all formed by the power of nature, but their combination was perfect, causing the middle-aged enemy to suffer repeated defeats.


    Such a battle of attrition was quite torturous. The reason why the forbidden death zone was a restricted area was naturally because the danger was far greater than just the effect of the environment.


    The distance and range of pursuit were too large. He might even lose his life. At this time, he had to weigh the risk and the benefits.


    ¡°Should I help one side defeat the other, or should I sit back and wait for them to decide a victor before following the victor out of the forbidden death zone?¡±


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes and considered whether to reveal himself.


    On second thought, he was not a saint, nor was he a righteous person who was willing to help others. The identity as a member of the Peacekeeping Alliance was just used to trick others.


    His true goal in coming to the abandoned world was to occupy the source mines so that the system could absorb the essence energy inside and make him strong enough to directly establish himself in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    This way, it would be disadvantageous to him if he appeared now. He might be able to obtain more valuable information by secretly observing the situation in the forbidden death zone.


    Chen Yiming also didn¡¯t use his spiritual power to investigate the nine mountains any further. His intuition told him not to do that.

 Chapter 435 - A Problematic Woman

    Chen Yiming decided to observe the situation in secret. After the middle-aged man failed again and again, he suddenly stopped attacking and stayed hundreds of meters away.


    The middle-aged man did not continue to attack, and the group of young men and women did not counterattack or continue to run. The two sides remained in a stalemate for a few minutes.


    Finally, a young woman broke the silence. ¡°Senior Zhu Qun, it¡¯s just some source ores. We can¡¯t be sure that there¡¯s really essence energy inside. It¡¯s very likely that it¡¯s just a pile of rocks.¡±


    ¡°Look, both sides have fought for more than 10 kilometers. This is not a good situation in the forbidden death zone. What if we are targeted by the terrifying existence on the mountain?¡±


    The middle-aged man did not reply. His expression was dark, as if he had not really given up and was still thinking of a way to deal with the group in front of him.


    Seeing this, the group of young men and women took a few steps back with the woman who had spoken up at the center and assumed a determined stance to fight their opponent together.


    This action clearly told the other party that no matter how they threatened them, even if their seniors¡¯ cultivation level was high, they would not split up to escape. That would only cause them to be caught by him one by one.


    Splitting up and escaping in different directions was a common way for a group of relatively weak people to deal with a powerful enemy. However, the actual effect might not be good. It was equivalent to leaving things up to luck.


    Behind the short slope, Chen Yiming heard the woman mention a terrifying existence on the mountain.


    He turned to the nearest mountain in front of him. In such a huge world, the mountain was an existence that was as eye-catching as a landmark.


    After taking a few more glances, he could not make out anything. The environment on the mountain did not seem to be much different from below it. There were just some bare rocks and strange flowers and plants.


    Soon, he retracted his gaze and continued to hide in the dark, eavesdropping and not moving.


    The middle-aged man was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Leave half of the source ores behind, then I¡¯ll leave now and not pester you any further. Otherwise, we¡¯ll just drag it out and see who can last longer.¡±


    As soon as he said this, many of the young men and women opposite him revealed angry expressions.


    This was too shameless. First, he had tried to kill them, but now, he was demanding to split the loot.


    It had to be known that the source ores each person carried were not something they had just picked up, but what they had dug out at a huge risk to themselves. The team had already sacrificed several people for this.


    The middle-aged man smiled and continued, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re their leader, right? You have to think carefully. I¡¯m just one person, and you have more than 10 people.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, the blood essence of those at the fusion realm is much stronger than yours. In a situation where I can dodge your combined attacks, you will definitely not be able to defeat me.¡±


    When the young woman heard this, she subconsciously tightened her grip on the sword in her right hand.


    If this senior called Zhu Qun was not lying to them, they would indeed be in a dilemma.


    In the end, the combined attacks were a combination of everyone¡¯s strength. Although they could fight against their opponent for a short period of time, their strength was not gathered on any one person. Instead, they were on the defensive side.


    Now, they had two choices. The first was to trust the other party¡¯s words and hand over half of the source ores for this pursuit to come to an end.


    The hidden danger was that after they handed over half of it, if the other party went back on his word and continued to force them, would they have to hand over the rest of the source ores?


    It had to be known that even after they worked together to defend themselves, and they still lost half of the bargaining chips they were risking their lives to protect, the people in the team might waver in their determination to protect the source ores with their lives?


    Once they were not united, the team might even be wiped out.


    The second choice was to fight together to the end and continue to retreat outside the forbidden death zone. However, the speed at which they fought and retreated would definitely be as slow as a turtle compared to their normal speed.


    This way, even if the middle-aged man continued to force them, there was a high chance that the commotion caused by the long journey would cause both sides to self-destruct.


    This was the forbidden death zone. Both sides would definitely not have a good outcome.


    ¡°Mining the source ores is similar to gambling on the blue planet. Without opening it, no one knows the situation inside. However, even so, these people are willing to risk their lives.¡±


    In the distance, Chen Yiming could sense the intense conflict over the source ores.


    Although he did not see where this group of young men and women had obtained the source ores from or what price they had paid, he could tell the value of the source ores from their determination.


    The young woman was given only a few seconds to make her choice. Under the pressure, every second of hesitation would only cause the hearts of the people to waver.


    Soon, after weighing the pros and cons, the young woman said to her companions in a low voice, ¡°If we hand over the source ores so easily, what¡¯s the point of risking our lives to enter the forbidden death zone?¡±


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯re going to die anyway. If we can leave this place with the source ores, who knows if we might be lucky? We might be able to use the essence energy from the source ores to break through to the next level in one go.¡±


    When the middle-aged man opposite them heard this, his expression turned ugly again.


    On the other hand, the group of more than 10 young men and women seemed to have a clear goal again. The people who had been angered earlier also calmed down.


    Then, the group of young men and women did not stay any longer. They turned around and walked forward in small steps, but they kept most of their attention behind them, wary that the middle-aged man would suddenly attack them again.


    The middle-aged man did not give up. He followed the group of young men and women.


    Behind the short slope, Chen Yiming muttered to himself as he watched the direction in which these people had left, ¡°It just so happens that neither side is willing to give up easily. This saves me the trouble of thinking about which side to follow.¡±


    After waiting for a while, he followed the middle-aged man from afar.


    Now, a group of young men and women at the inscription realm were carrying a large number of source ores and were being targeted by a middle-aged man at the fusion realm.


    Without realizing it, the two sides were targeted by another powerful god.


    The three parties moved forward in the forbidden death zone.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, half a day had passed.


    Chen Yiming, who had been following them all this time, had a better understanding of this forbidden death zone.


    The middle-aged man and the group of young men and women first avoided the nine mountains. What surprised Chen Yiming was that the positions of the nine mountains would change.


    Such huge mountains would actually appear randomly in an area in the forbidden death zone every few hours like a mirage.


    Another thing that needed to be avoided was that when the mountain first appeared, there would be creatures that would go down the mountain and patrol the surroundings before returning.


    These creatures were from different species. There were humans and beasts among them. The common characteristic among them was that their skin was dry and black, sticking tightly to their bones. It looked like their bodies had completely lost their moisture.


    After walking through many areas in the forbidden death zone, there did not seem to be any traces of mines on the surface.


    However, Chen Yiming had seen people like that group of young men and women taking advantage of the fact that the creatures were patrolling to enter the mountain.


    Then, before the creatures returned to the mountain, those who entered the mountain would come out carefully. Some of them had heavy cloth bags on their bodies, which should contain the source ores.


    He also saw someone who was unlucky and bumped into a creature that had returned to the mountain.


    The battle began instantly, but the duration it lasted was very short.


    The creatures patrolling the mountain had a mysterious power that could strip away one¡¯s life force. Coupled with the environment in the forbidden death zone where one¡¯s blood essence was continuously depleted, almost no one was their match.


    Therefore, those who were unlucky would naturally become dried corpses and be brought back to the mountain by the patrolling creatures.


    ¡­


    In the forbidden death zone, in a small valley in a lower terrain.


    The valley was less than a kilometer wide, and there were some strange flowers and plants growing there. At the lowest point in the middle, there was a spring that had formed from the accumulated water.


    After taking a few sips of water, the middle-aged man finally chose to give up and leave. At this moment, he looked much older, and there was a strand of black hair at each side of his temples that had turned white.


    A person¡¯s blood essence was closely related to their life force. When one used up too much of their blood essence, there would be signs of one¡¯s lifespan decreasing. A wisp of white hair appearing at the temples was a bad sign.


    Chen Yiming placed a space anchor on the middle-aged man without anyone noticing. After that, he would decide whether to chase after him based on the situation.


    ¡°These people have already exhausted their energies so much after entering the forbidden death zone once. If they return empty-handed several times, I¡¯m afraid they will never be able to recover from the losses.¡±


    He turned to look at the group of young men and women.


    After confirming that the middle-aged man had given up on leaving, they entered the small valley and prepared to drink some water before continuing on their way. However, compared to before, each of them already had the same appearance as the middle-aged man.


    Among them, the young woman leading this group was slightly better off, but she had also changed from a young and beautiful woman to a mature woman in her thirties.


    A group of people dragged their tired bodies to the spring and squatted down.


    The men heaved a sigh of relief and took a deep breath. Immediately, the spring water turned into a small fountain of water and entered their mouths.


    A woman was also about to drink some water when she saw the reflection in the water. She suddenly exclaimed and fell into it, creating two splashes of water.


    ¡°We were a little unlucky this time and were chased down by someone. However, this is your first time entering the forbidden death zone. After suffering this loss, you can still recover even without the help of essence energy.¡±


    Someone at the side comforted the woman in the water.


    This was the first time the woman who had fallen into the water had followed the team into the forbidden death zone, but she had already encountered the predicament that forced the middle-aged man to back off.


    At this moment, she could not accept the fact that she had suddenly become middle-aged. Under normal circumstances, the team would plan how long they would stay in the forbidden death zone based on the calculations of the consumption of blood essence on the journey back and forth.


    During the few minutes that the team was resting,


    someone said worriedly, ¡°Sister Wen Qi, do you think that Zhu Qun will calculate the timing and ambush us outside the forbidden death zone in advance?¡±


    Wen Qi, who now had the appearance of a mature woman in her thirties, was the young woman who had led the team previously.


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. After all, everyone¡¯s physical condition has already reached this stage. It¡¯s no longer possible to change the direction of our movement too much at this point.¡±


    Wen Qi sighed and nodded.


    Actually, she had done a rough calculation in her heart. At the time Zhu Qun gave up and left, she had thought that the other party had not really given up. Instead, he was preparing to find help to stop them.


    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we just open the source ores and cut off Zhu Qun¡¯s pursuit? Let¡¯s treat it as a cleansing of the impurities in our bodies and further strengthen our basic talent,¡± the person from before continued.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the group fell silent, even Wen Qi, who was leading the team.


    Due to the special environment that continuously consumed one¡¯s blood essence, the forbidden death zone was not suitable for cultivation. If one used the essence energy that could help one break through here, it would be equivalent to wasting it.


    After all, these people did not have the same conditions as Gao Shuai. They did not have a large amount of essence energy to cleanse themselves, and they had risked their lives to bring the source ores out of the mountains. No one knew if they would lose their lives here the next time.


    In other words, if they wasted one opportunity, they might not have another.


    Soon, Wen Qi broke the silence. ¡°From the perspective of our survival, it¡¯s naturally better to open the source ores. However, most people have to agree to this, and we have to split up after this.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, if some people decide to open the source ores, and some people decide not to open the source ores, there will be a huge problem among the team. I¡¯ve experienced such internal strife and bloodshed before.¡±


    Wen Qi specially emphasized that if they did not agree, there would be a huge problem within the team.


    A few kilometers away, Chen Yiming nodded after he heard this.


    This was easy to understand. Opening up a source ore was just like gambling. Some people were extremely lucky, while others were unlucky.


    The group was right next to each other, so it was inevitable that some people who had lost the bet would be envious of those who were extremely lucky. They had just joined forces to deal with the middle-aged man, but when the time came, they might even attack their companions.


    In fact, even in an environment like the forbidden death zone, because it was an environment unsuitable for cultivation, the probability of attracting jealousy was greatly reduced, but it was not impossible.


    ¡­


    About a few minutes later, this group of people reached a consensus and decided to open the source ores on the spot.


    Each of them was feeling uneasy. The team spread out and only stopped when they were at least a kilometer apart.


    During this process, everyone became vigilant. They were worried that the middle-aged man might suddenly return, but in reality, this did not happen.


    The reason might be that the middle-aged man felt that if he continued to waste time on them, the benefits would not be proportional to the price he had to pay.


    Chen Yiming used the space anchor to target a spot behind Wen Qi and appeared a few meters away from her. He stepped out of the void without making any sound, wanting to see how the other party would open the source ore.


    After confirming that the middle-aged man would not return, Wen Qi focused all her attention on the cloth bag she had taken from her waist. Then, she took out a piece of source ore.


    The source ore was a little grayish-white, but it wasn¡¯t much different from ordinary stones. At the very least, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t tell from its appearance.


    At this moment, an ancient stone saber was held in Wen Qi¡¯s other hand. She carefully cut through the piece of ore in her hand.


    From her movements, it could be seen that she was very skilled. She was careful, but her speed was not slow. The thin pieces of stone kept flying to the ground beside her.


    Soon, the last slash completely cut open the source mine. There was nothing inside, and it was completely solid, just like an ordinary stone.


    ¡°Things aren¡¯t going well from the start. Looks like her luck isn¡¯t that good!¡±


    Chen Yiming, who was like a ghost behind her, looked at the two halves of the stone that had been abandoned on the ground and thought to himself.


    Wen Qi was not discouraged, and seemed to be used to it. She quickly took out another piece of the ore from the cloth bag and started to cut it open bit by bit with the stone knife.


    However, there was also nothing in the second source ore.


    Next, the third piece, the fourth piece¡­ she continued until the cloth bag fluttered in the wind and all the source ores inside had been opened. There were only stone pieces on the ground, and there was no sign of any essence energy.


    ¡°Is this woman unlucky, or is the chance of finding a source ore with essence energy that low to begin with?¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming was puzzled. After all, this was the first time he had come into contact with opening the source ores. The woman in front of him had opened nearly 20 source ores, which was quite a number.


    At this moment, sobbing sounds rang out one after another from afar.


    Needless to say, someone must have also found only stones and risked their life to bring out the source ores for nothing.


    ¡°Wait, there seems to be something wrong with Wen Qi.¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly recalled that from the beginning to the end, although the woman not far away was also very serious about opening the source ores, he felt that something was amiss.


    That¡¯s right, she did not feel as dejected as she should when she failed in her gamble on the source ores.


    ¡°Zhu Qun, you old fellow, you almost forced me to reveal myself. Consider it a good thing that this bag of source ores didn¡¯t drop anything. Otherwise, I would definitely make you suffer.¡±


    Wen Qi put away her stone saber and patted the stone dust off her hands as she cursed under her breath.


    In stark contrast to the others, she did not care too much about the bag of nearly 20 source ores that did not have any essence energy inside.

 Chapter 436 - Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop

    Half an hour passed.


    No matter how slow or conflicted they were, the bag of source ores had already been opened. Wen Qi¡¯s team quickly gathered together again.


    The truth was that the rate of finding essence energy in the source ores was not high. Most of the people had sad expressions on their faces, and only a few of them had smiles on their faces.


    Furthermore, without exception, these people had all regained their youth. They had been cleansed by the essence energy from head to toe, and the blood essence they had lost had completely recovered.


    ¡°Zhang Fan, you¡¯re really lucky,¡± a woman said enviously.


    ¡°It was pure luck.¡±


    Zhang Fan, who had returned to his handsome self, deliberately suppressed the joy in his heart and casually brushed it off.


    After all, luck would not always favor one person. There was a high chance that they would still be companions in the future and would still need to watch over each other.


    Then, the group did not stay for long and quickly left in one direction.


    Chen Yiming continued to follow behind them.


    After understanding the change of finding essence energy in the source ores, he directly retrieved the space anchor on the middle-aged man¡¯s body. Such a small chance of finding essence energy was just a waste of time.


    Then, he left the space anchor on Wen Qi¡¯s body.


    Non-spatial ability users couldn¡¯t sense the slight spatial fluctuations before forming the inner world. No one, including Wen Qi, noticed Chen Yiming¡¯s small movements.


    For the rest of the journey, perhaps it was because this group of people had appearances at different ages, and it was obvious that there was something special about them, as well as the face that they could roughly guess the reason, along the way, other than avoiding the nine mountains, no one else came up to cause trouble for them like the middle-aged man. In addition, occasionally gazes of pity came their way.


    Clearly, what had happened to this group of people was not something uncommon in the forbidden death zone. There were many people who had the same experience.


    ¡­


    Another half a day passed.


    A huge city appeared on the horizon.


    This city covered an area of hundreds of kilometers and was extremely huge. The city wall alone was more than 10,000 feet tall. The surface was black, as if it was completely made of steel. If one looked carefully, they would find that there were special patterns engraved on it, which was even more shocking.


    The soldiers stationed on the city wall were all wearing armor. Their individual auras were not very strong, and they were only equivalent to the martial masters on the blue planet.


    However, when they lined up neatly, they seemed to have fused with the city wall. If anyone wanted to attack the city, they would not be facing individual soldiers, but the power of the entire city.


    In addition, an invisible energy barrier enveloped the entire city. Other than the city gate, one could not enter or leave from anywhere else.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Chen Yiming walked out of the void and saw the words ¡°Heaven Suppressing City¡± written on the plaque on the city gate. The next step brought him into the city.


    The city was heavily guarded, except for the entrance to the city. It gave off the feeling of encouraging free trade.


    The city was extremely prosperous, and the streets were more than 1,000 meters wide. From time to time, vehicles pulled by mutant beasts would roar past. The ground was made of some unknown material, but it was not cracked by the mutant beasts running past.


    The buildings on both sides of the street were filled with tall buildings. Compared to this place, the commercial buildings on the blue planet were not lacking only in height, but the area they occupied was also too small.


    There were humans and other species coming and going, but they had all shrunk their bodies to less than 10 meters tall.


    The most discussed topic among the passers-by was the source ores. When one first arrived here, it gave one the feeling that almost everything in this large city built outside the forbidden death zone revolved around the source ores.


    Chen Yiming pretended to be a passerby and walked along the street. He quickly realized that the even weakest creatures in the city had mastered supernatural power. There were no exceptions.


    From time to time, aircraft would fly past in the sky.


    Judging from their auras, those creatures had all reached the level of the gods. It seemed that there were unspoken rules in the city, and creatures below the level of the gods moved on the ground.


    ¡°A source ore! A source ore! It¡¯s been decades. When will luck come to me? Let me experience what it¡¯s like to surpass others.¡±


    On the street, someone looked enviously at the flying aircraft that had passed over their heads.


    ¡°You¡¯re just an old gambler. You¡¯re dreaming too much. If you want to rely solely on the essence energy to break through to become a god, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to get anywhere even if you bring out all the treasures you have,¡± someone at the side said.


    ¡°Which one of those source ore appraisers doesn¡¯t have a terrifying background? How can they let you pick up the leftovers so easily? Do they think that professional source ore appraisers only eat and don¡¯t work?¡±


    Then, someone mocked him.


    Chen Yiming stopped for a moment and listened to their conversation.


    ¡°They are talking about people who appraise the source ores. However, if that¡¯s the case, the source ores will probably have to go through a round of selection by the experts.¡±


    He immediately thought of this problem.


    On second thought, if the best source ores were not displayed, they would definitely be hidden somewhere. Wouldn¡¯t that be exactly what he wanted?


    Soon, Chen Yiming continued along the street.


    He did not ask for directions, nor did he release his spiritual power to investigate. He just chose a random direction and walked along it. 10 minutes later, he arrived at a shop called the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    The shop was very lively. From the outside, it covered a large area. It was like a large supermarket inside, and transparent cabinets were placed everywhere. Source ores were displayed in the cabinets.


    The source ores displayed here were much larger than the ones in Wen Qi¡¯s hands. Those seemed to be of low quality, while the ones here seemed to be of high quality.


    In addition, most of the people entering and exiting this shop were humans. It should be a shop owned by a human faction.


    Chen Yiming quickly stepped into the shop.


    ¡°Hello, sir. Not long ago, a new batch of goods arrived at the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. Do you want to gamble on the source ores or buy essence energy directly?¡±


    As soon as he entered, a lady walked up to him.


    The lady had an exquisite face, a tall figure, and fair skin. Other than that, her cultivation level was not weak, and she had reached the level of a martial master on the blue planet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look myself.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate to send the eager lady away and continue browsing the wares.


    There was a high chance that this lady was similar to a salesperson that would receive a commission. She must have seen that he looked unfamiliar and wanted to trick him into buying the source ores.


    In reality, his pockets were empty. How could he have the ability to buy it?


    If he did not have the money to buy it, it would be easy for him to expose himself. It would not be good if the lady saw through him. He still wanted to do something big in Heaven Suppressing City.


    The lady watched as the figure gradually walked away and was stunned for a moment before she came back to her senses.


    She was a top salesperson at the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop and had always been confident in her charm. She had taken the initiative to ask about it, but she was actually ignored.


    Such situations were rare. Generally, there were some men who would reject the beauties who offered their services for free, but very few would reject them so directly.


    This incident passed in the blink of an eye and did not attract much attention in the store.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming arrived at the area where most people had gathered. Many people were standing around in a semicircle, and in the middle was a source ore appraiser cutting open the source ores for the customer who was buying them.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°It looks like something good is about to appear,¡±


    someone suddenly exclaimed.


    Soon, the entire shop was in an uproar. Even the lady who had just entered to welcome Chen Yiming ran over.


    The expert in charge of cutting the source ore had already stopped before the cries of surprise could be heard. The value of this kind of half-opened ore varied according to the situation, and the price was also different.


    However, according to the rules, would the expert need to ask the customer if he wanted to continue opening the source ore? Or should he consider selling it at a premium?


    Chen Yiming squeezed into the crowd and looked over.


    A humanoid creature with golden hair that looked like a lion man was smiling. He did not make a decision quickly, but enjoyed the envious gazes of everyone.


    ¡°He failed 9 out of 10 times. From the looks of it, this source ore has a price of at least 3,000%. 30 times the premium. Just let it be,¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. Isn¡¯t he stupid to sell it at a premium of 30 times the original price? The opportunity is right in front of us. If we don¡¯t take a risk, why would the shop gamble on the source ores?¡±


    Someone immediately objected.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Lion King, stop wasting time. Hurry up and prepare the storage device. Get ready to collect the essence energy. It might be some previous essence energy.¡±


    Among the onlookers, most were against selling it at a premium.


    This kind of half-opened ore not only tempted the customer, but also the surrounding people. They all wanted to see the amount and quality of essence energy they could obtain after opening it completely.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s interest was piqued.


    At the moment, all the essence energy he had seen was of the most ordinary quality. He wanted to know if he could really see the seven-colored essence energy that Gao Shuai had mentioned.


    Such precious seven-colored essence energy was naturally something only those who were virtuous were qualified to possess.


    At this moment, the urging voices sounded again.


    ¡°Lion King, don¡¯t let everyone wait any longer. The Lion Clan¡¯s Purple Gold God King has been staying in the abandoned world all this time. No one will dare to snatch the precious essence energy from him. Hurry up and open it for everyone to see.¡±


    The golden-haired lion man still did not speak. He just stared at the half-opened piece of ore. A faint light emitted from it, which revealed one of the characteristics of the essence energy inside.


    At this moment, someone saw that the lion king had yet to speak, so he said, ¡°If the lion king is interested in selling it, I¡¯m willing to buy it at 35 times the original price.¡±


    ¡°36 times.¡±


    ¡°37 times.¡±


    In a few breaths, the price was quickly raised to 40 times the original price.


    It was not that they could not offer a higher price, but based on the lion king¡¯s intentions, if they acted too rashly, it would be difficult for them to step down if the lion king really demanded too much.


    Chen Yiming was affected by the atmosphere and his heart itched. Suddenly, he had an idea.


    ¡°The space anchor can provide a certain amount of vision, and it¡¯s essentially not a physical object in real space. Then can I use it to take a look at the situation inside the source ore?¡±


    As soon as this thought appeared, it could not be stopped.


    In any case, there were so many people here. If there was a problem, everyone would only suspect that the expert had cut the ore too much.


    As for the angry lion king, did he really think that he was someone important? If he took his anger out on the onlookers, he could just kill him with one punch. Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t worried about the Purple Gold Divine King, even if it could scare others.


    Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°If anything really happens, I¡¯ll just treat it as helping the lion king open the source ore. This way, we won¡¯t have to deliberately keep everyone in suspense.¡±


    As time passed, the lion king was still observing the half-opened ore.


    Chen Yiming controlled the space anchor and located it halfway inside the source ore. A faint spatial ripple appeared, but it was greatly weakened by the special mechanism sealing the source ore.


    It was just a slight spatial fluctuation to begin with, and even Chen Yiming himself couldn¡¯t sense it from the outside world.


    ¡°It seems like a good way to make money.¡±


    Chen Yiming was delighted even before he could check the situation inside the ore.


    By money, he was referring to the hidden dragon coins that could be used in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. He did not have the time to think of a way to earn it. It would naturally be good if he could find a shortcut.


    At that time, there would be no need to snatch it by force. Instead, he could use a special method to obtain a large amount of essence energy.


    However, just as Chen Yiming was about to use the space anchor to observe the situation inside the ore,


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The sound of something breaking caused the shop to fall silent.


    The lion king was stunned. Everyone¡¯s gazes were focused on the crack that had suddenly appeared on the surface of the source ore.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The expert who was in charge of cutting the source ore frowned and a shocked expression appeared on his face. He did not even notice that the stone saber in his hand had fallen to the ground.


    Due to his years of experience from an apprentice to a master, he did not think that it was because of him, but because of this source ore.


    There were indeed special source ores that would cause experienced masters to not be able to grasp the progress of cutting them well. However, there was a high chance that these special source ores would be bought by customers.


    ¡°Lion King, don¡¯t just stand there. What if the essence energy leaks out? There are so many people watching. We won¡¯t be able to explain ourselves then.¡±


    Someone could not help but remind him.


    When the golden-haired lion man heard this, he immediately woke up. Ignoring his anger, he hurriedly took out a special crystal and placed it beside the crack.


    This special crystal could automatically absorb essence energy. It was a natural storage device and was very valuable.


    ¡°A small spatial fluctuation is enough to crack the half-opened source ore. Then, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for the unopened source ore, right?¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the field of view provided by the space anchor. There was indeed something inside the ore, but it didn¡¯t seem to be essence energy.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    The lion king¡¯s expression gradually darkened. The special crystal in his hand did not manage to gather any essence energy from the crack.


    At this moment, the outcome was already clear, although it had yet to be completely revealed.


    There was a high chance that this was an ore that could easily mislead others. In other words, the final outcome was either that the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop would compensate him or the lion king would lose everything.


    None of the onlookers said anything.


    The expert did not make a conclusion about his role in this matter. He was just waiting for the person in charge of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to come over.


    The various shops selling source ores did not have a standard way to deal with such special situations.


    Whether the responsibility was on the expert or the source ore, even if they compensated the customer the original price of the source ore, customers like the lion king who bought the source ore would feel that they had suffered a huge loss.


    The original price was usually set according to the price before it was opened, not half opened. The price had already increased by dozens of times.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he retrieved the space anchor inside the source ore.


    It was not that he had not gained anything at all. At the very least, he had to come to a conclusion. The half-opened source ore could not withstand the appearance of spatial fluctuations inside of them and would automatically crack open.


    Then, the source ore he chose to target after that would naturally not be those that were half-opened, although the probability of a half-opened source ore containing essence energy was definitely higher than the unopened source ores.

 Chapter 437 - A Lot of Problematic Source Ores

    In the stone-cutting area, a minute or two had passed, but the person in charge of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had yet to appear. He might have gone out for something and needed more time to rush back.


    The enthusiasm of the onlookers gradually dissipated, and a portion of them dispersed.


    Chen Yiming was one of the people who had left.


    He took a few turns to arrive at the rare goods area.


    As the name suggested, the rare goods area was an area where large pieces of source ore were sold. The small ores here were as large as half a person, and the larger ones were the size of a small hill. They were all treasures of the shop.


    In addition, there was an expert here to guard the area.


    Furthermore, this person was not weak. He was an old man who was leaning against a wooden chair. His face was rosy, and he had a buzz cut and a white beard. He looked quite energetic and was at the jade star realm.


    At the jade star realm, the power of the world naturally carried the characteristic of sealing. He was a true god that was not just at the weakest level of the star condensation realm.


    In addition, the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was located in the Heaven Suppressing City, so it was almost impossible for there to be any problems here.


    ¡°Compared to those that are the size of a fist, these large source ores should have a stronger ability to withstand the spatial fluctuations,¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he swept his gaze across the room.


    He was tempted to test it out on the source ores in the rare goods area.


    At this moment, a beautiful woman in royal clothes walked out from the counter in the rare goods area.


    Her long hair was tied up with a red jade hairpin, and her long dress could not hide her graceful figure. There were two pink straps hanging from her shoulders, and her shoulders were completely exposed.


    ¡°Sir, do you need Ning Ji to show you around the rare source ores?¡± the beautiful woman said with a smile.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Chen Yiming deliberately revealed a trace of his aura at the level of the star condensation realm. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with the woman and walked straight in on his own.


    Just like when he faced the salesgirl when he entered the shop, he rejected her outright.


    If it was any other occasion, he would naturally want to have an in-depth conversation with the beautiful woman.


    However, it was indeed not suitable now. Regarding the price of the source ores and the related information, he was just an amateur. He would probably be exposed with just a few words.


    The beautiful woman¡¯s expression turned awkward.


    ¡°Ning Ji, come back.¡±


    At this moment, the old man lying on the recliner spoke. His gaze stopped on Chen Yiming¡¯s back as he sighed to himself. This kid wasn¡¯t simple. He had reached the level of a god at such a young age.


    The beautiful woman squeezed out a smile again and watched Chen Yiming¡¯s back as she strolled back to the counter.


    This situation often happened. Some people did not like it when someone interfered with their decision. They did not like it even if they only made a simple introduction.


    Of course, it was mainly because the old man had spoken. Otherwise, she would have used her powerful charm to persuade him. At the very least, she would not shut up just because she was rejected.


    Chen Yiming was the only one walking in the rare goods area.


    Perhaps the customers had all been attracted to the stone-cutting area, or perhaps the price of the large rare source ores here was too high, but in short, it was quiet here.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one in the area now. If anything happens, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be any place for me in Heaven Suppressing City.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t continue with the idea of targeting the large source ores first.¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to be a customer who was interested in choosing a source ore and walked between the large source ores. He hoped that there would be a few more customers who would come to the rare goods area.


    However, things did not go his way. Other than the beautiful woman in royal clothes at the counter at the entrance and the old man lying on a chair, there was no one else in the rare goods area.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming saw a strange-looking source ore.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a human-shaped source ore. Was it made using some advanced technology? Or does such a source ore really exist naturally?¡±


    He thought of a type of fruit on the blue planet. As it grew, it could be shaped using a mold. After it ripened, one could take off the mold and find that the fruit had taken on the shape of the mold.


    In a world where supernatural power appeared, there were all kinds of counterfeiting possibilities. This could not help but make people suspect that if they were tricked, they would suffer a huge loss.


    As time passed, Chen Yiming was still wandering around the rare goods area alone. He hadn¡¯t made a move on any of the large pieces of source ores even after a long time.


    However, even if no one came, he felt that he could not help but make a move soon.


    ¡°The largest source ore here is the size of a small hill. The mountain of treasure is right in front of me. I feel uneasy returning empty-handed. It¡¯s not my style.¡±


    If he was exposed, he could only try to brush it off. If it caused a conflict, the size of the conflict depended on whether the strongest person in the Heaven Suppressing City could do anything to him.


    After Chen Yiming stayed in the rare goods area for nearly half an hour, the golden-haired lion man walked into the district under the lead of a man in green clothes.


    Furthermore, there was a group of onlookers behind him. Each of their faces were filled with excitement, as if they were looking at rare treasures.


    ¡°It seems that the matter of the ore cracking has been resolved.¡±


    Chen Yiming saw the green-clothed man pointing at three source ores that were half the height of a person and telling the golden-haired lion man that he could choose one out of three and they would be sold to him at a 10% discount.


    The golden-haired lion man could not hide the joy on his face.


    This was normal. On the surface, the source ores in the rare goods area were the treasures of this shop.


    At this moment, someone exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s actually that netherworld source ore. The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop has paid a huge price to give the Purple Gold Divine King of the lion clan an explanation.¡±


    Someone at the side echoed, ¡°I remember that for a piece of the netherworld source ore, someone previously had to offer a 30% premium before the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was willing to sell it. This is equivalent to a 40% reduction in the price.¡±


    Countless gazes stopped on the netherworld source ore. It was completely black, and its surface was like a black crystal. Under the light, it was extremely dazzling.


    Chen Yiming also had his attention on the netherworld source ore.


    However, he was not prepared to make a move on it. Otherwise, if there were problems with the source ore that the golden-haired lion man had taken a fancy to twice in a row, the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop would definitely be suspicious.


    In the rare goods area, the golden-haired lion man did not immediately decide to choose the netherworld source ore. Instead, he walked towards the other two source ores that were also half the height of a person.


    One of them was completely blood-red, and one could vaguely hear the roars of beasts coming from it. The third one was ordinary, and looked just like an ordinary stone.


    However, the golden-haired lion man had stayed the longest in front of the ordinary-looking one among the three source ores that the green-clothed man had pointed out.


    Someone discussed softly, ¡°I think the netherworld source ore is the best choice. It definitely won¡¯t be a problem to sell it. It might even yield something amazing.¡±


    Someone at the side objected. ¡°That might not be the case. There are many examples of those that look good on the surface but have nothing much inside. Perhaps the ordinary-looking piece will actually yield something really good.¡±


    The onlookers started to argue. Each of them had their own opinions. Some thought highly of the netherworld source ore, and some thought highly of the blood-red source ore. Those who did not know better would think that they were the ones choosing the source ore.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and decided to make his move on the source ore that was the size of a small hill.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    A faint spatial fluctuation appeared in the source ore. At the same time, the space anchor appeared in the center of it, providing Chen Yiming with a clear view of the inside.


    In the next moment,


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression changed.


    He saw that it was filled with white fog. When the white fog moved, he could vaguely make out the outline of a living creature. It curled up in circles, and it moved when the spatial fluctuation appeared.


    Perhaps the spatial fluctuations were too weak, but after that, there were no more changes.


    ¡°It¡¯s so dense that it forms a white fog. I wonder if it¡¯s essence energy.¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked.


    Unfortunately, the vision provided by the space anchor could only let him see the scene inside, but the aura was still sealed inside the source ore.


    If he was really sure that the white fog was essence energy, then what was the point of looking further? He could just choose the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop and make a big move here, letting the system absorb the essence energy.


    On second thought, ¡°The probability of the white fog being essence energy is really high. The creature inside moved, meaning that it¡¯s not dead.¡±


    ¡°Then if the creature inside is alive, even if it enters a state similar to eternal sleep, how can it replenish its energy if it is sealed in the source ore?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that it is relying on the white fog to replenish its energy.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming forced himself to calm down.


    At the moment, he was not 100% sure that the white fog was essence energy. It would be best if someone else helped him open this source ore to check.


    However, among the people present, even the golden-haired lion man would find it difficult to pay the price.


    Or perhaps it was not for sale at all, and was the true treasure of the shop, something that the factions behind the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had displayed to attract customers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at all the source stones in the rare goods area before making a decision.¡±


    Soon, Chen Yiming decided to play it safe. Even if he caused some problems like in the stone-cutting area, it was better than blindly opening the hill-sized source ore.


    ¡­


    Time passed.


    The golden-haired lion man was still hesitating, and the onlookers were still chatting non-stop. Chen Yiming had already started to make his move on the other source ores in the rare goods area.


    One piece.


    Two pieces.


    Three pieces.


    ¡­


    23 pieces.


    Other than the three source ores that the green-clothed man had pointed out, Chen Yiming had seen inside all 23 other source ores.


    However, there were only five pieces that showed hints of essence energy.


    ¡°It seems that be it on the blue planet or in the abandoned world, gambling is like walking from heaven to hell. Furthermore, the source ores here are rare items that have been carefully selected.¡±


    ¡°However, even so, there are still a lot of fake source ores. Furthermore, the hints of essence energy are ultimately just hints. Before it is opened, I can¡¯t sense any aura of the essence energy.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Even with the help of the space anchor, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t completely confirm which source ores contained essence energy.


    Some of the traces of essence energy might be an illusion, and it might be some other kind of gas.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I use the Spatial Anchor talent and come again in the dead of night? With the upgrade, I can have one inside the hill-sized source ore, and the other outside the Heaven Suppressing City.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll travel through space and enter the source ore. If the white fog is essence energy, the system can suck it dry. Then, I can make a move on the other source ores that have hints of essence energy.¡±


    ¡°In the end, no matter what happens to the source ores, I can instantly escape after absorbing the essence energy.¡±


    The surrounding people were still discussing the three source ores when Chen Yiming came up with a simple idea.


    ¡°However, I wonder what level the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is at in Heaven Suppressing City. Is there any other source ore shop that operates on a larger scale?¡±


    ¡°In addition, I wonder which city Gao Shuai went to after he came out of the forbidden death zone. If there is someone around who knows the situation, I might be able to obtain more essence energy at once¡­¡±


    Around the forbidden death zone, there was not only one city. There were many other large cities that were built around the periphery of this restricted area.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming missed Gao Shuai. Although it seemed like they would need to split the essence energy 50-50 for the two of them to work together, the efficiency of obtaining essence energy was also much higher.


    Little did he know that in a certain large city, Gao Shuai was also troubled.


    The mountain of treasure that Gao Shuai had encountered was even bigger than Chen Yiming¡¯s. It was so big that he didn¡¯t dare to touch it easily. This feeling could only be understood by experiencing it personally.


    Soon, a commotion brought Chen Yiming back to his senses.


    It turned out that the golden-haired lion man had given up on the two unusual-looking source ores.


    In the end, he did not choose the netherworld source ore, nor did he choose the blood-red source ore. Instead, he chose the ordinary-looking source ore.


    ¡°Could it be that he doesn¡¯t have enough money on him?¡±


    Chen Yiming turned around. This was his guess. He had not looked inside those three source ores, but after looking at the other 23 source ores in the rare goods area, he realized that those with mysterious appearances were more likely to be true source ores.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know about the other shops, but at the very least, there were no hints of essence energy in the ordinary-looking source ores in this shop.


    Therefore, betting on an ordinary-looking source ore was equivalent to not being willing to invest a large sum of money. Naturally, the probability of a return was much lower. This was the same as the price of the half-opened source ores soaring.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Suddenly, the familiar cracking sound appeared again.


    ???


    This time, it was not that there was a problem with the half-opened source ore. Instead, a small portion of a certain source ore in the rare goods area had cracked.


    Then, under countless incredulous gazes, a small portion of the source ore fell to the ground, but the rest remained intact.


    However, it felt a little strange, as if there were signs of manual work done on it. It was as if the part that had cracked and fallen to the ground had been filled in manually.


    ¡°Even an intact source ore can¡¯t withstand the slightest spatial fluctuation? Could there be something fishy going on? Is the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop up to something?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s first thought was that there was something wrong with the source ores.


    The person in charge of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was stunned when he saw this. However, from his instant reaction, it did not seem like the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had secretly tampered with the source ores and made them bigger to trick the customers.


    It had to be known that the price of the source ores was calculated by their weight. The portion that had shattered and fallen to the ground was equivalent to about a quarter of the original price. The number involved was not small.


    The golden-haired lion man was even more dumbfounded. He had just paid the corresponding hidden dragon coins to the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. Now, the source ore already belonged to him. But it was a problem whether he chose to open it or not.


    ¡°Could it be that the person who sold the source ores to the shop tampered with them?¡±


    Some people could not help but voice their doubts.


    These words had a double meaning. Who knew if the person who had tampered with the goods was the one providing the source ores or the ones running the shop?


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. Be careful not to create trouble with your words. The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is one of the top 10 shops selling source ores in the Heaven Suppressing City. It¡¯s impossible for it to be a scam.¡±


    Someone quickly berated him.


    In business, especially in the long term, reputation was important.


    The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was a large chain. Not only did it exist in Heaven Suppressing City, but they had nearly 100 shops on the entire planet.


    It had to be known that the value of the source ores was obvious. To have 100 shops, they clearly had an extraordinary backing. Otherwise, their business would not have expanded so much.


    Under normal circumstances, the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop would not do such a thing that would severely damage their reputation if they were exposed.


    There was a high chance that just as the previous person had said, the Golden Sword Source Stone Workshop had also been scammed. It was all because of the person who had delivered the goods to them.


    Furthermore, to the Golden Sword Dawn Stone Workshop, these unfortunate incidents did not come individually. They had just suffered a loss to give the Purple Gold Divine King of the lion clan an explanation, and now this had happened.


    However, something else quickly happened that dumbfounded everyone.


    In the rare goods area, cracking sounds rang out one after another. The problematic source ores were not just one or two, but more than 10 of them.

 Chapter 438 - Auction

    10 minutes later.


    A barrier to keep people out and a human god in the star condensation realm who had appeared out of nowhere sealed the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop away from the crowd.


    All the customers who had entered the shop earlier had been chased out. Chen Yiming was also among the people who had been chased out.


    Perhaps because they did not think that the shop would have been tampered with when there was someone at the level of the jade star realm guarding it, none of the customers were held back or questioned.


    ¡°Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop¡¯s rare goods are fake!¡±


    This news quickly spread, causing a commotion in Heaven Suppressing City. The number of people who came to join in the crowd also increased, and soon, several streets were blocked off.


    It had to be known that the source ores placed in the rare goods areas of the various shops selling source ores represented the rare source ores, and they had been selected by professional source ore appraisers.


    It was usually normal for them to be sold at a 30% to 50% premium. Sometimes, when the demand for a certain type of source ore increased, the price would double.


    ¡°One of the source ores was sold to the lion king at a 10% discount, but it doesn¡¯t seem like the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop will lose out on that sale either,¡±


    someone muttered softly.


    ¡°How can it be a loss? The various source ores shops in the abandoned world have always been relying on their power to take advantage of the high price. The ones who will lose out will always be those who gamble on the source ores,¡±


    someone retorted.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he continued, ¡°However, the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop must have suffered a huge loss this time. Once the news about the fake source ores gets out, their reputation will be ruined, and their business will definitely plummet.¡±


    ¡°They might not even be able to recover even if they changed their name, unless they can prove that it was done by the person who delivered the goods. However, there are so many rare source ores that were affected. Will you still believe that something happened to all of them?¡±


    ¡°Whoever believes it is a fool.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? I reckon the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop won¡¯t be able to continue operating. Their stock of source ores will soon be auctioned off, and a third party will have to guarantee the quality of the goods.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s our chance to take advantage of the situation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. What if the atmosphere at the auction causes the price to be raised even higher? Of course, they might also be afraid that the probability of there being a problem with the source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is high, so we can indeed buy it at a lower price.¡±


    Chen Yiming had heard a lot of discussion from the crowd.


    ¡°An auction?¡±


    ¡°It seems that the scandal of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop producing fakes was unintentionally exposed. The extent of the impact is not so simple. Perhaps it is related to a secret that has been hidden very deeply.¡±


    At this moment, there would definitely be a lot of gazes fixed on the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. Naturally, it was not suitable for him to aim for their source ores immediately.


    Soon, Chen Yiming left the crowd.


    In any case, the source ores were in the Heaven Suppressing City and would not disappear. There was definitely still some time before the auction. If he wanted to take the essence energy from the source ores, he could make a move at any time.


    ¡­


    In the backyard of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, the higher-ups sat on wooden chairs. After a woman served tea, she left the backyard and closed the door.


    There was a special barrier around the entire backyard. Outsiders could not see or hear the conversation inside. What they were about to discuss was a secret.


    ¡°Master Jiang, tell me what exactly is the situation.¡±


    The green-clothed man took a sip of tea and moistened his throat.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man nodded and continued, ¡°I checked the cracked pieces of the source ores in the rare goods area one by one. They are indeed the fake source ores that the headquarters gathered and tampered with.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s definitely not a problem with our internal experts. This is because over the years, there has never been such an incident.¡±


    ¡°In Beijiang City, which is the closest to Heaven Suppressing City, I used a secret language to communicate with the experts from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop there. In the end, the problem only occurred on our side.¡±


    The green-clothed man nodded. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s not our own problem, but that someone is secretly messing with our shop, right?¡±


    ¡°From the analysis, that¡¯s indeed the case,¡± the man said.


    From the beginning to the end, the two higher-ups of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop did not mention any issue with the person providing the goods.


    This was because tampering with the source ores was an unspoken rule in this line of work. It was another special skill mastered by the experts.


    In reality, it was not only the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop that was doing this. The other shops were also doing the same. The only difference was how well they hid their tampering and how much they tampered with the source ores.


    There was silence in the backyard.


    Other than silence, there was the sound of tea being drunk from time to time.


    Facing the sudden appearance of an unknown enemy, the higher-ups of the Heaven Suppressing City¡¯s Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop could not come up with a feasible solution.


    After a long time, the old man at the jade star realm who was in charge of guarding the source ores in the rare goods area said, ¡°Master Jiang, first, there was a problem with the source ore you cut for the lion king. Then, there was a problem with a large number of source ores in the rare goods area.¡±


    ¡°This is too much of a coincidence. Could it be that the culprit is hiding among the ordinary customers who entered the shop? Did he really do something under everyone¡¯s noses?¡±


    The green-clothed man put down his teacup and frowned.


    If that was really the case, it was a mistake to chase everyone out immediately.


    However, when it came to the issue of the source ores, the experts had the most say. Whatever others said was just guesswork.


    The man shook his head and said, ¡°Unless it¡¯s those source ore experts from the abandoned world, it¡¯s impossible for them to tamper with it in front of me without me noticing.¡±


    ¡°However, our Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop has never offended any of those source ore experts. We try our best to befriend them during the source ore experts¡¯ exchange every year.¡±


    ¡°Besides, what status does a source ore expert have? Once he speaks, he can cause the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to stop their business. There¡¯s no need to take the risk of damaging our reputation and secretly targeting us.¡±


    The old man at the jade star realm let out a long sigh.


    An image of Chen Yiming suddenly appeared in his mind. He shook his head and thought to himself that it was just that the young man had rejected Ning Ji, causing him to leave a stronger impression on his mind.


    It was one thing for a young man to have such achievements in his cultivation, but it was impossible for him to have made similar achievements on the path of source ore experts.


    After all, other than talent, a source ore expert also needed a lot of practical experience. A lot of time was needed to accumulate such experience, and there were no shortcuts.


    The backyard fell silent again.


    The expert and the old man at the jade star realm were all waiting for the green-clothed man to make a decision. The green-clothed man was the true person in charge of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop in Heaven Suppressing City.


    Very quickly,


    another hour passed.


    No one could come up with any clues about the hidden enemy.


    The green-clothed man said in a low voice, ¡°In that case, in order to protect the reputation of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to the greatest extent, we can only forcefully push the blame to the suppliers. The higher-ups will be in charge of the rest.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll also temporarily give up on the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop in Heaven Suppressing City. All the source ores in the shop will be auctioned off. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you, Master Jiang. Contact the auction house as soon as possible and settle it properly.¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, please escort all the source ores to the auction house safely, Elder Hong. I suspect that the hidden enemy will make a move as the source ores leave the auction house.¡±


    The expert nodded his head.


    The old man also nodded.


    ¡­


    Three days later, the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had entrusted the matter to the Jade Auction House under the guarantee of a third party, the Purple Sun Source Ore Workshop, to auction off all the problematic source ores.


    As soon as the news spread, Heaven Suppressing City was in an uproar.


    Every piece of rare source ore had been tampered with by the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop bit by bit. How could an insider not know the unspoken rules?


    However, a rare source ore was a rare source ore. With the advantage of its original size, the amount of essence energy one could obtain from gambling on it was naturally not something that a fist-sized source ore could compare to.


    It had to be known that the highest bidder would win at the auction. If it was any other day, it was one thing to ask for the price, but it was another matter whether the source ore shop was willing to sell the rare source ore to the customer.


    This was especially true for independent cultivators who did not have any strong backing. It was common for them to go back on their word and not sell the source ores after negotiating the price. There were even some rare source ores that were only displayed to attract attention and were not actually for sale.


    In the end, the rare source ores would often only leave the shop as gifts used to curry favor with some powerful existences or for some large gathering.


    Heaven Suppressing City, Flying Sword Mercenary Group.


    ¡°Is the situation really like this?¡±


    a man in armor asked.


    He was the captain of the Flying Sword Mercenary Group and had led teams into and out of the forbidden death zone all year round. He had accumulated a lot of resources and was waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.


    ¡°The news came from the announcement made by the Jade Auction House. I even went to check it out myself.¡±


    ¡°In the list of auctions, there are not only bags of ordinary small source ores being auctioned by weight, but also the large source ores that the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop refused to sell,¡±


    the woman in tight-fitting clothes said with a smile.


    ¡°Alright, inform the others to take stock of the entire team¡¯s assets. Even if we can¡¯t get the source ores we are interested in, we have to get one that has a sufficient amount of essence energy.¡±


    ¡°I have the cultivation technique to condense the inner world. I¡¯m just missing an opportunity to help me make the transformation. Coincidentally, essence energy can create this opportunity. Whether I can become a god or not depends on this.¡±


    The Flying Sword Mercenary Group was not the only one who had gone all out.


    Some of the cultivation clans and small and medium-sized factions in the Heaven Suppressing City were shocked when they heard the news. They all hoped that others would be worried that there was something wrong with the goods from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop and give themselves a chance to buy them up.


    In an instant, an endless stream of people went to the Jade Auction House to find out about the situation.


    This was also the outcome that the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop wanted to see. Through an auction that would cause a commotion, they could eliminate the worries the low-level customers had about the reputation of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    As for the factions with gods above the star condensation realm, they had naturally received the news earlier. Some of the participants in the auction were already secretly preparing for it.


    There were also different levels of rare source ores. The hill-sized source ore at the auction this time was undoubtedly the target of these powerful factions.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care about this. In the past three days, he had explored the entire Heaven Suppressing City.


    Other than the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, there were six other shops selling source ores that were of the same size. After interacting with some people who were involved in gambling on the source ores, he had a rough understanding of them.


    Almost all the shops were controlled by factions that spanned across many large cities in the abandoned world. The business interests involved in their operation were complicated.


    If he touched any of the shops, he would not make just one enemy. Instead, he would be viewed as an enemy by all the factions operating the shops.


    Of course, this was not because he was worried about provoking more enemies.


    There were many factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy that wanted to kill him and Gao Shuai. The abandoned world might be special, but in the end, it was only a source of support for him to get stronger.


    When he became stronger, ordinary-quality essence energy would no longer be able to increase his Skill Points. He would not even want it if it was delivered to his door.


    ¡­


    Another week passed.


    This was the day of the auction set by the Jade Auction House. A week of preparation time was given after the announcement. Not only did it allow more participants who were not from the Heaven Suppressing City to rush over, but it was also to give the factions participating in the auction enough time to raise money.


    Chen Yiming had already visited all the shops selling source ores in the Heaven Suppressing City and memorized all the rare goods areas and the possible locations of the secret warehouses.


    The Jade Auction House attracted everyone¡¯s attention, but Chen Yiming¡¯s attention was attracted to the other six source ore shops other than the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    In other words, all the factions in the Heaven Suppressing City had gathered to watch the auction to pick up the leftovers. Chen Yiming had to rely on the ability of the spatial anchor to quickly move through space to secretly suck dry a large amount of the essence energy from the rare source ores.


    At this moment, the Jade Auction House was filled with people.


    ¡°Damn, why are there so many people? Aren¡¯t they worried that there¡¯s something wrong with the source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop?¡±


    ¡°No way? Not only are there people from the source ore expert clans in the Heaven Suppressing City, but even the source ore expert clans from the other large cities have sent people over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s completely unfair for the people from the source ore expert clans to participate. If that¡¯s the case, who can defeat them? We¡¯ve been happy for nothing.¡±


    The people on the street who had yet to enter the venue were discussing this.


    At this time, as long as the auction could be successfully held, the suspicion of fake source ores in the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop would die out.


    Of course, the prerequisite was that they could successfully transport the source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to the Jade Auction House.


    The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had sent two people at the level of the jade star realm over from other cities. Including the old man who was already guarding the rare goods area, there were a total of three people at the level of the jade star realm.


    The jade star realm was no longer the weakest among the gods. Even in Heaven Suppressing City, they were already powerful existences with enough power to intimidate others.


    It had to be known that most of the people who entered and exited the forbidden death zone and brought back ordinary source ores were humans or alien species below the god realm, such as the fusion realm and the inscription realm.


    In reality, the star condensation realm was the weakest level among the gods. Even in the entire abandoned world, they were considered an upper level power. They would receive sufficient respect when entering and exiting large cities.


    Chen Yiming sat on the second floor of a teahouse and drank hot tea. He glanced around and saw Wen Qi.


    Wen Qi was with a group of men and women. From their clothes and conversation, they should be leaders of mercenary groups or adventurer teams.


    Over the past few days, he had also spent some time secretly paying attention to Wen Qi. However, he had not discovered anything special about her for the time being.


    Wen Qi¡¯s actions seemed normal. She was thinking of ways to gather her assets and exchange them for as much money as possible to prepare for this auction.


    In addition, large factions from other cities would come from time to time. These large factions made a huge commotion when they traveled. They were all on aircraft or riding spirit beasts.


    Some flew long distances on swords, some rode fierce tigers with golden fireballs around them, and some rode purple snakes that moved through air while carrying more than 1,000 people.


    As soon as they appeared, the atmosphere of the auction that had yet to begin was pushed to its peak.

 Chapter 439 - Water Moon Group

    At this moment, there was less than half an hour before the auction was announced. However, there were many factions already gathered at the Jade Auction House.


    The sky was gradually covered by shadows. If not for the fact that they knew that this was the Jade Auction House, which was holding a large-scale source ore auction, they would have thought that many factions were trying to surround and kill a certain faction.


    A leader of an adventurer team was surprised. ¡°Damn, although the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is one of the seven main source ore shops in Heaven Suppressing City, there¡¯s a limit to the number of source ores in their inventory.¡±


    The head of a small clan nearby also said in surprise, ¡°What are they doing? With so many factions here, it¡¯s impossible for everyone to obtain some of the loot, right?¡±


    As the time for the auction approached, many people felt that something was amiss.


    The publicity for the auction was done well. The more people participated, the higher the price. However, this did not match the purpose of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop entrusting the Jade Auction House to hold this auction.


    The original intention of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was not to sell the source ores for a high price, but to give the outside world an explanation.


    Through a third-party source ore shop, it had to be proven that the suppliers had deceived the experts of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, causing the problematic source ores to be sold in large quantities.


    Logically speaking, this was an auction to pick up the leftovers, but now, it was about to become a grand auction.


    Chen Yiming looked past the obstacles in the way in the direction of the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. ¡°The team escorting the source ores hasn¡¯t arrived at the Jade Auction House yet. It seems like someone has gathered many factions and isn¡¯t willing to let the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop have their way.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the gates of the Heaven Suppressing City are wide open as usual. There are no signs of anyone stopping them. Could it be that they have the same thoughts as me? Are they trying to suck the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop dry?¡±


    When it came to source ores and essence energy, it was impossible for the entire city to be united. As long as one was strong enough to suppress everything, it was not impossible for them to directly devour the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    This was not an unfounded conspiracy theory, but when the benefits were large enough, coupled with the fact that there was a problem with the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, someone would definitely want to take advantage of the situation.


    ¡­


    Soon, it was less than 10 minutes before the auction started.


    In the past, at this time, the items being auctioned would already have entered the auction house. After that, professionals would pack them up and arrange for them to be auctioned off.


    If one wanted to hold a successful auction, every segment from the warm-up to the end of the auction had to be taken care of. One needed to create a sense of anticipation step by step to stir up the emotions of the entire audience to a climax.


    If one was rash and was affected by the surrounding bidding, they would often not be able to stop bidding. If they wanted to go back on their word, they would lose money directly. The deposit they paid when they entered the venue would be withheld by the auction house.


    However, there seemed to be a problem with this auction that should have been the center of attention before it even started.


    When the people who were interested in participating in the auction did not see any source ores being transported from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to the Jade Auction House, they became more and more puzzled.


    In the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, suddenly, the doors that had been closed for a long time opened. The three humans at the jade star realm were the first to take a step forward.


    At the same time, their aura spread out in all directions like waves of destruction.


    The people from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop naturally sensed the abnormality at the Jade Auction House. The sudden change had placed them in a dilemma.


    Now, it was clear that someone had gathered many factions and lowered the internal defense of the Heaven Suppressing City. They were determined to obtain the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    However, if the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop remained closed until the start of the auction, rumors would definitely spread. Therefore, they could not avoid this calamity. Even if they stuck their heads out, they would still be attacked.


    Next, boxes of source ores were carried out. First, they started with the ordinary source ores. They were about the size of a fist, and were stored in large boxes.


    Next were the rare source ores wrapped in special packaging. Each piece was carried out by two people. At the same time, seven or eight people surrounded them and protected them with their bodies.


    Just like that, the people from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop formed a long line and walked towards the Jade Auction House under the protection of three people at the jade star realm.


    Someone felt that something was amiss during the transfer of the source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to the Jade Auction House. At this moment, he frowned. ¡°This Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is also being stubborn. They knew that someone had set a trap for them, but they still forced their way in.¡±


    A beautiful woman with red lips said with a smile, ¡°The outcome is predestined. One way is to spend a lot of money to compete in the auction, and the other is to snatch it by force. What do you think will happen if they take advantage of the right timing, the right place, and the people present?¡±


    With that, she followed him.


    There was more than one person who had followed her. At this moment, the people from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had all come out. There seemed to be no need to hide anything.


    On the way to the Jade Auction House, even though there were three people at the jade star realm holding the line, they had prepared enough strength to deal with this team.


    ¡­


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As the entire Heaven Suppressing City shook, the transparent energy barrier that was like covering it from the sky dissipated inch by inch, opening up the gates of the Heaven Suppressing City. No one would believe that this was not an overt plan.


    It had to be known that this was a large city built on the outskirts of the forbidden death zone. If there was no traitor on the inside, how could it be completely exposed to the elements?


    Some people even suspected that the ruler of the city was also one of the secret participants.


    On the second floor of the teahouse, when everyone turned to the source of the commotion, a terrifying energy fluctuation erupted in the Heaven Suppressing City. The aftershock caused the air to buzz and tremble.


    Chen Yiming put down his teacup and his figure gradually disappeared from the stool.


    The owner and the servers in the teahouse were also distracted and didn¡¯t notice that a customer had disappeared. Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t paid up and didn¡¯t have any money on him, so he had just escaped.


    In the next moment,


    Chen Yiming used the space anchor to appear on the street outside the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop.


    Usually, there was an endless stream of people here. Now, there were almost no passers-by. The Water Moon Source Ore Workshop seemed to have received the news in advance, causing them to close their doors and turn away customers.


    ¡°I hope those rare source ores can withstand it and shatter a little later.¡±


    He left behind a space anchor in a blind spot in the surrounding houses. He planned to set the other space anchor coordinates inside the rare source ore.


    The plan was to teleport between a blind spot outside and the various source ores, allowing the system to suck dry the essence energy in the source ores.


    In the end, the internal structure of the source ores might be able to withstand the sudden disappearance of the essence energy and still remain intact.


    It was also possible that because the essence energy had suddenly disappeared, the entire structure would collapse and he would inevitably be discovered by the guards.


    In this situation, as long as he was fast enough, even if there were any accidents, he could escape from the six source ore shops before anyone could react.


    ¡°If there¡¯s enough time, we can also consider taking advantage of the situation to participate in the auction of the rare source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. After that, I can¡¯t stay in Heaven Suppressing City anymore.¡±


    Chen Yiming quickly ran through the plan in his mind and turned to the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop.


    ¡­


    At the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop,


    in a secret warehouse 1,000 meters underground.


    The Water Moon Source Ore Workshop was worried that they would be caught up in this incident and had already transferred the source ores to a secret warehouse in advance.


    The secret warehouse was isolated by layers of special barriers, and one had to pass through many checkpoints to reach it. Other than the fact that it was not easy to guard against spatial ability users, it was very difficult to reach it without being noticed.


    Of course, the shop would not be completely unguarded against spatial ability users. The secret warehouse had a special device that was sensitive to spatial fluctuations. Once something amiss, it would send out an alert.


    At this moment, a tall and burly young man was using a special mirror to watch the conflict that had broken out in Heaven Suppressing City.


    He had a pair of sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His entire body emitted sword intent, and he was like a divine sword that was about to leave its sheath.


    This was a human at the jade star realm who had reached the god realm with his swordsmanship. His spiritual power also carried a sword intent, and he could cut through anything with a single thought.


    Beside the young man stood two servants. One was wearing a long red robe, and the other was wearing a long white robe. Their skin was fair and red, and they were peerlessly beautiful.


    The servant in red said, ¡°Young Master, the Infinite Island Group has joined forces with many factions to target the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. The Water Moon Source Ore Workshop has the backing of the Water Moon Group. Why are you so worried?¡±


    The servant in white asked, ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Master. Could it be that the Infinite Island Group really dares to attack the other source ore shops at the same time? Aren¡¯t they afraid of being targeted by the factions behind us?¡±


    The young man did not reply immediately. Instead, he stared at the mirror for a moment.


    At this moment, the battlefield was sealed off by a special barrier. The view from the outside was slightly distorted.


    He could only roughly make out that the people from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop were being surrounded. The situation was not looking good. The source ores that had immeasurable value were being snatched away.


    Not long after, the young man retracted his gaze and sighed. ¡°The factions operating around the forbidden death zone in the south mountain range have been unhappy with the source ore shops for many years.¡±


    ¡°After all, our factions have relied on the reputation we have accumulated over the years to expand our business. We have almost monopolized all the source ores.¡±


    ¡°At the end of the day, someone is targeting our essence energy. Think about it, why is it that even the faction of the ruler of this city is turning a blind eye to the fact that the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is about to be attacked?¡±


    The servant in white clothes pursed her lips and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Is it because the search for the true dragon¡¯s corpse has become more and more intense in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy in recent years?¡±


    What she thought of was that this huge operation that had swept through more than one galaxy had greatly increased the demand for essence energy, and many large galactic-level factions had interfered.


    The servant in red continued, ¡°I think the search for the true dragon¡¯s corpse is only an indirect factor. It¡¯s not the root cause.¡±


    ¡°It should be because the source ore shops used the source ores to monopolize the source ore experts.¡±


    ¡°You have to know that when a source ore expert joins the factions behind the source ore shops, the amount of source ores he can come into contact with is worlds apart from those in other factions. This indirectly affects the cultivation of a source ore expert.¡±


    The young man nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s precisely because we have achieved an indirect monopoly on source ore experts over the years. We have gathered together the source ore experts, and there is also the issue of finding the true dragon¡¯s corpse as a trigger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the entire abandoned world will be in chaos from now on. Our Water Moon Group can¡¯t stay out of it either. Perhaps at some point, the incident with the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop will also happen to the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop.¡±


    When the servant in white clothes heard this, an anxious expression appeared on her face. ¡°Young Master, what should we do? You¡¯re here to train. If you get involved in this matter, it¡¯ll be difficult to fight against multiple enemies.¡±


    In the end, the source ore shops were just wealthy factions in the abandoned world. Every year, they had to curry favor with powerful factions at a higher level in exchange for protection. They did not have absolute strength to ensure their own safety.


    The servant in red was also a little worried. Although their young master was a genius, the true geniuses of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy were also not weak.


    However, the Water Moon Group was only one of the factions running the source ore shops. If they really encountered a situation similar to the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, they might not even be able to escape, let alone put up a resistance.


    When the young man heard this, he released his spiritual power to ensure that his surroundings were safe. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°When the Water Moon Group finds out about what happened to the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, they naturally won¡¯t be indifferent. We didn¡¯t come to Heaven Suppressing City without any purpose.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Gao Shuai from the Gao clan, a large human faction in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, has a special prophecy ability. Gao Shuai is currently traveling in the south mountain range. The Water Moon Group has decided to use this opportunity to befriend him.¡±


    The servant in white glared at him. ¡°Before you know the other party well, do you already want to give away a rare source ore?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we being too hasty? I heard that Gao Shuai doesn¡¯t have a good reputation. He¡¯s famous for tricking people.¡±


    The young man shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not just one piece. I¡¯ll choose the best three rare source ores from the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop in the Heaven Suppressing City.¡±


    ¡°Besides, with the situation between the Hidden Dragon Galaxy and the abandoned world, there¡¯s a high chance that the shop will be taken over by others in the end. We can only give it our all.¡±


    The servant in red gasped. She recalled a huge incident that had happened on the Flying Cloud Planet some time ago.


    A city¡¯s ruler and a genius had died at the hands of Gao Shuai¡¯s companion one after another. It was said that Gao Shuai had participated in it mainly to deliberately mislead the outside world.


    After that, a large-scale pursuit that exceeded the range of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy failed to do anything to those two people. It was clear that this Gao Shuai was definitely not someone easy to deal with. It was unimaginable to try to make a deal with him.


    Their young master had already reached the star condensation realm at his young age. However, if he got involved with Gao Shuai, it would be equivalent to participating in something at the level of the search for the true dragon¡¯s corpse. Was that really appropriate?


    Other than the conversation between the three of them, there was no other sound coming from the secret warehouse deep underground. However, Chen Yiming had secretly discovered this place earlier.


    At this moment, the rare source ores had followed the first outcome that Chen Yiming had imagined. They didn¡¯t collapse because the essence energy in them had disappeared. Instead, they remained intact where they were.


    Chen Yiming was inside one of the source ores. When he heard their conversation, he thought to himself, ¡°So you¡¯re planning to curry favor with Gao Shuai and give him the source ores as a gift.¡±


    ¡°However, Gao Shuai and I are working together, and he calls me brother. Therefore, it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference whether it¡¯s me or him who takes it. At most, I¡¯ll help you guys tell him in advance.¡±


    For some reason, when he thought about how the Gao Shuai would obtain three completely empty rare source ores, he felt that his expression would be very interesting to see.

 Chapter 440 - Ruthlessly Destroying the Flowers

    In a blind spot on the street outside the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, a faint spatial fluctuation appeared, and Chen Yiming¡¯s figure gradually appeared. Using the space anchor he had placed in advance, he traveled from the source ore in the secret underground warehouse to the outside world.


    Chen Yiming looked up in the direction of the barrier and frowned. ¡°It seems that Heaven Suppressing City is pretending not to see what is happening.¡±


    ¡°If the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop chooses to make a deal, the battle might not last long. I have to move faster.¡±


    The first step in his plan at the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop had gone more smoothly than he had imagined. Naturally, he did not want to be exposed so quickly.


    There were many large cities built around the forbidden death zone. Chen Yiming had used a special method to steal the essence energy. As long as it wasn¡¯t exposed, he could continue to use this method.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and didn¡¯t have time to check how many Skill Points he had gained. His figure disappeared and he headed to the next source ore shop.


    After he left, a few passers-by appeared in the vicinity.


    One of them was a barrier expert who worked in Heaven Suppressing City. His physique was slightly thin and weak, and he was usually in charge of maintaining the energy barrier that enveloped the entire city. Now, he was in charge of secretly monitoring the situation in the various source ore shops.


    The other people were not on the same level as the barrier expert in terms of height and strength. Their job was to protect the safety of this barrier expert.


    ¡°Eh? There seemed to be traces of spatial fluctuations nearby just now?¡± the barrier expert said in a low voice, suddenly turning around and adjusting his glasses.


    ¡°Did something happen at the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop?¡± his companion asked in a low voice.


    The factions behind the source ore shops in the abandoned world used their source ore experts to form connections. After countless years of development, although they did not openly declare an alliance, they had always communicated very often in secret.


    This was something that the factions outside of the source ore shops did not want to see. For example, the faction of the ruler of the Heaven Suppressing City hoped that the various source ore shops in the city would fight among themselves. This way, the source ores would not be monopolized and the prices would not increase.


    However, they did not want to scare all the source ore shops away. After all, almost all the talented source ore experts were working in the source ore shops.


    Once the source ore shops were chased away, the source ore experts would naturally follow suit. Even a large city like Heaven Suppressing City would deteriorate.


    This involved a consensus that had been formed over the years. Without a source ore expert to identify the authenticity of the source ores, the issue of fake source ores in the market would only be worse.


    Therefore, when cultivators gambled on the source ores, they had no choice but to choose a certain source ores shop with a relatively good reputation and not those belonging to some unknown faction.


    The barrier expert observed it seriously for a moment before saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it, but unless the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop opens up and lets us in to check, we can¡¯t be completely sure whether something has happened.¡±


    His companion suggested, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s report it. After the battle involving the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop ends, we¡¯ll find an excuse to enter the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop and check it out.¡±


    The barrier expert thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only way. If there¡¯s nothing wrong with the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, there¡¯s naturally no need to hide it. We¡¯ll know after a little probing.¡±


    Soon, the news was reported to the higher ups.


    Then, a team led by experts at the jade star realm rushed to the vicinity of the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop.


    At this moment, the young man and his two servants were still watching the battle within the barrier and discussing Chen Yiming¡¯s true identity.


    The young man admired Chen Yiming and his battle prowess on the Flying Cloud Planet.


    Just like Gao Shuai, Chen Yiming was also someone the Water Moon Group wanted to befriend. However, he was ranked after Gao Shuai. After all, they knew even less about Chen Yiming.


    Little did he know that Chen Yiming had already visited the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, and there was only a layer of stone separating them.


    ¡­


    At the Illusion Source Ore Workshop, Chen Yiming appeared at the corner of the street opposite the shop and looked ahead. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.


    This place had changed drastically from when he came to scout the area. The courtyard was white and covered in fog.


    Just like the name of the source ore shop, the white fog alternated between illusion and reality. If one barged into the shop unwelcome, it was equivalent to taking the initiative to step into a trap.


    It was even possible that there was a real illusory world behind the white fog. Things did not usually end well for those who barged in uninvited. It was a warning from the Illusion Source Ore Workshop to those who were spying on them.


    Chen Yiming scanned his surroundings and vaguely sensed that someone was monitoring the Illusion Source Ore Workshop.


    He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Previously, no one was monitoring the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, but the situation is different at the Illusion Source Ore Workshop. Is someone trying to snatch it from me, or is it just their surveillance?¡±


    However, with such a tight schedule, there was no time to figure it out.


    To Chen Yiming, if he couldn¡¯t get the system to quietly absorb the essence energy from the source ores, he could only barge in. He might even have to start a massacre.


    He had left one of the space anchors outside the illusion barrier, so he could exit from the shop at any time.


    After making his decision, his figure gradually faded away. In order not to let the surveillance personnel see him, he used the space anchor to directly teleport into the interior of the Illusion Source Ore Workshop.


    In the next moment, ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Due to Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance, the white fog around him was instantly evaporated by his blood essence. The ground was shaking, indicating that an unfamiliar intruder had appeared.


    The illusory world!


    As expected, the Illusion Source Ore Workshop was not only enveloped by the white fog, but also separated from reality through some method, linking it to a separate space.


    ¡°How dare you! Do you really think our Illusion Sect can be defeated so easily?¡±


    Not far away, the white fog automatically parted. A young woman holding a silver sword walked over step by step.


    There was a lotus mark between her eyebrows. Her silver-white hair was draped over her shoulders, and she was wearing a long white dress that seemed to have fused with this illusory world.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you at the Illusion Source Ore Workshop before.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm as he spread out his spiritual power to forcefully eliminate the interference from the white fog.


    The woman chuckled. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know where you came from, you haven¡¯t seen me before, but I did see you pretending to be a customer yesterday to enter the Illusion Source Ore Workshop to scout out the location.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not important to talk about this now. Tell me, which faction sent you here to investigate? If you tell me the truth, I might spare your life.¡±


    ¡°However, I naturally can¡¯t let you keep your cultivation power. You can live the rest of your life as a mortal with only a strong body.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze narrowed as he smiled. ¡°You actually paid attention to me in advance and even want to cripple me?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression turned cold as she continued, ¡°Give up on trying to resist. You can still avoid suffering. Just come quietly with me to the Illusion Sect.¡±


    ¡°As long as we look through your memories and investigate it clearly, we can spare your life if there are no problems. After all, you¡¯re just a pitiful pawn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting help from the outside world. This is an illusory world separated from reality. It¡¯s one of the three treasures of our Illusion Sect, the inner space of the Pearl of Illusion.¡±


    ¡°Without my permission, you won¡¯t be able to find your way out even if you die of old age.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a white-bearded elder, three middle-aged men, and a group of burly guards walked out of the white fog. Each of them sized Chen Yiming up.


    The old man was at the jade star realm, the three middle-aged men were at the star condensation realm, and all the guards were at the fusion realm. In Heaven Suppressing City, this was already considered a strong force.


    Facing the person who had barged into the Illusion Source Ore Workshop at this juncture, the woman seemed to be reasonable and was willing to let him live, but the prerequisite was that he had to let them investigate his memories.


    Looking through his memories involved the most fundamental basis of consciousness at the spiritual level. Even at the level of a god, it was equivalent to handing over one¡¯s fate to others.


    Unless they were unable to resist, it was impossible for one to let this happen.


    In other words, the woman was just trying to trick him. If Chen Yiming fell into the hands of the Illusion Sect, he wouldn¡¯t have a good outcome.


    At this moment, all the gazes landed on Chen Yiming. Even if he was a genius from a large faction, with the old man at the jade star realm holding the line, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to escape.


    This was a disadvantage in terms of cultivation time. The reason why geniuses were geniuses was because they had powerful combat strength, and they also had a lot of potential to unearth.


    However, they would ultimately be inferior to those elders who had already completely unleashed their potential and reached the limit in their cultivation. These elders might even be one of those geniuses back then.


    Suddenly, the woman sighed. ¡°It seems that you want to do this the hard way. I¡¯ve decided to take back what I said just now. In a while, your corpse will be hung outside the Illusion Source Ore Workshop as a warning.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a silver sword appeared behind Chen Yiming, and the woman stabbed it at him mercilessly. However, the woman¡¯s figure remained at the same spot.


    This was the power of the god of illusion from the Illusion Sect. After cultivating to the star condensation realm and mastering the power of the world, its power was comparable to a powerful talent from the illusory world.


    Within the range of its control over the power of the world, one had the ability to move at will and was comparable to a spatial ability user. With just a thought, one could switch between their illusion and their true body.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming smiled brightly.


    ¡°In my opinion, are you really naive or are you really bold? The last time a woman took the initiative to attack me, she would have died on the spot if not for someone rescuing her.¡±


    After he spoke, he turned around and grabbed the silver sword with his bare hands.


    The silver sword was extremely sharp and was a rare powerful divine artifact. It instantly cut through Chen Yiming¡¯s palm.


    However, before blood could flow out, the sword pierced his body at the same time. The silver sword was held tightly in his hand, which had returned to its original state, and was trapped in its position.


    At this moment, the woman was less than a meter away from Chen Yiming. He could even smell the fragrance coming from her body.


    However, this fragrance was also a woman¡¯s weapon, causing him to see an illusion for a moment before it was destroyed by his terrifying spiritual power.


    The woman was stunned, as if she had not expected such an outcome.


    In her heart, being dodged or blocked by a counterattack was much more realistic than the sword being caught in his bare hands. This was ridiculous. Someone was actually using their body to challenge the sharpness of a divine artifact.


    In the next moment, ¡°Crack!¡±


    The silver sword couldn¡¯t withstand it anymore. Just before it was about to be broken, it disappeared along with the woman¡¯s figure. Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t been able to crush the divine weapon with his bare hands, and had only damaged it.


    At the same time, a terrifying aura awakened from Chen Yiming¡¯s body and soared into the sky, instantly filling the entire space within the Pearl of Illusion.


    The white fog became like dew in the face of a blazing sun. It was as like the darkness being chased away by the rising sun, and in the blink of an eye, it had all disappeared.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The woman¡¯s figure had just appeared beside the white-bearded elder when a group of warriors at the fusion realm exploded into a bloody mist and died at the same time.


    The Undying Mark at the fusion realm was like a toy that could be easily crushed in the face of the power of the world. There was no chance to dodge it.


    Furthermore, in front of Chen Yiming, who could suppress geniuses of the same level, their true combat strength was at least two levels lower.


    It was just like how someone at the jade star realm could easily kill those at the fusion realm.


    ¡°Damn it, how is this possible? We¡¯re clearly both at the star condensation realm.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression changed drastically as she screamed in her heart.


    Other than the white-bearded elder, the woman and the three middle-aged men, who were at the same level of the star condensation realm, could only barely withstand the power that was forcefully changing the environment within the Pearl of Illusion.


    In terms of endurance, the woman was two to three times stronger than the middle-aged men, while Chen Yiming was dozens or even hundreds of times stronger.


    The difference was too great. So what if there were more of them? They all felt the immense pressure pushing down on the world, just like mortals feeling powerless when facing a natural disaster.


    ¡°Young man, stop for the time being. This might just be a misunderstanding.¡±


    At this moment, the white-bearded elder couldn¡¯t stay out of this any longer. He released the power of the world in his body and fought with Chen Yiming for control of the world in the Pearl of Illusion.


    After all, the jade star realm was an existence at a higher level than the star condensation realm. Chen Yiming¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t in controlling the environment, so the control of the world was completely messed up now.


    The woman and the three middle-aged men heaved a sigh of relief, especially the woman, who was drenched in cold sweat. If they really fought alone, she had a feeling that she would be instantly killed.


    When the difference in strength between the two sides was too great, their power of the world would be completely suppressed within the inner world, and they could only fight the other party head-on.


    The broken divine sword in her hand was proof that she was courting death in a head-on battle.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    However, Chen Yiming had no intention of letting anyone off, including the woman and the white-bearded elder.


    They could only blame the Illusion Source Ore Workshop for having singled him out. If they let this go, he could have taken advantage of the situation and used an unexpected method to suck dry the essence energy in the source ores without anyone knowing.


    He used the space anchor to teleport in front of the woman, who turned pale on the spot.


    However, the small space around her was completely sealed off. She could only fight with her body and could not use the power of the god of illusion to turn into an illusion and dodge the attack.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± the white-bearded elder shouted.


    The distance between the two of them was only one to two meters, but this distance was like a chasm. It was too sudden, and no one had expected Chen Yiming to have the ability to teleport.


    He struck out with his palm.


    The damaged silver sword stabbed out.


    A dazzling light erupted, and it was as if a huge palm had descended from the sky.


    The space in the Pearl of Illusion shook, and the woman could not even grunt. Her inner world and the soul inside it were reduced to dust on the spot.


    She was only at the star condensation realm and did not even reach the level of a genius. Although she relied on the power of illusion to make it extremely difficult for others to kill her, the foundation of her abilities came from the power of the world from her inner world.


    Even though they were in a sealed space inside the Pearl of Illusion, the authority of the entire world had still been temporarily seized by Chen Yiming. All the fancy moves had lost their effect, and it had become a pure melee battle.


    Fighting purely in terms of physical strength, the woman was instantly reduced to ashes.

 Chapter 441 - Great Reward

    After killing the woman with one strike, Chen Yiming turned to the remaining three middle-aged men.


    The woman was undoubtedly an important figure from the Illusion Sect who had received the news and rushed over with reinforcements. Other than the woman, there were also three middle-aged men who had come over to provide support.


    ¡°The three of you, retreat first,¡± the white-bearded elder shouted.


    The three middle-aged men turned into three streams of light almost instantly and retreated in three different directions.


    Even in the Heaven Suppressing City, the gods at the star condensation realm were esteemed guests no matter where they went. However, at this moment, they were like birds frightened by the twang of a bow. They were as powerless as ordinary creatures facing a natural disaster.


    In fact, when the woman was crushed into dust along with her inner world, the scene of their own impending deaths had already appeared in their minds.


    Too strong!


    He was really too strong!


    They had thought that he was just a pawn investigating the situation, so they did not expect him to be such a terrifying person.


    In the next moment, ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    In the span of a breath, the three middle-aged men were also reduced to dust and killed in the Pearl of Illusion.


    There was dead silence.


    The white-bearded elder¡¯s nostrils trembled, but he could only watch helplessly as everything happened.


    When faced with the true teleportation speed of spatial ability users and the fact that he could not use the power of the world to completely control the this illusory space,


    it might not be a problem for him to protect himself, but he was unable to guarantee anyone else¡¯s safety. In the end, three more people at the star condensation realm died in succession.


    Due to the large number of source ores produced in the abandoned world, it attracted the attention of many factions in the surrounding galaxies, including the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. This planet was often jokingly called the place where gods could be found everywhere.


    However, within a faction, even among the large clans that had a sphere of influence that spanned across the galaxy, the weakest gods at the star condensation realm were still at the middle or higher levels of the organization.


    For the Illusion Sect, four gods at the star condensation realm had died at once. Although the woman could not be considered a true genius, she was still a talented person with the potential to reach the jade star realm. It could be said that they had suffered heavy losses.


    ¡°The Illusion Sect has already taken the initiative to take a step back. Who exactly are you?¡±


    The white-bearded elder suppressed the anger in his heart. He knew very well that he couldn¡¯t defeat his opponent alone. He had already categorized Chen Yiming as a top genius.


    ¡°If you want to blame someone, blame your faction for monopolizing the supply of too many rare source ores. You know that if cultivation resources can¡¯t be completely converted into your own strength, you will only bring about trouble for yourself.¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to be related to the Infinite Island Group and threw the blame on them.


    ¡°Trouble? If you want to frame someone, why don¡¯t you just say so? Our Illusion Sect stopped expanding our business in the source ores a year ago. It¡¯s clearly an excuse to steal the profits we have accumulated over the years.¡±


    The white-bearded elder glared at him.


    The faction called the Infinite Island Group was not really located on a fixed island, but a war fortress that could do whatever it wanted in the space-travel distortion.


    Its reputation in the abandoned world could be described as infamous, but this did not stop the Infinite Island Group from gathering many factions to target the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    The factions behind the source ore shops had monopolized most of the source ore experts and controlled most of the transactions involving the source ores. They had long been monopolizing this delicious piece of meat. Even without the lead of the Infinite Island Group, there would still be other factions taking the lead.


    This was the situation in the abandoned world after the matter of searching for the true dragon¡¯s corpse was blown up. It was not something that any one person could control. Many factions even added fuel to the fire and secretly followed behind.


    The two of them fell silent.


    After Chen Yiming heard about the operation by the Infinite Island Group in the secret warehouse of the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, he realized that there was a faction that had the same thoughts as him and Gao Shuai.


    There was a problem with a large number of source ores in the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. Now that it had caused a commotion in the abandoned world, there were many more competitors.


    However, although the white-bearded elder was angry, he did not reveal much valuable information.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t waste any more time. He teleported in front of the white-bearded elder and wanted to silence all those who knew about the battle in the Pearl of Illusion.


    ¡°Even if I have to destroy the Pearl of Illusion today, I won¡¯t let you have your way.¡±


    The white-bearded elder was furious. In an instant, three illusions appeared around him. The moment Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared, he was surrounded from all directions.


    At the same time, four streams of white light shot towards Chen Yiming. The speed that the white light was moving was extremely fast. In reality, they were divine weapons in the form of small swords that had been created in the inner world.


    This was the special thing about the power of the god of illusion from the Illusion Sect. None of the four white lights were fake. The power of the god of illusion could even completely replicate a divine artifact in a short period of time.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The white light drowned out the figures of the two people in the battle.


    The space in the Pearl of Illusion suddenly shook, and countless cracks appeared. From the outside, if not for the white fog, one would have noticed that something was amiss.


    The outcome of the battle between the two of them was not immediately decided.


    In the blink of an eye, the space in the Pearl of Illusion shook violently again. Just the aftershock of the battle was already causing the world to gradually collapse.


    The Pearl of Illusion wasn¡¯t meant to deal with someone like Chen Yiming. The power of the world in his body was even more terrifying than that of a real living world.


    The white fog that could interfere with the power of the world was easily destroyed. In the end, it became a cage for the white-bearded elder.


    Gradually, the illusions were destroyed as soon as they appeared, and his true body was attacked many times. Blood covered the sky, and a painful sound which was the voice of the white-bearded elder echoed throughout the space.


    ¡­


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    A figure passed through the remaining white fog and arrived at the corner of the illusory space in the Pearl of Illusion where the source ores were stored.


    The Illusion Source Ore Workshop had already made preparations. They had separated out a small portion of the illusory space to store the source ores to prevent the aftershock of the battle with the intruders from affecting the source ores.


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the ruler of the Flying Cloud Planet. He¡¯s someone at the jade star realm who doesn¡¯t have a good physical condition to begin with.¡±


    Chen Yiming recalled the battle earlier and keenly realized that the white-bearded elder couldn¡¯t use his full strength, causing his inner world to collapse in the end.


    Could it be that these old men at the jade star realm more or less had some physical problems? Were those who were truly healthy searching for source ores in the forbidden death zone?


    Was it a problem for those at the jade star realm, or did he just happen to encounter the same situation twice in a row?


    In other words, the path of cultivation of a god was to come into contact with the essence of the natural laws. Chen Yiming had a rough understanding of this.


    However, because he was only standing at the starting point of the path of gods ¡ª the star condensation realm ¡ª and was not from a true large cultivation faction, his understanding of the jade star realm was extremely limited.


    Another important reason was that he had not truly understood the true essence of the realm and cultivated step by step to reach this point.


    The talent level given by the system was more than sufficient at his current level. Therefore, there was a situation where he would automatically break through as soon as he leveled up.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll understand after breaking through to the jade star realm.¡±


    Chen Yiming decided not to probe further and focused his attention on the source ores from the Illusion Source Ore Workshop.


    The source ores stored in this corner of the space in the Pearl of Illusion were different from the previous Water Moon Source Ore Workshop. Ordinary source ores and rare source ores were hidden here together.


    In any case, it was all essence energy. Chen Yiming only cared about the quantity, not the quantity of each source ore. All the source ores that contained essence energy would be converted into Skill Points by the system.


    ¡­


    A few minutes later.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression darkened as he appeared on an ordinary street in the Heaven Suppressing City.


    It was not without reason that the Illusion Source Ore Workshop had made use of the Pearl of Illusion to set up such a formation to openly warn all the spies.


    When there were enough source ores, under normal circumstances, the probability of obtaining essence energy from them should not be much different. A small fluctuation could be understood as a difference in the level of an expert¡¯s ability to select the source ores.


    However, compared to the source ores from the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, the amount of essence energy obtained from the Illusion Source Ore Workshop was less than a third.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t believe that there was anything fishy about it. The source ore experts must have used some unknown method to secretly trick those who were gambling on the source ores.


    If something happened to the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, the Illusion Source Ore Workshop was also afraid that they would be implicated. That was why they had put on such a strong stance. It was so serious that the woman wanted to bring him to the Illusion Sect to look through his memories.


    In the end, Chen Yiming could only sigh to himself that he hadn¡¯t chosen the right target for the second shop. Not only had he wasted his time, but he had also obtained less essence energy than his first target.


    ¡°The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was taken down so quickly?¡±


    After observing the situation in Heaven Suppressing City again, he realized that the barrier surrounding the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had already disappeared, and the commotion had completely died down.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming keenly noticed that the Heaven Suppressing City had become heavily guarded. Many gazes were scanning the streets.


    These gazes seemed to be searching for those who had escaped, or monitoring the situation in the city. In short, if anyone acted strangely at this time, they would be easily noticed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s walk over to the next source ore shop and check out the situation.¡±


    Chen Yiming suppressed the thought of using the space anchor to teleport over. He walked along the street like a normal passerby.


    Not long after, a gaze landed on Chen Yiming for a moment before shifting to another passerby.


    ¡°They should be secretly checking the information of the people who were not in their system. It¡¯s unlikely that they suspect me.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he pretended not to notice the gaze.


    This was quickly confirmed. The Heaven Suppressing City seemed to have a special method of communication. Along the way, there were no more similar gazes that landed on him.


    ¡­


    In front of the South Palace Source Ore Workshop, two statues of three-eyed generals stood on either side of the door.


    Many muscular city guards surrounded the entire source ore shop. They allowed people to watch from afar, but they did not allow anyone to approach.


    In addition, a faint smell of blood wafted out of the source ore shop. One could tell at a glance that something had happened to the South Palace Source Ore Workshop.


    Chen Yiming, who had blended into the crowd, frowned. ¡°Who made a move to attack the South Palace Source Ore Workshop before me? Since there are city guards here, could it have something to do with the internal affairs in the Heaven Suppressing City?¡±


    After coming into contact with the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop and the Illusion Source Ore Workshop, how could he not understand that the city¡¯s ruler¡¯s faction was also involved?


    Otherwise, the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop would not have been surrounded in the city. They had completely left them in the lurch.


    At this moment, low voices sounded from the side.


    ¡°How could something have happened to the South Palace Source Ore Workshop?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the South Palace Sect is not a pure human clan, but they are known as the three-eyed gods. Every sect member is born with astonishing perceptual abilities. Be it cultivation techniques or exploring dangerous places, there is nothing they are not good at.¡±


    ¡°Do you think someone is spying on the South Palace Sect¡¯s treasure? Could it be that they took advantage of the fact that the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had attracted everyone¡¯s attention to launch a surprise attack?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. After all, the most important thing in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy is to find the corpse of the true dragon. The South Palace Sect¡¯s Heavenly Eye belongs to the perception type of spiritual talent. It¡¯s normal for others to be interested in it.¡±


    ¡°However, since they¡¯re not of the South Palace Sect¡¯s bloodline, can this Heavenly Eye really unleash its original power after being transplanted? Furthermore, can they really retrieve the intact Heavenly Eye?¡±


    ¡°This is nothing. The universe is huge, and there are all kinds of special physiques. Perhaps the factions interested in the Heavenly Eye have found a way to resolve these problems.¡±


    Chen Yiming listened patiently.


    The topic of discussion among the people around him could not be separated from ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯. They did not think that the faction the ruler of the city belonged to had secretly made a move, which was different from what he had guessed earlier.


    ¡°If the ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯ was stolen by someone, it makes sense that the Heaven Suppressing City is searching for the murderer.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it and gave up on his plan to attack the other source ore shops. He didn¡¯t want to attract their attention for nothing.


    Besides, now that he heard that the Water Moon Group behind the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop had the intention to curry favor with Gao Shuai, it meant that Gao Shuai would not be too far away.


    Even if he was not in a hurry to meet up with Gao Shuai, since the Infinite Island Group was targeting the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, the factions behind the source ore shops were thrown into chaos and he would have more opportunities to obtain the source ores in the future.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t rush things. As long as he didn¡¯t reveal that he had some special technique, no one would be able to think of a way to guard against him if he could suck dry the essence energy inside the source ores without any abnormalities appearing on the surface.


    Footsteps sounded from the South Palace Source Ore Workshop from time to time.


    Clearly, the people inside had not finished their work on gathering the clues.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and started to see what his rewards were.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 6, Giant ¡ª Level 5, Space Anchor ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 7


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Sword Body


    Skill points: 13,256,743


    When the system interface appeared in front of him, he gasped. ¡°This is too much. Instead of aiming at the star spirits, I should just have come directly to the abandoned world.¡±


    At this moment, more than 13 million Skill Points were shown on the interface.


    Although the 30 million Skill Points requirement needed to upgrade any of his talents was not met yet, he was not far from it. He could just steal the essence energy from two more source ore shops to reach that amount.


    ¡°This is only the essence energy brought by two of the source ore workshops in Heaven Suppressing City. I wonder how many large cities there are around the forbidden death zone?¡±


    Chen Yiming automatically ignored the fact that most of the essence energy he had obtained came from rare source ores.


    In reality, for ordinary source ores, not only was the probability of them containing essence energy low, but the amount of essence energy within a single source ore was also quite limited. Even if one relied on quantity, it would be difficult to make up for it.


    In addition, every piece of rare source ore that appeared in any of the source ore workshops in the city would cause a commotion. Countless people would come to see it.


    In other words, if all the source ore shops in Heaven Suppressing City were wiped out by Chen Yiming, it would take countless years for them to recover unless the factions behind the source ore workshops transferred their goods to other large cities.

 Chapter 442 - Special Gathering

    In the South Palace Source Ore Workshop.


    Source ores that had been opened could be seen everywhere on the shelves. Pieces of stones, waste paper, trash, and so on were scattered on the ground, and it was a mess.


    On the flat ground of the shop, more than 10 corpses were arranged neatly.


    From old to young, from male to female, they were all members of the South Palace Sect.


    Other than the fact that they were all wearing custom-made robes, they had another distinguishing feature. A bloody hole half a finger long had been dug out between their eyebrows.


    In addition, observing the condition of the victims, their faces were pale and their bodies were stiff.


    Their remaining two eyes bulged out, and their expressions were filled with extreme fear, as if they had seen something extremely terrifying before they died.


    At this moment, a man in a black uniform rushed into the shop with a serious expression.


    There were also other men and women in black uniform standing in the shop. Only one of them looked different. His black uniform had purple stripes sewn into it.


    He was the head of the Heaven Suppressing City¡¯s patrol division, Cai Chen.


    ¡°Boss, I just received news that something has happened to the Illusion Source Ore Workshop,¡± the man in black uniform who had barged into the shop hurriedly reported.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Cai Chen retracted his gaze and turned around.


    His figure was large, and his shoulders were wider than ordinary people. His eyes flickered, and when one looked at him, they would feel like they had been seen through by him.


    The man in black uniform continued, ¡°After the incident with the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, the Pearl of Illusion was activated to prevent anyone from spying on them.¡±


    ¡°The people we arranged to monitor the situation suddenly realized that the white fog was quickly dissipating. After taking the risk to go in and investigate the situation, they realized that the Pearl of Illusion was severely damaged, and there was a strong smell of blood in the air.¡±


    ¡°In addition, I discovered in a corner that all the source ores had turned into dust. The essence energy should have been collected and taken away.¡±


    When Cai Chen heard this, he frowned and fell silent.


    In the Heaven Suppressing City, three source ore shops were facing problems all at once, accounting for almost half of the total number. This was something that had never happened since he became the head of the patrol division.


    It had to be known that the factions behind the source ore shops monopolized the business of trading the source ores, which meant that they had an unimaginable amount of wealth. In the past, the factions behind the source ore shops would often offer large sums of money to hunt down their opponents. They had never suffered such a defeat.


    ¡°The reason for the incident with the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop is because they were exposed for secretly tampering with the rare source ores. The reason for the incident at the South Palace Source Ore Workshop is because its ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯ attracted the attention of others.¡±


    ¡°What about the reason for the incident at the Illusion Source Ore Workshop? Since the Pearl of Illusion, a rare divine artifact, was destroyed and abandoned, it¡¯s clearly not the reason.¡±


    ¡°Is their target only the source ores? However, they offended the entire Illusion Group for the sake of the source ores in one of their branches. If it wasn¡¯t done by the Infinite Island Group, would it be worth it?¡±


    The head of the patrol division narrowed his eyes, revealing a thoughtful expression. However, he was feeling a little confused. Something had also happened at the Illusion Source Ore Workshop, which severely interfered with the judgment of the case.


    The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, the South Palace Source Ore Workshop, and the Illusion Source Ore Workshop all had different motives. It did not seem like it was done by one faction.


    If it was simply blamed on the Infinite Island Group, outsiders would definitely think that the patrol department did not have the ability to find out the truth behind the case.


    If they split up the incidents and investigated them individually, it would involve the factions behind the three source ore shops. In reality, the patrol division of the Heaven Suppressing City alone was not enough to deal with it.


    In addition, the incident with the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop was partly due to the fact that the Heaven Suppressing City had turned a blind eye to it. This made the head of the patrol division¡¯s head hurt.


    Night gradually fell.


    However, the Heaven Suppressing City did not show any signs of relaxing. The Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop and the South Palace Source Ore Workshop were still surrounded by the people from the patrol division.


    After understanding the situation, Chen Yiming temporarily gave up on targeting the other source ores.


    What he did not know was that the fact that the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop had been openly trapped and stopped by a barrier in Heaven Suppressing City, and the incidents with the other two source ore shops


    were basically blamed on the Infinite Island Group due to the fact that it was impossible for the city¡¯s patrol department to have the ability to find out the truth behind it.


    If he had known that this was the case, he might have taken the risk of exposing his identity and collected enough essence energy to upgrade his talent, while letting the Infinite Island Group take the blame.


    The people in charge of the other source ore shops in the Heaven Suppressing City were uneasy and could not sleep for a long night after hearing that something had happened to three source ore shops.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a day had passed.


    There was news from the Heaven Suppressing City that the ruler of the city would give an explanation to the public at the banquet today, explaining the reason for the incident with the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    There was a heated discussion in the Heaven Suppressing City whether they had found out the truth or were just thinking of an excuse to cover it up.


    Teahouses, restaurants, squares, and other places were filled with people discussing this topic. Some people were worried that if it was not handled well, the source ore shops would retreat from Heaven Suppressing City.


    If that really happened, countless independent martial arts practitioners would have to move away.


    After all, although there had always been all kinds of shady dealings in the source ore shops, without their presence, it was equivalent to losing the ability to gamble on the source ores. Even the transactions involving the source ores would be transferred to other large cities.


    Chen Yiming walked along the street alone under his super perceptive state.


    More than 10 streets away from him, a woman wearing a long red dress and with a pair of sharp eyes was walking along the street. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she was dressed seductively.


    This woman was Wen Qi, whom he had been paying extra attention to. However, at this moment, Wen Qi¡¯s entire body, including her aura, had undergone a drastic change.


    If Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t placed the space anchor back on Wen Qi after leaving the South Palace Source Ore Workshop, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed this situation.


    ¡°Wen Qi¡¯s performance in the forbidden death zone was only at the level of the inscription realm. However, now that her aura has changed from head to toe, it is clear that she is at the level of the star condensation realm.¡±


    ¡°At the level of the star condensation realm, due to the fact that one has an inner world in their body, their sensitivity to spatial fluctuations is far greater than those who have yet to embark on the path of gods.¡±


    ¡°Then could it be that Wen Qi had already sensed that something was amiss and was just pretending not to notice it?¡±


    Chen Yiming cautiously maintained his distance from Wen Qi. In order to indirectly test her, he deliberately walked further away.


    However, from the small field of view provided by the space anchor, Wen Qi had not changed her plan at all. She was still heading in the same direction.


    Just like that, after crossing nearly half of the Heaven Suppressing City, Wen Qi arrived at a wooden house in a remote street. Soon, a servant opened the door to welcome her in and closed it.


    Chen Yiming followed closely behind, keeping about 10 kilometers away from her,


    which was still within the range of his super perception. Chen Yiming could see everything Wen Qi saw and heard with the help of the space anchor.


    ¡­


    Viewing the scene using the space anchor, he saw that a total of 10 guards were standing in two rows behind the wooden door. Wen Qi walked through their formation.


    Each of these guards emitted a powerful aura. They were actually all at the star condensation realm.


    However, these 10 powerful auras were sealed within a strange barrier and were not revealed to the outside world at all.


    ¡°Wen Yan, you¡¯re here.¡±


    When Wen Qi crossed the stone path and entered the main hall, a young man who looked like a snakeman greeted her with a smile.


    The skin revealed by his robe looked completely different from that of a human. Not only was it pale, but there was also a layer of fine scales on it. In addition, there was a cold aura from his eyes, and two pairs of wings that were gradually changing color were folded behind his back.


    ¡°Something happened. I was almost delayed.¡±


    Wen Qi pursed her lips and smiled.


    At this moment, her face revealed her mature and seductive appearance. Coupled with her red dress and seductive figure, she attracted the attention of many people in the hall.


    Soon, Wen Qi walked over and sat down in an empty seat.


    Chen Yiming used the view provided by the space anchor to see the general situation in the hall. It seemed like a special gathering was being held in this secret residence.


    There were humans and alien species participating, with about 10 to 20 people in total. All of them were from the younger generation, and had proud expressions on their faces. Not a single one of them was an elder.


    Furthermore, from the way these people did not hide their auras at all, they were all existences at the level of the star condensation realm. None of them were weak.


    ¡°A gathering of the younger generation?¡±


    ¡°Are they here for the banquet?¡±


    ¡°Or could it be that the corresponding factions, such as the Illusion Group and the South Palace Sect, have joined forces with many allies to come to Heaven Suppressing City to denounce the faction of the city¡¯s ruler?¡±


    In an instant, Chen Yiming thought of many possibilities. After all, there had to be a special meaning for them to meet at this time.


    He decided to patiently gather information. Perhaps he could secretly obtain many secrets about the source ore shops through these young people.


    With Wen Qi¡¯s arrival, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to have warmed up.


    For example, the winged snakeman went straight to Wen Qi¡¯s side. Not only did he interact with Wen Qi, but he also took the initiative to bring the others into the conversation.


    ¡°When exactly will the banquet organized by the ruler of the city begin? A large source ore cave has recently been discovered on the Thunder Mountain in the forbidden death zone. It has already been targeted by many factions.¡±


    ¡°I heard about it too. Brother Zhao, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any worth in participating in the city ruler¡¯s banquet. Why don¡¯t we hurry up and bring people to Thunder Mountain? We might be lucky enough to bring back a rare source ore.¡±


    ¡°Sister Wen, how have you been? It¡¯s been a few years since we last met, but you¡¯ve become more and more beautiful, and we can¡¯t help but want to chase after you. Why don¡¯t I be your male companion to attend the city ruler¡¯s banquet later?¡±


    ¡°Brother He, you must be joking. It¡¯s said that Gao Shuai is running around the south mountain range and has even come into contact with the factions behind the three source ore shops that have suffered heavy losses this time.¡±


    ¡°This Gao Shuai seems to have the intention to join forces with several factions from the source ore shops to deal with the attacks from the Infinite Island Group. I wonder if you can contact him?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Sister Wen is making things difficult for me. Even my clan doesn¡¯t dare to have anything to do with Gao Shuai. How can a small young master like me dare to get involved?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the son of the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City has the potential to become a genius of a large clan in the galaxy. Do you think the tragedy at the South Palace Source Ore Workshop was actually caused by the ruler of the city?¡±


    ¡°Brother Ou, be careful with your words. The ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯ is a manifestation of the South Palace Sect¡¯s bloodline power. It¡¯s already not bad if an outsider can only unleash 30% of its power after transplanting it into their body.¡±


    ¡°Among the geniuses, since it can only unleash 30% of its power at the same level, even the Heavenly Eye will be considered useless. It¡¯s unlikely that the attack was made by the city¡¯s ruler.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhu, don¡¯t panic. There¡¯s a barrier here. As long as there¡¯s no traitor among us, what we say won¡¯t travel to the outside world. I¡¯m just making a guess.¡±


    ¡°Besides, such a thing happened right under the nose of the city ruler¡¯s faction. If you say that it has nothing to do with them, I don¡¯t believe you. Perhaps the ruler of the city is helping someone else?¡±


    All kinds of information entered Chen Yiming¡¯s ears and he recorded them down in his mind.


    Seeing that the gathering wouldn¡¯t end soon, Chen Yiming found a teahouse on the street and sat down. He asked the servant to serve some hot tea and listened as he drank.


    Other than the information related to the banquet, he had also paid special attention to the information about Gao Shuai. He seemed to have used his prophecy ability to see something and was about to cause a huge commotion.


    From the fact that Gao Shuai had taken the initiative to contact the factions behind the source ore shops, Chen Yiming could roughly guess what he was up to.


    If the factions related to the Infinite Island Group started a full-scale war with the factions behind the source ore shops, who would be their true enemy? Who would be their true ally? This was hard to say.


    After all, like Chen Yiming, Gao Shuai¡¯s goal in coming to the abandoned world was to get essence energy.


    Now that Gao Shuai was involved with the factions behind the source ore shops, it was obvious that he was definitely setting up a trap. It was impossible for him to waste his time helping others for no reason.


    ¡°From the looks of it, the reason for this situation, including the fact that the Infinite Island Group made a big fuss about the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, was because I uncovered the problem of the large number of rare source ores that were tampered with.¡±


    ¡°Gao Shuai also moved very quickly. From the bits and pieces of the conversation between those people, it¡¯s not difficult to tell that Gao Shuai had gotten involved almost immediately. Now, he has already achieved a lot.¡±


    Chen Yiming instantly felt that he had underestimated Gao Shuai¡¯s special prophecy ability.


    Previously, he had thought that at the level of the star condensation realm, his true combat strength could allow him to fight someone of a higher level, equivalent to the level of the jade star realm. How could a weakling at the fusion realm like Gao Shuai dare to predict anything related to him?


    The space anchor talent allowed his pursuit ability to be amplified to the limit. If Gao Shuai dared to make a rash prediction, he would die tragically on the spot.


    However, the truth was that Gao Shuai definitely had some tricks up his sleeve. For example, he could avoid meeting him directly during the prophecy, or he could gather indirect clues to find out the truth.


    There was another important reason. Both of them knew very well why they had come to the abandoned world, which was to collect essence energy.


    With the incident of Chen Yiming killing the ruler of a city and a genius of the Roc clan on the Flying Cloud Planet, it was very likely that Gao Shuai suspected that he was the one who had caused such a serious incident in the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop in Heaven Suppressing City.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming calmed down.


    Naturally, he had to think of a way to coordinate with Gao Shuai¡¯s actions. The conflict between the Infinite Island Group and the source ore shops was also an opportunity for him to take advantage of the situation.


    This way, he had to participate in the city ruler¡¯s banquet.

 Chapter 443 - City Rulers Banquet

    The gathering in the wooden house only ended when night fell.


    The younger generation of the human and alien species came out of the wooden door in an orderly manner and dispersed. Only a few of them traveled together.


    Wen Qi rejected the young man¡¯s offer to accompany her and left alone.


    Chen Yiming realized that at a street corner, Wen Qi had lost her mature appearance and returned to her original state. She exuded a youthful aura.


    When she walked out of the street corner, it was impossible to tell that they were the same person. There were not even many similarities between their appearances. Her figure was even shorter and thinner.


    Most importantly, her aura had weakened greatly, and he could sense that her cultivation level had fallen back to the inscription realm.


    ¡°Special bloodline?¡±


    ¡°Or are there two consciousnesses in her spiritual world?¡±


    This time, Chen Yiming used the space anchor to see the changes in Wen Qi¡¯s body with his own eyes. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have thought that a person would have a disguise that perfect.


    Furthermore, the humans and alien species at the gathering did not notice anything amiss with Wen Qi.


    It was no wonder that Wen Qi could move between the Heaven Suppressing City and the forbidden death zone as the big sister of an adventurer team without being seen through.


    ¡°Perhaps the reason why this disguise is flawless is because one of the two identities will fall into a deep sleep while the other is active. It¡¯s also because of this that Wen Qi didn¡¯t notice the slight spatial fluctuations when I placed the space anchor on her.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t sure if Wen Qi had noticed it or not. It was also possible that she had noticed it but pretended that nothing had happened.


    He decided to pay more attention to Wen Qi¡¯s movements while laying low in the future.


    For example, at the gathering today, with the help of the information provided by Wen Qi, he had learned a lot about the south mountain range and also a lot about Gao Shuai.


    This was much more reliable than asking random passers-by or finding out on his own.


    ¡­


    At night,


    the city ruler¡¯s residence in the center of the Heaven Suppressing City was brightly lit. Elite soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army could be seen everywhere, and the entire residence was guarded tightly.


    Although only those who held invitations were qualified to attend the city ruler¡¯s banquet, it did not stop many people from coming to the surrounding area to wait for the city ruler to use the banquet to announce something.


    The ruler of Heaven Suppressing City was above the jade star realm, and was on the same level as the powerful elders of the large clans in the universe. He was a big shot even in the south mountain range.


    Chen Yiming followed the crowd to a street near the city ruler¡¯s residence.


    There were many humans and alien species around him who were just joining in the fun. It did not seem strange at all for him to be there, and no one would check his identity.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man handed over something that looked like a candy strip to him and said enthusiastically, ¡°Brother, do you want to try it? It¡¯s handmade by my family.¡±


    Was this a popular snack in the south mountain range?


    Chen Yiming glanced at him, not knowing what the middle-aged man¡¯s motive was. He quickly rejected him. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve been fasting for a long time for my cultivation.¡±


    The middle-aged man did not force him. He put away the candy strip and popped one in his mouth. He smiled and said,


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve cultivated to the level of a god at such a young age. You don¡¯t look like you belong to any faction. Aren¡¯t you going to consider taking the initiative to apply for the right to participate in the banquet?¡±


    Chen Yiming replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you also staying outside to watch? You didn¡¯t apply to attend the banquet either.¡±


    Chen Yiming had already heard about the rumors of people taking the initiative to apply for the right to participate in the banquet. The requirement was to be one of the younger generation at the star condensation realm.


    However, if he registered to enter the city ruler¡¯s residence, he would definitely attract attention for no reason. It would not be beneficial for him when he was secretly causing trouble, so he naturally did not consider it.


    The middle-aged man changed the topic.


    ¡°I think this Infinite Island Group is probably going to cause a huge commotion in the south mountain range. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell that the city ruler¡¯s faction is involved in the incident with the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why the city ruler specially organized a banquet. The people he invited are all from the younger generation of the various factions.¡±


    Chen Yiming said casually, ¡°The younger generation of the various factions can be his messengers. Perhaps he is really going to provide an explanation to the public?¡±


    ¡°After all, something happened at the South Palace Source Ore Workshop. According to the public news, the ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯ from their bloodline was actually dug out by someone.¡±


    The middle-aged man continued with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s there to explain? We all know this. So what if cultivators like us know about it? What can we do?¡±


    ¡°I think it might be to build a stage for one of the descendants of the city ruler. He¡¯s about to come out into the world to train, so he can make use of the situation to make a name for himself.¡±


    Chen Yiming fell silent. That seemed to be the case. Otherwise, why would the people invited be from the younger generation? It looked more like an exchange.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Suddenly, a silver light streaked across the sky.


    This light was a woman with silver wings. Her entire body seemed to be made of silver, and she had long silver hair that flowed like a waterfall, as well as a pair of cold eyes.


    When the woman folded her wings, the light on her body gradually faded. Then, she walked barefoot into the city ruler¡¯s residence. Along the way, she was not stopped or checked by anyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s the goddess of the silver-winged clan. Her slender legs, silver skin, thin waist, and perky butt are really attractive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that she mastered the speed talent since she was born. There are few opponents of the same level who can match her speed. She cultivated all the way to the level of a god before leaving the clan¡¯s territory. I didn¡¯t expect her to appear in Heaven Suppressing City.¡±


    The middle-aged man stared intently as he revealed the silver-winged woman¡¯s background.


    At the same time, almost everyone¡¯s gazes were fixed on the silver-winged woman. In other words, they were sizing her up from head to toe with burning gazes.


    There were many people who wanted to take the silver-winged woman into their arms. Usually, no one would dare to stare at her so openly. They only dared to do it now because so many people were present doing the same thing.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but stare at the silver-winged woman as well.


    Speed talent?


    How was it compared to the space anchor talent?


    If there was a chance, he would have a chance to give it a try.


    Naturally, he would not admit that he was actually interested in her. This interest was far more than his interest in comparing their speed. Furthermore, with his space-manipulation talent, he could tell with his naked eye that there was no need for comparison.


    Soon, another black light fell from the sky.


    The second person to attend the banquet was a man covered in black lightning. He was protected by metal armor and held a divine spear.


    As soon as he appeared, he suppressed the entire place with a violent aura. Furthermore, he had no intention of hiding his aura. The entire Heaven Suppressing City felt as if it was facing a thunderstorm.


    Even the energy barrier in the sky seemed to be unable to withstand it, and cracking sounds rang out.


    ¡°The war god of the Thunder Cloud Group, Wang Cheng. Isn¡¯t this ferocious person training in a dangerous place? Why is he here in the Heaven Suppressing City?¡±


    Many people exclaimed.


    Most people were still attracted to the silver-winged woman¡¯s beauty when she arrived. In their hearts, they still treated her as an outstandingly talented girl who had just started out on her cultivation path.


    Speed talent? There were ways to counter it.


    However, the arrival of Wang Cheng was different. His title of war god had been obtained through his achievements.


    There were countless people or factions who had indirectly suffered losses at his hands. However, they could only grit their teeth and swallow their resentment. There was no way they could defeat the other party.


    In addition, there were existences above the jade star realm presiding over the Thunder Cloud Group. It was on a small planet that could move around, and no one dared to bully Wang Cheng.


    The middle-aged man said excitedly, ¡°Even Wang Cheng is here. Looks like there¡¯s going to be a good show to watch. Tonight, if there isn¡¯t some news that shakes the entire south mountain range, the faction of the city ruler will lose face.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow.


    Wang Cheng was just a guy who had mastered black lightning and had some physical talent. Such an opponent could be dealt with in a few punches. Was there a need to make such a fuss?


    If he laid low for a while longer and obtained enough essence energy to upgrade his two talents, he could even teach the city ruler a lesson.


    Next, just as countless people were exclaiming about the deeds of Wang Cheng, more young geniuses who had been invited arrived. Streams of light streaked across the sky one after another.


    These young geniuses who had been invited were attending the banquet in a high-profile manner.


    A child holding a heavy hammer landed on the ground, causing the Heaven Suppressing City to shake. He was short and had a young face, but there was a shocking aura coming from his body. One could not judge a book by its cover.


    ¡°A child?¡±


    ¡°Child, my ass. That appearance is a sign he mastered the Virgin Technique. If he retains his virginity, his cultivation speed can increase by leaps and bounds.¡±


    Although people knew that he cultivated the Virgin Technique, not many knew what this entailed.


    The next person to arrive was a snakeman from the feathered snake clan. This was the person Chen Yiming had seen when spying on Wen Qi.


    As soon as he appeared, the surroundings instantly turned cold. A layer of frost seemed to have formed on the ground. The dangerous aura made the onlookers, who were also at the star condensation realm, secretly vigilant.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Someone could not help but gasp.


    This was the same as Wang Cheng. There were many examples of people who had left behind famous achievements in the south mountain range who had died at this person¡¯s hands or been wiped out by him.


    He was also not someone who could be provoked easily. There were people who had formed grudges with him and even used the people beside them to hide from him, afraid that they would be seen.


    Very quickly, within a few minutes, all the invited people appeared.


    A total of 20 to 30 people entered the city ruler¡¯s residence one by one.


    Chen Yiming paid special attention to look out for Wen Qi and realized that she hadn¡¯t participated. Instead, she had left the Heaven Suppressing City by herself.


    ¡°Forget it. No matter what she¡¯s up to, let¡¯s wait for this matter to end first.¡±


    ¡°Unless Wen Qi goes far away from the Heaven Suppressing City, it won¡¯t be difficult to find her again after walking around the vicinity in my super perceptive state.¡±


    On second thought, if Wen Qi went far away, it meant that the space anchor he had left on her had been exposed. However, as long as she did not have the ability to remove it, it would not be difficult for him to chase after her.


    At this moment, as these young geniuses disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight, the atmosphere around the city ruler¡¯s residence was stirred up. The anticipation for the news from this banquet caused countless people to engage in discussion.


    ¡­


    In the city ruler¡¯s residence, exquisite white lamps were hung on the walls on both sides of the corridor. Lotus lamps hung above their heads, making every passage and corner as bright as day.


    In the spacious hall, a banquet was being held. Light music rang out, and delicacies were already prepared. The invited people interacted with each other from time to time.


    The city ruler had yet to appear. One of the city ruler¡¯s sons, Li Wenfeng, was temporarily entertaining everyone.


    He had a handsome face and was wearing a white robe. His figure was elegant, and he looked like a gentleman.


    The name of the Heaven Suppressing City was naturally related to the city ruler.


    Each of the descendants of the city ruler had an extremely strong physique. When they were young, they already had the ability to tear apart dire beasts with their bare hands and destroy mountains and rivers.


    Li Wenfeng could be considered an anomaly among them. He did not have a strong physique, even though his cultivation level had reached the star condensation realm. His cultivation level was not inferior to any of the invited people present.


    ¡°Li Wenfeng, we¡¯ve already eaten. Everyone is here. Where¡¯s your father, the city ruler?¡±


    a man in a gorgeous robe with a small mark between his eyebrows took the lead and asked impatiently.


    As soon as she finished speaking, the wide hall fell silent, and only soft music could be heard.


    The man who spoke was from the Purple Pill Sect. It was a faction in the south mountain range that had a close relationship with the source ore shops and was famous for their unique alchemy techniques.


    However, the divine pill that was also valuable to the gods required essence energy as one of the ingredients. Therefore, he was actually participating in the banquet with the intention of seeking an explanation from the city ruler¡¯s faction.


    Of course, there were many young geniuses representing the various large factions present. He was not afraid that the city ruler would play any tricks, so he took the lead to question him.


    At the same time, the others present focused their gazes on Li Wenfeng.


    With the incidents at the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop, the South Palace Source Ore Workshop, and the Illusion Source rOe Workshop, everyone did not come to the banquet just to eat. Instead, they were directly waiting for an explanation.


    If the city ruler could not give an acceptable explanation, the factions related to the source ore shops would retreat from the city without hesitation.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be anxious. Father has instructed me to treat you well. There¡¯s still a cultivation exchange later. With such a good opportunity, I believe everyone will benefit from it.¡±


    Li Wenfeng¡¯s expression remained the same as he easily deflected the question.


    Exchange?


    Everyone present was a genius in the southern mountain range. They all had their own pride and believed that they were among the top of their generation.


    However, they were unwilling to participate in this exchange under the watch of the city ruler. Wasn¡¯t this exposing their talent, secret techniques, secret treasures, and other tricks?


    At this moment, some people¡¯s expressions started to turn ugly. They felt that they should not have come to the banquet.


    ¡°Li Wenfeng, you¡¯ve already lost to me previously in the ice river forbidden zone. Hurry up and contact your father. Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time.¡±


    A cold voice sounded.


    The silver-winged woman had spoken.


    As soon as she finished speaking, it attracted the surprised gazes of everyone present. It turned out that Li Wenfeng had already lost to the silver-winged woman. If she had not said it today, the others would not have known.


    ¡°My cultivation talent is only average in the clan. The Li clan arranged for someone else to participate in the exchange,¡± Li Wenfeng smiled awkwardly and quickly explained.


    Hearing this, the face of the city ruler¡¯s faction was immediately saved. After all, Li Wenfeng was not a true representative of this generation.

 Chapter 444 - Birth of a Genius

    The man from the Purple Pill Sect and the silver-winged woman


    were both leaders of the younger generation from huge factions. This was especially true for the man from the Purple Pill Sect. His alchemy skills were not inferior to many of the elders in the sect.


    As someone took the lead to question him, the atmosphere changed drastically.


    Li Wenfeng had saved the face of the city ruler¡¯s faction by demeaning himself, but the situation was getting out of hand.


    When the silver-winged woman revealed his defeat at her hands, the young geniuses present had already lowered Li Wenfeng¡¯s level in their hearts and even kicked him out of their ranks.


    After the banquet ended, if news of Li Wenfeng¡¯s defeat spread to the outside world, they would all think that he had fallen from the level of the geniuses of the younger generation and was the type who lacked the ability to continue on the path of cultivation.


    Just as the banquet was about to be forced to end, the inner door opened, and a middle-aged man with a head of white hair strode into the banquet hall.


    As soon as he appeared, it was as if a galaxy had materialized behind him. All the starlight became embellishments for him. When one looked at him, one could even see the life and death of a living planet in his eyes.


    The person who had arrived was Li Zhentian, the city ruler.


    ¡°Hello, City Ruler!¡±


    ¡°Hello, City Ruler!¡±


    ¡­


    Unlike when they were facing Li Wenfeng, the group of young geniuses greeted Li Zhentian respectfully.


    This was the respect that a lower-level person should have for a higher-up. Unless this group of young people at the scene one day grew to the level of the city ruler, they would have to bow down even if they were at a disadvantage.


    The reason was that from the silver-winged woman¡¯s tone, Li Wenfeng¡¯s defeat was not a defeat after a tough fight. Instead, he had suffered a decisive defeat. Therefore, Li Wenfeng did not even refute her.


    However, in front of the city ruler, Li Zhentian, the difference of two major realms between him and all the geniuses present caused them to be unable to deal with him.


    ¡°Father, everyone is here,¡± Li Wenfeng walked forward and said.


    Li Zhentian nodded.


    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­¡±


    Then, the voice of the city ruler resounded throughout the banquet hall.


    Everyone stayed quietly where they were. Even the man from the Purple Pill Sect, who had been impatient earlier, remained silent. No one stood out in front of the city ruler.


    In reality, the young geniuses representing the various large factions did not even dare to go to the source ore shops to hold them accountable.


    Instead, it was the city ruler¡¯s faction that took the initiative to release the news. This group of young geniuses had gathered here to wait for an explanation. Regardless of the outcome, it was fine as long as they reported it to the factions they represented.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s cut to the chase. I naturally invited all the young geniuses to this banquet for a special reason.¡±


    ¡°My son has recently had an epiphany and wants to verify it with all of you. Therefore, he asked me to put down my pride and build a suitable stage for him.¡±


    Li Zhentian did not mention the explanation for the incidents involving the three source ore shops.


    Were they being used as stepping stones?


    So the news that was deliberately released was just a lie?


    Even though before they came, the young geniuses already had a feeling that the outcome might not be good.


    However, they did not expect the city ruler to not even bother to give a perfunctory explanation.


    Now that they had entered the city ruler¡¯s residence, no one could do anything about it without Li Zhentian around. The situation was completely different now. No one present dared to say no.


    This was not because they had lost the arrogance that a genius should have, but because there was a difference of two major realms between them. Even the strongest among them could not overcome this difference.


    Furthermore, since something had happened in the source ore shops and the city ruler just pretended that nothing had happened, the young geniuses present did not dare to speak up as though they were more important than the source ore shops.


    Li Zhentian swept his gaze across the crowd and took in everyone¡¯s expressions. He smiled and said, ¡°Feng¡¯er, go and call Fei¡¯er over. Don¡¯t let these brothers and sisters wait too long.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Li Wenfeng agreed and turned to leave via the inner door.


    Not long after, the sound of footsteps gradually approached the banquet hall.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The inner door was suddenly pushed open, and cracks appeared.


    A young man with a well-proportioned figure slowly walked in.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gazes ignored the reason why this person could not control his strength and focused on the person¡¯s eyes.


    His pair of black eyes were very different from normal. Instead, there were many double images, and a terrifying power was brewing in them, as if a world was being born and destroyed.


    In addition, traces of blood seeped out of the corners of his eyes. One could tell at a glance that this was because his new power was still unstable.


    ¡°Could this be the legendary twin pupil bloodline?¡±


    The hearts of the young geniuses present skipped a beat. It was difficult not to think of the matter of the South Palace Source Ore Workshop and the fact that all the Heavenly Eyes had been taken away.


    ¡°This is my son, Li Tengfei. I¡¯m sure no one has heard of him before. Today, please give my son some pointers.¡±


    Li Zhentian introduced him with a smile. He did not hide the pride in his voice.


    As soon as he said this, everyone¡¯s expressions changed slightly.


    This city ruler really had ill intentions in organizing this banquet. Did he really want all of them to become Li Tengfei¡¯s stepping stone for his cultivation?


    However, they had to admit that in the face of the legendary twin pupil bloodline, although they had yet to confirm the completeness of the bloodline, everyone¡¯s confidence was greatly reduced.


    This was because the South Palace Sect¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯ was said to be an inferior form of the twin pupil bloodline. It was clear how powerful the twin pupil bloodline was.


    For a moment, everyone was in a dilemma. They even regretted coming to the banquet.


    Among these people, for example, Wen Qi had found an excuse not to attend the banquet. There were also many people who had not attended the banquet for all kinds of reasons.


    In the corner of the hall, a female attendant with a wreath on her head finally heaved a sigh of relief after Li Zhentian appeared.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming saw the scene inside.


    It turned out that when the group of young geniuses appeared in front of the city ruler¡¯s residence one after another in a shocking manner, borrowing the interference from the energy fluctuations, Chen Yiming secretly placed a space anchor on an attendant at the door.


    His luck was good. After the city ruler¡¯s banquet started, the female attendant he had chosen appeared in the banquet hall to serve as a waitress.


    Furthermore, she had not been called away even until now.


    ¡°City Ruler Li is extremely confident. It seems that he has the ability to take on all the responsibility.¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s attention was focused on Li Zhentian.


    Perhaps it was because of the additional confidence brought about by the twin pupil bloodline, or perhaps it was because the twin pupil bloodline was really an earth-shattering development, but the city ruler no longer hid it.


    From the start of the banquet, it was clear that he wanted to use the young geniuses present to let Li Tengfei display the power of the twin pupil bloodline.


    The middle-aged man beside him was still talking excitedly.


    He even talked about the chaotic private life of the city ruler. It was said that there were 3,000 beauties in his harem, and there were even humans and alien species.


    ¡°Could it be that Li Tengfei is the descendant of Li Zhentian and a woman from the South Palace Sect?¡±


    Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    If that was the truth, Li Zhentian was too wild.


    It had to be known that the South Palace clan were essentially humanoid creatures. They were known as the three-eyed gods, but they were not really human. The lineage of the city ruler was that of pure-blooded humans. This was public information.


    The combination of humans and alien species who had cultivated to the level of a god. Under normal circumstances, it was almost impossible for them to have descendants.


    Even for a woman from the South Palace Sect, the probability of her being at the same level as a god was close to zero. This was a manifestation of the basic rules of the universe. Otherwise, the galaxy would have been completely ruled by the descendants of the strongest cultivator.


    Chen Yiming had personally experienced this. It was only by chance that he and Wu Di had a child.


    In the banquet hall, Li Zhentian looked at everyone. ¡°Everyone, who wants to go first?¡±


    His tone did not allow anyone to refuse, and he did not allow anyone to back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Just as everyone was still looking at each other, someone stood up.


    It was Li Shuhan from the Yin Yang Transformation Sect. He had an honest appearance and a well-proportioned figure similar to Li Tengfei. Furthermore, they had the same surname.


    However, no one would look down on Li Shuhan. The Yin Yang Transformation Sect could cultivate a strange energy that was good at destroying opponents from the inside.


    It was obvious that Li Tengfei could not completely control his newly obtained power. No one present was more suitable to fight him than Li Shuhan.


    ¡°Shuhan, be careful,¡±


    a good friend reminded him.


    The secret history of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy dated back to an era where people with the twin pupil bloodline fought against divine beasts like the True Dragon and the True Phoenix.


    In the end, it had naturally disappeared into the river of time. Even the authenticity of the records had yet to be verified.


    However, the matter of the true dragon¡¯s corpse had attracted the attention of countless large factions in the surrounding galaxies. It could be seen that even the incomplete version of the twin pupil bloodline was definitely very powerful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Li Shuhan nodded and walked to a spot not far from Li Tengfei before stopping.


    However, when they looked at each other at close range, he felt the pressure from the twin pupil bloodline. Under those eyes that were filled with double images, he seemed to have been completely seen through.


    However, he could not back down at this moment. Even if he would lose, he had to fight. Otherwise, the Yin Yang Transformation Sect would lose face. He would not be able to explain himself when he returned.


    ¡°Attack freely. You don¡¯t have to worry about the residence being destroyed.¡±


    At this moment, Li Zhentian suddenly spoke. It was unknown if he was speaking to Li Tengfei or Li Shuhan.


    At the same time, the space in the entire banquet hall froze. An indescribably terrifying restraining force turned into a barrier that enveloped the area.


    The floor, porcelain, pillars, and so on had all been enhanced by an invisible force. Even those at the star condensation realm could not easily cause damage to them.


    This was the difference between them. The difference of two major realms was like a natural chasm. Even if this group of young geniuses was unwilling, they had to follow Li Zhentian¡¯s orders. Otherwise, he could kill everyone present with a single thought.


    With a low shout, Li Shuhan moved. He took a step forward and struck out with his palm.


    Since the entire banquet hall was surrounded by a barrier, his attack seemed to be completely unrestrained.


    It was as if a huge palm had descended, and it was as if a planet could be held in his palm. At the same time, the Yin and Yang energies mixed together, as if they wanted to completely destroy their target.


    ¡°Too weak.¡±


    In the face of such an attack, Li Tengfei did not even bat an eyelid. Furthermore, he stood rooted to his spot.


    When a world filled with double images appeared behind it, the huge palm seemed to be trapped by layers of space and could not move.


    In the next moment, Li Tengfei moved.


    As Li Shuhan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, Li Tengfei took a step forward to shorten the distance between them. Then, he struck out against the palm that contained the Yin and Yang energies.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Li Shuhan spat out a mouthful of blood.


    He did not expect Li Tengfei to have mastered a secret spatial technique. This palm strike was countered fully and hit Li Shuhan squarely in the abdomen, creating a hole and hitting the inner world in his body.


    Outsiders had no way of knowing the location of the inner world. However, at this moment, under Li Tengfei¡¯s twin pupils, it seemed that its location was not hidden. There was not even time to dodge his attack.


    At that moment, a figure was sent flying. He crashed heavily into the barrier maintained by Li Zhentian, then bounced back to the ground.


    In everyone¡¯s perception, Li Shuhan¡¯s aura suddenly weakened.


    ¡°It can actually aim at the inner world in one¡¯s body.¡±


    At the level of a god, the physical body was only an external manifestation. The inner world was the foundation. In the inner world, the main body¡¯s will was the will of the world.


    When the inner world was damaged, it would naturally cause spiritual damage. This attack had taken out most of Li Shuhan¡¯s life force.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Li Shuhan knew that it was more important to keep his life, so he admitted defeat without hesitation.


    At the same time, he tried his best to repair the damage to his inner world. The recovery ability of the Yin and Yang energies was very strong, and it would not be long before he could be brought out of danger.


    However, this admission of defeat cast a shadow over the hearts of the many young geniuses present.


    Among these people, Li Shuhan had a technique that excelled in both offense and defense. His combat strength was above average, but he was defeated in one move by Li Tengfei.


    At this moment, the entire venue was silent.


    There was no need for anyone to say anything. It seemed that in a one-on-one fight, Li Tengfei no longer had a suitable opponent among them.


    How about two against one, or three against one? They had never fought like this before, but everyone was not too confident. After all, when the difference reached a certain level, numbers were useless.


    ¡°This twin pupil bloodline seems to be quite powerful. I wonder if it¡¯s stronger or weaker than the physique formed by my two talents.¡±


    Chen Yiming had used the female attendant¡¯s perspective to witness the battle. If he was the one in the fight, would he also be crushed?


    The reason for the outcome was that the previous opponent was too weak. The two of them had to really fight to determine who was stronger. However, coupled with the enhancement from the Space Anchor talent, Chen Yiming was still very confident in himself.


    At this moment, the intense energy fluctuations in the city ruler¡¯s residence were inevitably noticed by the outside world even with the seal of the barrier.


    It was as if this was exactly what Li Zhentian wanted. He snapped his fingers. A trigger seemed to have been activated and the entire residence sank into the ground, turning the area into a flat ground.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    The people waiting around the city ruler¡¯s residence were shocked when they saw the scene in front of them.


    This was especially true for Li Shuhan. The energy fluctuations in his body were extremely chaotic. It was obvious that there was something wrong with his body.

 Chapter 445 - Discussion at the Teahouse

    ¡°Those eyes.¡±


    Soon, someone noticed Li Tengfei¡¯s twin pupils and shouted in surprise.


    The twin pupils were too special. Just by looking at them, it was as if one was sucked into a layered space and imprisoned by them.


    The sense of powerlessness they felt showed how terrifying the power contained in the twin pupils was.


    ¡°The South Palace Sect¡¯s annual sacrifice is to worship the twin pupils on a stone tablet. It has only been two days since the incident at the South Palace Source Ore Workshop¡­¡±


    Those who knew more about the South Palace Sect immediately recognized the twin pupils.


    As more and more people saw it with their own eyes, the surroundings of the city ruler¡¯s residence became even more chaotic.


    Many people did not dare to confirm it verbally, but in their hearts, they were already certain that the incident at the South Palace Source Ore Workshop was probably related to the city ruler.


    Could one fuse multiple pairs of Heavenly Eyes to create a twin pupil?


    At this moment, it was not only the humans who had such thoughts, but also the alien species. However, there was another question. Did they need the bloodline of the South Palace Sect?


    However, bloodlines were not a problem most of the time. They only needed to capture the people from the South Palace Sect who were traveling outside. The source ore shop was supported by a large faction, so it was impossible for them to all hide away and not leave their homes.


    In other words, the appearance of Li Tengfei¡¯s twin pupils had unknowingly placed the South Palace Sect in a dangerous situation.


    Once it was proven that the method of fusing multiple pairs of Heavenly Eyes to create the twin pupils could be replicated, the South Palace Sect might even be in danger of being wiped out.


    Under the burning gazes of the crowd, ¡°One won¡¯t do. It¡¯s best if all of you attack together,¡± Li Tengfei¡¯s gaze narrowed as he said calmly.


    This was his decision after discussing it with his father, Li Zhentian. In order to have enough strength to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse, he had to forcefully make himself an invincible opponent.


    This started from suppressing geniuses of the same generation and gradually evolved defeating those in the level above at the jade star realm, and finally reaching Li Zhentian¡¯s current level.


    Finally, he would rely on the power of the twin pupils bloodline to fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    In fact, after being bathed in the true dragon¡¯s blood, the only flaw of the twin pupils bloodline would be made up for, which was that the physical aspect was not as outstanding as the spiritual aspect.


    At that time, the true ruler of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the territorial lord, might also usher in a new era where the younger generation replaced the old.


    This was the confidence of someone with the twin pupil bloodline.


    ¡°You want to fight so many of us alone? We¡¯re all at the star condensation realm. Even those publicly acknowledged geniuses of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy probably won¡¯t dare to say such arrogant words.¡±


    A man in a long robe sneered. He held a three-foot-long sword in his hand, and a sword aura that surged through the galaxy appeared in his eyes. He had comprehended the sword to an extremely deep level.


    As soon as he finished speaking, ¡°Let¡¯s try it out¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, countless poisonous snakes with white light in their mouths appeared around him.


    The snakeman from the feathered snake clan had launched a sneak attack. These poisonous snakes seemed to have appeared out of thin air extremely suddenly. The timing was perfect, and even the other geniuses who were considered to be on the same side could not react in time.


    ¡°Swish, swish, swish¡­¡±


    The white light from the snakes pierced into his body.


    Every drop of venom could cause a disaster that could engulf an ordinary planet and create a disaster that could destroy the entire world.


    Furthermore, the venom contained in the white light in each snake¡¯s mouth was different.


    Usually, if the inner world was attacked by multiple such poisonous snakes and their venom entered the inner world, it could cause the inner world to collapse in a few seconds.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    At this moment, Li Tengfei¡¯s entire body was instantly covered in all kinds of strange colors. At the same time, cracks could be seen everywhere.


    This was a sign that the venom from the poisonous snakes had hit the inner world in his body.


    ¡°Gasp! This person with the twin pupil doesn¡¯t seem to be too strong.¡±


    Around the city ruler¡¯s residence, countless gazes witnessed the scene of Li Tengfei being hit and how he was about to be killed by the venom in the blink of an eye.


    This did not match everyone¡¯s understanding of the legend of those with the twin pupil bloodline.


    However, he did not show any panic on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Even if you attack my inner world with the venom that can kill a god, it¡¯s only equivalent to being bitten by an ant.¡±


    As he spoke, all the abnormalities caused by the venom on his body disappeared like snow melting away. In the overlapping space between his twin pupils, countless poisonous snakes were trapped and unable to move.


    ¡°The inner world was so severely injured, but it was easily transferred away?¡±


    The snakeman¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    The self-repair ability of the inner world was extremely powerful without any external interference.


    As long as it was not a single attack that could completely destroy the inner world, the power of the world could quickly fill in all the cracks.


    All of a sudden, when the young geniuses present saw this, they understood the difference between them and the person with the twin pupils bloodline.


    The snakeman¡¯s methods were not effective at all, and there was a high chance that it would be the same for the others. Unless they had practiced a combined attack in advance, it was very difficult for such a team to win.


    ¡°Is he really going to make the geniuses lose face and announce that he¡¯s the strongest?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions did not look too good. As the younger generation representing the factions behind them, they were the future of their factions.


    If things ended in such a humiliating manner, what awaited them would be a cold treatment. There was a high chance that they would not be able to remain a representative in the future.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Li Tengfei snorted coldly and charged at the snakeman without saying a word.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same move again. He wants to return the favor by using the snakes that are trapped in the overlapping space.¡±


    The snakeman was naturally already on guard and was about to use his molting technique to dodge the counterattack. However, he suddenly realized that his body, mind, and even his inner world were trapped.


    This was not the work of the city ruler, but the power of Li Tengfei¡¯s twin pupils. It actually made geniuses of the same level feel as if they were trapped in an unknown overlapping space and could not put up any resistance.


    ¡°The second one.¡±


    With a light shout, the snakeman fell to the ground.


    Li Tengfei casually returned the other party¡¯s sneak attack to him. Just like Li Shuhan, his inner world suffered a heavy blow on the spot.


    ¡°Third.¡±


    Li Tengfei¡¯s gaze turned to the man from the Purple Pill Sect.


    In an instant, the man from the Purple Pill Sect turned into an alchemy furnace. The sky was filled with purple flames that were about to turn the galaxy into a fire domain.


    Li Tengfei took a step forward, and the twin pupils suddenly expanded.


    Under the influence of an invisible force, the alchemy furnace that spanned from heaven to earth was quickly compressed to a few meters in size. Then, it received an ordinary-looking palm strike.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The furnace exploded.


    Li Tengfei did not kill him completely. After succeeding in his first attack, he retracted the power of the twin pupils and allowed the figure of the man from the Purple Pill Sect to appear again.


    However, at this moment, the man from the Purple Pill Sect was not much different from the previous two. The inner world in his body had exploded.


    What was a little unexpected was that the physical talent of the person with the twin pupils bloodline could also crush the many geniuses present. It could be seen that the two sides were not on the same level in terms of talent.


    It had to be known that the twin pupils bloodline did not focus on physical strength, but the power contained in the eyes.


    ¡°The fourth.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining geniuses could only brace themselves and join forces.


    Of course, because they had not discussed how to work together, they were actually still fighting individually. Li Tengfei was not actually fighting all of them at the same time.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The silver-winged woman used her speed talent and tried to attack Li Tengfei at lightning speed. However, it was as if she had been completely seen through and was dodged by him.


    Then, their eyes met, and the power of the twin pupils erupted. The silver-winged woman was instantly injured severely and fell to the ground.


    The black lightning from the body of the war god Wang Cheng surged into the divine spear and stabbed at him head-on. However, the black lightning was actually stripped away by the power of the twin pupils.


    Next, he sent the divine spear flying with a strike of his palm and punched Wang Cheng in the chest. Wang Cheng¡¯s body exploded on the spot, and his body crashed into the barrier and bounced back to the ground.


    The geniuses were crushed one after another and it was an unbelievable situation.


    On the other hand, the strength of the person with the twin pupils bloodline was undoubtedly displayed. Even Wang Cheng, who had unparalleled physical combat strength, was not a match for him. It was as if the difference between him and the rest of them was too small.


    It was small for him to treat all of them the same way, and small enough to be ignored. In any case, they were all easily defeated.


    A few minutes later, only Li Zhentian and Li Tengfei were left standing. All the geniuses had attacked at the same time, but in the end, they could not do anything to the person with the twin pupils bloodline. Instead, it confirmed the start of his path to invincibility.


    ¡°So many people were defeated just like that?¡±


    At this moment, under the influence of the outcome of the battle in the city ruler¡¯s residence, the Heaven Suppressing City seemed to have fallen silent. They could not believe it.


    It had to be known that the South Palace Sect¡¯s Heavenly Eye was already a very powerful bloodline power, but it had never displayed a crushing power like this.


    ¡°The situation in the south mountain range is about to change!¡±


    Thinking about it, the city ruler was naturally paving the way for Li Tengfei.


    In the first battle, he had crushed a group of geniuses. Next, it would be the entire south mountain range. Perhaps other than those powerful elders who rarely appeared in the world, ordinary experts at the jade star realm might not be able to stop the power of his twin pupils.


    As for those elders, with Li Zhentian¡¯s support, it was very difficult for them to set up a trap for him. It could be said that it was very difficult to stop his rise.


    At this moment, Li Zhentian¡¯s voice suddenly echoed throughout Heaven Suppressing City. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, half of the additional profit collected by all the source ore shops will be used as tax for the development of the Heaven Suppressing City.¡±


    Choosing to say it at this moment was equivalent to dropping a bomb.


    The Heaven Suppressing City instantly became noisy. The reason was that everyone gradually understood the purpose of the city ruler¡¯s banquet. It could be said that it was all connected.


    First, he would use the excuse of holding a banquet to give the public an explanation. Then, he would pave the way for the appearance of the person with the twin pupils bloodline, Li Tengfei. Finally, he would force the remaining many source ore shops in the city to bend to his will.


    ¡°Brother, no large city in the abandoned world has ever done this. Isn¡¯t this forcing the source ore shops to leave Heaven Suppressing City?¡±


    The middle-aged man turned to Chen Yiming in confusion.


    He could not understand why he had forced them into such a situation. To the source ore shops, 10% of the profits was already a lot. There was no difference between snatching half of the profits and robbing them directly.


    It had to be known that in the past, the source ore shops would only agree to stay in a large city after being given countless benefits. Now that they were taking half of the profits, none of the shops would want to stay.


    ¡°I think the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City is just one of the factions in the Infinite Island Group. Since he dares to do this, the other large cities in the vicinity will probably¡­¡± Chen Yiming replied casually.


    The factions from the Infinite Island Group had launched a surprise attack on the team from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop in the Heaven Suppressing City. Gao Shuai had traveled to the south mountain range and roped in many factions related to the source ore shops to put up a resistance.


    Now that it was the city ruler¡¯s turn to cause trouble, it was obvious that the conflict between the two sides would become more and more intense. It was even to the extent that because of the true dragon¡¯s corpse, the entire world would be in chaos.


    The middle-aged man seemed to understand and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s indeed impossible for Heaven Suppression City to fight the source ore shops alone. That¡¯s definitely not on the same level. The other large cities might change their rules soon.¡±


    In the city ruler¡¯s residence, Li Zhentian waved his hand, and the sky returned to its original color. The barrier around the battlefield disappeared.


    The disappointed young geniuses bid farewell to the city ruler and turned to leave in a sorry state.


    Li Tengfei had not killed anyone. Perhaps Li Zhentian had already instructed him not to offend too many factions at once, which would make Heaven Suppressing City the target of public criticism.


    Or perhaps they had other motives. After all, everyone, including those from the factions behind the source ore shops, were on their way back from the Heaven Suppressing City.


    At that time, if they were ambushed and killed, it would have nothing to do with Heaven Suppressing City. In fact, for the source ore shops, they were only forcefully snatching half of the profits. However, they might lose their lives if they were attacked on the way back.


    Seeing this, the onlookers gradually dispersed.


    In the end, Li Zhentian was the one who had the final say in Heaven Suppressing City. With the incidents of the three source ore shops in front of them, no one dared to show their faces to him directly.


    ¡­


    At night, in a small teahouse.


    During this period of time, shocking things had happened one after another. The teahouse, which was a suitable place for gossiping, had also prospered because of this.


    At this moment, it had been a long time since the incident in the city ruler¡¯s residence had ended. However, even though it was late at night, it was still filled with customers.


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai sat at a table in the corner.


    Gao Shuai was wearing a hat, and his face had changed slightly. It was unknown how he had found Chen Yiming so easily.


    ¡°Brother, how about this?¡±


    Gao Shuai suggested.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s face twitched.


    This person really knew how to trick others. Now, he had to worry about when he would be tricked.


    The outside world had just heard that Gao Shuai was lobbying the factions related to the source ore shops to join forces to deal with the pressure from the factions from the Infinite Island Group. He wanted to take advantage of the situation and join hands with the factions from the Infinite Island Group to attack the source ore shops instead.


    The situation in the Heaven Suppressing City was already very clear. There was almost no room for negotiation.


    A place where fixed rules could be easily broken, and the ruler was the one who took the lead to break them, was not a suitable place for long-term development.


    The remaining factions behind the source ore shops and the geniuses representing these factions would definitely pack up and retreat from the Heaven Suppressing City in a few days.


    Seeing that Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t saying anything, Gao Shuai had no choice but to drop another bomb. ¡°Someone will deal with the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City. We¡¯re just trying to take advantage of the situation.¡±


    ¡°How is it? There¡¯s no need for a 50-50 split. The source ores will belong to whoever obtains it.¡±

 Chapter 446 - Path of Retreat

    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    At some point, a storm had started in the area where the Heaven Suppressing City was.


    Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky. Occasionally, terrifying lightning would land in the wilderness and turn the spot into a small lightning domain.


    In essence, the environment on this huge planet was extremely harsh. Not only did all kinds of natural disasters come and go irregularly, but their strength far exceeded that on ordinary living planets.


    The locations for the large cities here were basically chosen to be relatively safe. The top priority was to avoid the weak spots in space to prevent the space-travel distortion from erupting.


    With the protection of the barrier and the protection of a powerful god, it could stand strong for a long time.


    At this moment, as they listened to the dense sound of the rain outside, discussions in the teahouse continued. The customers seemed to have become more interested and discussed the next change in the situation in Heaven Suppression City.


    Chen Yiming had originally intended to participate secretly, so the two of them quickly reached an agreement to discuss the details of the plan. It would be best if they could take advantage of both sides.


    ¡°In the south mountain range, these factions behind the source ore shops are still thinking of hiding and retreating in the face of the pressure from the Infinite Island Group. They have the intention to hide until the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse ends,¡± Gao Shuai said in a low voice.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t the factions behind the source ore shops realized that they are a fat prey waiting to be slaughtered?¡± Chen Yiming was puzzled.


    Essence energy was not only useful for cultivation, but was also a consumable item for making powerful barriers and formations. It was equivalent to a strategic resource.


    The factions that were qualified to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse would not give up on it so easily since they needed it in order to increase their strength.


    ¡°After the incidents at the three source ore shops, none of the three top source ore experts from the abandoned world have stepped forward,¡± Gao Shuai said.


    Chen Yiming nodded. That was true.


    The top source ore experts represented the main pillar of the source ore shops. Since they had chosen to turn a blind eye to it, it was no wonder that the enemy factions wanted to tear off a piece of delicious meat from the source ore shops.


    Logically speaking, tolerating it would only increase the chances of others targeting them. He did not know what the top source ore experts were thinking, but it was possible that they had given up on some of the factions involved with the source ore shops.


    ¡°In the current south mountain range, the city ruler is only taking advantage of the situation to be the first city to announce a heavy tax on the source ore shops. Almost all the other large cities will follow suit.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t do it all at once. Instead, they¡¯ll slowly force the source ore shops to give in, starting from Heaven Suppressing City.¡±


    Gao Shuai communicated this important information through a spiritual voice transmission to prevent other customers from eavesdropping on them.


    ¡°The appearance of Li Tengfei with the twin pupils bloodline was something that no one had expected beforehand. He was born to Li Zhentian and the previous goddess of the South Palace Sect who had gone missing.¡±


    Missing?


    Was she secretly kidnapped? Or was she willingly hiding her identity?


    The veins on Chen Yiming¡¯s temples were bulging. Gao Shuai¡¯s prophetic ability was too much. He could even see other people¡¯s private lives.


    If the city ruler found out about it, he would probably chase after Gao Shuai and destroy him.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming felt that he had to think of a way to guard against it. He couldn¡¯t let his secret be exposed.


    Gao Shuai glanced at the rain outside and chuckled.


    The thrill of relying on one¡¯s prophecy ability to repeatedly stand on the edge of danger was something that others could not understand. It was even more exciting than Chen Yiming using his spatial ability to toy with his pursuers.


    Not only that, but he had also figured out a lot of the secrets about the twin pupils bloodline. In the future, if the time was right, he did not mind tricking the Li family.


    Chen Yiming also obtained some important information.


    Since the operation against the source ore shops was not an all-out declaration of war, there were many opportunities for him, who had extremely strong combat strength and spatial abilities, to take advantage of the situation.


    After all, as time passed and he collected more and more essence energy, when he reached the jade star realm, he would be able to take the initiative and obtain a large number of source ores to gather more essence energy.


    ¡­


    At the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai were each wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat and standing in the rain.


    In front of them, a team of spirit beasts was preparing to set off.


    The people presiding over the team were the young man Chen Yiming had met before and his two servants.


    Chen Yiming had a strange expression on his face.


    As expected, Gao Shuai was not really omniscient. The rare source ores in the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop had long become a pile of useless stones.


    However, before the source ores were opened, they were still source ores. Their value was still there.


    Moreover, as long as no faction snatched the rare source ores in front of them, one would only sigh at their bad luck and the truth would be buried forever.


    ¡°Do you see the young man directing the operation?¡±


    Gao Shuai¡¯s small eyes were revealed from under the bamboo hat. He extended his hand and pointed forward.


    Chen Yiming pretended not to know anything and looked in the direction he pointed out.


    Wasn¡¯t he just trying to curry favor with him by offering up rare source ores? To be precise, what the young man was preparing to give him was all useless stones.


    I¡¯ll let him be arrogant for a while. When he knows the outcome, he¡¯ll cry.


    ¡°That young man is the son of the master of the Water Moon Group, Zhao Mingfei.¡±


    Gao Shuai smiled and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already seen the scene of the various source ore shops in Heaven Suppressing City hurriedly retreating in the prophecy. There¡¯s no mistake.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, I obtained information from Zhao Mingfei about the location of their final gathering point, the floating canyon, after the remaining four source ore shops left.¡±


    Floating Canyon?


    So they had no intention of returning to the factions¡¯ headquarters.


    This was easy to understand. Although the headquarters of the factions were well-guarded, they must have been targeted long ago.


    If they sent out too many forces to provide support, the base would be in danger. Without enough forces to provide support, it was undoubtedly a fool¡¯s dream to return back safely from Heaven Suppressing City.


    Furthermore, the Water Moon Group had source ore shops in many large cities. After the news of what happened in Heaven Suppressing City spread, they would secretly have prepared to retreat at any time.


    Under such circumstances, there would not be much power that could be mobilized.


    Gao Shuai continued, ¡°The floating canyon is a dangerous place. There are many gaps in the space-travel distortion. It¡¯s extremely dangerous for others, but for you and me, it¡¯s not much different from walking on flat ground.¡±


    ¡°In fact, the teams from the source ore shops gathered in the floating canyon are not only from the remaining four source ore shops in Heaven Suppressing City. It might be a temporary stop that all the factions behind source ore shops had secretly decided on.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes lit up.


    No wonder Gao Shuai had come to Heaven Suppressing City. If he really wanted to turn against the remaining four teams from the four source ore shops, it was not worth exposing himself.


    It had to be known that Gao Shuai¡¯s current image in the outside world was that he had contacted many factions from the source ore shops to fight against the factions from the Infinite Island Group.


    How could he ruin his previous efforts just for this small profit?


    At this thought, Chen Yiming said, ¡°In that case, while we take advantage of the situation to snatch the source ores, we should try our best to kill the pursuers and let the teams from the source ore shops reach the floating canyon successfully.¡±


    Gao Shuai nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is my general plan. There¡¯s a high chance that the four teams from the source ore shops in Heaven Suppressing City will be the first to go to the floating canyon.¡±


    ¡°As long as they can settle down in the floating canyon, there will definitely be more teams from the source ore shops heading there next. It¡¯s also good to get to know them better in advance.¡±


    Chen Yiming understood what he meant.


    Just as Gao Shuai had said, the advantages of gathering more teams from source ore shops in the floating canyon far outweighed the disadvantages.


    On the other hand, they could take advantage of the situation to obtain some source ores along the way, and still had a chance to make a big move at the end. As long as Gao Shuai did not intend to trick him, he would naturally not lose out.


    As they spoke, ¡°Giddyup!¡±


    ¡°Giddyup!¡±


    The team from the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop had all their source ores and luggage packed up. They exited the courtyard of the source ore shop and left along the street.


    The cries of the spirit beasts could not be heard for long due to the heavy rain.


    The young man in the lead held his head high and puffed out his chest, displaying a confident expression. Beside him, the two servants followed half a stride behind him.


    Chen Yiming had naturally noticed this. He guessed that he had been tricked by Gao Shuai and really thought that this fellow was helping the source ore shops.


    Soon, the two of them discussed their respective targets.


    The four teams were from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop, the Purple Cloud Source Ore Workshop, the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop, and the Seven Star Source Ore Workshop. Chen Yiming was in charge of two of them, and Gao Shuai was in charge of the other two two.


    Among them, since the young man from the Water Moon Source Ore Workshop had already contacted Gao Shuai, he was assigned to them. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t object to it. After all, the team was only carrying useless stones.


    For the remaining three teams from the source ore shops,


    Chen Yiming randomly chose the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop and the Seven Star Source Ore Workshop.


    Before separating, Gao Shuai instructed, ¡°There are already people above the jade star realm watching the ruler of the Heaven Suppressing City. They don¡¯t want it to immediately turn into an all-out war. Those at that level won¡¯t personally take part yet. The troublesome one among the pursuers is the one with the twin pupils.¡±


    Twin pupils?


    Chen Yiming wanted to use the person with the twin pupils to obtain more source ores.


    There was a saying on the blue planet: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.


    With the vision provided by the space anchor, the space-manipulation ability brought about by the space anchor, and his invincible combat strength when compared to those of the same level, it was not difficult for him to be an oriole.


    ¡­


    At night, there was a heavy downpour.


    From the weather forecast, it might rain until dawn. Even if it did not rain until dawn, it would not stop for the time being.


    At the level of gods, the interference from natural disasters was minimal, but there were still some effects that interfered with their judgment of the traces left behind.


    For the four teams that were evacuating from Heaven Suppressing City, such weather was the best. It also indirectly increased their confidence.


    The team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop quickly moved through the wilderness. Other than the people from the shop, there were also a few young geniuses who had been defeated at the city ruler¡¯s banquet.


    ¡°Thank you for being willing to escort the team away even though you know that the city ruler¡¯s faction won¡¯t let us off easily.¡±


    A white-haired old man sighed.


    At this moment, the helplessness in his heart could only be deeply felt by being in such a situation.


    It had to be known that not long ago, no matter where the source ore shops went, they would be received as VIPs.


    Back then, in Heaven Suppressing City, other than the city ruler, he was another person who could cause a commotion with just a stomp of his feet.


    They did not expect that they would need to use up precious teleportation talismans to form a teleportation array to escape from Heaven Suppressing City.


    ¡°Elder Huang, you¡¯re treating us like outsiders. Our Nine Rivers Sect has been on good terms with the Seven Stars Group for generations. If the nest is destroyed, no eggs will remain intact. If we abandon our allies today, the Nine Rivers Sect will fall into the same situation tomorrow,¡±


    a man in tight-fitting clothes said as he cupped his fists.


    The Nine Rivers Sect was a large human sect in the south mountain range. Its base was located at the intersection point of nine large rivers.


    Looking back at its history, it was not a faction born and raised in the abandoned world. Instead, it came from another planet that cultivated martial arts in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    Many years ago, the sect master, who had already become a god, crossed the vast space and brought the entire sect to the abandoned world. After that, it gradually developed to its current size.


    In the south mountain range, it was not comparable to a large city on the outskirts of a restricted area like Heaven Suppressing City, which not only had a city ruler above the jade star realm presiding over it, but also had factions with complicated backgrounds.


    It was a huge faction that was far away from the restricted area. Generally, the descendants of independent cultivators had to go through a strict assessment to enter the sect. Every year, countless young people would return in disappointment because they did not meet the requirements.


    ¡°Elder Huang, don¡¯t worry. Although our silver-winged clan isn¡¯t human, the clan has already instructed us that no matter the outcome of the city ruler¡¯s banquet, the silver-winged clan will advance and retreat together with the Seven Stars Group,¡±


    the silver-winged woman continued.


    The young geniuses accompanying the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop expressed their stances, and the team¡¯s confidence was boosted.


    In reality, many of the geniuses who had attended the city ruler¡¯s banquet, as well as those who had not participated but had come to Heaven Suppressing City, were from factions that had formed secret alliances with the factions behind the source ore shops.


    As the source ore shops retreated from Heaven Suppressing City, they naturally followed suit. This was to express their stance and also for their own safety.


    Everyone knew that they had yet to completely fall out with each other on the surface. The more they stayed in the Heaven Suppressing City in secret, the more risk they would have to take.


    After Chen Yiming left Heaven Suppressing City, he soon lost track of the two teams from the source ore shops.


    Although the range of the teleportation formation formed by the teleportation talismans was unknown, it was not a problem for him, a spatial ability user, to determine the location of the two teams.


    At this moment, he was standing at the top of a desolate mountain that pierced through the clouds.


    ¡°In the Heaven Suppressing City, other than the city ruler¡¯s faction that has secretly set off, there are dozens of other secondary first-level factions that have come out in full force. Their target is the four teams from the source ore shops.¡±


    To be honest, even without the involvement of someone at the level of the city ruler, he did not think that the teams from the source ore shops would be able to escape successfully.


    In short, no one had expected the sudden attack from the city ruler. He had the absolute initiative. As for the teams from the source ore shops, they would definitely retreat passively and be severely under-prepared.


    In fact, Li Tengfei who had the twin pupils bloodline was an existence that the teams could not deal with at all. Once they were pursued by him, they could only use the random teleportation formation to escape.


    However, in a situation where the enemy was stronger than them, they could escape once, but how many times could they continue to escape successfully?


    This was especially true for hiding their tracks. The speed of the teams from the source ore shops was like that of a snail compared to the level of a god. How many times could they use the random teleportation talismans?

 Chapter 447 - Extreme Joy Becomes Sorrow

    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, illuminating the wilderness, the thick rain, and the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop.


    Huang Zhongyun was riding on the back of a black bull spirit beast and recalling his glory in the past. Suddenly, his spiritual senses tingled and he went on alert.


    He hurriedly slapped the black bull he was riding on. Panic appeared in the black bull¡¯s eyes as it quickly came to a stop.


    Spirit beasts were the names given to the mutant beasts that had been tamed by humans. Some of them were even as intelligent as humans. Therefore, they naturally understood the team¡¯s situation that they could be discovered by their pursuers at any time.


    ¡°Everyone, stop!¡±


    Someone in the team behind shouted in a low voice. Then, the entire team came to a stop in an orderly manner.


    In the wilderness, the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop stopped quietly in their tracks, letting the rain fall on them and the carts carrying the source ores.


    From Elder Huang to the guards, to the young geniuses escorting the team, everyone restrained their auras.


    It had to be known that the weakest of these people was an ordinary guard at the level of the inscription realm. At this moment, his body was drenched by the rain like a mortal.


    Who wouldn¡¯t feel aggrieved?


    Who wouldn¡¯t be furious?


    However, what could they do? At the moment, whether they stayed in the wilderness or in Heaven Suppressing City, it was not a good choice. Only by successfully reaching the floating canyon could they resolve their predicament.


    Not long after.


    In the darkness behind them, figures gradually surged out through the rain.


    It was the Heaven Suppressing Army. The pursuers from the city ruler¡¯s faction had caught up.


    Soldiers in black armor confirmed that the team in front of them was the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop that they had been chasing after for a long time. Each of their bodies burned with purple flames, and their auras soared into the sky.


    Then, hundreds of purple flames fused together to form a purple flame giant that reached up into the sky.


    This was a joint killing technique of the Heaven Suppressing Army. Everyone cultivated the same technique and chose those who had similar cultivation progress to form teams or squadrons.


    At the same time, this was also a technique that could truly fight against the weakest gods. Although there was a time limit for its use and it could only hold them back, if they worked together with the generals at the level of the gods in the army, the weaker gods would be surrounded and killed.


    ¡°Elder Huang, long time no see.¡±


    A general in armor slowly walked out of the Heaven Suppressing Army.


    He held a thick halberd in his hand. This was a powerful divine artifact. As his aura surged, one could vaguely hear the cries of gods. In the past, there had been more than one or two gods killed by him.


    In fact, the lingering cries of these gods had already turned into a terrifying curse that was used as an alternative attack.


    ¡°Xie Qu.¡±


    The team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop recognized this person.


    Xie Qu from the Xie clan was an important member of the Heaven Suppressing Army. Although he had yet to reach the jade star realm, he was not inferior to the geniuses of the younger generation.


    Coupled with the cooperation of a team of hundreds of soldiers from the Heaven Suppressing Army, he could fight against a jade star realm expert like Huang Yuzhong.


    ¡°Xie Qu, the city ruler¡¯s faction is only using you guys in the end, while the source ore shops provide an important cultivation resource of the source ores.¡±


    ¡°How about pretending not to see us? When we meet again in the future, we will naturally repay you,¡±


    Huang Zhongyun suppressed the anger in his heart and said calmly.


    His voice echoed in the harsh weather, which was filled with lightning and thunder. However, the heavy rain did not stop him from accurately conveying his words to the troops from the Heaven Suppressing Army behind him.


    ¡°Elder Huang, you¡¯re still daydreaming. It won¡¯t be long before the factions behind the source ore shops are wiped out. How can your promise compare to the actual source ores in front of us?¡±


    Xie Qu laughed.


    This laughter made the hearts of the members of the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop turn cold.


    The team from the source ore shops that was retreating to the floating canyon naturally did not want to be held back. Once they were held back by the hundreds of soldiers led by Xie Qu, they would sooner or later be surrounded and doomed.


    At this moment, the man from the Nine Rivers Sect stood up and said to Huang Zhongyun, ¡°Elder Huang, I¡¯ll hold back the Heaven Suppressing Army led by Xie Qu.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, beside him, the young geniuses who were also escorting the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop were all shocked.


    The decision was definitely not a spur of the moment decision made by the man in tight-fitting clothes. Instead, it was under orders from the Nine Rivers Sect.


    It turned out that the Nine Rivers Sect was really not joking. At the critical moment, they were willing to sacrifice their young geniuses to help the Seven Stars Group.


    Huang Zhongyun naturally understood all of this. He nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to you, but just hold them back for a while. The team will use a random teleportation formation to leave.¡±


    What Elder Huang meant was that he wanted the man from the Nine Rivers Sect to leave on his own after stalling for time and not join up with the team.


    In reality, it was impossible for the team to wait for the man to catch up to them.


    To put it nicely, they were retreating. To put it bluntly, they were escaping. In their current situation, every time they were caught, they had to use a random teleportation formation to escape.


    Soon, the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop continued on their way, leaving the man behind.


    Xie Qu from the Heaven Suppressing Army seemed to have expected this situation. He could only let Huang Zhongyun lead the team away and disappear from sight.


    If he wanted to continue his pursuit, he had to pass the young genius who was blocking his way.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A long saber formed by purple flames cut through the thick rain.


    The purple flame giant that was standing between the sky and earth moved. With a wave of its arm, it controlled the purple flame saber and slashed down at the man.


    Seeing this, the man in tight-fitting clothes roared, and the lightning and thunder in the sky stopped.


    Then, he pressed his palms together, and the power of the world from his inner world surged out. Two huge palms appeared on both sides of the purple flames giant.


    In the next moment, before the purple flame saber arrived, the two huge palms pressed together, instantly killing the purple flame giant.


    From the start to the end, the time that passed was less than the duration of a breath.


    It was not a technique that the Heaven Suppressing Army could not fight against. Instead, it was because the man in tight-fitting clothes was the face of a faction like the Nine Rivers Sect, so he had combat strength far stronger than an ordinary expert at the star condensation realm.


    The purple flame giant could fight against the weakest god for a short period of time, but that did not mean that it could fight against a genius like the man in tight-fitting clothes.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re quite powerful. Even the ancestors of your Nine Rivers Sect don¡¯t dare to provoke our Heaven Suppressing Army. Since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, die here.¡±


    Xie Qu had presided over the army and protected the hundreds of soldiers under him. He had only managed to kill the purple flame giant that they had created.


    In the next moment, Xie Qu personally charged over and fought the man.


    The Nine Rivers Sect had focused on the path of martial arts, and every move and stance in their techniques involved martial arts. Even those who had cultivated to the level of gods were no exception.


    The Heaven Suppressing Army technique that Xie Qu cultivated had the same goal. It was a powerful killing technique that belonged to the physical type, and every move he made was filled with a barbaric aura.


    The battle between the two was comparable to a collision between planets. The void exploded, and a violent aura soared into the sky.


    The thunderclouds in the sky were dispersed, and a large area of the ground cracked open. The harsh lightning and thunder also disappeared because of the two of them.


    If not for the fact that the abandoned world was not an ordinary living planet but an unimaginably huge planet, it would have been destroyed by the two of them.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of blows had been exchanged.


    The man in tight-fitting clothes and Xie Qu were evenly matched. Xie Qu was indeed an important member of the Heaven Suppressing Army. He was not at a disadvantage even when facing the genius of the Nine Rivers Sect.


    At this moment, the hundreds of soldiers from the Heaven Suppressing Army moved again.


    They tacitly split into four teams and split up dozens of kilometers away. After surrounding the two people who were constantly fighting, they set up a square purple barrier.


    This was another technique of the Heaven Suppressing Army. It was a powerful method to surround and kill enemies when facing an existence that they could not defeat easily.


    The situation was just like this.


    Within the purple barrier, purple flames that could invade one¡¯s mind appeared one after another, causing the combat environment to change drastically. However, Xie Qu was not affected.


    In addition, the sound waves emitted by the soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army from the four corners of the barrier fused seamlessly into the formation.


    At the same time, because of the sealing characteristics of the barrier, the rebound became stronger and stronger, gradually becoming powerful enough to interfere with the judgment of the man in tight-fitting clothes.


    Soon, the man from the Nine Rivers Sect was suppressed by Xie Qu due to the interference of many factors. He was at a disadvantage and even began to suffer injuries that dyed the air red with his blood.


    Seeing that he seemed to be trapped by the barrier and had held the troops back for a while, but he was also about to be killed by Xie Qu, the situation could be said to be extremely dangerous for him.


    At this moment, at the top of the barren mountain, Chen Yiming, who had witnessed all this, muttered to himself, ¡°The team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop brought a large group of unrelated people with them. It¡¯s just right for me to take the initiative to thin them out.¡±


    If Xie Qu instantly crushed the man in tight-fitting clothes, Chen Yiming might have to attack him.


    However, since the man in tight-fitting clothes had the ability to stall for time, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t care if he survived or not.


    With that, his figure disappeared and he chased after the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop.


    ¡­


    Not long after, just as the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop was discovered by a Heaven Suppressing Army and was forced to let the man from the Nine Rivers Sect cover their retreat, the team used the teleportation talismans to escape.


    On the other side, tens of thousands of kilometers away, the team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop was also severely injured. Furthermore, they were in a much worse situation than the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop.


    The team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop was ambushed by three generals from the Heaven Suppressing Army leading troops that numbered more than 2,000 people.


    Usually, it was already a good outcome if the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army trapped the team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop for just a while. However, the team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop did not dare to stay any longer.


    In the end, when they tried to break out of the encirclement in a hurry, the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army split the team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop into two.


    A large group that was mostly formed by the people from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop used one person as a sacrifice to cover their retreat and used the teleportation talismans to escape.


    The other team was relatively weak and consisted of a small group from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop and two young geniuses who were escorting the team.


    However, this relatively weak team had brought along almost half of the original team¡¯s source ores in the chaos. This was undoubtedly causing trouble for them.


    As expected, the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army chose to chase after and kill the relatively weak team.


    Furthermore, due to the difference in strength between the two sides, the two young geniuses had not been able to find a suitable opportunity to use the teleportation talismans to escape.


    Not long after.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The spirit beast pulling the cart was beaten to a pulp.


    The vehicles carrying source ores behind them exploded from the aftershock. At the same time, the source ores inside flew out in all directions.


    There were at least 1,000 fist-sized source ores.


    This was not because any of the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army had made a move. Instead, it was because the team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop was in trouble. Since they were carrying the source ores, they would be surrounded and killed sooner or later.


    They had no choice but to make the decision to cut off their tail and survive, hoping to use the source ores to stall the pursuers.


    Soon, this trick worked.


    Facing the source ores that was equivalent to half of the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop¡¯s resources, and since their target was not the main force of the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop, the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army stopped their pursuit.


    In reality, in order to prevent his subordinates from secretly slacking off, the ruler of the Heaven Suppressing City had promised 30% of the source ores obtained from this operation as rewards for them.


    There was room for manipulation of the ¡®30%¡¯ of the loot. Under normal circumstances, there would be a certain amount of loss.


    This way, the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army were unwilling to chase after the team that had escaped.


    What if, when he returned, the other two generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army split the loot first in private? There would be no way to explain themselves. Therefore, they had to split the loot before continuing to chase after them.


    ¡°F*ck, after cultivating for so many years, this is the first time I¡¯ve obtained so many source ores.¡±


    The source ores were still scattered among the rubble and grass. A general of the Heaven Suppressing Army was so excited that his face was red and his voice was trembling.


    If he could take these source ores for himself, he was even confident that he could rely on the help of a large amount of essence energy to force his way through to the jade star realm.


    The surrounding soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army were also envious, but they knew very well that the amount of essence energy distributed to them would only be in small amounts.


    In fact, it would depend on the final performance of this pursuit to get a share. Not everyone could get a share of it.


    ¡°Elder Zhang, isn¡¯t it just some source ores? The soldiers are all watching. Watch your image.¡±


    ¡°The situation is going to get more chaotic. The source ore shops must have accumulated a lot over the years. We will have a chance to obtain more source ores,¡±


    another general from the Heaven Suppressing Army said as he pretended to be calm.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You have to know that these are only half of the source ores in one of the source ore shops in Heaven Suppressing City. Who knows how many there are in the base of the factions behind the source ore shops or in their secret strongholds?¡±


    Chen Yiming walked out of the void. The three generals of the Heaven Suppressing City had their backs facing him as he joined them.


    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right. The abandoned world is going to be in chaos. For a long time to come, it will be a free-for-all to hunt down the factions from the source ore shops. We¡­¡±


    At this point, the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army felt that something was amiss.


    The soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army were standing guard in a circle a few kilometers wide. However, at some point, the three people had become four people, and an unfamiliar voice sounded from among them.


    Earlier, the three of them had been too excited and had too been careless with their surroundings.


    Chen Yiming nodded and continued, ¡°Thank you for breaking up the team from the Jade Void Source Ore Workshop. These source ores are mine.¡±

 Chapter 448 - Joining the Heaven Suppressing Army

    The air suddenly fell silent.


    The three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army stiffened. Before they could turn around to see who it was, they felt a pressure as if the sky was about to collapse.


    After the inner world was formed, everyone would be at the level of a god. However, there was also a difference in strength between gods. Sometimes, the difference was even greater than the difference between gods and mortals.


    The surrounding Heaven Suppressing Army soldiers also sensed that something was amiss.


    Someone had just exclaimed when he was scolded by the soldiers beside him in a low voice. After confirming the situation, their expressions froze.


    To be able to appear silently behind the three generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army and only be discovered after a while, and to be all by himself, meant that he was powerful.


    His absolute strength against the Heaven Suppressing Army was shown in the fact that he had taken the initiative to step into the encirclement and did not care at all.


    ¡°We are the Heaven Suppressing Army working for the city ruler. Who are you?¡± one of the generals asked.


    In his heart, he did not want to give up the source ores so easily. Not only would he fail the mission, but he would also have to give up on his only chance to break through to the jade star realm.


    After all, how could there be many opportunities where they had the right time, place, and people to chase after the teams from the source ore shops like this?


    When another general from the Heaven Suppressing Army heard this, he suddenly felt that it was not appropriate.


    This place was already quite far from the Heaven Suppressing City. If they dared to appear and snatch the source ores even though they knew that they were from the Heaven Suppressing Army, they would naturally not be easy to deal with.


    If they questioned the other party like this, he might not give the city ruler any face and might just kill them all to obtain the source ores.


    The third general of the Heaven Suppressing Army held the halberd in his hand tightly.


    Although he had yet to really fight the person in front of him, the judgment made by his intuition formed after fighting many battles in the past would not be wrong. If they did not risk their lives, they might not have a chance of surviving at all.


    These subconscious reactions happened in just a moment.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming thought to himself, ¡°It seems like things can¡¯t be settled peacefully. The other party has the support of the city ruler above the jade star realm. Now, the city ruler¡¯s faction has created a person with the twin pupils bloodline.¡±


    Thinking of this, he shamelessly made the first move.


    He threw out a punch.


    With an earth-shattering bang, even though the abandoned world had a powerful suppressing effect on one¡¯s power, an area of tens of thousands of kilometers was still drowned out by a hemisphere of white light that spread out.


    From the generals to the soldiers, all the troops of the Heaven Suppressing Army were within the range of this punch. No sound was made.


    In fact, the tremors could be felt even from far away. The soldiers on the city wall could see a small white ball exploding in the distance.


    ¡°Not bad. They already forced the elders from the source ore shops to fight them while risking damage from breaking the natural laws.¡±


    The ruler of Heaven Suppressing City sat on a platform. He had originally been a little worried, but now he was completely relaxed.


    The path of the gods was essentially a path of cultivation based on the natural laws.


    The star condensation realm did not need to take any risks yet. However, from the jade star realm onwards, every single natural law would be a serious burden for the inner world.


    In other words, the natural laws in the inner world that imitated the real world were like double-edged swords that were swung at oneself. While it could allow the inner world to undergo a further transformation, it would also cause damage due to the natural laws being broken.


    Therefore, breaking through from the fusion realm to the star condensation realm and forming the foundation for the inner world determined the potential of the path of the gods. If this foundation was not strong enough, one would die from the damage due to breaking the natural laws.


    However, there was a mistake in the city ruler¡¯s judgment. The one who had made a move was not the elders from the source ore shops, but Chen Yiming, who had appeared to steal the loot.


    ¡­


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    A gust of wind blew past.


    The dust dissipated, revealing the flattened ground and a lone figure. The troops from the Heaven Suppressing Army had completely disappeared.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming had broken the source ores on the ground. He didn¡¯t waste any of the essence energy inside and converted it all into Skill Points.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 6, Giant ¡ª Level 5, Space Anchor ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 7


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Sword Body


    Skill points: 15,643,784


    ¡°I¡¯ve increased by about 2 million Skill Points. I¡¯m one step closer to the required 30 million Skill Points.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded in satisfaction.


    The reason why there was a clear difference from the 5 million Skill Points he had expected to gain was because the rare source ores were basically all with the other team at the moment.


    However, there were many waves of pursuers, so Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He just had to wait patiently for an opportunity.


    Chen Yiming continued to chase after the teams from the source ore shops that had disappeared into the distance.


    ¡­


    Another day passed by.


    The team from the source ore shops changed directions and luckily managed to avoid a few ambushes from the Heaven Suppressing Army.


    However, after leaving Heaven Suppressing City and retreating northwest, the general direction they were traveling in was clearly revealed as time passed.


    Their destination was the floating canyon, which was now also known to the Heaven Suppressing Army. The pursuit became more and more intense, and they seemed to be determined to kill them along the way.


    At the same time, more factions from the Heaven Suppressing City, led by the Heaven Suppressing Army, continued to chase after the teams from the four source ore shops.


    There were also factions like the Nine Rivers Sect that were allies of the source ore shops. They sent in reinforcements to help the source ore shops to create fake traces to confuse the pursuers.


    In a town in the wilderness, there were dozens of low-rise houses, and the people inside were cautious of outsiders.


    The silver-winged woman and the man from the feathered snake clan carried a small number of source ores to attract the attention of the pursuers. They reached a small river that was not too deep and walked straight in.


    In order to reach the floating canyon successfully, the factions in the teams from the source ore shops had been forced to split up. Other than the rare source ores, most of the ordinary source ores had also been split up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This town is a supply stronghold for the feathered snake clan.¡±


    The man from the feathered snake clan smiled.


    The silver-winged woman nodded.


    She did not care about this. The reason why the two of them had formed a team was only because the two clans had a good relationship and they could trust each other for the time being.


    After entering the town, after confirming the identity of the man from the feathered snake clan, the cautious gazes quickly disappeared. A snakeman who looked like a butler walked out to receive him.


    However, seeing that the two of them were discussing something as they walked, he followed at the side and did not interrupt them.


    ¡°After this, do you plan to return to the clan or continue to get involved in this mess to draw away more pursuers from the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop?¡± the man from the feathered snake clan asked casually.


    ¡°Naturally, we have to have a fight with the generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army,¡± the silver-winged woman said calmly.


    She was not afraid of the pursuers at all. Instead, after she no longer needed to protect the team from the source ore shops, she intended to use this opportunity for her own training.


    Usually, even if they met on a normal day, they would usually be wary of each other¡¯s status. For example, the generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army would not fight to the death.


    ¡°Snakeman, are you afraid?¡± the silver-winged woman asked.


    ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m indeed not a match for the person with twin pupils, but the generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army and the other pursuing factions from the Heaven Suppressing City are nothing much to me.¡±


    The man from the feathered snake clan smiled.


    He did not seem to be concerned about the rumors that the man from the Nine Rivers Sect had been killed by the Heaven Suppressing Army.


    Soon, the silver-winged woman and the man from the feathered snake clan were led by the butler to a restaurant. Those who came were all guests, let alone the genius woman from the silver-winged clan. They treated her with utmost respect.


    ¡­


    Just as the silver-winged woman and the man from the feathered snake clan walked into the town in the wilderness, dozens of kilometers away, Chen Yiming appeared wearing armor and holding a halberd.


    Behind him were hundreds of soldiers from the Heaven Suppressing Army. However, each of these soldiers had a bitter expression on their faces, as if they had nothing left to live for.


    The reason for this was because Chen Yiming had killed the general leading the troops and put on the general¡¯s standard equipment.


    This was not all. He even forced all the soldiers to follow him and chase after the scattered teams from the source ore shop.


    The team from the source ore shop had split up, so Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t directly make a move on the members who had the rare source ores.


    Therefore, he could only attack the team carrying the ordinary source ores that were meant to attract the pursuers first. Furthermore, he did not want to be exposed so quickly, so he could only push the blame to the Heaven Suppressing Army.


    ¡°Sir, the stronghold of the feather snake clan is ahead,¡± a captain from the troops pointed out in a trembling voice.


    His original intention was to hope that the reputation of the feather snake clan could intimidate the man in front of him. After all, paper could contain a fire. One day, the truth would be revealed.


    ¡°Got it. Hurry up,¡± Chen Yiming nodded and ordered.


    He instantly thought of the snakeman at the special gathering. The other party seemed to know Wen Qi.


    What puzzled Chen Yiming was that Wen Qi seemed to have disappeared completely. He had not found any traces of her along the way.


    When the soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army behind him heard this order, some of them almost peed their pants. When they came back to their senses, they cursed under their breath. That captain was too nosy. Why didn¡¯t he restrain himself?


    Everyone had seen with their own eyes that a general of the Heaven Suppressing Army was as weak as a lamb in front of this person. He did not have any room to put up a resistance.


    In fact, along the way, there were faint rumors that certain troops from the Heaven Suppressing Army mysteriously disappeared. They could not help but suspect that this person was the one who had done it.


    Soon, Chen Yiming led this troop of Heaven Suppressing Army soldiers and quickly approached the town.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the entire town was instantly alarmed. Snakemen came out of the houses one after another.


    They did not expect the Heaven Suppressing Army to be so bold as to openly attack the feather snake clan¡¯s resupplying stronghold. It had to be known that this was equivalent to an undeclared war.


    Furthermore, it was different from when they were chasing after the geniuses of the feather snake clan. At that time, it was the team from the source ore shops that was their target. Everything else was secondary. In other words, they were taking care of their enemies who were in the way.


    The feather snake clan¡¯s sphere of influence was not only limited to the south mountain range. Many of the inhabited planets in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy were within their sphere of influence.


    Other than that, there was also a rumor that the feather snake clan in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy was only a branch of a larger clan. Their true clan was extremely powerful, and they were not something that ordinary factions could compare to.


    The young genius snakeman walked out of the town with an ugly expression.


    After sizing them up, he said to Chen Yiming, who was leading the troops, ¡°Did you bring your troops here because the city ruler wants to start an all-out war with the feather snake clan?¡±


    Chen Yiming, who had led hundreds of soldiers over, also sized up the snakeman and the silver-winged woman behind him.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably just a young genius stationed at the base of the feathered snake clan in the abandoned world. He can¡¯t even be considered a true genius. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to kill him.¡±


    This was what Chen Yiming thought. He had already killed the genius of the Roc Clan, so would he be afraid of an unknown genius from the feathered snake clan? Even if he stood his ground here, he couldn¡¯t take the source ores away.


    That¡¯s right. If they wanted to blame someone, they could only blame themselves for insisting on taking the source ores that were his target.


    The source ores represented essence energy, which was equivalent to Skill Points. Chen Yiming naturally wouldn¡¯t let go of this opportunity.


    Seeing this, the snakeman¡¯s expression darkened even more. He had misunderstood that this general from the Heaven Suppressing Army represented that the ruler of the Heaven Suppressing City had shed all pretense of cordiality and was not afraid of starting a war with the feathered snake clan.


    In addition, the silver-winged woman represented the silver-winged clan. If he took a step back here, the feathered snake clan would definitely lose face in front of the silver-winged clan.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The snakeman did not waste any more time. He charged over with a divine artifact, the Golden Snake Sword.


    The small scales on the surface of his body could reduce air resistance. As he charged over, his strange wings flapped and he turned into a stream of light.


    The divine weapon, the Golden Snake Sword, in his hand pierced through the air at a speed faster than light. In the eyes of the soldiers of the Heaven Suppression Army, they could only see a flash of golden light. Its speed was too fast.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a general from the Heaven Suppressing Army. The snakeman should be fine,¡±


    the silver-winged woman thought to herself.


    The feathered snake clan was also good at speed, but their technique was different from the silver-winged clan. The silver-winged clan¡¯s speed was based on their movement speed, while the feathered snake clan¡¯s speed was based on their attack speed.


    Furthermore, the soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army had yet to set up a barrier to help their general in the fight. It was only a one-on-one battle.


    In such a situation, if she interfered, she would be looking down on him as a genius. There was a high chance that she would make the snakeman unhappy.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Faced with the snakeman¡¯s attack, Chen Yiming held the halberd in his hand and exerted his strength casually, landing a strike on the golden light that was flying towards him.


    The snakeman¡¯s figure was stopped and suddenly appeared in the air. The divine artifact, the Golden Snake Sword, in his hand was extremely sharp, and it actually pierced through the halberd.


    However, his face was red, and he was clearly not just trying to test the waters. Instead, he had used all his strength, but it was useless even with the advantage of the divine artifact.


    ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled disdainfully. He exerted a little force, and with a bang, the snakeman was sent flying back.


    In addition, the powerful force almost caused the snakeman to fall to the ground. At the last moment, he spun a few times in the air before stabilizing himself and landing on the ground.


    In order to put on a pretense, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t unleash his overwhelming strength.


    ¡°This Heaven Suppressing Army general is rather strong!¡±


    The snakeman¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. The light between his wings had dimmed a lot, and he could not calm down even after taking a deep breath.


    He did not expect that he, who was known as a genius, would be sent flying in a head-on collision. He had lost face by being sent back to his original spot.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Seeing this, the faces of the soldiers from the Heaven Suppressing Army twitched.


    Previously, their boss had been reduced to ashes with a single strike. At this moment, he was deliberately hiding his strength. After this, the source ores would be taken by this person, but the Heaven Suppressing Army would take the blame.


    However, it was too late to step forward and expose him. If they spoke up, they would definitely be killed instantly. It was like they were being cuckolded but could only watch helplessly as the blame fell to them.

 Chapter 449 - Battle Until Daybreak

    The entire place fell silent.


    This was especially true for the members of the feathered snake clan in the town.


    The generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army were on par with the elders of the feathered snake clan on average. However, the reason why the snakeman was called a genius was naturally because he could rely on his own potential to make up for the difference in cultivation duration.


    From the short exchange in front of them, it could be seen that the intruder was not an ordinary general of the Heaven Suppressing Army, but the strongest among them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take over,¡± the silver-winged woman said softly.


    Her speed talent allowed her to be almost invincible.


    In reality, that was indeed the case. The silver-winged clan could rely on their speed to dominate the entire abandoned world. All kinds of people would have a headache when they encountered the silver-winged clan.


    If they could defeat them, they would still not be able to catch up to them. If they could not, they would be chased to their deaths. Therefore, they were not willing to provoke them easily.


    A pair of silver wings spread out, and it was as if a divine bird was about to spread its wings and soar into the sky. In the next moment, when the divine light descended, one could only see a silver line flash past before it charged out as if it had teleported.


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes under his helmet. He held the halberd in one hand and clenched his other hand into a fist. He threw a punch in the opposite direction from the silver line.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    It was a punch that was almost completely unexpected.


    The air instantly exploded at the moment he threw a punch. It was as if a spiderweb of cracks had appeared on a piece of glass, and the aura of a space-travel distortion appeared.


    In everyone¡¯s eyes, the silver line formed by the silver-winged woman had appeared in the range of the spiderweb-like explosion and was stopped by Chen Yiming¡¯s punch.


    It turned out that it was not that the silver line had yet to arrive, but that the gazes of the others could not keep up with the speed of the silver-winged woman at all. The scene they watched involved a huge time delay.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming punched the silver-winged woman in the chest. A white light pierced through her chest and shot into the sky.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    As the silver-winged woman spat out a mouthful of blood. The clouds in the sky were blown apart by a violent force, creating a vacuum and emitting a thunderous sound.


    Next, the silver-winged woman let out a miserable cry. A large hole had been blown out from her chest, and she was flung away like a falling fighter jet. She was still in midair, and her entire body was trembling from the remaining impact.


    Blood seeped out onto her fair skin, and her silver wings exploded, causing feathers to fly everywhere. Chen Yiming had beaten up the person who was considered a silver-winged goddess in the eyes of countless people.


    ¡°What!¡±


    The snakeman and the members of the feathered snake clan behind him fell silent.


    If the first time was a coincidence, then if it happened twice in a row, it could no longer be explained as a coincidence. The snake man and the silver-winged woman took turns to fight, but they were each actually defeated in one move?


    Clearly, the current situation was a little out of control. It was just a small resupplying stronghold, and there were no gods or powerful elders of the feathered snake clan stationed here. The other members of the feathered snake clan would be sending themselves to their deaths if they went up against the intruder.


    The two geniuses were in danger!


    The feathered snake clan fell silent, and Chen Yiming left the Heaven Suppressing Army. He dragged the halberd behind him with one hand as he approached the town.


    ¡°The Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop and the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop are working together. Seeing that their schemes are about to be exposed, they took advantage of the thunderstorm to escape.¡±


    Chen Yiming made up an excuse and continued, ¡°Hand over the source ores in your hands. The Heaven Suppressing Army will consider dealing with you lightly after finding out the truth.¡±


    His righteous voice echoed in front of the town.


    The feathered snake clan and the silver-winged clan were close allies with the Seven Stars Group and had been working together for a long time.


    The snakeman and the silver-winged woman were also among the geniuses from the younger generation of the two clans. They knew very well about the relationship between their clans and the factions behind the source ore shops.


    After hearing Chen Yiming¡¯s excuse, the people might really believe him and suspect that there was something wrong with the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop and that it wasn¡¯t a problem with the city ruler¡¯s faction.


    ¡°Hand them over? Or refuse?¡±


    The snakeman¡¯s expression darkened.


    Every time the general of the Heaven Suppressing Army took a step forward, his aura would increase exponentially, increasing the pressure on everyone. No tricks or excuses were needed.


    What was important was the other party¡¯s true intentions.


    Was he only after the source ores that the two of them had taken away, or would he also kill all the members of the feathered snake clan in the stronghold?


    ¡°This man.¡±


    Unlike the snakeman, the silver-winged woman could still maintain her composure and etched his aura into her heart.


    She firmly believed that with her speed talent, since they were all at the level of the star condensation realm, she would at most be defeated and could still escape.


    There was still a long path ahead. There was plenty of time for her to settle the score later.


    Before Chen Yiming knew it, the silver-winged woman had already held a grudge against him.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    At this moment, Chen Yiming suddenly took the initiative to attack.


    He had only been testing the waters earlier. Could the two of them take the initiative to hand over the source ores? However, as expected, he still had to rely on his fists to resolve the problem.


    He did not use the space anchor to teleport. Instead, he relied on his powerful body to break through the layers of air barriers. With his current strength, such obstacles were like nothing to him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure flashed and appeared in front of the snakeman. He raised his halberd and smashed it down.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The snakeman¡¯s expression changed. This was probably choosing him as the first target, but he was not a complete pushover. It was impossible for him to be at the mercy of others.


    The shadow of a huge creature appeared behind him. It was a three-headed feathered snake. Then, his figure disappeared and fused with it.


    The three-headed feathered snake roared and opened its bloody mouths, displaying its innate ability to devour everything in its path. It wanted to swallow Chen Yiming whole.


    At this moment, even the surrounding members of the feathered snake clan were shocked. This genius from their clan was actually hiding such a trump card.


    It had to be known that the Heaven Devouring Earth Talent was extremely powerful. It was so powerful that it could devour an entire galaxy.


    In a battle at the level of a god, this talent represented a powerful recovery ability. The power of the inner world would almost never be exhausted.


    However, how could Chen Yiming¡¯s physique, which was formed by his top physical talent, be comparable to such a talent? He didn¡¯t care about it at all and was swallowed by the bloody mouth.


    Immediately after, fist marks appeared all over the three-headed feathered snake¡¯s body. The snakeman became like an expanding balloon, suddenly exploding like a ball of flesh and blood.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared in the rain of blood. The aftershock of the impact spread out, causing the ground to crack open. A sandstorm formed and swept in all directions, creating a terrifying scene.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead!¡±


    ¡°The genius of the feathered snake clan is dead!¡±


    Everyone present, from the members of the feathered snake clan and the silver-winged woman, to the silent soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army, realized this terrible outcome after sensing the dense power of the world suddenly spreading out.


    This was especially true for the soldiers of the Heaven Suppressing Army. When their general was reduced to ashes by a single palm strike, the situation was almost the same. They were both instantly crushed without any chance of putting up any resistance.


    ¡°Swish!¡±


    The silver-winged woman was the first to come back to her senses. With a kick from her jade-like feet, her silver wings flapped and she shot away in a silver flash.


    There was definitely something fishy about this general from the Heaven Suppressing Army. Even if a genius from a galactic-level faction appeared, he would not have such high combat strength.


    However, at this moment, it was clearly not the time to dwell on this question. Escaping was more important.


    What she didn¡¯t notice was that Chen Yiming had left a space anchor on her and wasn¡¯t in a hurry to chase after her.


    ¡°500,000 Skill Points,¡± Chen Yiming muttered in the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s language.


    At the same time that he defeated the snakeman, he also destroyed the source ore he was carrying. Fortunately, the system was able to absorb the essence energy, so there was no wastage. All the essence energy was converted into Skill Points.


    He turned around and saw that the members of the feathered snake clan had all fallen to the ground in fear.


    Even ordinary gods at the jade star realm could not crush the genius of the feathered snake clan. How could the members of the feathered snake clan escape from such a terrifying existence?


    In other words, the outcome would be the same whether they tried to escape or not.


    ¡­


    10 minutes later, the silver-winged woman had fled more than 100,000 kilometers away.


    She did not move at her maximum speed the entire time. Instead, after escaping more than 1,000 kilometers away, she changed to a slower speed that allowed her to move silently. Furthermore, she kept changing directions and moving forward. This speed was less than 10% of her maximum speed.


    In a forest shrouded in thick mist, the silver-winged woman leaned against a huge tree and forcefully calmed her pounding heart.


    From time to time, strange birds chirped in the sky. Behind the thick fog, there was a hidden killing intent. Multiple gazes were secretly watching this unfamiliar intruder.


    This was a dangerous place. The thick fog came from a spatial rift. It could be said that a wrong step might lead to terrible danger.


    However, at this moment, the silver-winged woman could not care less. A dangerous place was the best place to hide.


    ¡°Damn it! Ever since people like Gao Shuai who are involved in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse appeared in the south mountain range, someone with the twin pupils bloodline and the strange general from the Heaven Suppressing Army also appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    The silver-winged woman took a deep breath and recounted the various incidents that had happened in the south mountain range during this short period of time.


    At the same time, she secretly hated herself for being only a small genius. The difference between her and a true genius was obvious. For example, not long ago, she had been defeated in one move and ended up fleeing in panic.


    This was similar to the situation when she faced the person with the twin pupils bloodline at the city ruler¡¯s banquet. She was equally powerless then.


    ¡°The only good news is that Gao Shuai is on the side of the source ore shops. Elder Huang and the others should be able to reach the floating canyon successfully.¡±


    Thinking of this, the silver-winged woman heaved a sigh of relief.


    If there were people with stronger abilities who took on the responsibility of escorting the team from the source ore shops, she would naturally not try to outdo them. However, she had originally wanted to use this opportunity to train herself, but now, it seemed to be going badly.


    If she was not lucky, she would end up like the snakeman.


    ¡°Uh¡­ why did I forget to throw out the source ores I have with me?¡±


    Suddenly, the silver-winged woman thought of this and was extremely frustrated.


    It was too late to discard them now. She could only pray that the traces left behind along the way were not enough for the strange general of the Heaven Suppressing Army to track her down.


    However, what she was afraid of came true.


    A faint spatial fluctuation appeared, and Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared in front of the silver-winged woman.


    ¡°You ran quite far. I almost lost you.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled.


    This voice made the silver-winged woman¡¯s body tense up, and her eyes turned red.


    She did not expect the second time they met to be like this. She could not escape even with her speed talent. She was doomed, and the death of the snakeman was still fresh in her mind.


    ¡°These are all the source ores I have on me.¡±


    On second thought, the silver-winged woman grabbed onto the source ores in her pocket as if they were life-saving equipment. She was afraid that the ferocious person in front of her would kill her to silence her.


    Chen Yiming nodded and thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m not a murderer. It would have been good for both of us if you had handed it over earlier. We might even have a chance to work together.¡±


    The silver-winged clan relied on speed to establish themselves. It would naturally be best if they could work together, and it was not impossible for them to become friends.


    After all, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t trust Gao Shuai completely. Just like the female spirit in the ring, he might be tricked at any moment.


    At this moment, the source ores were revealed and many people were secretly watching.


    The silver-winged woman¡¯s heart was in her mouth. Seeing that Chen Yiming had no intention of killing her to silence her, she heaved a sigh of relief and rejoiced in her good luck.


    However, at the critical moment, before Chen Yiming could take the source ore from the silver-winged woman, a black light shot over, aiming straight for it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A large vacuum was created in this dangerous place that was covered in thick fog.


    How could Chen Yiming tolerate the source ores being snatched from him? His punch had pierced through the black light and a large patch of fog. No one had even seen clearly what the black light was.


    ¡°Tap, tap, tap¡­¡±


    The silver-winged woman was shocked and the source ores in her hand fell to the ground.


    This was a dangerous place! A large number of spatial rifts were present, which meant that they could easily be swept into the space-travel distortion. Making such big moves was simply courting death.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at the dumbfounded silver-winged woman. With a thought, all the source ores flew into his hand and he put them away.


    With the silver-winged woman by his side, he did not directly break open the source ores and let the system absorb the essence energy inside. This was to hide his secret as much as possible.


    After obtaining the source ores, he wanted to turn around and leave, but he accidentally caught a glimpse of her fair legs and the silver wings of the silver-winged woman.


    ¡°Last time, Gao Shuai said that he would bring me along to see the winged elves. I wonder if they are more stunning than this silver-winged woman?¡±


    The winged elves were only putting on a performance. No matter how much he looked like elves, they were still half-human. As for the silver-winged woman, she was a genius of the silver-winged clan. In reality, there was no comparison. The difference was like that between heaven and earth.


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    Seeing this, the silver-winged woman took a small step with one of her jade-like feet, causing her legs to close up. It was naturally not possible for her not to sense such an invasive gaze. In reality, she was only too familiar with it.


    She was the goddess among many geniuses. There had even been a true genius who had come to the silver-winged clan to get to know her.


    Little did she know that this action had aroused the man¡¯s desire to conquer her.


    Chen Yiming automatically recalled the countless gazes on the silver-winged woman when she appeared at the city ruler¡¯s banquet.


    ¡°You can only fantasize about the goddess you can¡¯t get. Next time, if she appears in my arms¡­¡±


    The imagery was too beautiful. The time and place were all right. What was there for him to hesitate about?


    Chen Yiming¡¯s heart was pounding uncontrollably. He didn¡¯t care about finding a deserted place and letting the system convert the essence energy into Skill Points first.


    He reached out to grab the silver-winged woman¡¯s hand and pulled on it, accompanied by a cry of surprise¡­


    ¡­


    The news that the snakeman and a stronghold of the feathered snake clan had been destroyed by the Heaven Suppressing Army spread like wildfire.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming was laying with the silver-winged woman in a man-made cave all the way until dawn broke. He couldn¡¯t bear to let go of her silver wings.


    This was a sensation that he could not get from human women on the blue planet.


    1

 Chapter 450 - Spying on the City Rulers Treasure Vault

    It was dawn.


    The silver-winged woman leaned into Chen Yiming¡¯s arms. Her silver wings spread out to cover the two of them, and the air was filled with a chaotic aura.


    She said softly, ¡°Since you said that I¡¯m yours from now on, I¡¯ll obey you from now on. I still have a lot of source ores stored at my house in the clan. I¡¯ll give them all to you when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°In addition, if you participate in the battle against the factions behind the source ore shops, you have to be careful of the ambitions of the city ruler. Many years ago, everyone suspected that this person had a huge hidden plan, just like the appearance of the person with twin pupils this time¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming listened quietly as he savored the feeling of having a beauty in his arms.


    He had gotten into her bed first before getting to know her. The silver-winged woman¡¯s name was called Yin Lan in the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s language. She was one of the many children of the current head of the silver-winged clan. According to her talent, she was not the strongest, but ranked fifth in the clan.


    The rank of her talent represented the level of importance she received and the amount of resources she could mobilize.


    To Chen Yiming¡¯s surprise, Yin Lan didn¡¯t object to following him from now on. In fact, she felt like she had escaped from her cage and could now control her own fate. She also admired his strength.


    The reason was that the silver-winged clan was a bloodline clan. Usually, in order for the next generation to successfully inherit their bloodline talent, most of them married within the clan.


    Therefore, even though Yin Lan was a genius of the silver-winged clan¡¯s younger generation, there were only two choices waiting for her.


    They could either marry someone from her clan or become a link between the factions and marry geniuses with higher talent.


    Chen Yiming had naturally reached the level of a genius. If the silver-winged clan found out about this, unless they were willing to pay a huge price, they could only take the loss and pretend that nothing had happened.


    When considering what happened with the Roc clan and many other species of the same level, it was useless even if they chased him across half of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    As time passed, Chen Yiming would only become stronger and stronger. At that time, it was hard to say who would be the one lying in ambush for the other.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming subconsciously raised his hand and touched the back of Yin Lan¡¯s long, fair legs. Blood surged up in his body. He laid with her again.


    Coupled with their exertions from the previous night, if not for the fact that the other party¡¯s physique was not weak and that she was also at the level of the star condensation realm, she would not have been able to withstand it.


    After that, the two of them spent some time together before packing up and leaving.


    To Chen Yiming, with the silver-winged woman by his side, it would be much more convenient for him to gather information about the situation or adjust his plans.


    The city ruler lord had destroyed the South Palace Source Ore Workshop, so there was no doubt that the source ores were collected and hidden somewhere unknown. Chen Yiming had some plans for this batch of source ores.


    The person with twin pupils might be the key to breaking in.


    ¡­


    Near Xuanyang City, Chen Yiming climbed up a mountain. From the peak, he could see the full view of the city in the distance.


    The silver-winged woman entered the city on his behalf to gather the latest information about the south mountain range, as well as the movements of the city ruler and the person with twin pupils.


    The source ores he carried with him had turned into dust, and the system absorbed all the essence energy in them.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¡ª Level 6, Giant ¡ª Level 5, Space Anchor ¡ª Level 4


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¡ª Level 7


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Sword Body


    Skill points: 16,473,754


    ¡°I only earned a little over a million Skill Points from the source ores Yin Lan and the snakeman were carrying from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop.¡±


    In reality, it was already quite a lot. However, Chen Yiming had gained over 10 million Skill Points from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop and the Illusion Source Ore Workshop.


    Compared to 10 million, one million was indeed not much. It could only be said to be a small gain.


    Not long after, the silver-winged woman turned into a silver light and used her speed talent to escape everyone¡¯s gazes. She returned to the meeting point they had agreed upon.


    The silver-winged woman descended from the sky and retracted her silver wings. She walked over with her long and fair legs, carrying a bowl of warm food.


    She was very satisfied with Chen Yiming as her partner. Everyone wanted to cultivate and have extraordinary talent. To her, who had cultivated to the level of a god, she valued cultivation even more.


    Since Chen Yiming used his spatial ability, his identity was obvious.


    He was the person who had killed the genius of the Roc Clan on the Flying Cloud Planet that made the Roc Clan and many other influential factions unable to do anything even though they made a big fuss over it.


    Becoming a partner with such a man was naturally beneficial to her cultivation in the long term. As long as she did not die from today¡¯s investment, she would be repaid countless times in the future.


    Chen Yiming quickly took the food from her.


    The food was prepared by a famous chef in Xuanyang City. There was naturally no need to mention the taste. Few people who had eaten it were dissatisfied with the taste.


    Chen Yiming took a small bite and his appetite was aroused.


    Then, he wolfed it down and quickly finished it all.


    The silver-winged woman stayed quietly at the side. After just one night, her figure seemed to have shed its innocence and become mature and charming.


    This was a change in her aura.


    ¡°Is it enough? If not, I¡¯ll go back and buy more,¡± the silver-winged woman asked as Chen Yiming put down the empty container.


    Chen Yiming pretended to burp and said, ¡°It tastes good, but forget about going back to buy it. Let me look forward to it next time.¡±


    Any delicacy that was eaten every day would no longer be delicious.


    The silver-winged woman smiled and said, ¡°Time is too tight this time. I spent most of my time gathering information. When I have time, I¡¯ll cook it for you myself.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow, surprised.


    After all, the silver-winged woman was a genius in the silver-winged clan. Logically speaking, she would spend all her time and energy on cultivation. How could she know how to cook?


    The silver-winged woman pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°As long as it¡¯s your cooking, I¡¯ll eat it.¡±


    When the silver-winged woman heard this, her face immediately turned red. She decided that she had to find an opportunity to prove that what she said was true.


    Soon, the topic changed to serious matters.


    The silver-winged woman said seriously, ¡°The news that the Heaven Suppressing Army attacked the feathered snake clan¡¯s resupplying stronghold has already spread to many large cities. However, the city ruler has already said that it was someone pretending to be from the Heaven Suppressing Army.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and asked, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be so easy to get rid of this blame, right? After all, it hasn¡¯t been long since the South Palace Source Ore Workshop was wiped out.¡±


    The silver-winged woman smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case. The factions that were supporting the teams from the source ore shops and helping them to retreat to the floating canyon were shocked. They didn¡¯t expect the Heaven Suppressing Army to have the intention to start an all-out war.¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, the person with the twin pupils bloodline has already secretly left the Heaven Suppressing City, causing the outside world to suspect that he is involved.¡±


    This was indeed quite a coincidence. At the city ruler¡¯s banquet, Li Tengfei had displayed combat strength that could suppress all the geniuses.


    Under normal circumstances, the powerful elders above the jade star realm were basically being watched by many factions. Ordinary gods at the jade star realm could not have such overwhelming strength.


    Indeed, only the person with the twin pupils bloodline had the ability to wipe out the genius snakeman and the feathered snake clan¡¯s resupplying stronghold. They could not even escape, and he was not afraid of the invisible pressure brought about by the various factions.


    Chen Yiming thought about it and decided to continue lying low. His next target was the person with the twin pupils bloodline.


    When the silver-winged woman entered the city, he had already had a vague plan. Instead of saying that he was targeting the person with twin pupils, it would be more accurate to say that he was targeting the source ores hidden away by the city ruler¡¯s faction.


    However, the feasibility of this plan was built on the person with twin pupils being heavily injured and the city ruler being lured out of the city. Otherwise, he would be a fool to attack the city ruler who was above the jade star realm.


    ¡­


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t mess around. If we send the person with twin pupils into the space-travel distortion, Li Zhentian will go crazy. At that time, all the previous plans will be thrown into chaos.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for Chen Yiming to find Gao Shuai.


    The two of them had already made a secret agreement in advance. Furthermore, they had secretly escorted the teams from the source ore shops to the floating canyon. Finding the teams from the source ore shops was almost equivalent to finding Gao Shuai.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai had an envious expression on his face because Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman were traveling together. But when he heard his plan, he frowned.


    Chen Yiming frowned and said, ¡°For the city ruler to nurture a person with the twin pupils bloodline, and be a leading faction among the Infinite Island Group, it¡¯s clear how strong his faction is.¡±


    ¡°Now that the source ore shops are retreating, the city ruler will definitely not expect anyone to dare to target the treasure vault in his base.¡±


    The reason why he had looked for Gao Shuai was because of his special prophecy ability. Otherwise, if he charged forward alone and turned the entire Heaven Suppressing City upside down, he might still not be able to find the treasure vault.


    The silver-winged woman at the side stayed silent and did not interrupt them.


    In her heart, she was also shocked. Targeting the treasure vault of the city ruler was too bold. It was unbelievable.


    This was equivalent to targeting the silver-winged clan¡¯s treasure vault. She did not dare to imagine how much trouble it would cause if it really happened.


    Gao Shuai had a bitter expression on his face as he explained, ¡°Brother, the source ore shops have more source ores than Heaven Suppressing City. Can¡¯t we just find an easier target? Why do we have to provoke the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City?¡±


    Since Chen Yiming had brought the silver-winged woman to look for him, there was no need to hide the fact that the two of them had the intention to secretly target the factions behind the source ore shops.


    In the eyes of the factions behind the source ore shops, Gao Shuai was currently making a contribution to help them, so he did not want to introduce any unnecessary variables at this moment.


    Chen Yiming could understand that, but he couldn¡¯t tell Gao Shuai that if he took over the treasure vault belonging to the city ruler, he would have a high chance of gathering enough Skill Points to upgrade at least one of his talents.


    If he directly gathered enough Skill Points to upgrade two talents, he would not need to hide from the city ruler. If he was strong enough, he would kill the other party if he dared to chase after him.


    At this moment, after Gao Shuai finished explaining, everyone suddenly fell silent.


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t think of a suitable reason to convince the other party. He turned to look at the teams from the source ore shops in the distance.


    ¡°If I obtain all the source ores from the four teams that are fleeing, as well as the source ores that were distributed to attract the pursuers, it should be barely enough to upgrade one talent by a level.¡±


    ¡°Upgrading a talent by one level, such as the Undying Body talent or the Giant Talent, will definitely be a large increase in strength. It can also increase the feasibility of fighting against the city ruler.¡±


    Gao Shuai naturally noticed it when Chen Yiming looked at the teams from the source ore shops and shouted in his heart, ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t do this. If you rob them of all their belongings, aren¡¯t you forcing them to commit suicide to take responsibility for their dereliction of duty?¡±


    This was not only a possibility, but something that would most likely happen.


    It had to be known that the source ores were the target of various factions. If all the source ores in the teams from the source ore shops were snatched away, in order to keep this a secret, it was very likely that the elders at the jade star realm who were already not in the best physical condition would take the lead and commit suicide.


    Gao Shuai thought about it again. If he didn¡¯t agree, the heavy bet he had placed on Chen Yiming might be wasted. It was easy to destroy trust, but difficult to build it.


    The silver-winged woman felt their silent communication and was extremely anxious. She was naturally on Chen Yiming¡¯s side, but she couldn¡¯t think of a good solution.


    In the end, Gao Shuai said dejectedly, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to ambush the person with twin pupils and send him into the space-travel distortion, but we can¡¯t torture the teams from the source ore shops anymore.¡±


    As Gao Shuai agreed to it, he didn¡¯t forget to set out some conditions. He had already guessed that Chen Yiming was pretending to be a general of the Heaven Suppressing Army and was chasing after the source ores left behind to attract the pursuers.


    Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Chen Yiming comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gao Shuai. You don¡¯t have to make an appearance. You just have to find the location of the treasure vault. When the time comes, I promise I¡¯ll play with the city ruler.¡±


    Gao Shuai¡¯s face twitched. He wanted to refute him, but he thought better of it.


    The city ruler was naturally not stupid. If the treasure vault that had been hidden well was suddenly found, the first suspect would be him. Who asked him to walk around in a high-profile manner in the south mountain range?


    ¡­


    Now that the plan to deal with the person with twin pupils, Li Tengfei, had been decided, the rest was much easier. The ambush location that Gao Shuai and Chen Yiming had decided on was a dangerous place where the space-travel distortion appeared.


    Naturally, they would use the teams from the source ore shops to attract Li Tengfei. What Chen Yiming needed to do was to attack the troops led by the generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army.


    This way, if they still wanted to continue chasing after the teams from the source ore shops, the person with twin pupils could not just watch from the sidelines. Instead, he had to fight them personally.


    Not long after, in a small forest, before they left, Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman laid together again.


    Since he had to frequently attack the troops from the Heaven Suppressing Army, he naturally needed to use the space anchor to quickly teleport away. It was naturally impossible to bring someone along with him.


    Chen Yiming had arranged for the silver-winged woman to go to the vicinity of Heaven Suppressing City to wait for his good news.


    At this moment, the silver-winged woman leaned into Chen Yiming¡¯s arms and said softly, ¡°Be careful. The space in the space-travel distortion is unpredictable. One step can lead to heaven, and another step can lead to hell.¡±


    ¡°After the person with twin pupils falls into the trap, if you can just stop the other party from returning to the abandoned world for a moment, the corresponding coordinates will no longer be at their original location. There¡¯s no need to fight the other party to the death.¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m familiar with the space-travel distortion. The person with twin pupils has just appeared and lacks experience. Not to mention that he¡¯s not my match, even if he has some strength, I have plenty of ways to deal with him. Just wait for my good news.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The silver-winged woman nodded lightly, and her soft body pressed even closer to him. Seeing that this action was not enough, she repeated it again.


    Of course, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t say no to this.

 Chapter 451 - Jade Lake

    With the normal speed of a god at the star condensation realm, it would only take them two to three days to reach the floating canyon from the Heaven Suppressing City.


    However, the four teams from the source ore shops needed to carefully avoid the pursuers from the Heaven Suppressing City. The journey was estimated to take more than half a month, and if there were frequent incidents along the way, it might even take a month.


    Another day passed by.


    During this period, Li Tengfei, who was the one holding the line, was very annoyed. He had suppressed all the geniuses who had appeared, but now, he was being schemed against.


    Not long ago, the Heaven Suppressing Army had killed many geniuses from the various factions who had helped the teams from the source ore shops to hold back the pursuers, although most of them had been faked by Chen Yiming.


    However, not long after, the Heaven Suppressing Army began to suffer heavy losses. The generals who had led the troops to search for the teams from the source ore shops were wiped out one after another, and they could not bring back any news about the enemy.


    Li Tengfei was not just waiting quietly. He had also joined the Heaven Suppressing Army¡¯s troops several times and tried to ambush the people who were attacking the Heaven Suppressing Army, but he had missed them every time.


    Li Tengfei thought about this situation carefully.


    Firstly, the reason why he missed every time was because he had been under the other party¡¯s surveillance.


    Secondly, if he was really being monitored, could the mole be someone from the Heaven Suppressing Army?


    Thirdly, what was the other party¡¯s goal? Was he targeting the Heaven Suppressing Army? Or was he the ultimate target?


    Fourthly, if the troops chasing after the source ore shops did not change their actions and continued with the search, how many casualties could the Heaven Suppressing Army lose?


    Fifthly, Gao Shuai had openly contacted many factions behind the source ore shops. Was the person who was interfering with the Heaven Suppressing Army the one who had killed the Roc clan¡¯s genius on the Flying Cloud Planet?


    The last point was the most important thing. If it was really the person that had made many factions grit their teeth and go to war to chase after him across the galaxy, he would not be able to do anything about him.


    As a person with the twin pupils bloodline, could he suppress his opponent just like how he suppressed the other geniuses?


    Thinking of this, Li Tengfei felt a little uneasy. Both of them were at the star condensation realm, so it was naturally impossible to determine the difference between them without actually fighting.


    However, the other party had Gao Shuai by his side. He had a special prophecy ability, so his every move might have been predicted in advance.


    To be precise, they wanted him to take the bait and step into the trap that they had set up. They did not have the welfare of Li Tengfei or the troops chasing after the source ore shops in mind.


    Time passed slowly.


    The wilderness far away from the large cities was not under the control of any particular faction. It was extremely quiet in the wilderness, and even whispers could be heard from afar.


    Li Tengfei¡¯s eyes flickered. He suddenly recalled the rumors in the ancient books that those with twin pupils could create a world of their own and fight against the True Dragon and Phoenix.


    His expression turned fierce. By not discussing it with the generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army beside him, he deliberately prevented his decision from being leaked by the mole. Then, he left the Heaven Suppressing Army and traveled alone.


    ¡­


    ¡°Did you see the person with twin pupils in the prophecy again?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked with a smile as Gao Shuai spat out another mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Tsk! That guy with the twin pupils is quite something. He even knows how to hide in the Heaven Suppressing Army and pretend to be an ordinary soldier. Fortunately, I was vigilant enough and didn¡¯t think of coming into contact with him directly. However, even so, the backlash isn¡¯t easy to deal with.¡±


    Gao Shuai did not forget to act pitiful as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.


    There was no turning back. In order to wipe out the treasure vault of the city ruler, Gao Shuai had really put in a lot of effort. He was just waiting for the person with twin pupils to fall first.


    ¡°It seems that the person with twin pupils is not the impulsive type. However, as long as it¡¯s as you said before, someone at the level of the ruler of the Heaven Suppressing City will not personally take part.¡±


    ¡°Now, the initiative is completely in our hands. Unless the Heaven Suppressing Army gives up on hunting the four teams from the source ore shops, the person with the twin pupils bloodline has to make a move personally,¡± Chen Yiming said casually.


    There was another point. The person with twin pupils had just suppressed many geniuses at the city ruler¡¯s banquet. If he cowered at the slightest setback, there was naturally no way for him to become invincible.


    This was a belief that he was invincible among his peers. This was especially true for the geniuses of the large galactic clans. There was a high chance that the person with twin pupils would not be an exception.


    As he spoke, Gao Shuai seemed to have sensed something.


    Chen Yiming turned around and saw that Gao Shuai had closed his eyes and returned to his prophetic state. Hence, he remained silent to prevent himself from interfering with Gao Shuai¡¯s surveillance of the person with twin pupils.


    Not long after, Gao Shuai opened his eyes again.


    ¡°The person with twin pupils can¡¯t help but make a move.¡±


    The moment he spoke, it was good news.


    In a battle of their patience, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai had won the first round.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The two of them quickly found the teams from the source ore shops. Although time was a little tight, Gao Shuai could easily find the locations of all the teams.


    The two of them had the right time, place, and people to deal with the preparations in the time it took for Li Tengfei to chase after them. They could complete everything before the person with twin pupils locked onto a target.


    ¡­


    In a forest in the wilderness, the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop was stopped by Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai.


    The leader, Huang Zhongyun, had a guarded expression on his face. His gaze was fixed on Gao Shuai.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s reputation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy was mixed. His special prophetic ability was highly valued, especially among the gods who were really going to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    However, many people had been tricked by him, and they could not fully blame it on him. After all, the other party had always emphasized that most of the prophecies were not accurate.


    ¡°The person with twin pupils is chasing after you.¡±


    Gao Shuai did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Huang Zhongyun could still maintain his composure, but the other members of the team could not. They all looked afraid and instantly panicked.


    This person with twin pupils was on a completely different level from the other generals of the Heaven Suppressing Army. Not long ago, he had displayed his might at the city ruler¡¯s banquet. Everyone had seen it with their own eyes.


    If that person caught up to them, there was a high chance that they would not be able to escape.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. Don¡¯t panic.¡±


    Gao Shuai pressed his hands against the air and continued, ¡°My good friend and I have been secretly attacking the pursuers from the Heaven Suppressing Army these past few days. Did you guys feel that during this period of time, the number of times your whereabouts were exposed has decreased greatly?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Zhongyun knew very well that this was indeed the case.


    He was still wary of Gao Shuai, but he could not lie or deny it. Not long ago, the team was still discussing if the pursuers had given up the chase.


    However, the other members of the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop seemed to have found their savior, and they pleaded for his help with their gazes.


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± someone could not help but ask.


    These words revealed what most of the people in the team were thinking.


    It had to be known that wherever the people from the source ore shops went, they had previously always been treated like VIPs. They were not used to running away like stray dogs.


    In fact, in their hearts, if they could use the source ores they carried to exchange for a safe escape, they would not be completely unwilling.


    Of course, that was not really possible. It was just like telling the robbers they would hand over their money and ask for mercy. The consequences of taking a step back were often that they would be forced to give up even more. In the end, not only would they lose all their assets, but they would also lose their lives.


    Gao Shuai smiled and did not mind Elder Huang¡¯s vigilance. He continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has seen with their own eyes how powerful that person is. The many geniuses at the city ruler¡¯s banquet were defeated by him alone.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, the two of us don¡¯t have the confidence to defeat the other party head-on. Therefore, we can only use our wits. It¡¯s best if we can trap the other party in a dangerous place for a long time.¡±


    Using a dangerous place to trap the person with twin pupils?


    Because the combat strength of Li Tengfei was too overwhelming, Gao Shuai¡¯s suggestion did seem to be sensible.


    When Huang Zhongyun heard this, he felt much more at ease. If what Gao Shuai said was true and he was not lying to them, he could indeed sense the good intentions behind his words.


    There was no need to mention the others in the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop. They had long heard that Gao Shuai had contacted various source ore shops in the south mountain region to help them fight back against the pressure from the factions from the Infinite Island Group.


    At this critical moment, there was no better solution than to trust Gao Shuai. After all, the strongest person in the team, Huang Zhongyun, who was at the jade star realm, was also burdened by the injuries caused by breaking the natural laws.


    Huang Zhongyun was still confident that he could suppress ordinary geniuses, such as those from the war god Wang Cheng from the Thunder Cloud Group. However, if it was the person with twin pupils, he did not have the confidence that he would win.


    Chen Yiming watched from the side as Gao Shuai acted.


    The person with twin pupils had indeed followed the tracks they had unintentionally left behind along the way. Coincidentally, he had come after the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop.


    They had indeed been secretly helping the teams from the source ore shops. Gao Shuai would also continue trying his best to let the team from the source ore shops reach the floating canyon successfully.


    However, the main reason why the person with twin pupils was forced to chase after them was because of Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai.


    Very quickly, as Gao Shuai and the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop established a certain amount of trust, Gao Shuai slowly explained the conditions needed for the person with twin pupils to be trapped in the space-travel distortion and be stopped from chasing after the team from the source ore shops.


    This plan included how to lure the person with twin pupils into the ambush that they had prepared in advance, how to take the opportunity to completely shake off the pursuers when they were trapped, and so on.


    ¡­


    In front of the jade lake, a breeze blew past, and there were no waves on the surface of the lake. It was as though it was a complete piece of jade that was only reflecting the scene of the lake on its surface.


    Chen Yiming looked at the lake from the abandoned world. It was larger than the total surface of the blue planet, and there seemed to be no end to it.


    ¡°This¡­ Could it be that we can¡¯t protect our lives even before we deal with the person with twin pupils?¡±


    Some people in the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop were worried.


    The jade lake was not filled with normal water. Instead, it was made of a type of hard jade, and a small portion of it was a source mine.


    Due to the geological activity in the area around the jade lake, the broken pieces of jade cut through the space, making it extremely fragile.


    Those who entered this place to search for the source mine might accidentally encounter a spatial rift and fall into the space-travel distortion. Compared to other dangerous places, the risk here was much higher.


    In addition, the proportion of true source ores in this special environment was very low. In other words, the rewards were usually not proportional to the risk.


    In addition, jade stones also had a spirit. Some strange creatures were born in the jade lake, and the environment could naturally help them hide their figures, causing countless troubles for outsiders.


    Therefore, other than a few source ore experts who were extremely confident in their own judgment and had strong cultivation levels, ordinary adventurers would almost never consider entering the jade lake.


    Not long after.


    Perhaps the team from the source ore shop had been noticed by some strange creatures at the bottom of the lake the moment they stopped by the jade lake.


    Many cracks appeared on the surface of the lake, and a murderous aura appeared at the bottom of the lake. It seemed to be warning these people that the jade lake did not welcome outsiders.


    However, with Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai around, other than a few people, only a few of the team members were still extremely wary of this dangerous place. Looking at the jade lake felt like one was stepping into an abyss.


    In the eyes of Huang Zhongyun, it was unlikely for someone like Gao Shuai, who had a special prophecy ability, to die so easily even in such a dangerous place. The intuition of prophecy-type ability users was to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.


    Soon, the group and the vehicles carrying the source ores gradually entered the jade lake.


    The interior of the jade lake looked completely different from the outside. Although they used their will to directly part the jade stones around them, what they saw was a strange world. Furthermore, their vision was severely restricted compared to normal situations.


    Chen Yiming was a little curious.


    After leaving the blue planet, he had already traveled a long distance in space. He had seen a large planet with a fixed space-travel portal, and he had also come to this huge and special planet that produced source ores.


    Compared to most gods at the star condensation realm, he had traveled much further than they would in their entire lives, and his understanding of the universe was much deeper.


    However, this was the first time he had seen such a special environment like the jade lake. From time to time, jade-like creatures would follow them for a distance.


    Gao Shuai led the way.


    The route was not straight, but avoided powerful creatures from afar. It was not that they could not deal with them, but that they were unwilling to cause a huge commotion.


    In addition, they also took twists and turns to avoid the weak spots in space along the way to prevent their own people from being affected by the space-travel distortion before they could ambush the person with twin pupils


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll be relying on you from now on.¡±


    Before long, Gao Shuai said seriously.


    ¡°After we start fighting, just bring the men and run.¡±


    Chen Yiming glanced at the vehicles carrying the source ores. He didn¡¯t know if these rare source ores were too big to be transported using space-manipulation methods.


    The factions behind the source ore shops monopolized the trade of the source ores, so they definitely had spatial items. However, he had not seen any spatial items used to transport the source ores.


    Seeing this, Gao Shuai said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. Business is more important.¡±


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze.


    Between a branch of a source ore shop and treasure vault in a large city that had been established for countless years, Chen Yiming chose the latter without hesitation.


    He would deal with the source ores from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop when the team arrived at the floating canyon. As long as the factions from the source ore shops could provide him with enough help, he would naturally not be stingy with his protection.


    Suddenly, a jade stone golem cut off their path forward.


    The other party¡¯s entire body was made of jade, and there were two holes in its head. Those were the eyes of the jade stone golem, and it was looking at everyone with ill intentions.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming¡¯s will projection enveloped the jade stone golem.


    Under everyone¡¯s surprised gazes, the power of his will alone reduced the jade stone golem to dust. The surroundings instantly fell silent.

 Chapter 452 - Conversation in the Residence

    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as if the jade stone golem blocking their way had never appeared. The team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop immediately felt much safer.


    While Huang Zhongyun acknowledged Chen Yiming¡¯s strength, he was even more worried about how they would avoid Gao Shuai and Chen Yiming in the future. It would be troublesome if these two people had ulterior motives.


    It was easier to welcome a god than to send him away.


    Not long after, under Gao Shuai¡¯s lead, they arrived at a spot at the bottom of the jade lake where they could easily launch an attack or escape from. The space barrier in the middle was thick and solid, and the space on both sides was so thin that they could create space-travel distortions at any time.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure disappeared, leaving behind only a faint spatial fluctuation.


    He did not need to stay with the team from the source ore shop. Instead, he waited far outside the jade lake to ensure that the person with twin pupils had no way out.


    ¡­


    In Heaven Suppressing City, in the garden of the city ruler¡¯s residence, a chessboard appeared in the air. Two middle-aged men were sitting opposite each other across a small fountain. One of them was holding a black piece, and the other was holding a white piece.


    At this moment, they were letting the matter of the evacuation of the source ore shops spread. The two of them were focused on a game of chess, as if there was nothing else more important to them other than this game.


    Suddenly, as a black piece fell, a group of white pieces faced an encirclement. The city ruler holding the white piece paused and did not place another piece.


    ¡°City Ruler Li doesn¡¯t seem to be as calm as he looks. Let me guess. You must be worried about your son, Li Tengfei,¡± the strange man said with a smile.


    ¡°The twin pupils bloodline is originally a path of invincibility. From the day they are born, they have been accompanied by great luck. Only those who also have great luck can compete with them. Otherwise, why would you just watch from the sidelines?¡± Li Zhentian retorted.


    ¡°Oh? Is that really the case?¡±


    The strange man looked surprised and continued, ¡°I think the Gao clan¡¯s Gao Shuai, who is known as the son of the prophecy, is someone with great luck that is not inferior to those with twin pupils.¡±


    ¡°I wonder who will be eliminated if the person with twin pupils and the son of the prophecy fight? Will the luck of one side be overwhelmed by the other party?¡±


    When Li Zhentian heard this, he laughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a little prophecy ability. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing else. How can the son of the prophecy compete with my son?¡±


    It was not that the city ruler looked down on special abilities like seeing prophecies, but that Gao Shuai¡¯s methods were all unorthodox.


    In other words, it was very difficult to obtain true recognition by relying on external forces. It was not as effective as those with the twin pupils bloodline, who could control their own fate.


    Furthermore, it was very difficult for the prophecy ability to work on a terrifying spiritual talent like the twin pupils. Facing the backlash and a possible sudden death, it could be said that he would suppress the other party before they even fought.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what City Ruler Li thinks.¡±


    The strange man was surprised again and smiled. ¡°That makes sense. After all, Gao Shuai has a hidden plan and has been suppressing his breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°However, in a one-on-one battle, he might be able to win over Gao Shuai for the time being, but Gao Shuai also has a powerful helper. It¡¯s two against one. It wasn¡¯t easy for the twin pupils to be stabilized, so I¡¯m afraid he will suffer a huge setback.¡±


    Chen Yiming had been on the spaceship with Gao Shuai and broke out of the encirclement that the Roc clan and many other factions had set up in outer space.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s sudden involvement caused many incidents to happen to the Heaven Suppressing Army¡¯s troops.


    At the level of the strange man and the city ruler, it was not difficult to guess that the one behind all this was the one who had killed the genius of the Roc clan on the Flying Cloud Planet.


    ¡°That genius from the Roc clan was originally barely able to step through the threshold among the geniuses. Coupled with his carelessness, he was ambushed. If they fought openly, he would naturally not have died.¡±


    ¡°My son, Tengfei, has been far more mature than those of the same age since young. Naturally, he will not make such a huge mistake of underestimating his opponent. The twin pupils bloodline is not something that the roc bloodline can compare to.¡±


    ¡°I believe that even if he fights one against two and let that Gao Shuai plot against him, in the end, my son will still take off and break through the tricks to suppress the two of them on his own.¡±


    The city ruler was extremely confident in the twin pupils bloodline. Otherwise, he would not have set the stage so carefully over so many years. The arrangements he had made could not be explained fully even if he talked about it for three days and three nights.


    This was the truth. With the help of their Heavenly Eye, the South Palace clan was an overlord-level faction in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. They were one of the main factions participating in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    The twin pupils were a qualitative improvement from the Heavenly Eye. From the day they were born, they were known to be invincible. Their potential was even comparable to the corpse of the true dragon.


    Of course, that was only in theory, when one¡¯s potential had been developed to the limit. In reality, the twin pupils formed by the fusion of multiple Heavenly Eyes were not born naturally, and no one thought that they were perfect.


    Otherwise, the city ruler would not have allowed the person with twin pupils to appear before it completely matured.


    ¡°That¡¯s someone who has the combat strength to suppress geniuses of the same level and an unbelievable spatial ability. Even the Roc clan¡¯s elders couldn¡¯t do anything after they started a pursuit that exceeded the range of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like this time. From the Heaven Suppressing City to the floating canyon, the two sides are on completely different levels. There¡¯s no comparison at all.¡±


    The strange man didn¡¯t explicitly say that the person with twin pupils couldn¡¯t compare to Chen Yiming, but his words were filled with admiration for the huge pursuit that was carried out on such an unbelievable scale.


    In other words, even if the city ruler in front of him was in the same situation, facing such a pursuit, the strange man did not think that he had a chance of escaping.


    It had to be known that the combined strength at that time was enough to destroy an overlord faction in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Li Zhentian was still disdainful and said calmly, ¡°With their spatial ability and powerful intuition for danger, I admit that when those two work together, their ability to escape is almost unparalleled.¡±


    ¡°But in the end, it¡¯s just an ability to escape. In a head-on battle, I believe he¡¯s definitely not a match for my son. Furthermore, in a head-on battle, Gao Shuai is not a combatant at all.¡±


    ¡°Then in reality, it¡¯s back to a one-on-one fight. In a one-on-one fight, the twin pupils are definitely invincible. Don¡¯t tell me you think the person Gao Shuai found is more powerful than the twin pupils?¡±


    The strange man smiled and did not say anything.


    Just like this chess game, Li Zhentian did not think that he would make a mistake before the game started.


    Although he had only made a single mistake and it was not to the extent that the outcome was determined, the white side had already lost its momentum and could no longer win the game.


    Therefore, since they had never really fought, it was not certain that the person with twin pupils would be the one to win in the end, even though the stories of the terrifying power of the twin pupils had been passed down since a long time ago.


    Just as the strange man and Li Zhentian suddenly fell silent, suddenly, a general from the Heaven Suppressing Army ignored the rules of the city ruler¡¯s residence and rushed in, shouting that he had something important to report.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Li Zhentian¡¯s expression was not good.


    He had lost the chess game, and he did not have the upper hand in their debate. At this moment, he had accumulated his anger in his heart. If not for the fact that the strange man was here, he would naturally have lost his temper.


    The general of the Heaven Suppressing Army saw that the strange man was present.


    He paused for a moment, but Li Zhentian had no intention of letting things slide, so he did not know what to do.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not something confidential, just say it.¡±


    Li Zhentian could roughly guess that it was related to the pursuit of the teams from the source ore shops. It was no longer a secret to those at the level of him and the strange man.


    Therefore, he was too lazy to chase the other man away. He had absolute confidence in the twin pupils. Even if it was an overt plan, they would not be able to do anything about it.


    The strange man was originally here to keep an eye on the city ruler.


    Seeing that Li Zhentian was pretending to be calm, he naturally would not expose him. He was happy to be able to hear the reports of what had happened.


    Not long after.


    After receiving Li Zhentian¡¯s instructions, the general revealed his reason for entering the city ruler¡¯s residence.


    It turned out that the Heaven Suppressing Army had been attacked from all directions. In order to avoid the traitors among the troops as much as possible, Li Tengfei had gone down alone to chase after the teams from the source ore shops.


    When Li Zhentian heard this, his expression remained unchanged. He waved his hand, indicating for the general to leave.


    Only he knew what he was thinking.


    ¡­


    On the surface of the jade lake.


    ¡°So you really deliberately lured me into a dangerous place to fight me?¡± Li Tengfei said calmly as he stood on the surface of the lake. His robe fluttered in the wind, and his long hair flew behind him. His eyes revealed his invincible confidence in himself.


    So what if he took the initiative to step into the ambush? It was just a small disadvantage. The path of invincibility had opened up, so he should naturally sweep through all his enemies.


    When the team from the source ore shop at the bottom of the lake sensed the commotion on the surface of the lake, their hearts tightened. They realized that the person with twin pupils had arrived.


    Gao Shuai had a confident expression on his face, but the reputation of the person with twin pupils still made everyone feel worried.


    At such a close distance, if Chen Yiming lost quickly, everyone would be trapped. The dangerous environment of the jade lake would become a cage that prevented them from escaping.


    ¡°He has to hold on. He can¡¯t lose. If he loses, all of us will be wiped out together.¡± Someone in the team kept praying in his heart, hoping that the situation would be just like what Gao Shuai was confident it would be like.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared in the distance. With a single step, he entered the jade lake and formed a stalemate from a few kilometers away.


    At the same time, he revealed a blatant look of disdain, as if the person with twin pupils had an undeserved reputation. He had gone through so much trouble just to lure them out for a one-on-one battle.


    Li Tengfei naturally took in all of this.


    An unknown anger immediately rose in his heart. He did not expect to step into the ambush alone and not even see Gao Shuai. This was different from the situation he had imagined where the two of them would ambush him together.


    In his heart, he had always thought that among the two of them, Gao Shuai was the one in charge, and Chen Yiming was just a fighter.


    However, a guy who he had thought to be playing a support role actually dared to look at him with disdain. This was an absolute provocation and could not be forgiven.


    Chen Yiming paused for a moment just to confirm that the person who had arrived was Li Tengfei. Then, he didn¡¯t waste any time and attacked.


    He used the space anchor to teleport, and his figure appeared in front of Li Tengfei like a comet.


    A terrifying aura shot out along with a fist. The aftershock alone compressed the air, just like a bolt of lightning descending from the sky.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    This punch looked ordinary, but in reality, the team from the source ore shops hiding at the bottom of the jade lake felt a huge pressure, as if everything was about to be wiped out.


    Li Tengfei felt the same way. He felt as if a planet was charging over towards him, and the space around him was collapsing. The energy fluctuations were extremely terrifying, and he no longer dared to underestimate his opponent.


    With a punch, a bolt of lightning appeared between the heavens and the earth, and the light drowned out everything. The ground in the range of countless kilometers shook, and the power of the world stirred up killing intent everywhere. No creature dared to come over to investigate.


    After a moment, the jade lake slowly calmed down. The aftershock of the energy ripples disappeared. Other than the two figures confronting each other from afar, there was only the aura of the space-travel distortion erupted all over the ground.


    Someone in the team from the source ore shop at the bottom of the lake asked in a low voice if it was time to escape.


    Didn¡¯t he say that they should retreat once the fight started? If not for the fact that there were no problems with the hiding spot that Gao Shuai had chosen, they would definitely not have been able to stay here any longer.


    Huang Zhongyun shook his head and motioned for the troops to stay calm.


    Before the battle reached the point where the other party could not afford to be distracted, running out at this time was no different from courting death. Even he could not withstand more than a few punches of that level.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. With one punch, he destroyed an overlapping world in my twin pupils.¡± Although Li Tengfei¡¯s figure was no longer standing at the same position, he was still on the surface of the lake.


    ¡°The overlapping worlds in the twin pupils are similar to the miniature inner worlds contained in each of my cells, right?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself.


    At this moment, the battle that had just started seemed to have come to a stop, but the auras of both sides were rapidly increasing. A clear dividing line had already been formed between heaven and earth.


    The twin pupils represented invincibility on the spiritual level, while the Undying Body represented invincibility on the physical level.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t believe that a single punch could destroy an overlapping world. Otherwise, the punch would have been completely absorbed, and the aura of the space-travel distortion wouldn¡¯t have appeared.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming¡¯s fighting spirit soared. His aura was like that of an ancient god who had woken up from a deep sleep. He wanted to compete with the person with twin pupils to see who was the most powerful.


    On the other side, Li Tengfei was the same. His twin pupils spun slightly, and the divine light in them brightened. World projections appeared and disappeared one after another, as if he had fused with the universe and grasped the laws governing life and death.


    ¡°City Ruler Li, it seems that your son has really met those two people. It¡¯s one against two. Are you really at ease not going to protect him?¡±


    In the city ruler¡¯s residence in Heaven Suppressing City, the strange man probed. After all, the Heaven Suppression City¡¯s ruler had revealed in the chess game that he was not truly that calm and relaxed.


    ¡°You must be joking. In the south mountain range, even if a powerful elder like you makes a move, my son won¡¯t die or be defeated. It¡¯s not beneficial for his development if I go to support him in battle.¡±


    Li Zhentian refused with a smile. At the same time, he found a good excuse to explain why he was not able to concentrate during the game.


    ¡°Indeed, indeed.¡±


    The strange man nodded in agreement.


    As soon as he said this, unless Li Zhentian backed down, he had already decided that no one would interfere.


    The younger generation would settle their own matters. If either side lost, it just meant that the losing side was inferior to the other. Even if they did not want to admit it, they had to.


    In other words, one side was known as the son of the prophecy, and the other was compared to the path of invincibility. After this battle ended, the impact would definitely be far-reaching, and one side would definitely lose.


    On the other hand, the side that won in the end would ride the momentum and shake up the situation in the abandoned world.

 Chapter 453 - Shocking Battle

    At the jade lake, this uninhabited dangerous place had welcomed two ferocious people on this day.


    Facing the fragile space in the outside world and the space-travel distortion that could erupt at any moment, the two of them did not seem to think much of it.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Li Tengfei reached out with his hand, and the shadows of overlapping worlds appeared in his palm. It was as if the world in his palm was real. In the next moment, with the enhancement of the endless power of the world, he charged forward.


    This was how powerful the person with twin pupils was. Even if he did not specialize in training his physical body, with the enhancement from the power in his eyes, his aura was as terrifying as that of a giant beast.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion. It only has the appearance.¡±


    Almost at the same time, countless explosions rang out. Every cell in Chen Yiming¡¯s body became active, and an endless amount of blood essence power appeared in the air. The sky was instantly dyed red.


    He struck back with his palm, and the power from the trillions of miniature inner worlds enhanced his strike. On the surface, it did not look as powerful as the illusion of the overlapping worlds, but it was truly powerful.


    In the area around the jade lake, the intensity of the battle caused everything to be drowned out again.


    The battle between Chen Yiming and Li Tengfei was too shocking. It was as if real worlds had been summoned one after another, and the scene of the worlds being born and destroyed was continuously reflected in the air.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The void exploded, and killing intent spread out in all directions.


    The clear dividing line between heaven and earth did not move. The two of them did not give in at all. Even if it was purely a waste of energy, no one was willing to be the one to take a step back first.


    The result was naturally that the space in the jade lake could not withstand it anymore. A large number of spatial rifts exploded, and they were visibly connected to the space-travel distortion.


    However, this was nothing to the two of them. The power they had mastered was enough to ensure that they would not be dragged into the space-travel distortion by the power of distortion.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    Li Tengfei¡¯s eyes lit up. After a moment of stalemate, he was the first to change to a different attack. His body turned into thousands of purple lightning bolts that flashed as he moved. The purple light in the air was hazy, as if an illusion had materialized.


    His transformation into purple lightning was comparable to a speed talent, and the changes in his movements were unpredictable.


    His feet were stepping on the air. Be it the power of distortion from the space-travel distortion he encountered along the way or the interference from the invisible aura on the battlefield, they could not stop him from moving quickly.


    The fighting spirit in Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes soared. The illusory world that the other party had summoned to strengthen himself could actually fight against him head-on. Although he couldn¡¯t fight it out to the end, it was enough to make him take it seriously. The reputation of the twin pupils was not fake.


    He took a step forward and charged forward like a god of war. No matter how many attacks landed on him, he would punch, slap, and kick back. His simple attacks relied on the strength of his body.


    In an instant, thunder rumbled on the surface of the jade lake, as if lightning from the heavens had descended. The purple and red colors clashed head-on. The two of them collided fiercely, and an endless divine light erupted.


    Around the two of them, the chains of natural laws appeared faintly in the air. Those were references for cultivation on the path of gods. However, for some unknown reason, they seemed to be resonating and were about to materialize in the world.


    The battle between the two of them was truly earth-shattering. For example, Li Tengfei had fought against many geniuses at the city ruler¡¯s banquet.


    Although that was shocking enough, in every small battle, he would take down one person in one or two moves. In reality, no genius could make him use his full strength.


    For example, on the Flying Cloud Planet, even when facing the genius of the Roc clan, Chen Yiming could see the obvious difference in their strength. There was also a difference between geniuses.


    This difference looked like it was just a hair¡¯s breadth away, but in reality, it was a thousand miles apart. It was as if they were on different levels, and soon, one side would be defeated.


    In the surrounding large cities, countless gods who usually did not show themselves had all rushed to the periphery of the battlefield.


    The battle between the two of them caught everyone¡¯s attention. Many people stared at the chains of natural laws that had faintly appeared and secretly tried to figure out the natural laws that were suitable for them to break through to the jade star realm.


    At the level of the gods, even at the starting point of the star condensation realm, others could not teach them much. In the inner world, every individual had a different foundation before breaking through, so the situation was naturally different.


    As for how to bring the inner world into the real world, they had to comprehend everything by themselves and use the world as their teacher to observe the birth and destruction of the stars in the universe and the living planets.


    However, now that the chains of natural laws had actually appeared in the air, how could they not be fascinated and envious?


    Even among the gods, these people were extremely talented. They could be considered the sons blessed by the heavens, making one sigh in envy and helplessness.


    This was especially true for the person with twin pupils. Everyone suspected that he could even easily see the chains of natural laws. The path of cultivation on the path of the gods would still be like walking on flat ground for him, and his progress would be rapid.


    At some point, the purple lightning dissipated.


    His body had transformed thousands of times. Even though the attacks were only dodged occasionally, they didn¡¯t have much effect. The charred marks disappeared in a flash. Chen Yiming¡¯s body was too strong.


    Li Tengfei¡¯s eyes narrowed as he pressed his palms together.


    In the next moment, a jade-green chain quickly appeared in the air, and was actually being led towards Chen Yiming.


    ¡°What!¡±


    The gods watching from afar gasped.


    It had to be known that only those at the jade star realm had truly started to try to integrate the natural laws into their inner world. The power of the inner world had only just obtained the enhancement from the natural laws.


    However, in terms of controlling the natural laws, only gods at the level of the city ruler above the jade star realm had the power to do so.


    No one could understand how the person with twin pupils had done it, but they saw with their own eyes that he could do it.


    This was simply unbelievable. The person with twin pupils was indeed terrifying. He was actually using a power that was usually under the control of those two cultivation realms higher.


    ¡°We better run. This is getting serious.¡±


    At the bottom of the jade lake, Gao Shuai shouted and led the way to escape.


    Previously, it had only been a small fight. The illusory worlds had enhanced his body, but in reality, it was only the conventional power of the twin pupils. At that time, if they ran, they might be targeted.


    However, it was different now. Controlling a power that was beyond what someone at the star condensation realm could control was just like Gao Shuai entering a prophecy to spy on the future. He would definitely not dare to be distracted.


    If they did not escape now, it was not only a matter of whether there would be another suitable opportunity. The dangerous jade lake had already become extremely dangerous because of this.


    ¡°Run, run, run¡­¡±


    The people from the source ore shop were already trembling in fear, afraid that they would die tragically at the bottom of the lake. Now that they heard Gao Shuai¡¯s words, they did not dare to stay any longer.


    Huang Zhongyun retracted his gaze and sighed to himself before following suit.


    For someone at the jade star realm who was injured by the backlash from the natural laws, the first root of the problem lay in the foundation before forming the inner world, and the second was the level of control he had over the rules.


    If he could gain an epiphany from watching the battle, it was even possible that the injuries caused by the backlash from the natural laws would disappear on the spot. Unfortunately, such a good opportunity had actually appeared at such an inappropriate time.


    Soon, the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop, led by Gao Shuai, fled from the jade lake in the blink of an eye.


    Some gods noticed all of this, but they turned around and pretended not to see it. No one was willing to miss such a rare opportunity to observe the laws of heaven and earth.


    In fact, the leader of the factions in the Heaven Suppressing City who were cooperating with the Heaven Suppressing Army in the pursuit also pretended not to notice anything.


    ¡°Is this the true strength of a person with twin pupils who can fight someone of a higher level? Those jade chains of laws penetrated the power of distortion emitted by the space-travel distortion and directly devoured the power of distortion.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t take the attack head-on. His figure faded away, and he used the space anchor he had placed in advance to dodge it.


    At the same time, he sensed the killing intent emitted from its surface. His intuition told him that if he was hit, his unbelievable recovery ability would be exposed.


    That was his greatest trump card. It was not worth exposing it so easily.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Li Tengfei¡¯s eyes lit up, and the sky suddenly shook. A boundless divine light flashed, and he summoned it to seal off the area around the jade lake.


    His opponent was a spatial ability user. Directing the jade chains to kill him was only a part of his finishing move. Thinking about it, his opponent would not be stupid enough to let it hit him.


    Next was his actual finishing move. Before his twin pupils were born, he had been secretly trained by the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City to suppress spatial ability users in actual combat.


    The overlapping worlds could create a huge interference and restrict the abilities of the spatial ability users. Coupled with the attacks from the jade chains, he had never failed before.


    Therefore, in Li Tengfei¡¯s opinion, Chen Yiming¡¯s spatial ability would be the direct reason for his death.


    This was the truth. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t escape in advance. He only avoided the chains, as if he didn¡¯t know that he had already stepped into a trap.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s body shattered the overlapping space-travel barriers. He turned around and punched the jade chains.


    The moment the chains cracked, a green light flashed. Not only did it return to its original state, but the terrifying punch was also completely absorbed.


    Then, as if infuriated, the chains charged at Chen Yiming at an even faster speed. In an instant, the world turned from red to green, and the power of the natural laws was revealed.


    At this moment, there were overlapping worlds outside. Chen Yiming had forcefully broken through the barrier of one world, and there were still countless barriers waiting for him. It was as if he had fallen into a maze and couldn¡¯t escape.


    With the jade chains chasing after him, the green light could not be restrained by the overlapping worlds. It gradually turned the battlefield around the jade lake into a green world.


    At the same time, the exposed space-travel distortion began to stir, as if a terrifying existence had noticed the commotion at this location.


    ¡°What a terrifying chain. No wonder the city ruler allowed the person with twin pupils to appear in the world.¡±


    Some of the gods watching the battle from afar judged that the person with twin pupils had combat strength that surpassed the jade star realm to a certain extent.


    If not for the fact that he had been exposed at this moment, the incident at the city ruler¡¯s banquet might have happened again. He would have stepped on a group of young geniuses and continued on his path of invincibility.


    However, since he had been exposed, the geniuses of the various factions were not stupid. They would take the initiative to avoid him if they were not confident and would not let the person with twin pupils have a chance to defeat them so thoroughly.


    ¡°Impressive. Although he can¡¯t control it fully, he can guide the chains of laws to appear. It¡¯s rare for there to be someone at the star condensation realm to do this even in the entire history of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    The strange man sighed in front of Li Zhentian.


    This was the truth. The performance of the person with twin pupils was definitely above that of the strongest genius in the South Palace clan.


    Therefore, it seemed that it was no longer appropriate to compare them to those of the same generation. They needed to be compared to those legends in history.


    ¡°He forced my son to use his full strength. That guy¡¯s death has some worth now. How about we go for another round?¡±


    Li Zhentian saw that this was not the worst outcome he had expected, where Gao Shuai would set up a terrifying killing formation, and his helper would be attacking from the side.


    Naturally, he heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, in order to make up for the face he had lost previously, he took the initiative to invite the strange man to start a new round of chess.


    Seeing this, the strange man felt like a fishbone was stuck in his throat. He wanted to refuse, but when he thought about how Gao Shuai had the ability to predict the future, he wondered if he could create some miracle.


    He didn¡¯t think that Chen Yiming would be able to defeat the twin pupils in a one-on-one battle. Otherwise, why would there be so many elders at the jade star realm who were injured by backlash from the natural laws?


    Then, before the battle at the jade lake calmed down, the strange man and Li Zhentian played another round of chess in the air.


    This time, if Li Zhentian won, then with the score being one to one, he would naturally have regained all his face. To the strange man, if he won another round, it would be two to zero. He could suppress the arrogance of the city ruler.


    The factions of the Infinite Island Group and the source ore shops had a conflict. It was not to the extent of a full-scale battle to the death, but the big shots on both sides could still maintain some level of stability on the surface.


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±


    The battle at the jade lake gradually reached its climax.


    As blood flowed out of Li Tengfei¡¯s twin pupils, two more jade chains appeared in the air and surrounded Chen Yiming.


    Seeing that one of the chains was just a little short of killing the target, he risked overexerting himself to speed up the time it took for the target to die.


    Three against one. This was a battle at the level of the star condensation realm that was completely unpredictable. He simply did not give his opponent any chance of survival and tried to kill him immediately.


    At this moment, no one thought highly of Chen Yiming. They thought that this was the last struggle he would make. No matter how big a commotion he made on the Flying Cloud Planet, he would end up being defeated in the opposite fashion.


    However, Chen Yiming secretly thought that this was a good opportunity. He controlled a space anchor and placed it behind him.


    Chen Yiming had naturally taken a fancy to the Space Anchor talent for various reasons. Li Tengfei¡¯s ability to seal space was essentially countered by the space anchor.


    The space-travel barriers of the overlapping worlds exploded one after another, with holes appearing in them. It was as easy as a needle stabbing a piece of white paper, and it did not affect the space anchor at all.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming had completely escaped the encirclement of the chains. Unexpectedly, under Li Tengfei¡¯s gaze, he appeared behind his opponent. One punch, two punches, three punches¡­


    He went all out, and the world shook. Everything seemed to be destroyed with each punch. This pure power was so powerful that it could naturally crush everything.


    This was the truth. Most of Li Tengfei¡¯s attention was no longer on himself, and he immediately fell to the bottom of the jade lake with a heavy blow. Along the way, the space around him was completely shattered.


    The situation had changed so quickly that everyone was caught off guard. If the battlefield changed from the jade lake to the space-travel distortion, the situation would change.


    The person with twin pupils was not afraid of the space-travel distortion, but to spatial ability users, it was a combat environment that benefited them. There were endless external forces that they could use at will.


    The outcome suddenly seemed very uncertain.

 Chapter 454 - Sudden Ending

    ¡°I understand now. It turns out that they planned to send the person with twin pupils into the space-travel distortion from the start, instead of using the environment of the jade lake to delay the pursuit,¡± someone exclaimed.


    ¡°The person with twin pupils is in trouble. The intense battle just now has already caused the coordinates of the jade lake to fluctuate. If they fall into it at this time, even the person with twin pupils will probably have to take a huge risk.¡±


    ¡°Although we can¡¯t deny how powerful the person with twin pupils is, he might have been too careless. If this incident damages his foundation, his path to invincibility will be broken.¡±


    Some people desperately hoped that the path to invincibility for the dual-pupils would be broken.


    The battle between the two strong fighters had almost destroyed the dangerous jade lake. Their talent was envied by countless people.


    One side could make use of a power that could usually be used only by those who were two levels higher than him. The other side had a body that was extremely strong and had the ability to move around freely in space.


    Unexpectedly, the person with twin pupils, who everyone originally thought highly of, suddenly switched from offense to defense.


    The person with twin pupils only had three choices. He could either forcefully break through the other party¡¯s blockade to leave the space-travel distortion, or find a suitable coordinate to leave through the space-travel distortion, or as his last option, he could wait for the city ruler to rush over and save him in time.


    For the first choice, the result was obvious from the moment the two sides started fighting. The person with twin pupils did not have the strength to suppress his opponent, unless he used the jade chains.


    From this, it could be seen that it would not be easy for the person with twin pupils to rush out of the space-travel distortion. The other party would also risk his life to stop him from the outside world.


    For the second and third choices, the risk in the space-travel distortion was unknown. They had already caused such a huge commotion earlier, causing him to take the risk of being targeted every second he stayed at a fixed location within it.


    Although Li Tengfei¡¯s talent was unprecedented, there were many terrifying existences in the space-travel distortion that could kill him. It was a place that was more dangerous than any restricted area or dangerous place in the abandoned world.


    ¡­


    At the same time, in the city ruler¡¯s residence in Heaven Suppressing City, the strange man and Li Zhentian were focused on the chess game.


    The person with twin pupils had been sent into the space-travel distortion. Because the dangerous jade lake was originally filled with the aura of the space-travel distortion, it did not alert anyone.


    The news was brought back by a general of the Heaven Suppressing Army, and it would take a while for it to arrive. It was not like the person with twin pupils revealing the natural law chains, and their unique aura would be sensed immediately.


    ¡°City Ruler Li, it seems that the twin pupils¡¯ path to invincibility is not going as smoothly as expected.¡±


    The strange man placed a white piece down. In the second round, the black and white pieces had changed sides. The ruler of the Heaven Suppressing City was the one using the black pieces. The two of them made a few moves, but the battle in the distance had not been resolved.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a futile struggle. Don¡¯t tell me you think that there¡¯s really someone in the star condensation realm who can fight against the natural law chains? Even the strongest prodigy is far from being able to do so,¡± Li Zhentian said casually, then focused his attention on the chessboard.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a tall and handsome man who hasn¡¯t appeared yet. I think it¡¯s still too early. Perhaps the person with twin pupils will suffer a loss this time,¡±


    the strange man retorted, hoping to interfere with Li Zhentian¡¯s strategy and win another round. He wanted Li Zhentian to lose twice in a row and completely suppress his momentum.


    ¡°Hehe! I think the so-called powerful helper is just an abandoned pawn. This Gao Shuai hasn¡¯t appeared for a long time, so he¡¯s probably long gone.¡±


    Li Zhentian did not say explicitly that Gao Shuai had been defeated in the battle with Li Tengfei, but this was what he meant.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±


    The topic changed, and the strange man continued, ¡°By the way, City Ruler Li, the whereabouts of the Infinite Island Group is unclear. In the future, they won¡¯t stay in south mountain range for a long time. Is it worth it to sacrifice so much to work with them?¡±


    Now that he asked this, he was naturally trying to trick Li Zhentian into revealing something from his expression.


    However, Li Zhentian only smiled and placed another piece.


    ¡°The factions behind the source ore shops have been monopolizing the trading of source ores over the years. They are no longer popular. It¡¯s not that the Infinite Island Group has given us any huge benefits, but that I was forced to do so.¡±


    ¡°For example, if the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop committed such a huge scam, if we don¡¯t punish them and resolve the situation, will the Heaven Suppressing City be under the control of the source ore shops or the Li clan?¡±


    The city ruler cleverly avoided a direct answer and pushed the blame to the destroyed Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop.


    The strange man was not surprised by this answer. He made a move and continued, ¡°It seems that City Ruler Li has a big plan. I wonder what will happen to the south mountain range after this.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a large city, a sect, or a faction from another galaxy that is involved, I wonder who will benefit in the end?¡±


    These words implied something, but Li Zhentian remained calm and collected, as if he did not understand them. He continued to play his pieces.


    As the actions of the factions related to the Infinite Island Group, such as in Heaven Suppressing City, exceeded the expectations of the world, some people began to suspect that the black tide had infiltrated the factions.


    However, the black tide was a taboo among taboos. The current conflict involved the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse, and also the source ores and the factions that had the most source ores.


    ¡­


    On the battlefield at the jade lake, as Li Tengfei fell into the space-travel distortion, the three jade chains that were chasing after Chen Yiming stopped in midair, as if there was something interfering with them.


    The sky changed color again, and fist shadows filled the sky. It was as if a meteor had fallen to the planet from space, and a rumbling sound shook the ground. It was a scene from doomsday.


    In the middle, Li Tengfei¡¯s twin pupils shone with an endless divine light. Stars continuously materialized to resist the fist shadows that looked like falling stars.


    At this moment, something unexpected happened in the space-travel distortion.


    In the distorted space, long-haired ghosts charged out, crying and wailing, bringing with them a shocking killing intent. Their numbers increased again and again.


    It could be seen that in the blink of an eye, the environment around the person with twin pupils had become like hell. He was faced with enemies from both sides, and it was difficult for him to advance or retreat.


    When the people watching from afar saw this, their hearts tightened and they held their breaths. They could not help but take a few steps back in horror.


    ¡°At this time, could the jade lake be connected to a demon world through the space-travel distortion? That¡¯s not a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. Perhaps it¡¯s just some ordinary ghosts. A true demon is an existence on the same level as a god. However, this person with twin pupils is definitely unlucky.¡±


    The scene in front of them immediately caused a commotion. Many people communicated in low voices. Seeing the ghosts continuously appearing in the distorted space, they could not help but feel their scalps tingle.


    Compared to the gods of most species, the demons were naturally more adapted to the environment of the space-travel distortion. In the history of the abandoned world, there had been many demon invasions, and each time, a calamity had occurred.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk!¡±


    A malicious spirit with bloodshot eyes pounced at Li Tengfei from the air. Its aura fluctuated between strong and weak, making it impossible to determine its true strength.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Li Tengfei snorted coldly. The power of the twin pupils continued to fight back against Chen Yiming. He kicked horizontally at the malicious spirit¡¯s black claws, causing a black aura to explode. The malicious spirit was killed and disappeared.


    Then, more and more ghosts charged out one after another, but they were all killed by him.


    ¡°He still has some strength left.¡±


    Many of the gods watching the battle from afar were shocked by the tenacity of the person with twin pupils.


    They had thought that the person with twin pupils would retreat for the time being, and that there was no need to continue the stalemate at the entrance of the space-travel distortion in the jade lake. They did not expect that he would not take a single step back and was preparing to rush out by force.


    ¡°It should be about time.¡±


    Chen Yiming had dragged things out to buy time for Gao Shuai to send the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop to Heaven Suppressing City to find the city ruler¡¯s treasure vault.


    Otherwise, he would have directly transformed into a giant and completely sent the person with twin pupils into the space-travel distortion. He would not have left the other party with any strength to deal with the malicious spirit.


    ¡°Giant transformation!¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly turned into a giant in front of everyone.


    In front of the giant, the jade lake became like a small lake. It was no longer wide and boundless. The surrounding mountains, even if they were comparable to ordinary planets, were only about the same height as the giant.


    This was the strongest combat strength formed by the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent. Even Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know how strong his body was. He only knew that it was very difficult to kill him.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    In the next moment, the battlefield at the jade lake completely exploded. The raging power completely decimated everything. The person with twin pupils did not even make a sound, and even the ghosts that kept appearing from the space-travel distortion had completely disappeared.


    Then, the giant¡¯s figure disappeared, and so did the jade lake. A huge spatial rift had appeared there.


    Soon, although the battlefield had calmed down, the power of distortion that surged out of the space-travel distortion enveloped everything. Unless someone dared to go in personally, they would not be able to see through the situation inside.


    A general from the Heaven Suppressing Army walked out of the crowd and risked his life to charge into the area enveloped by the power of distortion.


    However, he did not return for a long time. It was unknown if he was lost in the space-travel distortion or if he was still searching for the person with twin pupils.


    ¡°Uh¡­ How terrifying.¡± Everyone was shocked and could not calm down for a long time. They looked in disbelief at the spot where the jade lake had disappeared from.


    This was terrifying. The opponent was a person with twin pupils, but what kind of terrifying power was this!


    A small number of legends about the giants had also spread in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Some people speculated that humans were a branch of their bloodline that had degenerated for many generations. Of course, this was only speculation and there was no concrete evidence.


    However, true pure-blooded giants were definitely at the level of the True Dragon and Phoenix. There were even rumors that they could tear apart the True Dragon and feast on the True Phoenix.


    At the thought of this, some people suspected that Gao Shuai might know some deeper secrets.


    Otherwise, his recent actions had disproved the 10% success rate of his prophecies.


    ¡­


    On a stone bridge in a stream outside Heaven Suppressing City, Chen Yiming brought the silver-winged woman, Gao Shuai, his butler, and the bull-headed bodyguards over.


    Of course, Chen Yiming had considered bringing the silver-winged woman along. He didn¡¯t have any spatial items, so if there were too many things in the treasure vault, it would be best if he had another person with him to help him carry them out.


    Gao Shuai had brought even more people along. It was obvious that they had similar thoughts. In reality, spatial items were not omnipotent. They could not be used on everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s not in the Heaven Suppressing City?¡± Chen Yiming asked casually as he looked in the direction of the city.


    ¡°The one in Heaven Suppressing City is a fake. Although there are some real treasures there, most of them are fakes.¡± Gao Shuai nodded.


    It did not take Gao Shuai long to determine the true location of the city ruler¡¯s treasure vault and the appropriate place to enter without causing too much of a commotion.


    In reality, the reason why the city ruler had been guarding the city was because a strange man of the same level had come to visit. It was also because after the incident at the source ore shops shops, he needed to control the situation.


    The source ores from the South Palace Source Ore Workshop were now in the hands of the city ruler, which was known to all the gods.


    Among the ordinary people who gambled on the source ores, some still believed the announcement from the city ruler¡¯s residence and believed that this matter had nothing to do with them.


    The silver-winged woman hugged one of Chen Yiming¡¯s arms to her chest with a smile on her face.


    Because she had been paying attention to the battle at the jade lake from afar, she naturally noticed the towering giant figure. His opponent was Li Tengfei, who had suppressed a group of geniuses. However, he had actually been suppressed just like that.


    Although she did not see it clearly, it was enough to know the outcome. No matter the reason, the result was that Li Tengfei had been defeated, and his fate was unknown.


    Seeing this, Gao Shuai felt terrible.


    Goddesses like the silver-winged woman had never liked him. It was not that Gao Shuai was not recognized, but the 10% success rate of the prophecies had made things harder for him.


    In fact, other than the core members of the Gao clan, even the women of the Gao clan kept a respectful distance from Gao Shuai.


    Firstly, one had to take uncontrollable risks to get close to Gao Shuai. Secondly, Gao Shuai¡¯s cultivation level was relatively low, and he had yet to break through to the level of a god, so he felt even more insecure.


    A breeze blew past, and there was no one around.


    The group waited quietly for the city ruler to receive the news that the person with twin pupils was trapped in space-travel distortion and go to the rescue.


    If Li Zhentian wasn¡¯t forced to leave, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything under his nose. That would have been a futile effort. They would have been captured before they could even open the treasure vault.


    Not long after.


    In Heaven Suppressing City, a flame soared into the sky.


    The netherworld ghost flames that seemed to have come from hell ignited the sky, causing the space to distort. A destructive aura surged over, and everyone¡¯s hearts sank.


    It was obvious that the city ruler of Heaven Suppressing City, an existence who could build a city outside the forbidden death zone and had established himself for a long time, was angry.


    Then, the word ¡°kill¡± echoed in the world appeared above Heaven Suppressing City and appeared in the air like a natural law chain.


    The invisible aura was so sharp that even from a distance, they still felt that their bodies were about to be pierced through, and they did not dare to look at it directly with their naked eyes. At this moment, countless people¡¯s eyes had been destroyed.


    It had to be known that the word ¡°kill¡± was not targeted to those who just looked over in curiosity. One could tell how powerful the city ruler was.


    Chen Yiming frowned. He could sense that the word ¡°kill¡± was looking for him. To be precise, the city ruler had used some method to find his general location.


    Seeing this, Gao Shuai couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°In terms of prophecy, this city ruler is nothing compared to me. How dare he show off in front of me?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the word ¡°kill¡± gradually disappeared, and the flames in the sky gradually disappeared.


    Soon, the Heaven Suppressing City calmed down again. Li Zhentian had already rushed to the jade lake.

 Chapter 455 - A Split Consciousness

    Chen Yiming looked at the city without its ruler, then at the forbidden death zone in another direction.


    ¡°A foothold, a land full of resources, and a stronger cultivation environment¡­ Isn¡¯t this the ideal new planet humans had in mind before setting off from the blue planet?¡±


    ¡°Other than the fact that the average cultivation level is higher. Gods are everywhere, and adventurer teams are made up of people at the fusion realm and the inscription realm.¡±


    For the human spaceships from the blue planet, the basic environment in the abandoned world was too harsh. Most of the humans from the blue planet who had not mastered the use of the internal force could not even survive here.


    However, this was not a problem. Essence energy was like a miracle pill to the gods. It was something that needed to be fought over. To ordinary creatures who had not embarked on the path of cultivation, it was no different from an elixir.


    With just a trace of essence energy, an ordinary person who did not even have the strength to truss a chicken would transform into a warrior with extraordinary strength and internal force.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming communicated with the spiritual figure and explained the situation here at the meeting of the humans on the spaceship.


    While Chen Yiming was in a daze, Heaven Suppressing City was in chaos.


    It was not only because the person with twin pupils had fallen into the space-travel distortion and disappeared, but also because the city ruler had been forced to leave and go to the rescue. It was unknown how long it would take for him to return.


    Coincidentally, there was another powerful god in the city who was at the same level as the city ruler and belonged to the factions behind the source ore shops. The situation between the two opposing sides was instantly reversed.


    Now that three of the source ore shops had been destroyed and the teams from the four source ore shops had been forced to escape, if they did not take revenge now, when would they?


    Therefore, almost as soon as the city ruler disappeared from sight, smoke rose from the city, and the city was in chaos.


    Gao Shuai smiled and said, ¡°It seems that everyone thinks that the treasure vault of the city ruler¡¯s faction is hidden in some underground space in the city. They don¡¯t know that the city ruler was already prepared for such a situation.¡±


    The silver-winged woman, the old butler, and the bull-headed bodyguards all revealed looks of joy. The better the treasure vault was hidden, the better it was for them. They would not even have a single competitor looking for the real treasure vault.


    Chen Yiming came back to his senses. He couldn¡¯t help but think that if the reward met his expectations, Heaven Suppressing City would be a good place for the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet to settle down.


    If Heaven Suppressing City was severely damaged, so be it. It was a good opportunity to erase the original city so that the humans from the blue planet could rebuild their new home in the ruins.


    Soon, it was time to take action.


    Gao Shuai turned around and walked onto the stone bridge. He only stopped when he was in the middle.


    On the stone railings on both sides of the stone bridge, balls appeared every few meters. On the surface of the balls, there was a crescent moon and a blazing sun engraved on each side.


    The direction of the scorching sun symbol was facing Heaven Suppressing City.


    Heaven Suppressing City could suppress the sun, moon, and stars. This was the history of the Heaven Suppressing City. The crescent moon and blazing sun highlighted Li Zhentian¡¯s reputation.


    At the same time, although the location of the stone bridge was not specified, it was tacitly agreed that one would pass through it to enter and exit the territory of Heaven Suppressing City.


    Then, Gao Shuai started to fiddle with the two balls in the middle of the bridge. He turned them so that the positions of the sun and moon were facing each other. Furthermore, the order was also very particular, from sun to moon.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Who would have thought that the stone bridge that represents the entry point into the territory of the Heaven Suppressing City is actually the key to entering the treasure vault?¡±


    Everyone was a little surprised and admired the city ruler¡¯s boldness.


    Gao Shuai adjusted the position of the first pair of balls and continued walking. Along the way, he adjusted the balls according to the direction of the first two.


    Then, he turned back and fiddled with the balls on the other side of the bridge.


    As the last ball was rotated, one could clearly hear a creaking sound coming from somewhere within the stone bridge. The water below the bridge shook.


    ¡°Splash!¡±


    Gao Shuai was the first to jump off the stone bridge. The others followed without hesitation. Ripples appeared on the surface of the water, then it gradually returned to its calm state.


    Underwater, it was dark. The distance from the surface of the water was not large, but the depth was extraordinary. It was like a crack leading deep underground.


    The group quickly dived down and saw many traces left behind by others on the rock walls along the way. It was clear that it was not that no one had been here before. It was just that the mechanism on the stone bridge had not been triggered and they had returned empty-handed.


    Not long after.


    A white dot appeared in their vision. The group suppressed their excitement and tried their best to reduce the commotion as they quickly sneaked towards the white dot. The white dot had undoubtedly appeared after the stone bridge switch was activated.


    ¡­


    ¡°So it¡¯s an alternate space created deep underwater.¡±


    The group arrived in front of the white light. Through the white light, they could vaguely see that there was an endless amount of seawater in the otherworld, and waves were rising into the sky.


    Gao Shuai said in surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the city ruler to have such a divine item hidden away. The special marine environment in this alternate space can naturally prevent the perception of source ore masters from finding the location of the source ores.¡±


    The old butler beside him replied excitedly, ¡°Young Master, with this divine item, the pressure behind setting up some killing formations that require a large amount of source ores can be greatly decreased.¡±


    Gao Shuai¡¯s strength was not in a head-on battle, but sometimes, battles were still inevitable. It was impossible for a killing formation that was powerful enough to kill a god to be set up out of thin air.


    However, sometimes, if a person carried too many source ores, it would become a disaster.


    Among the source ore masters, there were also many people with ill intentions who specially targeted the adventurers who entered and exited the restricted areas.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it isn¡¯t compatible with the talents I have added.¡±


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. He had never considered any talents related to array formations.


    Therefore, he did not need to store the source ores. The essence energy represented the Skill Points in the system. There was nothing more reassuring than having it saved in the system.


    However, seeing the interest in Gao Shuai¡¯s eyes, his mood improved again.


    The 50-50 split wasn¡¯t just for the source ores. Since Gao Shuai was interested in this spatial item, Chen Yiming was already thinking about how to get Gao Shuai to give up a portion of the source ores in exchange for it.


    Coincidentally, the silver-winged woman was also by his side. He was not afraid that he would be tricked by Gao Shuai, who knew about his background. In fact, with the rarity of this spatial item, he had to exchange it for source ores of an equivalent value.


    At this moment, a bull-headed man stepped forward, preparing to scout the way for their young master.


    Gao Shuai reacted quickly and pulled the bull-headed man back.


    The strength of the bull-headed men was considered outstanding among those of the same level, but it was actually easily held back by Gao Shuai, as if it had not taken much effort.


    It was clear that when Gao Shuai had said that he had to build a strong foundation before he could condense the inner world and break through to the level of a god, he was not just making excuses.


    Once he obtained the blood of the true dragon to cleanse his body, the height of his potential in the future would not be something that could be compared to his current level.


    After pulling the bull-headed man back, Gao Shuai reminded everyone, ¡°It¡¯s very likely that a split consciousness created by the city ruler of Heaven Suppressing City exists in this alternate space.¡±


    The silver-winged woman frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a split consciousness. Can it turn the tables on us?¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded in agreement with the silver-winged woman.


    Unless the split consciousness turned into a special life form like the sword spirit formed by the spiritual figure, it would just be a creature that had no source to draw on. It was basically a one-time use item.


    Furthermore, compared to the true city ruler, his split consciousness would be much weaker. He had never seen other creatures like the spiritual figure.


    Gao Shuai quickly explained, ¡°What I mean is that if there¡¯s a split consciousness of the city ruler, I¡¯ll be in charge of isolating it from this spatial item to prevent it from consuming a large number of source ores.¡±


    Even at the level of the city ruler, a split consciousness was not something that everyone was afraid of.


    However, if the other party consumed a large amount of energy, the source ores stored in the spatial item would indeed be used up. Every little bit of time they wasted meant that they would lose some of their loot.


    Chen Yiming said calmly, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll defeat the other party immediately.¡±


    He decided in his heart that even if the other party had a finishing move like the twin pupils, which controlled the natural laws as a weapon, he would still forcefully destroy the split consciousness.


    In any case, as long as he was not instantly killed, there was no way to stop his rapid recovery. It was very difficult to kill him.


    Soon, the distribution was made clear. Chen Yiming was the first to enter the alternate space inside the white light. Gao Shuai was the second to enter. After that, it was the silver-winged woman, the old butler, and the bull-headed men.


    ¡­


    ¡°Hehe! A 10% success rate. I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to trick people for so many years and only have the truth about your prophecy ability revealed now.¡±


    ¡°However, if the clans that you tricked find out about the truth, do you think they will risk their lives to settle the score with you?¡±


    ¡°In addition to the other factions that you have more or less tricked, could it be that you are relying on this kid to protect you?¡±


    As soon as Chen Yiming appeared on the surface of the sea, a voice rang out.


    The split consciousness of the city ruler descended from the sky. He was tall and his black hair draped over his shoulders. His eyes were bright, and he looked both handsome and carefree. On the surface, he looked like a middle-aged man with an extraordinary aura.


    If he did not know that the other party was a powerful elder who had cultivated for countless years, he would have been deceived by his appearance.


    Gao Shuai had a serious expression on his face. He squatted down and placed his palms on the surface of the sea.


    Golden threads appeared from the center of his fingers one after another. In the blink of an eye, they quickly spread out in all directions and reached deep into the sea.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Chen Yiming attacked almost instantly.


    However, the other party seemed to have expected this. Li Zhentian¡¯s split consciousness was not shocked. Instead, he waved his sleeve, and a hurricane wreaked havoc, causing waves to surge into the sky.


    Water pillars soared into the sky one after another, turning into a water prison that instantly sealed Chen Yiming¡¯s figure. At the same time, there was a vortex wreaking havoc in the water prison, unleashing a powerful suction force.


    In addition, the sea seemed to be enraged. After sealing Chen Yiming, the water prison continued to expand, as if it had unlimited power.


    ¡°Is this still the Water Prison Technique?¡±


    The Water Prison Technique was a water-based technique. Once one was trapped, it was extremely difficult to escape. The suction power of the vortex would continuously stack up, but it was unbelievable that it could reach such a level with just a wave of his sleeve.


    In fact, in his perception, it was no longer just the Water Prison Technique. It also carried a portion of the power of space. This way, with the fusion of the two attributes of space and water, the power of the technique would increase exponentially.


    Chen Yiming naturally wouldn¡¯t give his opponent a chance to trap him. He instantly used the space anchor to teleport out of the water prison. Then, he transformed into a giant and a huge palm descended, holding down the split consciousness of the city ruler.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Without any hesitation, he clenched his fist.


    ¡°He got it!¡±


    At the entrance of the white light, the old butler and the silver-winged woman smiled.


    It was just a split consciousness. It was impossible for it to maintain the level of the main body. Otherwise, it would not have been controlled so easily.


    At the same time, the Water Prison Technique instantly collapsed. Gao Shuai took the opportunity to fill the entire sea with golden threads, wanting to completely cut off the connection between Li Zhentian¡¯s split consciousness and this spatial item.


    However, just as everyone thought that the battle plan had succeeded,


    The huge palm was pierced by the white light and melted in front of him in the blink of an eye. Chen Yiming retreated, and blood flowed from the wound on his wrist.


    He was controlling the recovery speed of his wound, hoping to shock it. Otherwise, the wound would have healed in an instant.


    At this moment, Li Zhentian¡¯s split consciousness reappeared. His condition seemed to have worsened, and his body seemed to be a little unstable, as if he had used up a lot of energy.


    Li Zhentian¡¯s consciousness smiled and said, ¡°Not bad, young man. No wonder my son Li Tengfei was carelessly trapped in the space-travel distortion.¡±


    The person with twin pupils would definitely embark on the path to invincibility. Li Zhentian still thought so now. Their defeat this time was not truly a defeat, but falling into a trap.


    In other words, the person with twin pupils had not fully displayed his strength. Due to the space-travel distortion, the battle had ended hastily.


    In addition, in terms of cultivation, including at the level of the gods, those who had talent in the spiritual aspects would be more recognized.


    For example, compared to factions of the same level, there were clearly many more people in this generation who had cultivated to the level of gods in the South Palace Clan which had the Heavenly Eye.


    The Heavenly Eye had an outstanding effect on the cultivation of gods who had comprehended and mastered the natural laws, reducing the threshold and difficulty of cultivation.


    For example, Gao Shuai¡¯s prophecy talent was a branch of spiritual talent. Even though his cultivation level was only at the fusion realm, he was still considered an important force in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    It was not that one¡¯s physical talent was not recognized. For example, a pure-blooded true dragon would cause a commotion in countless galaxies. However, the reality was that even the corpse of a true dragon was difficult for the many factions to find.


    Most of the physical talents leaned towards the foundation and enhancement of one¡¯s combat strength.


    This included Chen Yiming himself. If his level didn¡¯t increase, as his cultivation level increased, his physical talent would become weaker and weaker.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Chen Yiming roared angrily. At the same time, his figure blurred, and the entire sea was covered by the fist shadows.


    From the fact that Li Zhentian¡¯s consciousness had erupted with a power similar to that of the person with twin pupils and triggered a power that exceeded his control, he could only rely on this method to kill him indiscriminately.


    This was the truth. In the end, it was only a split consciousness. On one hand, they needed to keep an eye on Chen Yiming, and on the other hand, Gao Shuai was secretly playing tricks on them. Their situation was worsening.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s heart tightened when he saw Li Zhentian¡¯s consciousness putting up a desperate resistance. ¡°Brother, be gentle. Don¡¯t destroy the divine item along with it.

 Chapter 456 - Meeting of the Humans from the Blue Planet

    ¡°Splish! Splash!¡±


    After a long time, after everything calmed down, Li Zhentian¡¯s split consciousness was completely destroyed and disappeared from the world.


    Originally, if Li Zhentian himself was guarding Heaven Suppressing City, nothing would have happened in this otherworld.


    However, Li Tengfei had fallen into the space-travel distortion, and was being targeted by the ghosts and monsters from the demon world. Li Zhentian was worried that he would fall into a trap and suffer heavy losses on both sides.


    Therefore, although he could leave after taking this spatial item with him, he still chose to give up on it and prioritize rescuing the person with twin pupils.


    Gao Shuai stood up and said smugly, ¡°Brother, how was my support? That Li Zhentian must have been tricked by my plan and thought too much into it.¡±


    ¡°Awesome, awesome.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded and gave him a thumbs up.


    From the beginning to the end, the strange man had come to the city lord¡¯s residence to represent the source ore shops to keep an eye on Li Zhentian. His presence had also been calculated by Gao Shuai.


    Coupled with many factors, this was the ideal outcome. He had ruthlessly taken a piece of meat from Li Zhentian.


    Of course, this was only one of the Li clan¡¯s treasure vaults.


    At this moment, the silver-winged woman continued, ¡°Many years ago, a batch of blood crystals mysteriously disappeared during the incident in the red sun mystic realm. The ruler of Heaven Suppressing City was one of the suspects back then.¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, he might have used the power of this spatial item to make everyone unable to do anything and secretly took away the blood crystals.¡±


    She exposed the value of this spatial item with her words. It was definitely a treasure that others would kill to steal.


    Chen Yiming frowned and looked thoughtful.


    This was what he had discussed with the silver-winged woman beforehand. He wanted to split the loot as much as possible in favor of the source ores and not the other treasures. This way, they naturally needed to raise the value of the other treasures.


    When Gao Shuai heard this, his face twitched. He had a feeling that something was amiss, as if he had miscalculated something.


    The old butler remained silent. He even regretted being too excited earlier. If he could turn back time, he really wanted to sew his mouth shut.


    The silver-winged woman remained calm and collected as she continued, ¡°The Infinite Island Group has come and gone without a trace. No faction can locate them. Could it be that they also used an item similar to this spatial item?¡±


    As soon as she said this, the value of the spatial item increased again.


    From another perspective, hiding one¡¯s subordinates in this spatial item and releasing them when needed could often have an unexpected effect.


    Chen Yiming nodded and pretended to be surprised. ¡°This spatial item can hold living creatures. Isn¡¯t it equivalent to carrying a moving war fortress with you?¡±


    Gao Shuai¡¯s eyelids twitched when he heard this. He thought to himself, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t tell me you want to use it to carry around the spaceship fleet from your hometown?¡±


    Chen Yiming had indeed thought of this, but after calming down and analyzing it, the most urgent thing for him was to increase his strength.


    It was not much different whether the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet arrived at the abandoned world earlier than or later.


    The prerequisite for everything was that he had to break through to the jade star realm first. He had to have the strength of the city ruler to preside over a region and intimidate the surrounding people.


    Otherwise, with the strength of the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet, if Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t provide enough protection, they would be courting death if they came to the abandoned world.


    Soon, the topic ended.


    If she was too deliberate, it would seem like Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman had discussed it beforehand.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s ability was still very special. If they got into a fight over a small matter, it would be a serious loss for both sides. He still had to look at the long term.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    All the source ores buried at the bottom of the sea and the treasures in the treasure vault were dug out and floated quietly in space.


    Among the source ores, there were hundreds of rare source ores. Ordinary source ores the size of a fist were piled up like a small mountain.


    There were dozens of divine artifacts, from sabers to swords, to bells, to armor. Almost every type of divine artifact imaginable was available, and they emitted a faint glow as they floated in front of them.


    Divine pills were sealed individually in special boxes. There were more than 10 of them in total. As soon as they were opened, a bright glow and fragrant aroma appeared.


    Other than that, they seemed to contain spirits. After sensing that the box had been opened, a few divine pills moved and trembled slightly.


    The seeds of mutant plants were also sealed in special boxes like the divine pills. If they were planted in a suitable environment, they could grow into divine plant lifeforms that could change the cultivation environment or help in combat.


    There were also more than 1,000 books containing cultivation techniques and secret techniques. They had originally been placed in the study in the underground palace at the bottom of the sea, but Chen Yiming and the others had also brought them out.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming pretended to be calm but he almost couldn¡¯t hold it in. The gains from looting the vault were indeed much more than what he could get by doing anything else.


    Gao Shuai wanted to vomit blood. If only he could take away the entire treasure vault of the city ruler¡¯s clan. There was too much that he wanted and he did not want to give up on anything.


    The silver-winged woman exclaimed in her heart, ¡°Once there¡¯s a comparison between gods, sometimes the gods at the star condensation realm are so poor that they can¡¯t stand up to comparison.¡±


    She then thought of the elders of the silver-winged clan, who were existences on the same level as the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City. They were in seclusion all year round and had probably hidden away countless treasures too.


    ¡°The old guys are too stubborn. They can¡¯t use all of their treasures but they can¡¯t bear to give out the extras. They¡¯re so stingy, and they still lecture me every time.¡±


    In a void mystic realm not far away, an elder of the silver-winged clan woke up and suddenly sneezed.


    However, he did not care too much about it. He did not know that he was being targeted by someone from his clan.


    The old butler¡¯s expression froze. This could no longer be described as regret. He even wanted to contact the Gao clan¡¯s elders immediately. Of course, this was unrealistic. It would be too late if they were too far away.


    The bull-headed mens¡¯ gazes stopped on the ordinary source ores. To them, the bodyguards, it would already be a pleasant surprise if they could get a share of the source ores.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yiming coughed, bringing everyone back to their senses. He suggested, ¡°Divine artifacts, divine pills, mutant plant seeds, and books. How about we split these first? Fatty, you choose one first, and I¡¯ll choose another. We¡¯ll continue alternating between the two of us.¡±


    Even the old butler could not raise any objections to this suggestion. It was impossible for divine artifacts, divine pills, and so on to have the same value. There was a difference between their quality, so it was naturally impossible to be completely fair.


    In addition, the silver-winged woman, the old butler, and the bull-headed men didn¡¯t have the right to split the loot. They could only obtain it through Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai.


    Gao Shuai quickly nodded in agreement. Both he and Chen Yiming still cared the most about the source ores and the spatial item that served as the Li clan¡¯s treasure vault.


    After distributing the divine artifacts and divine pills, they would discuss who would take the source ores and who would take the spatial item.


    ¡­


    Just as Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai were splitting the loot, in the distant space, the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet seemed to have woken up from a deep sleep. Even the three dragon gods and the other subordinate species had been informed.


    This was because there was a large change in the direction they were heading in. All the humans who had entered the hibernation chamber were woken up and told the reason.


    At the humans¡¯ meeting, the higher ups from the various countries gathered in the core spaceship.


    In the end, the decision had yet to be made. However, at this moment, the meeting room was filled with various discussions, and everyone was sharing their opinions.


    ¡°The abandoned world? We humans seem to be too weak. How can we survive in a world where even the weakest people have strong supernatural powers?¡±


    ¡°To the humans from the blue planet, isn¡¯t this a little too big a step? To date, there hasn¡¯t been a second human at the fusion realm.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s said that the adventurer team formed by those at the inscription realm in the abandoned world only has a status equivalent to a team of warriors on the blue planet. What should we do?¡±


    The suggestion to choose the abandoned world as their new planet clouded the hearts of the higher-ups on the blue planet. After all, other than Chen Yiming, the second strongest person on the blue planet, Wu Susu, was only at the inscription realm.


    From Chen Yiming¡¯s simple explanation of the abandoned world, the lowest level of gods in this world weren¡¯t even considered important figures.


    In that case, how could the humans on the blue planet adapt to such a powerful cultivation world? It was as if they had returned to a worse living environment than the blue planet, which had just been invaded by the otherworld.


    At the very least, at that time, the humans on the blue planet were weak in cultivation, but they still had artillery, nuclear bombs, and weapons to withstand the invasion of the creatures from the otherworld.


    Time quickly passed by.


    Those who were conservative did not think highly of it, but those who were more open agreed with it.


    ¡°Perhaps the situation isn¡¯t as bad as expected. As long as the humans on the blue planet can adapt to it, this world with a high level of cultivation can allow all the humans on the blue planet to grow quickly.¡±


    ¡°Think about it. What¡¯s the most serious problem for the humans on the blue planet in terms of cultivation? Aren¡¯t they just lacking a large number of cultivation techniques to refer to?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has different types of cultivation techniques. How many years will it take for humans to figure it out bit by bit? Will there be a qualitative change in our average cultivation level?¡±


    ¡°If we settle down in the abandoned world, the cultivation problems of humans will improve greatly. We will be able to interact with humans from other planets and other species.¡±


    ¡°This opportunity is similar to launching unmanned satellites into space to look for other civilizations. We can¡¯t lose the courage to advance just because we have escaped the claws of the black tide.¡±


    ¡°If we just want to find a suitable planet to settle down on, what¡¯s the point of going to a new planet? We can just find a planet nearby to rebuild our homeland.¡±


    Cultivation could also be said to be a struggle for one¡¯s life.


    Those who were more liberal were considering it from the perspective of martial arts cultivation. Although hibernation technology could slow down aging, the traces of time would always appear on one¡¯s body and could not be reversed.


    The golden age of cultivation was such a short period of time. According to one¡¯s cultivation opportunities and talent, some had 10 years, and some had 20 to 30 years.


    If they missed it, they could only leave behind their regrets and place their hopes on the next generation.


    The meeting room was noisy.


    After all, the abandoned world was an extremely dangerous world, and it was not a place for children to play house. Therefore, the people in charge of the various countries did not hide anything and voiced their concerns.


    Soon, a relatively neutral point of view gradually emerged.


    ¡°The abandoned world is too dangerous for the current humans from the blue planet, but there are many more planets around this huge planet.¡±


    ¡°Since various factions once built teleportation arrays on these planets, why can¡¯t we temporarily settle down on one of these planets?¡±


    ¡°At that time, the humans from the blue planet can send out elite martial artists in batches to the abandoned world to train and interact with others. When the time is right, all of us can travel to the abandoned world.¡±


    The spiritual figure attended the meeting on Chen Yiming¡¯s behalf.


    Chen Yiming was busy distributing the loot, and he didn¡¯t need to say too much. He just needed to explain the basic situation in the abandoned world.


    After all, even if humans changed directions immediately, it would be many years before they reached the abandoned world, unless Chen Yiming tried to think of another way.


    For example, in the galaxy corresponding to the dark forest world, the black tide faction had once used a special stone platform to open a long-range space-travel passage.


    ¡­


    In the alternate space, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai took turns to pick one item each. Soon, other than the source ores and the spatial item, everything else was split up by Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai.


    The air suddenly fell silent. Since the spatial item could not be split into two, according to the agreement to split it 50-50, they could only choose between it and the source ores.


    In terms of value, it was actually impossible to measure.


    Such a large-scale spatial item was already extremely rare. Furthermore, it had another ability that could completely prevent a source ore master from sensing the source ores inside.


    It was definitely something that could not be obtained even by trading source ores for it. Even the Gao clan, where Gao Shuai was from, did not have it. It was an excellent support item for secretly setting up a terrifying killing formation.


    On the other hand, other than robbing the factions behind the source ore shops or the treasure vaults of factions like Heaven Suppressing City, such a large number of source ores was not something ordinary people would encounter.


    Furthermore, with so many rare source ores, it was not impossible for him to obtain a shocking divine item while also obtaining a large amount of essence energy from them.


    Therefore, it was difficult to say who would be the bigger winner if they chose the spatial item or the source ores.


    The silver-winged woman, the old butler, and the bull-headed bodyguards held their breaths. Their vision blurred. If it was them, they would not know what to do.


    It had to be known that the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City was the leader of the factions gathered by the Infinite Island Group to attack the source ore shops. He naturally had the corresponding confidence to do so, and most of his confidence came from his own strength.


    Therefore, it was unimaginable that someone would dare to destroy one of the treasure vaults of Heaven Suppressing City, especially an important treasure vault guarded by his split consciousness.


    After a long, silent stalemate, Gao Shuai finally chose this spatial item. He chose it due to the status of the Gao clan as an inter-galactic faction. He could think of another way to make up for the source ores he gave up on this time.


    Chen Yiming remained calm and collected all the source ores.


    If the system could reset his talents, Chen Yiming would naturally consider this spatial item as his first choice.


    This was an excellent tool to quietly loot the treasure vaults of the various factions.


    Unfortunately, it was impossible. His talent had already been decided. Even if he chose a new talent in the future, it would be based on his current talents.

 Chapter 457

    ?457 Divine Thunder


    In the blink of an eye, a few days had passed.


    Heaven Suppressing City, a large city that had been standing strong for a long time outside the forbidden death zone, had already turned into ruins. There were traces of excavation everywhere among the ruins.


    The reason was that normally, when the city ruler left, no one would dare to touch his nest.


    However, in the current south mountain range, with the conflict between the Infinite Island Group and the source ore shops, the situation was naturally different. They had pretty much crossed the line.


    Li Zhentian had forced the four teams from the source ore shops to leave. He had even secretly arranged for the Heaven Suppressing Army and the person with twin pupils to chase after them.


    The factions behind the source ore shops would naturally not be merciful when it was their turn. Taking advantage of the fact that Li Zhentian could not return in a short period of time after rescuing the person with twin pupils, they destroyed Heaven Suppressing City and excavated the city ruler¡¯s treasure vault at the same time.


    A gust of wind blew past.


    Trash flew into the sky and fluttered in the wind. After the gust of wind blew past, it fell back to the broken walls.


    A few demon spirits floated in the air, passing through the broken walls and buildings and wandering around the ruins of Heaven Suppressing City.


    The demon spirits were a branch of the spirits. They held blood-stained red sickles in their hands and were dressed in black robes with raised collars that almost covered their entire bodies.


    ¡°I heard that the person with twin pupils has been successfully rescued from the space-travel distortion.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the city ruler is still quite powerful. The factions behind the source ore shops are definitely secretly obstructing him, but even so, he still saved him.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that to be expected? If he dared to name it ¡®Heaven Suppressing City¡¯, it¡¯s not like he is weak. In the past, when Li Zhentian was active, he wasn¡¯t weaker than those with twin pupils, and was only slightly weaker than those who were invincible.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then¡­ won¡¯t Chen Yiming, who tricked the person with twin pupils and indirectly caused the destruction of Heaven Suppressing City, be in trouble next? Won¡¯t Li Zhentian go crazy and chase after him?¡±


    ¡°That might not be the case. Chen Yiming killed a genius of the Roc clan on Flying Cloud Planet. The ancestor of the Roc clan participated in the pursuit, but I¡¯ve never heard of him being captured.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It seems that even for those with twin pupils, it¡¯s very difficult to walk the path of invincibility. How long has it been since it appeared? He had just trampled on a group of geniuses to become famous, but he immediately encountered a setback after that.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. It does sound like they will be sworn enemies. I wonder who will win in the end. After all, the person with twin pupils didn¡¯t really lose this time.¡±


    ¡°I have high hopes for the person with twin pupils.¡±


    ¡°I also have high hopes for him.¡±


    ¡°I originally wanted to bet on it, but since we all have high hopes for the person with twin pupils, we can¡¯t place any bets.¡±


    ¡­


    The demon spirits were discussing the recent incident that had caused a commotion in the south mountain range. The battle between Chen Yiming and the person with twin pupils had overshadowed the fact that the teams from the source ore shops had retreated and were being chased.


    In the end, the twin pupils, which leaned towards spiritual talent, was looked upon more favorably. The reason why they were favored was because they had greater potential and had a smoother cultivation path.


    Perhaps when the person with twin pupils broke through to the jade star realm, Chen Yiming, who could fight against him when he was at the star condensation realm, would still be stuck at the star condensation realm.


    By the time Chen Yiming broke through to the jade star realm, the person with twin pupils would already have reached the top of the jade star realm. He would never be able to catch up to him in terms of cultivation speed.


    If they were one level apart, he would definitely no longer be able to compete with the twin pupils. Perhaps when he reached a higher level and his physical talent was insufficient to support his combat strength, he would quickly lose the halo of a genius.


    Just as the few demon spirits were still trying to find the treasure vault of the city ruler, an invisible aura enveloped the world. Killing intent rose from the sky, and it was extremely oppressive.


    The demon spirits immediately panicked. They subconsciously thought that the city ruler had returned and was angry that his nest had been dug out.


    They did not dare to continue floating in midair, so they immediately fell to the ground and scattered to find broken walls to hide behind, hoping to escape this disaster.


    ¡­


    At the same time, about a hundred kilometers away from the ruins of Heaven Suppressing City, a huge mountain suddenly shattered, and a figure blurred by sand and dust walked out.


    In an instant, nine bolts of divine lightning struck down consecutively. The void resonated, and the natural laws of lightning vaguely appeared. It turned out that they were hidden in the divine lightning.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    The nine bolts of divine lightning struck the figure one after another, then bounced off and turned into a terrifying lightning domain. With the naked eye, the ground was covered in strange lightning.


    At this moment, if any living creature was accidentally struck by the domain formed by the divine lightning, they would instantly be electrocuted into ashes. The power of the natural laws was extremely terrifying, and not even the gods at the jade star realm could withstand it.


    Chen Yiming looked up at the sky and thought to himself, ¡°There¡¯s indeed the natural laws of lightning hidden in the divine lightning, but why does it feel like it¡¯s just scratching an itch?¡±


    The various natural laws that existed in space could be easily sensed as long as one¡¯s spiritual power was strong enough.


    Some of these spiritual talents could even sense the power of the natural laws in advance. Some secret techniques could resonate with the natural laws and borrow their power from a higher realm.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s pure spiritual power was also a terrifying existence of the same level. It wasn¡¯t weaker than the twin pupils of the same level, but its methods were much more crude.


    Chen Yiming had taken the initiative to come into contact with the natural laws of lightning. Furthermore, because it was a direct contact, the natural laws of lightning turned into divine lightning and struck down at him.


    Soon, he threw this matter to the back of his mind.


    He summoned the system interface.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Undying Body ¨C Level 7, Giant ¨C Level 6, Space Anchor ¨C Level 4


    Level: Jade Star Realm


    Physique: Advanced Undying Giant Body


    Sword Spirit


    Talent: Swordsmanship ¨C Level 7


    Level: Star Condensation Realm


    Physique: Advanced Sword Body


    Skill points: 7,426,893


    ¡°The source ores stored in the spatial item by the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City have given me a total of nearly 60 million Skill Points. The Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent have both increased by one level.¡±


    After his two talents were upgraded a few days ago, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t immediately break through to the jade star realm. Instead, his inner world welcomed an opportunity to undergo a transformation.


    After settling the silver-winged woman down, he bid farewell to Gao Shuai for the time being. After leaving Heaven Suppressing City, he found a random mountain and quietly waited for the transformation of the inner world.


    The difference between the jade star realm and the star condensation realm was whether one had comprehended the essence of a certain natural law and replicated it in the inner world to further strengthen the inner world.


    At the jade star realm, the power of the world that one had mastered would also undergo a qualitative change due to the enhancement of the natural laws. Compared to this, the difference from those at the star condensation realm was huge.


    Chen Yiming was no exception.


    The power of natural laws corresponding to the Undying Body talent and the power of natural laws corresponding to the Giant Talent did not need him to comprehend and master them. They would automatically be born in the inner world.


    At this moment, he only had one feeling. Every cell seemed to have unlimited vitality, and at the same time, it was so strong that it was almost impossible to destroy. For example, even the nine bolts of divine lightning that had just fallen could not destroy his body.


    ¡°Even if one understands the essence of certain natural laws in the universe, the structure of the universe is so complicated. It¡¯s far from what a small inner world can compare to.¡±


    ¡°No wonder those at the jade star realm all looked old and weak. That¡¯s the result of the natural laws from the inner world being unable to perfectly match each other. While the natural laws bring about power, they are also an indelible curse.¡±


    Chen Yiming had experienced this process personally and immediately understood how uncomfortable it was to be at the level of the jade star realm.


    The power of natural laws derived from his bloodline talent naturally matched the power of the inner world perfectly.


    Therefore, the power of natural laws he had mastered did not become a burden to the inner world. However, this was a perfect result brought about by the system. Otherwise, it would not have been possible to achieve this.


    On the other hand, unless others could also achieve the level of their bloodline talent and automatically recreate the natural laws, the compatibility would not be perfect.


    Then, the self-recovery ability of the inner world had to be stronger than the additional damage the natural laws brought to the inner world.


    Otherwise, these additional injuries would accumulate over time. When they accumulated to a certain extent, they would cause a god at the jade star realm to die.


    ¡°The natural laws are double-edged swords!¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The path of cultivation of gods was no longer just a difficult one. There was also a huge risk involved. It was as if the universe had set a threshold that automatically eliminated a group of gods who had forcefully broken through.


    After sorting out his thoughts, Chen Yiming quickly met up with the silver-winged woman.


    Now that he had gained enough power to protect himself, it was time to revisit the many plans that he could only think about and could not carry out previously.


    ¡­


    Xuanyang City was a large city that they passed by on the way from Heaven Suppressing City to the floating canyon.


    Because this place did not share a border with the forbidden death zone which was the closest dangerous place that produced source ores, it was actually quite far away and did not have any advantage in terms of geographical location.


    Therefore, without someone at the level of the city ruler, the average cultivation level of Xuanyang City had decreased by a level. Its status could only be considered as that of a large city.


    In an old room, the air was a little hot and humid, and some silver feathers fell to the ground.


    After an intense night between Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman, the silver-winged woman snuggled into his arms and chatted as they rested.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days. Why do I feel that you¡¯ve become stronger?¡± After she finished speaking, the silver-winged woman seemed to feel that her words were a little ambiguous, and the blush on her face immediately became even more obvious.


    ¡°The jade star realm is naturally stronger than the star condensation realm. Furthermore, it¡¯s stronger in all aspects.¡±


    Chen Yiming remained calm and collected as he said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine. You know that my physique is abnormally strong. Back then, I could tear apart mutant beasts with my own hands after just cultivating for a short period of time.¡±


    When the silver-winged woman heard this, her body went weak. Thinking that she had to rest for a while, she quickly changed the topic. ¡°By the way, while you were cultivating in seclusion, I heard some news from the silver-winged clan.¡±


    ¡°Li Tengfei was severely injured when he was rescued. After that, he was brought into the South Palace clan by Li Zhentian. They seemed to have reached some kind of agreement to help the person with twin pupils develop fully.¡±


    Chen Yiming said in surprise, ¡°The South Palace clan¡¯s Heavenly Eye bloodline seems to be a top-notch talent among the source ore experts. The South Palace clan is also an important faction behind the source ore shops.¡±


    ¡°The South Palace clan has just had a source ore shop destroyed by the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City. Is such a deep grudge going to be let go of so easily? Is the alliance of the source ore shops going to split up since they are working together with Li Zhentian?¡±


    The silver-winged woman nodded and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Li Zhentian and the South Palace clan¡¯s elders discussed. In short, the factions behind the source ore shops have determined that the South Palace clan is about to betray the alliance. It¡¯s just that they haven¡¯t made it public yet.¡±


    With that, she paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°There¡¯s another piece of news. According to internal information, the South Palace clan has offered many pairs of Heavenly Eyes to help the twin pupils undergo a further transformation.¡±


    ¡°The silver-winged clan reminded me that Li Tengfei had profited from this disaster. At the same time as the transformation of the twin pupils, he broke through to the jade star realm in one go and embarked on the path of invincibility again.¡±


    The silver-winged woman was afraid that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t hear about the news. If the person with twin pupils flew back and he fought against his opponent who was at the jade star realm while he was still at the star condensation realm, he would be at a huge disadvantage.


    Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just breaking through to the jade star realm? Since the person with twin pupils can break through, I¡¯ll naturally achieve it faster than him.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a stream of world power appeared in the room. It was clearly different from the power of the star condensation realm.


    ¡°Divine power!¡±


    The silver-winged woman¡¯s mouth fell open, and her eyes revealed disbelief. He had really broken through just like that. She was too shocked and surprised.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming saw that the silver-winged woman¡¯s mouth was like two dew-covered petals. She didn¡¯t need to apply any powder on it, and it was naturally rosy. He felt his blood rise again.


    ¡­


    After another round, the room became even more chaotic.


    The silver-winged woman was very tired. She took a short nap before opening her large watery eyes again. Her long, fair legs were exposed to the air and arranged in a comfortable position.


    Chen Yiming asked, ¡°Do you feel that I became stronger? So what if he has twin pupils? If I can beat him up once, there will naturally be a second time.¡±


    The silver-winged woman pouted and hugged him even tighter, as if she never wanted to let him go, not giving others any chance to get between them.


    After the two of them had been intimate for a while, Chen Yiming recalled the divine power that the silver-winged woman had mentioned earlier. Hence, he asked the silver-winged woman about it.


    Soon, he understood the situation.


    It turned out that divine power was the symbol of a true god. It referred to the power of the world that one had mastered that had undergone a qualitative transformation after being enhanced by the natural laws. It was still the power of the world, but its essence was already different.


    In other words, although they were all gods, the star condensation realm still had the nickname of a false god. This was because on the path of cultivation for gods, it did not involve the domain of natural laws.


    The inner world condensed in the body of the star condensation realm was only equivalent to providing the environment for the natural laws to appear. There was not much risk in this realm.


    At the jade star realm, one began to come into contact with the natural laws. The natural laws were double-edged swords that would injure both the enemy and oneself. The path to becoming a god was even more dangerous, and it would only be more difficult after the jade star realm.


    In addition, the next realm above the jade star realm was the star evolution realm.


    The silver-winged woman was also unclear about the exact situation of the star evolution realm. She only had a rough idea about it. After all, she was far from reaching this level.


    However, Li Zhentian was a god at the star evolution realm. The elders of the overlord factions in the galaxy were also gods at the level of the star evolution realm.


    It could be said that those at the star evolution realm had the power that could truly stir up the wind and clouds, and could truly create an absolute deterrence in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy and the abandoned world.


    Chen Yiming had a clearer understanding of his own strength.


    As long as he could remain undefeated in a head-on battle with the city ruler, he would definitely have the right to establish himself in the periphery of the forbidden death zone.


    The various factions would be afraid of him. Even if he went overboard and let the humans from the blue planet enter the forbidden death zone and get a large portion of the source ores, they could only accept it.

 Chapter 458

    ?


    458 Space Teleportation Portal


    The floating canyon was a dangerous place formed by mountains and rivers that were floating in midair and half hidden in the fog.


    Among them, broken cliffs and broken flows could be seen everywhere. Some were covered by fog, and some were swallowed up by the spatial rifts.


    After confirming that Li Zhentian had personally entered the space-travel distortion to rescue the person with twin pupils, the four teams from the source ore shops traveled as quickly as possible.


    At this moment, this place had already been established as a gathering place for many factions from the source ore shops and their allies.


    Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman crossed a mountain range. The scene in front of them changed, and they happened to see the floating canyon where people were gathered.


    ¡°The Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop is backed by the Seven Stars Group. They don¡¯t belong to the abandoned world, nor are they a faction that developed in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that they used the space teleportation portal to avoid the pursuit of unknown enemies and crossed the vast universe to reach the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. In the end, they chose to settle down in the abandoned world.¡±


    The silver-winged woman briefly explained what she had learned about the space teleportation portals.


    The reason why Chen Yiming¡¯s main target was the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop was because he needed the most reliable and mature space teleportation portal technology.


    He did not want to cause any accidents. For example, if there were any abnormalities during the teleportation, the human spaceship fleet would encounter an uncontrollable risk.


    Chen Yiming thought for a moment and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the status of Huang Zhongyun from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop in the Seven Stars Group?¡±


    The silver-winged woman said, ¡°Elder Huang is suffering from injuries caused by the natural laws. He¡¯s at the level of the jade star realm, and it seems like he may die at any moment. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s part of the higher-ups anymore.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded. ¡°It seems like this is really troublesome. With the threat of the Infinite Island Group, it will be difficult for the Seven Stars Group to trust an outsider. They might not even give us a chance to come into contact with them.¡±


    Seeing this, the silver-winged woman thought that Chen Yiming was about to use force to resolve the problem.


    She quickly said, ¡°The Silver Wing Clan has always had a good relationship with the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop. I can negotiate with Elder Huang first and get him to introduce us.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the Seven Stars Group has mastered many powerful array formations. Facing the pressure from the Infinite Island Group, they are the kind that can protect themselves among the factions behind the source ore shops.¡±


    ¡°Before a true crisis occurs, they might completely hide themselves away and disappear from the world.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming quickly agreed to the suggestion.


    It was indeed a good idea to have the silver-winged woman¡¯s help. Of course, he would not place all his hopes on her. With the space anchor, he only needed a chance to go to the Seven Stars Group.


    After making the decision, the two of them walked towards the gathering point in the floating canyon that was not far away.


    ¡­


    Near the gathering point in the floating canyon, Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman walked side by side and immediately received countless complicated gazes.


    He knew that the silver-winged woman had many admirers. After all, she represented the silver-winged clan and was one of the geniuses of the younger generation.


    Therefore, with her appearance, status, talent, and so on, she received even more attention than the most popular celebrity on the blue planet. It would not be an exaggeration to call her a goddess.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    When the silver-winged woman walked over, the entrance of the gathering place fell silent. At least 80% of the gazes were on her legs.


    Chen Yiming remained calm and collected as he thought to himself, ¡°A bunch of losers. Your goddess has been taken by me. It¡¯s useless to be envious or regretful.¡±


    At this moment, the silver-winged woman took the initiative to hold Chen Yiming¡¯s arm, openly displaying their relationship. In her opinion, this was necessary for declaring her independence, and the best way to deter her hidden competitors.


    It had to be known that Chen Yiming had a record of suppressing the person with twin pupils. Sooner or later, his identity would be exposed. The silver-winged woman had no choice but to be cautious.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was silent all around. Without a sound, countless hearts were broken.


    Although no one knew who the man beside the silver-winged woman was, with his calm and confident gaze, they could tell at a glance that he had an extraordinary aura.


    There was another point. If this man did not have the corresponding strength, it would be a disaster for him to expose his relationship with the silver-winged woman.


    Of course, the possibility of this was very low. This could only comfort those who were weak. There was a high chance that he was so strong that he was not afraid of the silver-winged clan at all.


    ¡°So it¡¯s him. Looks like that matter isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    In the crowd, a genius from a large clan recognized Chen Yiming. He hadn¡¯t missed the shocking battle a few days ago where the person with twin pupils had been defeated.


    The floating canyon was originally a refuge for the teams from the source ore shops. First, Gao Shuai had arrived, and now, there was Chen Yiming.


    In such a situation, even if they did nothing, trouble would continue to come looking for them.


    Just as Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman were about to leave to visit Huang Zhongyun.


    ¡°Brother, I thought something had happened and you weren¡¯t coming!¡±


    Gao Shuai shouted and quickly walked out of the depths of the gathering place.


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡±


    Gasps rang out.


    This time, the identity of the man beside the silver-winged woman could no longer be hidden. They had never seen him in person, but everyone present knew about the shocking battle.


    The person with twin pupils, who was supposed to be on the path of invincibility, had actually been defeated in his second battle at the jade lake. He had been sent into the space-travel distortion and needed Li Zhentian to give up on Heaven Suppressing City to go and rescue him.


    If the person with twin pupils could not quickly get back at him, this path of invincibility would naturally become a joke. Many people had already secretly made bets on how long it would take for the next battle to occur.


    Chen Yiming sized up Gao Shuai and realized that he seemed to have gained a little more weight. His two small eyes were almost sunken in, and he was even further from being handsome.


    Could it be that the food in this gathering place was too good? Or could it be that the teams from the source ore shops had treated him too well?


    Or perhaps, after obtaining the spatial item, the problem of bringing the source ores to set up a terrifying killing array would be resolved. Sometimes, people would gain weight easily when they were relaxed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit Elder Huang first,¡± the silver-winged woman whispered into Chen Yiming¡¯s ear.


    Chen Yiming nodded and the silver-winged woman turned to leave.


    Gao Shuai walked over and winked. He teased softly, ¡°Brother, you did it on purpose, right? How does it feel to take down the goddess?¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression was calm, as if he was ignoring all the gazes on him. He naturally wouldn¡¯t admit it, and was prepared to do it again next time.


    Soon, the two of them disappeared from the entrance of the gathering place.


    ¡­


    In front of a cliff in the floating canyon, there were some flowers and plants all around, and a small valley shrouded in fog was in front of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for the location of the Seven Stars Group? That¡¯s not easy to deal with. They¡¯ve been communicating with the outside world using the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop, so no one knows their exact location.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, this Seven Stars Group is extremely good at hiding from the world. Even my prophecy ability is not effective. They will use special methods to block it.¡±


    Gao Shuai shrugged and told the truth helplessly.


    ¡°So powerful? It seems that this Seven Stars Group can cross the universe and come here. It¡¯s far from what the factions behind the other source ore shops can compare to.¡±


    Chen Yiming analyzed the situation seriously and felt that this matter was tricky.


    Of course, even in the abandoned world, there were definitely more than one or two factions that controlled the space teleportation portals. If it really did not work out, it was fine to switch his target to another faction.


    ¡°Of course. Actually, I suspect that this Seven Stars Group already has their own divine source ore expert. Otherwise, how is it that even after so many years, the other three divine source ore experts are not able to do anything about the Seven Stars Group?¡±


    Gao Shuai revealed this news that had never been made public.


    The Seven Stars Group and the factions behind the other source ore shops were not as harmonious as they seemed on the surface. They did not even have the intention to take the initiative to integrate into the abandoned world. Instead, they maintained an independent stance.


    This way, no one knew the purpose of the Seven Stars Group coming to the abandoned world. No one knew its true strength. It could be said to be extremely mysterious.


    ¡°Could it be that the people from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop are all external members of the Seven Stars Group?¡±


    Chen Yiming suddenly thought of a possibility.


    If the strength of the Seven Stars Group was much stronger than expected, it was not impossible for someone at the jade star realm to be an external member.


    Then, the two of them chatted for a while about the situation in the Seven Stars Group.


    Soon, Chen Yiming realized that something was amiss. What was he expecting from Huang Zhongyun? It was obvious that Huang Zhongyun¡¯s communication with the Seven Stars Group was only one-way.


    At the moment, with the factions from the Infinite Island Group putting pressure on the source ore shops, as long as the Seven Stars Group was not stupid, they would hide themselves better.


    In other words, the original Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop in Heaven Suppressing City and all the people inside had already been abandoned. The Seven Stars Group would no longer contact them.


    ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you consider the South Palace clan?¡±


    ¡°This Heavenly Eye bloodline has produced a large number of source ore experts over the generations. I wonder how rich they are. If we can get rid of the South Palace clan, we will naturally have everything we need.¡±


    ¡°In fact, with the South Palace clan¡¯s foundation, the two of us would have accumulated enough resources to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.¡±


    Soon, Gao Shuai made a suggestion.


    After snatching Li Zhentian¡¯s spatial item, he could not wait to make full use of it. Digging graves, stealing houses, and so on were all considered.


    Chen Yiming remained calm and collected as he sized up Gao Shuai again.


    His meaning was obvious. With this fat body, he was useless when it came to taking action. They would be going up against the South Palace clan and Li Zhentian, as well as countless elders at the level of the star evolution realm.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of one or two of them who were at the level of the city ruler, but he wasn¡¯t confident that he could break through their blockade if there were many of them.


    After all, Chen Yiming could fight against someone at the level of the star evolution realm while only being at the jade star realm, but that didn¡¯t mean he could crush them. Once the other side outnumbered him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.


    Gao Shuai instantly understood what he meant. His expression froze and he quickly explained, ¡°It¡¯s naturally not enough with just the two of us. The South Palace clan is not a pushover. Now, they have defected to become a faction In the Infinite Island Group.¡±


    ¡°We can consider playing a trick to lure the factions of the Infinite Island Group and the source ore shops into an all-out war. When the powerful elders are held back, we can launch a sneak attack on the South palace clan¡¯s territory.¡±


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes.


    This was no different from the original plan. They only set their target among the factions from the Infinite Island Group and chose to attack the South Palace clan.


    Furthermore, if they started an all-out war, it was still unknown if they would be able to fight. After all, the factions behind the source ore shops were rather weak, and they had yet to reach an agreement to fight together.


    What Chen Yiming urgently needed was the space teleportation portal.


    The two of them discussed it for a while longer, but in the end, they could not come up with a feasible plan. The point of contention was the space teleportation portal. Even if it appeared, it would be the trump card of an overlord faction.


    They could either borrow it through normal means, or it would be like destroying the treasure vault of the city ruler.


    However, how could such an opportunity appear so easily? It was not impossible for them to return empty-handed even after putting in so much effort.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, another few days had passed.


    The floating canyon was relatively remote in the south mountain range. It was very far from the restricted areas and dangerous places where source ores were produced. Usually, almost no one would step foot there.


    Although the people in the gathering place were a little flustered by the arrival of Gao Shuai and Chen Yiming, it might be even more dangerous to leave. Therefore, they could only make do and stay.


    At the same time, news of what had happened in the south mountain range over the past few days spread to the gathering place. Everyone was very concerned.


    ¡°B*stard! The city ruler flattened the ruins of the Heaven Suppressing City with one palm strike. All the creatures that stayed there were killed. He announced that he wants to rebuild Heaven Suppressing City on the same spot.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but he also announced that the Li clan¡¯s treasure vault had been looted by Gao Shuai and Chen Yiming. All the treasures obtained over years of accumulation had fallen into their hands.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something even more shocking. The South Palace clan actually sent out people overnight to destroy the surrounding 18 sects and clans. They openly betrayed the factions behind the source ore shops.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! This floating canyon is our refuge. When do you think those two will leave? As long as they are here, we won¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting! Do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not letting me say anything? I keep feeling like I¡¯ve been tricked. That fat man¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Huang Zhongyun sent Chen Yiming and the silver-winged woman out politely. The rest of the team from the Seven Stars Source Ore Workshop followed behind in fear.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m really unable to help. We haven¡¯t been able to contact the group. Previously, they only asked us to escape with the other source ores.¡±


    When Huang Zhongyun said this, he had a bad feeling.


    Chen Yiming had only displayed his powerful combat strength. He could only rejoice that Gao Shuai wasn¡¯t involved.


    As time passed, everyone became afraid of Gao Shuai. After all, this person had a special prophecy ability. Who knew if he was a friend or a foe?


    Therefore, Gao Shuai appeared to be on the side of the factions from the source ore shops, and used his influence to help the factions from the source ore shops join forces.


    However, the factions from the source ore shops still tried their best to shirk the responsibility. Most of them still had the intention to hide from the world.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he didn¡¯t say anything.


    If not for the fact that the silver-winged woman hoped to show enough sincerity, he would have been prepared to leave the gathering place after failing on the first day and visiting again every day. After all, he had gained enough from the treasure vault of the city ruler.


    Even if all the source ores in the entire gathering place were converted into Skill Points, it would no longer be able to bring about a qualitative change in Chen Yiming¡¯s strength.


    In other words, he had higher standards and no longer cared about the quantity of source ores in the gathering place.


    Soon, he left with the silver-winged woman.

 Chapter 459

    ?


    459 Divine Power


    With the high-profile return of the city ruler, the outside world had been in an uproar for many days. Countless people were paying attention to the outcome of the South Palace clan betraying the source ore shops.


    However, all of this had nothing to do with Chen Yiming for the time being.


    Chen Yiming parted ways with the silver-winged woman. She planned to return to the silver-winged clan to help him find more clues about the space teleportation portals.


    The silver-winged clan was naturally good at speed. Most of them had the ability to travel through space when they reached adulthood. Naturally, they did not take the space teleportation portals very seriously, and they had never heard of it being available in their clan.


    This was their special talent. In terms of making use of their strengths and making up for their weaknesses, it affected the direction of their cultivation.


    For example, most source ore experts had some kind of spiritual talent. Their physical talent was often relatively weak, so they were suitable for cultivating techniques related to formations and barriers.


    This way, while making use of their strengths, they could also make up for their shortcomings and make their abilities more comprehensive.


    After that, Chen Yiming walked alone in the wilderness.


    He first visited a few large cities and wandered around. He realized that nothing had changed from a few days ago.


    Since the outside world was in an uproar, the atmosphere in the south mountain range was also relatively tense. Perhaps they were still making preparations, but the factions from the Infinite Island Group had not really started a full-scale war with the source ore shops.


    Chen Yiming settled down by a river.


    He and Gao Shuai had looted one of the treasure vaults of the city ruler. Other than divine artifacts and divine pills, they had also obtained a large number of books. These books were naturally extraordinary since they were kept by a god at the star evolution realm.


    Therefore, he planned to cultivate for a while and strive to no longer rely solely on the powerful talents given by the system to fight in the future. Instead, he could use more abilities flexibly.


    ¡­


    ¡°Divine power!¡±


    Not long after, Chen Yiming roughly studied it and understood that it involved controlling the natural laws. This was something that only those at the star evolution realm were qualified to come into contact with.


    Of course, it was not impossible for those at the Star condensation and jade star realms to cultivate the divine power. However, even if they were like twin pupils, they could not truly unleash the strength of the divine power.


    Chen Yiming had currently cultivated to the jade star realm. Due to the Undying Body talent and the Giant talent, his inner world was already powerful enough.


    He could completely withstand the damage caused by the natural laws. Perhaps in terms of mastery of the natural laws, he could not compare to the person with twin pupils. His technique would be extremely rough, and would be almost equivalent to forcing the natural laws to work for him.


    However, in the end, they were just using different methods to achieve the same goal. In essence, they were all controlling the natural laws. The methods were different, but the outcome was the same.


    Other than that, Chen Yiming also had a better understanding of the path of the gods.


    After replicating certain natural laws in the inner world, coupled with the foundation he had built when condensing the inner world, there would be a qualitative change.


    The quality of the inner world was divided from the first to the ninth grade. The term ¡®divine world¡¯ was also used to describe the inner world after a qualitative change.


    Among them, the first grade was the highest, and the ninth grade was the lowest. The top three grades had the ability to fight those of a higher level and could cultivate the divine power before reaching the required level.


    The middle three grades were not troubled by the injuries caused by the natural laws, but it was a little too weak to cultivate the divine power. It was not that they could not cultivate it at all, but that they had to bear a certain risk of backlash.


    The lowest three grades were those in the jade star realm who were injured and could die at any moment. The majority of the people in the jade star realm fell into this category, and they were not fated to use the divine power.


    The divine world that Chen Yiming¡¯s inner world had transformed into undoubtedly belonged to one of the top three grades. However, other than a few mentions of the different types of third grade divine world in the books, there was no information about the first and second grade divine worlds.


    For example, the third grade divine world mentioned in the books included the Life Divine World, the Yin Yang Divine World, the Illusion Divine World¡­


    Soon, after gaining a better understanding of the path of the gods, Chen Yiming started to cultivate his divine power.


    He first flipped open a book with the words ¡°Reversal Palm¡± written on it. This divine power had a minimum requirement for the cultivator¡¯s divine world to be in the middle three ranks. It would be best if it was the type with a strong and vast power of the world.


    Only then could he truly unleash the power of the Reversal Palm and use his strength to suppress others. Otherwise, it would only be for show and could be overpowered by someone of the same level.


    After experiencing it again and again, the traces of natural laws appeared in the air, turning into a few light sources that were absorbed into his divine world.


    Without a doubt, these light sources were very dangerous. If one cultivated rashly without the guidance of their predecessors, at best, they would destroy their divine world, and at worst, they would die while cultivating.


    Chen Yiming naturally didn¡¯t have to worry about this. Even if the natural laws turned into divine lightning and struck him, it would only tickle him.


    Gradually, he blocked out all distractions and immersed himself in it. The flow of time seemed to have changed, and he cultivated in seclusion for a long time.


    ¡°On the path of the gods, the world is your teacher.¡±


    Half a month later, Chen Yiming opened his eyes. He had gained a lot from this intense cultivation. He had also truly integrated into the mainstream cultivation world.


    It had to be known that he was essentially from a planet that was a cultivation desert. After the master realm, there was no longer any cultivation experience from his predecessors to refer to.


    He had never heard of secret techniques and divine powers before this.


    Now that he had focused on learning the divine powers from the books collected by the Heaven Suppressing City¡¯s ruler, he was constantly enlightened, and he was constantly gaining more understanding of the use of his power.


    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡±


    As his understanding deepened, Chen Yiming could control the traces of the natural laws, such as the changes in the clouds, rain, fire, and so on. He could understand their essence bit by bit through their myriad changes.


    This way, he could be considered to have mastered the divine power of the Reversal Palm.


    ¡­


    Days passed by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.


    Chen Yiming mainly focused on studying the books he had obtained from the treasure vault of the city ruler. Other than that, he didn¡¯t have much time for other activities. He would only go out occasionally for a month or two to understand the changes in the overall situation.


    If one looked at Chen Yiming now, they would realize that he had already gotten rid of the style that was incompatible with the mainstream cultivation world, and he could flexibly use several types of divine powers to fight.


    It was very rare for someone at the jade star realm to be able to use their divine power to fight. In the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, other than the most outstanding few in their generation,


    most of the divine worlds were at the lower three grades. At the jade star realm, they were already terminally ill and were troubled by the injuries caused by the natural laws. It was too difficult for them to draw the natural laws into their bodies to cultivate the divine power.


    For the middle three grades of the divine world, the silver-winged woman, the snake man, and the others who were considered geniuses of the younger generation would probably be at this level if they could break through to the jade star realm.


    Geniuses from these overlord factions could lower the requirements for their cultivation and master certain divine powers that matched their own talent.


    Chen Yiming examined himself after he mastered several divine powers and realized that his combat strength had indeed increased greatly. He couldn¡¯t believe it fully just like this, and hoped that there would be a suitable opponent to confirm it.


    The essence of divine powers was also the use of power. By mastering a divine power that was suitable for one, one could unearth combat strength that could not be fully displayed under normal circumstances.


    One day, Chen Yiming stood at the top of a mountain and looked down at the vast land. Mountain ranges rose and fell, and patches of forests could be seen.


    This was the abandoned world. The mountains and rivers were very vast, and one could not help but feel different emotions.


    After breaking through to the jade star realm and mastering several divine powers, he was definitely a god that could dominate a region in the abandoned world.


    In other words, he could fight against those factions that occupied this land by himself.


    Even for an inter-galactic overlord faction, their true foundation was only a small number of gods at the star evolution realm.


    The gods at the jade star realm and the star condensation realm were only the cornerstones of the successive generations. They were dispensable in the competition between the top cultivators.


    ¡°If the humans from the blue planet can establish themselves in the abandoned world, the cultivation environment here will definitely be difficult for any other planet in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy to compare to.¡±


    What Chen Yiming had seen and heard when he went out occasionally in the past half a year made him even more determined to find the space teleportation portal.


    Otherwise, it would take decades or even more for the human spaceships to arrive. At that time, it would be too late. For example, the factions behind the source ore shops would be divided up and the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse would have started.


    What was cultivation?


    To most creatures with limited talent, cultivation was like fighting for their lives against fate. In layman¡¯s terms, it was like continuing to live, unwilling to see one¡¯s lifespan come to an end.


    Chen Yiming himself couldn¡¯t stay put and wait forever. In that case, unless he completely abandoned the other humans from the blue planet, he could only make them cooperate with his growth.


    After all, after decades or hundreds of years, there was a high chance that he would have already left the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. At that time, the seemingly huge galaxy might not seem like much to him.


    He thought for a while before jumping down the mountain and returning to the location where he had been cultivating all this time.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mr. Chen, you¡¯re back!¡±


    A young man ran over excitedly.


    ¡°Woof!¡± A lightning dog that seemed to be the incarnation of a lightning spirit followed the youngster and ran over quickly. Its speed was astonishing, and it seemed to have turned into a bolt of lightning.


    Chen Yiming had set up a wooden house by the river for his cultivation. There were human villages in the wilderness around it, so he was naturally discovered as time passed.


    There was no bloodshed upon their initial contact. To a certain extent, Chen Yiming was equivalent to an outsider invading their territory. However, he could make them kneel down with just one look.


    The difference in strength made the village not dare to have any ill intentions towards him. After that, as they interacted more and more, the adults did not dare to approach him, afraid that they would anger him.


    However, a few young men and women boldly came to ask about cultivation after knowing that an expert was living by the river.


    Chen Yiming had refused them at first. However, when he saw that these young men and women really had a strong desire to cultivate, he gave them some pointers.


    Later, with the intention of trying to simplify the divine power and prepare some powerful secret techniques for the humans from the blue planet to cultivate below the level of the gods, he taught them more.


    For example, on the Flying Cloud Planet, the Rain of Light Technique used by the Jiang clan¡¯s Jiang Lan was a simplified version of a certain divine power.


    These overlord factions had already paved the way for their descendants to cultivate. As long as they were talented enough, they could cultivate step by step.


    ¡°Have you understood everything I taught you previously?¡±


    Chen Yiming asked with a smile when the young man and the dog stopped in front of him.


    While he gave these young men and women pointers on their cultivation techniques, he also gave the dog some pointers partly out of boredom. He did not expect this lightning dog in front of him to be so talented that it was already at the level of the inscription realm.


    If it had an opportunity in the future, it was not impossible for it to break through to the level of a god.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, why don¡¯t I demonstrate it for you?¡± the young man said as he waited with a sincere expression.


    Chen Yiming nodded in agreement.


    Soon, the young man turned to face the river and took a deep breath to prepare.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As the young man struck out with his palm, the ground shook.


    A huge golden palm pierced through the clouds and landed on the ground. The river below seemed to have been stopped by something, and in an instant, the water stopped flowing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This palm can destroy mountains and rivers.¡±


    Chen Yiming commented before the golden palm landed.


    This palm was derived from the Reversal Palm, which reduced the level of power involved. With the power of nature as the foundation, it had the form of the Reversal Palm.


    When one mastered it to the point of perfection, they could even mobilize a trace of the power of natural laws to enhance it into a palm technique that could even kill gods.


    Of course, the young man in front of him was still far from that level. There was a high chance that because he was not talented enough, he would not be able to reach the level of killing a god for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    There was a huge splash.


    Just as Chen Yiming had said, when the golden palm landed, the river was cut in half, revealing the riverbed at the bottom.


    The river here was not something that the rivers on the blue planet could compare to. It was nearly 10 kilometers wide. Coupled with the restrictions on one¡¯s power in the abandoned world, it would not be easy to cut off the river.


    ¡°Woof, woof!¡±


    The lightning dog beside the young man roared at the sky. At the same time, it wagged its tail, as if it wanted to show off.


    In the next moment, the world darkened, and an oppressive aura enveloped it. A black bolt of lightning descended from the sky.


    This was a simplified technique that Chen Yiming had created based on the divine power, the Heavenly Thunder. Its power couldn¡¯t be underestimated either. If one mastered it to the point of perfection, they could trigger a trace of the natural laws of lightning.


    Then, the river was cut in half, and the black lightning spread up and down the river.


    Water was a natural conductive environment. There was no need to deliberately control it, and the river had already turned into a lightning domain. Countless fish and prawns had been electrocuted and turned into black ashes, and not even their corpses remained.


    At this moment, the young man and dog did not notice that they were destroying the environment.


    The reason was that the environment in the abandoned world had a self-repairing ability that was far superior to that on the blue planet. This level of damage would naturally be erased in a day or two.


    Soon, the golden palm dissipated, and the lightning domain disappeared.


    The young man was very happy to receive Chen Yiming¡¯s evaluation. He finally revealed his intentions. He wasn¡¯t just here to ask for guidance.


    ¡°Guards?¡±


    Chen Yiming was surprised by the young man¡¯s choice.


    It had to be known that under his guidance, the other party had already successfully broken through to the inscription realm. Furthermore, his potential could still be unearthed. Putting aside the level of the gods, there was still a high chance that he could break through to the fusion realm.


    These villages in the wilderness were like the adventurer teams in the large cities. They would regularly organize groups to enter the restricted areas to search for source ores.


    The guards were the teams¡¯ protection, but the risk of accompanying them was not small. Even in dangerous places where the risk was relatively low, there would be casualties every time the team returned.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    He did not say anything. The recurrent theme of the abandoned world was disputes related to the source ores. Even a small village was no exception.


    This was because there were also disputes between villages. The weaker ones would be annexed, forcing the villages to think of ways to strengthen themselves.

 Chapter 460

    ?


    460 Visitor from the Roc Clan


    After the youngster and the lightning dog left, in the next few days, the young men and women from the surrounding villages who had received guidance from Chen Yiming arrived one after another.


    These young men and women were all aiming for the same thing. They wanted to become members of the guards, joining teams that went out of the villages. This was equivalent to reaching adulthood early.


    If it was just one or two of them who thought that way, it might be a coincidence. However, since there were so many of them, there had to be a deeper reason.


    The most direct reason was that there might be trouble in the south mountain range, and it might be huge trouble. As a result, it affected the village-level factions.


    ¡°Could it be that an all-out war is about to break out between the factions of the Infinite Island Group and the source ore shops?¡±


    Chen Yiming analyzed the situation carefully.


    From the moment the four teams from the source ore shops were forced to escape to the floating canyon, to the moment Heaven Suppressing City was destroyed, both factions could be said to have suffered losses. It was hard to say who won or lost.


    Logically speaking, the fuse had already been lit, and an all-out war would soon break out between the two sides. However, perhaps because they were not fully prepared, or perhaps because the destruction of Heaven Suppressing City had disrupted their plan, in short, in the large cities in the south mountain range, other than those controlled by the factions behind the source ore shops, after some small-scale conflicts broke out in the other large cities, countless source ore shops retreated to safety.


    ¡°From the looks of it, after the momentum of the person with twin pupils was put to a stop, the Infinite Island Group did not manage to completely control their factions. This is the reason why a full-scale war has not broken out between the two sides.¡±


    In the world of martial arts, when it came to large-scale wars between many large factions, one still had to pay attention to the overall situation. Only when the situation was within their control could they cause a commotion.


    Otherwise, after weighing the pros and cons, none of the factions would be willing to take the lead. Naturally, they would not be able to make a move, causing the fuse to not be completely lit.


    The outcome of the battle between Chen Yiming and the person with twin pupils had indirectly dealt a heavy blow to the alliance of many factions in the Infinite Island Group, which had made use of the fake source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to attack the factions behind the source ore shops.


    ¡­


    By the river, there was a person and a house.


    Peace had returned. Without the distraction of the group of young men and women, Chen Yiming became even more focused.


    He often sat cross-legged on a large rock by the river. His eyes were tightly shut, and his mind was prevented from wandering. He was fully focused on studying the divine power, and he allowed the wind and leaves to blow against his body. He was like an old monk, and did not move at all.


    When it came to the cultivation of divine powers, half a year could only be considered the beginning stage. No matter how talented he was, Chen Yiming was still a newbie.


    In addition, he had to rely on himself and had no one to guide him. There were many things that he needed to verify and adapt for himself. It was no longer like when he first stepped onto the path of martial arts, where he could see through everything at a glance.


    In the blink of an eye, another three months had passed. The outside world seemed to have started to become restless, and people who did not belong to the village were wandering around the area.


    Suddenly, Gao Shuai came looking for him one day.


    ¡°The south mountain range is about to fall into chaos.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Chen Yiming replied calmly, as if he wasn¡¯t interested at all.


    Recently, he had been studying the divine powers. The feeling of improving bit by bit was very intoxicating, and he had completely forgotten the passage of time.


    Of course, this was also because he had sufficient talent to be immersed in it. Otherwise, it would be like reading a book. If one was unable to enter the treasure mountain for a long time, it would become a form of torture.


    ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you interested?¡±


    Gao Shuai had a surprised expression on his face as he continued, ¡°If an all-out war breaks out between these two factions, the situation of clans being wiped out will definitely happen one after another.¡±


    ¡°At that time, the space teleportation portal you want to find will definitely not be a problem. We brothers will work together to obtain the loot.¡±


    It had been nearly a year since the incident at the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop. Not only had the conflict between the two sides not been resolved, but they were also secretly preparing for war.


    As long as one visited a little more places, they could feel the oppressive atmosphere that a storm was brewing. As long as one was not stupid, they would know that the south mountain range was about to fall into chaos.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m interested, but what¡¯s the hurry? Have you forgotten that the Roc clan, Heaven Suppressing City, and many other enemies from Flying Cloud Planet are on their way here?¡± Chen Yiming reminded him.


    When Gao Shuai heard this, his brows relaxed again.


    He had not planned to appear immediately when things got chaotic. Otherwise, after nearly a year, there would have been enough time for his enemies to set up an ambush for him.


    However, as long as there was really chaos, most of the arrangements would be in vain. That would be the time to take advantage of the situation and cause even more trouble.


    Soon, the two of them chatted for a while more before Gao Shuai finally left.


    ¡­


    From now on, Chen Yiming would continue to cultivate his divine powers seriously. Every bit of increase in his strength would become a bargaining chip in future battles.


    At the same time, he had mastered various divine powers. He could even use two divine powers at the same time to unleash a stronger combat strength.


    Chen Yiming was sitting cross-legged on a large rock by the river and listening to the sound of the waves hitting the riverbank. He was comprehending an unnamed divine power when he suddenly heard the sound of singing and instruments being played around him.


    ¡°The speed at which the faith from the knights can be converted into Skill Points has increased again.¡±


    From this speed, it could be deduced that the path of cultivation to become knights had gradually become mainstream on the living planet where he and Gao Shuai had temporarily stayed on the way to the abandoned world.


    However, it was only a living planet that barely had a god presiding over it. The Skill Points obtained from converting their faith were far from being comparable to the source ores.


    Perhaps when Chen Yiming¡¯s reputation spread throughout the Hidden Dragon Galaxy and he started to lead the humans from the blue planet to conquer one living planet after another, the speed at which their faith could be converted into Skill Points would be much faster.


    Soon, Chen Yiming focused on the unnamed divine power again.


    This was a divine power that was recorded on a piece of green bamboo. The piece of green bamboo was the size of a piece of paper, and it was extremely firm and green. It did not seem to have any traces of wear and tear over time.


    Unfortunately, it was not complete.


    ¡°This physical combat divine power is very powerful.¡± Chen Yiming¡¯s attention was completely focused on the piece of green bamboo. It was as if an alternate space had opened up there.


    This allowed him to verify it directly inside and study it step by step. All the commotion caused inside would not be transmitted to the outside world.


    Thinking back, he had a premonition when he was choosing the loot. Therefore, he had chosen to take the piece of green bamboo. Chen Yiming still remembered Gao Shuai¡¯s regretful expression.


    Now that he started to cultivate the divine power recorded on the green bamboo, he understood that it involved too many natural laws, which were grand and profound.


    The more he cultivated it, the happier he became. This divine power was completely created for physical combat. It was simply tailor-made for people like him who had a strong body and physical talent.


    He vaguely understood the scene of the world being torn apart and joined together in the darkness. This was the ultimate manifestation of strength. The world was as fragile as paper in front of him.


    ¡°If I use this divine power to fight the city ruler, can I kill him even though he is at a higher level?¡±


    The further one went on the path of cultivation, the greater the difference between two consecutive realms. At this time, the difference in talent was even more obvious.


    For example, those who were considered geniuses in the star condensation realm. After breaking through to the jade star realm, some people would not have enough potential, causing them to fall out of the team of geniuses.


    The more Chen Yiming thought about it, the more shocked he became. This physical combat divine power had increased his combat strength even more than all the other divine powers he had cultivated in the past year combined.


    It was unknown if the city ruler was regretting it so much that his heart was bleeding. On second thought, this divine power placed too many demands on one¡¯s physical talent.


    Other people, including the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City, might not even meet the conditions for cultivating it even if they were at the star evolution realm.


    After knowing more about this divine power, Chen Yiming became even more focused. He immersed himself in studying it again and again, and time passed quickly.


    ¡­


    A few more days passed.


    Chen Yiming had not changed his residence all this time. A few months ago, that group of young men and women had joined the guards and left the village, causing the hidden danger to finally appear.


    The Roc clan came knocking on his door.


    The people from the Roc clan had arrived. The leader of the group was an old man with sharp eyes. His pupils were like small suns, and wherever he looked, it was as if a golden beam of light shot out, and he was able to see through all the illusions in the world.


    What was even more terrifying was that his powerful aura formed a golden path. Every move he made caused the natural laws to shake. He was a god at the jade star realm from the Roc clan.


    Furthermore, he was not half-crippled like those whose divine worlds were in the lower three grades, but a god who had a divine world in the middle three grades.


    ¡°I heard that a villager in the wilderness has mastered the God Slaying Technique and ambushed and injured a young member of the Roc clan. Could it be that you were behind this?¡± a young man beside the old man said.


    As soon as he spoke, he took the moral high ground and pinned the blame on the other party. This way, the Roc clan would have a reason to take revenge on him.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s back was facing everyone as he woke up from his intense cultivation. He was a little surprised that the Roc clan had come looking for him first.


    The Roc clan had a notorious reputation in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. If there was really an incident of a young member from the clan being injured during his training, it would not be surprising if they came looking for him.


    However, with such a large group, it seemed that even though a long time had passed, the Roc clan had invested a lot of resources into the south mountain range because of the death of the genius from the clan.


    It was obvious that this group had been constantly searching for Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Childish! So it¡¯s just a few brats from the Roc clan. Since they can¡¯t even defeat their peers from the village, it seems that you have nurtured some weaklings,¡±


    Chen Yiming said calmly. He didn¡¯t move at all, and had no intention of standing up or turning around.


    As soon as he said this, not only did the faces of the young men from the Roc clan turn red, but the expression of the old man from the Roc clan also changed. He did not expect the other party to still be so arrogant with him holding the line.


    Although what he said was true, even if a young member of the Roc clan was a few years younger, he should still not have lost to a young man from one of the villages.


    This was a humiliation, a very serious humiliation. There was no way to find an explanation, and any explanation was just an excuse.


    However, due to the reputation of the Roc clan, it was impossible for them to allow such a thing to spread freely. They would destroy all the sources.


    Other than the young man who had won, there was another source: the person who had taught him the God Slaying Technique.


    ¡°Is there anything else? If not, get lost.¡±


    Chen Yiming changed the topic. His tone was unquestionable, and he treated the old man from the Roc clan as if he was invisible.


    ¡°Interesting. How arrogant. I didn¡¯t expect that after living for so many years, this would be the first time I¡¯ve faced such a situation. I remember that the last young man who spoke arrogantly in front of me has already grown to a height of three feet,¡± the old man from the Roc clan sneered.


    Faced with this provocation, the old man from the Roc clan gave an example to refute him. How terrifying was he? He was a god at the jade star realm from the Roc clan, an overlord faction.


    In the abandoned world, other than the powerful elders at the star evolution realm, almost no one could suppress him. It could be said that he was among those who had the highest combat strength.


    Therefore, how could he be frightened by the other party¡¯s arrogant words?


    That¡¯s right. The old man from the Roc clan thought that the person in front of him, who had his back facing them the entire time, was just bluffing, and in reality, he was secretly extremely anxious.


    However, with the speed of the Roc clan, they looked down on most of the other species. Trying to escape? Dream on.


    ¡°Jin Yun, deal with him. I¡¯ll hold the line for you.¡±


    Without waiting for Chen Yiming to continue, the old man instructed a young man beside him.


    The few young people from the Roc clan beside the old man were not weak. Although they could not reach the level of geniuses of the same generation, they were still gods at the star condensation realm.


    This time, they had come looking for him to train themselves.


    In the eyes of the old man from the Roc clan, he did not think that their opponent was a match for him. At most, he would be at the star condensation realm, which was suitable for the young people of the Roc clan to fight against.


    ¡°Thank you for giving me this opportunity.¡±


    Jin Yun thanked him and focused his gaze on Chen Yiming again.


    At the same time, a golden light shot into the clouds. Golden feathers turned into golden spikes, and a golden sword appeared in his hand.


    Jin Yun, the young man from the Roc clan, had no intention of coming to demand an explanation. Instead, he was determined to kill the other party. However, the other party did not move at all. It was very strange.


    In the next moment,


    the young man from the Roc clan, Jin Yun, made a move. Being forced to make the first move, he did not even consider whether it was a trap. In any case, with the old man from the Roc clan at the jade star realm holding the line, there was nothing for him to worry about.


    His figure flashed, and his body turned into a golden light that charged out. At this moment, there seemed to be a time lag. A golden divine arrow shot out with an astonishing speed.


    ¡°Jin Yun is not bad. Compared to the geniuses cultivating in the secret places, he¡¯s not inferior,¡± the old man from the Roc clan commented.


    The Roc clan was a species that specialized in speed. Almost all their techniques followed the principle that their speed was the only thing that could not be overcome. Therefore, as long as their speed was high enough, they would be called a genius in the clan.


    ¡°How scheming!¡±


    The other young men from the Roc clan instantly understood that Jin Yun had hidden his talent quite well. He had actually only displayed the speed talent of a genius of the Roc clan at such a critical moment.


    It would be a lie to say that they were not jealous. There would never be enough resources to split among them. Therefore, there was intense competition among those of the same generation. If he performed well, the treatment he would receive when he returned might immediately be different.


    As time passed, a qualitative difference in strength appeared between the young men from the Roc clan due to the difference in the resources they received.


    In the blink of an eye, just as the golden arrow that Jin Yun had transformed into was about to hit the person with his back facing them, the old man from the Roc clan frowned.


    Not dodging?


    Was he so confident that he did not need to dodge? Or was it a trick?


    However, no matter how they thought about it or what they suspected, it was too late to pull back.


    Furthermore, he would not do that. With the old man from the Roc clan at the jade star realm holding the line, there would not be any problems.


    Next, something unacceptable happened.


    The old man from the Roc clan and the young people beside him watched helplessly as the golden arrow broke bit by bit from the moment it touched the back of their opponent.

 Chapter 461

    ?


    461 Battle of Divine Powers


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The world shook and the ground cracked.


    Golden light surged, dyeing everything in sight golden. The fluctuations were too intense.


    However, Ji Yun from the Roc clan was destroyed!


    He had been forcefully broken into pieces, and even the inner world had self-destructed. How unbelievable was this?


    Just a second ago, the other young men from the Roc clan were still cursing Jin Yun for his scheming ways. He had hidden his strength all this time and only revealed it in front of the old man from the Roc clan at the critical moment.


    Now, their breaths were stuck in their throats and their faces were red. It was as if something was stuck in their throats and they could not swallow it. They felt very uncomfortable and shocked.


    The old man from the Roc clan was stunned for a moment before his heart fell to the bottom.


    He had seen it with his own eyes. When Jin Yun turned into a golden arrow and hit his target, the other party did not move at all. However, such a shocking turn of events had occurred.


    After calming down and analyzing it carefully, how strong was the other party¡¯s body to be able to cause a god at the star condensation realm to self-destruct?


    Even the top few geniuses of the same level, including the person with twin pupils who had previously intended to walk the path of invincibility, could not do so.


    Then there was only one possibility. They had encountered a tough opponent. The other party was a god at the jade star realm, or even someone with a physical talent that was very strong among those of the same level.


    Soon, the golden light gradually dissipated.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s entire body shook, as if he was shaking off something disgusting. He stood up and looked at the people from the Roc clan who had come looking for him.


    ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Chen Yiming!¡±


    When the young people from the Roc clan saw the face that was burned into their memories, they were extremely frightened and fell to the ground.


    They were not people who had mastered just a little supernatural power, but the gods of the Roc clan, an overlord faction at the inter-galactic level. However, they still displayed such embarrassing behavior. It was unbelievable.


    The reason was that Chen Yiming had brought too much humiliation to the Roc clan. Under the watchful eyes of everyone on the Flying Cloud Planet, he had killed the genius of the Roc clan and left. In turn, the Roc clan had sent out their elders to chase after him, but to no avail.


    This was simply stepping on the face of the Roc clan to become famous in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. If not for the reputation of the Roc clan, the other overlord factions of the same level would have suspected that there was something wrong within the Roc clan.


    It had to be known that the Roc clan had more than one powerful elder at the star evolution realm presiding over it. They were actually unable to do anything to a god at the star condensation realm and still let him live after such a long time.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be you. You made it so difficult for the Roc clan to find you!¡±


    When he saw Chen Yiming¡¯s face, the old man¡¯s expression turned sinister. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Chen Yiming, the Roc clan has already set up an inescapable net in the south mountain range. Let¡¯s see where you can escape to this time.¡±


    In his panic, the old man completely ignored the fact that Chen Yiming had already suppressed the person with twin pupils a year ago. Now, he had broken through to the jade star realm.


    They were both at the jade star realm, but how could he be compared to Chen Yiming? Their talents were definitely not on the same level, and he would probably be killed instead.


    ¡°Looking for me? With just the few of you?¡±


    Seeing that the old man from the Roc clan knew the situation better than the young people beside him, Chen Yiming reminded him in a serious tone.


    Since ancient times, hatred made people hot-headed. This was the situation of the old man from the Roc clan.


    ¡°Damn kid, don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±


    Being treated this way, the old man was furious. His white eyebrows curled up and his features became twisted.


    At the same time, a blinding light illuminated the world. Under an invisible fluctuation, the golden sea surged, and the world seemed to have come alive. It seemed to want to punish this arrogant person together with the old man from the Roc Clan.


    As long as one was not half-crippled, those at the jade star realm who had truly embarked on the path of cultivation would only be able to fight against a small number of geniuses at the star condensation realm alone.


    As for being suppressed, even geniuses could not do it. This was due to the qualitative change brought about by the enhancement of the natural laws. The difference between the divine world and the inner world was on a completely different level.


    Even if he had not mastered any divine power, he was still incomparably powerful compared to those at the star condensation realm and was difficult to defeat.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    As a killing intent appeared, the old man from the Roc clan spat out a huge bell. As soon as the bell appeared, the void exploded. The shadows of golden-winged rocs flew out of the surface of the bell and sealed off the world.


    It was not over yet. It was as if chains were being moved around in the world. It was the sound of the natural laws being affected, and the world was being thrown into chaos. Under the gazes of countless people, the killing intent filled the air.


    What kind of divine artifact was this bell? Its entire body was made of black metal, and it was cold and had a simple design. On it were carvings of rocs. Other than that, it was also stained with traces of dark red blood.


    The villages in this area were alarmed. The fluctuations from the huge bell were too strong, and the moment it appeared, everyone felt a tightness in their chests.


    Wherever the power spread, it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. It was very terrifying, and they could not help but bow down to it. They prayed repeatedly in their hearts that this calamity would not affect the village.


    The old man from the Roc clan scolded him loudly, ¡°Chen Yiming, when you ambushed the genius of our clan, did you think about what would happen to you today?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? Continue pretending to be calm! This day next year will be the anniversary of your death.¡±


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    The large bell slowly spun in the air. In an instant, the shadows of the rocs turned into small suns that hung in the sky.


    Such power was simply like changing the environment. The scorching sunlight shone on the ground, and the world faced a large change, creating a violent explosion.


    At this moment, streams of golden light descended one after another, carrying a thick aura with them, turning into a barrier that sealed off the surroundings.


    The people in the village panicked. Had the world been sealed off? They had interacted with many factions in the large city and knew what they were thinking of.


    If they were angered, wouldn¡¯t everyone be finished? Some people were already regretting it. If they had known earlier, they would have stopped their children.


    It was just guidance on cultivation. So what if he had made good progress? Could he turn the tables? On the other hand, he would be embroiled in disputes at the level of the gods. It would be a disaster but not a blessing.


    On the other side, Chen Yiming remained calm.


    Facing the anger of a powerful god, he was like a peerless expert. It was as if he was not afraid of anything even if he had to fight the world alone.


    However, the truth was that his control over his body was perfect. As long as he wanted his aura to not leak out at all, even the old man from the Roc clan would not be able to sense his true strength.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t run immediately, you won¡¯t stand a chance at all. You can barely be considered a suitable opponent. I can use you to test the strength of my divine power,¡± Chen Yiming said coldly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the old man¡¯s expression had changed when he heard the words ¡°divine power¡±.


    However, the enemy who had killed the Roc clan¡¯s genius was right in front of him. It was impossible for him to retreat just because of a single sentence. Besides, who knew if he was just bluffing? Everything would only be clear after they fought.


    ¡°Rise!¡± Facing the small suns above his head, Chen Yiming placed one hand behind his back and extended his other arm. He clenched his fist lightly in the air.


    ¡°Rumble¡­¡±


    The ground was shaking, and cracks were spreading.


    Immediately after, the golden light that shone on the ground began to dissipate inch by inch.


    At the same time, the world darkened. The small suns formed by the rocs were stopped by an invisible force. No matter how they struggled, it was useless and they began to extinguish.


    Everyone sensed that something terrifying was about to crawl out from the ground, which would cause the barrier that sealed the world to be destroyed.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Seeing this scene, the old man from the Roc clan was dumbfounded.


    Others might not be able to understand what was going on, but he could clearly feel the divine power. The aura of controlling the power of natural laws could not be wrong.


    This was because the huge bell he was controlling was actually a different type of divine power.


    The divine world in the old man¡¯s body was barely in the middle three grades. It was a sixth-grade divine world.


    Although he had barely reached the threshold of cultivating a divine power, even for the divine power of the Roc clan, he had always been a little lacking in his mastery of it and could not be said to have truly cultivated it successfully.


    This was a problem at the innate level. If he had a fifth-grade divine world and his clan¡¯s divine power was very compatible with his bloodline, he might have been able to cultivate it successfully.


    However, it was not that there was no other way. The huge bell in the air was the Golden Crow Sun Transformation Technique, a different cultivation technique.


    At this moment, the old man from the Roc clan started to panic. He planned to retrieve the huge bell and retreat.


    No one had expected Chen Yiming to achieve another breakthrough within a year. Furthermore, he had learned from the books he took away from the treasure vault owned by the city ruler and had cultivated a divine power.


    ¡°Damn it, Li Zhentian, you¡¯re helping the enemy.¡±


    Accompanied by furious curses, stone pillars rose from the cracks in the ground. They were ancient and dark yellow in color, and the sun, moon, and stars were carved on them. They seemed to be sucking in the entire world.


    At this moment, the young people from the Roc clan only had one feeling. No matter how fast they were, they could not fly out of the domain of the stone pillars.


    The stone pillars in front of them seemed to be close by, but in reality, they were far away. What the naked eye could see was only an illusion, and the actual distance was unknown.


    This was a divine power. Those who did not have divine powers, would have a lot of difficulty fighting against it.


    ¡°Suppress!¡±


    A calm voice echoed between the heavens and the earth.


    The Reversal Palm truly displayed its terrifying power. Chen Yiming let the people from the Roc clan fly away, and they turned into streams of golden light that disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye.


    However, the speed of the golden light gradually slowed down.


    At the same time, the countless stone pillars began to move and surround the center. The sealing power in the world became stronger and stronger. In the end, the streams of golden light revealed their true form.


    The small suns in the sky were also extinguished one after another by a stone palm that seemed like a lid on the world. In a battle against a complete divine power, the other party had undoubtedly lost.


    ¡°I¡¯m a golden elder of the Roc clan¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the Reversal Palm¡¯s divine power shattered everything. The divine world and the bell that was a divine artifact and had endless power turned into nothingness and disappeared.


    Chen Yiming retracted his gaze and summarized the outcome of the first battle.


    ¡°The Reversal Palm is only considered average among the divine powers. It¡¯s far from comparable to that unnamed physical combat divine power. Even so, it can still crush an old man from the Roc clan who is also at the jade star realm.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s also related to the difference in quality between the two sides¡¯ divine worlds. It¡¯s just like the difference between a concrete house and a wooden house. The difference in foundation is too great. No matter how much it¡¯s renovated, it can¡¯t make up for it.¡±


    He retracted his thoughts that the old man from the Roc clan was a suitable candidate to test his strength on.


    There was no other reason. He was just too weak. Once he used the Reversal Palm, he could not even put up a struggle and directly turned into the most basic particles and dissipated.


    On second thought, ¡°This old man from the Roc clan is called the golden elder. It would be great if a powerful elder at the level of the star evolution realm came to visit. That way, I will definitely be able to test the limits of the Reversal Palm¡¯s divine power.¡±


    ¡­


    Days passed.


    Peace returned to the riverside. A few days later, people from the nearby villages finally dared to come over to check on the situation.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°The wooden house is gone too!¡±


    Looking at the empty scene in front of them, the villagers had mixed feelings.


    This outcome could not be said to be a good or bad thing. Although the source of the disaster had disappeared, the huge opportunity for the younger generation had also been lost.


    To be honest, the villagers were also placing their bets. The only thing they regretted was letting the children who had achieved results in their cultivation join the guards.


    ¡°If only the south mountain range wasn¡¯t in chaos.¡±


    Someone sighed.


    If not for the fact that they felt that the situation had changed, the village would not have made preparations earlier.


    Then, their children would be able to receive more guidance. Perhaps a true god would have been born in one of the villages.


    In this chaotic world, the weakest gods could protect themselves and give protection to factions at the level of the villages. It was also for this reason that the two sides had maintained a tacit understanding for nearly a year.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, the villagers secretly felt that it was a pity.


    After Chen Yiming left the place that was his residence for nearly a year, he planned to go out and walk around. After all, he had been cultivating his divine powers for nearly a year, and he had never been in seclusion for so long before.


    If the golden elder came back from the dead and saw all this, he would definitely curse. It was common for gods to go into seclusion for decades.


    For most gods, there was almost no improvement in just a year, especially when it came to cultivating divine powers. They needed to slowly figure out the limits of their own divine world.


    In fact, when the golden elder had no hope of continuing to break through, cultivating a divine power had become his lifelong goal. It was also the most realistic way to increase his combat strength.


    The path of cultivation of gods could be said to be one difficulty after another.


    The lifelong goal of those at the jade star realm with divine worlds in the lower three grades was basically to find the divine materials to upgrade the quality of their divine world and escape the risk of dying at any moment.


    Among the gods in the middle three grades who were at the jade star realm, there were a few who dared to forcefully take the step to break through to the star evolution realm, but most of them would stay at the jade star realm forever.


    This way, finding a divine power that was suitable for one¡¯s cultivation and becoming one of the best among those of the same level was indeed a more realistic path of cultivation.


    It was almost impossible to see a god at the jade star realm with a divine world in the top three grades. Even among the overlord factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, they would be nurtured as a foundation for the future of the faction.


    Since they were treated as the foundation of the faction, they naturally would not be allowed to take too many additional risks. The first thing they had to be wary of was assassinations by factions of the same level.


    Therefore, they were almost always cultivating in seclusion in secret places all year round under the guidance of elders at the star evolution realm. As long as it was not to the extent that a faction was about to be destroyed, they rarely appeared.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know much about this. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it at all.


    He walked in the wilderness and wandered among the towns of various sizes. He listened and watched what was happening around him. Through what he had seen and heard with his own eyes, he made a judgment on the situation between the Infinite Island Group and the source ore shops.

 Chapter 462

    ?


    462 Leopard Immortal


    The heavens did not let down those who worked hard. As long as they waited patiently, the time would come when they could change the situation.


    Chen Yiming had been wandering around for a few days when a shocking piece of news suddenly spread. The factions from the source ore shops had used the space teleportation portals to invite the factions from other galaxies to provide support.


    This allowed all the factions that had close ties with the source ore shops to heave a sigh of relief, and the tense atmosphere eased a lot.


    This was the way it should be. The source ore shops controlled the transaction of source ores, and they had accumulated an unknown amount of resources over the years. Instead of waiting for their resources to be snatched away, it was better to spend some money to invite help from the other galaxies.


    In reality, the source ores were not the foundation of the factions in the source ore shops, but the source ore experts were. As long as they survived this calamity, they would be able to earn back what they had lost one day.


    At the same time, as he passed by a village in the wilderness, Chen Yiming bumped into a black dog that called itself the Leopard Immortal.


    Then, the reason why he stopped and took a few more glances was because this black dog, who had cultivated to the star condensation realm, was actually tricking the villagers into giving it source ores in exchange for its protection.


    In addition, the black dog¡¯s origins piqued Chen Yiming¡¯s interest.


    If what it said was true, the black dog was one of the members of the faction that the source ore shops had used the space teleportation portal to bring over. It had appeared in the abandoned world in order to save them.


    ¡­


    ¡°Who? Who ambushed me?¡±


    After being accurately hit by a stone on the back of its head, the black dog fell to the ground and cursed in human language.


    The young men and women in the village were so frightened that they took a few steps back. Panic appeared on their faces, and they suspected that one of their friends was causing trouble.


    The villagers were also dumbfounded. They were unwilling to give up the source ores in exchange for protection, but that did not mean that the village had the strength to provoke an immortal as powerful as the gods.


    According to the Leopard Immortal, immortals and gods were only on different cultivation paths. However, the general path was the same, and there was no distinction between them. They were both paths that led straight to the limit of the natural laws.


    Soon, all their gazes were focused on the outsider, Chen Yiming.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re the one causing trouble, right?¡±


    The black dog turned around and glared at him.


    In the next moment, it charged over with a terrifying aura.


    One step, two steps. Purple-black flames burned on the black dog¡¯s body, and it gradually turned into a ferocious-looking black leopard. Purple-gold patterns appeared on its black fur.


    A pressure that was unique to the gods pressed down. The world changed color, and everything seemed to have frozen.


    At this moment, the villagers heaved a sigh of relief.


    So it was caused by an outsider and had nothing to do with them. That was good.


    Everyone thought that person would be taught a lesson by the Leopard Immortal. The worse outcome might be that he would be eaten up.


    However, an unexpected outcome occurred.


    The outsider extended his arm and made a fist in the air. The fierce-looking Leopard Immortal flew into his hand like a chick.


    His legs bounced a few times, and the terrifying aura emitted by the Leopard Immortal was suppressed and returned to normal.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this an immortal?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that it was just trying to scare us?¡±


    It was no wonder that the villagers were suspicious. There were many people who wanted to use various methods to trick others for their source ores. Otherwise, they would not have been so vigilant towards outsiders.


    Now, everyone suspected that the so-called ¡®Leopard Immortal¡¯ was a fake. It was exposed once it encountered a tough opponent.


    ¡°Sir, I was wrong. What are you going to do?¡±


    At this moment, it changed from the black leopard form back to its black dog form, and the ¡®Leopard Immortal¡¯ started to scream.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t want to reveal his intentions in front of the villagers, so he grabbed the black dog and turned to leave, disappearing from everyone¡¯s sight.


    ¡­


    In the forest, after the black dog was thrown to the ground, it closed its eyes and lay down helplessly. On the surface, it looked like it was at the mercy of the other party, but in its heart, it was thinking about what to say later.


    ¡°How unlucky. I bumped into such a fierce person once I arrived here.¡±


    ¡°The difference in strength is too great. It¡¯s not easy to escape. I don¡¯t know if I can trick him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if I can trick him into participating in the chaos. Otherwise, after being humiliated like this, if I don¡¯t trick him to his death, I won¡¯t be able to calm down.¡±


    It had thought about many things along the way and was full of ideas.


    ¡°Tell me the truth. What¡¯s the true purpose of you helpers from the other galaxies?¡± Chen Yiming asked, kicking the black dog in the stomach.


    The black dog suddenly woke up and opened its eyes.


    It looked uneasy, as it was really frightened. It said, ¡°Sir, spare me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a small fry. The ones who really make the decisions are all in North Mountain City now. I don¡¯t know much about it either.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I lead the way to North Mountain City and find someone who made the decision for you to find out about it from them?¡±


    Chen Yiming remained expressionless.


    He had not planned to really get anything out of it. After all, who knew how much of what the black dog said was true and how many of it was just lies?


    It was enough to know that the people from the other galaxies were staying in North Mountain City.


    Of course, he would not believe all of this. Along the way, he could continue to listen to all kinds of rumors and make preparations in advance.


    If he realized that the black dog was only telling lies, he could just turn it into a pot of dog meat.


    Thinking of this, a glint flashed across his eyes. He wondered how the dog meat from an immortal tasted compared to the dog meat from the blue planet.


    The change in his gaze made the black dog¡¯s expression freeze. For some reason, it had a feeling that something was amiss. Its intuition told it that he was looking at it as though it was delicious food.


    Soon, Chen Yiming and the black dog set off towards North Mountain City.


    ¡­


    They traveled for a few days. Their speed was neither fast nor slow, and the two of them finally arrived at North Mountain City.


    At the end of the northern region, there was a mountain range that seemed like the spine of the world. The mountains there were so tall that they reached into the clouds.


    Not only were there restricted areas in the mountain range, but there were also many poisonous insects and mutant beasts. Even gods had to be careful when crossing the mountain range. If they were careless, their lives would be in danger.


    As for North Mountain City, it was the largest city with the largest population near this mountain range. It had an extraordinary status.


    At this moment, while they were still some distance away from North Mountain City, the outline of the city had already entered their line of sight. The purple-gold patterns on the black dog¡¯s body had completely disappeared, and it had turned into a pure black dog.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming was even more certain that there was something fishy about this black dog. It was very likely that it didn¡¯t belong to either the factions supporting the source ore shops or the Infinite Island Group.


    In order not to attract attention, he also changed his own appearance. After all, not long ago, he had killed an old man and a group of young people from the Roc clan. Perhaps the Roc clan was searching the entire world for the murderer at this time.


    If he could not even be bothered to hide his appearance, he would probably cause chaos as soon as he entered the city. How could he continue searching for clues about the space teleportation portal?


    ¡°It¡¯s quite lively!¡±


    Soon, Chen Yiming and the black dog successfully entered the city. The guards at the city gate only glanced at them before shifting their gaze to the next person to enter the city.


    The two of them had disguised themselves perfectly without revealing any flaws.


    The streets were filled with traffic. Hardly any technological elements could be seen, and it looked like an ancient city. Pedestrians could be seen everywhere. The shops on both sides of the road were open for business, and the sounds of hawking could be heard everywhere.


    Such a city was the mainstream in the abandoned world. Cultivation was the main theme, and technology did not develop much here.


    In addition, perhaps because reinforcements from the other galaxies had arrived, many creatures from various species had also gathered here.


    Young and powerful people could be seen everywhere. They were so powerful that they were at the level of the Roc clan¡¯s golden elder at the jade star realm. It could be said to be a grand scene.


    ¡°It¡¯s Fairy Qing Yue!¡±


    Not long after, the black dog¡¯s eyes suddenly flickered. Its gaze stopped on the woman sitting at the wooden table on the second floor of the teahouse across the street for a moment.


    Chen Yiming was very familiar with such gazes. He had seen many of them when he was traveling side by side with the silver-winged woman. It looked like it was stealing glances at her.


    He also followed its gaze and saw that the woman indeed had an extraordinary aura and was very beautiful. She gave off an air as if she could only be observed from afar and could not be touched.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to all the large cities in the south mountain range in the past year. I¡¯ve really never seen anyone with such an aura. Could it be that the woman is from another galaxy?¡±


    Chen Yiming was puzzled. The woman gave him the feeling that she came from two different cultivation civilizations. He could tell at a glance that she was incompatible with the rest of the world.


    At this moment, the black dog slowed down, and so did Chen Yiming. The sound of conversation could be heard from the teahouse.


    ¡°The golden elder of the Roc Clan brought a few young people out on a mission to train. I didn¡¯t expect them to go missing. No one knows if they are dead or alive.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that even someone at the level of the golden elder would face such a situation. Looks like it won¡¯t be good to get involved in this mess. We have to be careful and wait and see what happens.¡±


    The news that the golden elder of the Roc clan had gone missing had already spread. Some people treated it as a topic of discussion.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Let¡¯s go together. I don¡¯t believe that any old fellow will really dare to bully the weak and offend many factions at the same time,¡± someone retorted.


    The person who spoke was conceited about his powerful background. At the same time, he was absolutely confident in his own strength. He said this as if he was fighting to be the leader.


    ¡°A year ago, the person with twin pupils almost died. His path of invincibility was forcefully put to a stop. Don¡¯t tell me you think you¡¯re stronger than the person with twin pupils?¡± someone immediately mocked.


    These words were irrefutable. Even the person with twin pupils could not be invincible among his peers, and it was even more difficult for the others. It was clear that if one was too confident, they would not have a good ending.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the black dog. The dog¡¯s footsteps were getting slower and slower, and it had completely stopped in its tracks.


    At the same time, it was no longer looking at the teahouse. Instead, it turned to the pedestrians. Its dog ears twitched, as if it was blocking out the noise.


    ¡°The bloodline of the twin pupils is indeed powerful, but it can only be said to be special in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. The essence spirits on our side can also fuse with the natural laws. Their talent is not inferior to the twin pupils.¡±


    A woman in a black dress stood up.


    Her aura was very powerful, and she suppressed everyone present. She was also very beautiful and cold, making one unable to help but take a few more glances at her.


    ¡°The person from the Essence Sect who has the innate talent of the Essence Spirit Body is someone you admire. Naturally, you would say that. He can also fuse with the laws, but other than that, the twin pupils can do much more.¡±


    Some people muttered in their hearts, but did not say it out loud.


    So what if they won this argument? They would only lose points in the eyes of the woman in the black dress.


    If they could say something nice to give themselves a chance to get close to her, the men present would not hesitate to go along with her for as long as they could.


    The woman that the black dog was paying attention to only took a few sips of tea from the start to the end. She did not say anything and just sat there quietly.


    Chen Yiming listened for a while more and realized that there were many mentions of the person with twin pupils, but no one mentioned the person who had defeated him.


    ¡°The loser is receiving more attention. Could it be that I¡¯m keeping too low a profile?¡±


    ¡°Or was the limelight stolen by Gao Shuai? Was the victory over the person with twin pupils mainly attributed to him?¡±


    Little did he know that that was indeed the case.


    In the eyes of the outside world, when one cultivated to the level of a god, although physical talent was important, it was usually enough to be at a moderate level. It could not be compared to spiritual talent that was greatly enhanced by the power of natural laws.


    For example, a divine power was essentially the use of natural laws. The outside world didn¡¯t think highly of Chen Yiming¡¯s future potential. Once he broke through to the jade star realm and couldn¡¯t master a divine power, he wouldn¡¯t even be qualified to carry the shoes of the person with twin pupils.


    Time passed by.


    The young men and women gathered on the second floor of the teahouse did not seem to be leaving for the time being.


    However, sometimes, the turn of events came suddenly. At some point, middle-aged men who looked like butlers appeared one after another, but they did not explain things too clearly.


    After that, the group of young men and women dispersed.


    Seeing this, the black dog quickly jogged along the street again, as if it was afraid of being recognized.


    Chen Yiming followed it. There must be a story behind this. He decided to get to the bottom of it. Otherwise¡­


    ¡­


    North Mountain City was very large. Looking up, one could see a tall mountain range that seemed to separate the sky from the earth.


    Most of the houses on the street were made of simple stone bricks, giving off the feeling that they were still standing tall even after the passage of time.


    The man and dog walked along the street.


    ¡°Tell me honestly, who is that woman to you?¡± Chen Yiming glanced at the black dog and said.


    ¡°She is my benefactor who taught me cultivation techniques,¡± the black dog said truthfully without any hesitation. Its mood was a little heavy, as if it was talking about a very serious matter.


    Chen Yiming thought about it and was confused.


    No matter how one looked at it, the woman did not seem to be close to the black dog. It could even be said that they did not know each other. Otherwise, it was impossible for the woman not to have any reaction at such a close distance.


    Furthermore, the first thing this dog did was to look at the woman with a lecherous gaze.


    The black dog quickly continued, ¡°Many years ago, I was just a creature born with a little supernatural power in the wilderness. I was constantly walking between life and death¡­¡±


    After hearing the black dog¡¯s story, Chen Yiming understood the situation, though he was still very suspicious.


    It turned out that Fairy Qing Yue, who was from the Immortal Sect, had indirectly interacted with the black dog when she went out to teach others how to cultivate and find those with good cultivation potential.


    Of course, Fairy Qing Yue did not know about this. The black dog had secretly learned the basic cultivation technique of an immortal faction from a certain cultivator that she had taught.


    Perhaps it was fate, but that cultivation technique was extremely compatible with the black dog. One day of its cultivation was almost equivalent to a hundred days of cultivation for others.


    After that, the black dog achieved success in its cultivation and tried to make use of the right opportunity to join the Immortal Sect. However, things did not go according to its wishes, and the path of cultivation was too complicated. It was rejected at the first stage of entering the sect.


    After that, it was another sad story. The black dog had been staying within the sphere of influence of the Immortal Sect. This time, it had even sneaked into the teams and arrived in the abandoned world.

 Chapter 463

    ?


    463 The Scared Black Dog


    On the platform, the place where the space teleportation portal was directed was a dark constellation. The location was a large open space on the east side of North Mountain City.


    Now, with the arrival of the people from the other galaxies, a complicated array formation had already been set up around the portal. Clouds and fog surrounded them, and palaces appeared one after another. It was very grand.


    Ordinary creatures could only look up at such a tall building. It was right in front of them, but it looked far away. From time to time, they could see the figures of cranes carrying people through the clouds.


    Chen Yiming and the black dog followed the crowd to the vicinity.


    ¡°What an eye-opener. Are those palaces in the clouds the residences of the so-called immortals? The style of the array formation is also different from that in the abandoned world.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯re not allowed to go in and take a look. You have to know that different cultivation paths complement each other. Perhaps an opportunity to gain enlightenment is right in front of us.¡±


    Some people were filled with emotions. They were not from North Mountain City, but had come over from other large cities for quite a while. However they had not been given a chance to interact with the immortals.


    ¡°I heard that a female immortal fought with the successor of the Thousand Tribulations Sect in a no man¡¯s land last night. It¡¯s said that a phoenix cry sounded on the battlefield, and divine flames burned the air.¡±


    ¡°Gasp! Could it be a female immortal with phoenix blood flowing in her body? That¡¯s really impressive. With the Nirvana divine power, not only will she not be afraid of death, but she will also become stronger the more she fights.¡±


    Near the platform, the crowd became even denser. Most of the topics they were discussing were related to the people who came from the other galaxies, especially the representatives from the younger generation.


    In addition, many strange-looking species were gathered here. Chen Yiming didn¡¯t even know most of them.


    After hearing the news about the female immortal with the phoenix blood, he felt that he had come at the right time. Not only did he have a chance to use the space teleportation portal, but he also had a chance to verify the strength of his divine power.


    Of course, he was not looking for ordinary immortals to test his strength. They were probably only at the same level as ordinary geniuses and were too weak. He had to look for the guardians behind them or the people guarding the space teleportation portal.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming sent a voice transmission, ¡°Black Dog, the array formation set up around the platform doesn¡¯t seem to be weak. How did you manage to sneak in and out?¡±


    No matter what method the black dog used, it was not that simple. If it was him, a conflict would probably break out immediately, followed by a fight.


    ¡°Sir, are you going to enter the platform?¡±


    The black dog was a little confused. It had thought that Chen Yiming¡¯s goal was those immortals, just like most of the people who had come to North Mountain City.


    From the looks of it, he had another motive.


    Chen Yiming nodded and continued, ¡°Black Dog, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. How about this? After you bring me to the platform, we can part ways.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the black dog¡¯s body trembled. This was simply making things difficult for it.


    There was already a problem with its identity. If it brought a stranger in and was discovered, it would be cut into pieces and made into a pot of dog stew.


    This was really not a joke. There was more than one immortal at the center of the platform, and they corresponded to the star evolution realm. Furthermore, the array formation had already been set up, and it was not the same as when they had just arrived.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming felt that there was a trick to it.


    What about the Fairy Qing Yue? There was a high chance that it had deliberately fabricated a story to trick him. If he had walked into the teahouse and tried to make friends with those people, the black dog would definitely have found an opportunity to sneak away.


    After all, this was North Mountain City. At this time, the black dog had expected that he wouldn¡¯t dare to cause any trouble. However, it didn¡¯t expect Chen Yiming¡¯s goal to be different from what it had expected.


    The black dog fell silent, feeling conflicted.


    ¡°To accept or reject?¡±


    ¡°Does this person want to die? Or does he have other motives?¡±


    ¡°With the array formation in the platform and the deterrence of the many immortals, will there be a chance to escape?¡±


    Its judgment of Chen Yiming was that he was a jade star realm god who had a divine world in the middle three grades. He also seemed to have an ordinary background or was an independent cultivator. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have taken such a huge risk to sneak into the platform.


    After all, the geniuses from the overlord factions would not do such a thing.


    In a flash, the black dog inferred more information about Chen Yiming before deciding whether to agree.


    Time passed by.


    Chen Yiming knew that the black dog was thinking about how to escape, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He could capture the black dog again in the blink of an eye, so it had no choice but to agree.


    Of course, he could not force the black dog to do so. If it acted out of desperation, would he really turn it into a pot of dog stew? At this stage, it was more important to think of a way to obtain the space teleportation portal.


    Soon, the black dog decided to risk its life to bring the stranger into the platform.


    It naturally had something to rely on. After all, if it could sneak in and out, how could it not have some special ability? It also believed that it would definitely be able to escape with the help of external forces.


    ¡­


    More than half an hour later, in the gap between the array formations on the platform, the black dog led Chen Yiming forward as they observed their surroundings. There were black and white lines everywhere, and if they touched them, their position would be exposed.


    The black dog¡¯s special ability was also revealed to Chen Yiming. It was a bloodline talent that could temporarily make the array formation useless.


    ¡°What kind of mutant plant is this?¡± Chen Yiming suddenly exclaimed. Through the array formation, he saw a huge tree that reached into the sky in a garden.


    Its entire body was the color of ice, and snow was constantly falling from its surroundings. Blue light spots danced around the branches and leaves.


    In addition, the tree¡¯s crown was like a huge umbrella that could hold up the sky, and was only faintly discernible among the clouds. The bark was crystal clear, and looked like a mirror.


    Such a huge mutant plant could not be seen outside the array formation on the platform. It was difficult for the outside world to imagine that there was such a garden inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s an immortal plant, the Ice Spirit Tree. Don¡¯t get distracted. If not for the array formation, this immortal plant would have been alerted to our presence long ago.¡±


    The black dog barked a few times as a reminder.


    It felt bitter. It hadn¡¯t expected that it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from Chen Yiming even after risking its life to enter the interior of the platform. The reason was that it had to leave the array formation safely.


    However, the black dog didn¡¯t dare to leave the gaps between the array formations. Once it left, it would definitely be discovered. At that time, it was another matter if Chen Yiming could escape or not, but it definitely would not be able to do so.


    It could be said that the black dog was even more nervous than Chen Yiming. Therefore, it could only move through the gaps between the array formations and search for an exit where it wouldn¡¯t be discovered.


    At that time, as long as Chen Yiming left, the black dog would immediately turn around and return to the gaps in the array formation. This way, it would definitely be able to escape safely.


    On the other hand, what Chen Yiming was really observing was the area where the space teleportation portal was located.


    After all, there was no basis for trust between the two sides. He could not let the black dog know about this. If it had the thought of causing trouble, and he missed this opportunity, there might not be a next time.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    The two of them walked around the area and ascended to the palace in the clouds.


    In the sky, the palace that was covered by the array formation was where the truly powerful figures from the other galaxies were staying.


    Under normal circumstances, the powerful elders would not let the younger generation live above their heads. Therefore, the immortals basically lived in the palace on the ground.


    At this moment, the black dog started to panic. It had wanted Chen Yiming to back off, but he had followed it as if nothing had happened. He seemed to have nothing to fear.


    Although its ability was powerful inside the array formation, this was too close to the powerful elders who had set up the array formation. There was still a chance that it would be discovered.


    If it had bad luck and happened to encounter someone who happened to check the situation inside the array formation, it would definitely be doomed. It would not even be able to escape.


    Chen Yiming suddenly said, ¡°Where is the exact location of the space teleportation portal? Bring me close by. I¡¯ll give you a few minutes to escape.¡±


    Although the black dog told many lies and wasn¡¯t reliable, the space teleportation portal was very close to the palace in the clouds. There was no longer any need for it, and Chen Yiming was the type to keep his promise.


    Next, it all depended on whether the black dog was honest. He was not a saint. If it dared to continue plotting or setting traps, he did not mind using his divine power, the Reversal Palm, to crush it to death.


    However, what awaited him was not the black dog¡¯s reply, but the smell of urine.


    When the black dog heard his words, its legs went weak and it fell to the ground, peeing in fear.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chen Yiming frowned. This dog was too cowardly.


    At most, they were just a few powerful immortals. It was not like he was asking it to fight them. He would be at the front for everything. He would already let it escape first, so what was there to be scared about?


    After a while, the black dog finally recovered and said, ¡°The three elders of the Star Capturing Pavilion are guarding the space teleportation portal. They are equivalent to gods at the level of the star evolution realm in your galaxy.¡±


    The three elders of the Star Capturing Pavilion?


    Three gods at the level of the star changing realm?


    Chen Yiming nodded. It was indeed a little troublesome.


    However, he did not intend to fight them head-on. After stealing the space teleportation portal, he could just use the space anchor to escape. It would also not be a problem for him to fight off three people at once for a short time.


    It was even very likely that he could retreat safely because the other side would underestimate him.


    Seeing this, the black dog¡¯s heart turned cold.


    This person¡¯s real goal was the space teleportation portal. I¡¯m too unlucky. How did I get into such a situation?


    If he succeeded, the Star Capturing Pavilion would not let anyone related to him go. If such a huge matter happened, they would not let anyone escape even if they were chased across the entire galaxy.


    The black dog met Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze, as if it needed to confirm the situation again.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming raised his leg and kicked the black dog in the butt. He almost kicked the black dog out of the gap in the array formation, scaring it so much that it quickly got up.


    The black dog finally understood that Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t joking. He was really targeting the space teleportation portal of the Star Capturing Pavilion.


    It had no choice. It was not strong enough to change the situation. It just had to think about the escape route after this.


    Soon, just as the two of them were about to make a move.


    ¡°Why does it smell like urine?¡±


    Some of the female immortals and male immortals who had come out of the palace sniffed and turned towards the source of the smell.


    In the corner of the garden in the air, a small patch of lawn was slightly wetter than the surroundings. The smell was also coming from there.


    ¡°Whose immortal beast is it? It¡¯s so disgusting!¡±


    A female immortal¡¯s expression immediately changed to one of disgust.


    Spirit beasts or mutant beasts adopted by immortals were collectively called immortal beasts. Some had strange tempers and retained the habits of certain wild beasts.


    Therefore, even if it was the territory where immortals lived, it was not strange for there to be feces and urine in some corners.


    ¡°Jing Zhu, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the only immortal faction that has come to the abandoned world this time. Some immortal beast might be deliberately causing trouble in bad taste.¡±


    A male immortal stepped forward to comfort her.


    The female immortal called Jing Zhu was very beautiful, especially with the marking between her eyebrows. She was pure and charming.


    Coupled with her high cultivation talent, many male immortals hoped to become her companion on the path of cultivation and explore the path of eternal life together.


    Then, another male immortal waved his hand, and a stream of light flew over.


    The urine that the black dog had spilled onto the lawn was covered by a new layer of mud. More grass had been created on the lawn to completely absorb the smell of urine.


    In the end, the young immortals quickly left.


    Chen Yiming held back his laughter. He had heard the conversation between the female immortals and male immortals the entire time. One of the male immortals had unintentionally become the black dog¡¯s poop collector.


    The black dog was frightened again.


    It had almost thought that it was about to be exposed. The real situation was close to that. If the stream of light that the male immortal had created with a wave of his hand had hit the edge of the array formation, the intense fluctuations and the partial destruction of the formation¡¯s structure resulted in a high chance that the figure of the man and the dog would be seen. Chen Yiming, who dared to target the space teleportation portal, wasn¡¯t panicking, but the black dog was.


    ¡­


    In the air above the clouds, Chen Yiming and the black dog appeared.


    There was a square made of blue stone bricks below them. The square floated in the air, and three old men sat cross-legged on a stone platform with their eyes closed. The stone platforms were arranged in a triangular formation.


    These three old men were the three immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion.


    In the immortal cultivation system, human immortals corresponded to the star condensation realm. This meant that they still had a trace of mortal characteristics. Their essence spirits had yet to be truly entrusted to the natural laws.


    However, with a sufficiently strong power of essence spirit, one could already control the world and destroy stars with a wave of his hand.


    Earth immortals corresponded to the jade star realm. Their essence spirit were entrusted to space. In other words, within the confines of certain natural laws, if one¡¯s essence spirit was not destroyed, it was almost impossible for them to die.


    Compared to gods of the same level, the threshold for cultivation was naturally much higher. There were no gods at the jade star realm with divine worlds in the lower three grades. Their essence spirits would directly dissipate and be destroyed.


    There was almost no difference between a heavenly immortal and a god at the star evolution realm. They were both a small group of people who had truly embarked on the path of cultivating natural laws. There were very few of them, other than in a special place like the abandoned world.


    In the middle of the square, in the center of the triangle formation, was a huge black rock. This special rock was the space teleportation portal.


    After the huge rock was activated, it would turn into a space-travel portal. At the same time, a space-travel portal would open at the coordinates on the other side that had been set in advance.


    After that, the huge rock needed the three heavenly immortals to provide an energy supply to ensure that the space-travel portal remained open.


    This way, the people in front of the space-travel portal on both sides could use it to teleport. However, if there was a problem with the supply of energy, they might fall into the space-travel distortion along the way.


    Therefore, during the process of using the huge rock to open up the temporary space-travel portal, the three heavenly immortals guarded it in a triangle formation. It was also to prevent any accidents from happening. They could each split half of their attention to fight any enemies.

 Chapter 464

    ?


    464 Two People and a Dog in a Team


    ¡°The three of them are working together, sealing off any possibility of forcing one¡¯s way in from any direction. They don¡¯t leave any gaps and don¡¯t give us any chance to exploit any loopholes.¡±


    Chen Yiming observed the situation through the array formation.


    ¡°The Star Capturing Pavilion is famous among the immortal factions. With the help of the three old immortals and the space-travel portal, they can command many immortal factions to fight in space. It is not good to provoke them.¡±


    Seeing that Chen Yiming was hesitating, the black dog was no longer in a hurry to escape. It wanted to see how this ignorant fellow would dare to snatch its target straight from the tiger¡¯s mouth.


    The Star Capturing Pavilion was very strong. The black dog did not believe that anyone could really take away the huge rock that represented the space-travel portal from right under their nose. If it was really that simple, others would have already taken it away.


    Chen Yiming had wanted to use the space anchor to move through space. Coupled with one of the divine powers he had learned from the treasure vault of the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City, he could take away the huge rock from the center of the formation guarded by the three immortals.


    However, seeing that the black dog was still not escaping, he had a flash of inspiration and wanted to get some valuable information from it.


    ¡°Fighting in space?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the immortal factions come to help the source ore shops fight against the Infinite Island Group?¡± Chen Yiming pretended to be surprised and asked casually.


    ¡°You look quite strong. You even dare to covet the treasure of the Star Capturing Pavilion. Are you actually so naive?¡±


    The black dog looked at Chen Yiming in disdain and sneered. ¡°The factions from the source ore shops in the abandoned world allowed the three old immortals of the Star Capturing Pavilion to successfully guide the first batch of forces to occupy North Mountain City.¡±


    ¡°When the immortal factions grow stronger in the abandoned world, how can they still be satisfied with only a little source ores? They should be happy enough if the immortal factions don¡¯t turn into evil dragons and cause them to suffer a backlash later.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming suddenly understood the plan of the source ore shops.


    Not only did the factions behind the source ore shops hide from the outside world to deal with the situation, but they also deliberately lured in the immortal factions from the other galaxies as another form of preparation.


    Once the immortal factions really got involved, the profit from the source ores in the abandoned world would be redistributed.


    This process would definitely cause a bloodbath. Conflicts could not be avoided.


    This way, the pressure on the source ore shops would be reduced indirectly. In the end, it was still unknown who would suffer the greatest losses.


    ¡°When the incident at the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop broke out, it seemed like the factions behind the source ore shops retreated immediately. However, they were actually trying to stabilize the situation and did not act rashly!¡±


    Chen Yiming couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. To be able to monopolize the source ore masters and the source ores, the factions behind the source ore shops definitely weren¡¯t fools and knew what they were doing.


    Perhaps it was not that they were unable to put up a resistance, but that there was a better way. For example, they had brought in outsiders from the immortal factions to deal with the commotion caused by the Infinite Island Group.


    Imagine what it would be like if the source ore shops successfully hid away from the outside world and waited for the other factions to suffer heavy losses before revealing their powerful foundations.


    ¡°If the humans from the blue planet come to the abandoned world, they will also get involved like the immortal factions. Even if I can use the space anchor on the spiritual figure to teleport over to protect them at any time, we won¡¯t be able to rest easy.¡±


    On second thought, Chen Yiming felt a headache coming on.


    If he was alone, he could naturally come and go as he pleased. However, if he really waited for the day that the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet could build their own cities in the abandoned world, the situation would be different.


    At that time, there would be restrictions placed on him, and he would need to consider various factors.


    However, if the humans from the blue planet wanted to continue to grow by leaps and bounds, they would not have a chance if they stayed on a planet that was isolated from worldly affairs. On the other hand, participating in the dispute over the source ores would definitely result in a large number of casualties.


    ¡­


    Not long after.


    The black dog turned around and left.


    Chen Yiming gave the black dog some time to escape.


    Suddenly, he recalled that most of the large cities in the south mountain range were indirectly controlled by the factions in the Infinite Island Group.


    He recalled that the young men and women from the immortal factions in the teahouse had been hurriedly called away by the butlers. Although they did not say what had happened, it must have been something that put pressure on the immortal factions.


    ¡°North Mountain City is equivalent to a lone city within the territory of the Infinite Island Group. The current liveliness is only going to be seen for a short period of time. It¡¯s impossible for war not to happen at all,¡±


    Chen Yiming said softly as he seriously analyzed the situation.


    ¡°As long as this space teleportation portal is controlled by the three old immortals of the Star Capturing Pavilion, the immortal factions can send an endless stream of people to teleport over from afar.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, the south mountain range is only one small area in the abandoned world. It¡¯s very likely that it¡¯s at a disadvantage when facing the overall strength of the immortal faction. Furthermore, even outsiders can tell that the factions in the Infinite Island Group are very scattered. The internal cooperation is not very good.¡±


    They had used the excuse of the fake source ores from the Golden Sword Source Ore Workshop to cause trouble, and the city ruler of Heaven Suppressing City had forcefully caused the remaining source ore shops to retreat like stray dogs.


    After a year, the atmosphere in the various large cities had been very oppressive. From time to time, they would say that they wanted to really start a war, but in the end, there was no true chaos.


    ¡°The source ore shops have roped in the immortal factions from other galaxies and then hid from the outside world to watch the tigers fight. If the Infinite Island Group still wants to take the initiative to control the situation like before, they will definitely have to stop the immortal factions from continuing to arrive here.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming felt that he didn¡¯t need to be in a hurry to make a move.


    The liveliness of North Mountain City would not last long, and the Infinite Island Group would definitely make a move. But if he made a move now, he might become the target of public criticism.


    After all, the conflict between the Infinite Island Group and the immortal factions would occur over the huge rock in front of them. No matter who took it, it would attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    However, if the Infinite Island Group launched a surprise attack and North Mountain City really fell into chaos, he could pretend to be someone from the Infinite Island Group. After obtaining the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal, he could hide it for as long as possible.


    At the very least, he had to buy enough time for the humans from the blue planet to successfully teleport to the abandoned world.


    Next, Chen Yiming sat cross-legged and waited quietly.


    Time passed. The black dog was indeed a special creature who could sneak into the immortal teams. The route it chose through the gaps between the array formation was also very special.


    It was separated from the three old immortals of the Star Capturing Pavilion by the array barrier. He could see the three of them from the inside, but they could not see him directly.


    The outside side of the array barrier had been specially modified with illusions, and looked just like a wall. Unless one took the initiative to break it, it seemed to completely separate what was inside from what was outside.


    Another reason was that the three old immortals had set up heavy defenses around the huge rock. Furthermore, the three of them were personally guarding it.


    Of course, they would not easily suspect that there were any problems. They would not constantly try to sense if there were any issues with the array formation. Instead, they would focus half of their attention on their own cultivation and the other half on the huge rock not far away.


    ¡­


    Three days passed.


    On the surface, North Mountain City was still as lively as ever. More and more people kept coming because of the reputation of the immortal factions, hoping that they could interact with the immortal factions from the other galaxies.


    In secret, the people from the immortal factions had already hidden themselves away. They had received news from the source ore shops that the factions from the Infinite Island Group were going to get rid of the immortal factions in their territory.


    On this day, Chen Yiming, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and looked into the sky.


    At this moment, the sky outside the North Mountain City was covered by black clouds. The black clouds were rolling over, causing the entire city to panic.


    Looking closely, it turned out that the black cloud was carrying an army formed by many species. There were huge snakes with strange horns on their heads, humans with a third eye between their eyebrows, and divine eagles burning with flames¡­


    With the naked eye, one would estimate that there were nearly 100,000 of them. It had to be known that other than some miscellaneous soldiers on the ground, the weakest people who could participate in a war of this level were at least at the star condensation realm.


    It was clear that the factions in the Infinite Island Group could no longer tolerate the presence of the immortal factions. They had to eliminate or chase away the immortal factions on this day.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    An invisible ripple spread out.


    North Mountain City was activated, and a square of golden light screen rose from the ground. The golden light shot into the sky and chased away the black clouds above it.


    This was a kind of mountain-protecting formation of the immortal factions. It was formed by several independent modules. With sufficient energy, it could withstand the attacks of the gods at the star condensation realm and continuously repair itself.


    ¡°You three old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion, get out here. You cowards.¡±


    When the black clouds surrounded North Mountain City from all directions, a huge man covered in red scales and carrying a huge axe on his shoulder strode out. He stood in the air and looked down from above.


    ¡°Fire Scales Elder!¡±


    At this moment, countless people in the North Mountain City looked up. When they saw the huge man holding a huge axe, their expressions changed drastically, and their eyes bulged, as if they had received a huge fright.


    The Fire Scale Elder had the bloodline of the fire dragon, and his fierce reputation was well-known throughout the abandoned world. It was said that he would go crazy every 10 years.


    Once he went crazy, he would not care about anyone else. At the same time, as a god at the star evolution realm, his strength was among the top of those in the abandoned world. Therefore, every time he went crazy, it would cause a disaster for the area he was in.


    The three old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion opened their eyes and spoke calmly.


    ¡°What a pity. The fire dragon bloodline flowing through his body is not pure. His descendants can¡¯t get rid of the madness either.¡±


    ¡°Even his mixed blood is also very valuable for research. If we capture him, we might be able to mass-produce an army of sacrificial warriors who are not afraid of pain or death.¡±


    ¡°So what if the low-level soldiers are not afraid of death? We might as well draw out his bloodline and refine the impurities to create the blood essence divine pill. It can be a life-saving item at the critical moment.¡±


    They spoke one after another, not taking the Fire Scales Elder seriously at all.


    Even if the heavenly immortals were facing off against those at the equivalent level of the star evolution realm, it would be three against one. Furthermore, they also had absolute confidence in themselves and their experience in fighting from their space battles.


    ¡°Retreat or die.¡±


    A sword beam tore through the sky and landed. The black clouds nearby were completely obliterated, and the black clouds far away were on the verge of collapse. Then, a green-clothed figure appeared.


    His long hair fluttered in the wind, and the sword domain was reflected in his eyes. Wherever his gaze passed, the void was torn apart.


    With a shout, the bodies of more than 10 gods at the star condensation realm exploded after turning back into basic particles. This was an irreversible injury, and the inner world in their bodies was completely destroyed.


    ¡°With Sword Immortal Cang Qing taking action, it looks like we don¡¯t have to worry about anything anymore,¡±


    one of the three old immortals said with a smile.


    Sword Immortal Cang Qing was a heavenly immortal. He had dominated many galaxies and left his people behind to look for those who had potential to become immortals. At the same time, he had killed countless factions without them daring to make a single sound.


    On the other hand, allowing an immortal from another galaxy to leave behind his people would only emphasize his strength among those of the same level. Otherwise, his nest would have been wiped out long ago.


    ¡°What big words.¡±


    The Fire Scales Elder¡¯s disdainful voice echoed throughout the area like thunder.


    In the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, the star evolution realm was only below the city rulers and was stronger than billions of other creatures. It was impossible to determine who was stronger or weaker just by one¡¯s words.


    Furthermore, from the information circulating in the outside world, how could anyone know the Fire Scales Elder better than himself? If he was really forced into a corner, everyone and everything would be torn to pieces by him.


    Soon, Sword Immortal Cang Qing and the Fire Scales Elder started fighting.


    The battle between the two of them instantly turned the sky above North Mountain City into a land of death. The sky changed color, and the void shattered. Boundless light completely drowned out both sides.


    In North Mountain City, one could only see the collision of immortal techniques and divine powers when they looked up. It was the clash of natural laws. There was the descent of the sword domain that destroyed everything, the divine fire that turned into a divine furnace that burned through the void, and the figure of the fire dragon that devoured the world¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°100,000 gods traveled on a black cloud to suppress the city?¡±


    ¡°A one-on-one fight between a god and an immortal to determine who is stronger and who is weaker? A fight to the death?¡±


    ¡°The three old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion did not take the Fire Scales Elder seriously at all.¡±


    Chen Yiming sat quietly in a gap between the array formation and witnessed the entire battle. The difference in strength between gods was even greater than the difference between gods and mortals.


    In front of Sword Immortal Cang Qing, the dozen or so gods at the star condensation realm were like ants that could be killed at will. There was no room for any defense.


    It was not that the path of cultivation of immortals was stronger than the path of cultivation of gods. If it was a human immortal, they would still be useless in front of a god at the star evolution realm.


    It was just like how when Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai fled from Flying Cloud Planet, Gao Shuai had done everything he could to avoid the powerful elders at the star evolution realm.


    No matter how conceited a prodigy was or how confident a genius was, they could not fight someone two levels higher than them.


    ¡°However, this is only the beginning.¡±


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t completely relax. The three old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion might also be pretending not to care, but were actually on high alert and ready to deal with any accidents.


    At the level of deciding the control over a piece of land in the abandoned world, just like the factions from the Infinite Island Group, once they made a move, they would definitely take action one after another. It was impossible for them to cause only a small commotion.


    As Chen Yiming¡¯s strength and horizons increased, a one-on-one fight between a heavenly immortal and a god at the star evolution realm was no longer a big deal. He even had the ability to participate in it.


    Time passed very slowly, and every second was extremely torturous.


    A world-destroying aura enveloped the sky above North Mountain City. The formation protecting the entire city was shaking slightly, making one feel on tenterhooks, afraid that the formation would break and destroy the city.


    At this moment, to Chen Yiming¡¯s surprise, the black dog came over with Gao Shuai.


    This dog was indeed a little special. At this juncture, it could actually sneak in quietly under the noses of the three old immortals.


    Faced with Chen Yiming¡¯s confusion, Gao Shuai briefly explained the process of them getting to know each other.


    It turned out that this black dog from another galaxy was like Chen Yiming. It was one of the friends Gao Shuai had been looking for to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Woof, woof!¡±


    The black dog wagged its tail, trying to curry favor with Chen Yiming.


    It already knew that among the three of them, Chen Yiming was the strongest.


    Previously, when it was bragging about the immortal factions and looking down on Chen Yiming for thinking of stealing the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal away, its tone had been a little rude. It had to make up for it quickly.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t lower himself to the black dog¡¯s level.


    Since Gao Shuai had taken a fancy to the black dog¡¯s special ability, coupled with the fact that it had sneaked itself in twice in a row under the noses of the three immortals, it had already proven itself.


    In short, everyone relied on their special abilities to work together for the sake of the true dragon¡¯s corpse. There was nothing to be pretentious about.


    ¡°The Infinite Island Group will activate the coordinates set for the other side of the space teleportation portal and break through the defense system of the three old immortals of the Star Capturing Pavilion from the inside.¡±


    Soon, Gao Shuai revealed a shocking piece of news.


    ¡°Is it a spy hiding among the immortal factions?¡± Chen Yiming asked doubtfully.


    Gao Shuai nodded and said, ¡°The source ore shops and the Infinite Island Group have been fighting for nearly a year. The factions behind the source ore shops want to use the immortal factions from the other galaxies to muddy the waters, but the Infinite Island Group is not so easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that the divine god from the Infinite Island Group at the star evolution realm planned this pincer attack. Perhaps they are also targeting the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal.¡±


    Chen Yiming narrowed his eyes.


    He had long understood that the value of different types of space teleportation portals was often worlds apart.


    For example, before the development of the technological civilization in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, a teleportation portal commonly known as the ancient path to outer space could allow one to cross a long distance in space.


    However, there were many restrictions on this kind of teleportation portal. First, it had to be set up along the wormholes in the universe and in the direction of the space tunnel.


    In other words, they could use the power of the wormhole to artificially create a much smaller space-travel passage in the same direction to avoid any uncontrollable accidents in the natural wormhole.


    The huge rock that the three old immortals were guarding had a completely different value. Whoever controlled this special rock would be able to easily let their faction cover the distance between the stars.


    The Star Capturing Pavilion was one of the top factions among the immortal factions in the galaxy due to this huge stone that could teleport them through space.


    They could also rely on this to order the other immortal factions to gather a powerful force and start a war with other factions of the same level.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai reminded him in a low voice, ¡°The three old immortals of the Star Capturing Pavilion will use the power of the huge rock to participate in the fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse in the future.¡±


    ¡°Among the factions in space, there are still many who are coveting this huge rock. You have to think carefully. To an individual who has mastered spatial abilities, it will not be of much use to you.¡±


    Chen Yiming naturally knew what Gao Shuai was referring to.


    If he successfully stole the huge rock in front of him, a large number of enemies from the other galaxies would come after him. At that time, even if the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet successfully arrived in the abandoned world, they would not be able to live peacefully.


    However, Gao Shuai did not know that with his special connection with the spiritual figure, he could teleport back at any time to deal with the enemies who wanted to attack his base.


    In the long term, this huge stone forming the space teleportation portal was undoubtedly very useful to the humans from the blue planet. First of all, it could establish a connection with the blue planet.


    When the black dog heard their conversation, it suddenly felt a little regretful. It felt that it had been tricked by Gao Shuai and joined them in the spur of the moment.


    Its ability was mainly targeted at the array formation, but who were these two people in front of it? They were both much more powerful than it was.


    Once there was a mistake in their plans, the one with the least ability to escape would be in the greatest danger.

 Chapter 465

    ?


    465 Arrival of a Heavenly Immortal


    In the observation tower in North Mountain City.


    The observation tower was the tallest building in the city. Upon reaching the top of the tower, one could see the huge mountain range that divided the mountainous region. Usually, its function was to monitor the situation in the mountain range.


    However, at this moment, the soldiers from the north were no longer at the top of the tower. In their place was a man and a woman. Both of them were from the immortal factions.


    ¡°Sword Immortal Cang Qing is indeed the strongest swordsman in our sect.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the battle between immortal techniques and divine powers is about to be decided. The gods are inferior to the immortals.¡±


    As the two of them chatted, it looked like the Fire Scales Elder was being suppressed by Sword Immortal Cang Qing.


    The Fire Scales Ancestor turned into a fire dragon and dodged the attacks in the air. However, he was still being threatened by a three-foot-long sword. Even if he unleashed a set of fire-type divine powers, he could not destroy the sword.


    Of course, if Sword Immortal Cang Qing wanted to kill the Fire Scales Elder, it would not be possible in a short period of time. He had to cause more damage to the Fire Scale Elder¡¯s body.


    In other words, he had to continue to put more burden on his opponent¡¯s divine world. In the end, the divine would was the true foundation of the gods.


    Elsewhere in the city, seeing that Sword Immortal Cang Qing had suppressed the Fire Scales Elder, almost everyone felt their bodies lighten. Most of the pressure brought about by the 100,000 gods on the black cloud disappeared.


    ¡°So what if there are 100,000 gods? If they don¡¯t leave now, the Sword Immortal will destroy you with one strike.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled, it¡¯s settled. It seems that this world that produces spirit stones can no longer withstand the movements of our immortal sect. In the future, there will be another banquet to split the spoils of war.¡±


    Spirit stones and source ores were different names from the two galaxies, but they were essentially referring to the same thing.


    The current situation looked good for the immortal factions. The immortal factions were about to defeat the first wave of the local resistance. In the long history of the immortal factions, this type of resistance could usually be resolved by the third time.


    After that, as long as the expansion of the immortal faction¡¯s influence was not interrupted, the overall situation would continue to lean towards the immortal factions, and they would win one war after another.


    In fact, it might even become easier and easier. The confidence of the local resistance would be completely destroyed, and the troops would be defeated easily.


    Time passed by slowly.


    The fire dragon in the air began to roar in pain from time to time. Sword Immortal Cang Qing¡¯s gaze was cold, but the fighting spirit in his body became stronger and stronger.


    In the battle between the immortal techniques and divine powers, the balance was greatly skewed, and everything was gradually devoured by the sword domain.


    At this moment, everyone could clearly see that the Fire Scales Elder was about to lose. If he continued to fight, his life might be in danger.


    On the ground, people from the immortal factions began to walk to the edge of the formation protecting the city. They were preparing to leave the city and surround the 100,000 gods on the black cloud once they received the order.


    That¡¯s right. In the eyes of many people, it was time for them to think about how to retreat.


    Even if the group was formed by a small portion of gods in the jade star realm and the rest were gods at the star condensation realm, they were not a match for Sword Immortal Cang Qing, who was a heavenly immortal.


    In terms of cultivation level, especially at the level of the immortals, the difference in cultivation level was insurmountable. Even in a vast galaxy, only a few geniuses with unprecedented levels of talent could achieve someone at a higher level.


    It was obvious that at the level of the star evolution realm, the Fire Scales elder had already fallen out of the standard of a genius. He had not fallen to a mediocre level, but he was still quite far from the top.


    ¡­


    In front of the huge rock that acted as the space-travel portal, the three old immortals looked at each other and nodded.


    After reaching a silent agreement, the three of them joined forces and injected the immortal power in their bodies into the huge rock. Immortal power was a type of power that one could use after their essence spirit was entrusted to the void. It was on the same level as divine power.


    Three strange lights, red, orange, and yellow, connected the huge rock and the three old immortals.


    The huge rock immediately shook. Accompanied by rumbling waves, it turned into a stream of white light that tore through the void and opened up a space-travel passage across the galaxy.


    Gao Shuai watched all of this happen and said, ¡°The three old immortals will make use of the momentum of Sword Immortal Cang Qing¡¯s victory over the Fire Scales Elder to launch a counterattack on the large cities closest to North Mountain City.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, from the moment the immortal sects arrive at North Mountain City, it will be the moment when the spies arranged by the Infinite Island join forces to break through the defense system of North Mountain City.¡±


    As he spoke, the intense fluctuations gradually calmed down.


    A space-travel portal that emitted many streams of light appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Woof, woof!¡±


    The black dog barked twice to remind Gao Shuai.


    If it was really as Gao Shuai had said, and the center of the battlefield was about to move from outside North Mountain City to the location of the space teleportation portal, it would not just be a battle between one or two heavenly immortals and the gods at the star evolution realm.


    The black dog was anxious. A battle at that level was something that a dog at the level of the human immortal realm did not dare to get involved in.


    It was just like how Sword Immortal Cang Qing could kill a god at the star condensation realm with just a single gaze. It was too dangerous to continue staying here.


    Gao Shuai seemed not to have heard it. He rolled his eyes and continued, ¡°The spatial item we obtained from the treasure vault of the city ruler can protect us from any probes.¡±


    Chen Yiming could tell what Gao Shuai was thinking at a glance. He sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been cultivating diligently for the past year based on the books obtained from the treasure vault of the city ruler.¡±


    ¡°I happen to have made some progress with a divine power called the Hidden Universe. If you guys encounter any danger later, I won¡¯t use my spatial ability to escape alone. I can bring you guys along.¡±


    The black dog was delighted to hear this.


    It was said that only a few heavenly immortals in the immortal factions had mastered similar immortal techniques.


    If it had known that Chen Yiming was so powerful, it would have been willing to be a loyal pet to him. This was what the black dog was acting like now.


    Thinking back, the black dog, which could enter and exit the important areas of the immortal factions at will, did not dare to take the spirit stones from the warehouse. It was afraid that after taking them, it would not have the ability to withstand the subsequent investigation by the immortal factions.


    Otherwise, it would not have bothered to trick the villagers into offering the source ores in exchange for its protection.


    When Gao Shuai heard this, his face twitched.


    He had already raised his expectations for Chen Yiming¡¯s talent.


    However, even among the gods at the jade star realm who had a divine world in the top three grades, he had never heard of anyone who had started to cultivate divine powers after breaking through for a year or so.


    It had to be known that divine powers were the signature technique of gods in the star evolution realm. They were the main reason for the difference in strength between them and those in the jade star realm.


    Thinking of this, Gao Shuai felt as if his butt was on fire. He started to panic.


    He was already here, but Chen Yiming didn¡¯t actually need his help. If they used the spatial item to take away the huge rock, they had to take advantage of the chaos to steal it away from the immortal factions in North Mountain City.


    ¡°Black Dog, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gao Shuai urged the black dog.


    ¡°Why should we leave?¡±


    The black dog did not want to leave. In its opinion, instead of following Gao Shuai, it was better to follow the other person in front of it who had a stronger combat strength and was at the level of a heavenly immortal.


    Gao Shuai relied on his special prophecy ability. What if it failed? The black dog at the human immortal realm and a weak human at the fusion realm could not even put up a struggle if they were caught.


    The black dog did not want to leave. It wanted to cozy up to the strongest person.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming coughed and reminded it, ¡°I might not be able to be free to actually help you guys. After all, if there is really a fight, the situation will change quickly.¡±


    With that, he deliberately glanced at the battlefield where Sword Immortal Cang Qing and the Fire Scales Elder were fighting.


    The meaning was obvious. You, the black dog, are also a weakling. Think about it, how did Sword Immortal Cang Qing instantly kill a god at the star condensation realm with just his gaze?


    There was no difference between a human immortal and a god at the star condensation realm. They were both people that could be destroyed at will. It had to weigh its own strength.


    Soon, the black dog and Gao Shuai left together without any hesitation.


    ¡­


    The space-travel portal emitted a mysterious light.


    Even if it was teleportation, they could not instantly cross a distance of one or two galaxies. It would take a short period of time.


    Before the new forces from the immortal factions truly arrived, the three old immortals were already discussing the direction of their counterattack and the subsequent plans for expansion.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that there¡¯s a mysterious secret realm near Left Mist City. I suspect that one of the materials needed to refine the Divine Illusion Pill lies in the depths.¡±


    ¡°In front of North Mountain City, this mountain range that looks like a dragon might be hiding a shocking secret. The people of the abandoned world call it the backbone of the world.¡±


    ¡°I think after mobilizing many immortal factions to launch a counterattack, we can send more people to dig through the region. There might be many treasures there.¡±


    ¡°After those factions from the source ore shops got us to come here, their attitude became too perfunctory. Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to teach them a lesson? Otherwise, they will think that the immortal factions are easy to make use of.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. In any case, after the immortal factions arrive in the abandoned world, there¡¯s no longer a need for the source ore shops. It¡¯s said that they have the intention to hide away from the world. It¡¯s only right for them to lend some source ores to the immortal sects.¡±


    Everything was progressing just as they expected. After the immortal factions felt that they could truly take root and stabilize themselves, they were already preparing to turn into evil dragons and launch a counterattack before they started an all-out war with the strongest factions in the south mountain range.


    Chen Yiming heard everything clearly from the gap in the formation array.


    However, one could not blame the immortal factions for their actions. The factions from the source ore shops had been afraid before the battle. If they could not completely escape from the world and were found hiding in their headquarters, the two evil dragons from the immortal factions and the Infinite Island Group might even let go of their fight and devour the source ore shops first before fighting for control of the south mountain range.


    ¡­


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Suddenly, a boundless immortal light shot out from the space-travel portal.


    Immediately after, three dragon roars rang out, and the world shook. The 100,000 gods on the black cloud looked over at the same time. Sword Immortal Cang Qing¡¯s aura became even stronger, and he forced the Fire Scales Elder to retreat step by step.


    In the next moment, a three-headed dragon pulled a chariot out of the space teleportation portal. On it sat a man in armor.


    ¡°Tong Tian, you¡¯ve already stolen the limelight,¡±


    one of the three old immortals said unhappily. However, they still had to keep the space teleportation portal open because the army from the immortal factions was about to arrive.


    ¡°Hehe!¡±


    The man in the dragon chariot smiled and did not say anything.


    After stopping at the entrance of the space-travel portal for a while, the chariot pulled by the dragon moved again and drove straight into an area above the battlefield outside North Mountain City.


    The three-headed dragon roared again, its powerful aura shook the surroundings. This three-headed dragon was at the level of an earth immortal, which was equivalent to the gods of the jade star realm in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. However, it was only used to pull the chariot.


    The army of 100,000 gods on the black cloud immediately fell into chaos.


    The immortal factions had brought strong reinforcements over again, but on the side of the factions from the Infinite Island Group, only the Fire Scales Elder was holding them back. No other god at the star evolution realm had appeared.


    On the other hand, in North Mountain City, some people from the immortal factions were so excited that they tightened their grip on their swords. The momentum of the immortal factions had already been established, and the Infinite Island Group would definitely be chased out and killed by the immortal factions.


    This mentality was very normal. If the factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy joined forces to fight against the outsiders, it might still be very difficult for the immortal factions to fight against them. After all, they could not send all their forces over to this world.


    However, the Infinite Island Group was only one of the overlord factions at the inter-galactic level and was far from being able to represent the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy. This way, the immortal factions had never been afraid from the start. Otherwise, they would not have dared to start a war after only occupying one city.


    Soon, there was a new commotion from the space-travel portal.


    A five-colored immortal light burst out, and the scene of fairies playing music appeared.


    Among them, every fairy had an extremely perfect figure, causing countless people from both sides to feel excited.


    A graceful lady was a good match for a gentleman, and the fairies were no exception. Even the female gods were a little jealous of their figures.


    Immediately after, a woman strolled out of the space-travel portal.


    The woman was surrounded by a five-colored immortal light, and there was a diamond-shaped mark between her eyebrows. In addition, there was a pair of jade horns on her head that looked like dragon horns. They were very short.


    At the same time, because the jade horns were hidden in her hair, they gave off a strange sense of beauty.


    Other than that, she looked 99% similar to a human. She had a tall and graceful figure and a gentle appearance, but her eyes emitted a sharpness that was different from her appearance.


    At this moment, not only were countless people unable to look away, but even Sword Immortal Cang Qing could not help but glance at her.


    Of course, he knew which heavenly immortal it was, but he still did it. His eyes even revealed a gentle glint for a moment, giving the Fire Scales Elder a chance to catch his breath.


    ¡°Welcome, Dragon Fairy.¡±


    The attitude of the three old immortals towards the female immortal was naturally not the same as their attitude towards the previous person who had arrived.


    Although they looked calm on the surface, they all had smiles on their faces. If not for the fact that they still needed to keep the space teleportation portal open, they might have taken a break.


    The woman swept her gaze across the battlefield and took a step forward. She was at the same height as the man in the chariot.


    At the same time, the scene of the fairies playing music in the sky faded away and everything returned to normal.


    ¡°Is the mole arranged by the Infinite Island Group the man in the dragon carriage or this woman with jade horns?¡±


    Chen Yiming deliberately avoided her gaze. His intuition told him that the diamond-shaped mark between the woman¡¯s eyebrows was hiding a strong power.


    If he looked over like the others, even if there was an array formation between them, he would still be noticed. At such a critical moment, he could not take such a risk.


    They did not have to wait long for the next person to arrive.


    Another heavenly immortal was preparing to step out of the space teleportation portal.


    ¡°Knock knock knock¡­¡±


    The sound echoed throughout the area.


    When the people from the factions inside and outside the city heard this, their fighting spirit inexplicably calmed down¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange about this sound!¡±


    The 100,000 gods from the factions of the Infinite Island Group felt that something was amiss.


    There was a strange power hidden in the sound that made them feel defeated. At this moment, their wills wavered and they could not control their emotions.

 Chapter 466

    ?


    466 Chaotic Battle


    A bald man in a cassock walked out of the space-travel portal. He had golden skin and was carrying black jade prayer beads in his hands. He was chanting scriptures in a language that could not be understood by the others.


    ¡°It¡¯s the demon¡­ the holy monk from the divine temple.¡±


    In North Mountain City, someone from the immortal factions recognized him. However, he did not look shocked, but afraid. He subconsciously covered his ears with his hands.


    It turned out that the so-called divine temple had a mixed reputation in the galaxy where the immortal factions had come from. On the one hand, it was definitely powerful enough to revive the interest in Buddhism.


    On the other hand, the holy monks from the temple had been converting a large number of people into monks for the temple. To put it nicely, they were converts. To put it bluntly, they were forcing people to enter the temple.


    Of course, if that was all, it would not have caused the people from the immortal factions to be afraid. In reality, most of the monks who had been converted by the temple would no longer appear again in the world.


    No one knew where they had gone, nor could they find out any information about their whereabouts from the monks in the temple. It was as if they had disappeared forever.


    Therefore, the people from the immortal factions were a little flustered by the fact that the three old immortals had called the holy monks from the temple over. They were afraid that the so-called holy monks would come looking for them.


    ¡°A sound-based ability is simply the best way to expand one¡¯s range of power.¡±


    Chen Yiming felt an invisible sound wave brush past him and quickly understood its essence.


    Such divine powers were difficult to withstand if one¡¯s cultivation level was lower than the opponent¡¯s. Fighting against an opponent at the same level, it could also cause a certain amount of interference and create more advantageous conditions for oneself.


    Seeing this, he immediately felt that the immortal factions had a huge plan. The appearance of this holy monk confirmed this.


    If this sound-based divine power swept through the blue planet, all the living beings in the world would probably immediately lose control and throw themselves into the Buddhist Sect.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the improvement to one¡¯s body is limited.¡±


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of the holy monk. In front of his powerful physical talent and powerful spiritual will, the sound-based divine power was useless.


    If this holy monk dared to use his divine power to fight against him, he would use his fists to punch him or use the Reversal Palm divine power to teach him a lesson.


    ¡­


    As the three heavenly immortals teleported over, the aura of the immortal factions rose to its peak.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on the space-travel portal formed by the huge rock. Three heavenly immortals had already appeared, so would there be a fourth one?


    ¡°Is that all?¡± someone said regretfully.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it already a lot to send out three heavenly immortals at once?¡±


    Someone at the side immediately berated him.


    The heavenly immortal realm corresponded to the star evolution realm of the gods. They were all definitely important figures in the overlord factions in their galaxy. They were usually elusive and did not often put in an appearance.


    Unless something big happened, it was impossible for these people to appear in front of the outside world.


    This operation was not only for the expansion of the immortal factions in south mountain range, but also to spread the fame of the immortal factions.


    Soon, the space-travel portal lit up again.


    This time, they were no longer heavenly immortals. Instead, they were a group of fairies who were making music with their instruments. They were all from the faction of the female immortal with jade horns.


    Fairies walked out one after another in gorgeous robes. Their skin was so fair that it looked flawless, and their lips curled into confident smiles.


    When the fairies smiled, the hearts of the men in the North Mountain City started to beat faster.


    Next was the subordinate of the man in the dragon chariot, the barbarian chiefs.


    Every time the barbarian chiefs walked out of the space-travel portal, cracks would appear in the void. They held huge sabers in their hands and had fierce expressions on their faces. They were all the strongest people from the various barbarian tribes.


    Finally, there were the monks from the divine temple. They were wearing black monk robes and their faces were hidden under their hoods. They were chanting Buddhist scriptures, and as soon as they appeared, no one dared to look at them.


    This fear stemmed from the divine temple. They were afraid that if they looked at the monks, their will would be controlled and they would enter the temple and disappear from the world one day.


    Soon, the last monk stepped out of the space-travel portal.


    The three old immortals exhaled and stopped supplying their power to the huge rock. After losing the energy from the three heavenly immortals, the light from the space-travel portal gradually dimmed. After that, all the commotion gradually calmed down, and the huge rock appeared in its original form again.


    At some point, the battle between Sword Immortal Cang Qing and the Fire Scales Elder had come to a stop. The Fire Scales Elder had retreated to the black cloud, but the immortal factions were not in a hurry at all.


    Without the three old immortals taking part directly, the immortal factions could still out four heavenly immortals. It would be four against one. If the Fire Scales Elder did not have any reinforcements at the same level, it would be an extravagant hope for him to even escape safely.


    As for the 100,000 gods on the black cloud, once the Fire Scales Elder was completely defeated, they would not be able to put up much of a resistance against the heavenly immortals. They would definitely split up and try to escape in all directions.


    At that time, a large number of gods would probably die one after another in the south mountain range of the abandoned world.


    ¡°This abandoned world is very special. It¡¯s said that it¡¯s very likely to be the entrance to the otherworld where the true dragon¡¯s corpse is. I hope you can consider the big picture, Holy Monk,¡± one of the three old immortals said.


    The divine temple was different from the other immortal factions, and was somewhat independent from the other immortal factions. No one wanted problems to occur at the critical moment due to the involvement of the divine temple.


    To the immortal factions, while the divine temple was powerful, it was also an uncontrollable variable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your reminder. The divine temple has the intention to leave behind their teachings in this world, so we naturally won¡¯t make the short-sighted judgment of killing the golden goose to get its eggs.¡±


    The holy monk closed his eyes and the black jade prayer beads in his hand spun around.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    There were also all kinds of conflicts within the immortal factions, especially when they were gathered together. That was a good thing for him.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s proceed according to the plan. After the three of you occupy a large city, the Star Capturing Pavilion will continue to guide the immortal factions to teleport over.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start from¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, one of the monks from the divine temple disappeared.


    When he reappeared, he was behind one of the three old immortals. With a black palm, he used an unknown divine power to stab fiercely into his back.


    ¡°What!¡±


    The situation in front of them was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. The body of the old immortal from the Star Capturing Pavilion was attacked by the monk¡¯s black palm.


    For some reason, he could not move at all. At this moment, his powerful immortal techniques were completely useless. After that, black spots instantly covered his entire body, and the gaps between them were gradually filled with black.


    In the end, although an immortal light tried to burst out of his eyes, it seemed to be too late and he could not reverse the situation.


    Seeing this, Chen Yiming focused his attention. The space anchor was already prepared, and he could teleport towards the huge rock at any moment.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The eyes of the remaining two old immortals burned with anger.


    One of them extended his hand and grabbed at the air. The immortal technique, the Star Capturing Hand, turned into a cage that could seal away the stars and tore through the void, wanting to save their companion.


    The other old immortal turned to the holy monk.


    At this moment, the thought that appeared in his mind was that the divine temple wanted to replace the Star Capturing Pavilion and try to snatch the huge rock. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain the sneak attack by someone pretending to be an ordinary monk.


    He used the same immortal technique, the Star Capturing Hand. A dazzling immortal light blossomed, and the sky shook. It turned into five fingers that covered the sky and smashed down. Before it arrived, the scene of a huge explosion appeared in the air.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°The immortal factions started fighting among themselves first.¡±


    The 100,000 gods on the black cloud were also dumbfounded. This turn of events was too sudden.


    The Sword Immortal Cang Qing and the other two heavenly immortals who had just arrived in the abandoned world were also confused. No one had expected the divine temple to make a move at this time.


    They had always been wary of the divine temple, but they were expecting a move from them when they were attacking the large cities occupied by the factions from the Infinite Island Group instead.


    As for the fact that the Infinite Island Group could interfere with the internal affairs of the immortal factions and arrange for a traitor in advance, they felt that the possibility was very low.


    Immortals and gods were on two different paths of cultivation. Although the general principles were the same, there were still differences. It was even more difficult to hide the truth from those of a different cultivation system.


    The corners of the Fire Scales Elder¡¯s mouth curled up. This was only the beginning of the infighting, and it was far from the end. The invaders wanted to take the source ores in the abandoned world and also targeted the true dragon¡¯s corpse.


    The immortal factions were a little naive. They did not really understand the situation of the source ore shops at all. Did they really think that most of the forces from the Infinite Island Group were being held back?


    In a war spanning across galaxies, the local factions always had the absolute advantage. If not for the fact that they wanted to snatch the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal, the Infinite Island Group would have chased the immortal factions back immediately.


    In the North Mountain City, many people retreated quickly, staying far away from the platform. It was as if they were facing a ferocious beast and were afraid that they would not be able to avoid the aftershock from its attacks.


    Battles at the level of the heavenly immortal realm were extremely terrifying. The city¡¯s protection barrier protected North Mountain City, and at the same time, it prevented the people in the city from leaving. If a huge battle broke out in the city, everyone would die.


    Such lethality was unimaginable!


    At this moment, time seemed to have slowed down.


    Just as the immortal technique, the Star Capturing Hand, was about to suppress the holy monk, the huge rock from the space teleportation portal suddenly teleported towards the old immortal who was attacking the holy monk.


    A black shadow appeared from inside the huge rock. It stretched out its hand and closed its five fingers into a palm. Its appearance was also as black as ink, and it caught the old immortal off guard.


    He was forced to give up on using the Star Capturing Hand to kill the holy monk. He could only take out a furnace with his other hand. The furnace expanded in the wind, and lightning enveloped the black shadow.


    The huge rock had been right under the noses of the three old immortals. How had this black shadow not been discovered?


    The change had happened too suddenly, and there was no time to seriously think about what had gone wrong. The situation was very disadvantageous to the three old immortals.


    One of them was restrained and could not move, one of them was trying to save the other, and one of them was suddenly ambushed. The three old immortals were separated, which meant that the attacker knew their fighting style very well.


    On the other hand, the three old immortals did not even know the identity of the enemy and had not obtained any information on them in advance.


    In the blink of an eye, seeing that the three old immortals were about to suffer heavy injuries, the diamond-shaped mark between the eyebrows of the female immortal with the jade horn on her head emitted a powerful light. In an instant, the world turned into a sea of lightning. Lightning danced in the air and thunder rang out.


    In the next moment, a lightning dragon continued the attack started by the Star Capturing Hand and descended from above the head of the holy monk, intending to kill him on the spot.


    This was an extremely terrifying lightning-based immortal technique that was known for its lethality. In essence, it was an immortal lightning based on natural laws.


    The holy monk opened his eyes, and a golden tower appeared around him. It directly caused the lightning dragon to explode and return to pure lightning.


    At this moment, the city protection barrier was attacked by immortal techniques and divine powers from the inside and the outside at the same time. Without anyone controlling it, it was destroyed on the spot.


    The people from the immortal factions in North Mountain City escaped from the battlefield like a tide. If they were unlucky and ran slower, the aftershock could even kill a human immortal.


    Gao Shuai and the black dog wandered around the bases of many immortal factions. Anything of value was taken away and stored in the spatial item.


    The battlefield quickly expanded to cover the entire North Mountain City. However, none of the aftershocks of the battle hit the man and the dog. Even so, the black dog was so flustered that its bladder felt uncomfortable.


    A dog¡¯s life was too difficult. It would rather find a village and let the villagers worship it.


    Seeing this, Sword Immortal Cang Qing decided that he could not just stand by and do nothing. At the very least, he had to save the three old immortals first. Otherwise, things would become troublesome.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The three-foot-long blade charged at the monk who was controlling one of the old immortals.


    This sword could slash through everything in the world with one strike. Therefore, Sword Immortals were very powerful and rarely needed to use fancy immortal techniques. Few people of the same level could defeat them.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    However, the Fire Scales Elder seemed to have been prepared in advance and blocked the three-foot-long blade with his body.


    The fire dragon bloodline not only gave him a powerful fire talent, but also a powerful physical talent. The scales on his body were stronger than ordinary divine artifacts.


    Previously, the Fire Scales Elder was clearly suppressed by Sword Immortal Cang Qing, but in reality, it was still far from being a threat to his life.


    In fact, only the Fire Scales Elder knew if he had gone easy on his opponent and deliberately pretended to be weak.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Sword Immortal Cang Qing cursed under his breath and was forced to fight the Fire Scales Elder again.


    The sword domain descended, and the flames of destruction surged into the sky. The three-foot-long sword collided with the fire dragon, and the void exploded. Waves surged, and divine light shone in all directions.


    In the blink of an eye, a battle between many heavenly immortals and gods at the star evolution realm erupted.


    The only one who did not participate was the man in the dragon chariot. He was wearing armor, and his long hair was fluttering behind him due to the fluctuations.


    From the looks of it, he was not in a hurry to make a move. He seemed to be waiting for a good opportunity. After all, whichever side he joined would have the advantage in numbers.


    After completing its role, the huge rock fell to the side. The black shadow that had ambushed the old immortal was unwilling to carry the huge rock around with it.


    Chen Yiming saw all of this.


    ¡°Both sides want to wait for the outcome to be decided before deciding on the ownership of the huge rock?¡±


    Without a spatial item or spatial divine power, it would indeed be a burden to fight while carrying the huge rock. However, it would be too unreasonable to just abandon it and not even spare a look at it.


    In such a chaotic battle, what if someone accidentally broke it?


    He decided to protect it for the time being to prevent any accidents from happening.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Under the intense fluctuations on the battlefield, the spatial anchor had silently landed on its target.


    In the next moment, Chen Yiming, who was unknown to both sides of the immortal factions, barged into the battlefield and appeared beside the huge rock.


    Divine power, Hidden Universe.


    The huge rock suddenly disappeared and was kept away in Chen Yiming¡¯s sleeve.

 Chapter 467

    ?


    467 Slaying a Heavenly Immortal


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Chen Yiming was shocked by himself. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be so easy. There weren¡¯t any hidden tricks on the huge rock that could resist the divine power.


    A chaotic battle had broken out. Even though the three old immortals were stuck, there was still a heavenly immortal among the immortal factions who could join the battle at any time.


    In the end, it did not end up in the hands of the immortal factions or the Infinite Island Group. Instead, a third party had succeeded in stealing it.


    ¡°Gasp! Another person appeared. Were my eyes playing tricks on me just now? It¡¯s not that his speed is too fast, but he has a spatial ability.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so many spies to be planted in the immortal factions. It was originally one against many, but in the blink of an eye, the number of spies became completely equal and it was divided into many one-on-one battles.¡±


    ¡°The huge rock has fallen into the hands of outsiders. It will be troublesome if we can¡¯t snatch it back. We, the immortal factions, won¡¯t be able to obtain any reinforcements in the abandoned world.¡±


    The people from the immortal factions who had left North Mountain City were in an uproar. Everyone was talking about the consequences of losing the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal, which were far-reaching. It was definitely a loss that the current group of immortal factions could not withstand.


    At this moment, the most anxious were the heavenly immortals from the immortal factions.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death. This isn¡¯t something you can steal,¡± the man in armor shouted and extended his arm. A halberd flew out of the chariot pulled by the dragon. The handle was inlaid with a crystal, and there was a scene of the world being destroyed.


    In an instant, the man leaped into the air and slashed down with his halberd. The scene in the crystal became real. A huge star fell, and a sun exploded. Chen Yiming¡¯s figure was drowned out.


    ¡°Alright! We didn¡¯t let that person escape successfully.¡±


    The people from the immortal factions who had retreated far away erupted in cheers.


    At that moment, they really felt like their hearts had stopped. They were afraid that the person who had stolen the huge rock would disappear right under their noses.


    ¡°Tong Tian, don¡¯t let him escape,¡±


    the woman with the jade horns emphasized.


    Neither faction had the time to take care of the huge rock, but the situation had not turned extremely bad. However, the situation was already not good now.


    They had to snatch back the huge rock first. Otherwise, the immortal factions would lose their confidence and their opponent would easily seize the opportunity to defeat them one by one.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Faced with the halberd slashing down with a destructive force, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t hesitate to use his divine power, the Reversal Palm, to meet the attack head-on.


    If he was surrounded by a group of heavenly immortals, he would naturally prioritize escaping. However, he only had one opponent now, so he could take the chance to verify his current limits.


    A huge palm that covered the sky opened up and grabbed at the sun and stars.


    Then, a huge explosion occurred in the air. Be it the huge palm that covered the sky, the falling stars, or the hot sun, they were all destroyed.


    Chen Yiming and the man opposite him slid backwards in space to widen the distance between them.


    This made Chen Yiming¡¯s gaze narrow. Earlier, the two of them could be said to have reached a draw. He hadn¡¯t been able to gain the upper hand, and neither had his opponent.


    With the enhancement from his two powerful talents, he could completely fight someone of a higher level. On the other hand, this meant that his opponent was not a weakling among the heavenly immortals.


    Little did he know that the heavenly immortals were worried again.


    The heavenly immortal Tong Tian was definitely someone who was very powerful among those of the same level. He did not expect that he would not be able to suppress his opponent with his first move.


    Seeing this, Sword Immortal Cang Qing wanted to turn back and help to retrieve the huge rock. However, the Fire Scales Elder saw through his intentions and immediately held him back.


    Sword immortals were not perfect either. They had high attack power and high speed among those at the same level, but their defense was relatively mediocre.


    For example, the Fire Scales Elder, who had the fire dragon bloodline, could withstand Sword Immortal Cang Qing¡¯s attacks without any worries.


    Therefore, this flaw was targeted by the Fire Scales Elder. He could not be killed for the time being and could only forcefully continue to fight him.


    ¡°The outcome has been decided!¡±


    The holy monk from the divine temple had a calm expression on his face.


    He didn¡¯t know Chen Yiming, but he thought that they were all on the same side. Seeing that the outcome of this deal was already set in stone, the Fire Scales Elder fought even more fiercely.


    He had been in seclusion all year round, and he thought highly of his bloodline. He did not pay much attention to matters below the star evolution realm.


    Even after the battle between Chen Yiming and the person with twin pupils and caused a huge commotion, he was still unaware of the situation. Coupled with the fact that the spies had their own arrangements, he treated Chen Yiming as one of their own.


    At this moment, the outcome of the sneak attack on the three old immortals had also changed. Their rescue had failed.


    The monk who had stabbed the old immortal¡¯s body with his ink-black palm slowly fused with him when his eyes could not be completely covered in black.


    Then, the black spots successfully completed their invasion and controlled the old immortal like chains that could not be broken.


    The monks from the divine temple had displayed their strength to the world. If the heavenly immortals were successfully ambushed, they could still be killed.


    ¡°How could this be!¡±


    The expressions of the people from the immortal factions changed drastically.


    As soon as the battle broke out, the immortal factions lost one member, and it became a five-on-five battle.


    This way, even if it was a draw in the end, the other party could still rely on the advantage of having the huge rock in their hands to successfully retreat.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming played along and took the initiative to attack. He could continue to verify the strength of the other divine powers he had cultivated.


    With a clang, a metal spear appeared in his hand. Lightning was wrapped around it. This was formed by the divine power, the Purgatory Divine Lightning.


    The combination of metal and lightning was a fusion lightning-based divine power, so its lethality was higher.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    As soon as Chen Yiming finished speaking, he teleported in front of the heavenly immortal Tong Tian.


    His opponent, who was wearing armor and holding a halberd, was just worrying about how Chen Yiming could take the opportunity to escape. He did not expect him to advance instead of retreating. His body instinctively reacted and raised his halberd to slash down.


    However, at this moment, Chen Yiming¡¯s speed was too fast. This wasn¡¯t pure speed, but his spatial ability. This caused his opponent¡¯s body and consciousness to experience a mismatch.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Both sides shouted at the same time and pushed their powers to the limit. Boundless light blossomed.


    The halberd brushed past Chen Yiming¡¯s shoulder as it landed. The destructive power from the explosion of the sun, moon, and stars didn¡¯t hit their target. Instead, most of them hit the air.


    In the next moment, the ground below exploded, and a bottomless black hole appeared.


    On the other side, Chen Yiming¡¯s determined gaze appeared amidst the lightning, and the sound of thunder rang out.


    The metal spear stabbed out and stabbed into the chest of the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian. The divine power, the Purgatory Divine Lightning, pierced through his armor and entered his body. Finally, it exploded.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    After being invaded by the fusion lightning-based divine power, the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian panicked. Even though he might be severely injured, he still had to launch a counterattack.


    His free hand condensed the Yin and Yang energies in his palm, and then his immortal blood fused with it. This was a blood sacrifice technique among the immortal techniques. With the fusion of the immortal blood, its power increased greatly.


    In the end, the Yin and Yang energies that had fused with the immortal blood also struck Chen Yiming in the chest. His flesh exploded on the spot, and a bloody hole appeared.


    This was not all. The terrifying Yin and Yang energies contained the natural laws of life and death, and would continue to severely injure the other party. This was an injury that was very difficult to get rid of.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Instead of treating his injuries immediately, his opponent was still trying to injure him. Chen Yiming realized his opponent¡¯s choice.


    This type of combat style was usually based on one¡¯s extreme confidence in one¡¯s physical talent. One would firmly believe that one would survive to the end even if they were also severely injured and had a stronger overall recovery ability.


    Of course, since he was only injured, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of his opponent. Even if it was an immortal technique at the same level as his divine power, it clearly didn¡¯t have the ability to kill him in one strike.


    This way, the other party would only be courting death.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Chen Yiming¡¯s eyes flashed coldly. The space in his empty hand became distorted. This was the divine power, Bending Heaven and Earth. Coupled with the Purgatory Divine Lightning that was already wreaking havoc in his opponent¡¯s body, he hoped to kill him in one strike.


    The divine power that was so terrifying that it could tear divine artifacts into pieces also shocked his opponent. However, the damage caused by the Purgatory Divine Lightning greatly reduced his reaction speed.


    At this moment, it was too late to dodge. At most, he would try to land a counterattack on Chen Yiming again.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    The air distorted as Chen Yiming injected the divine power Bending Heaven and Earth between the eyebrows of his opponent, causing his face to be mangled. A terrifying twisting power erupted.


    At the same time,


    a ball emitting a boundless immortal light was injected into Chen Yiming¡¯s body by his opponent.


    The immortal light emitted by this ball was extremely sharp. It could even cut through the chains of natural laws in the air. It was a terrifying immortal killing technique.


    The Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian had once relied on this to fight one against two in a battle between heavenly immortals. The two heavenly immortals fighting against him did not dare to get close to him easily because they were guarding against this attack.


    Next, the two of them separated with their respective injuries.


    Tong Tian¡¯s body was overflowing with the divine lightning, and a terrifying twisting power was also wreaking havoc on him. The scene was too terrifying. His body was broken into pieces, and not a single part of it was intact.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t much better. The Yin and Yang energies drowned out his figure, and immortal light continuously pierced through his body.


    Every time the immortal light landed, the ground was slashed open like tofu. Nothing could withstand the power of the immortal light.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Seeing this, the people from the immortal factions were dumbfounded.


    No one had expected such a scene. The other battlefields were still in a stalemate, but the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian had been severely injured.


    The other heavenly immortals glanced over and gasped.


    The Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian had pushed himself too far. Fortunately, he had successfully kept his life. At the very least, he had protected the huge rock and allowed the immortal factions to continue guiding other reinforcements over.


    That¡¯s right. In the eyes of the other heavenly immortals, Chen Yiming was the one who would die. As for Tong Tian, who still had the incomplete Nirvana Immortal Technique, as long as he didn¡¯t die on the spot, he would be able to recover after the battle.


    After the chaotic battle broke out, the army of barbarian chiefs under the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian retreated into the distance. They knew very well that the battle was not at a level that they could participate in.


    However, it was now their turn to go on stage. As long as they could help a little, the balance of victory would immediately tilt in their favor.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The army of barbarian chiefs was formed by three earth immortals and a group of human immortals. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded Chen Yiming.


    Each of them had been through hundreds of battles and had followed the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian to fight in various battlefields. The weakest among them had at least an average combat strength. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.


    ¡°Oh? They¡¯re quite bold.¡±


    Chen Yiming chuckled. The Purgatory Divine Lightning turned into a metal spear that was full of lightning, and he threw it at the army of barbarian chiefs.


    Next, lightning drowned out everything. Under the divine power of the Purgatory Divine Lightning, the strongest army under the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian was directly burned into ashes.


    This was the result of the difference in their expectations. The army of barbarian chiefs thought that Chen Yiming was making the best use of his time to stabilize his injuries and couldn¡¯t mobilize much of his strength.


    In reality, the immortal light had pierced through his body, but the injuries were only superficial.


    The Yin and Yang energies that were wreaking havoc in his body drowned out everything, and the fluctuations were intense. Otherwise, the outside world would have realized that Chen Yiming¡¯s injuries were almost completely healed.


    Furthermore, to Chen Yiming, the so-called army of barbarians chiefs was too weak. He could easily crush those of the same level, let alone the fact that most of them were only at the human immortal realm.


    Sword Immortal Cang Qing could kill a god at the star condensation realm with just one look. Chen Yiming could also easily do it with his terrifying spiritual will.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. He had only barely stabilized his injuries. Even if he was a heavenly immortal, injuries caused by the natural laws were not something that could be ignored.


    The incomplete Nirvana Immortal Technique he had mastered could only be used after dealing with the injuries caused by the natural laws. It was not the complete True Phoenix Nirvana Immortal Technique.


    ¡°Immortal Blood Fire!¡±


    Suddenly, the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian roared when he saw that his opponent had returned to normal in the blink of an eye.


    Clearly, at this moment, he was regretting it. He did not have the time to think about why the almost indestructible Yin and Yang energies had suddenly been resolved. However, he was unwilling to give up just like that. There was still the forbidden immortal technique that he could use as his trump card.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±


    Chen Yiming sneered and used the space anchor to teleport closer again.


    The immortal blood was illuminating the void, and a long river vaguely appeared. Inside was an invincible war god leading a team to fight in outer space.


    This invincible war god was the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian.


    However, it was too late. The advantage he was most proud of had been crushed. Using the forbidden immortal technique with his severely injured body would only cause his injuries to worsen.


    Divine power, Reversal Palm.


    A palm that covered the sky appeared, causing the sky to tremble and the void to crack. At lightning speed, it grabbed the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian, who was using a forbidden immortal technique.


    Then, that was all. The forbidden immortal technique did not unleash the power it should have. Everything calmed down, and except for the other battlefields, there was a dead silence.


    ¡°The Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian has died.¡±


    The people from the immortal factions were all in a daze.


    They were not sad about the death of the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian, but because the balance between the two sides had tilted. If the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian died, would the next one to fall be far behind?


    In other words, the Infinite Island Group had the advantage. A few heavenly immortals might have the ability to escape, but the others did not have the ability to withstand the power of a god at the star evolution realm.


    At that time, those from the immortal factions would become prisoners, and their outcome would definitely not be good¡­


    At this moment, the people from the immortal factions still thought that Chen Yiming, who had suddenly appeared, was from the enemy camp. They didn¡¯t know that this was a beautiful misunderstanding.


    It was impossible for Chen Yiming to help the Infinite Island Group wipe out the immortal factions.


    Firstly, there was no need for that. Secondly, from the perspective of the humans from the blue planet, since they were also going to descend into the abandoned world, they would definitely prioritize weakening the strongest factions here.

 Chapter 468

    ?


    468 Metaverse


    It was a chaotic battle between two sides. First, one of the old immortals was completely controlled by the other side, and it was unknown if he was dead or alive.


    Then, the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian tried to stop the person who had snatched the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal, but he died instead.


    The situation had changed so quickly that the confidence of the immortal factions to interfere with the abandoned world fell. The few heavenly immortals who were still alive could not help but become more defensive.


    ¡°Tong Tian, what were you doing?¡±


    Sword Immortal Cang Qing had changed from ruthlessly suppressing the Fire Scales Elder to focusing on fighting less fiercely. He maintained a distance from him at any time and focused on not getting injured.


    ¡°The immortal factions have lost. We can¡¯t continue fighting.¡±


    A dazzling rune appeared in the diamond-shaped mark between the eyebrows of the female immortal with the jade horn. In an instant, her Immortal Lightning Technique was enhanced.


    At this moment, she seemed to be a terrifying existence bathed in lightning. She had the appearance of a celestial being, and she seemed to want to purify all the dirty and evil things in the world.


    ¡°Third Brother, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Of the three old immortals, only two of them were left. In such a situation, they were unable to save him. Although the immortal factions were located in a distant galaxy, it was still possible for a heavenly immortal to cross it with their physical bodies.


    However, by the time they crossed the space and returned to their galaxy, the headquarters of the Star Capturing Pavilion might have already been destroyed by the divine temple.


    Were they already considering which large cities to attack?


    The two old immortals had never felt so regretful. This time, they could be said to be returning in defeat. One of the top three combatants of the Star Capturing Pavilion had been eliminated, and their foundation had been injured.


    Other than that, after the people from the immortal factions who had retreated far away recovered from their daze,


    there was no need for discussion or orders. They spontaneously fled into the wilderness. In everyone¡¯s opinion, this chaotic battle had already been decided. Next, it was time for the immortal factions to fall.


    ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t even think about escaping so easily.¡±


    The Fire Scales Elder made up his mind. As one side retreated and the other advanced, the battle with Sword Immortal Cang Qing gradually moved away from the territory of North Mountain City.


    He didn¡¯t know Chen Yiming, and thought that the huge rock had already been successfully obtained by the Infinite Island Group.


    The reason was that no matter how big a commotion Chen Yiming had caused previously, he wasn¡¯t at the level of the star evolution realm like the powerful elders.


    Unless there was a huge grudge between them like the Roc clan, he would not have paid much attention to him.


    Every era had a group of geniuses, but too many of them died midway through their cultivation. Furthermore, although there was only a difference of two levels, there were not many who could completely unleash their potential to reach a higher level.


    After many geniuses broke through to the jade star realm, their performance immediately became much worse. They might not even be able to successfully cultivate the unique divine power of their clan.


    A divine power that was not inherited from the clan was even more difficult to obtain. It was extremely rare, and usually only those with powerful spiritual talent like the person with twin pupils could do it.


    The holy monk from the divine temple also knew nothing about Chen Yiming. Since the Fire Scales Elder was certain that he was from their side, they naturally accepted this as the truth.


    Soon, due to the chain reaction, the other heavenly immortals could not fight their opponents to the death, and they followed suit and retreated as they fought.


    After a while, the area around North Mountain City became empty, and only Chen Yiming was left.


    ¡°Do they trust me that much?¡±


    To be honest, Chen Yiming was a little confused. He had chosen the right time to interfere in the chaotic battle.


    His divine power, Hidden Universe, had allowed him to take away the huge rock. The traitors who had launched a sneak attack were convinced he was on their side.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming used the space anchor to teleport away.


    Next, North Mountain City fell completely silent, leaving behind only ruins. However, the pursuit in the south mountain range was far from over.


    The factions from the Infinite Island Group had originally planned to start attacking the immortal factions and then take advantage of the infighting to cause a huge commotion. The chaos had only just begun.


    ¡­


    In the dark and lonely galaxy, the stars seemed to fill the sky.


    These stars were actually moving at high speed, but they did not seem to be moving at all, as if they were monitoring every corner on behalf of the will of the universe.


    The fleet of spaceships from the blue planet was moving silently towards the abandoned world.


    A year ago, all the people who had entered the hibernation chamber to sleep were woken up and told of the change in direction. The spaceships of the various countries were really lively for a while.


    The abandoned world could be described as a planet where gods roamed around everywhere. Such a powerful cultivation world caused intense discussion among the humans from the blue planet.


    It could be said that in terms of strength, humans were like a nest of ants on the blue planet.


    Other than Chen Yiming, there weren¡¯t many other strong people around. Those who had some strength were actually still in danger of being wiped out in an instant.


    Therefore, there had always been objections as to whether this world was suitable for being a new planet for humanity, even though their initial plan was only to find a planet around the abandoned world and settle down there first.


    In a biological laboratory on the Daxia spaceship, Professor Li Mingfu and Professor Xiao Huajun were studying an unknown creature that had appeared from the meteorite they had accidentally captured.


    At the moment, the humans from the blue planet had completely embarked on the path of cultivation, but technology had not been completely abandoned. Powerful cultivators also had an advantage in scientific research that ordinary people could not compare to.


    Firstly, one¡¯s energy and thinking speed were not on the same level. Secondly, the number of years one could spend on research was not on the same level. This greatly increased the potential of a scientist.


    The higher the level of technology, the more knowledge it involved. This was an inevitable restriction, and there were no methods to forcefully overcome this knowledge gap.


    Therefore, with the physiques of ordinary people, they would have spent most of their years learning and accumulating old knowledge. It was a pity that the time left for them to do novel research work was too short.


    However, it was different for extraordinary humans who had embarked on the path of cultivation. For example, the chief scientist of the humans from the blue planet was Wu Susu, who was in the inscription realm.


    Her brain had already widened the gap between herself and ordinary people, and most of the cutting-edge technology of the humans could be advanced by her alone.


    Ever since the humans from the blue planet stepped into outer space, without the pressure of enemies attacking them, technology had undergone another huge development.


    Nuclear bombs were no longer the strongest means of attack. Artificial intelligence technology, robotics technology, and so on were developing at an extremely fast speed.


    The humans from the blue planet had really transformed into an interstellar civilization.


    ¡°Old Xiao, I heard that the computer laboratory next door really realized the idea of the metaverse some time ago. They plan to let everyone move around in the virtual world in the next three months.¡±


    Li Mingfu took advantage of the time when the machine was performing its analysis to find a topic to chat about.


    ¡°Old Li, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing to have the metaverse. Compared to arduous cultivation, the new type of entertainment it brings about is naturally more tempting.¡±


    Xiao Huajun put down the equipment in his hand and sighed.


    The reason why he objected was mainly because his son had long been clamoring to form a team with a group of like-minded young people to go into the metaverse.


    In private, Xiao Huajun checked some information and realized that it was similar to the job of gamers from many years ago, when the blue planet was not yet invaded by the otherworld.


    In other words, if Xiao Huajun¡¯s son could not refocus his thoughts, his cultivation might come to a stop and it would be difficult for him to catch up later.


    ¡°Old Xiao, your thoughts can¡¯t keep up with the times. This metaverse also has a positive effect on scientific research that can¡¯t be ignored.¡±


    Li Mingfu also had a son, but his son was a cultivation fanatic and had no interest in the metaverse at all. Looking at the angry Xiao Huajun, he felt relieved.


    ¡°Forget it. It looks like there¡¯s no hope for my useless son. It might be more suitable for him to get married and have children as soon as possible and nurture the next generation.¡±


    Xiao Huajun felt a headache coming on at the thought of this. He rubbed his head and felt a little better.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Who can accurately determine how long it will take to reach the abandoned world? That¡¯s almost half the distance across the width of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. There might be all kinds of changes along the way.¡±


    Li Mingfu immediately agreed with a smile.


    There was now a consensus in the spaceship fleet that the abandoned world was the long-term goal of the humans from the blue planet, and it might take a few generations to reach this destination.


    Moreover, just because they had arrived did not mean that the humans from the blue planet had the ability to directly descend into the abandoned world. Ordinary people could not withstand the environment there.


    Excluding those above the master realm, the lifespan of those who cultivated to the master realm had already increased greatly. They were no longer on the same level as ordinary people.


    It was also because of this that the popularity of the metaverse had recently overshadowed the discussions related to the abandoned world. This was especially true for the younger generation. There was a high chance that they would spend their entire lives on the spaceships.


    In that case, since the abandoned world did not have much to do with them, other than getting married and having children, many young people were slacking off in their cultivation.


    If not for the fact that the higher-ups of the human race insisted on tying all kinds of benefits to one¡¯s cultivation level, many people would have spent all their time on entertainment instead.


    Even with hibernation technology, it could not stop this trend. Many young people just wanted to lie flat and hand over the heavy responsibility of cultivation to the next generation.


    Time quickly passed by.


    Time always passed quickly when one was chatting. Not long after, the machine beeped.


    The two professors, Li Mingfu and Xiao Huajun, changed the topic and returned to focusing on their work. To the two of them, they felt that the arrival of humans from the blue planet on the abandoned world was a very distant matter.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t think that Chen Yiming could find a solution. After all, Chen Yiming had created enough miracles on the blue planet. Anything was possible.


    From the perspective of all the humans from the blue planet, it did not seem appropriate to go to the abandoned world with their weak combat strength. It was better to develop step by step along the way.


    In a few hundred years, the overall cultivation level of humans would definitely increase qualitatively. At that time, it would be more suitable to go to the abandoned world.


    There was another reason. The ancient books recorded that on the path of cultivation of gods, each period of seclusion lasted for a long time. Therefore, it was very likely that Chen Yiming had gone into seclusion for a long time.


    The higher-ups were already mentally prepared that in the upcoming decades, other than leaving behind a spiritual will clone to guard the spaceship, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t send back any news.


    ¡­


    In the abandoned world, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from North Mountain City.


    Because the villages in the wilderness felt that the ground was trembling violently, they roughly guessed that chaos was really about to descend, so they sealed off the villages and enacted martial law.


    The factions from the source ore shops wanted to hide from the world, and if the factions from the Infinite Island Group wanted to find them, they would have to send out people to carry out a thorough search.


    This was the cause of the chaos. The chaos would affect the south mountain range and even places that were further away. Nowhere would be completely safe.


    Chen Yiming sat cross-legged on a small hill and waited patiently for a day and night before Gao Shuai and the black dog arrived.


    The two of them looked harmless, but they had actually looted the resources of the immortal factions that had arrived from another galaxy. They had definitely gained a lot, especially since Gao Shuai had a spatial item on him. He would definitely not leave anything behind.


    Other than that, the people from the Infinite Island Group would probably also have enough time to react. Once Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai were exposed, they would attract more than one or two gods at the star evolution realm to hunt them down.


    ¡°Brother, did you really crush the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian to death? Did you secretly leave him alive? If we have a chance to fight our way back to the headquarters of the immortal factions one day, we can let him lead the way,¡± Gao Shuai made a fuss and asked.


    ¡°How could I have thought so far ahead? Once the divine power of the Reversal Palm was used, the other party would not even have a bit of dust left behind. At that moment, I realized that the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian was too weak,¡± Chen Yiming replied casually.


    If he was strong enough, whatever he said would be right. No one could refute him.


    At this moment, Gao Shuai and the black dog had this feeling. They knew that the person in front of them was only pretending, but what he said sounded true. The Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian had indeed lost in a one-on-one battle.


    The black dog wagged its tail uncontrollably. It had to cozy up to him. This time, it would not leave even if it was beaten to death. Furthermore, it had to show off the value of its special ability.


    A breeze blew across the grass, and the fallen leaves rustled.


    In the distance, the sound of conflict could be heard. From time to time, flames would soar into the sky, but the two people and the dog turned a deaf ear to it.


    Chen Yiming waved his hand, and the divine power, Hidden Universe, was released. The huge rock forming the space teleportation portal appeared on the ground. The man-made marks that could be found inside had already been erased by him.


    As for whether there were any marks left behind that were hidden deeply inside, he was not someone who specialized in studying array formations and barriers. Perhaps he had missed something or he might have erased it all.


    ¡°Gao Shuai, your butler seemed to have said that you have all kinds of terrifying killing formations. Hurry up and see if the secret technique left behind by the Star Capturing Immortal has been wiped out.¡±


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he immediately went to work.


    He was also very interested in the huge rock. It had to be known that only a small number of overlord factions in the galaxy could have such a thing. Whoever had it would immediately obtain what was equivalent to a powerful spatial ability.


    Gao Shuai sat down cross-legged and placed his hands on the surface of the huge rock. He closed his eyes and carefully checked it.


    Chen Yiming and the black dog waited patiently at the side. Although the huge rock was in his hands, Chen Yiming realized that he couldn¡¯t use it directly after studying it.


    This special rock contained the space teleportation portal. Inside it was a complicated array formation. In addition, the three old immortals had set up restrictions on its use.


    If one did not know how to undo the restrictions, it was equivalent to not having a key, causing one to be unable to activate the huge rock and turn it into a space-travel portal.


    Time quickly passed by.


    After a long time, Gao Shuai opened his eyes again and said, ¡°There are still six marks restricting its use on the inside.¡±


    ¡°However, the essence spirit of a heavenly immortal is too powerful. You have to help with your spiritual will. Otherwise, I can¡¯t erase those marks alone.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded in agreement.


    Soon, Gao Shuai led the way and broke through the restrictions. In the end, Chen Yiming removed the remaining six marks.


    At the same time, in a cave, the two old immortals who were recuperating each spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The marks were related to their essence spirits. The moment they were forcefully erased, no matter how far away they were, they would still receive the backlash, causing their injuries to worsen.


    Vulgarities immediately erupted from the cave. The two old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion were extremely agitated.


    Not long after, they cursed until they were tired out. The two old immortals looked defeated and helpless.


    The huge rock from the Star Capturing Pavilion¡¯s space teleportation portal had been passed down for countless years, and even the deepest marks had been found and erased. This meant that it was almost impossible for them to retrieve it.


    After all, the immortal factions from another galaxy. It was very difficult for them to really go against the local factions in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. The price for sending out reinforcements was different for the two sides.


    Furthermore, there was a serious mistake in their plan. The Infinite Island Group could mobilize more forces than expected, and they had even successfully joined forces with the moles on their side to launch a sneak attack.


    Therefore, the two old immortals could only blame the source ore shops. They were simply cowards and were useless. As a result, the immortal factions had been tricked badly this time.

 Chapter 469

    ?


    469 Secret Realm in the Otherworld


    Just as Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai were patiently studying the huge rock, the immortal factions had retreated in defeat, and a huge commotion quickly started. The origin was a faction from the Infinite Island Group, but it was unknown how many factions had taken the opportunity to join in.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The ground shook. Somewhere in the wilderness, a huge earthquake seemed to have occurred.


    Countless rocks and dust filled the sky. The mountains were shaking, and the alien bird creatures were fleeing, their voices echoing for hundreds of kilometers.


    ¡°Village Chief, the elder of the Hong clan was killed with a single strike. It was done by a god from the Infinite Island Group. It¡¯s said that he searched the entire Hong clan stronghold and left without taking anything with him.¡±


    Thunder Village was a large village in the wilderness. There were more than 1,000 households living there in total. A young man from the village patrol team rushed into the village chief¡¯s house and quickly reported the information he had obtained.


    At this moment, all the men from Thunder Village had gathered at the village chief¡¯s house. Each of them carried a spear, saber, and sword with them. Everyone had felt the huge earthquake earlier and was already prepared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Hurry up and charge. First come, first served,¡± the village chief shouted.


    In the past year, all kinds of rumors had spread. Everyone knew that a huge commotion was inevitable. After some thought, the village chief of Thunder Village roughly understood the reason for this and immediately gave the order without hesitation.


    Soon, a group of villagers charged towards the Hong clan stronghold along a small path in the forest with weapons in their hands.


    The Hong clan was a city-level faction. There were dozens of villages within its territory, and it was also the core of this area. In addition, there were city walls built around it, similar to a small city.


    However, 100 years ago, before the elder of the Hong clan rose up, the Hong clan stronghold was originally known as the Hong clan¡¯s village. At that time, it was not much different from the surrounding villages.


    In the past 100 years, the Hong clan¡¯s village developed into the Hong clan stronghold. Relying on the powerful elder¡¯s strength, they took in the young blood of dozens of surrounding villages.


    Therefore, most of the villages had already been simmering with rage towards the Hong clan. They were just waiting for an opportunity.


    ¡°Hurry up, everyone.¡±


    The village chief of Thunder Village urged the team, afraid that if they were late, nothing would be left behind.


    The god from the Infinite Island Group did not care about the Hong clan¡¯s treasures, but that did not mean that the surrounding villages felt the same way.


    Although all the villages in the surrounding area had a long-standing grudge against the Hong clan stronghold, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rob them of their resources. They would have to rely on their own abilities to see what they could get.


    In the wilderness, there were countless towering mountains and endless forests. Some thick trees provided natural cover, and their crowns reached into the sky.


    Some of the vines that grew throughout the forest wrapped around the mountain like tree roots. They were like horned dragons.


    The people from Thunder Village ran all the way to the Hong clan stronghold.


    They were the third village to arrive. A fight had already broken out in the stronghold, and it was just the right time.


    Other than the dead elder, the remaining core members of the Hong clan stronghold were about the same level as the village chiefs of the surrounding villages. In the face of the upcoming siege of dozens of villages, they were not a threat at all.


    There was no need to communicate in advance or discuss a plan. Other villages rushed over one after another to join in the battle to loot and destroy the Hong clan stronghold.


    ¡­


    ¡°By the way, have you chosen a place for your people to settle down in the abandoned world?¡±


    Gao Shuai asked casually as he studied the teleportation formation in the huge rock.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply immediately.


    Previously, he had intended to choose the Heaven Suppressing City for this purpose. However, now that the city ruler had already rebuilt the city, and he had taken the huge rock which was at the center of the chaos, the location he had originally thought of was clearly not suitable.


    The higher-ups among the humans from the blue planet thought that they were far from strong enough to deal with this world where gods were everywhere and extraordinary creatures were thought to be too weak.


    Therefore, they would temporarily settle down on a planet outside the abandoned world before taking their time to plan their next move.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t made a final decision. Do you have any suitable locations to recommend?¡±


    Gao Shuai grinned. ¡°Why don¡¯t we modify this huge rock and turn it into a secret realm in the otherworld?¡±


    ¡°This way, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about protecting them from the many enemies. It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    The black dog barked twice.


    This was a good idea. If the strongest member rarely went out, what was the use of having it around? It was too weak and could not even be a guard dog.


    On the other hand, if he hid his people in the secret realm in the otherworld, his subordinates would naturally be fighting with him in the outside world. Then, the black dog¡¯s ability would have a lot of use against the various array formations and barriers.


    Chen Yiming weighed the pros and cons.


    Gao Shuai had naturally made this suggestion because he wanted to test out the huge rock.


    This was a good idea, but what about the success rate? Would it be possible to destroy the internal array formation structure if they rashly moved it around? Furthermore, the stability of the secret realm in the otherworld still needed to be considered.


    The actual coordinates of the otherworld were located in the space-travel distortion. The surface of the space was connected to the abandoned world, and it was equivalent to being an external existence.


    This way, if something happened to the secret realm in the otherworld, there was a possibility that it would fall into the space-travel distortion and disappear.


    Once such a dangerous situation occurred, even with the help of the Hidden Universe divine power, it could not be said to be foolproof.


    After all, there must be a large number of mysterious existences in the space-travel distortion that he could not deal with at his current level. Otherwise, after he had sent the person with twin pupils into the space-travel distortion, the city ruler would not have prioritized saving him immediately.


    Chen Yiming remembered that the city ruler had left without hesitation even though he knew that Gao Shuai might take the opportunity to steal his treasures. In the end, the treasure vault had been completely destroyed.


    Gao Shuai seemed to have sensed Chen Yiming¡¯s concerns and smiled. ¡°Since I dare to suggest it, I¡¯m naturally confident. I won¡¯t trick you.¡±


    ¡°Before I left the Gao clan, I asked our clan leader for a large number of half-finished array formations. I thought that if I found suitable objects to hold them, I could immediately become a combatant.¡±


    ¡°Other than a large number of killing arrays, there are also array formations to create secret realms in the otherworld.¡±


    A half-finished array formation was an array formation engraved in a special crystal. It could be transferred at any time and fused into a suitable object.


    In addition, the truly powerful array formations did not appear out of thin air. They either relied on special places like the earth vein or various divine materials to create them.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming felt a little relieved.


    The array formation would not be drawn on the spot, so the risk would be reduced to a certain extent. However, there was still a certain risk in removing the array formation left behind by the Star Capturing Pavilion.


    In essence, they still had to make a big move inside the huge rock, so they were back to square one. Gao Shuai would need to test it out.


    However, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have any talent related to array formations. Other than Gao Shuai¡¯s suggestion, he didn¡¯t have any other way.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s suggestion was indeed an extremely suitable choice for the humans from the blue planet, other than the possible risks.


    The secret realm in the otherworld was half independent from the abandoned world. Countless ordinary people from the blue planet could cultivate inside of it first. When they cultivated enough to withstand the environment in the abandoned world, they could consider exiting the secret realm to continue their training.


    The secret realm in the otherworld was equivalent to a different kind of environment. The humans from the blue planet could adapt to the new environment more easily there.


    Being hidden would also make it easier for Chen Yiming to stop his enemies. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t be in a situation where he would have to deal with enemies on multiple sides.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s eyes lit up, and his motivation increased to another level. He wanted to figure out the array formation left behind by the old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion as soon as possible.


    After some discussion, the plan was that Chen Yiming would first bring the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet to a planet near the abandoned world.


    At this point, the formation inside the special rock would have completed its role. Gao Shuai would erase and replace the array formation inside of it, turning it into a true secret realm in the otherworld.


    Then, the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet would enter the spatial item that Gao Shuai had obtained from the city ruler and stay there for a short period of time.


    After that, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai would return to the abandoned world and choose a location to link to the secret realm in the otherworld. After that, the human spaceship fleet from the blue planet would go to the otherworld.


    This plan avoided the problem that most of the humans from the blue planet could not withstand the environment in the abandoned world and allowed them to indirectly arrive on the abandoned world.


    Due to the modification of the huge rock forming the space-travel portal, the idea of reconnecting the new planet and the blue planet could no longer be realized. Chen Yiming had to rely on himself to find another special rock.


    ¡­


    On the Daxia spaceship, in the metaverse Experience Center in the A1 business district,


    under Xiao Wu¡¯s persuasion, two people arrived together. There was a sea of people at the venue, and a large number of game enthusiasts had gathered.


    Today was the opening day of the closed beta in the metaverse. Other than those who had obtained a spot in the closed beta, only those who came to the experience hall could use the multifunction cabin to enter the virtual world.


    In addition, they could also buy the first batch of multifunction cabins and obtain slots for the second closed beta.


    The rules were that the first closed beta test would last for a week. After that, the second closed beta test would last for a month. Finally, the open beta test would begin.


    At that time, everyone could use the multifunction cabins to enter the virtual world.


    It could be said that the two closed beta tests were only a week apart. To a certain extent, this appeased those who could not obtain a spot in the first closed beta.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for you to be like that person in the legends, who has already shocked the world with a single move. However, cultivation also requires a balance between work and rest to relax your tense mind.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps after relaxing for a day, I can break through the bottleneck tomorrow,¡± Xiao Wu said.


    Xiao Wu was Xiao Huajun¡¯s good-for-nothing son. His name carried the word ¡®Wu¡¯, which meant martial arts. It was clear that his father had placed high hopes on him when he was born.


    He was a streamer with average popularity in a gaming group. Although his eloquence and skills were average, he had relied on his spending habits to obtain a stable fanbase.


    After all, there were always people who liked to watch others throw their money away. This was a type of stream that would never become outdated.


    In addition, with a famous professor as his father, who also had a strong martial arts cultivation, his family background was extremely good. He could spend money easily.


    ¡°What kind of metaverse is this? Is it really as awesome as the rumors say? Can it help in cultivating martial arts?¡±


    Li Yiming frowned. He still suspected that the publicity materials had exaggerated things, so he asked again.


    Just as his father, Li Mingfu, had said, he was a cultivation fanatic. If not for Xiao Wu, a friend he had known since he was young, he would not have paid attention to the launch of the metaverse.


    Cultivation was never a simple matter. There might be shortcuts, but not everyone had the ability to take them.


    When someone at the side heard Li Yiming¡¯s doubts, he immediately retorted, ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe in it, why are you still fighting for a spot in the closed beta? Get lost.¡±


    With that, he waved his hand.


    Li Yiming¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard this.


    Xiao Wu quickly pulled Li Yiming away. Fighting was not allowed in the spaceships. Besides, there was a sea of people around them. They could just change to a different seat. There was no need to get into a fight.


    The queue numbers were reserved online. There was no need to queue on the spot. One could enter the experience hall when their number was called after registering with the staff at the entrance.


    After choosing another spot to wait for their turn, Xiao Wu finally calmed Li Yiming down.


    Now that he had successfully bought the multifunction cabins, obtaining the slots to the second closed beta test was the top priority. If he got into a conflict with someone who was hot-headed and was taken away by the police, he would lose his chance.


    If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait for the open beta in a month. For a game streamer like Xiao Wu, this would mean that his popularity and fans would be snatched away by others in the same line of work.


    Time passed by slowly.


    To game enthusiasts, everyone hoped that the people in front of them would be able to quickly finish their experience.


    Xiao Wu explained to Li Yiming again the principle of how the metaverse supported one¡¯s cultivation.


    Actually, during the time when one¡¯s body was resting, one could enter the virtual world of the metaverse and continue to cultivate the details of techniques.


    This was to a certain extent a substitute for sleeping. Experts recommended that for a normal person, it could replace about half of their sleep time on average.


    For warriors, the effect was even more obvious. They could spend more than half of their sleep time continuing to cultivate in the virtual world, creating a new era in cultivation.


    ¡°Number 754.¡±


    ¡°Number 854.¡±


    ¡°Number 997.¡±


    ¡­


    The staff continuously announced the queue numbers.


    Xiao Wu had been reciting the number 1024 in his heart for a long time. This was his number, and it being called meant that it was finally his turn to enter the experience hall. His face was a little red from the anticipation.


    At this moment, the staff suddenly stopped calling out the queue numbers. There was a commotion at the scene, and many game enthusiasts were anxious. Could there be a problem?


    ¡°This is the spaceship¡¯s command center! This is the spaceship¡¯s command center!¡±


    A broadcast sounded in various areas of the spaceship. First, it emphasized the unit they belonged to twice.


    ¡°All citizens who are stranded outside, return home immediately. The spaceship is about to enter the space-travel passage. There might be some turbulence. Don¡¯t panic and don¡¯t run around.¡±


    After the announcement, the crowd erupted into a commotion.


    What day was it today? Why did the spaceship suddenly enter the space-travel passage? Was the unknown space-travel passage something that humans from the blue planet could enter at will?


    Countless people were puzzled. Why couldn¡¯t they live a stable life? What were the higher-ups of the various countries doing?


    Soon, the crowd could no longer stay even if they wanted to. Teams of armed police officers walked onto the streets one after another and forcefully dispersed the people who had gathered. Some people who were rash and did not follow the instructions were brought away.


    At the same time, the launch of the metaverse was forced to be suspended. There was no news on the official website when the server would be opened again. The most discussed topic in various forums was the space-travel passage.

 Chapter 470

    ?


    470 Reunion


    South-Heaven Gate.


    The South-Heaven Gate was the name of an uninhabited planet that was located to the south of the star map where the abandoned world was located.


    A long time ago, this was the second last stop on an ancient path through space. It had once been prosperous, and some creatures had built cities there.


    Now, traces of the space teleportation platform could still be found on the surface of the planet, but it had long been abandoned and could not be used.


    The main reason was that after 10 million years, the coordinates of the entire galaxy had changed greatly. The wormhole had either disappeared, or the direction and location had already changed.


    The existing space paths in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy were also built around the location and direction of the wormholes. Many of the transit planets along the way were even man-made.


    When it could no longer borrow the power of the wormhole, a space path lost its purpose. Over time, it would only appear in the corresponding ancient books.


    On a barren plain, Chen Yiming did the same thing that the three old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion had done back then. He mobilized his power and used the huge rock to create a space-travel passage.


    The three old immortals had gathered their powers, while he could only rely on his own strength. The black dog and Gao Shuai were much weaker than him, so they could not do much in this aspect.


    Fortunately, he had the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent, so his physique was strong enough. This was especially true for his recovery speed, which was top-notch among those of the same level. That was why his energy was not sucked dry by the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal.


    ¡°How can that be? There¡¯s no need for spirit stones to support him at all!¡±


    The black dog was dumbfounded. Its eyes glazed over, and its head buzzed.


    It had seen similar scenes more than once. However, be it the immortal factions or the source ore shops, unless they had a large number of spirit stones and source ores to support them, they would not be able to do what Chen Yiming had done.


    Gao Shuai heaved a sigh of relief.


    Speaking of spirit stones and source ores, he had looted many immortal factions in North Mountain City, and he had accumulated a large number of them in the spatial item. Since Chen Yiming did not need them, he did not take the initiative to take them out.


    Time passed.


    A black dot gradually appeared in the depths of the space-travel portal.


    The black dot moved through the strange space-travel passage. Its speed did not look fast to the naked eye, and it seemed to be crawling along like a snail.


    However, in reality, if it was placed on the star map of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, it would be seen to advance across a large section in just one second. Even if it was moving across the full length of a galaxy, it would not take much time.


    One second passed.


    Two seconds passed.


    Three seconds passed.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the fleet of human spaceships from the blue planet rushed out of the space-travel portal.


    Spaceships covered the sky one after another and floated in the sky above the South-Heaven Gate, as if they were invaders from outer space.


    ???


    The black dog sensed Chen Yiming¡¯s people in the spaceship, and its head was full of questions.


    This was too weak. There were all types of humans, and among them, those with yellow skin had a larger proportion who had extraordinary powers, followed by those with white skin, and those with black skin had the least.


    However, even among the yellow-skinned humans, there were a large number of individuals who had not mastered any supernatural powers.


    Other than the group of non-human creatures that had appeared with the spaceship fleet, with the three giant dragons at the star condensation realm as the leaders, they were basically a group that had barely left their planet.


    The black dog couldn¡¯t understand how such a weak species could give birth to Chen Yiming, who had the power to tear apart a heavenly immortal.


    Soon, the black dog noticed the spaceships and held its breath.


    This¡­ the spaceships must be related to some taboo existence. In the galaxy where the immortal factions were located, the black tide was also something that no immortal faction dared to provoke openly.


    The black dog didn¡¯t know much about the black tide, but it was still surprised that Chen Yiming¡¯s people dared to flaunt their relationship with it so openly. If this was exposed, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to explain things.


    When Gao Shuai saw the black dog¡¯s expression, he almost laughed out loud.


    Although the black tide did not succeed every time it invaded the inhabited planets, there were not many worlds that had the ability to destroy the black tide¡¯s invasion.


    The black tide¡¯s plan of sending its forces to invade a certain living planet was mostly foolproof except when an accident occurred, which was very unlikely.


    For example, if an inhabited world gave birth to an existence like Chen Yiming, or if a powerful immortal happened to pass by and dealt with their forces.


    However, the blue planet was still extremely special among these cases.


    When Gao Shuai used his prophecy ability to find someone to help him, he had almost been chased to death by Chen Yiming who came from such a weak planet.


    In addition, he had continuously repelled the black tide¡¯s attacks and counterattacks. The black tide had even been forced to retreat. It was unbelievable. Otherwise, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t still be alive and well after his continuous suicidal actions.


    ¡­


    A sandstorm blew past, raising a cloud of dust.


    Soon, the human spaceships from the blue planet landed on the surface of the planet in an orderly manner. The roar of the engines gradually died out, and the surroundings gradually returned to normal.


    Inside the spaceships, scenes of the galaxy and the surface of the planet under them were displayed on countless screens. Everyone could see it even if they stayed in their residences.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Countless people gasped.


    After hearing the announcement, some people still could not accept it. They had only returned to their residence when the spaceship arrived near the abandoned world.


    This was especially true for the scenes of the abandoned world. The planet was really too huge. Compared to it, the difference in size of the surrounding planets was like the difference between the sun and a fluorescent light.


    Some people recalled the general situation in the abandoned world. There were gods everywhere, and extraordinary people were thought to be weak. As expected, such a situation would only happen on such a huge planet.


    At this moment, an announcement was released on the official website for the metaverse, informing everyone that the service would be suspended indefinitely and that they would have to wait for further notice about the day when it would be launched again.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone! It¡¯s gone!¡±


    Xiao Wu sat in front of his computer. He had stopped on the official website for the metaverse. The moment he saw the announcement, he let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.


    Due to the unknown situation in the abandoned world and the fact that the humans from the blue planet needed to prepare for a new environment, most types of entertainment would definitely be stopped. Everything had to make way for martial arts cultivation.


    In other words, for a long time to come, all the resources of the humans from the blue planet would revolve around martial arts cultivation.


    To Xiao Wu, who was a gamer, this was like living in hell.


    When he thought about how people would be supervising his cultivation every day, he felt as if he had been bitten by ants all over his body. He could not accept it.


    At the same time, there were many people who were wailing like Xiao Wu.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as they got used to the life on the spaceship and before they could lie flat completely, someone was about to use a whip to urge them to return to their daily cultivation.


    Cultivation was a matter of great accomplishment for those with sufficient talent, but for those with no talent, it was full of failures and setbacks.


    Soon, the cabin doors of the spaceships opened one after another.


    The Chen family walked out at the front, including Father Chen, Mother Chen, Chen Yingying, and the pregnant Wu Di. Behind them were the higher-ups and the military generals.


    For some reason, Chen Yiming¡¯s child had yet to be born. Perhaps it was because his bloodline had deviated too far from that of ordinary humans when he set off from the blue planet.


    Chen Yiming glanced at Wu Di¡¯s stomach to make sure that there was nothing wrong with the baby.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Chen Yingying was the fastest to run over and also the most excited.


    When she was separated from Chen Yiming, she had lost a lot of her sense of security. Even though she knew that they had already escaped the threat of the black tide, it was difficult for her to regain her former sense of security.


    Chen Yiming coughed, indicating for his sister to take note of her image.


    Gao Shuai took a step forward and extended his hand. A string of green pearls appeared in his hand. He smiled and said, ¡°A small gift. Take it as a welcome gift upon our first meeting.¡±


    The green pearl was not an ordinary item. It emitted a dense life force, and one could tell at a glance that it was a treasure that could assist in one¡¯s cultivation.


    Seeing this, the black dog also reacted.


    However, it did not have any valuable treasures on it. In its dilemma, it could only watch Gao Shuai¡¯s actions.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Chen Yingying didn¡¯t know if she could accept it or not, so she asked Chen Yiming.


    Chen Yiming took a few more glances at the green pearls. They weren¡¯t crystals or shiny things, but it was fine as long as it was something that girls liked.


    The main reason was that Gao Shuai might not be someone they could rely on in the future. He didn¡¯t know what big trouble he would cause. Chen Yiming had to keep a close eye on his sister to prevent her from being deceived by Gao Shuai.


    In that case, he should keep the gift.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s hand moved so fast that Gao Shuai couldn¡¯t react in time. The string of green pearls in his hand ended up in Chen Yiming¡¯s hands.


    Was he being overprotective of his sister?


    Gao Shuai was quite surprised by this. After all, the Gao clan was an inter-galactic overlord faction. Their clan members were spread across many galaxies, so they naturally did not have much affection for each other.


    In reality, Gao Shuai¡¯s status was brought about by his special prophecy talent. Otherwise, he would have been sent out to manage some business once he reached adulthood.


    Other than that, among the siblings of the Gao clan, it was already very good for them to be able to maintain a pleasant relationship on the surface due to the intense competition for cultivation resources.


    Every time the cultivation resources were distributed, various problems would arise in some of the subsidiary sects. There were also many fights between them.


    Of course, the foundation of an inter-galactic overlord faction was still its top combat strength, which was the gods at the level of the star evolution realm. No matter how much trouble they caused, it was actually just a small matter.


    ¡°His name is Gao Shuai. He comes from the Gao clan, a large clan in the universe. He¡¯s an old demon,¡± Chen Yiming explained truthfully, his expression serious.


    Hearing this, Gao Shuai¡¯s expression froze.


    You¡¯re talking as if you, Chen Yiming, have never done anything bad yourself. The source ore shops, the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City, the old immortals from the Star Capturing Pavilion, and so on, have all been tricked by you.


    However, when Chen Yingying heard about the large clans in the universe, she immediately felt a gap between them.


    The higher-ups of the humans and many big shots from the military also felt the same way.


    The information about the cultivation factions and their cultivation levels was sent back to the spaceship by Chen Yiming through the spiritual figure.


    Therefore, the humans from the blue planet were not completely ignorant of the true overlord factions in the universe. They also understood the difference between them, so it was even more difficult for them to talk to each other as equals.


    In other words, if not for Chen Yiming¡¯s existence, the humans from the blue planet would have been like ants crawling on the ground in Gao Shuai¡¯s eyes. He wouldn¡¯t have given them a second glance, and he might have even accidentally stomped them to death.


    This small episode quickly passed.


    More people walked out of the spaceships. They were immediately attracted by the huge planet that was the abandoned world. The open-air mines caught their attention.


    For the moment, they could only use exclamations to express their feelings. Even the solar system where the blue planet was located was far inferior to the abandoned world.


    After reuniting with his family, Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai started to modify the huge rock.


    The role he was given was mainly to forcefully dismantle and erase the original array formation according to Gao Shuai¡¯s instructions. Gao Shuai was in charge of checking if there were any traces left.


    Finally, the array formation for connecting to the secret realm in the otherworld would be transferred to the interior of the special rock.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.


    In the abandoned world, the chaos that had swept through the entire south mountain range had yet to pass. However, the foreign immortal factions had already disappeared without a trace.


    Now that the source ore shops were hiding themselves, the factions from the Infinite Island Group were the center of attention. They seemed to be on the verge of becoming the overlords of the south mountain range.


    On a foggy day, the visibility in the air was very low.


    A team of 100 elite soldiers was wearing dark green military uniforms and straw hats made of weeds. They walked through the forest while keeping their bodies low, and did not move quickly. They were trying their best to reduce the commotion caused by their movements.


    They were a reconnaissance team from the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s military. Now that the humans from the blue planet had a base in a secret realm in the otherworld, they would occasionally send people to gather information about the situation within a radius of 1,000 kilometers.


    However, the situation of the 100-strong elite army was not looking good. Their reconnaissance seemed to have exposed their tracks. Some villagers called their friends and gathered into teams to go out and check on the situation.


    ¡°Get down!¡±


    Suddenly, the general at the front of the group, a middle-aged man at the master realm, raised his hand and gestured to direct the team.


    After this silent order was issued, everyone immediately stopped moving forward. Then, they lay on the ground and hid themselves in the bushes in the forest.


    Not long after, in a mountain stream quite far ahead, a few youths holding spears walked barefoot through the ditch, half-naked. The sound of water splashing could be heard.


    ¡°Dad and the others are underestimating us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Brother Hu, you can even split mountains and rivers. You¡¯ll definitely make the old men look at you in a different light this time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Brother Hu around, you guys can just help from the side. Just remember to increase your aura. Otherwise, the adults won¡¯t believe us when we go back.¡±


    The conversation between the youths entered the ears of every elite soldier from afar.


    However, no one moved or even breathed. Even the leader of the group, the general at the master realm, had to endure his grievances.


    The reason was that with the strength of this 100-strong elite army, there was a high chance that they would not be able to defeat those youths.


    This was not a joke. The average cultivation level of the humans from the blue planet was far inferior to that of the villages in the wilderness of the abandoned world. If they encountered the villagers, they would be defeated.


    This was especially true given the current situation in the south mountain range. The villages could be said to be extremely vigilant and sensitive to outsiders within their territory. If they encountered them, they would fight first instead of listening to any explanation.


    Time passed.


    10 minutes later, the youths had already left and were a long distance away.


    The 100-strong elite army stood up again and stretched their muscles before continuing to advance in small steps.


    All the elite soldiers swore in their hearts that after returning to the secret realm in the otherworld, they had to cultivate diligently and rely on the cultivation environment in the abandoned world to quickly break through.


    Each of them was an elite who had experienced hundreds of battles, but today, facing a few youths from the local villages, they did not even have the confidence to face the other party. They could not accept this at all.

 Chapter 471

    ?


    471 The Beginning of the Empire


    The new base of the humans from the blue planet was more than 1,000 kilometers long in length and width, and more than 100 kilometers tall. In the future, the size could still be adjusted to make it smaller and more hidden, or larger to accommodate more people.


    With the current technology, they only needed to build a large number of tall buildings with hundreds of floors. Residences for the population of billions of people was not a big problem.


    The secret realm in the otherworld was essentially linked to the abandoned world, but in reality, it was located in the space-travel distortion. Therefore, after the influence of the space-travel distortion was isolated on the outside, it was not affected by any natural disasters.


    In fact, the natural factors that were commonly seen on a planet, such as day and night, wind, rain, and the content of air, still had to be artificially simulated by high-tech equipment.


    Otherwise, in the secret realm of the otherworld, the environment was almost constant. There were no living creatures there, and there were no signs of life anywhere. Instead, there was only a dead silence.


    At some point.


    ¡°Buzz!¡±


    Invisible ripples spread out.


    The secret realm in the otherworld was suddenly quickly connected to the abandoned world. A large number of materials that could help living creatures cultivate appeared in the air, making the environment extremely suitable for cultivation.


    Gao Shuai stepped on the ground a few times, and all traces disappeared.


    The ground formed by the yellow mud was formed by Chen Yiming using the divine power of the Hidden Universe to cover the otherworld with a layer of soil that was hundreds of meters thick and mixed with rubble.


    Earlier, Gao Shuai had buried the last crystal with an array formation engraved inside it, forming a series of essence energy formations. It could allow the materials that could aid in cultivation to flow into the otherworld.


    Next, other than building the residences for the population of billions to live in, this secret realm had been modified into an environment suitable for living creatures to cultivate in seclusion.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Chen Yiming thanked Gao Shuai from the bottom of his heart.


    If not for Gao Shuai¡¯s help, it would probably have taken a long time for the humans from the blue planet to truly descend into the abandoned world. They might have encountered all kinds of difficulties during the process.


    After the billions of humans were settled down, Chen Yiming would be able to relax. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much about the human base being threatened at all times.


    ¡°The immortal factions have brought many good things to North Mountain City.¡±


    Gao Shuai had a smile on his face. He flipped his left palm, and a circular mark appeared in his palm. This was formed by the spatial item of the city ruler, and it had been very useful during the chaotic battle between the immortals and gods.


    Chen Yiming had obtained the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal, which was undoubtedly the best treasure.


    Gao Shuai had stolen a lot of treasures from the immortal factions and did not participate in the battle. It was equivalent to taking advantage of the situation without any risk to himself, and he had definitely made a huge profit.


    At this moment, more and more cries of surprise erupted in the secret realm.


    ¡°I broke through!¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this is unbelievable!¡±


    Some people broke through the bottleneck in their cultivation on the spot and went from a warrior candidate to a warrior. Naturally, internal force would be born in their bodies.


    In fact, the number of martial masters had also exploded. A large number of people who had reached the peak of the warrior realm and could not resonate with the power of nature previously suddenly felt the power of nature clearly.


    This was due to the difference in the cultivation environment, which caused the threshold for cultivation to be lowered. This indirectly widened the path of cultivation for those who were not talented enough.


    It had to be known that in the abandoned world, those with internal force were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Many children had already mastered this power from a young age. Only true gods could barely be considered big shots.


    ¡°By the way, one of your people suggested using this secret realm as the base to build an empire and gradually conquer the abandoned world,¡± Gao Shuai said casually.


    After passing on the helm for a few generations, it was easy for all kinds of problems to cause a country to quickly fall into decline. However, if the first emperor¡¯s lifespan was so long that it was almost eternal, these problems would no longer exist.


    On the contrary, because of the concentration of power and the strength of the first emperor, the entire empire would show astonishing initiative and endurance, which was beneficial for expanding its territory.


    This way, they would not change their direction because of momentary setbacks. They would have a huge advantage over those who were relatively disorganized, such as the immortal factions, alliances, sects, and so on.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t interested in becoming an emperor. He asked, ¡°The Gao clan didn¡¯t establish an empire either, right? If even an inter-galactic overlord faction didn¡¯t do it, is there a need for the humans from the blue planet to establish an empire?¡±


    When Gao Shuai heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Who said that the Gao clan had never established an empire? It is just that it was hundreds of thousands of years ago. Moreover, that powerful elder is still alive and is cultivating in seclusion in the ancestral land.¡±


    With that, he continued to introduce the history of the inter-galactic overlord faction, the Gao clan.


    It turned out that the first emperor with the surname Gao had also come from an inhabited planet like Chen Yiming. Of course, he didn¡¯t come from a low-level inhabited planet like the blue planet.


    The powerful first emperor with the surname Gao led the empire to conquer the inhabited planet they came from. Then, they started to fight in outer space and defeated powerful enemies one after another. They occupied one inhabited planet after another and expanded the empire¡¯s territory.


    As time passed, many, many years later, the bloodline of the first emperor gradually spread to all the people in the faction due to his powerful innate talent.


    Later, since everyone in the empire had the bloodline of the first emperor, they used the name of the Gao clan when they traveled to the outside world.


    From a clan to an empire and back to a clan, the current overlord faction, the Gao clan, had evolved in this way. Their clansmen were scattered across many galaxies.


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming felt that it made sense.


    At the moment, the higher-ups of the human race from the blue planet were relying on Chen Yiming to decide the overall situation due to their lack of strength. They were like tools that could not make their own decisions.


    There was a high chance that Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t be able to guard the secret realm all year round.


    For a civilization that was half technology-based and half cultivation-based, with the various factions within it still rapidly changing in strength, it would be good enough if they did not fall into a prolonged internal strife. They were completely unable to participate in the battles in the abandoned world.


    Among the humans from the blue planet, the mainstream thought was that Chen Yiming would only leave behind a strong trump card to deal with surprise attacks from any enemies for now.


    For the rest of the time, he would go into seclusion just like the elders of the martial arts sects. As long as nothing major happened, such as a threat that could exterminate all the humans from the blue planet, he would probably ignore everything and focus on his own cultivation.


    Chen Yiming thought about it again. The more territory they occupied, the greater the target.


    What good would it do? At most, he would be able to obtain some faithful believers, similar to the inhabited planet that the machine civilization had invaded.


    The knights were continuously providing him with their faith, which could be converted into Skill Points, but the speed of the conversion couldn¡¯t keep up with Chen Yiming¡¯s requirements.


    The number of Skill Points he needed to upgrade a talent was too large. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of Skill Points were just a drop in the bucket.


    The topic of establishing an empire quickly passed.


    Chen Yiming hadn¡¯t thought it through completely. An empire would naturally be useful in the long term, but it would undoubtedly be more troublesome in the short term.


    ¡­


    The entrance of the secret realm was located in the mountains on the far west of the south mountain range. It was a relatively remote area.


    There were not many factions in this area, and most of them were village-level factions. There were only mountains around them. If one did not fly into the sky, their field of vision would be relatively narrow.


    Chen Yiming and Gao Shuai exited the secret realm.


    In the distance, there was a team in charge of guarding the area. They climbed to the top of the mountains and used their relatively wide field of view to monitor whether any outsiders were approaching.


    Before they parted ways, the two of them talked about the source ore shops.


    Gao Shuai said bluntly, ¡°My butler sent me a message that after the immortal factions disappeared without a trace, the factions behind the source ore shops started to panic when faced with a thorough search by the Infinite Island Group.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming understood that Gao Shuai was trying to trick them again.


    Helping the source ore shops to truly form an alliance and go against the factions from the Infinite Island Group was something Gao Shuai had been working hard to do.


    However, the source ore shops were still in seclusion at the moment. They did not want to use up too much of their own strength, and preferred to rope in external forces.


    The corners of Gao Shuai¡¯s mouth curled up as he continued, ¡°In short, although it¡¯s not clear how the source ore shops will deal with it at the moment, as long as they make a move, they won¡¯t be able to truly hide from the world. The Infinite Island Group won¡¯t give up so easily.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded when he heard this.


    Indeed, the factions from the Infinite Island Group appeared to be the only overlord faction in the south mountain range at the moment.


    Then, there was no reason for them to give up when they had the right time, place, and conditions. They would only free up more forces to find and wipe out the factions behind the source ore shops one by one.


    Soon, Gao Shuai left, and his figure disappeared into the mountains.


    Chen Yiming returned to the secret realm in the otherworld and went to the Chen family¡¯s temporary residence. It was a large villa with all the facilities. There was a garden, a swimming pool, a cultivation square, and so on.


    Along the way, the cultivation environment in the otherworld had visibly improved, and the influence was still spreading.


    This was a moment that could be written into the history books of humans from the blue planet. There was no need for anyone to organize a celebration. The crowd spontaneously walked onto the streets to express their excitement.


    The officials did not even stop them. They even allowed the various construction sites to take a break and put the reconstruction of their civilization on hold to join in the celebration.


    ¡°Brother, there are rumors that you are about to ascend the throne and become the emperor of the Daxia Kingdom. Is that true?¡±


    As soon as he entered, he saw Chen Yingying running out.


    Chen Yiming rolled his eyes and said, ¡°What are you thinking? Don¡¯t tell me you have a dream of becoming a princess? Why don¡¯t you take the throne instead? Isn¡¯t a queen more impressive than a princess?¡±


    Chen Yingying pouted when she heard this.


    So it was fake news. She didn¡¯t believe it at first, because Chen Yiming didn¡¯t care about such matters in the past, such as the Myriad Phenomena Sect on the blue planet and the Myriad Phenomena Academy in the spaceship.


    All along, he had made a name for himself. After that, it was basically equivalent to developing himself freely.


    Of course, be it the Myriad Phenomena Sect or the Myriad Phenomena Academy, they used Chen Yiming¡¯s name to continue their development without facing any obstacles. They even received various special privileges along the way.


    Soon, the topic changed.


    Chen Yiming sized up his sister. The more he looked at her, the more he felt that she was useless. He immediately said, ¡°Your progress is too slow. You¡¯re not talented enough, and you can¡¯t cultivate diligently. You have to go out and train.¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s eyes widened. This training was different from the previous ones. There was no comparison between the abandoned world and the blue planet. It was really too dangerous here.


    Not long ago, a team of elite scouts had lost more than half of their soldiers before they could successfully return to the secret realm. It had to be known that a general at the master realm was leading the team.


    Many people had seen the scene back then. According to rumors, the people chasing after the elite soldiers were only youths from a few villages, and they were not all from the same village.


    In other words, if they got rid of Chen Yiming and the subsidiary races he had subdued, an ordinary village in the abandoned world would have a power that the humans from the blue planet would find difficult to deal with.


    An entire civilization was inferior to a single village. The humans from the blue planet were too weak.


    Therefore, how could Chen Yingying dare to leave the secret realm in the otherworld and go outside at will, let alone go out to train? There was a high chance that she would not be able to defeat any living creature there.


    ¡­


    The cultivation environment in the secret realm was no different from the outside world. For the next few days, Chen Yiming started to explain the simplified techniques for the divine powers which were suitable cultivation techniques for warriors.


    He had already completed the simplification of these techniques when he was teaching the young men and women in the village. He had confirmed that there would not be any problems with their cultivation.


    The voice explaining the cultivation technique echoed in the secret realm like a bell. Anyone could hear it, no matter where they were.


    For example, the Reversal Palm was simplified into a killing technique that was divided into 36 stances.


    The first 12 moves corresponded to the third stage of the warrior realm. The middle 12 moves were suitable for those above the warrior realm and below the gods, and the last 12 moves corresponded to those at the level of gods.


    At the moment, no one from the blue planet was qualified to cultivate the last 12 moves. However, among the subsidiary races that he had subdued, the three dragon gods had a chance of mastering them to some extent.


    After all, the fusion of the 36 stances was the complete Reversal Palm divine power. With the talent and cultivation level of the three dragon gods, they were still far from being able to cultivate divine powers.


    Countless people listened carefully to the explanation, and obtained a deep understanding of the technique. After finishing the work assigned to them, they cultivated on the spot.


    This kind of cultivation technique that was simplified from divine powers was completely incomparable to the cultivation techniques on the blue planet. Not only was the upper limit more compatible with the natural laws of the world, but it was also very easy for one to crush those of the same level after comprehending the essence of such techniques.


    A cultivation technique with more potential, and a better cultivation environment.


    The martial arts practitioners were quickly divided into different levels based on their innate talent, their understanding of cultivation techniques, adaptability, and many other factors.


    Some people made small gains, some people had obvious improvements, and some people soared into the sky. The factions of the humans from the blue planet were rapidly rebuilding their foundation.


    At the same time, the conflict between the humans from the blue planet and the surrounding villages gradually became more and more intense.


    When the village saw how weak the intruders were, they naturally did not hesitate to send out more people to chase after them.


    It was not that the humans from the blue planet had never tried to communicate with them, but in the eyes of the village, the weak were not qualified to negotiate with them.


    This was the rule of the wilderness that had been established in the abandoned world over countless years. Only by completely defeating and subduing the enemy could they enter the negotiation stage.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t make a move to eliminate the villages within a radius of 1,000 kilometers around the coordinates of the secret realm.


    The first reason was that the village-level factions would be left for the humans from the blue planet to train their war strategies and for them to quickly adapt to living in the abandoned world.


    The second reason was that once he made a move, he would definitely crush them completely, and the factions from the Infinite Island Group that were searching for the factions from the source ore shops would be alerted.


    In order to hide the location of the entrance to the secret realm to the greatest extent, he could not reveal too much of his power. Otherwise, it was very easy to attract more attention.

 Chapter 472

    ?


    472 Final Battle in the Valley


    A few days later, Chen Yiming stopped explaining the cultivation techniques.


    Cultivation was not difficult for those who understood it, but difficult for those who did not. This was especially true for those who had mastered the internal force. Their memory was already extremely good.


    This way, they would definitely understand what they needed to understand. It was useless to say anything else if they still could not understand it. All that was left was to verify one¡¯s understanding and identify the problems. With the current superior cultivation environment, there would usually be some results from the cultivation.


    In addition, the construction of their base was still progressing. There was a lot of discussion about whether the administrative system formed by many human countries from the blue planet should be unified into a single empire.


    One day, when Chen Yiming exited the secret realm, he realized that there had been a huge change in the area in the surrounding few kilometers. A few mountains had been flattened, and a small town had risen from the ground. The people inside were all warriors and martial masters.


    Due to the restrictions of the basic environment in the abandoned world, high-rise buildings could be built in the secret realm, but not in the small town outside.


    The houses in the town were all built from the huge trees and stones from the surrounding forest. They could not compare to the level of technology of the humans from the blue planet for the time being.


    This was just like how ordinary people and those in the disciple realm would not be able to withstand it if they walked out of the secret realm, and they would die on the spot.


    ¡°You did a good job using a small town as a cover,¡± Chen Yiming said softly as he swept his gaze across the area.


    Unless all the humans from the blue planet hid in the secret realm in the otherworld, as time passed, they would eventually leave traces of their activities in the outside world.


    Instead of letting others follow them and discover their base, revealing the location of the secret realm in the otherworld, it was better to build a small town like this.


    In the future, when the overall strength was enough, the town could be expanded into a city at any time, and the range of influence would continuously increase.


    Soon, Chen Yiming walked along the mud road and circled the town.


    Although the town was simple and was actually a supply point established by the humans from the blue planet, there were all kinds of shops.


    All the shops selling supplies were mainly located in a market hosted by the government. Although it was so primitive that there were no technological elements, people were still coming and going.


    Everything was developing in a good direction. After the humans from the blue planet had cultivated for a period of time in the secret realm in the otherworld, they could take the first step towards the abandoned world and set sail from the small town in the mountains.


    ¡­


    Days passed.


    With the appearance of a small town in the mountains, the location of the humans from the blue planet gradually became known to the villages within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.


    ¡°Although the average cultivation level of those outsiders is weak, there are many more of them than us.¡±


    In the meeting hall, more than 10 village chiefs were gathered. One of them shouted excitedly.


    Compared to a small town, the size of the buildings and the number of people in a village were clearly different. These were confirmed by their reconnaissance in the air.


    ¡°Those outsiders have a wolf cavalry team. When we sent out our strong young men, they wandered around the village and threatened us,¡±


    a village chief patted the wooden table and reminded him calmly.


    The humans from the blue planet quickly adjusted their combat plan after losing more than half of their 100-strong elite army.


    Not only did they mobilize martial arts experts from the civilians, but they also mobilized a portion of the once terrifying creatures from their subsidiary races to form special teams.


    The wolf cavalry quickly displayed their agility, speed, adaptability, and other strengths. They could often toy with the villagers and make themselves feared.


    The meeting hall quickly became noisy.


    The village chiefs exchanged the information obtained from the various villages.


    After the outsiders were discovered and chased away by the villagers, they quickly made a comeback. The individual villages no longer had the advantage over them. Some teams that had gone out were even ambushed and there were casualties.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let the outsiders be arrogant anymore. Otherwise, our villages might be destroyed one by one. I suggest that everyone put aside our past conflicts and prejudices and work together to defeat the outsiders first.¡±


    When the atmosphere was completely stirred up, a village chief suddenly made a suggestion to work together.


    This suggestion was immediately accepted by many other village chiefs. In the face of external threats, internal conflicts were immediately put aside.


    This land was where the people from the villages had lived for many generations. It had long been regarded by the villages as their territory. How could they let others sleep soundly in their beds?


    ¡°With more than 10 villages working together, there has to be a leader! Otherwise, who will we listen to at this critical moment? I suggest Chairman Wang be the one to lead us.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting hall fell silent.


    Chairman Wang¡¯s shoulders were unusually wide, and his arms were like those of an ape, reaching past his knees. He gave off a fierce aura at first glance.


    In reality, Chairman Wang was indeed one of the strongest people in the village. His cultivation talent was relatively higher.


    However, some of the weaker village chiefs were a little worried that Chairman Wang would take the opportunity to combine the villages into a town. It was not impossible for that to happen.


    Of course, Chairman Wang had to lead everyone to completely chase away or eliminate the outsiders first. That possibility would only occur if he established a good reputation for himself.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Chairman Wang take charge of the situation and bring in the other dozens of villages around us? This way, we will definitely be safe.¡±


    Many village chiefs¡¯ eyes lit up when they heard this.


    This way, their last worries disappeared. Even if Chairman Wang could lead the dozens of villages, he would not be able to control them all.


    Even if they returned victorious in the end, there was no need to worry about the villages being combined into a town. There were dozens of villages there. If Chairman Wang had the power to control a large town, he would have made a move long ago.


    Soon, the plan was finalized.


    After the village chiefs dispersed, they started to form groups to persuade the other villages. As they organized the strength of the strong young people in their village, they tried to convince one village at a time.


    The small town of the humans from the blue planet were about to face an army formed by the strong young men from the dozens of villages. The sky seemed to have gathered an oppressive aura, and a storm was brewing.


    This time, the villages no longer played guerrilla warfare in the forest. They wanted to use their absolute strength to eliminate the outsiders.


    ¡­


    Just as a huge battle was about to break out, Chen Yiming left the secret realm.


    The small town was surrounded by rolling mountains in a radius of 1,000 kilometers. The strongest person in the village had yet to reach the level of a god.


    His strongest trump card, the spiritual figure, was guarding the secret realm in the otherworld, and he still had his second last trump card, the three dragons at the level of gods. In reality, the village alliance was not much of a threat.


    Chen Yiming took a step forward, and the scene of mountains and rivers changed quickly. At the end of the horizon, the sun was setting in the west, and night had fallen. He also checked the situation along the way.


    The commotion from the battle in the valley might cause someone from the Infinite Island Group to come to the area where the humans from the blue planet were to investigate. If the situation required it, he would make an appearance to attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    Chen Yiming stayed in an inn in a small city at night. Nothing much had happened, but his arrival still caused quite a commotion.


    ¡°It¡¯s the person who snatched the treasure from the Infinite Island Group during the chaotic battle with the immortal factions a few days ago.¡± Someone had received detailed information and recognized who he was.


    Many people sighed. Sneaking into the forces from the Infinite Island Group was simply snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. However, he had actually succeeded.


    If not for the fact that the Infinite Island Group had issued a warrant for his arrest, it would have been difficult to imagine such an outcome. Two powerful factions had fought, and in the end, a third party had successfully taken advantage of the situation.


    The immortal factions had suffered a huge injustice. Their Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian, who was a powerful heavenly immortal, had actually died in the battle.


    The teahouse in the city suddenly became filled with people.


    At the same time, there was no peace in the city. There were all kinds of discussions about Chen Yiming¡¯s arrival.


    There were even many people who packed their bags and left overnight, going far away from this troublesome place, afraid that they would be affected by the commotion.


    ¡°Mr. Chen is famous throughout the world. I¡¯m impressed!¡±


    Soon, someone from the Holy Medicine Sect came to visit.


    There were a total of two people, one old and one young. When they saw that it was actually Chen Yiming, their hearts trembled. They were surprised that he still dared to show his face openly after he caused such a huge commotion.


    On second thought, it was definitely not a bad thing to secretly be on good terms with him. After all, it was possible that even the Infinite Island Group could not do anything about him.


    Then, after this chaos, the Holy Medicine Sect could be said to have found a powerful backer and welcomed a huge opportunity.


    Chen Yiming chatted casually and sent the two people from the Holy Medicine Sect away.


    At the same time, he accidentally heard some news about the medicine capital. The medicine capital was a large and prosperous city in the south mountain range. It was famous and had a long history.


    Many factions that mainly focused on alchemy had set up camp in the medicine capital. In the mountain range in the extreme west of the south mountain range, various villages sold the herbs they had gathered to the medicine capital through various channels.


    If he went to the medicine capital, firstly, he could sell the useless resources he had on him and exchange them for some large batches of divine pills to bring back to the secret realm in the otherworld.


    Secondly, because of the geographical location of the medicine capital, the spies that the Infinite Island Group might send to the extreme west mountain range would follow him to the medicine capital.


    Other than that, would there be any divine medicine or divine pills that could help one break through to a god in the medicine capital?


    With the normal talent of the blue planet¡¯s people, even in the cultivation environment of the abandoned world, it was very difficult for them to reach the realm of the gods.


    This way, there was only one way forward. Only by relying on external forces and using a large number of source ores to cleanse the impurities in one¡¯s body could one achieve a miracle and become a god.


    The night passed.


    News of Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance in a small city had already spread overnight.


    This was the influence brought about by the every move of an existence that could kill a heavenly immortal which was comparable to the strongest gods at the star evolution realm.


    With the death of the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian, unless two or three gods at the star evolution realm were gathered, no one would dare to provoke him.


    However, it was not easy for the factions from the Infinite Island Group to mobilize their top forces since they were also controlling a large area in the south mountain range.


    After all, in the current situation, they were still mainly targeting the factions behind the source ore shops. This was true even if they had suffered a huge loss due to Chen Yiming snatching the treasure from right under their noses.


    Of course, not all the factions were indifferent. For example, the Roc clan, the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City¡­


    Just as the sky turned bright, Chen Yiming left the small city and set off for the medicine capital. He came and went in a hurry, causing chaos in the small city.


    ¡­


    At the same time, in less than half a day, the small town of humans from the blue planet faced an army of villagers. There were hundreds of people from each village, excluding the very old and very young. The combined army had a total of nearly 5,000 people.


    Although newborn babies of the village-level factions in the wilderness of the abandoned world had yet to master supernatural power, they were born with strong bodies that humans from the blue planet did not have.


    It could be said that the babies here were born with the foundation to master supernatural power.


    As they grew up, other than a few people who were useless in cultivation, mastering supernatural power was a piece of cake.


    Therefore, there were differences in the division of cultivation realms compared to what was done on the blue planet. Most of the young men and women had superhuman combat strength.


    The weaker adults usually had the combat strength equivalent to the martial masters on the blue planet. Although most of them were holding weapons made from beast bones, they could not be underestimated.


    Facing such an army of villagers, the humans from the blue planet were on high alert.


    The terrifying creatures at the fusion realm from the subsidiary races walked out of the town one after another and hid in the forest.


    The three dragon gods had arrived near the entrance of the secret realm in the otherworld and were on standby. They were prepared to support the front line at any time and completely destroy the army of villagers.


    This battle was very important. The humans from the blue planet had to establish a sufficient deterrence within the territory of the town. No one wanted spies to loiter around them every other day.


    This was because the secret realm in the otherworld was considered a safe and peaceful place. In the near future, it would be a residence for people below the warrior realm who had yet to master supernatural power.


    Once one mastered supernatural power, they were no longer allowed to continue living in such a comfortable environment. Surviving in the abandoned world was very difficult, and there had to be an endless stream of new blood to replenish what was lost.


    In a hiding place in the mountains, the head of the Limitless Martial Arts School and the disciples of the school followed the military¡¯s orders and laid in ambush.


    ¡°School Head, I heard that in the village here, those children who are still playing with mud and sand can already defeat us warriors?¡±


    A man in loose training robes looked at the tremors coming from the distant mountains and his voice trembled.


    This man was 25 or 26 years old. After coming to the abandoned world, he quickly broke through from the first stage of the warrior realm to the second stage and mastered the transformation of his internal force.


    However, after hearing that gods were everywhere and that extraordinary creatures were thought to be weak, he could not muster up any confidence, even when facing the army of villagers from the wilderness.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    The middle-aged head, who was also wearing a training robe, immediately corrected him and explained, ¡°The brats in the village are indeed much more talented than us.¡±


    ¡°However, they¡¯re too young and only have their strength. Generally, they don¡¯t know how to maximize their power and turn it into actual combat strength. There¡¯s no need to worry too much.¡±


    ¡°Besides, not every kid in the village has mastered supernatural powers at their young age. Many of them only master it when they are youths.¡±


    Although he said this, the panic of the disciples of the martial arts school did not ease.


    The children in the village were not in the army. The weakest in the army of villagers were the young men and women. As for the adult villagers, they were even stronger.


    Therefore, when they thought about how they were about to face an enemy that was stronger and more talented than them, the disciples of the martial arts school lacked confidence.


    This was not limited to the disciple who had spoken up. The other disciples were also trembling in fear. The humans from the blue planet knew very well that they had individuals with higher combat strength.


    The three dragon gods were enough to destroy the assembled village army. However, as the village army was fleeing, it was not impossible for them to fight back against the weak humans.


    There was a huge difference in their innate talent. It was very likely that they would be crushed by someone of the same level. This also meant that they would be killed before they could be saved.

 Chapter 473

    ?


    473 Battle to the End of the Horizon


    Just as the human town was putting together a defensive counterattack formation, the village army did not think much of it and did not suspect that it was a trap. They continued to lead the small teams towards the town.


    When the villagers who had crossed the mountain saw that the other party was putting up a defense instead of escaping, they could not help but smile and started to chat with the people around them.


    ¡°Are they idiots? Why aren¡¯t they escaping when they see the number one warrior of Cloud Village, Si Zhan?¡±


    ¡°Watch my performance later. Today¡¯s goal is to take more than 10 people down. It won¡¯t stop until I reach it.¡±


    ¡°Even those whose strength are equivalent to seven-year-old children have been sent out. They are too weak and will be crushed like tofu.¡±


    The warrior realm was a realm that the villagers treated as equivalent to a child under the age of 10. The moment they appeared on the battlefield, all the villagers could not help but reveal looks of disdain.


    This was especially true for the young men and women from the villages. The people they could usually bully were those who were younger than them, but they could not kill those from the same village.


    Now, they were very happy. They would soon be able to capture a group of weaker people. At the thought of this, their fighting spirit surged. They had to go all out today.


    Soon, the troops of the humans from the blue planet made the first move.


    A martial master was standing on the back of a ferocious bird, circling the village army from afar. With a flap of its wings, the ferocious bird closed the distance to get within attack range. With another flap of its wings, it pulled back to a safe distance.


    After riling up the villagers this way once or twice, the ferocious bird cooperated with the human on its back and suddenly launched an attack.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The sky suddenly turned from sunny to gloomy, and dark clouds appeared.


    In the next moment, more than 10 bolts of lightning fell from the sky. The speed of the lightning was extremely fast, and it carried an oppressive aura as it charged towards the village army in the blink of an eye.


    Immediately after, the person on the back of the ferocious bird moved. He pressed his palms together, and the veins on his temples bulged as a powerful spiritual power burst out.


    Just as the lightning was about to land, the ground shook and mud walls suddenly rose from the ground.


    This was a simplified technique from the Reversal Palm divine power. It controlled the power of nature and created a mud wall that had a qualitative enhancement to its hardness. It was very difficult to break through quickly for those at the same level.


    The moment the lightning landed in the formation, layers of earth walls surrounded it. Even the sky was sealed off, and a small lightning domain appeared inside. The lightning wreaked havoc like a dragon dancing around.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jiang Yi from the military.¡±


    Some warriors recognized the person standing on the back of the ferocious bird.


    Jiang Yi had just made a name for himself. Before Chen Yiming explained the cultivation techniques simplified from divine powers, he couldn¡¯t even be considered a top warrior.


    However, the situation changed unpredictably. The cultivation technique based on the Reversal Palm divine power was unexpectedly compatible with him, and his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.


    This was the purpose of Chen Yiming explaining the cultivation technique to the billions of humans from the blue planet for free.


    Among the large number of people, there would always be someone who was very suitable for a certain cultivation technique and would achieve unimaginable progress.


    In the future, when the population increased to tens or even hundreds of billions, there would definitely be more rising stars. It was even possible that a second god would be born among the humans from the blue planet.


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    Many martial arts school heads and the disciples at the warrior realm also saw the perfect cooperation between Jiang Yi and the ferocious bird.


    Regardless of whether it achieved the desired effect, at the very least, he had grasped the timing, rhythm, and so on perfectly. He made full use of the way the village army was underestimating their opponent.


    However, the shocking cooperation was not over.


    Just as the village army was being attacked by the lightning in the sealed space, a wolf cavalry team leaped out of the forest.


    The dire wolves spat out spinning white balls one after another. Each white ball could cut a mountain into pieces, tear through rivers, and break living creatures into pieces.


    The spiritual power of the martial masters on the dire wolves¡¯ backs soared into the sky. Meteorites were summoned and turned into a meteor shower that fell straight at the village army sealed by the mud walls.


    ¡°Are those villagers¡¯ brains filled with muscles?¡±


    In the next moment, something hilarious happened. The mud walls exploded in all directions. It was the villagers who had made a move. Rocks and dust flew everywhere.


    However, it was equivalent to the villagers helping the enemy. They shattered the mud walls that had already become an obstacle, allowing the second wave of attacks to continue seamlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been electrocuted to the point of numbness, and I¡¯m about to scream from being burnt!¡±


    Among the troops of the humans from the blue planet, most of the nervousness from before immediately dissipated.


    So far, in terms of tactics, strategies, and planning, the villagers in the wilderness were far inferior to them. Furthermore, the trump cards of the humans from the blue planet had yet to be revealed.


    Everyone saw young men and women in a sorry state among the villagers. Their hair had exploded from the electricity, and their bodies were charred black.


    These young men and women were equivalent to the master realm on the blue planet. Although they were more talented than those of the same level, they had been suppressed.


    Just as the villagers revealed shocked expressions, white spinning balls exploded in the team¡¯s formation one after another. The terrifying tearing wind blades attacked all the villagers indiscriminately.


    At the same time, a meteor shower of flames in the sky followed closely behind and smashed into the army of villagers. In an instant, the huge force created huge pits and shook the ground.


    The young men and women from the villages were in trouble. They had just withstood the lightning storm and were covered in wounds from the sudden attack of the wind blades. Some of the young women¡¯s clothes were torn up, and they quickly covered themselves with their hands.


    However, the battlefield did not give anyone time to react. The meteor shower exploded, and flames wreaked havoc. The high temperature ignited everything around it, turning into a mountain of flames.


    ¡°It¡¯s just some small tricks. It¡¯s not bad to give the young people a little training.¡±


    Among the villagers, Chairman Wang spoke up. It was unknown if he was finding an excuse for the ambush or if he was really planning to stand by and do nothing for the sake of training the young people through battle.


    As for the adult villagers, only Jiang Yi¡¯s sealing technique was enough to catch their attention.


    They had to admit that he was indeed powerful, to the extent that he could fight someone of a higher level. It could be said that without the mud wall to restrain the village army, his subsequent attacks would not be effective.


    Of course, the villagers would never have thought that Jiang Yi¡¯s outstanding performance came from a simplified divine power.


    Divine powers were usually exclusive to gods at the star evolution realm. Not to mention villages in the wilderness, it was rare even in the large cities around the restricted areas.


    ¡°The people from the abandoned world are indeed much stronger than the humans from the blue planet in terms of talent, even if they are from the weakest village-level factions.¡±


    The military commander sighed when he saw that the well-coordinated ambush had only injured the young people from the village and had not killed anyone on the spot.


    The difference was obvious. There was nothing they could fake. The strong were the strong, and the weak were the weak.


    Before long, Chairman Wang gave the order. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with those annoying people first. Everyone, listen to my orders. The villagers will follow the village chiefs.¡±


    ¡°After dealing with those people, split up and surround the town. Don¡¯t let anyone inside escape. The one who had the most kills will get the most loot after the battle.¡±


    His words were filled with ruthlessness. Clearly, Chairman Wang had lost some face. After all, the team had been ambushed and many of the young men and women were injured.


    In his expectations, they were weak outsiders who only had an advantage in numbers. This way, they should have been crushed by the village army and scattered all over the mountains. How could they dare to set up an ambush?


    If they did not achieve a flawless victory, the army formed by dozens of villages would fall into chaos. After all, they had only gathered because they saw the chance of easily taking down the small town.


    It could be said that everything was fine if it was a smooth-sailing battle. However, if they encountered a setback, the village chiefs would definitely prioritize preserving the strength of their villages. It would be hard to tell what would happen then.


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±


    Chairman Wang¡¯s words infuriated the group of young men and women.


    If not for the village chiefs stopping them earlier, they would have taken the lead and charged out.


    This was especially true for youths who were easily led by their emotions. Previously, some of them had chased after the reconnaissance teams of the humans from the blue planet like they were their prey.


    However, they had fallen into an ambush today. The injuries on their bodies humiliated them. It was equivalent to the strong being provoked by the weak, but the provocation had actually succeeded.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    A young man holding a bone spear was half-naked, revealing a burly figure that was like that of an adult. He was the first to charge out with a ferocious expression.


    Then, more young men and women were affected by the atmosphere, and under the lead of the first young man, they also rushed out without hesitation.


    All of this was built on the fact that during the many conflicts between the two sides, the humans from the blue planet gave the villagers the feeling that they were weak. Their average cultivation level was far inferior to the villagers.


    Finally, the adults from their villages followed behind to hold the line. Firstly, they really wanted to give the young men and women a chance to train. Secondly, they wanted to make a move at the critical moment. They could accept being injured, but they could not accept death.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The young man in the lead waved his bone spear and pointed it at Jiang Yi, who was standing on the back of the ferocious bird.


    A white bolt of lightning shot out. In midair, it split into two, then into four, and then into more than 100 lightning bolts. The number continued to increase to more than 1,000, and it covered the target like an electric net.


    Compared to the lightning technique previously, whether it was the speed at which it was executed or the range of its attack, the difference was obvious. A large distance was instantly covered.


    However, even so, there was no fear in Jiang Yi¡¯s eyes. He clenched his fists, and the shadows of two huge palms appeared in the air at the same time.


    In the next moment, the two huge palms pressed together. None of the lightning bolts could escape and they were all caught between the palms.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    A terrifying power of lightning erupted, and the huge palms exploded and shattered. However, the lightning was no longer able to pose a threat to the ferocious bird and Jiang Yi.


    They were representatives from both factions. On the surface, the two of them were evenly matched, and it could not be said that either side had the upper hand.


    The cultivation technique that Jiang Yi had mastered came from a divine power, which increased his combat strength among those of the same level. His talent was still not up to par to the standards of the abandoned world.


    As for the young man taking the lead, he was one of the best fighters among the young people from dozens of villages. However, his cultivation method could not compare to Jiang Yi¡¯s.


    In the blink of an eye, the two of them were fighting again.


    The young man from the village exerted strength from his feet and soared into the sky. He took the initiative to close the distance between them. The bone spear in his hand turned into an electric spear, and he did not hesitate to fight in midair.


    Seeing this, Jiang Yi did not fight the other party head-on. Instead, he maintained a spiritual communication with the ferocious bird and adopted a strategy to deal with his opponent.


    In reality, those at the master realm had just come into contact with the power of nature, and humans were not creatures that were innately good at flying. Fighting at a low altitude might not be a problem for them, but it was different high up in the sky.


    With the help of the ferocious bird, Jiang Yi would be more agile than his opponent when fighting in such an environment. Sometimes, a small advantage could increase the chances of the battle being skewed towards one side.


    Just as the battle was about to begin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Wait for the order.¡±


    In the face of the villagers¡¯ attacks, the person in charge of the martial arts factions from the blue planet comforted the people below and suppressed the teams that had become a little chaotic.


    The enemy was charging over the mountains. The aura of the army charging over assaulted them, and not everyone could remain calm.


    They could either charge at them or retreat for the time being and wait for orders. It was like putting them on the grill.


    ¡°Get ready!¡±


    The elite troops of the military were clearly much calmer than the martial arts factions.


    The soldiers had trained for countless days and nights, and the troops would not fall into chaos and rely solely on their instincts. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, and their muscles tensed up.


    Preparation was preparation. This was to let the soldiers focus their attention to the maximum. They had yet to receive the order to counterattack.


    At the same time, in the small town of humans from the blue planet, the spiritual figure representing Chen Yiming¡¯s will and the three dragon gods in human form appeared in the camp.


    The spiritual figure swept its gaze across the village and took in the general situation of the village army.


    The strongest person in the village army was a human at the fusion realm. In comparison, the terrifying creatures at the fusion realm from the subsidiary races of the humans from the blue planet were not a match for him in a one-on-one fight.


    The strength of the cultivation environment indeed created a natural difference. This was not something that they could compare to. The cultivation environment was too different.


    However, even if the spiritual figure did not make a move, the humans from the blue planet still had three dragon gods to rely on.


    Although the villagers were more talented than the humans from the blue planet, they were not strong enough to be on par with the gods, no matter how weak the gods were.


    If the difference in strength between the power of the world and the power of nature was so simple, they would not have continued to stay in the village. They would have entered the city to join a powerful faction.


    Soon, the spiritual figure nodded.


    The three dragon gods in human form shot into the sky as three golden streams of light and returned to their dragon forms in the air.


    The target of the dragon gods were those at the fusion realm in the village army, as well as the powerful figures in the inscription realm. After destroying them, the remaining forces would be left for the humans from the blue planet to practice actual combat.


    ¡°Roar! Roar! Roar!¡±


    The roar of the dragon gods echoed throughout the area. The aura of the gods caused the sky to change color, as if it had opened its eyes in place of the will of the world.


    The battle between the young man from the village and Jiang Yi immediately paled in comparison. The difference was too great. Both parties could also feel that their control over their strength had decreased.


    This feeling was not an illusion, but a result of the huge difference in spiritual power. Even if the will of a god was not deliberately targeted at anyone, it could unintentionally affect a martial master.


    Usually, a martial master would suddenly feel that their spiritual will was being suppressed by an invisible force. At this time, they would have to endure a huge amount of pressure while maintaining a resonance with the power of nature.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The young man from the village immediately decided to give up on fighting in the sky. Although the other party had also experienced a decrease in his control over his strength, he had the help of the ferocious bird that could fly.


    At this moment, there was a huge turn of events in the battle between the two of them. Jiang Yi instantly had the upper hand.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    There was still a long distance to the ground. If the young man from the village wanted to go back down, Jiang Yi would naturally not let go of such an opportunity. He immediately decided to work together with the ferocious bird and get closer, choosing to fight his opponent in close combat.


    Soon, the two of them descended from the sky. The young man from the village used the electric spear to target a landing spot, but Jiang Yi used the agility of the ferocious bird to hit him in the back several times.


    The young man from the village spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. He was injured. The simplified divine power displayed its strength at this moment.


    On the ground, after the villagers saw the three dragons appear, almost no one continued to charge forward.


    The factions in the abandoned world usually needed a god to preside over them.


    If not for the fact that the humans from the blue planet had been too weak during the conflict between the villages and the outsiders, these villages would not have dared to have the intention to wipe out the small town.


    Now, they were dumbfounded. There was not just one god in the town, but three of them. What was going on?


    The moment the village army sensed the dragons¡¯ aura, their minds went blank. This was completely unexpected, and their feet stiffened.


    However, time seemed to have stopped for a moment.


    If the village army did not move, the three dragon gods would not hold back.


    They spread out their wings and flapped them, instantly closing the distance between them and the village army.


    In the next moment, the will of the gods turned into projections in the real world. The villagers at the fusion realm and the inscription realm flew into the air uncontrollably and were swallowed by the flying dragon gods.


    In a few moments, the three dragon gods¡¯ mission was over. It was just that simple to achieve a crushing victory. The enemy could not put up any resistance at all.


    The villagers were so frightened that they fell to the ground one after another, and there was a short period of silence. This turn of events was too terrifying, and they felt the scythe of the god of death slashing down.


    At the same time, the humans from the blue planet in the military, martial arts schools, and so on began to counterattack.


    The powerful figures in the village army had all been killed by the dragon gods. The humans from the blue planet also had to make use of this huge victory to establish a deterrence within a radius of 1,000 kilometers or even further out.


    Unlike the remaining villagers who had fled in all directions, the aura of the humans from the blue planet increased exponentially, crushing the other party in the forest.


    Soon, the range of the battlefield expanded greatly. The humans from the blue planet also split up and chased after the enemy until they reached the end of the horizon.


    After that, even though they were completely blocked off by the mountains and could no longer hear the sounds of the battle, the pursuit was still not over. It was also a rare experience for the humans from the blue planet.


    If the humans from the blue planet wanted to completely adapt to the abandoned world, they could not rely on simple information or words. Instead, they had to expand their sphere of influence.


    During their expansion, there would naturally be interactions, conflicts, wars, and so on with the local factions. Only then could they truly adapt to and become part of this world.

 Chapter 474

    ?


    474 Medicine Capital


    Just as the final battle in the valley started and quickly ended, Chen Yiming stepped into a plain. After traveling for 10,000 kilometers, he arrived at an ancient city. It was the Medicine Capital.


    Outside the Medicine Capital, all kinds of medicinal herbs appeared in fields in the distance. The fragrance of medicinal herbs was so strong that it filled the air. Some medicinal herbs of unknown species emitted a strange glow on the surface, and one could tell at a glance that they were extraordinary.


    In addition, every field was guarded by a team day and night. Strangers were not allowed to approach them.


    ¡°Oh, even the insects were carefully nurtured?¡±


    Chen Yiming saw an earthworm-like bug the size of a thumb burrowing through the soil under the command of a man.


    On second thought, could he make use of this?


    The humans from the blue planet were different from those villages. How many people were there in the villages? It was impossible to force everyone to cultivate day and night forever.


    Even if most people benefited from the cultivation environment in the abandoned world, after improving by leaps and bounds for a period of time, they would reach a new bottleneck.


    Every industry had its own specialties, and society had its own division of labor. For example, for the fields of medicinal herbs in front of him, the people who maintained it, the people who nurtured the insects, and so on were all very suitable channels for distribution of labor.


    ¡°The extreme west of the south mountain range is surrounded by mountains to begin with. There¡¯s nothing there except for large mountains.¡±


    ¡°As for the countless villages in the mountains, an important source of income is to pick precious wild herbs that they sell to the Medicine Capital.¡±


    ¡°Of the billions of people from the blue planet, although the proportion above the warrior realm is only a small portion, it won¡¯t stay stagnant in the future.¡±


    ¡°The village is limited by its population. The mountains are part of the geography, and they lack the corresponding technology. They don¡¯t have the conditions to create a man-made field to grow medicinal herbs, but this isn¡¯t a problem for the humans from the blue planet.¡±


    At this thought, Chen Yiming could already foresee that after the humans from the blue planet slowly exited from the secret realm, they would start to manage the mountainous land.


    Soon, Chen Yiming arrived at the entrance of the Medicine Capital. Green vines covered the city wall, turning the ancient city into a green city.


    When he walked into the ancient city, it was very lively inside. The streets were filled with shops and vendors selling all kinds of spiritual pills and medicine, but he did not know their quality.


    This was an open area similar to a free market. There were no guards at the city gate, and people could enter at will without verifying their identities.


    However, Chen Yiming¡¯s arrival still caused a commotion.


    Actually, there was already a rumor going that the Medicine Capital was one of the few places he might go to based on the direction he went in when he left the small city in the wilderness.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it. It wasn¡¯t that easy to kill him now.


    It was definitely impossible if it was just one immortal at the level of the heavenly immortal realm or a god at the star evolution realm to come. If two or three of them came, they could just fight it out. Even if he could not win in the end, he could still use the space anchor to escape.


    With his spatial ability, unless others were prepared, they would not dare to provoke him easily. For example, the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian was such a case.


    Soon, as he walked along a lively street, he saw an ancient tree in a courtyard at the side of the street. Its bark was so dry that it had cracked.


    ¡°So many people are queuing up outside the courtyard?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked away from the ancient tree and turned to look at the crowd waiting by the roadside.


    There was only a finger¡¯s gap between them, and the men and women did not mind. It was as if they were afraid that if the gap was too wide, someone would take the opportunity to cut the queue.


    ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s something special about this ancient tree?¡±


    Chen Yiming looked at the ancient tree again. The parts of the ancient tree that was above the high walls of the courtyard exuded an ancient aura.


    In addition, there were leaves that were green, yellow, and withered. The green ones emitted a dense aura of life, the yellow ones flowed with a crystalline glow, and the dry ones emitted a fragrance.


    The ancient tree should be a species of the mutant plants, but not all of them had a high cultivation value.


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming learned the truth about this ancient tree from the casual conversations of the passers-by.


    It turned out that this ancient tree belonged to a faction called the Danxia Sect. The three types of leaves each had their own uses. The green one was similar to a healing medicine, and the yellow one was a good ingredient for refining pills.


    When the withered leaves were held in one¡¯s mouth, one would enter the will projection of the ancient tree. The most direct effect was to calm people down.


    It seemed that the original intention of these people who were queuing up was to buy the withered leaves to save themselves in case they were about to go berserk during their cultivation.


    In essence, they were borrowing the will projection from the withered leaves to forcefully interrupt their impulse. The side effect of trying to forcefully break through was that it was very easy to affect one¡¯s own will.


    ¡°I wonder if it can be transplanted?¡±


    After understanding the functions of the three types of leaves from the ancient tree, Chen Yiming had the intention to buy the tree.


    The secret realm in the otherworld could be used as a secret cultivation base for the humans from the blue planet in the future. If this ancient tree could be transplanted there, it would be very useful.


    As for the price, that should not be a big problem. He could sell some of the divine artifacts he had obtained from the battles and persuade them with his sincerity. He believed that the Danxia Sect would definitely not reject him.


    At this thought, Chen Yiming waved his hand, and a withered leaf from the ancient tree appeared in his hand.


    However, before he could study it carefully, cries of surprise rang out.


    ¡°This person is really bold.¡±


    ¡°How dare you touch the three-colored divine tree of the Danxia Sect?¡±


    ¡°The last person who stole the leaves had three of his legs broken and the grass has already grown three feet tall around his grave.¡±


    Not everyone recognized Chen Yiming, and his face turned red. However, he was thick-skinned. If they negotiated slowly, the Danxia Sect might end up giving it to him generously, but he didn¡¯t have the time to waste on negotiations.


    A god at the level of the star evolution realm.


    No, a god at the jade star realm who could suppress a Heavenly Immortal would spend a lot of time cultivating every day. How could he waste time? Wasting time was wasting his talent.


    Therefore, Chen Yiming chose to ignore it and put the withered leaf in his mouth.


    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s something.¡±


    His consciousness seemed to have descended into a dead world. He looked at the scattered green dots at the end of the horizon. Otherwise, it was just a wasteland, and no sound could be heard. Other than him, there were no other living creatures.


    Just as he was about to exit from this place, he instantly understood something.


    ¡°A world with a flower, a cycle of life and death, a new life in a dead world. Isn¡¯t that a divine power I¡¯m seeing?¡±


    Chen Yiming snapped out of his daze. He suddenly felt that this ancient tree wasn¡¯t that simple. Perhaps even the Danxia Sect didn¡¯t know that it had a hidden effect of helping one comprehend the divine power.


    In his excitement, he selectively ignored the fact that as long as one¡¯s talent was strong enough, they would be able to learn something from everything they saw. Such people were also called the chosen ones.


    The chosen ones referred to people that the heavens had personally chosen. If they lacked anything, they would automatically be delivered to their door. Cultivation was as easy as eating and drinking.


    Most of the time, these people would not be able to sense the bottleneck that ordinary people could not overcome. To them, it was very easy to make progress. Since it was easy, how could they consider it a bottleneck?


    At this moment, Chen Yiming was seeing an illusion. If it was any one of the billions of humans from the blue planet, they would definitely be affected by the will projection after having the withered leaves in their mouths, and end up crying.


    In serious cases, the side effects of the withered leaves were enough to make one give up on martial arts and live a carefree life, completely immersed in the dead memories.


    ¡°The Medicine Capital is really a good place.¡±


    Chen Yiming expressed his thoughts, causing the people in the queue to treat him like a fool.


    At this moment, the door to the courtyard where the ancient tree was located was pushed open with a bang. A furious young man walked out.


    The young man had delicate features and was a disciple of the Danxia Sect. He was currently stationed outside in the courtyard to guard the ancient tree and sell the fallen withered leaves.


    Withered leaves fell from the treetops. They could be preserved for a short period of time at no cost, but the price to pay for keeping them for a long time did not match their value.


    Therefore, the courtyard door would be opened every day to sell all the withered leaves that had fallen naturally to the ground last night. As for the Danxia Sect, if they needed it urgently, they could pick the leaves from the tree at any time. There was no conflict.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    When the words reached his mouth, he could not say a single word.


    After all, the Danxia Sect was not like those independent cultivators who were queuing up. The biggest flaw of independent cultivators was their lack of access to information.


    Many times, because the independent cultivators had been immersed in their cultivation, they did not pay attention to what was happening in the outside world.


    At this moment, the young man clearly remembered that not long ago, the Danxia Sect had held an emergency meeting, and they had emphasized that Chen Yiming might come to the Medicine Capital.


    He did not expect him to really come here. As soon as he arrived, he came to a courtyard belonging to the Danxia Sect. This was difficult to deal with. A mere disciple could not make the decision when faced with such a situation.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the young man and knew that the matter was settled.


    And the situation was exactly like that.


    Soon, the young man invited Chen Yiming into the courtyard. He even announced to the people queuing outside that they were closed for the day.


    ¡­


    More than an hour later, Chen Yiming walked out of the courtyard with three withered leaves that the young man had given him on behalf of the Danxia Sect.


    As for the matter of purchasing the ancient tree, he had naturally not mentioned it. The ancient tree was the treasure of the Danxia Sect. Unless there was a serious accident, it was impossible for them to sell it.


    The young man had invited him to interact with the Danxia Sect, but Chen Yiming had rejected him. There was nothing much to talk about with a faction that only had a god at the jade star realm presiding over them.


    Soon, Chen Yiming left the courtyard and walked along the street for a distance. He entered an extremely imposing medicinal hall with two golden lions at the entrance.


    ¡°Sir, do you want to buy pills or refine pills? Our Lion Heart Hall has many pills refined by masters. We also provide alchemy equipment and venues for practicing alchemy.¡±


    A beautiful woman greeted him.


    Her appearance was very attractive, and her skin was fair and smooth. Her long legs were revealed from the top of her thighs through the slit of her dress. In addition, her cultivation level was not low. She was a god at the star condensation realm.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to buy medicinal pills.¡±


    As Chen Yiming spoke, he swept his gaze across her body and roughly figured out her rough sizes. He was experienced in this aspect, and his strength gave him courage to do this. Immortals and gods could do as they liked.


    The beautiful woman was a little stunned.


    She didn¡¯t know Chen Yiming, but the Lion Heart Hall had been established in the Medicine Capital, so they naturally had a powerful backing. Therefore, such customers were rare.


    Of course, he was just taking advantage of the situation. The beautiful woman did not lower herself to the level of arguing with the customers, unless they made a move on her. However, she no longer provided her service for him.


    Soon, Chen Yiming wandered around the Lion Heart Hall.


    The Lion Heart Hall was one of the 12 medicinal halls in the medicine capital. The medicinal pills sold were usually of high quality, and they were often used by those at the level of gods, or to help one break through to the star condensation realm.


    Although there were gods everywhere in the abandoned world, on average, most of the living creatures were below the level of gods.


    Medicine halls like the Lion Heart Hall usually did not have many customers. Unless they explicitly refused, the beautiful woman would take the initiative to follow them around and introduce the various medicinal pills along the way.


    In short, it was all to sell as many pills as possible.


    ¡°Heaven Combining Pill?¡±


    Chen Yiming noticed a type of medicinal pill placed in a corner of the counter. From the description at the side, it was used to help one enter the state where one combined with the heavens.


    The combination of man with the heavens was actually the fusion of one¡¯s spirit with the environment. If one could block out all the interference, it could increase the probability of resonating with the power of nature.


    ¡°No wonder it was placed in a corner. Perhaps it¡¯s a defective product produced during the pill refinement process, or it¡¯s made from excess materials and scraps.¡±


    Chen Yiming thought about it and understood its value.


    The Heaven Combining Pill was targeted at the lowest level of the supernatural realm. Under normal circumstances, such a pill should not be able to reach the counter of the Lion Heart Hall.


    However, it was exactly what Chen Yiming wanted. He didn¡¯t need the help of medicinal pills, but the Heaven Combining Pill was suitable for the humans from the blue planet.


    If he could obtain a large number of Heaven Combining Pills, the number of martial masters from the blue planet would increase exponentially in a short period of time. Their overall cultivation level would increase qualitatively.


    Not long after.


    Chen Yiming returned to the payment counter at the entrance of Lion Heart Hall.


    An old man in green clothes was sitting there. His face was expressionless, and he had an obvious air of arrogance. This was very normal. The Lion Heart Hall was one of the 12 medicine halls in the Medicine Capital, and had a special status.


    The beautiful woman didn¡¯t have a good impression of Chen Yiming as a customer. There were still signs of anger on her face, so she didn¡¯t intend to say anything else to him.


    ¡°How much is the Heaven Combining Pill?¡±


    Chen Yiming went straight to the point.


    When the old man in green clothes heard this, he frowned. It was not that he did not intend to sell it, but he instantly thought of the Lion Heart Hall¡¯s supply of medicinal herbs.


    In the extreme west of the south mountain range, a conflict had broken out in the mountains. It was the war between the village and the small town of humans from the blue planet.


    The factions that were purchasing the herbs in the mountains were the most affected by this. Although they did not know the whole story, they knew very well that if the conflict spread, it would affect the villagers¡¯ gathering of the herbs in the mountains.


    Due to a series of chain reactions, in order to maintain the balance, the Lion Heart Hall still had to continue selling goods, so they naturally took down some high-quality pills and replaced them with some low-quality pills.


    The Heaven Combining Pill had been put on the shelves under such circumstances. Otherwise, Chen Yiming wouldn¡¯t have seen the Heaven Combining Pill in the Lion Heart Hall.


    Chen Yiming didn¡¯t know what the old man was thinking. He thought that he didn¡¯t want to sell it anymore.


    Seeing this, the beautiful woman had no choice but to answer for him reluctantly. ¡°Because of the price, our Lion Heart Hall doesn¡¯t sell the Heaven Combining Pills individually. Instead, we sell them in batches of 10 bottles with 10 pills each.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    The beautiful woman extended a finger and continued, a??If you want to use essence energy to make the payment, a piece of essence energy as thick as a strand of hair that is as long as a section of a finger can be exchanged for 10 Heaven Combining Pills.a??


    This was only a rough estimate. There would be precise equipment to calculate the amount of essence energy, and it was possible that it was worth 9, 10 or 11 pills.


    Chen Yiming naturally didn¡¯t have any essence energy to pay the bill. He didn¡¯t even have enough for himself.


    The beautiful woman also understood that very few people were willing to exchange their essence energy for medicinal pills. In fact, they were not even willing to use the unopened source ores. She changed the topic and continued,


    ¡°Other than the Hidden Dragon Coins, our Lion Heart Hall also accepts trades using divine artifacts, divine medicine, secret techniques, and so on.¡±


    ¡°However, we can only perform the trade at 90% of the market price. After all, we still need to earn a certain amount of profit.¡±


    Chen Yiming could understand this reason. If it was an urgent situation, it was impossible to make use of the full value of the items. The medicinal hall wasn¡¯t forcing them to buy the medicines or sell their goods to them.


    Customers who were unwilling to barter and also could not fork out enough hidden dragon coins could still raise money from the auction house and other channels, but the time it would take was uncertain.


    Some high-level and high-quality medicinal pills would be gone if they missed the chance to buy them. The medicinal hall could not predict how the stockpile would be affected by various factors.


    Soon, just as Chen Yiming was about to take out a few divine artifacts to be appraised by the Lion Heart Hall, the old man in green clothes coughed and said, ¡°Young man, something has happened in the mountains in the far west. Many medicinal pills might be out of stock in a few days.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded again.


    No one knew better than him what had happened. Indeed, the conflict involved dozens of villages and would affect even the villages that were further away.


    With a wave of his hand, a cauldron that could be used to refine pills immediately returned to its original size of nearly three meters and fell to the ground with a bang.


    The cauldron had four handles, and there were patterns of strange dire beasts on the surface. When one focused their attention on them, it was as if they were alive and could pounce out at any moment.


    He had obtained this from the treasure vault of rule of Heaven Suppressing City. Chen Yiming thought that a faction like the Lion Heart Hall that specialized in the business of making pills should be able to offer a good price for it. This way, he would have more room for negotiation.


    If he relied on force to snatch what he wanted every time, his reputation would really be ruined. Unless necessary, as an existence who had killed a heavenly immortal before, he was unwilling to do that.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    The moment the cauldron fell to the ground, the old man and the beautiful woman gasped and held their breaths.


    The two of them had thought that Chen Yiming was a poor fellow. After all, he had taken a fancy to the Heaven Combining Pill. These pills were usually sold in large batches and would not be sold at the counter of the Lion Heart Hall.


    It had to be known that even if the Lion Heart Hall exchanged the Heaven Combining Pills with the cauldron at the full market price, they would still make a huge profit.


    This was the same as exchanging small change for notes. After leaving this door, there was a 99% chance that no one would want the Heaven Combining Pills, but this cauldron would attract the attention of others.


    Chen Yiming smiled and took in the change in their expressions.


    Clearly, this cauldron collected by the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City had a certain value. At the same time, as experts from the Lion Heart Hall, they would definitely know its true worth.


    This way, how could they make a trade for it at 90% of the market price?


    They had to make a trade at a premium. After all, there were billions of humans from the blue planet. Even if he cleared out the stock of the Lion Heart Hall, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to provide enough Heaven Combining Pills for him.


    Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t afraid of being targeted by evil people if he revealed such a precious treasure. Until now, he was the only one who had targeted others, and others had never succeeded in targeting him.

 Chapter 475

    ?


    475 Cooperation


    A few days passed.


    On the first day, the Lion Heart Hall didn¡¯t immediately recognize Chen Yiming and treated him as an ordinary customer.


    It was only when Chen Yiming took out a top-quality cauldron that they reported it to the powerful elder behind the medicine hall, causing chaos to occur. It was said that the powerful elder had come personally to apologize.


    The next day, the news that Chen Yiming had gone to the medicinal hall to buy the Heaven Combining Pill spread throughout the 12 medicine halls and other factions in the same line of business.


    ¡°Is this Heaven Combining Pill that magical?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? The Heaven Combining Pill is just something for kids to use. It¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°The Heaven Combining Pill must be a cover. Could it be that Chen Yiming is using an excuse to get the 12 medicinal halls to help him refine the Holy Spirit Divine Pill?¡±


    ¡°Holy Spirit Divine Pill? That¡¯s a legendary pill related to the divine source ore experts!¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, why would all the 12 medicine halls become so lively?¡±


    In the medicine capital, various versions of the rumors had spread widely. However, 99% of the people didn¡¯t believe that Chen Yiming had really just bought the Heaven Combining Pill from the medicinal hall.


    However, this was the truth. After Chen Yiming left the Lion Heart Hall, he went to the other 11 medicinal halls to trade items for the Heaven Combining Pill.


    In addition, since Chen Yiming needed more of the pills than they had in stock, the 12 medicinal halls joined forces with other small and medium-sized medicinal halls to refine the Heaven Combining Pill.


    This caused all kinds of untrue rumors to spread widely.


    ¡­


    In a courtyard filled with the fragrance of flowers and birdsong.


    ¡°Smack!¡±


    A black piece was placed down heavily, causing the chessboard made of stone to shake violently.


    Chen Yiming was playing chess with an old man.


    The two of them placed their pieces like lightning, and the surrounding air emitted sounds from the vibrations. They did not give the other party any time to think as they alternated between their turns and placed their pieces.


    Not long after, Chen Yiming¡¯s expression remained the same and he stopped playing. Although the game wasn¡¯t over, the opponent had already lost.


    A game of chess was not only a competition of technique and experience, but also the speed at which one¡¯s mind worked. If one could calculate faster and further ahead than their opponent, the chances of winning were naturally higher.


    No miracles happened in this round. After one side fell into a disadvantageous position, they were forced to retreat step by step until they lost the game.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me win!¡±


    Chen Yiming smiled and looked up at the other party.


    The old man¡¯s face twitched. He let out a long sigh and looked up from the chessboard.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting old, I¡¯m getting old¡­¡± The old man grimaced.


    The old man¡¯s real name was unknown. His nickname was the Herb Elder, and he was the true mastermind behind the 12 medicinal halls in the Medicine Capital. He was a god at the level of the star evolution realm, and was a powerful elder who had been active for a long time.


    If not for the fact that Chen Yiming¡¯s arrival might bring about a disaster for the Medicine Capital, the Herb Elder wouldn¡¯t have appeared, let alone be playing chess here.


    ¡°Victory and defeat are commonplace in war. Senior, there¡¯s no need to fuss over a temporary victory or defeat,¡± Chen Yiming said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m all alone, so of course I don¡¯t understand the difficulties of running a large business.¡± When the Herb Elder saw the expression on the face of the person opposite him, he was furious. The main reason was that he felt that he couldn¡¯t defeat the other party, and he couldn¡¯t forcefully chase him away.


    ¡°Senior, I can¡¯t be bothered to beat around the bush. I hope to reach a long-term partnership with the Medicine Capital. What do you think?¡± Chen Yiming suddenly asked.


    ¡°¡­¡± The Herd Elder was speechless. The Medicine Capital did not want to get involved. In the conflict with the Infinite Island Group, they didn¡¯t stand to gain anything from it, and he had offended the Infinite Island Group first.


    ¡°What I need is only the Heaven Combining Pill. Even a child from a village would have a chance to use it. I believe that before the Infinite Island Group captures the hidden factions from the source ore shops, they will not have any internal strife.¡±


    Chen Yiming stated the obvious.


    Since the Medicine Capital could operate normally in the south mountain range, it was naturally a faction under the control of the Infinite Island Group.


    However, most of the large cities that had been taken over by them did not really participate in the search for the hiding place of the source ore shops.


    In other words, factions like the Medicine Capital were just following the trend. If the Infinite Island Group lost its power one day, they would immediately cut ties with it.


    After all, from the beginning to the end, there were many neutral forces like this, and they had not really offended any side. Even the Infinite Island Group could not completely control all the factions under them.


    Otherwise, with a single order, it would have made a big move a year ago. It would not have given the immortal factions from another galaxy a chance to interfere in the matters of the abandoned world.


    ¡°Oh? So what if we work together? So what if we don¡¯t?¡± the Herb Elder asked.


    ¡°¡­¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t reply. He looked like he was deep in thought.


    To be honest, the Herb Elder felt a little guilty.


    After all, his opponent had killed the Heavenly Immortal Tong Tian. As someone who had pretty much already retired from the public eye, he could tell at a glance that he was one of the weaker ones among those of the same level.


    If¡­ if the other party pushed his own agenda, he would probably have to agree in the end. At the very least, he had to agree on the surface. Next, he would have to feign civility.


    This show on the surface would not just be for the other party, but for everyone outside the Medicine Capital.


    Thinking of this, the Herb Elder could not help but sigh in his heart. The source ore shops should be regretting it now. Thinking back, if they had been willing to pay a higher price, the Infinite Island Group might have¡­


    Not long after, Chen Yiming smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t work together. I¡¯ll naturally buy the Heaven Combining Pills from the Medicine Capital. On the other hand, you can¡¯t possibly keep your doors closed and not open for business, right?¡±


    When the Herb Elder heard this, the veins on his forehead bulged.


    It seemed like he really couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. As long as Chen Yiming came to the Medicine Capital from time to time, the people from the Infinite Island Group would definitely be suspicious, regardless of whether they worked together or not,


    unless Chen Yiming¡¯s enemies took advantage of the fact that he had appeared to mobilize people to surround and kill him. However, an existence with the ability to kill those of the same level and a special spatial ability wouldn¡¯t die so easily.


    After all this time, they were still stuck in a deadlock. In the end, his strength was inferior to the other party. Otherwise, he would not have been so passive.


    After a pause, Chen Yiming sighed and said, ¡°The achievements of the Medicine Capital in making medicine are unparalleled in the south mountain range. For example, the Heaven Combining Pill is of very good quality. There are many other examples¡­¡±


    The medicinal pills he had listed had all appeared in the Lion Heart Hall. Their use was to help those who were not talented enough to use external forces to help them break through.


    The most precious among them included the divine pill that could help one to condense the inner world. Its value was countless times higher than the Heaven Combining Pill.


    In other words, Chen Yiming was telling the Herb Elder which pills he needed.


    If they could really work together for a long time, the pills prepared for the humans from the blue planet, now and in the future, would quickly increase their overall cultivation level.


    ¡°Our 12 medicinal halls have more than 10 master alchemists and more than one grandmaster alchemist presiding over each of them. There are also countless ordinary alchemists¡­¡± the Herb Elder said with a smile.


    Of course, he understood the meaning behind Chen Yiming¡¯s words. Since the collaboration had been forcefully reached, he couldn¡¯t keep showing a bitter expression.


    He smiled. As long as he was not dead, everything would eventually pass.


    Chen Yiming nodded.


    There was naturally a reason why he had suddenly become more proactive.


    In the past few days, the speed at which the faith in him was being converted into Skill Points had undergone another qualitative improvement. At first, he thought that it was contributed by those cultivating to become knights.


    Later, after careful investigation, he realized that something was amiss. It was contributed by the huge number of humans from the blue planet.


    After thinking about the reason, he quickly understood the cause and effect.


    In the era of the feudal society on the blue planet, before the industrial revolution, the country was mainly ruled by the emperor. Ordinary people held true faith in the gods and the emperor.


    Later, as superstitions were broken and the technology developed, atheism became mainstream. It was the same even after the invasion of the otherworld.


    In people¡¯s hearts, the so-called gods were only stronger creatures, not mysterious existences like those in superstitions that required believers to offer incense to.


    Therefore, even though Chen Yiming had repelled the black tide, in the hearts of ordinary people, it could be respect or something else, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent that they truly had an unshakable faith in him.


    The society of humans from the blue planet was still relatively free. Martial arts and technology coexisted. Other than vigorously promoting martial arts, they would hardly force the people to do anything.


    However, after the idea of establishing a brand new empire and fighting in the abandoned world had pretty much been decided, the situation was different.


    Many times, it was only a change in name, but in the hearts of the people, the meaning was completely different. A large amount of power of faith crossed the space.


    After Chen Yiming thought it through, he was shocked.


    In the abandoned world, the source ores were mainly produced in the restricted areas. After a large amount was taken away, it was unknown how long it would take for the supply to gradually recover.


    However, humans from the blue planet could continue to develop. The higher the average level of cultivation, the larger the population would be, and the more faith they could provide.


    This was a long-term solution. If his sphere of influence continued to expand in the future, he would eventually control the entire abandoned world and completely become a rising star for the humans from the blue planet.


    At that time, even if he did not leave the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, he could still become stronger.


    ¡­


    Another half a month passed.


    Many large cities in the outside world were discussing the matter of Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance in the Medicine Capital. He had snatched food from the tiger¡¯s mouth during the battle between the immortal factions and the Infinite Island Group. The impact was far-reaching.


    It was impossible for the Infinite Island Group not to know what had happened in the Medicine Capital. Even if they did not know, someone would have passed on the message.


    However, after waiting for a long time, nothing much happened. The Infinite Island Group did not mobilize many gods at the star evolution realm to surround and kill him, contrary to the expectations of many people.


    ¡°Could it be that the Infinite Island Group is afraid of this person?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? The Infinite Island Group is an existence that has the ability to conquer one world after another in the space-travel distortion. It¡¯s even stronger than ordinary inter-galactic overlord factions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that even the ruler of a galaxy has to respect a faction like the Infinite Island Group. They are not existences that can be easily bullied.¡±


    ¡°Then we should ignore that possibility for the time being. After all, after putting in so much effort, how can it compare to the gains from hunting down the source ore shops?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. After dealing with the factions from the source ore shops, if he dares to show himself again, the Infinite Island Group will definitely send out a powerful force to attack him.¡±


    The mainstream view was that it wasn¡¯t that Chen Yiming could really make the Infinite Island Group give him free rein, but that the effort involved to hunt him down was not proportional to the gains. Hence, they temporarily put aside the grudge between them.


    Although the value of the huge rock forming the space teleportation portal was very high, an existence like the Infinite Island Group that could enter and exit the space-travel distortion at will definitely had a similar treasure. Otherwise, it would not have made such a name for itself.


    There were also many people who helped the Infinite Island Group find other suitable reasons. Unless they had a chance of crushing Chen Yiming and setting up an inescapable net to kill him, it would be very difficult to deal with him.


    Coupled with the fact that he was working with Gao Shuai, whose whereabouts were unknown, there was a high chance that attacks targeted towards them would fail. In that case, there was no need to make a big fuss at this juncture.


    The truth was just as many people had guessed.


    The ruler of Heaven Suppression City and the powerful elder of the Roc clan, who clearly had a huge grudge against Chen Yiming, didn¡¯t make any moves. The Infinite Island Group was focused on dealing with the factions from the source ore shops.


    ¡­


    Time passed day by day.


    Chen Yiming was still in the Medicine Capital.


    Every day, he would only meet with the Herb Elder, drink some tea, chat, and play chess. He rarely went out.


    To the 12 medicinal halls, a batch of pills at the level of the Heaven Combining Pill could be produced in three days and three nights. The quantity that could be produced was far more than expected.


    The reason why the price did not drop was mainly because the medicinal hall had never specially refined such pills. Usually, they were made from the leftover materials after refining other pills.


    Now, they specially produced the Heaven Combining Pills. Each furnace could contain hundreds of pills. In the end, they had used a total of more than 300 furnaces, producing tens of thousands of pills at once.


    On the day of his departure, after Chen Yiming and the Herb Elder played another round of chess, he waved his hand and the row of boxes piled up in the courtyard were kept away with his Hidden Universe divine power.


    The boxes were filled with the Heaven Combining Pills prepared by the medicinal halls. There was also the lingering fragrance of the pills in the air.


    Seeing this, the Herb Elder¡¯s expression turned bitter, but what else could he say?


    From the ingredients to the alchemist to the medicinal halls, it involved a chain of factors. Since they made so many Heaven Combining Pills, they would definitely have used up a large number of ingredients.


    This would definitely have a huge impact on the Medicine Capital in a short period of time. Many of the pills that were originally planned to be refined would be forced to be put on hold because they lacked certain ingredients.


    Chen Yiming coughed and said, ¡°Why are you worried, Herb Elder? You have to give up something to gain something. Now, the production of medicinal pills is still limited to only one city, the Medicine Capital. It¡¯s all because of your strength.¡±


    He did not say anything else after that. It was fine as long as he understood what he meant, regardless of whether the other party believed him or not.


    Hearing this, the Herb Elder still smiled bitterly.


    How could he not understand? However, Chen Yiming was just one person. Unless he reached the level of the ruler of a galaxy, he could not make big moves all by himself.


    Perhaps he could live a carefree life and others would not dare to provoke him easily. However, without a group of strong people behind him, he would not be able to have enough influence to occupy a piece of land and lay claim to a territory.


    As for nurturing subordinates from now on, the Herb Elder felt that it was possible, but he did not know how long it would take for it to work out.


    The Medicine Capital would be affected now, but what it might benefit from would happen in the distant future. At this critical moment, the disadvantages would definitely outweigh the benefits.


    In fact, it was even possible that the medicinal halls would be destroyed by the Infinite Island Group at some point because of this.


    In short, the Herb Elder didn¡¯t think highly of Chen Yiming¡¯s words. He thought that he was just trying to comfort him.


    Soon, they bid their farewells.


    Chen Yiming left the Medicine Capital and used the space anchor to make a few space-jumps.


    All the traces related to him disappeared as the faint spatial ripples calmed down. No one knew which direction he was heading in next.


    After returning to the secret realm in the otherworld, Chen Yiming distributed the Heaven Combining Pills. As long as one met the requirements of being a top warrior, they could receive one pill first.


    Silently, in the extreme west of the south mountain range, a certain species was preparing to undergo a transformation. However, the outside world did not notice this.


    On the surface, the small human town just maintained its size as a small town.


    There was actually no change in the number of gods at the star condensation realm. The three dragon gods could only show off their might in front of the village-level factions.

 Chapter 476

    ?


    476 Half a Year


    Half a year later.


    Flying Sail City was the first town of the humans from the blue planet in the abandoned world. It officially had a new name.


    The surrounding sky was a little gray and heavy. Thick smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the mountains. The sound of sawing wood had never stopped.


    This was the first time such a technological style had appeared in the extreme west of the south mountain range. After all, the mountain environment here was more suitable for the development of factions with the style of primitive civilizations.


    It was evening.


    Along the street, oil lamps served as street lamps, and loud music came from a tavern.


    From the outside, one could see a scantily clad woman dancing around a pole.


    After a busy day outside the city, many warriors would come to the taverns to drink hard liquor. Some of them would even get drunk before finally going home to sleep.


    The warriors relied on their strong physique to continue their heavy work the next day.


    Martial arts disciples and ordinary people could not leave the secret realm. Compared to them, warriors were like indestructible machines.


    At the counter, a middle-aged man with a bear-like figure and scars on his arms quickly poured a glass of strong wine and handed it to the customer in front of him.


    Of the three customers opposite him, one was white, one was black, and one was Asian.


    From their clothes, one could tell that they were working in the same team. Although this was rare, it was not impossible.


    ¡°Old Deng, business is good!¡± the Asian man asked with a smile after taking in the situation in the tavern.


    ¡°I am barely making a living. Most of the money is earned by the boss. I¡¯m just working here. No matter how good the business is, I can only earn my salary.¡±


    The middle-aged bartender smiled stiffly.


    At this moment, the black man interrupted and said in a depressed tone, ¡°Half a year has passed. I wonder how many Heaven Combining Pills are left. Who would have thought that warriors were only fit for manual labor in this damned world?¡±


    In the past, warriors on the blue planet had a noble high status and belonged to the upper class. It was the same even at the most critical times.


    However, things were different now. It was not that warriors were not allowed to take on missions to expand their territory, but that with the strength of warriors, they would basically not be able to fight back against the native villagers.


    A martial master was an existence that used to be known as the guardian of the country on the blue planet. Only they were qualified to participate in the fight against the villages. However, they just barely qualified, and there were often casualties.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough! It¡¯s tough!¡±


    The middle-aged bartender sighed and said sympathetically, ¡°Those who were stuck at the last stage of the warrior realm were really lucky in the past half a year. One or two of them seized the opportunity to break through to the master realm.¡±


    The white man picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp. He also said in frustration, ¡°This path of cultivation is really not fair at all. Those who are fast keep progressing faster, and those who are slow remain slow.¡±


    The small town was not forcefully modified by the higher-ups from the blue planet to become Flying Sail City. Instead, the number of martial masters was increasing day by day, and it naturally expanded.


    At the same time, during the expansion of their territory, they had obtained the loot from the conflicts and battles. The powerful martial masters at the front line naturally gained the most of it.


    At most, warriors could only do logistics work in the city. In terms of the amount of cultivation resources they could obtain, they were far behind martial masters.


    Soon, they downed a few mouthfuls of hard liquor.


    The middle-aged bartender attended to the other customers. The three of them drank by themselves as they shared the rumors they had heard.


    ¡°I heard from the merchants who came from outside to buy medicinal herbs that the person with twin pupils displayed their world-shattering power and found the hiding place of the source ore shops.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s said that his power caused the ground to sink countless kilometers. Blood flowed like a sea, and the whole area collapsed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really that powerful. It¡¯s said that the only time the person with twin pupils was defeated was¡­ Will they come looking for us one day and expose our secret realm?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be that unlucky, right?¡±


    ¡­


    In Shanglin Village, which was more than 1,000 kilometers away from Flying Sail City, a few men in the Daxia Kingdom¡¯s military uniforms were gathered in a room. They were military personnel stationed outside the village and were in charge of the hundreds of villagers in the village.


    Outside, the villagers who had returned from hunting and gathering medicinal herbs were chatting and laughing as they returned home one after another.


    For the villages that had been included in the territory of the Flying Sail City, they had originally thought that hard times had arrived. The rise of a large faction would definitely be accompanied by serious exploitation of the villagers under them.


    Unexpectedly, Flying Sail City only sent people to set up camp and pay attention to the movements of the villagers at all times. They did not snatch the prey they had caught or the medicinal herbs they had gathered deep in the mountains.


    On the other hand, because the territories of the villages were divided, and the conflicts between the villages were reduced, the amount of materials they brought back during their daily hunting and gathering of medicinal herbs increased.


    It was also because of this that the area under the control of Flying Sail City remained relatively stable and riots did not arise among the villagers.


    ¡°Chief, when are we going to investigate the ancient lake in Shanglin Village?¡± Huang Fei asked.


    Huang Fei was a young martial master from the military who had broken through with the help of the Heaven Combining Pill. After three months of training, he was currently stationed in the village.


    As the commander, Zhao Jing looked out of the window at the sky and said in a low voice, ¡°Even the people from Shanglin Village who have lived in this forest for generations don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on at the bottom of the lake.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just the few of us. Let¡¯s wait for further instructions from the higher-ups. I know that everyone is in a hurry to make a contribution, but we can¡¯t let ourselves get carried away.¡±


    The ancient lake was the source of water for Shanglin Village. In history, there were not just one or two villagers who had died trying to find out the truth, but every generation had several such cases.


    Another reason why it attracted the attention of Zhao Jing, Huang Fei, and the other stationed personnel was because the average cultivation level of the people from Shanglin Village was clearly higher than that of the other villages.


    In the research institute in the secret realm in the otherworld, a professor compared the cultivation situation of the young men and women in the villages under Flying Sail City and discovered something different about Shanglin Village.


    After exchanging information, they locked onto the ancient lake that even the villagers did not know much about. Other than this water source, there was nothing to differentiate it from other villages.


    Night quickly fell.


    Every family in Shanglin Village lit an oil lamp. Their cheerful laughter broke the silence of the night. At the dining table, the adults and children talked about what had happened when they went out that day.


    ¡°I gained quite a lot today. I killed three hyenas by myself. We don¡¯t have to worry about meat for a month.¡±


    ¡°Is Old Zhang from next door crazy? He¡¯s actually preparing to go to the big cities outside to have an adventure. It¡¯s so chaotic now. If he dies on the way, his corpse won¡¯t even be found.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that if I make a huge contribution, I¡¯ll have a chance to go to Flying Sail City and obtain a higher-level cultivation technique. Should I take the risk and go to investigate the bottom of the lake?¡±


    ¡°If only I could marry a woman from Flying Sail City. That way, I can become a city dweller.¡±


    The existence of Flying Sail City affected the villages within a radius of more than 10,000 kilometers. Although many villages had been defeated previously and a large number of casualties had occurred, they still had to look forward.


    The villagers had all kinds of thoughts. Without a doubt, Flying Sail City had become the center of this large area, attracting the villagers and causing them to want to enter the city.


    Late at night, a few villagers with strong physiques knocked on the door of the place where Zhao Jing, Huang Fei, and the others lived.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Jing got up from the bed and lit an oil lamp.


    Huang Fei and the others woke up from their sleep and also got out of bed to light the oil lamps. They had not rested much during the day, so they had dark circles under their eyes.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m a descendant of Liang Lu. Before my father died, he told me what he saw in the ancient lake. It might be of some use to you.¡±


    Outside the courtyard, the man whispered the reason for his late-night visit.


    His voice was very soft, like a mosquito flapping its wings, but it was loud enough for the people in the courtyard.


    Soon, the men who had knocked on the door were invited in. They were brothers who were considered tyrants in Shanglin Village, and were all good hunters.


    ¡­


    In the mountains in the far west of the south mountain range, in a valley where the space-travel distortion intersected, with the interference of the power of distortion here, unless one entered it, the outside world wouldn¡¯t know what was going on inside. To Chen Yiming, this was the most suitable place for cultivation.


    Not long after, a flickering figure slowly walked out of the space-travel distortion.


    The various auras around him were extremely chaotic. Strangulation, distortion, corruption, and so on were common invasive forces in the space-travel distortion.


    Soon, the valley was affected by the oppressive aura of a huge beast. The air exploded, and all kinds of phenomena appeared and disappeared.


    The person who had appeared was covered in injuries.


    However, in the blink of an eye, his cracked skin returned to normal. The broken muscles and tendons automatically healed, and the wounds disappeared without a trace.


    At the same time, in the center of the valley, a humanoid creature formed by spiritual power also opened its eyes.


    Chen Yiming asked the spiritual figure to stay in the dangerous place to provide support. Relying on his spatial ability, he had a strong ability to escape. He tried to explore the endless unknown world in the chaotic space.


    However, because he did not have much experience, it took him a lot of time. Along the way, he even fought a few battles with creatures from an unknown species. There were cases of both victories and defeats, and he finally entered the target world.


    It was a world similar to the Daxia Kingdom during ancient times on the blue planet. Martial arts was the mainstream. The strongest person in the world had barely reached the level of a martial master, and even this was achieved through some tricks.


    If one¡¯s spiritual power could not reach the level of controlling the power of nature, they could cultivate the martial arts moves to the point of perfection and use them to activate the power of nature.


    Of course, this power could not compare to that of a true martial master. After all, by using martial arts moves to mobilize the power of nature, one could not truly do whatever they wanted. There were many restrictions.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s appearance there was like an immortal descending into the world.


    At that time, a large area was instantly split apart. The aura of the space-travel distortion turned into an oppressive scene that enveloped the entire world.


    All the martial arts practitioners, be it third-rate, second-rate, first-rate experts, or even those at the very top, almost knelt down.


    The overwhelming power that could destroy everything in the world was something that everyone admired.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s spiritual power swept across the entire world, and he was greatly disappointed. After all, he had spent so much time and effort to reach this place, but it was useless to him.


    Therefore, without interacting with the people of this world, he turned around and re-entered the space-travel distortion.


    With one last glance, he saw the strongest person from that world shouting about ascending to the immortal realm. Before the spatial rift closed, he also entered the space-travel distortion.


    The strongest person in the world was most likely deceived by the legends recorded in the ancient books.


    The concept of breaking through space and ascending to a higher realm did not actually mean entering the space-travel distortion was enough to achieve the intended result. Instead, entering the space-travel distortion was only the first step.


    Therefore, his body was instantly twisted by the space-travel distortion, and he did not even have a chance to make a sound to warn the people behind him.


    The first, second, and third-rate experts were originally still envious of the strongest person in this world. They all thought that he had encountered an opportunity to ascend to the immortal realm as described in the ancient books.


    ¡°Although there¡¯s no fixed pattern to the space-travel distortion, is there really no way to go about it except to rely purely on luck?¡± Chen Yiming thought to himself as he summarized what he had seen and heard during his first attempt.


    There were rumors that the Infinite Island Group was not active only in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Instead, many times, they would travel through the space-travel distortion and fight one unknown world after another.


    If that was the case, there must be a way. However, the space-travel distortion involved secrets that not many people knew about.


    ¡°An unknown existence living in the space-travel distortion. The weakest creature I encountered this time is at least at the level of the star evolution realm. It¡¯s very difficult to deal with. It seems that if we want to figure it out, we can only find out the truth from the Infinite Island Group.¡±


    Chen Yiming raised his head and looked into the distance.


    The factions of the Infinite Island Group were openly searching for the hiding place of the source ore shops in the south mountain range. They were probably hiding in the otherworld like the humans from the blue planet.


    However, it was useless for Chen Yiming to find someone who wasn¡¯t at the core of the clan. Therefore, he had to confirm the location of the true headquarters of the Infinite Island Group first.


    No one was more suitable for this job than Gao Shuai.


    ¡­


    In the Myriad Phenomena Academy in the secret realm in the otherworld.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s snowing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really snowing. As the news said, it¡¯s completely simulating the changes in the natural environment. There are also four seasons in the secret realm.¡±


    ¡°How about we make a snowman after school?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too childish. We¡¯re students of the Myriad Phenomena Academy.¡±


    ¡°What about it? Can¡¯t we relax a little and make a snowman?¡±


    On the field, a few girls were chatting non-stop, letting the snow fall onto their bodies.


    It had to be known that ever since they left the blue planet on the spaceships, the interior of the spaceship was limited by the conditions. The changes in the environment were almost imperceptible. It was not easy for them to land again, but they were still trapped in the otherworld.


    Even in the Myriad Phenomena Academy, there were martial arts disciples who had yet to break through to the warrior realm. The girls were relatively young, and they had yet to break through to the warrior realm.


    Therefore, they could not leave the otherworld and go to Flying Sail City on the outside.


    Soon, the topic of snow ended, and the girls changed to the topic of the academy.


    ¡°I heard that a referendum is about to be held to turn all the countries into an empire. The name of the academy will also be changed.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? The Myriad Phenomena Academy is already the number one martial arts academy. It¡¯s just changing its name. At most, there will be fewer restrictions.¡±


    The Myriad Phenomena Academy was secretly biased towards recruiting those from the Daxia Kingdom. They could often enter the school under more relaxed conditions, but for the other countries, they followed strict standards.


    ¡°How can it be the same? There are many countries now. Everyone is separated into different areas according to the number of people. I heard that every time they want to enforce a new policy, there will be a lot of opinions about it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If we were to unite into one empire, there would naturally not be so much trouble. It would be easier for all the forces to be combined into one.¡±


    As students of the Myriad Phenomena Academy, the girls would definitely have to participate in the development of their faction in the future. Therefore, they were very concerned about this matter.


    Therefore, they went from chatting about daily matters to national matters. Everyone had excited expressions on their faces.

 Chapter 477

    ?


    477 Child of God


    After half a year, Chen Yiming returned to the secret realm in the otherworld. He went to the Myriad Phenomena Academy to take a look at the top martial arts academy of the humans from the blue planet.


    Along the way, he attracted the gazes of many girls. All of them fell silent as they looked over.


    Some pretended to look around inadvertently, while others did not hide their intense gazes. Their young faces were burning.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. His aura is so attractive.¡±


    ¡°His figure is so tall and his skin is so good.¡±


    ¡°Which section is he from? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡±


    Chen Yiming used his spiritual power to hide his features, so he didn¡¯t alarm the academy¡¯s leaders. However, his aura and blurry figure attracted the attention of the girls.


    Every girl had the image of a perfect male in their hearts. Chen Yiming¡¯s figure was now deeply imprinted in their hearts.


    Soon, Chen Yiming left the Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    He roughly understood the situation in the Myriad Phenomena Academy. The academy had set up the disciple, warrior, and elite sections. Martial arts disciples and warriors were divided according to their cultivation situation.


    With the support from the government, most of the genius martial artists of the new generation were from the Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    At the same time, there were more frequent exchanges and intense competition, allowing everyone¡¯s potential to be fully unearthed. One martial master after another graduated from the academy and participated in the expansion of the territory.


    It could be said that as long as Chen Yiming could hold the line, the growth of the humans from the blue planet in the abandoned world would not stop. The current trend was gradually moving towards them becoming the overlords of the far west of the south mountain range.


    ¡­


    In the Chen family house, the family sat down and ate together.


    Chen Yiming gave the pregnant Wu Di, who he had left behind all this time, a crystal necklace as a gift, causing most of the resentment that had built up in her heart to dissipate.


    Chen Yiming had obtained the crystal after fighting a powerful unknown existence while wandering through the space-travel distortion. He had broken the opponent¡¯s weapons and reforged them.


    It had a calming effect on the mind and could also gather the thin essence energy in the environment of the abandoned world. It was equivalent to carrying a small spirit gathering formation with him.


    ¡°Brother, how long are you staying this time?¡± Chen Yingying asked with a smile.


    Father Chen, Mother Chen, and Wu Di all put down their chopsticks. They were also very interested in his answer as they had hardly seen him the entire year.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to investigate the changes in the situation in the south mountain range.¡± Chen Yiming felt a little guilty.


    He understood that in the eyes of the gods at the level of the star evolution realm, the humans from the blue planet were just a small faction in the countryside. Therefore, in the past half a year, he had mainly focused on wandering through the space-travel distortion.


    With the spiritual figure around, he did not have to worry about any accidents. At most, he could just return quickly.


    Unless it was the army from the Infinite Island Group, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but it was impossible for them to make a move. The humans from the blue planet were not worth paying attention to.


    Just as Chen Yiming was feeling a little embarrassed, Mother Chen said with concern, ¡°You must be very tired. You have to take care of yourself and relax sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I have heard of more than one or two examples of people who have reached the peak of their cultivation and caused internal injuries and psychological barriers in their rush to progress faster.¡±


    Hearing this, Chen Yiming found it strange that she was concerned about his cultivation.


    Speaking of cultivation, he had plenty of experience. In any case, he did not care about anything else and just wanted to make progress. There would not be a big problem since he had the enhancement of his talents.


    He said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯ve made some progress every day. On the contrary, it¡¯s quite fulfilling.¡±


    When Chen Yingying heard this, her expression froze.


    He had really touched a sore spot. Speaking of cultivation, it was really torturous for her, who had reached a bottleneck, but she was too embarrassed to say it.


    ¡­


    Chen Yiming continued to loaf around in the following days.


    In the outside world, the factions of the source ore shops did not reveal their hiding place and go against the Infinite Island Group just because one of them had been found.


    There was no news from Gao Shuai and the black dog. It was unknown where they had run off to.


    The military had sent out a large number of people to investigate the ancient lake in Shanglin Village. When they reached a depth of tens of thousands of meters, they faced an unknown creature.


    During this time, Chen Yiming quietly went over to investigate. After dealing with a few water-type creatures that were in the way, he realized that the bottom of the ancient lake was connected to a small sealed world.


    80 to 90% of the sea creatures in the small world had already starved to death. The remaining few were only relying on the natural essence energy to barely survive.


    However, the magical thing about this small world was that there was actually a small source ore mine.


    The villagers of Shanglin village had been able to stand out from a young age by drinking the water from the ancient lake. There was also a reason for this. The water from the ancient lake contained an extremely small amount of essence energy that was dissolved in it.


    This small amount of essence energy was already very effective for improving one¡¯s cultivation. After reaching adulthood, the effect was usually not as obvious. It depended more on one¡¯s talent and opportunities.


    However, to the humans from the blue planet, this was already something that they could not wish more for. After the seal was destroyed by Chen Yiming, they quickly started to mine underwater.


    After that, Chen Yiming started to explore the space-travel distortion and the various unknown worlds linked to it.


    In addition, he would go to the Medicine Capital every three months and use the treasures and resources he had obtained from exploring the unknown worlds to exchange for more Heaven Combining Pills.


    As the supply of the Heaven Combining Pills increased, those who had yet to meet the requirements of a warrior at the last stage were also given the Heaven Combining Pills.


    Everyone was satisfied, and their motivation to cultivate was stimulated. This was especially true for the warriors who had received the Heaven Combining Pill. They treated Chen Yiming as their second set of parents.


    It could be said that these warriors had really caught up to the best times. Becoming a martial master that could once suppress the fate of a country was no longer something that was out of their reach.


    Of course, Chen Yiming was also very satisfied. He watched as his Skill Points increased day by day. At this rate, in about 100 years, he would be able to upgrade both the Undying Body talent and the Giant Talent by one level each.


    When he broke through to the star evolution realm, he would have more confidence to deal with all the challenges ahead of them. Moreover, the speed of accumulation of Skill Points was constantly increasing. In reality, it would not take him 100 years.


    ¡­


    In the Medicine Capital,after obtaining a few boxes of Heaven Combining Pills, Chen Yiming was pestered by the Herb Elder.


    ¡°The people from the Infinite Island Group are discussing your weaknesses. Someone wants to find out where your people are,¡± the Herb Elder reminded him.


    ¡°Who wants to lead the search, the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City or the Roc clan?¡± Chen Yiming didn¡¯t think much of it and continued to play along.


    The Herb Elder coughed twice and said, ¡°Both, and more than one or two people want to kill you. I heard that the divine temple of the immortal factions has always been very dissatisfied with the outcome of the last battle.¡±


    Chen Yiming nodded, but he wasn¡¯t too worried about the secret realm in the otherworld being discovered.


    The first reason was that his whereabouts were unpredictable. He might be seen by someone somewhere, but it was impossible to deduce his exact location.


    The second reason was that even though the number of martial masters from the blue planet had increased rapidly, there was not a huge increase in the number of gods. The large factions still did not concern themselves with Flying Sail City.


    This way, even the Medicine Capital, which had produced the Heaven Combining Pill for Chen Yiming for a long time, did not know where the pills had gone.


    It wasn¡¯t that no they had not tried to tamper with the Heaven Combination Pill, but Chen Yiming would check them one by one when he received them. Any abnormalities would be wiped out completely.


    Not long after, the game of chess ended.


    Chen Yiming had won again, which angered the Herb Elder. He didn¡¯t even know how to respect his elders.


    ¡°The people from the Infinite Island Group have already said that we are not allowed to refine the Heaven Combining Pills for you anymore.¡± The Herb Elder sighed and expressed his helplessness.


    ¡°No problem, but can I borrow a few people?¡± Chen Yiming asked.


    The Heaven Combining Pill was not a precious pill in the abandoned world. Most alchemists had the ability to refine it, so the move from the Infinite Island Group was useless.


    He believed that the people from the Infinite Island Group knew this. Otherwise, they would have forcefully cut off the supply of the Heaven Combining Pills from the start instead of waiting until now to give the order.


    Hearing this, the Herb Elder neither agreed nor objected.


    There were many alchemists in the Medicine Capital. So what if they knew that a few outsiders had left? Who knew if they had resigned or left for some other reason? If he did not object, it was equivalent to agreeing to it.


    Just like that, when Chen Yiming left the Medicine Capital, he brought a few alchemists from the Lion Heart Hall with him.


    He would not return to the Medicine Capital for the time being. He planned to use these alchemists as the foundation to nurture some of the humans from the blue planet into alchemists.


    With the existence of an alchemist, it was just like how the factions in the source ore shops monopolized the power of the source ore experts. If they could not defeat an opponent, they could still hide from them. With the goose that could lay golden eggs in their hands, they could continue to drag the time out.


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly.


    Ever since Chen Yiming left the Medicine Capital that day, the outside world had completely lost track of him. It was as if he had already disappeared from the abandoned world.


    There were rumors that Chen Yiming was no longer participating in the battles in the abandoned world. Instead, he had returned to the world he came from to cultivate in seclusion.


    Three years passed.


    One day, Wu Di finally showed signs of giving birth. Chen Yiming no longer roamed the space-travel distortion and returned to wait for his only child to be born.


    As for the silver-winged woman, it was said that she had been locked up by the silver-winged clan. The Infinite Island Group was now very powerful, and the former allies of the source ore shops had to think of a way to protect themselves.


    To Chen Yiming, it was good that he had a woman at home and many others outside. If he brought them back, there was always the possibility that the location of the secret realm in the otherworld would be exposed.


    In the Chen family¡¯s villa, ¡°She¡¯s been having contractions all night. Why isn¡¯t she giving birth yet?¡± Chen Yiming asked Mother Chen.


    The obstetrician and gynecologist had been in there for a long time, but no one had said anything. This made many people anxious, not only the Chen family.


    ¡°How would I know? Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be pregnant for that long.¡± Mother Chen had given birth to Chen Yiming and Chen Yingying, but the situation in front of her had already gone beyond her realm of knowledge.


    There were no cries of pain coming from the room.


    According to the analysis of the experts, Chen Yiming and Wu Di¡¯s child was likely to be the second most talented cultivator in the history of the humans from the blue planet.


    The first was naturally Chen Yiming. According to the situation of the large clans in the galaxy, unless there was a mutation in their bloodline, even if they were all changed back to match their ancestors, their descendants¡¯ talent would never be comparable to the first generation.


    Generally speaking, a direct second-generation bloodline could approach the achievements of the first generation. In other words, another human at the level of a god was right in front of them. They only needed to wait for him to grow up.


    Outside, Chen Yiming became nervous.


    As he became stronger and stronger, it was not only limited by his cultivation level, but also whether the other party¡¯s talent could keep up with his growth. Therefore, there were fewer and fewer chances for him to successfully make children.


    Perhaps when he upgraded his two talents, it would be even more unlikely to happen in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. In other words, the child he had with Wu Di might be his only descendant.


    This conjecture was very in line with the rules of the universe. The more talented one was, the more difficult it would be for them to pass down their bloodline.


    Otherwise, legendary creatures like the True Dragon and Phoenix would not have almost disappeared without a trace. Pure-blooded creatures could no longer be seen, and the so-called giant dragons all had extremely thin true dragon bloodlines.


    Just as he was thinking about it, a loud cry erupted from the room.


    ¡°Is that the sound of a newborn baby?¡±


    Countless people were shocked. Coupled with the fact that they were already shocked by the fact that Wu Di had been pregnant for many years, it felt as though the infant¡¯s talent was clearly extraordinary from the sound of his cries.


    ¡°Congratulations, it¡¯s a healthy baby.¡± A doctor walked out with a baby in his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡± Father Chen and Mother Chen were delighted.


    In the traditional culture of the Daxia Kingdom, the reactions to a baby boy or a baby girl were rather different.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chen Yiming nodded.


    As the doctor had said, he was a strong baby. He was about the size of a three or four-year-old child, and the life force in his body was so strong that it was overflowing. Otherwise, the doctor would not have dared to bring him outside rashly.


    Soon, Chen Yiming took the baby and observed him. Feeling the resonance from their bloodline, the heart actively started to pump blood, and the blood essence dyed the air red.


    At the side, Chen Yingying had a curious expression on her face. She even used her hand to play with the baby, but it was slapped away by the baby, shocking Father Chen, Mother Chen, and the surrounding medical staff.


    ¡°He¡¯s so strong,¡± Chen Yingying said in surprise.


    On second thought, the difference was too great. Could it be that she would be beaten up by a newborn baby?


    This was indeed the case. A powerful bloodline was created, and the baby was born with the ability to use supernatural power. If not for the fact that the baby was still confused, he would already be able to control his powers.


    ¡­


    With the birth of the baby, the entire country was in an uproar.


    This was especially true for the Daxia Kingdom. Although the empire had yet to be officially established, they already secured another piece of insurance.


    Even if Chen Yiming left or went into seclusion for a long time in the future, there would still be his son who could legitimately stabilize the situation and prevent them from falling into a fight for power.


    The other countries had also extinguished their last thoughts. It was not that no one wanted to leave the secret realm in the otherworld, step out of Flying Sail City, and go far away to start a new base.


    However, due to their limited strength, they could not even defeat the nearby villages. No matter how they thought about it, establishing a new base was just a pipe dream.


    Flying Sail City also became lively. A huge celebration spread to every corner of the area under their control. Even the villages under their control participated in the celebration.


    Although the villagers did not really know the truth and only knew that a big shot had given birth to a descendant, it did not stop them from taking the opportunity to befriend Flying Sail City.


    It was just like Shanglin village. Because of the ancient lake, there were many interactions with the Flying Sail City. Some young people could go to the Flying Sail City to cultivate and even settle down for a long time.


    The outside world did not care about a small city in the mountains.


    Flying Sail City was in the lowest tier of the city-level factions in the abandoned world. There were countless such cities, and no one suspected that Chen Yiming was staying there.


    The celebration lasted for three days, and it quieted down without causing too much of a commotion.

 Chapter 478

    ?


    478 The Final Battle


    ¡°Congratulations!¡±


    One day, Gao Shuai, who had disappeared for a long time, came to visit with a smile on his face.


    The black dog circled the infant, Chen Ji, a few times. It barked a few times, causing the baby to summon lightning to chase it away. The lightning struck the black dog¡¯s body, causing it to be charred black at some spots.


    Chen Ji¡¯s name meant continuation, which carried many people¡¯s expectations of him, including those of Father Chen and Mother Chen. Therefore, his name was quickly decided. The truth did not disappoint. He could completely master the power of nature within a few days of being born.


    Chen Yiming glanced at the black dog playing with Chen Ji and thought to himself, ¡°This stupid dog. When he grows up in the future, when he remembers how you messed with him, you won¡¯t just be burned a little.¡±


    The black dog did not think much of it. With a shake of its body, its charred fur fell to the ground and new fur grew out.


    It was as if he was telling Chen Ji, ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat? Use some strength. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±


    Soon, after the celebratory gift was handed over, Gao Shuai and Chen Yiming went to a room to discuss serious matters.


    Gao Shuai went straight to the point. He said that the technique used by the source ore shops to hide themselves away was about to be broken by the person with twin pupils, and that the Infinite Island Group was about to launch an all-out attack.


    Was the person with twin pupils that powerful?


    Chen Yiming raised an eyebrow.


    Thinking back, the person with twin pupils had been beaten by him and fallen into the space-travel distortion. He had only been able to return safely with the help of the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City.


    In fact, if no one interfered, Chen Yiming was confident that he could kill the other party directly. After all, in a real life-and-death battle, his opponent would definitely not be able to last as long as him.


    Gao Shuai continued, ¡°The special power of the twin pupils is indeed able to counter all techniques for hiding oneself. In reality, the Infinite Island Group has also been paralyzing the forces of the source ore shops.¡±


    Chen Yiming was enlightened.


    It seemed that finding the location of one source ore shop was a small move that the Infinite Island Group had been forced to make.


    Otherwise, they would not be able to smooth things over. After expending so much effort, they had still gained nothing. This was also to maintain the stability of the alliance of the factions under them.


    On second thought, he suddenly wondered if the secret realm in the otherworld had been secretly investigated by the person with twin pupils.


    If not, he should stay far away from it and erase the traces he had left behind. If it had happened, he had to think of a way to secretly move it to another spot.


    Gao Shuai seemed to have seen through his thoughts and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if the secret realm in the otherworld is targeted, it won¡¯t be a big problem.¡±


    In other words, at this critical moment, all the strength of the Infinite Island Group was being used to deal with the source ore shops. This small dispute was not worth their attention.


    Chen Yiming heaved a sigh of relief. However, it was best to change the coordinates immediately. He didn¡¯t dare to reveal any fatal weaknesses.


    Of course, they had to continue maintaining Flying Sail City. If it suddenly disappeared, it would only attract more attention.


    The humans from the blue planet who had left the secret realm in the otherworld would no longer be allowed to return frequently. They might even need to maintain a one-way communication with only special personnel in charge of delivering the news between both sides.


    They could even get the villagers to pretend to be humans from the blue planet. In any case, the outside world would not pay much attention to them since they were in the relatively remote mountains in the far west for the time being.


    Then, Gao Shuai talked about the information about the immortal factions.


    It turned out that the immortal factions had not given up just because the monks from the divine temple had switched sides. Instead, they had secretly formed a closer alliance with the source ore shops and a group of forces were waiting for an opportunity to make a move.


    The power of the Infinite Island Group made the factions in the source ore shops no longer dare to attack. They had the intention to let the immortal factions be cannon fodder and charge at the front. The immortal factions no longer had the attitude of looking down on others. Otherwise, if they fell again, the chaos would cause them to collapse first.


    It could be said that it was Chen Yiming and the Infinite Island Group who had allowed the immortal factions and the source ore shops to truly join forces.


    ¡­


    In the abandoned world, in a hollow mountain in the south mountain range, the spiritual energy turned into a crystalline form, causing the air to be filled with an extremely invasive coldness. Spiritual snakes appeared on the ground and hissed.


    In the middle, an altar was trembling slightly. On the surface was a painting of stars, and the stars on it lit up one after another.


    A few figures walked out of the space-travel passage and surrounded the altar. No one spoke. They each stood in a corner and watched the changes in the painting.


    Soon, a black-robed man said in a cold voice, ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the few of them sat cross-legged on the ground and chanted an incantation in an unknown language. All the stars in the painting lit up and floated up from the altar.


    A powerful aura was growing, and the sound of drums appeared in the air. Invisible ripples spread out through the mountain and expanded towards the world outside.


    At the same time, under the hollow mountain, a huge space had been opened up. The sealed mutant beasts inside began to struggle crazily.


    There were thousands of them, and each of them was at the star condensation realm. Their bodies and blood essence were extremely strong, and they had been specially selected.


    However, all their struggles were in vain. Almost all the mutant beasts exploded in an instant, turning into red streams of light that rose up and entered the floating painting of stars.


    ¡°Blood sacrifice to the world, thousands of stars¡­¡±


    The black-robed man muttered to himself. The words were like a demonic curse that turned into a black light and rushed out into the abandoned world.


    At this moment, countless people in the south mountain range were alarmed. Everyone felt that something was amiss, as if something earth-shattering was about to happen.


    ¡°Buzz¡­¡±


    Soon, the ground began to shake bit by bit. Countless cracks appeared, as if the world was about to collapse.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    a god who was in seclusion suddenly appeared and exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Infinite Island Group. After accumulating power for so long, they must be serious this time.¡±


    Seeing this development and the meaning behind it, the person immediately turned around and left, leaving the troublesome south mountain range.


    The Infinite Island Group had spent several years on the pursuit without giving up, and they already knew that such a day would come. Both factions were preparing to use all kinds of methods, both openly and secretly.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s figure appeared between the mountains. He relied on the space anchor to teleport around and gather as much information as possible, waiting for the situation to develop further.


    He did not intend to make a move immediately. Instead, he wanted to find out where the source ores might be hidden. He intended to make another breakthrough before returning, which would definitely be able to shock everyone.


    At that time, the two factions would have fought themselves to the death, and he would be the one to benefit the most from the situation.


    At the same time, on the painting of the stars which corresponded to a map of the universe,


    ¡°I heard the summons. The operation has already started. Let¡¯s work together and make sure that the source ore shops have nowhere to hide anymore.¡±


    On the same altar, a few blurry figures discussed the matter briefly and started to form seals.


    Soon, a beam of light shot out, crossing an unknown distance of light years and heading towards the south of the abandoned world.


    This was the ultimate move that the Infinite Island Group could use to deal with the source ore shops. It indiscriminately destroyed the land in the south mountain range, causing all the hidden array formations and barriers within the range to collapse.


    In addition, if the hidden otherworld where the factions from the source ore shops hid themselves was still connected to the abandoned world, they would definitely fall into the space-travel distortion.


    They did not hesitate to mobilize all their resources to force out the factions from the source ore shops. After all, as long as they could no longer hide themselves, it would attract even more hungry wolves.


    At that time, so what if the immortal factions interfered? The situation would already have developed in a favorable direction, and the Infinite Island Group could not stop it either. It would only end after the factions from the source ore shops were completely broken up.


    The Infinite Island Group was confident that they, who had made sufficient preparations in advance, would definitely be able to obtain the largest share of the loot, which was enough to make up for the resources they had used.


    ¡­


    Time quickly passed by.


    Just as the stars in the sky resonated with each other, in the sky above the south mountain range, strange bolts of lightning appeared one after another. It was as if a heavenly saber was being waved around freely, destroying everything in its path.


    Countless blazing lights fell like meteors and countless lightning bolts struck down, as if the heavens were angry and wanted to cause a calamity.


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang. The ground was trembling and shaking. The array formations in various areas were being pulled apart by the movements of the tectonic plates.


    In the wilderness, the shadows of countless factions suddenly appeared. The array formations and barriers all relied on the positions of the heavens and the earth. If the entire ground was moving, it would naturally cause a chain reaction.


    Of course, this would also cause the environment to become more and more dangerous. The aura of spatial distortion could be seen almost everywhere, and no one could predict what would come out of the space-travel distortion in the next moment.


    Soon, a war broke out.


    A blood-stained furnace appeared in the air. The mouth of the furnace turned around and sucked in a mountain gate and a group of people on the ground.


    Then, the furnace spun and shrank, flying back into the hand of a silver-haired young man, and a smile appeared on his face.


    He had set up an ambush here in advance and captured the branch of a source ore shop in one fell swoop, not giving them any chance to hide again.


    In a large canyon, a creature without any flesh and blood on its body appeared. It only had its skeleton, causing a group of people who were transporting the source ores to panic.


    The skeleton¡¯s joints cracked as it walked. All the bones in its body were intact, and they emitted a golden light. In its hand was a bone saber that emitted a terrifying aura.


    Almost immediately, the various hidden bases of the factions from the source ore shops were intercepted by the factions on the Infinite Island Group. Without the help of the array formations, their strength had been greatly reduced.


    ¡°Where are you going!¡±


    The skeleton made a sound and waved its bone saber.


    In the next moment, a black fog filled with the aura of death descended. Everyone was devoured by the black fog, and the canyon turned into a dead wasteland.


    Not long after, the skeleton left with the source ores and many other treasures it had obtained and headed straight for its next target.


    At the same time, in the south mountain range, huge beasts that could devour the heavens plowed through the ground. There were also demonic plants that had turned into black suns that soared through the sky, humans that were completely golden in color, golden-winged rocs, and so on.


    Usually, the gods at the level of the star evolution realm did not appear out in the open. However, they appeared in large numbers now.


    One, two, three¡­


    Some people estimated that there might be more than a hundred existences at this level displaying their strength freely on this piece of land.


    Of course, it was not all one-sided. The factions from the source ore shops, including the immortal factions, had forces of the same level to deal with them.


    It was not only the gods at the star evolution realm who had come to this place. The gods at the jade star realm and the star condensation realm, whether it was the people from the Infinite Island Group or those who were not, were all unwilling to miss out on this opportunity.


    As soon as the battle started, thousands of battlefields appeared.


    It was too chaotic. It was impossible to differentiate the factions. In any case, there were also people who were fighting among themselves after snatching the source ores.


    ¡­


    Further east of the south mountain range, the land ended and there was an endless sea.


    This was the territory of the sea creatures. There were a large number of source ore mines at the bottom of the sea, and conflicts occurred even more frequently than on land. They were also hostile towards outsiders.


    Even weak gods could be attacked when they crossed the sea, let alone creatures below the level of gods. If they dared to enter the endless sea, they would usually not be able to return.


    Therefore, the endless sea was also known as the sea of death. It was also an extremely dangerous place.


    On an island near the sea, the secret realm of the humans on the blue planet had been transferred to this island.


    A human city called Sea Conqueror City had established itself there. At first, there were still sea creatures swimming around and attacking them from time to time.


    Later, a divine sword charged into the sea and dyed the sea red with their blood. The sea creatures stopped their attacks and allowed the humans to catch fish and all kinds of marine creatures. The sea creatures no longer came to cause trouble for them.


    Although the spiritual figure was not as powerful as his main body, with the scale and strength of the humans from the blue planet, they would not provoke someone at the level of the star evolution realm.


    Therefore, with the protection of the spiritual figure, Chen Yiming didn¡¯t have to worry about participating in the war for the source ores.


    At this moment, when a world-shattering war broke out in the south mountain range, countless people stood on the cliffs of the island and looked into the distance. The world-destroying war was reflected in their eyes.


    ¡°Gasp! A huge bell appeared in the air, and the heavenly saber formed by the strange lightning was shattered.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how Flying Sail City is doing. Although it¡¯s deep in the mountains, it seems to be within the range of the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too strong. A star fell and was actually swallowed by a spiritual creature. Could it be that Flying Sail City was razed to the ground by someone?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, we are now far away from that troublesome place. That is no longer a place for humans. Everything has probably been destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Compared to the land, the sea is like a paradise! We¡¯re really too lucky. We don¡¯t have to worry about being affected at all.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! There are conflicts at the bottom of the sea every day. It¡¯s just that they didn¡¯t affect the island. Without absolute strength to suppress them, we would already have become food for the sea creatures.¡±


    The war in the south mountain range was still ongoing, and the divine powers were fighting back and forth.


    As time passed, it was no longer just the factions from the Infinite Island Group that were surrounding the source ore shops. Various unknown external factions had also joined in.


    It could be said that the source ore shops that went into hiding to protect themselves were ultimately the passive side. The arrangements made by the Infinite Island Group over the years were now going according to plan.


    As the people on the island watched the battle, they deeply experienced how insignificant those below the level of gods were. In a war between gods, they were not even qualified to be cannon fodder.


    A martial master did not even have a decisive power in the villages of the abandoned world. In a battle of gods, they were no different from blocks of tofu that would shatter at the slightest touch.


    In reality, the gods at the jade star realm and the star condensation realm were not much better. In a battle of gods at this level, they needed to avoid the gods at the star evolution realm.


    After all, most of the gods at the jade star realm could not fight against the gods at the star evolution realm. Even if they were from the same faction, they could easily be killed in such a chaotic battle.

 Chapter 479

    ?


    479 Creature of Law


    The sky and earth collapsed, and the stars fell.


    Almost every inch of land in the outside world had been destroyed. However, most of the battles were the strong beating up the weak, so Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t affected at all.


    Moreover, Chen Yiming wasn¡¯t from the Infinite Island Group, so he didn¡¯t need to take on the task of stopping the main force of the source ore shops. Therefore, he naturally prioritized picking on the weaker ones.


    To third-parties like him, it made no difference whether it was the source ore shops, the Infinite Island Group, or an unidentified person. They were all targeting the people carrying the source ores.


    In less than an hour, Chen Yiming had obtained nearly 100 million Skill Points.


    ¡°This source ore shop is too rich. It¡¯s like an ordinary family whose basement is filled with gold bricks. No wonder others are coveting it.¡±


    The people Chen Yiming had encountered who weren¡¯t from the source ore shops all had bright eyes when they saw the source ores with their own eyes. They were extremely excited and weren¡¯t afraid of death.


    Indeed, such a banquet would only happen once in countless years. Those below the star evolution realm who dared to participate had already put their lives on the line and wanted to get their hands on as much as they could.


    After seeing a source ore expert being reduced to ashes when he tried to prevent the source ores from being snatched away,


    Chen Yiming sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Strength is the foundation. These experts only guarded the treasures and didn¡¯t use them to build up their own strength.¡±


    ¡°After accumulating a certain amount of treasure, even without the Infinite Island Group, there will still be factions of the same level who will take action and take the lead to split the accumulated treasure.¡±


    Since he personally participated in the battle, he had a much deeper understanding of the situation than before.


    Now that he thought about it, it could be said that in the abandoned world, all kinds of preparations had been made to fight for the true dragon¡¯s corpse. An invisible tacit understanding had been formed between them to split the source ores from the source ore shops.


    There were definitely many third-party factions behind the Infinite Island Group that were pushing for this operation. They might even have secretly provided a lot of help.


    Otherwise, why would it be that after a few years, the areas outside the south mountain range acted as if they did not see anything and did not do anything? A large number of forces had been gathered by the Infinite Island Group.


    On second thought, the factions from the source ore shops had lured the immortal faction over. The intervention of factions from another galaxy seemed like the final struggle of a trapped beast. It made sense that the divine temple from the immortal factions had switched sides so easily.


    In the end, the immortal factions had not been able to turn the situation around. There were still many restrictions on crossing the distance of several galaxies. It was difficult to fight against the top forces of their opponent.


    ¡­


    A day later, Chen Yiming managed to get the Skill Points accumulated in the talent system to 300 million.


    He glanced at the endless expanse of land. There were still battles everywhere, but he could no longer wait to save up another 300 million Skill Points to upgrade his two talents at the same time.


    Soon, with a thought, the 300 million Skill Points were reset to zero.


    His Level-7 Undying Body talent had been upgraded to the Level-8 Undying Body talent. Immediately, a powerful force appeared in the depths of his divine world. Chen Yiming immediately chose to undergo his transformation while still on the battlefield.


    The transformation of his body had just begun, but his perception had undergone a qualitative change.


    The entire battlefield in the south mountain range seemed to be under his gaze. The expressions on each person¡¯s face could not escape his eyes, but they did not realize that they were being watched.


    It wasn¡¯t that no one had noticed it. For example, although Gao Shuai and Li Tengfei didn¡¯t see the invisible eye, their sixth sense detected it and caused them to feel extremely uncomfortable.


    Gao Shuai¡¯s eyes lit up. After sensing that something was amiss, he approached the endless sea to the east. It seemed like he wanted to look for Chen Yiming to discuss it.


    After Li Tengfei found the ruler of Heaven Suppressing City, he secretly discussed moving further north. He seemed to have intentions of retreating early.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Chen Yiming still hadn¡¯t figured out the changes that had happened to him. Dust filled the air and his body was gradually buried underground.


    However, this did not affect the transformation of his body and the change in his perception after upgrading the Undying Body talent.


    Time quickly passed by.


    Chen Yiming¡¯s strength increased steadily.


    However, it didn¡¯t cause any shocking phenomena, nor did it cause any huge commotion. Instead, Chen Yiming¡¯s figure gradually disappeared from below the ground.


    Every inch of his flesh and blood fused into the void, turning into chains of natural laws. It was as if he was in a different dimension from everyone on the battlefield and had truly come into contact with the essence of the universe.


    This was the truth. He first named this perception state ¡®insight¡¯.


    Under the insight state, his ability to process information was unbelievably powerful. It was already so terrifying in the abandoned world, and after leaving the planet and going beyond the range of its suppression effect, it was unknown how far-reaching it would be.


    He had a feeling that the range was not just in the single digits, but dozens or even hundreds of light-years. Nothing within his line of sight could escape his insight.


    At this moment, the transformation seemed to have stopped.


    Was there a problem???


    Chen Yiming had already transformed into chains of natural laws that fused into the air. Therefore, only his thoughts were changing, and there was no change in his expression. However, if that was possible, his expression would have changed drastically.


    The special abilities of the talent system was his greatest source of confidence in his cultivation path. Why did it suddenly seem to be faulty? What went wrong?


    However, he could not figure it out, but someone understood what had happened.


    Under the ground where Chen Yiming¡¯s figure had disappeared, a ring was lying quietly. It trembled from time to time, but it didn¡¯t fuse with the void.


    ¡­


    In the space in the ring, this place had already changed drastically, becoming like a palace.


    The female spirit was no longer in the form of a spirit. She was wearing a crown and a golden dress. Her gaze seemed to penetrate space and time as she looked into the void.


    The young man formed by the treasure tree seemed to have grown a few years older, and his aura was countless times stronger than before. He had already cultivated to the star evolution realm.


    ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t we take advantage of the chaos and secretly leave?¡±


    the young man formed by the treasure tree suddenly spoke.


    In reality, he could have left long ago, or even disappeared silently more than once, but he had never really made the decision to leave.


    The main thing was that the treasure tree did not have the final say. The female spirit was the one in charge. The treasure tree was equivalent to a loyal servant, and everything it had obtained was a reward from his mistress.


    ¡°His bloodline talent is too impure, and the process of transforming into a creature of law has stopped.¡±


    The female spirit did not answer the treasure tree directly. Instead, she frowned.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just great? If he really succeeds in the transformation, won¡¯t he become on the same level as you, Your Majesty? At that time, if he has any ill intentions¡­¡±


    After the young man formed by the treasure tree said this, he immediately became anxious.


    The person he was referring to was an incomparably terrifying existence who had escaped with her injuries to the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Although she had recovered a lot, she was still far from fully recovered.


    The female spirit did not think much of it and quickly fell back into her thoughts.


    To her, the changes in Chen Yiming were much faster than she had expected.


    If Chen Yiming had started his transformation from the star evolution realm, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to let the young man transformed from the treasure tree leave with the ring so that she wouldn¡¯t be in danger.


    ¡­


    After the system remained frozen for a while, a notification appeared on the system interface. It turned out that Chen Yiming had added too many talents, causing him to fail in his transformation.


    Now, he had two choices. The first was to abandon all his talents other than the Undying Body talent and turn them into resources for the Undying Body talent.


    The second choice was to pause the transformation. When he accumulated enough Skill Points, all his talents would fuse and form an unknown physique.


    ¡°Accumulate more Skill Points? How long will it take?¡±


    Chen Yiming refused it in his heart. The Undying Body talent was already a top-notch talent. Using it as a form of transformation wouldn¡¯t make him weaker than anyone else.


    At this moment, he analyzed his body.


    Before he underwent the transformation, his combat strength was completely comparable to a god at the star evolution realm. After the transformation, he might even be comparable to the ruler of a galaxy.


    At that time, he would probably be able to suppress the entire Hidden Dragon Galaxy with his own hands. Even without the Giant Talent, the space anchor, and his swordsmanship talent, there was nothing to be sad about.


    After thinking it through, Chen Yiming felt that a few things had disappeared from his heart.


    At the same time, the spiritual figure turned into a stream of light and fused with the void. Then, it fused with his body and the transformation resumed.


    ¡°My insight state is still active.¡±


    After the spiritual figure returned to him, Chen Yiming understood the essence of the insight state.


    It turned out that this was the spiritual talent that he was born with. It was not brought about by the talent system. However, most of this perception talent was assigned to the spiritual figure.


    No wonder he had learned all kinds of cultivation techniques at a glance from the moment he came into contact with martial arts. Chen Yiming suddenly realized that it came from his natural talent for insight.


    In addition, the Undying Body talent was based on the physical body. The insight talent allowed one to see through the spiritual aspect. The compatibility of the two talents was extremely high, and they could even complement each other. It was not erased by the talent system.


    ¡°It seems that even without the talent system, I, a transmigrator, am still talented. No wonder I was chosen by the system.¡±


    Chen Yiming was gratified. He felt that the system had chosen a suitable candidate. To him, the system had accelerated his growth and made his cultivation path smooth and simple.


    Otherwise, with his talent in insight, he could still climb to the top step by step. The only difference was the time he took and the direction he took.


    ¡°I can completely rely on my own hard work. The talent system is only a support.¡±


    Chen Yiming finally dared to shout in his heart that he had worked hard day after day to find essence energy for the talent system, but he was being hunted down because of this¡­


    ¡­


    Time passed.


    In the battle in the south mountain range, those below the star evolution realm gradually withdrew from the battlefield.


    The main force of the source ore shops had started a true battle with the gods at the star evolution realm, who outnumbered them.


    The enemy was not only the Infinite Island Group, but also some third-party factions that had rushed over from other parts of the abandoned world. There were even factions from other galaxies mixed in.


    Not long after.


    A divine source ore expert was besieged by a battle god ape, the monks from the divine temple, and a demonic plant. His blood dyed the air, and the killing formation shattered. His body could no longer withstand the attacks.


    Divine source ore experts were all people who had gone specialized in building array formations. If not for the fact that the Infinite Island Group had used the power of the stars to stir up the entire world and cause a huge commotion, they would not have been in such a passive position.


    Given enough time, they could completely set up a peerless killing formation and stall for time. It would still be unknown which side would win.


    At this moment, someone suddenly exclaimed.


    This person realized that a portion of the source ores he was carrying had mysteriously disappeared.


    Then, the entire battlefield in the south mountain range fell into a strange silence. Everyone stopped and confronted each other. Many people encountered the same strange situation.


    But how was it possible that the source ores had disappeared right under their noses?


    This was unbelievable and they could not understand how this had happened.


    ¡­


    In a dimension that the gods could not perceive, the scope of Chen Yiming¡¯s insight was constantly expanding. After the pause in the transformation resumed, he quickly reached the point where he was almost omnipotent and knew everything in the entire abandoned world.


    Gradually, a blurry figure appeared in the air. He was motionless like a statue, but it caused the entire world to tremble.


    ¡°Gasp! That¡¯s¡­¡±


    In an invisible dimension, Chen Yiming¡¯s will was like a natural law that existed everywhere. It could appear wherever he wanted it to.


    The power of the natural laws seemed to have crossed the barrier of space and time and appeared at any location. The Undying Law was a powerful existence among them, and almost nothing could stop it.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming saw a river flowing from one end of the universe to another.


    Countless star spirits from the living planets were continuously absorbing materials from this river. It seemed that this was the source of the essence energy in the cores of the worlds.


    Soon, Chen Yiming also had the intention to absorb the essence energy from the river.


    Immediately, a warning voice sounded in his heart. Once he insisted on doing this, he would start a war with the river. This was a battle between creatures of law.


    ¡°This¡­ is too petty.¡±


    Chen Yiming extinguished the thought. After all, he had just completed his transformation and wasn¡¯t sure where he stood in this new level.


    Turning around, he started to study his transformed self and realized that he was no longer a human.


    In his current state, his body was no longer made of flesh and blood, his divine world no longer existed, and no trace of his spiritual power could be found.


    However, he was indeed present in the universe. The Undying Law carried his will, and he could create thousands of clones with a single thought. He could use the clones to go further into the galaxy.


    In other words, at his current level, he only needed to leave behind a clone and stay in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy which had lost its territorial lord. He did not need to worry about the humans from the blue planet at all.


    The territorial lord of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy was still nowhere to be seen, and it was unclear if he was still alive. After Chen Yiming¡¯s transformation, he could confirm that this was because the black tide had already started to make a move in this place.


    In an instant, Chen Yiming saw through the path of cultivation of the gods.


    Comparing the gods at the three stages of the star condensation realm, the jade star realm, and the star evolution realm, it could be said that the essence of a god was to walk down the path of cultivation towards a creature of law.


    From the fact that they had not come into full contact with the power of the natural laws to the fact that they used the divine world as a medium to become a creature of law, the divine power was an external manifestation of the natural laws. It represented the level of mastery of the power of the natural laws.


    At this moment, Chen Yiming summoned the talent system¡¯s interface again.


    Chen Yiming


    Talent: Insight, Undying


    Realm: Level-1 Creature of Law


    ¡°My talent level, Skill Points, and physique have all disappeared?¡±


    Chen Yiming noticed that the only level displayed was that for the creature of law.


    It turned out that creatures of law were also divided into different levels. He just did not know which aspect could be improved. Without any hints, he had no way of knowing.

 Chapter 480

    ?


    480 Finale (1)


    In the blink of an eye, 100 years had passed.


    The old blue planet looked like a civilization in decline.


    Most of the industrial areas had been abandoned. The farmland was filled with weeds, and many cities were decorated with patches of green by vines.


    More mutant beasts appeared in the wilderness again. They appeared in groups in cities that were like wastelands. The roars of huge beasts shook the world, and ferocious birds tore through the sky.


    Other than the Daxia Kingdom, the entire blue planet had become uninhabited. Most of it could even be described as a no man¡¯s land.


    According to the statistics, the population had decreased from a few billion to less than 100 million people.


    There were many reasons, but the main reason was that the humans from the blue planet had established themselves on the new planet, the abandoned world, and established a space teleportation formation to connect to the blue planet.


    Now, other than a few people, most of the humans on the blue planet chose to go to the new planet after becoming warriors.


    The new planet was equivalent to a holy land for cultivation with a limitless future. The blue planet was like a remote village that was behind the times, no one would choose to stay except for those who were extremely attached to the countryside.


    It could be said that the old planet had already been abandoned, leaving behind only its status as the ancestral land of the humans.


    The people who were still there were those with the worst cultivation talent. They could only place their hopes on the next generation to reach the minimum requirement for going to the abandoned world, which was the warrior realm.


    Only by possessing supernatural power could one adapt to the environment of the new planet.


    At the same time, this was a compromise made by those on the new planet. They were unwilling to completely give up on the ancestral land.


    In reality, 100 years later, the new planet had more than one or two secret realms. Even ordinary people who could not cultivate could still survive on the new planet.


    ¡­


    Jiangnan province, Suhang City.


    West Lake District High School.


    Winter had passed. At this moment, it was the season when spring was starting and flowers were beginning to bloom. The first trace of warmth from early spring spread through the ground, and the aura of life was everywhere.


    Four red and white buildings were located in the school grounds. Each building had a total of seven floors, and the martial arts classes were divided into the beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes.


    In one of the classrooms, a martial arts theory class was underway.


    ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡±


    A middle-aged man in loose training robes with slightly white hair at his temples who was about 50 years old knocked on the blackboard with one hand.


    On the blackboard was a hand-drawn diagram illustrating the path of transmission of human muscle power. Beside it were many annotations.


    ¡°All students, take note. These are the key points that need to be memorized word by word. A journey of 1,000 kilometers begins with a single step. If you want to master supernatural power, you have to master your bodies perfectly first.¡±


    The middle-aged man reminded them repeatedly. In reality, he had emphasized this countless times since the class started.


    However, this group of students were all bad at cultivation. 100 years ago, they would not have been able to obtain any cultivation resources at all, and would only be able to do some manual labor.


    ¡°Dong!¡±


    The middle-aged man patted the blackboard again and said, ¡°I can also understand the mental fatigue of you students. Martial arts cultivation has never been an easy thing to do.¡±


    ¡°There are still 100 days before the college entrance examination. After 100 days, the exam will decide your fate from now on. Will you have a chance to go to the new planet where endless possibilities await, or will you stay on this old planet and wait for death?¡±


    The college entrance examination was the largest assessment on the blue planet. It was fair and just, and gave all 18-year-old students a chance to change their fate.


    The rules were the same as the old rules from more than 100 years ago, and new martial arts assessments were added.


    Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, languages, geography, politics, and history were the eight compulsory subjects. In addition, there were the martial arts theory assessment and the martial arts practical assessment.


    In the martial arts world, whether one had mastered the internal force was the most important aspect of all the assessments. It determined whether one was qualified to go to the new planet.


    The other items were all additional items. After deciding to go to the new planet alone, they would have a chance to go to the martial arts academy at the new planet.


    All the assessments were ordinary, but for students who had mastered supernatural power at the same time, it was equivalent to obtaining a ticket to a ship. After getting to the new planet, they had to think of ways to make a living.


    There were a total of nine rows of chairs in the spacious classroom below the podium, and there were a total of 81 students.


    Faced with the middle-aged man¡¯s advice, most people were numb to it. The first time was the most effective, the second time was half as effective, and the third time¡­


    Once the number of repetitions reached a certain level, it would not be very useful. After that, it would purely depend on the students themselves. Those who had a chance would grit their teeth and persevere, while those who did not have much hope would choose to lie flat.


    Many of the older generation regretted not boarding the spaceship when they were young. No one expected that there would not be many casualties on the way to the new planet and that they could settle down there easily.


    However, it was too late now. Those who had yet to master supernatural power were not allowed to go to the new planet, and it was even more impossible for them to force their way to the space-travel portal.


    ¡­


    In the capital, the 71st martial arts competition on the blue planet was being held.


    The martial arts competition was a great opportunity for all martial arts disciples to interact and exchange their knowledge. There were no age restrictions, and they could all sign up for it.


    The only restriction was that warriors who had mastered supernatural power were not allowed to participate.


    Therefore, with the intense battle and the attention from the global live broadcast, it was already a huge event second only to the college entrance examination.


    At this moment, in a circular venue that covered a few square kilometers, there were hundreds of thousands of seats, and all the tickets had been sold out in a few minutes. The seats were almost full, and countless people were cheering loudly. This martial arts competition would last for an entire month.


    The competition format was divided into the qualifying rounds, the preliminary rounds, the semi-finals, and the finals. After many rounds of competitions, the final winner would be decided.


    Those who reached the semi-finals would receive a prize, and the final winner would receive a large prize. The overall prize was determined by the amount from the contract with the live broadcasting company and the profit from the tickets.


    Backstage, there were many small rooms.


    Every small room was filled with either participating students from a certain class or students led by the heads of small martial arts school. They had all registered individually as participants.


    In addition, those who registered independently were gathered in large rooms. They did not know each other due to the random assignment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous. The strength of the opponents in the qualifiers is not uniform. The opponents you encounter are usually limited in their strength even if they are strong. It¡¯s a competition to see who can have a stronger mentality.¡±


    A martial arts school head patiently comforted the surrounding trainees.


    The participants were mainly students from various schools and trainees who had joined the martial arts schools after class. Most of them were youths.


    This way, under the gazes of hundreds of thousands of people, it was already not bad for them to be able to perform normally. Therefore, there were countless examples of the weak defeating the strong.


    It was not that the strong side had been careless and underestimated their enemy, but when they thought about how they were being watched by many people online and offline, it was not something that they could really not care about just because they told themselves not to.


    Outside the venue where the martial arts competition was being held,


    the streets, shops, and other venues were filled with onlookers. Large screens were hung in all directions, broadcasting the live situation.


    ¡°The Spear Demon has already been runner-up for two consecutive years. He will definitely reach the top this time.¡±


    In a restaurant, a man who specialized in fighting with spears cheered for his idol. In private, he had even placed a huge bet on his idol.


    ¡°How is that possible? This is the era of the Sword God. I bet a million yuan on him winning three consecutive championships. What Spear Demon? He might be unlucky and encounter the Sword God in the semi-finals and be eliminated then,¡±


    another man at the same table retorted casually.


    In the past two years, the finals had been battles between the Sword God and the Spear Demon. Both of them had reached the pinnacle among those below the warrior realm.


    There were rumors on the Internet that it was not that the two of them could not break through to the warrior realm, but that they wanted to immerse themselves and fully tap into their body¡¯s potential, striving to reach the limit of every step on the path of cultivation. They did not want to immediately become mediocre after breaking through to the warrior realm.


    It had to be known that the humans on the blue planet were not completely unaware of the situation on the new planet. In the new planet, there was not much difference between a martial master and a warrior. They were both at the bottom of the food chain.


    One could imagine the status of a warrior who had exhausted his potential. Those who had some ambition would not be satisfied with just this. They had to give it their all and fight for a future.


    ¡­


    On the east coast of the Daxia Kingdom, a martial master stationed every 100 kilometers. A martial master led three veteran warriors at each station to chase away the ferocious sea creatures from the sea.


    It was not that the humans on the blue planet could not clean up the areas other than the Daxia Kingdom, but that no one was willing to go there even if they did.


    The population of less than 100 million people could comfortably live in the Daxia Kingdom, where the space-travel portal was located. Therefore, it gave many mutant beasts a chance to increase their numbers.


    In one of the stations, a martial master and three veteran warriors directly set up a barbecue on the beach. The ingredients were large lobsters from the deep sea.


    The large lobsters were each more than a meter long, and were spread on the grill. There was a large hole in each of their backs and some marinade was stuffed into them. The fragrance spread out.


    The four of them chatted about the time when they would return to the new planet as they roasted the meat.


    ¡°Boss, it seems like you can return to the new planet in half a year. Can you apply to take us with you?¡± a young man asked.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly thinking this way? Do the two of you want to return early too?¡± the martial master said as he looked at his other two subordinates.


    ¡°I was quite satisfied when I first arrived. There¡¯s no pressure from competition on the old planet, and my life is not in any danger. However, after staying here for more than a year, I feel like I¡¯m going to rot,¡± one of them said with a bitter smile.


    The life at the defense stations along the coastline was similar from day to day. Because they could not leave the defense station freely, they spent most of their time fishing every day.


    They had been fishing every day of every month. After such a long time, their speed of thinking had slowed down. They even felt that their skills had deteriorated.


    ¡°Martial masters are stationed here for three years, and warriors for six years. It¡¯s only been a little over a year. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone returning to the new planet so many years in advance.¡±


    The martial master spread out his hands, indicating that he was helpless in this matter.


    He was indeed helpless. The mission where they were assigned to the old planet was decided by the higher-ups of the new planet. It was not something that a mere martial master could change.


    ¡°Boss, what do you think about the two of us applying to join the expedition in outer space?¡± the first man asked again.


    When the martial master heard this, he immediately understood what his three subordinates really wanted to ask.


    Without a doubt, the humans from the blue planet on the new planet were gradually no longer satisfied with the abandoned world.


    Therefore, although their average cultivation level had not truly reached the level of an overlord faction in the galaxy, they were still actively expanding their territory outside the Hidden Dragon Galaxy.


    A large number of people needed to be stationed wherever the army went. Under such circumstances, if they were really willing, the priority of expanding their territory was indeed higher, and they could return to the new planet in advance.


    ¡°Generally, those who are willing to return to the old planet to protect it are relatively timid and afraid of death. You guys¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, the martial master seemed to remember that he was the same and felt a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because we didn¡¯t think it through before? I originally thought that I could cultivate diligently here for a few years and try to go back to participate in the academy¡¯s assessment. Who knew that the cultivation environment would be so much worse than I imagined?¡± one of his subordinates explained.


    He was used to the cultivation environment on the new planet. He felt uncomfortable all over when he returned to the blue planet, and there was no progress in his cultivation.


    To put it bluntly, he had overestimated his ability. The difference between the old planet and the new planet was much greater than he had imagined. If he continued to stay on the old planet, it would severely delay his cultivation.


    ¡­


    In an internet caf¨¦ in Jiang City, the computers from a hundred years ago had been completely replaced by holograph helmets.


    The use of holograph helmets and multi-purpose game pods depended on one¡¯s preferences. Usually, the internet caf¨¦s were equipped with holograph helmets, but in one¡¯s home, both were usually available.


    ¡°Metaverse ¨C Bug Disaster, let¡¯s go.¡±


    A group of young people entered the internet caf¨¦.


    These people were all members of the Wolf Warriors¡¯ guild, and were not gamers who stayed at home to game alone. They could rely on the income from gaming to support themselves.


    ¡°Boss, we need 30 devices.¡±


    One of the people in charge of paying the fees took out a wad of bills and slapped it on the table. Some people were still used to paper money.


    ¡°Hurry up, hurry up. Our house will be destroyed soon.¡±


    Soon, as this group of people cursed, they each put on their holograph helmets and entered the metaverse.


    After the situation on the new planet had completely stabilized, the humans from the blue planet had restarted the metaverse and popularized its use. Later, it could even be used on the old blue planet.


    This was especially true for those who had no hope of breaking through to the warrior realm. They were loyal fans of the metaverse. Many people gave up completely on cultivation and spent nearly 20 hours a day online. Entering the metaverse was their true life.


    In addition, the metaverse¡¯s Bug Disaster was a game that was based on an incident that the humans from the blue planet had encountered while fighting in outer space.


    In the game, the players controlled machines and battleships to fight in outer space and destroy the insects.


    Among them, if one displayed their talent in terms of operations or strategy, it was said that they would be specially recruited into the military and indirectly obtain the right to leave their hometown and go to the new planet.


    Of course, the probability of this was too low. Cultivation involved all-round improvement, especially in terms of reaction speed. Ordinary people could not make up for the difference in their innate abilities.


    However, this did not stop the players from joining the game even though they were unable to personally go to the battlefield. At the very least, they could fight to their heart¡¯s content in the game, making up for their lack of cultivation talent.

 Chapter 481-END

    ?


    481 Finale (2)


    Chen Yiming¡¯s main body appeared in space.


    Many galaxies, clusters of planets, and individual planets formed a vast universe.


    The real universe seemed to be an existence that would stay in a dormant state forever. The creatures of law were the existences closest to the essence of the universe.


    Therefore, the creatures of law were usually unique existences. It was equivalent to a certain natural law giving birth to a will that had the ability to think for itself. Naturally, they would reject those who came after them.


    Of course, there were always exceptions. For example, there were several creatures of law that were born of natural laws of fire. The difference in strength between them was very small, and even after fighting for countless years, there was no result.


    Chen Yiming was considered lucky. Compared to the most common elemental laws, much fewer creatures were able to cultivate on the path of the Undying Law. No creature had ever reached this level, so he wasn¡¯t interrupted during his transformation.


    At this moment, there were two silver vortexes in his eyes. His figure was blurry, and it was half-illusory and half-real. In his insight state, he looked down at the countless planets.


    At the level of creatures of law, if one wanted to kill them, they could only start from their core. However, even if they were at the same level, it was very difficult to truly kill them.


    The Undying Law was even more outstanding in the aspect of immortality. Every clone he made could even become his main body at any time.


    Unless the Undying Law in the universe was wiped out, Chen Yiming would be like a tree that had taken root in every corner of the universe. It was as if he was a parasite of the universe that couldn¡¯t be completely eliminated.


    In a hundred years, Chen Yiming had used his clones to travel through the universe.


    He had been to dead galaxies, to galaxies with as many planets as there were grains of sand in a desert, to galaxies where many star spirits were gathered, and even through the depths of the black holes.


    Looking back on the past, it was a good thing that he had not left the Hidden Dragon Galaxy and explored the universe before becoming a creature of law.


    It had to be known that although there were only a few galaxies that creatures of law were living in, running around blindly was equivalent to walking into a tiger¡¯s den.


    In front of creatures of law, time and space could easily be crossed. Some existences used the natural laws to become creatures of law that could easily reverse time and forcefully revive.


    Another example was Gao Shuai, who had a special prophecy ability. Because his cultivation level was weak, once he was targeted by a creature of law, it could cause a backlash and cause his death.


    Other than that, Chen Yiming had also come into contact with thousands of advanced civilizations.


    The most advanced of these civilizations were undoubtedly civilizations with creatures of law presiding over them. They would also be known as cosmic civilizations.


    Civilizations of this level usually had factions spread throughout many galaxies. Some high-level civilizations that had existed since the birth of the universe even had factions scattered throughout every corner of the universe.


    They did not participate in the disputes in the various galaxies. They only secretly gathered all kinds of information and regularly reported the changes in the universe to the creatures behind them.


    If not for the fact that Chen Yiming had risen too quickly, he might have been captured by some creature of law one day and been taken away for research, disappearing from the world without a trace.


    At the same time, Chen Yiming had come into contact with part of the truth about the nature of the black tide.


    The black tide was not a faction under any creature of law. Its source could not be traced, and it was as if it had suddenly appeared from a corner of the universe, and it could not be completely wiped out.


    After interacting with the female spirit who was still recuperating, he heard that a war at the level of creatures of law had occurred many years ago, and the target was the black tide.


    Surprisingly, the creatures of law had lost. This made Chen Yiming even more vigilant against the black tide, and he suspected that it was the dark side of the universe.


    In other words, the creatures of laws had stolen a portion of the power of the universe. To the universe, they were a group of thieves. The black tide, on the other hand, was a power personally nurtured by the universe to eliminate the creatures of law.


    The female spirit voiced her guess. In the future, there was a high chance that a cleanup operation would sweep through the entire universe. Many creatures of law would die, and countless advanced civilizations would perish.


    In fact, the outcome would be very bad. There might be a huge problem with the cultivation environment in the entire universe. The natural laws would be hidden, and the immortals would hide in secret realms to survive. After walking the path of the supernatural to the extreme, the paths of cultivation would come to an end.


    Chen Yiming imagined such a scene.


    There was indeed a high chance that such an outcome would occur. If one walked the path of the supernatural to the extreme, they could also leave the planet and spread their influence throughout the galaxy.


    However, it became impossible for them to dominate the universe. It was no longer possible for them to have factions spread throughout most of the universe like the current cosmic civilizations.


    This way, from top to bottom, it limited the extent to which they could steal the power of the universe. It achieved the goal of the universe to eliminate the parasites and thieves.


    ¡°I have to plan ahead.¡±


    Chen Yiming made a decision in his heart. There might be ways for him to take advantage of such a method of elimination and look for loopholes, especially since his strength was not dying.


    He believed that the other creatures of law would also react in the same way. They would have to rely on their own methods. If they could not survive, they would die. If they could survive, they would be able to return one day.


    ¡­


    In the Great Chen Empire, using the surname of Chen to start an empire, he now had complete control of the abandoned world, which automatically became the center of the Hidden Dragon Galaxy. Furthermore, expeditionary forces were sent out constantly to other galaxies to continuously increase the influence of the empire.


    Chen Yiming had not appeared in front of anyone for decades. This was the era of his son, Chen Ji.


    Using the resources of an entire galaxy to develop a civilization, coupled with the existence of Chen Yiming, a creature of law, the civilization wouldn¡¯t suffer any major setbacks before it grew to a cosmic civilization.


    The humans from the blue planet had already become very different from how they were the old blue planet after a hundred years on the new planet.


    There were humans who had activated the weakened bloodline in the pineal gland between their eyebrows and created a third eye. They relied on their powerful spiritual talent to become gods.


    There were also those who had activated the hidden dragon bloodline in their bodies and obtained the body of a dragon. Their bodies were extremely powerful, and it was difficult for anyone of the same level to be their match. They were completely comparable to geniuses.


    There were also humans who had activated the giant bloodline and could transform into giants that could reach the sky. They were an excellent shield for the expansion into space.


    Of course, these changes were all based on the supply of resources. The geniuses in the empire were chosen based on many rounds of selection.


    In addition, among the observations Chen Yiming had gained from traveling through the universe, this was a civilization that had developed miraculously. In just 100 years, it had become the overlord of a galaxy and started to expand its influence.


    At the moment, a war that had swept through countless planets was happening in an unknown galaxy.


    The spaceship fleet of the Great Chen Empire continued to cross the distance between many galaxies through the space-travel portal and started a war with a species of insect creatures.


    The reproduction ability of the insect creatures was extraordinary. They could feed on the planets and create an army of insects. These armies had the ability to move freely in space and had destroyed many spaceships from the Great Chen Empire.


    The technology of the Great Chen Empire still needed a long time to develop. The current fleet was built from technology from other civilizations.


    Chen Yiming, a creature of law, was exchanging technological knowledge with some other civilizations. Unless the creatures of law behind them gave the order, the other party wouldn¡¯t dare to reject him.


    At the same time, most of the spaceship fleets only needed the humans in the core fleet to make use of the technology from the metaverse that was becoming more and more developed to remotely control the machines and spaceships to fight the insect creatures.


    Otherwise, with the reproduction ability of the insect creatures, humans would not be able to withstand the losses.


    Time passed day by day.


    Without Chen Yiming¡¯s interference, the outcome of the war would not be decided in the short term.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Planets exploded one after another under the aim of a huge cannon, turning into dust that moved into the depths of the galaxy.


    A civilization like the one on the blue planet more than 100 years ago would use a space telescope to observe the situation and discover that something serious had happened in a certain part of the galaxy that shocked the world.


    Once a beginner civilization that had yet to leave the planet was involved in a space battle of this level, the aftershock would cause the destruction of the world and even the disappearance of the planet.


    In reality, it was rare for a space battle to affect more than one galaxy in the universe.


    The top cosmic civilizations had already divided their territories. Even if they won a battle at the same level, it would be a poor victory. They would severely exhaust their forces.


    Often, only when new creatures of law like Chen Yiming were born would there be a situation where the territory was redistributed. War would naturally be inevitable.


    ¡­


    In the Great Chen Empire, today was the annual admission day for the new students of the Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Chen Yingying had just woken up when she heard Mother Chen coughing.


    Then, Mother Chen muttered to herself, ¡°In the blink of an eye, a hundred years have passed. She¡¯s already an old lady. When will she be able to get married?¡±


    Chen Yingying¡¯s expression froze as she looked into the mirror on the dressing table.


    She had achieved success in her cultivation and maintained her appearance at the age of 18. How could she say that she had become an old lady?


    As for getting married, it was no longer the old era. She had to find someone suitable, from his mind to his body, to his status and chemistry with her, before she was willing to consider it.


    Other than that, the average lifespan of the citizens of the Great Chen Empire was close to 1,000 years old. Society naturally moved along with the times and focused mainly on the individual.


    Marrying late and having children late were the mainstream practices in this era. With a huge increase in lifespan every 10 years, many people still wanted to make contributions to expanding the territory and find a suitable partner with better conditions.


    Not long after.


    A strange flying saucer rose from a huge villa and flew through the air, causing countless people on the street to stop and watch.


    ¡°A model of a flying saucer that has not been revealed before!¡±


    Some military enthusiasts recognized the differences in the details of the flying saucer.


    ¡°Could it be a flying saucer above the S rank? Shouldn¡¯t it be kept a secret? Why is it flying openly on the street?¡±


    someone asked the person beside him.


    This was indeed the case according to the usual practice. Above the S rank, there were also technologies at the SS and SSS ranks. However, unless there was a problem with it, they would usually not be revealed publicly.


    Only those below the S rank, up to the A rank, would be openly publicized.


    As for ordinary citizens of the empire, they were already short on money for their cultivation. They could forget about luxury items like flying saucers, which were wasteful and impractical.


    In the flying saucer, Chen Yingying drank a cup of the special coffee that the secretary had prepared in advance. It relieved the fatigue from her cultivation and returned to the documents on the table.


    The empire¡¯s expedition team had successfully occupied a new galaxy. The new galaxy had a large number of planets that produced rare ores, and the share price of the royal mining company had increased by three percentage points in one day.


    The number of orders from the Royal Space Company was currently queued to 10 years later, so they were forced to stop taking orders. The stock price was still increasing by 10% every day.


    The rare ores discovered on the planet would most directly affect the companies producing the spaceships, causing a chain reaction and the stock price to soar.


    Soon, Chen Yingying read through the documents, then leaned back in her chair to rest for a while.


    Ever since the establishment of the empire, the businesses belonging to the royal family had become even larger. Countless businesses had been put under Chen Yingying¡¯s name. It was like a spider web that was continuously extending to every corner of the new territories occupied by the empire.


    Other than the royal family, the other factions were all vassals. They were all subordinates of the royal family and formed the internal organization of the Great Chen Empire.


    ¡­


    Not long after, the flying saucer stopped at the entrance of the Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    The cabin door had yet to open, and the head, who was leading a group of higher-ups, quickly walked up to welcome her.


    Chen Yingying was also the chairman of the Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy, but she rarely interfered in specific matters of the academy. For example, she would only attend on the first day of school or on graduation day.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Soon, the cabin door of the flying saucer opened, and Chen Yingying and the female secretary walked out one after another.


    ¡°Welcome! Welcome!¡±


    The head walked at the front and welcomed her with a warm smile.


    The end of the street in front of the door had already been blocked off, allowing the flying saucer to land easily. All the luxury cars were temporarily parked outside the designated area, waiting to be allowed to enter.


    The current head of the Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy was famous in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy, but he still needed to be respectful to Chen Yingying.


    She was Chen Yiming¡¯s biological sister. If the head dared to slight her, there would be many people who would think of ways to get rid of him and replace him.


    ¡°School Head Li, right? No need to be polite. Just follow the normal procedure.¡±


    Chen Yingying was already used to such a situation, so she was only just saying it. In reality, it would be the same every time.


    ¡°No! No! I was in a hurry and didn¡¯t prepare many things. Please advise me,¡± school head Li said politely.


    Although he said that, he had already checked and confirmed things several times a few days in advance. He had to make sure that there were no mistakes.


    Soon, the group entered the Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    The Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy had the most cultivation techniques from the supernatural level to the divine powers.


    After all, after Chen Yiming transformed into a creature of law, he had completely replaced the position of the original territorial lord of the galaxy.


    The large and small factions that still wanted to survive in the Hidden Dragon Galaxy offered various secret techniques, secret treasures, strange items, and so on to him to curry favor with him.


    Not long after.


    After the entrance ceremony that lasted for more than an hour ended, the new batch of students officially entered the Royal Myriad Phenomena Academy.


    The students here were not only from the blue planet, but also many new factions that had joined the Great Chen Empire.


    Every student was considered a genius outside the academy. They were at the level of the next successor of the factions. The academy was definitely not something that ordinary geniuses could enter.


    This way, generation after generation of geniuses would graduate from this place and continue to be tied to the empire, helping the empire to expand their territory further in the galaxy.


    *


    *


    *


    This is the end of the book!